Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
“Double‐duty” conventional dendritic cells in the amphibian Xenopus as the prototype for antigen presentation to B cells

Two populations of dendritic cells (DCs) are found in mammals, one derived from hematopoietic precursors (conventional/cDC), and another derived from mesenchymal precursors, the follicular DC (FDC); the latter is specialized for antigen presentation to B cells, and has only been definitively demonstrated in mammals. Both cDC and FDC are necessary for induction of germinal centers (GC) and GC‐dependent class switch recombination (CSR) and somatic hypermutation (SHM). We demonstrate that in Xenopus, an amphibian in which immunoglobulin CSR and SHM occur without GC formation, a single type of DC has properties of both cDC and FDC, including high expression of MHC class II for the former and display of native antigen at the cell surface for the latter. Our data confirm that the advent of FDC functionality preceded emergence of bona fide FDC, which was in turn crucial for the development of GC formation and efficient affinity maturation in mammals.
The BCR-ABL/NF-κB signal transduction network: a long lasting relationship in Philadelphia positive Leukemias

The Nuclear Factor-kappa B (NF-κB) family of transcription factors plays a key role in cancer pathogenesis due to the ability to promote cellular proliferation and survival, to induce resistance to chemotherapy and to mediate invasion and metastasis. NF-κB is recruited through different mechanisms involving either canonical (RelA/p50) or non-canonical pathways (RelB/p50 or RelB/p52), which transduce the signals originated from growth-factors, cytokines, oncogenic stress and DNA damage, bacterial and viral products or other stimuli. The pharmacological inhibition of the NF-κB pathway has clearly been associated with significant clinical activity in different cancers. Almost 20 years ago, NF-κB was described as an essential modulator of BCR-ABL signaling in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia and Philadelphia-positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. This review summarizes the role of NF-κB in BCR-ABL-mediated leukemogenesis and provides new insights on the long lasting BCR-ABL/NF-κB connection.
Comparison of the HiFocus Mid-Scala and HiFocus 1J Electrode Array: Angular Insertion Depths and Speech Perception Outcomes

The HiFocus Mid-Scala (MS) electrode array has recently been introduced onto the market. This precurved design with a targeted mid-scalar intracochlear position pursues an atraumatic insertion and optimal distance for neural stimulation. In this study we prospectively examined the angular insertion depth achieved and speech perception outcomes resulting from the HiFocus MS electrode array for 6 months after implantation, and retrospectively compared these with the HiFocus 1J lateral wall electrode array. The mean angular insertion depth within the MS population (n = 96) was found at 470°. This was 50° shallower but more consistent than the 1J electrode array (n = 110). Audiological evaluation within a subgroup, including only postlingual, unilaterally implanted, adult cochlear implant recipients who were matched on preoperative speech perception scores and the duration of deafness (MS = 32, 1J = 32), showed no difference in speech perception outcomes between the MS and 1J groups. Furthermore, speech perception outcome was not affected by the angular insertion depth or frequency mismatch.
Combined effects of laser irradiation and chemical inhibitors on the dissolution of dental enamel.

It has previously been shown that the susceptibility of human teeth to acid dissolution can be reduced by the presence of various chemical agents in the dissolution medium or by pretreatment of the teeth with laser irradiation. Now synergism between these two approaches to improving acid resistance has been demonstrated. Extracted human teeth were irradiated with a continuous-wave carbon dioxide laser at a wavelength of 10.6 microns. Energy doses of either 65 or 130 J/cm2 given over periods of 2 or 4 s, respectively, were applied and the teeth subjected to a severe acid challenge (0.1 M acetate buffer, pH 4.5, no calcium or phosphate common ion present) for 24 h. Mineral loss was assessed by measurement of mineral density profiles with quantitative microradiography. Experiments were carried out in the presence or absence of three chemical inhibitors with distinctly different mechanisms of action: ethane-1-hydroxy-1, 1-diphosphonic acid, fluoride, and dodecylamine HCl. Laser irradiation alone was found to lead to increased resistance of the teeth to acid challenge, with the higher energy dose being more effective than the lower dose. Each of the chemical inhibitors was effective on both lased and unlased teeth, with the percent reduction of dissolution greater when the inhibitors were applied to teeth lased with an energy dose of 130 J/cm2 which were already more resistant to acid challenge than were unlased teeth or teeth lased with a dose of 65 J/cm2. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Among nurses, how does education level impact professional values? A systematic review

