Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Converting Enzyme Activity and Angiotensin Metabolism in the Dog Brainstem

The concentrations of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activity, norepinephrine, and serotonin were measured in microdissected regions of the dog's brainstem and spinal cord. In addition, we determined the in vitro metabolism of 125I-angiotensin I (Ang I) hi hompgenates of the same brain pnnch regions. High ACE-specific activity was found hi the monoamine-containing regions of the brainstem and in the intermediolateral column of the spinal cord. In brainstem homogenates 125I-Ang I was metabolized to angiotensin II (Ang-l-8]) and the N-terminal heptapeptide Ang-(l-7). In the presence of MK 422 (50 fiM), Ang-(l-7) was still generated, while the production of Ang-(l-8) was inhibited. This study revealed the presence of high ACE activity in monoamine regions of dog brainstem and spinal cord, and showed that the metabolite Ang-(l-7) is the major product generated from Ang I in the presence and absence of ACE inhibition.
SHARP GREEN FUNCTION ESTIMATES FOR Δ + Δ IN C OPEN SETS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS

We consider a family of pseudo differential operators {Δ + aΔ; a ∈ [0,1]} on R that evolves continuously from Δ to Δ + Δ, where d ≥ 1 and α ∈ (0,2). It gives rise to a family of Lévy processes {X, a ∈ [0,1]}, where X is the sum of a Brownian motion and an independent symmetric α-stable process with weight a. Using a recently obtained uniform boundary Harnack principle with explicit decay rate, we establish sharp bounds for the Green function of the process X killed upon exiting a bounded C open set D ⊂ R. Our estimates are uniform in a ∈ (0,1] and taking a → 0 recovers the Green function estimates for Brownian motion in D. As a consequence of the Green function estimates for X in D, we identify both the Martin boundary and the minimal Martin boundary of D with respect to X with its Euclidean boundary. Finally, sharp Green function estimates are derived for certain Lévy processes which can be obtained as perturbations of X. Received December 11, 2009; received in final form October 13, 2011. The first author was partially supported by NSF Grants DMS-0906743 and DMR1035196. The second author supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (0409-20110087). The fourth author was partially supported by the MZOS Grant 037-0372790-2801 of the Republic of Croatia. 2010 Mathematics Subject Classification. Primary 31A20, 31B25, 60J45. Secondary 47G20, 60J75, 31B05. 981 c ©2012 University of Illinois 982 Z. -Q. CHEN ET AL.
Obliterative otosclerosis

A total of 2, 985 stapedectomies were done during the 25‐year period 1959 to 1984 in a busy urban otologic practice. One hundred twenty‐three of these cases were found to have obliterative otosclerosis which resulted in a drill‐out stapedectomy. Postoperatively, a minimum of 2 years follow‐up yielded 98 of the original 123 drill‐out cases constituting the study group. Several parameters will be evaluated: 1. Initial hearing gain (measured 3 months after surgery), 2. long‐term hearing results (measured 2 years and beyond), 3. additional sensorineural hearing loss, and 4. probability of bilateral obliterativc disease.
Bereavement Follow‐Up After the Death of a Child as a Standard of Care in Pediatric Oncology

After a child's death to cancer, families commonly want continued connection with the healthcare team that cared for their child, yet bereavement follow‐up is often sporadic. A comprehensive literature search found that many bereaved parents experience poor psychological outcomes during bereavement and that parents want follow‐up and benefit from continued connection with their child's healthcare providers. Evidence suggests that the standard of care should consist of at least one meaningful contact between the healthcare team and bereaved parents to identify those at risk for negative psychosocial sequelae and to provide resources for bereavement support. Pediatr Blood Cancer © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Initiation and growth of microtubules from mitotic centers in lysed mammalian cells

