Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Le capital social

La notion de capital social est liee a celle de personnalite morale des societes. Malgre les critiques qui ont pu lui etre adressees et les defauts qui peuvent etre releves, cette notion est essentielle en droit des societes et son importance doit etre affirmee. Un point semble acquis en fonction des reformes recentes, ce n'est plus un instrument de controle de la societe (le droit de vote n'est plus uniquement fonction de la possession d'actions). Lui attribuer ce role n'entrainerait que deception et critiques. En revanche, le capital social est un instrument fondamental en matiere de financement de l'activite sociale; il faut en ce sens l'envisager de maniere extensive (cela vise la possible inclusion des apports en industrie, et le regime de ce que l'on peut appeler quasi-capital). Il a aussi un role a jouer comme instrument de protection des creanciers (non comme gage direct, mais comme garantie indirecte), grace aux principes de fixite et d'intangibilite, qu'il faut cependant redefinir clairement : et dans une moindre mesure comme instrument de protection des associes par le role d'ecran qu'il joue parfois. En conclusion, la reflexion aboutit a affirmer la necessite du capital social, et lui organiser un reel statut juridique, notamment par une redefinition des regles qui le caracterisent.
Muscle-Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling of Marrow Perfusion for Osteoporotic Bone in Females

The pharmacokinetic model has been widely used in tissue perfusion analysis, such as bone marrow perfusion. In the modeling process, the arterial input function is important to guarantee the reliability of the fitting result. However, the arterial input function is variable and hard to control, which makes it difficult to compare results across different studies. The purpose of this study was to establish a muscle-based pharmacokinetic model for bone marrow perfusion without using arterial input function. Erector spinae muscle around the vertebral body was selected as the reference region. The study was carried out in elderly females with different bone mineral densities (normal, osteopenia, and osteoporosis). Quantitative parameters were extracted from the pharmacokinetic model. Parameter K trans,BM (contrast agent extravasation rate constants for blood perfusion of the bone marrow) showed a significant reduction in subjects with lower bone mineral density, which is consistent with previous studies. However, muscle perfusion parameters remained unchanged among different groups. The results indicated that the muscle-based model was stable for bone marrow perfusion modeling. Additionally, nonsignificant change in muscle parameters indicated that the diminished perfusion is only a local rather than a systematic change in the bone marrow for osteoporosis.
WIND: A scalable and lightweight network topology service for peer-to-peer applications

We present an Internet-scale network topology information (NTI) service named WIND for localizing P2P traffic. Central to WIND are the two simple ideas: 1) obtaining NTI directly from routing infrastructures, and 2) leveraging existing, widely deployed DNS caches for NTI delivery. WIND fulfills the fidelity, flexibility and scalability requirement of an effective NTI service. WIND is deployed in CERNET. We conduct extensive trace-driven emulations on PlanetLab. Experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the WIND service.
Vascular network in papillae of dog oral mucosa using corrosive resin casts with scanning electron microscopy

The purpose of this study was to undertake a three‐dimensional analysis of the vascular network of the lamina propria in the gingiva, alveolar mucosa, buccal mucosa, palate, and lingual mucosa of the dog. Using the corrosive resin casting technique, casts of the vascular network were prepared and examined by scanning electron microscopy.
Sensory Cell Regeneration and Stem Cells: What We Have Already Achieved in the Management of Deafness

Background/Objective: Genetic manipulation of the cell-cycle exit, induction of new hair cells (HCs) through gene modification therapy, and introduction of stem cells (SCs) into damaged cochleas potentially offer exciting new strategies in treating sensorineural hearing loss. Materials and Methods: Literature review from Medline and database sources. Study Selection: Ex vivo models, animal studies, in vitro studies, and review articles. Data Synthesis: Embryonic SCs, neural SCs, or bone marrow SCs survive in the mammalian inner ear after transplantation. The scala media and the modiolus seem more functionally appropriate injection sites. The clear evidence that transplanted neural SCs can adopt the morphologic phenotypes of HCs was the most significant milestone achieved in the related research. The normal cytoarchitecture in the organ of Corti may also be restored through mouse atonal homologue 1 transgene expression and transduction of the nonsensory cells, producing clinically measured improvement in hearing thresholds. Embryonic SC-derived neurons have the potential for synapse formation with auditory HCs and reinnervation of the auditory epithelia. However, fluctuations in survival rates, functional recovery of the spiral-ganglion neurons, integration to the host tissue, and potential immune barriers are also areas of utmost importance. Conclusion: There is an already exciting progress in the fields of sensory cell regeneration and SC research in an attempt to restore hearing or prevent deafness. However, further understanding of the underlying mechanisms of auditory genetics, continuing investigation of the human genome, refinement of the delivering techniques, and specification of the therapeutic strategies have to be developed before functional regeneration of the cochlea can be achieved in clinical practice.
The effects of temperature on the responses of Pacinian corpuscles