BACKGROUND Professional nursing values have been acknowledged globally as the foundation of daily nursing care practice. Understanding how nurses identify, comprehend and apply their professional nursing values is an important step towards improving nursing practice and patient care quality. Research has demonstrated that nurses' professional values are cultivated during prelicensure academic education. AIM The aim of this systematic review was to determine how level of education affects professional nursing values of clinical practising nurses. METHODS A systematic search of quantitative research published through December 2015 was performed in the following five electronic databases: CINAHL, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, Web of Science and Religion and Philosophy Collection. The search was not limited to country of origin. The studies were assessed for methodological quality using established criteria. RESULTS Of 1501 articles identified through the literature search, only seven studies met the inclusion criteria with the majority being of good to high quality. Most of the studies found registered nurses pursuing a bachelor of science in nursing or higher had a greater awareness and application of professional values than nurses with lower levels of academic or non-academic education. Nurses with higher education also embraced professional values as fundamental for quality nursing care practice. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY Health and academic institutions should support nurses through quality continuing and higher education that reinforces professional values, thus improving the quality of patient care. CONCLUSIONS The level of nurses' education appears to play an important role in developing both an awareness and an integration of professional values into practice. More research is needed to discover methods that may be used to promote nurses' professional values among nurses already practising clinically.
Reconstructing Prehistoric Textile and Ceramic Technology from Impressions of Cloth in Figurines from Ecuador

A method is described for using vinyl polysiloxane dental impression material to make high definition casts from ceramic objects that bear negative imprints of textiles. Casts made from impressions found on prehistoric ceramic figurines from Ecuador were examined under magnification and features of the yarns and weaves were described. The data are used to reconstruct prehistoric spinning and weaving technology. The use of cloth in figurine manufacture and the reconstructed textile technology are interpreted in spatial, temporal and cultural perspectives.
Bias-extension Measurements on Woven Fabrics

Bias-extension measurements of fabric deformation are compared with simple-shear measurements of the same deformation. Occasional significant differences between the results of the two tests correspond with the occurrence of sample buckling in the simple-shear test instrument (part of the KES-F system). This result contributes to the conclusion that the bias-extension test is the one more appropriate for industrial use.
The Effect of Annealing on the Internal Friction in ECAP-Modified Ultrafine Grained Copper

A detailed study of anelastic effects in submicrocrystalline copper using resonance (~70 kHz, 2 K to 320 K) and sub-resonance (0.05-100 Hz, 300 K to 675 K) techniques was carried out. Several relaxation processes were found in the temperature range of 2 K - 675 K: the relaxation loss peaks (Q-1) near 35 (P1) and 90K (P2) with the activation energy and the pre-exponential factor (H1 ≈ 0.02 eV, το1 ≈ 10-9 s and H2 ≈ 0.09 eV, το2 ≈ 10-11 s) similar to those of the Bordoni and the Niblett-Wilks peaks in coarse-grained Cu. This suggests that the peaks are due to the thermally activated motion of dislocation kinks in the primary and secondary Peierls relief. The mean values of activation parameters (H3 ≈1.4-1.6 eV, το3 ≈10-17 s) of a third thermally activated peak (P3), which was significantly broadened, can be interpreted as a grain boundary peak with uncoupled activation parameters H3*≈0.45 eV and το3*≈10-14 s. A pseudo peak PR is associated with irreversible recrystallization processes. The influence of annealing on the observed effects is also discussed.
Endothelin-1-induced endothelial mesenchimal transition via endothelin type B receptor stimulation: implication for chronic kidney disease.