Metaphase PtK1 cells, lysed into polymerization-competent microtubule protein, maintain a spindle which will gain or lose birefringence depending on the concentration of disassembled tubulin subunits used in the lysis medium. Concentrations of tubulin subunits greater than the equilibrium monomer value promote a rate and extent of birefringence increase that is proportional to the subunit concentration. Increase in spindle birefringence can be correlated with an increase in tubule number, though the relationship is not strictly linear. Increase in spindle tubule number is due to an vivo-like initiation of tubules at the mitotic centers, as well as tubulin addition onto pre-existing spindle fragments. Colcemid-treated prometaphase cells lysed into polymerization-competent tubulin develop large asters in the region of the centrioles and short tubules at kinetochores, making it unlikely that all microtubule formation in lysed cell preparations is dependent on tubulin addition to short tubule fragments. Asters can also form in colcemid-treated prometaphase cells lysed in tubulin that is incapable of spontaneous tubule initiation, suggesting that the centriolar region serves a tubule-initiator function in our lysed cell preparations. The ability of the centriole to initiate microtubule assembly is a time- dependent process-a ripening effect takes place between prophase and late prometaphase. Ripening is expressed by an increase in the number and length of tubules found associated with the centriolar region.
Experimental validation of fog models for FSO under laboratory controlled conditions

In this paper, we present the experimental results free space optics (FSO) communication systems operating at visible and near infrared wavelengths (from 0.6 μm to 1.6 μm) under fog conditions. Different empirical fog models are typically used to characterize the fog attenuation of optical beam in FSO systems. A number of empirical fog models are evaluated in order to verify them experimentally and to fill several unmeasured gaps within the entire spectrum from the visible - near infrared (NIR) range for light to dense fog conditions. The experimental results in the controlled laboratory fog environment are compared with the selected empirical fog models in order to practically validate their performance over wide range of wavelengths. The results indicate wavelength dependency of the fog attenuation for visibilities higher than 15 m, whereas the cases with shorter visibilities contradict the Kim model.
Clinical heterogeneity in dysferlinopathy.

OBJECTIVE To clarify the clinical heterogeneity and genotype-phenotype correlation in dysferlinopathy. METHODS We evaluated clinical parameters of 74 dysferlinopathy patients with known dysferlin gene mutations who were previously reported in the literature. RESULTS The age at onset varied from 12 to 59 years (mean 21.7 years). Based on the initial distribution of muscle involvement, clinical phenotypes were divided into four subtypes: limb-girdle type, Miyoshi's type, distal anterior compartment type, or scapuloperoneal type. These phenotypic differences were prominent at the early stages, but were difficult to recognize later in the progression of the disease. Patients with missense mutations had significantly more severe functional status at examination and higher creatine kinase levels than those with frameshift or nonsense mutations. CONCLUSION Dysferlinopathy exhibited marked heterogeneity in the age at onset, initial distribution of muscle involvement, and rate of disease progression. As this heterogeneity was observed even within the same family, some additional factors distinct from dysferlin might be involved.
Perceived exertion during prepregnancy physical activity and preeclampsia risk.

PURPOSE Studies have shown that absolute intensity of physical activity is associated with reduced risk of preeclampsia. This analysis was performed to examine whether relative intensity may also be related to preeclampsia risk. METHODS Using data from a case-control study conducted from 1998 to 2002, the authors assessed the relation between perceived exertion (i.e., relative intensity) during usual recreational physical activity in the year before pregnancy and risk of preeclampsia. In a structured interview conducted during postpartum hospitalization, 244 preeclampsia cases and 470 normotensive controls provided details on their recreational physical activities in the year before pregnancy. RESULTS Participants who reported feeling very strenuous to maximal exertion during usual prepregnancy physical activity were 78% less likely to have developed preeclampsia than those who reported negligible or minimal exertion (adjusted odds ratio 0.22, 95% confidence interval 0.11-0.44). A significant trend was noted of decreased preeclampsia risk with increased perceived exertion (P < 0.001). This association was independent of prepregnancy adiposity, and was also apparent among the subset of participants who did not meet physical activity guidelines in the year before pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS In this study, relative intensity of recreational physical activity performed during the year before pregnancy was associated with a decreased risk of preeclampsia.
Proteomic Analysis of C2C12 Myoblast and Myotube Exosome-Like Vesicles: A New Paradigm for Myoblast-Myotube Cross Talk?