Receptor potentials, which are directly related to one or more parameters of a mechanical stimulus, are known to initiate nerve impulses in mechanically sensitive receptors. The mechanisms underlying these receptor potentials (Gray, 1959) appear, on present evidence, to differ in several respects from those underlying the nerve impulse (Hodgkin, 1951; Bishop, 1956). The receptor potential of the Pacinian corpuscle is generated across a different region of the nerve-cell membrane from that in which an impulse can occur; it is not regenerative, since it cannot be elicited by electrical stimulation (Diamond, Gray & Sato, 1956; Diamond, Gray & Inman, 1958; Loewenstein & Cohen, 1959). The receptor potential and the impulse differ also in the manner in which they are affected either by changes in the extracellular Na+ concentration or by procaine (Diamond et al. 1958). Both impulse and receptor potential are probably due to the transport of charge across the nerve membrane by ions moving down their electrochemical gradients. The two types of activity appear to differ, however, both in the way the underlying changes inmembranepermeability are brought about and in the nature of the ions involved. A wealth of information now exists concerning the modification of various parameters of nervous activity by temperature changes (Lucas, 1908; Garten & Sultze, 1913; Adrian, 1921; Gasser, 1931; Schoepfle & Erlanger, 1941; Lorente de No, 1947; Tasaki & Fujita, 1948; Lundberg, 1948; Hodgkin & Katz, 1949, to mention only a few of the many investigations relevant to the present work). Most of this information applies, however, to the temperature dependence either of the membrane potential or of the different phases of the nerve impulse; little is known of the effect of temperature on the receptor potential, although it has been reported by Burkhardt (1959) that the amplitude of the receptor potential in the stretch receptor of the crayfish increases with decreasing temperature. The present paper is a comparative study of the effects of temperature on
Clinical features of prostate cancer before diagnosis: a population-based, case-control study.

BACKGROUND Even in areas where screening is available, many prostate cancers are diagnosed after the symptoms begin. However, the risk posed by particular symptoms is largely unknown, especially in unselected populations such as primary care. AIM To identify and quantify the features of prostate cancer before diagnosis, both individually and in combination. DESIGN OF STUDY Population-based case-control study. SETTING All 21 general practices in Exeter, Devon, UK. METHODS We studied all 217 prostate cancer patients diagnosed between 1998 and 2002, and 1080 male controls, matched by age and general practice. The full medical record for 2 years before diagnosis was coded, using the International Classification of Primary Care. We calculated odds ratios for variables independently associated with cancer, using conditional logistic regression, and calculated the positive predictive values for these, both individually and in combination. RESULTS Eight features were associated with prostate cancer before diagnosis. Their positive predictive values against a background risk of 0.35% were: urinary retention 3.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.5 to 6.0); impotence 3.0% (95% CI = 1.7 to 4.9); frequency 2.2% (95% CI = 1.3 to 3.5); hesitancy 3.0% (95% CI = 1.5 to 5.5); nocturia 2.2% (95% CI = 1.2 to 3.6); haematuria 1.0% (95% CI = 0.57 to 1.8); weight loss 0.75% (95% CI = 0.38 to 1.4); abnormal rectal examination, deemed benign 2.8% (95% CI = 1.6 to 4.6); abnormal rectal examination, deemed malignant 12% (95% CI = 5.0 to 37): all P <0.001, except for hesitancy P = 0.032, nocturia P = 0.004 and haematuria P = 0.009. Loss of weight, impotence, frequency and abnormal rectal examination remained associated with cancer after excluding the final 180 days from analysis. CONCLUSION Most men with prostate cancer present with symptoms. The predictive values for these symptoms will help guide GPs and patients about the value of further investigation.
Exploring the Energy-Latency Trade-off of Broadcasts in IEEE 802 . 11 Power Save Networks

