Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dermal-Type Macrophages Expressing CD209/DC-SIGN Show Inherent Resistance to Dengue Virus Growth

Background An important question in dengue pathogenesis is the identity of immune cells involved in the control of dengue virus infection at the site of the mosquito bite. There is evidence that infection of immature myeloid dendritic cells plays a crucial role in dengue pathogenesis and that the interaction of the viral envelope E glycoprotein with CD209/DC-SIGN is a key element for their productive infection. Dermal macrophages express CD209, yet little is known about their role in dengue virus infection. Methods and Findings Here, we showed that dermal macrophages bound recombinant envelope E glycoprotein fused to green fluorescent protein. Because dermal macrophages stain for IL-10 in situ, we generated dermal-type macrophages from monocytes in the presence of IL-10 to study their infection by dengue virus. The macrophages were able to internalize the virus, but progeny virus production was undetectable in the infected cells. In addition, no IFN-α was produced in response to the virus. The inability of dengue virus to grow in the macrophages was attributable to accumulation of internalized virus particles into poorly-acidified phagosomes. Conclusions Aborting infection by viral sequestration in early phagosomes would present a novel means to curb infection of enveloped virus and may constitute a prime defense system to prevent dengue virus spread shortly after the bite of the infected mosquito.
Generalized alternating projection based total variation minimization for compressive sensing

We consider the total variation (TV) minimization problem used for compressive sensing and solve it using the generalized alternating projection (GAP) algorithm. Extensive results demonstrate the high performance of proposed algorithm on compressive sensing, including two dimensional images, hyperspectral images and videos. We further derive the Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers (ADMM) framework with TV minimization for video and hyperspectral image compressive sensing under the CACTI and CASSI framework, respectively. Connections between GAP and ADMM are also provided.
Finite-Width Correction Factors for Anisotropic Plate Containing a Central Opening

The finite-width correction factors for anisotropic and orthotropic plates containing an elliptical opening are presented in a tractable and closed-form solution. Examining with experimental data and finite element solutions shows that the present theory is very ac curate for a broad range of opening-to-width ratio, 2a/W, and opening aspect ratio, a/b. The application of isotropic finite-width correction factors to estimate the anisotropic or orthotropic finite-width correction factors can cause significant error in many cases. The sensitivity of the finite-width correction factors as a function of the opening aspect ratio is also discussed.
Construction of a Portuguese Opinion Lexicon from multiple resources

Opinion Lexicons are linguistic resources annotated with semantic orientation of terms (positive and negative) and are important for opinion min- ing tasks. In the literature we see a variety of proposals for the construction of opinion lexicons using different linguistic resources and techniques. In this work, we propose and evaluate the integration of such linguistic resources to create a single lexicon for the Portuguese language.
Analysis of pelvic rotation on the standard hip ventrodorsal extended radiographic view

Summary Objectives: To study the symmetry of the iliac horizontal diameter (IHD) maximum obturator foramen width (OFW), ischiatic femoral overlap (IFO), pelvic horizontal radius (PHR), femoral head diameter (FHD), and obturator foramen area (OFA) parameters in the normal hip extended radiographic view and to evaluate the correlation of pelvic rotation with the magnitude of asymmetry of these parameters. Methods: Nine canine cadavers from adult, large and giant breeds were radiographed in standard hip extended views and with 2°, 4° and 6° degrees of rotation. The variables IHD, OFW, IFO, PHR, FHD, and OFA were analysed in radiographs. Results: The IHD measurements exhibited repeatability, bilateral symmetry and 95% of confidence interval of asymmetry in different pelvic rotations without superposition (p <0.05); OFW and IFO exhibited repeatability, bilateral symmetry and a small superposition in 95% of confidence interval of asymmetry according different pelvic rotations; PHR, FHD and OFA exhibited repeatability, bilateral symmetry and unacceptable superposition in 95% of confidence interval of asymmetry depending on pelvic rotation. Clinical significance: The IHD is the recommended variable and OFW is an acceptable variable in order to evaluate slight pelvic rotation. The data may be used in qualitative analyses of hip extended radiographic views. In the future, complementary studies should be performed to evaluate the impact of degree of pelvic rotation on the hip dysplasia score.
Structural Plasticity Can Produce Metaplasticity