2. Cha RH, Lee H, Lee JP, Kang E, Song YR, Kim YS, et al. Changes of blood pressure patterns and target organ damage in patients with chronic kidney disease: results of the APrODiTe-2 study. J Hypertens 2017; 35:593–601. 3. Cha RH, Kim S, Yoon SA, Ryu DR, Oh J, Han SY, et al. Association between blood pressure and target organ damage in patients with chronic kidney disease and hypertension: results of the APrODiTe study. Hypertens Res 2014; 37:172–178. 4. Agarwal R, Sinha AD, Light RP. Toward a definition of masked hypertension and white-coat hypertension among hemodialysis patients. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2011; 6:2003–2008. 5. Drawz PE, Alper AB, Anderson AH, Brecklin CS, Charleston J, Chen J, et al. Masked hypertension and elevated nighttime blood pressure in CKD: prevalence and association with target organ damage. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2016; 11:642–652. 6. Wang C, Zhang J, Li Y, Ma X, Ye Z, Peng H, et al. Masked hypertension, rather than white-coat hypertension, has a prognostic role in patients with nondialysis chronic kidney disease. Int J Cardiol 2017; 230:33–39.
Choosing between staying at home or moving: A systematic review of factors influencing housing decisions among frail older adults

Background Most older adults wish to stay at home during their late life years, but physical disabilities and cognitive impairment may force them to face a housing decision. However, they lack relevant information to make informed value-based housing decisions. Consequently, we sought to identify the sets of factors influencing the housing decision-making of older adults. Methods We performed a systematic literature search for studies evaluating any factors influencing the housing decisions among older adults over 65 years old without cognitive disabilities. Primary research from any study design reported after 1990 in a peer-reviewed journal, a book chapter or an evaluated doctoral thesis and written in English, French or Spanish were eligible. We extracted the main study characteristics, the participant characteristics and any factors reported as associated with the housing decision. We conducted a qualitative thematic analysis from the perspective of the meaning and experience of home. Results The search resulted in 660 titles (after duplicate removal) from which 86 studies were kept for analysis. One study out of five reported exclusively on frail older adults (n = 17) and two on adults over 75 years old. Overall, a total of 88 factors were identified, of which 71 seem to have an influence on the housing decision-making of older adults, although the influence of 19 of them remains uncertain due to discrepancies between research methodologies. No conclusion was made regarding 12 additional factors due to lack of evidence. Conclusion A wealth of factors were found to influence housing decisions among older adults. However, very few of them have been studied extensively. Our results highlight the importance of interdisciplinary teamwork to study the influence of a broader range of factors as a whole. These results will help older adults make the best possible housing decision based on their unique situation and values.
Features of Effective T Cell-Inducing Vaccines against Chronic Viral Infections

For many years, the focus of prophylactic vaccines was to elicit neutralizing antibodies, but it has become increasingly evident that T cell-mediated immunity plays a central role in controlling persistent viral infections such as with human immunodeficiency virus, cytomegalovirus, and hepatitis C virus. Currently, various promising prophylactic vaccines, capable of inducing substantial vaccine-specific T cell responses, are investigated in preclinical and clinical studies. There is compelling evidence that protection by T cells is related to the magnitude and breadth of the T cell response, the type and homing properties of the memory T cell subsets, and their cytokine polyfunctionality and metabolic fitness. In this review, we evaluated these key factors that determine the qualitative and quantitative properties of CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses in the context of chronic viral disease and prophylactic vaccine development. Elucidation of the mechanisms underlying T cell-mediated protection against chronic viral pathogens will facilitate the development of more potent, durable and safe prophylactic T cell-based vaccines.
Aortic stiffness independently predicts exercise capacity in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a multimodality imaging study