Efficient information dissemination is essential for the operationality of sensor networks. However, one of the challenges to efficient information dissemination arises from only a random subset of nodes being active in any given time. This is mainly due to sensor networks employing powersaving techniques to compensate the energy constraints of sensor nodes. Specifically, significant delay is incurred from any packet transmission attempt in a power-saving network that allow nodes periodically switch to sleep modes to conserve energy. In this paper, we propose a ProbabilityBased Broadcast Protocol (PBBF) that aims to provide fast broadcast propagation in the case of such networks. Simulation studies show that PBBF efficient and effective information dissemination with low latency while still maintaining high delivery ratios.
Microarray expression profiling of Arabidopsis thaliana L. in response to allelochemicals identified in buckwheat

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) is an important annual plant cultivated for grain or as a cover crop in many countries, and it is also used for weed suppression in agro-economic systems through its release of allelochemicals. Little is known, however, concerning the mode of action of allelochemicals or plant defence response against them. Here, microarrays revealed 94, 85, and 28 genes with significantly higher expression after 6 h of exposure to the allelochemicals fagomine, gallic acid, and rutin, respectively, compared with controls. These induced genes fell into different functional categories, mainly: interaction with the environment; subcellular localization; protein with binding function or cofactor requirement; cell rescue; defence and virulence; and metabolism. Consistent with these results, plant response to allelochemicals was similar to that for pathogens (biotic stress) or herbicides (abiotic stress), which increase the concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS; with consequent oxidative stress) in plant cells. The data indicate that allelochemicals might have relevant functions, at least in part, in the cross-talk between biotic and abiotic stress signalling because they generate ROS, which has been proposed as a key shared process between these two stress mechanisms.
Assessing the Role of Particulate Matter Size and Composition on Gene Expression in Pulmonary Cells

Identifying the mechanisms by which air pollution causes human health effects is a daunting task. Airsheds around the world are composed of pollution mixtures made up of hundreds of chemical and biological components with an extensive array of physicochemical properties. Current in vivo approaches are limited to the identification of associations between pollutants and health but do not allow for the identification of precise biological mechanisms of effect or the component(s) responsible for the effect. High-throughput in vitro methods using relevant cell culture systems and microarray technology allow researchers to evaluate the mechanisms by which air pollutants affect human health. Our studies have used human airway epithelial cells primarily to test the toxicological effects of particles of different sizes and of various particle components from several cities across the United States. Chemical mass balance analysis is also being used to analyze these samples to establish links between physicochemical properties of particulate matter (PM) and potential sources. The ultimate goal of this line of research is to link the mechanistic data to the PM source data in order to gain an understanding about how the components and sources of PM affect human health.
Quantum Spin Hall Effect and Topological Phase Transition in HgTe Quantum Wells

We show that the quantum spin Hall (QSH) effect, a state of matter with topological properties distinct from those of conventional insulators, can be realized in mercury telluride–cadmium telluride semiconductor quantum wells. When the thickness of the quantum well is varied, the electronic state changes from a normal to an “inverted” type at a critical thickness dc. We show that this transition is a topological quantum phase transition between a conventional insulating phase and a phase exhibiting the QSH effect with a single pair of helical edge states. We also discuss methods for experimental detection of the QSH effect.
Expression of Diabetes-Associated Genes by Dendritic Cells and CD4 T Cells Drives the Loss of Tolerance in Nonobese Diabetic Mice1