Exosomes are nanometer-sized microvesicles formed in multivesicular bodies (MVBs) during endosome maturation. Exosomes are released from cells into the microenvironment following fusion of MVBs with the plasma membrane. During the last decade, skeletal muscle-secreted proteins have been identified with important roles in intercellular communications. To investigate whether muscle-derived exosomes participate in this molecular dialog, we determined and compared the protein contents of the exosome-like vesicles (ELVs) released from C2C12 murine myoblasts during proliferation (ELV-MB), and after differentiation into myotubes (ELV-MT). Using a proteomic approach combined with electron microscopy, western-blot and bioinformatic analyses, we compared the protein repertoires within ELV-MB and ELV-MT. We found that these vesicles displayed the classical properties of exosomes isolated from other cell types containing components of the ESCRT machinery of the MVBs, as well as numerous tetraspanins. Specific muscle proteins were also identified confirming that ELV composition also reflects their muscle origin. Furthermore quantitative analysis revealed stage-preferred expression of 31 and 78 proteins in ELV-MB and ELV-MT respectively. We found that myotube-secreted ELVs, but not ELV-MB, reduced myoblast proliferation and induced differentiation, through, respectively, the down-regulation of Cyclin D1 and the up-regulation of myogenin. We also present evidence that proteins from ELV-MT can be incorporated into myoblasts by using the GFP protein as cargo within ELV-MT. Taken together, our data provide a useful database of proteins from C2C12-released ELVs throughout myogenesis and reveals the importance of exosome-like vesicles in skeletal muscle biology.
Properties of the n-overlap vector and n-overlap similarity theory

In the first part of this article the author defines the n-overlap vector whose coordinates consist of the fraction of the objects (e.g., books, N-grams, etc.) that belong to 1, 2, …, n sets (more generally: families) (e.g., libraries, databases, etc.). With the aid of the Lorenz concentration theory, a theory of n-overlap similarity is conceived together with corresponding measures, such as the generalized Jaccard index (generalizing the well-known Jaccard index in case n 5 2). Next, the distributional form of the n-overlap vector is determined assuming certain distributions of the object's and of the set (family) sizes. In this section the decreasing power law and decreasing exponential distribution is explained for the n-overlap vector. Both item (token) n-overlap and source (type) n-overlap are studied. The n-overlap properties of objects indexed by a hierarchical system (e.g., books indexed by numbers from a UDC or Dewey system or by N-grams) are presented in the final section. The author shows how the results given in the previous section can be applied as well as how the Lorenz order of the n-overlap vector is respected by an increase or a decrease of the level of refinement in the hierarchical system (e.g., the value N in N-grams).
A role for palindromic structures in the cis-region of maize Sirevirus LTRs in transposable element evolution and host epigenetic response

Transposable elements (TEs) proliferate within the genome of their host, which responds by silencing them epigenetically. Much is known about the mechanisms of silencing in plants, particularly the role of siRNAs in guiding DNA methylation. In contrast, little is known about siRNA targeting patterns along the length of TEs, yet this information may provide crucial insights into the dynamics between hosts and TEs. By focusing on 6456 carefully annotated, full-length Sirevirus LTR retrotransposons in maize, we show that their silencing associates with underlying characteristics of the TE sequence and also uncover three features of the host-TE interaction. First, siRNA mapping varies among families and among elements, but particularly along the length of elements. Within the cis-regulatory portion of the LTRs, a complex palindrome-rich region acts as a hotspot of both siRNA matching and sequence evolution. These patterns are consistent across leaf, tassel, and immature ear libraries, but particularly emphasized for floral tissues and 21- to 22-nt siRNAs. Second, this region has the ability to form hairpins, making it a potential template for the production of miRNA-like, hairpin-derived small RNAs. Third, Sireviruses are targeted by siRNAs as a decreasing function of their age, but the oldest elements remain highly targeted, partially by siRNAs that cross-map to the youngest elements. We show that the targeting of older Sireviruses reflects their conserved palindromes. Altogether, we hypothesize that the palindromes aid the silencing of active elements and influence transposition potential, siRNA targeting levels, and ultimately the fate of an element within the genome.
Insight of Host Immune Evasion Mediated by Two Variants of Group A Streptococcus Mac Protein*