Background Exercise capacity in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) varies despite similar diastolic dysfunction, left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction and mitral regurgitation (MR). Pulse wave velocity (PWV), determined by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), measures aortic stiffness and is abnormal in patients with HCM in comparison with controls. Objective To determine potential clinical and imaging predictors of peak oxygen consumption (pVO2) in patients with HCM. Methods Fifty newly referred patients with HCM (62% men, 44±13 years, 90% receiving optimal drugs, 18% hypertensive) underwent Doppler echocardiography (transthoracic echocardiography (TTE)), cardiopulmonary exercise testing and CMR for symptom evaluation. TTE variables (diastology, post exercise MR and LVOT gradient (mmHg)), pVO2 (ml/kg/min) and CMR variables (PWV (aortic path length between mid- and descending aorta/time delay between arrival of the foot of the pulse wave between two points, m/s), and LV volumetric indices) were measured. Results After exercise LVOT gradient, MR, deceleration time and pVO2 were 104±52, 1±1, 240±79 ms, and 25±6, respectively. Mean basal septal thickness (cm), PWV, EF, ESV index (ml/m2), EDV index (ml/m2) and LV mass index (g/m2) were 1.9±0.5, 9.3±7, 64%±7, 32±9, 87±17 and 112+36, respectively. Multiple regression analyses showed that only age (β=−0.38, p=0.004) and PWV (β=−0.33, p=0.01) predicted pVO2. Conclusion In patients with HCM, age and PWV are predictors of pVO2, independent of LV thickness, LVOT gradient and diastolic indices. Aortic stiffness potentially has a role in evaluation of symptoms of patients with HCM.
Technology of Biscuits Crackers and Cookies

Part 1 Management of technology: The technical department Total quality management and HACCP Quality control and GMP Process and efficiency control Product development. Part 2 Materials and ingredients: Choosing materials for production Wheat flour and vital wheat gluten Meals, grits, flours and starches Sugars and syrups Fats and oils Emulsifiers and antioxidants Milk products and egg Dried fruits and nuts Yeast and enzymes Flavours, spices and flavour enhancers Additives Chocolate and cocoa Packaging materials. Part 3 Types of biscuits: Classification of biscuits Cream crackers Soda crackers Savoury or snack crackers Matzos and water biscuits Puff biscuits Hard sweet, semi-sweet and Garibaldi fruit sandwich biscuits Short dough biscuits Deposited soft dough and sponge drop biscuits Wafer biscuits Position of biscuits in nutrition Miscellaneous biscuit-like products. Part 4 Biscuit production processes and equipment: Bulk handling and metering of ingredients Mixing and premixes Sheeting, gauging and cutting Laminating Rotary moulding Extruding and depositing Baking Biscuit cooling and handling Secondary processing Packaging and storage Recycling, handling and disposal of waste materials.
Usefulness of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring to assess the melanocortin receptor agonist bremelanotide

Background: Melanocortin receptor agonists that bind to the melanocortin receptor 4 may cause increases in blood pressure (BP). Bremelanotide is an on-demand, subcutaneous melanocortin-receptor agonist that binds to the melanocortin receptor 4 and is being developed for the treatment of female sexual dysfunction. Methods: We studied the effects of bremelanotide administration on ambulatory BP and heart rate (HR), in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, and parallel-arm trial of three doses of bremelanotide (0.75, 1.25, and 1.75 mg) in 397 premenopausal women with female sexual dysfunction with normotension or controlled hypertension. Pharmacokinetic exposure was assessed in conjunction with ambulatory BP measurements. Results: Increases in ambulatory SBP relative to placebo of 2.4 and 3.0 mmHg (1.25 mg; P values: 0.029 and 0.076) and 3.1 and 3.2 mmHg (1.75 mg; P values: 0.006 and 0.027), respectively, occurred following two doses, separated by 24 h at the 0 to 4-h postdose interval; peak increases typically lasted less than 15 min. Similar increases in the DBP were observed. Increases in BP were accompanied by reductions in HR during the 0–4-h interval for the 1.75-mg dose (−4.6 to −4.7 bpm; P < 0.001). Twenty-six participants discontinued after randomization due to prespecified increases in BP but the proportions were similar among the four treatment groups. Conclusion: These data show that ambulatory monitoring was a useful methodology to detect small, transient increases in ambulatory BP accompanied by reductions in HR following bremelanotide. Results of this trial led to appropriate in-clinic BP monitoring during the larger clinical development trials of this agent for female sexual dysfunction.
IMU-to-Segment Assignment and Orientation Alignment for the Lower Body Using Deep Learning