Background Synaptic plasticity underlies many aspect of learning memory and development. The properties of synaptic plasticity can change as a function of previous plasticity and previous activation of synapses, a phenomenon called metaplasticity. Synaptic plasticity not only changes the functional connectivity between neurons but in some cases produces a structural change in synaptic spines; a change thought to form a basis for this observed plasticity. Here we examine to what extent structural plasticity of spines can be a cause for metaplasticity. This study is motivated by the observation that structural changes in spines are likely to affect the calcium dynamics in spines. Since calcium dynamics determine the sign and magnitude of synaptic plasticity, it is likely that structural plasticity will alter the properties of synaptic plasticity. Methodology/Principal Findings In this study we address the question how spine geometry and alterations of N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptors conductance may affect plasticity. Based on a simplified model of the spine in combination with a calcium-dependent plasticity rule, we demonstrated that after the induction phase of plasticity a shift of the long term potentiation (LTP) or long term depression (LTD) threshold takes place. This induces a refractory period for further LTP induction and promotes depotentiation as observed experimentally. That resembles the BCM metaplasticity rule but specific for the individual synapse. In the second phase, alteration of the NMDA response may bring the synapse to a state such that further synaptic weight alterations are feasible. We show that if the enhancement of the NMDA response is proportional to the area of the post synaptic density (PSD) the plasticity curves most likely return to the initial state. Conclusions/Significance Using simulations of calcium dynamics in synaptic spines, coupled with a biophysically motivated calcium-dependent plasticity rule, we find under what conditions structural plasticity can form the basis of synapse specific metaplasticity.
Cell‐free DNA and RNA in Plasma as a New Molecular Marker for Prostate and Breast Cancer

Abstract: In this study, we examined several molecular markers in prostate and breast cancer patients and in normal individuals. The markers tested were: variations in the quantity of plasma DNA, glutathione‐S‐transferase P1 gene (GSTP1), Ras association domain family 1A (RASSF1A), and ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) methylation status in plasma, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and prostate‐specific membrane antigen (PSMA) mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and plasma samples from prostate cancer patients. DNA quantification in plasma was performed using real‐time PCR (RT‐PCR). We assessed the methylation status of GSTP1 in plasma DNA using methylation‐specific PCR (MSP) assay, while the methylation status of RASSF1A and ATM genes was examined by the MethyLight technology. RT‐PCR analysis was used for the detection of mRNA, PSMA, and CEA. In 58.3% of newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients and 26.7% of prostate cancer patients under therapy, plasma DNA levels were increased. Additionally, 48.5% of breast cancer patients showed plasma DNA levels above the cutoff limit. GSTP1 Promotor hypermethylation was detectable in 75% of plasma samples obtained from patients with newly diagnosed prostate cancer and in 36.8% of patients under therapy, whereas 26% and 14% of the breast cancer patients tested were positive for RASSF1A and ATM methylation, respectively. The combination of DNA load and promotor methylation status identified 88% of prostate cancer patients and 54% of breast cancer patients. This study shows that free‐circulating DNA can be detected in cancer patients compared with disease‐free individuals, and suggests a new, noninvasive approach for early detection of cancer.
Results From the Galileo Giove—A Radiation Monitors and Comparison With Existing Radiation Belt Models

The radiation monitors on board the Galileo Giove-A satellite, CEDEX and Merlin, and their data are presented. The instruments include energetic proton and ion detectors, an internal charging monitor, RADFETs and experimental dose-rate photodiodes. A comparison of the data with existing monitors and models is presented.
Predictors of Running-Related Injuries Among 930 Novice Runners