Group A Streptococcus has evolved numerous mechanisms to evade the host immune system to survive, disseminate, and cause disease. Recently a secreted protein named Mac-1 was identified and shown to enhance survival of the pathogen. A new variant of Mac-1 (designated Mac-2) also was recently described and shown to differ from Mac-1 by ∼50% amino acid sequence divergence in the middle one-third of the molecule. To gain new information about the role of Mac-1 and Mac-2 in host-pathogen interactions, solution binding experiments were performed using surface plasmon resonance and purified Mac proteins. Mac-1 bound the same lower hinge region of human IgG as Fc receptors with 2.5 μm affinity, which lead to proteolytic cleavage of the antibody. Similar Km (6.8-18.9 μm) and kcat (0.02-0.13 s-1) values of the Mac-1 endopeptidase activity were obtained for IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, and IgG4. Mac-2 variant, in contrast, bound human IgG poorly (KD = 16 mm) and had weak endopeptidase activity against IgG. Instead, Mac-2 bound FcγRII and FcγRIII with 5 and 75 μm affinity, respectively. This binding competitively blocked IgG from recognition by Fc receptors. Taken together, Mac proteins block immunoglobulin recognition by Fc receptors and degrade immunoglobulins, thereby enhancing survival of the pathogen through the inhibition of phagocytosis, endocytosis of IgG-opsonized particles, and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Consequently, these proteins may be potential therapeutic targets.
Sensor-Based Exploration: Incremental Construction of the Hierarchical Generalized Voronoi Graph

This paper prescribes an incremental procedure to construct roadmaps of unknown environments. Recall that a roadmap is a geometric structure that a robot uses to plan a path between two points in an environment. If the robot knows the roadmap, then it knows the environment. Likewise, if the robot constructs the roadmap, then it has effectively explored the environment. This paper focuses on the hierarchical generalized Voronoi graph (HGVG), detailed in the companion paper in this issue. The incremental construction procedure of the HGVG requires only local distance sensor measurements, and therefore the method can be used as a basis for sensor-based planning algorithms. Simulations and experiments using a mobile robot with ultrasonic sensors verify this approach.
An Overlapping Syndrome of Allergy and Immune Deficiency in Children