Human body motion analysis based on wearable inertial measurement units (IMUs) receives a lot of attention from both the research community and the and industrial community. This is due to the significant role in, for instance, mobile health systems, sports and human computer interaction. In sensor based activity recognition, one of the major issues for obtaining reliable results is the sensor placement/assignment on the body. For inertial motion capture (joint kinematics estimation) and analysis, the IMU-to-segment (I2S) assignment and alignment are central issues to obtain biomechanical joint angles. Existing approaches for I2S assignment usually rely on hand crafted features and shallow classification approaches (e.g., support vector machines), with no agreement regarding the most suitable features for the assignment task. Moreover, estimating the complete orientation alignment of an IMU relative to the segment it is attached to using a machine learning approach has not been shown in literature so far. This is likely due to the high amount of training data that have to be recorded to suitably represent possible IMU alignment variations. In this work, we propose online approaches for solving the assignment and alignment tasks for an arbitrary amount of IMUs with respect to a biomechanical lower body model using a deep learning architecture and windows of 128 gyroscope and accelerometer data samples. For this, we combine convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for local filter learning with long-short-term memory (LSTM) recurrent networks as well as generalized recurrent units (GRUs) for learning time dynamic features. The assignment task is casted as a classification problem, while the alignment task is casted as a regression problem. In this framework, we demonstrate the feasibility of augmenting a limited amount of real IMU training data with simulated alignment variations and IMU data for improving the recognition/estimation accuracies. With the proposed approaches and final models we achieved 98.57% average accuracy over all segments for the I2S assignment task (100% when excluding left/right switches) and an average median angle error over all segments and axes of 2.91° for the I2S alignment task.
Spatiotemporal gait characteristics in patients with COPD during the Gait Real-time Analysis Interactive Lab-based 6-minute walk test

Background and aim Overground gait assessment is limited by the analysis of multiple strides or both spatiotemporal gait characteristics, while fixed speed treadmill walking restricts natural gait speed variations. The Gait Real-time Analysis Interactive Lab (GRAIL)-based 6-minute walk test (6MWT) enables 3D motion analysis and self-paced treadmill walking, and could provide insight in gait alterations in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this study is to compare spatiotemporal gait characteristics between patients with COPD and healthy elderly during the GRAIL-based 6MWT. Materials and methods Eighty COPD patients (60% male; 62±7 years; FEV1:56±19% predicted) and 38 healthy elderly (63% male; 62±6 years; FEV1:119±17% predicted) performed two GRAIL-based 6MWTs. Mean differences and coefficient of variation of spatiotemporal gait characteristics were calculated using the trial with the largest walk distance. Sub-analyses were conducted to account for walking speed differences between groups, and muscle strength and COPD severity within the patient group. Results COPD patients showed increased temporal gait characteristics, decreased stride and step lengths, and increased gait variability compared to healthy elderly (p<0.01). Stride length variability remained increased in COPD after correction for walking speed (MD:0.98%, CI:0.36–1.61, p = 0.003). Reduced quadriceps strength did not translate into altered gait characteristics, while COPD severity is associated with stride time (left MD:-0.02s, CI:-0.04–0.01, p = 0.003; right MD:-0.02s, CI:-0.04–0.01, p = 0.003). Discussion COPD patients performed the GRAIL-based 6MWT differently compared to healthy elderly. Further research should use other variability measures to investigate gait characteristics in COPD, to assess subtle alterations in gait and to enable development of rehabilitation strategies to improve gait, and possibly balance and fall risk in COPD. Other lower limb muscle groups should be considered when investigating gait alterations in COPD. Conclusion COPD patients have different gait characteristics compared to healthy elderly. Independent of walking speed, COPD patients demonstrate increased stride length variability during the GRAIL-based 6MWT compared to healthy elderly.