In humans and NOD mice, defects in immune tolerance result in the spontaneous development of type-1-diabetes. Recent studies have ascribed a breakdown in tolerance to dysfunction in regulatory T cells that is secondary to reduced IL-2 production by T cells having the NOD diabetes susceptibility region insulin-dependent diabetes 3 (Idd3). In this study, we demonstrate a peripheral tolerance defect in the dendritic cells of NOD mice that is independent of regulatory T cells. NOD CD8 T cells specific for islet Ags fail to undergo deletion in the pancreatic lymph nodes. Deletion was promoted by expression of the protective alleles of both Idd3 (Il2) and Idd5 in dendritic cells. We further identify a second tolerance defect that involves endogenous CD4 T cell expression of the disease-promoting NOD alleles of these genetic regions. Pervasive insulitis can be reduced by expression of the Idd3 and Idd5 protective alleles by either the Ag-presenting cell or lymphocytes.
Viscoelastic properties of the diastolic left ventricle in the conscious dog.

The mechanical properties of the normal left ventricular wall during diastole were studied in 15 chronically instrumented, conscious dogs. Left ventricular minor and major axis diameters and equatorial wall thickness were measured with implanted pulse-transit ultrasonic dimension transducers. Left ventricular and pleural pressures were measured with high fidelity micromanometers. Circumferential mural stress was calculated by using an ellipsoidal shell theory; circumferential strain was calculated by using a natural strain definition. The static elastic properties of the myocardium were estimated by fitting the stress-strain values at the points of diastasis during a vena caval occlusion to an exponential function. A modified creep test was used to evaluate the series viscous properties of the myocardium. Acute increases in systolic and diastolic loading were produced by inflating implanted aortic occluders for 15 minutes in five dogs. In these dogs, the static stress-strain curves were not altered significantly after this period of pressure loading, indicating tbat short-term series viscous properties are negligible. Parallel viscous properties were evaluated in 10 dogs by means of the variable rate stretch test of dynamic diastolic filling. A viscoelastic model incorporating a parallel viscous element fit the dynamic stress-strain data better and predicted the static elastic properties more accurately than a simple exponential model. Thus, the mechanical characteristics of the diastolic left ventricle can be represented most precisely by a viscoelastic model that includes a parallel viscous element.
Neurobiochemical markers of brain damage in cerebrospinal fluid of acute ischemic stroke patients.

BACKGROUND Ischemic injury to the central nervous system causes cellular activation and disintegration, leading to release of cell-type-specific proteins into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). We investigated CSF concentrations of myelin basic protein (MBP), glial fibrillary astrocytic protein (GFAP), the calcium-binding protein S100B, and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) in acute ischemic stroke patients and their relation to initial stroke severity, stroke location, and long-term stroke outcome. METHODS CSF concentrations of MBP, GFAP, S100B, and NSE were assessed in 89 stroke patients on admission (mean 8.7 h after stroke onset) and in 35 controls. We evaluated the relation between CSF concentrations and (a) stroke severity (NIH Stroke Scale [NIHSS] score on admission, infarct volume), (b) stroke location, and (c) stroke outcome (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] score at month 3). RESULTS MBP concentration was significantly higher in subcortical than in cortical infarcts (median MBP, 1.18 vs 0.66 microg/L, P < 0.001). GFAP and S100B concentrations correlated with the NIHSS score on admission (GFAP, R = 0.35, P = 0.001; S100B, R = 0.29, P = 0.006), infarct volume (GFAP, R = 0.34, P = 0.001; S100B, R = 0.28, P = 0.008), and mRS score at month 3 (R = 0.42, P < 0.001 and R = 0.28, P = 0.007). Concentrations of NSE did not correlate with stroke characteristics. CONCLUSIONS MBP, GFAP, S100B, and NSE display relevant differences in cellular and subcellular origins, which are reflected in their relation to stroke characteristics. MBP is a marker for infarct location. GFAP and S100B correlate with stroke severity and outcome.
A Novel Small Molecule Inhibitor of Hepatitis C Virus Entry