Recurrent airway inflammations in children are an important clinical problem in pediatric practice. An essential challenge is differentiation between allergic background and immune deficiency, which is a difficult task taking into consideration individual predisposition to atopy, immune system maturation in the early childhood, as well as exposition to environmental allergens and microbial antigens. In this paper relationship between selected elements of innate and adaptive immunity, such as pattern-recognition receptors, complement components, dendritic cells, as well as immunoglobulins, and regulatory T lymph cells has been discussed. Particular attention has been paid to these mechanisms of the immune response which, depending on settings and timing of activation, predispose to allergy or contribute to tolerogenic phenotype. In the context of multifactorial conditioning of the innate and adaptive immunity governing the ultimate response and associations between allergy and immune deficiencies, these phenomena should be considered as pathogenetically not precluding, but as an overlapping syndrome.
Effects of Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists on the Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death in Patients With Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Background—Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is an important cause of death in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) may attenuate this risk. The objective of this meta-analysis was to assess the impact of MRAs on SCD in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Methods and Results—We systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, and other databases through March 30, 2012, without language restrictions. We included trials that enrolled patients with left ventricular ejection fraction of ⩽45%, randomized subjects to MRAs versus control and reported outcomes on SCD, total and cardiovascular mortality. Eight published trials that enrolled 11 875 patients met inclusion criteria. Of these, 6 reported data on SCD and cardiovascular mortality, and 7 reported data on total mortality. No heterogeneity was observed among the trials. Patients treated with MRAs had 23% lower odds of experiencing SCD compared with controls (odds ratio, 0.77; 95% confidence interval, 0.66–0.89; P=0.001). Similar reductions were observed in cardiovascular (0.75; 95% confidence interval, 0.68–0.84; P<0.001) and total mortality (odds ratio, 0.74; 95% confidence interval, 0.63–0.86; P<0.001). Although publication bias was observed, the results did not change after a trim and fill test, suggesting that the impact of this bias was likely insignificant. Conclusions—MRAs reduce the risk of SCD in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Comparative effectiveness studies of MRAs on SCD in usual care as well as studies evaluating the efficacy of other therapies to prevent SCD in patients receiving optimal MRA therapy are needed to guide clinical decision-making.
A systematic review of circulating markers in primary chronic venous insufficiency

Objectives The etiology of primary chronic venous insufficiency is poorly understood. This systematic review aimed to summarize published evidence assessing the association of circulating markers with primary chronic venous insufficiency. Methods A search was undertaken through the PubMed database using the terms “venous insufficiency” and “biological marker” or “plasma” or “serum”. Search limits included English language, human subjects and studies with publication dates from 1994. Studies which classified patients using the Clinical-Etiology-Anatomy-Pathophysiology system of venous disease were analyzed. Results Seventeen studies were included, which have examined > 60 different biomarkers. A total of 13 markers were assessed in >1 study with the number of primary chronic venous insufficiency cases ranging from 41 to 244 and the number of controls ranging from 30 to 144 in these studies. Circulating estradiol, homocysteine and vascular endothelial growth factor were the most consistently associated with primary chronic venous insufficiency. Conclusions Whilst a number of studies have examined biomarkers associated with primary chronic venous insufficiency, further studies are required using improved and standardized approaches on larger populations. Biomarker research may increase pathogenic knowledge and result in opportunities to decrease chronic venous insufficiency burden.
Footwear and falls in the home among older individuals in the MOBILIZE Boston Study

Background: Whether certain types of footwear, such as slippers, socks without shoes, and going barefoot, increase the risk for falls among the elderly is uncertain. Our purpose was to examine the relationship between footwear and falls within the home in MOBILIZE Boston, a prospective cohort study of falls etiology among non-institutionalized women and men, mainly aged 70 years and older, from the Boston MA, USA area. Methods: The 765 participants were from households randomly selected from town lists. They were followed for a median of 27.5 months. At baseline, participants were administered a questionnaire that included questions on footwear usually worn, and were given a comprehensive examination that included measurement of many risk factors for falls. During follow-up participants were asked to record each day whether they had fallen; those reporting falls were asked about their footwear when they fell. Results: At the time of in-home falls, 51.9% of people were barefoot, wearing socks without shoes, or wearing slippers; 10.1% of people reported that their usual footwear was one of these types. Among those who fell in their own home, the adjusted odds ratio for a serious injury among those who were shoeless or wearing slippers compared to those who were wearing other shoes at the time of the fall was 2.27 (95% confidence interval 1.21–4.24). Conclusions: It may be advisable for older individuals to wear shoes in their home whenever possible to minimize the risk of falling. Further research is needed to identify optimal footwear for falls prevention.
Interactive Concept-based Search using MOEA: The Hierarchical Preferences Case

— An IEC technique is described for a multi-objective search of conceptual solutions. The survivability of solutions is influenced by both model-based fitness and subjective human preferences. The concepts’ preferences are articulated via a hierarchy of sub-concepts. The suggested method produces an objective-subjective front. Academic example is employed to demonstrate the proposed approach.