Background: To identify persons at high risk of sustaining running-related injuries, an evidence-based understanding of the risk factors associated with injury is needed. Purpose: To identify demographic and behavioral risk factors associated with running-related injuries. Study Design: Observational prospective cohort study with a 1-year follow-up. Methods: Exposures including sex, age, body mass index (BMI), behavior (Type A Self-Rating Inventory [TASRI]), running experience, other sports activity, previous running-related injuries, and other injuries not related to running were assessed prior to or at baseline. The outcome of interest was a running-related injury, defined as any musculoskeletal complaint of the lower extremity or back caused by running that restricted the amount of running (volume, duration, pace, or frequency) for at least 1 week. All participants quantified their running volume by global positioning system (GPS) and used a neutral running shoe. Time to first injury for each exposure variable was analyzed using a generalized linear model, with cumulative kilometers of the training sessions as the time scale. Results: A total of 930 individuals were included in the study, of which 254 sustained a running-related injury during a total of 155.318 km of running. By calculating the cumulative injury risk differences (cIRDs) [95% confidence intervals] after 500 km of running, the TASRI Type B behavior (cIRD, 11.9% [−0.5%; 23.3%]; P = .04) was found to be a significant predictor of injury, while age between 45 and 65 years (cIRD, 14.7% [−2.1%; 31.5%]; P = .08) and previous injuries not related to running (cIRD, 11.1% [−0.2%; 22.4%]; P = .05) were considered clinically interesting, although not statistically significant. In addition, χ2 test results across 4 BMI groups also revealed a borderline significant relationship (P = .06). No significant or clinically relevant relationships were found for sex (P = .42), previous running-related injury (P = .47), running experience (P = .30), and other sports activities (P = .30). Conclusion: The findings of the present study suggest BMI >30 kg/m2, age between 45 and 65 years, noncompetitive behavior, and previous injuries not related to running are associated with increased risk of injury among novice runners, while BMI <20 kg/m2 was protective. Still, the role of the risk factors in the causal mechanism leading to injury needs to be investigated.
Reducing Label Cost by Combining Feature Labels and Crowdsourcing

Decreasing technology costs, increasing computational power and ubiquitous network connectivity are contributing to an unprecedented increase in the amount of publicly available data. Yet this surge of data has not been accompanied by a complementary increase in annotation. This lack of annotated data complicates data mining tasks in which supervised learning is preferred or required. In response, researchers have proposed many approaches to cheaply construct training sets. One approach, referred to as feature labels (McCallum & Nigam, 1999), chooses features that strongly correlate with the label space and uses instances containing those features as labeled data for training a classier. These high precision examples help bootstrap the learning process. Another technique, crowdsourcing, exploits our everincreasing connectivity to request annotation from a broader community (who may or may not be domain experts), thereby rening and expanding the labeled data. Combining these techniques provides a means to obtain supervision from large, unlabeled data sources. In this paper, we investigate using active learning to combine these approaches in a unied framework which we call active bootstrapping. We show that this technique produces more reliable labels than either approach individually, resulting in a better classier at mini
Superiority of West Nile Virus RNA Detection in Whole Blood for Diagnosis of Acute Infection

ABSTRACT The current diagnosis of West Nile virus (WNV) infection is primarily based on serology, since molecular identification of WNV RNA is unreliable due to the short viremia and absence of detectable virus in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Recent studies have shown that WNV RNA can be detected in urine for a longer period and at higher concentrations than in plasma. In this study, we examined the presence of WNV RNA in serum, plasma, whole-blood, CSF, and urine samples obtained from patients diagnosed with acute WNV infection during an outbreak which occurred in Israel in 2015. Our results demonstrate that 33 of 38 WNV patients had detectable WNV RNA in whole blood at the time of diagnosis, a higher rate than in any of the other sample types tested. Overall, whole blood was superior to all other samples, with 86.8% sensitivity, 100% specificity, 100% positive predictive value, and 83.9% negative predictive value. Interestingly, WNV viral load in urine was higher than in whole blood, CSF, serum, and plasma despite the lower sensitivity than that of whole blood. This study establishes the utility of whole blood in the routine diagnosis of acute WNV infection and suggests that it may provide the highest sensitivity for WNV RNA detection in suspected cases.
Moisture-Cure Polyurethane Wood Adhesives: Wood/Adhesive Interactions and Weather Durability