Small molecule inhibitors of hepatitis C virus (HCV) are being developed to complement or replace treatments with pegylated interferons and ribavirin, which have poor response rates and significant side effects. Resistance to these inhibitors emerges rapidly in the clinic, suggesting that successful therapy will involve combination therapy with multiple inhibitors of different targets. The entry process of HCV into hepatocytes represents another series of potential targets for therapeutic intervention, involving viral structural proteins that have not been extensively explored due to experimental limitations. To discover HCV entry inhibitors, we utilized HCV pseudoparticles (HCVpp) incorporating E1-E2 envelope proteins from a genotype 1b clinical isolate. Screening of a small molecule library identified a potent HCV-specific triazine inhibitor, EI-1. A series of HCVpp with E1-E2 sequences from various HCV isolates was used to show activity against all genotype 1a and 1b HCVpp tested, with median EC50 values of 0.134 and 0.027 µM, respectively. Time-of-addition experiments demonstrated a block in HCVpp entry, downstream of initial attachment to the cell surface, and prior to or concomitant with bafilomycin inhibition of endosomal acidification. EI-1 was equally active against cell-culture adapted HCV (HCVcc), blocking both cell-free entry and cell-to-cell transmission of virus. HCVcc with high-level resistance to EI-1 was selected by sequential passage in the presence of inhibitor, and resistance was shown to be conferred by changes to residue 719 in the carboxy-terminal transmembrane anchor region of E2, implicating this envelope protein in EI-1 susceptibility. Combinations of EI-1 with interferon, or inhibitors of NS3 or NS5A, resulted in additive to synergistic activity. These results suggest that inhibitors of HCV entry could be added to replication inhibitors and interferons already in development.
Feel these words: Writing in the lives of urban youth

I want to use verse to review this remarkable book. Susan Weinstein is a teacher, teacher educator, and academic; but she was also, she tells us, a teenage writer, and this book is about nine adolescent and young adult Writers, each of whom Weinstein introduces in the first chapter. She encountered most of the youngsters while teaching at an alternative school in Chicago for students whose mainstream high schools had not retained their attention or attendance. Her book gives insights into the meaning of their writing that could come only from a teacher who understands the limits of her influence and respects her students’ culture and production. Weinstein has no designs on her students. She accepts that there is no simple way to improve students ‘schooled’ literacies by way of their ‘non-schooled’ writing achievements, and asks instead that educators understand the dynamics underlying and motivating each kind of composition.
Drug Rash with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms Syndrome in a Patient on Sulfasalazine for Ulcerative Colitis

prompt diagnosis is essential to improve the prognosis. Sulfasalazine is one of the essential drugs used for the treatment of IBD as well as rheumatic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthropathies. While many studies have described experiences of sulfasalazine-induced DRESS in rheumatic diseases, few such reports have examined in relation to IBD. We herein describe a case of DRESS on sulfasalazine treatment of UC for 6 weeks and present a short review of the literature.
Antimicrobial activity of copper surfaces against carbapenemase-producing contemporary Gram-negative clinical isolates.

OBJECTIVES The antimicrobial activity of copper surfaces against a variety of contemporary carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative bacteria representative of the most problematic nosocomial pathogens worldwide was evaluated. METHODS Twenty-four clinical isolates, comprising four of Escherichia coli, two of Enterobacter spp. , eight of Klebsiella pneumoniae and five each of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii producing either VIM-1 and/or KPC-2 or VIM-2 or OXA-type carbapenemases, were studied. The antimicrobial activity of 99% copper (Cu99%) and a 63% alloy (Cu63%) was evaluated in comparison with that of stainless steel (SS) and polyvinylchloride (PVC) by incubating ∼10(6) cfu/cm(2) of the tested strains on each surface at room temperature. RESULTS Copper demonstrated antimicrobial activity against all studied isolates. This effect was observed earlier and was more pronounced for Cu99% than for Cu63%. Cu99% showed a bactericidal effect after <2 h for A. baumannii, 3 h for Enterobacter spp. , 5 h for K. pneumoniae and 6 h for P. aeruginosa and E. coli. No viable colonies were recovered from five (20.8%) isolates after 3 h and from nine (37.5%) isolates after 5 h of incubation on Cu99%. CONCLUSIONS Copper has significant antimicrobial activity against multidrug-resistant nosocomial Gram-negative pathogens. This supports the hypothesis that replacement of high-contact materials with copper could reduce the high burden of environmental contamination around high-risk patients. However, this strategy should be seen as an adjunctive measure to established cleaning protocols and to good hygiene practices for prevention of hospital-acquired infections.