This project addresses two main subjects of moisture-cure polyurethane (PUR) wood adhesives: wood/PUR interactions and structure-property behavior emphasizing on weather durability. For these purposes, one simplified model PUR (MPUR) and three more commercially significant PURs (CPURs) with different hard segment contents were prepared. Separately, an early side project involved the synthesis of a C and N double-labeled polymeric methylenebis(phenylisocyanate) (pMDI) resin; this was used for the solid-state NMR characterization of isocyanate cure chemistry in wood bondline. MPUR and a CPUR were employed to investigate whether wood/adhesive interactions influence PUR properties. Wood interactions significantly altered PUR hard/soft domain size distribution (atomic force microscopy, AFM), thermal transition temperatures (dynamic mechanical analyses, DMA), and urethane/urea hydrogen bonds (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, FTIR). The effects of hard segment content on properties of PUR prepolymers, and cured PURs (films and wood composites) were studied. Hard segment content largely influenced the PURs’
Determination of the Molecular Weight of Animal RNA Viral Genomes by Nuclease Digestions I. Vesicular Stomatitis Virus and Its Defective T Particle

A procedure has been developed for the determination of the weight of animal RNA virus genomes using controlled nuclease digestions and computation of the moles of oligonucleotides obtained from 1 mol of RNA. Using both pancreatic RNase and RNase T1 to digest viral RNA labeled by 3H-uridine, 3H-cytidine, or 3H-guanosine, the weight of the virion RNA of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) is estimated as 3.82 ± 0.14 × 106 whereas that of the VSV-defective T particle is estimated as 1.23 ± 0.04 × 106.
Molecular genetic analysis of populations of Wohlfahrt’s wound myiasis fly, Wohlfahrtia magnifica, in outbreak populations from Greece and Morocco

Abstract Wohlfahrt’s wound myiasis fly, Wohlfahrtia magnifica (Schiner) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), is the most important cause of traumatic myiasis in the southern Palaearctic region. Larval stages are obligate parasites and the wounds caused by infestations are very similar to those caused by Old and New World screwworm flies. During the last decade, W. magnifica appears to have expanded its range to parts of northern and central Morocco, and to Crete, Greece. Specimens of W. magnifica were collected in Morocco and Crete either as larvae (preserved in 80% ethanol) or as adults (dry‐pinned). Comparison specimens were collected in Spain, Hungary and mainland Greece. A DNA fragment containing the 3′ 715 base pairs of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction from each of 132 larvae or adults of W. magnifica and the amplicons were directly sequenced and analysed phylogeographically. Twelve cytochrome b haplotypes were detected. All haplotypes from Morocco belonged to a lineage that included specimens from the Iberian peninsula, and restricted mixing of central and northern populations in Morocco was demonstrated. Cytochrome b haplotyping combined with an analysis of larval size provided clear evidence of multiple infestations of hosts in all geographical areas, with one quarter of wounds containing larvae from two to at least four females. More than 80% of specimens from Crete contained a haplotype predominating in mainland Greece and Hungary. Our survey indicated that wohlfahrtiosis was more widespread in northern and central Morocco than previously recorded by government veterinarians. However, the prevalence of wohlfahrtiosis was low (< 1%). The high genetic diversity of Moroccan populations is consistent with longterm endemicity, rather than recent introduction. Crete showed a higher prevalence of wohlfahrtiosis (≤ 15%) and less genetic diversity of W. magnifica, which is consistent with a recent introduction. The western and eastern Mediterranean lineages may have been isolated in different Pleistocene ice‐age refugia, from which there has been limited post‐glacial dispersal.
Investigation of a novel capacitive-coupled STATCOM: Modeling and simulation

In this paper, a novel capacitive-coupled STATCOM in three-phase power system is proposed, which can lower the rating of the conventional inductive-coupled STATCOM. Thus, this feature benefits by reducing the system initial cost, switching loss and electromagnetic interference (EMI) problems. The modeling, V-I characteristic of the capacitive-coupled STATCOM is proposed and investigated compared with the inductive-coupled case. Finally, simulation results are given to verify the viability and effectiveness of the proposed novel STATCOM and its compensation characteristic.
Platelet-rich plasma influence on human osteoblasts growth.

OBJECTIVE The influence of progressively high concentrations of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on human osteoblast hFOB1.19 proliferation was evaluated. MATERIAL AND METHODS The PRP was obtained from a human source. Two experiments were conducted. In the first one, PRP was diluted to 50%, 25%, 12.5% and 6.125% (v/v) with culture medium (Modified Eagle's Medium (MEM) : Ham's F12 Medium (HAM-F12%) and 1% antibiotics-antimicotic) supplemented with 10% of fetal bovine serum (FBS). In the second experiment, all conditions were identical except for the absence of FBS in the culture medium. RESULTS The results of the osteoblast proliferation test were higher when stimulated by the 50% PRP dilution, with or without FBS. A further study is suggested to determine if concentrations above 50% could cause higher rates of osteoblast proliferation. In this study, the results were not statistically different (P<0.05) with 12.5% and 6.125% PRP dilutions. Additionally, it was shown that FBS is not necessary for PRP-mediated induction of osteoblast proliferation. CONCLUSION This study concluded that PRP promotes osteoblast proliferation and suggested its clinical application to bone graft procedures in implant dentistry.
Sulfated glycosaminoglycans are necessary for Nodal signal transmission from the node to the left lateral plate in the mouse embryo

Situs-specific organogenesis in the mouse results from leftward fluid flow in the node cavity and subsequent left-sided expression of Nodal in the lateral plate mesoderm (LPM). Nodal expression at the node is essential for the subsequent asymmetric Nodal expression in the left LPM, but the precise role of Nodal produced at the node has remained unknown. We have now investigated how the Nodal signal is transferred from the node to the LPM. Externally supplied Nodal protein failed to signal to the LPM, suggesting that the Nodal signal is transferred to the LPM via an internal route rather than an external one. Transgenic rescue experiments showed that the Nodal co-receptor Cryptic (Cfc1) is required only in the LPM, not at the node, for asymmetric Nodal expression in the LPM, indicating that the Nodal signal is not relayed indirectly between the node and LPM. Nodal interacts in vitro with sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), which are specifically localized to the basement membrane-like structure between the node and LPM in the mouse embryo. Inhibition of sulfated GAG biosynthesis prevents Nodal expression in the LPM. These data suggest that Nodal produced at the node might travel directly to the LPM via interaction with sulfated GAGs.
Renal adverse effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

NSAIDs depress prostaglandins synthesis through inhibition of COX-1 that is involved in maintaining cell integrity and COX-2 that, although presents particularly in the kidneys, is overexpressed in response to inflammation. Both the beneficial and side effects of NSAIDs are, therefore, through their inhibition of COX enzymes. Introduction of COX-2-selective inhibitors has improved the safety profile of the drugs with regard to their most common side effect which occurs at the gastrointestinal level but has not rendered them less cardio-nephrotoxic. Renal side effects of NSAIDs are rare, sometimes transient and often reversible upon drug withdrawal. The incident rate and the severity of the renal side effect, however, increase in patients with risk factors such as those with diabetes, heart failure, renal dysfunction and in the elderly. The side effects range from electrolyte retention and reduce glomerular filtration to nephritic syndrome and chronic renal failure. These effects are shared among NSAIDs with evidence of dose and exposure dependency. There is no known predictor for the nephrotoxicity. However, a relationship has been found between high plasma concentration and the renal adverse effect of NSAIDs. The usefulness of therapeutic drug monitoring in patients with risk factors needs to be explored.