Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Elastin production by cultured calf pulmonary artery endothelial cells

Calf pulmonary artery (CPA) endothelial cells synthesize and secrete soluble elastin when incubated in medium conditioned by arterial smooth muscle cells. Endothelial cell tropoelastin cross‐reacts with antiserum to bovine ligamentum nuchae elastin and comigrates on SDS‐PAGE with tropoelastins from fetal bovine ligamentum nuchae fibroblasts, aortic smooth muscle cells, and ear chondroblasts at an apparent molecular weight of 70,000. Endothelial cells synthesize only one‐third as much elastin as these other cell types, however. Approximately 80% of the elastin synthesized by endothelial cells in confluent culture is released into the culture medium. The remaining 20% remains associated with the cell layer and is readily extractable with dilute acetic acid as un‐cross‐linked, 70,000‐dalton tropoelastin. The addition of β‐aminopro‐pronitrile to culture medium did not alter the ratio of tropoelastin in the medium and cell layer, suggesting that cross‐linking of tropoelastin does not occur in culture.
The Caenorhabditis elegans p120 catenin homologue, JAC-1, modulates cadherin–catenin function during epidermal morphogenesis

The cadherin–catenin complex is essential for tissue morphogenesis during animal development. In cultured mammalian cells, p120 catenin (p120ctn) is an important regulator of cadherin–catenin complex function. However, information on the role of p120ctn family members in cadherin-dependent events in vivo is limited. We have examined the role of the single Caenorhabditis elegans p120ctn homologue JAC-1 (juxtamembrane domain [JMD]–associated catenin) during epidermal morphogenesis. Similar to other p120ctn family members, JAC-1 binds the JMD of the classical cadherin HMR-1, and GFP-tagged JAC-1 localizes to adherens junctions in an HMR-1–dependent manner. Surprisingly, depleting JAC-1 expression using RNA interference (RNAi) does not result in any obvious defects in embryonic or postembryonic development. However, jac-1(RNAi) does increase the severity and penetrance of morphogenetic defects caused by a hypomorphic mutation in the hmp-1/α-catenin gene. In these hmp-1 mutants, jac-1 depletion causes failure of the embryo to elongate into a worm-like shape, a process that involves contraction of the epidermis. Associated with failed elongation is the detachment of actin bundles from epidermal adherens junctions and failure to maintain cadherin in adherens junctions. These results suggest that JAC-1 acts as a positive modulator of cadherin function in C. elegans.
DCU at the TREC 2008 Blog Track

this paper we describe our system, experiments and re- sults from our participation in the Blog Track at TREC 2008. Dublin City University participated in the adhoc re- trieval, opinion finding and polarised opinion finding tasks. For opinion finding, we used a fusion of approaches based on lexicon features, surface features and syntactic features. Our experiments evaluated the relative usefulness of each of the feature sets and achieved a significant improvement on the baseline.
Evaluation of fracture and moisture damage performance of wax modified asphalt mixtures

In this study the fracture and moisture damage characteristics of wax modified asphalt mixtures were evaluated. Two types of commercial waxes (FT-paraffin and Asphaltan B) were added to bitumen of penetration grade 70/100. Using this wax modified and unmodified bitumen; total 48 specimens were produced from two sources of aggregates and two levels of gradation. Bitumen properties were determined by conventional test methods, Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR) and Bending Beam Rheometer (BBR) testing. Thermal Stress Restrained Specimen Test (TSRST) was used to evaluate low temperature cracking resistance and cracking behavior of asphalt mixture was investigated at 0°C using Superpave Indirect Tensile Test (IDT). The influence of wax on the asphalt mixture resistance to cracking and moisture damage performance has been evaluated using Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) fracture mechanics and Superpave IDT test results. The addition of FT-paraffin and Asphaltan B showed better cracking and moisture damage resistance of the asphalt mixture compared to unmodified mixture, but FT-paraffin showed the largest effect on cracking resistance while Asphaltan B showed highest resistance to moisture damage. In BBR test results, mixtures modified with FT-paraffin showed lower limit m value (LmT) which implies minor negative effect in stress relaxation. However, according to TSRST results, the mixtures with both waxes had nearly same fracture temperature as mixture with unmodified bitumen.
What is the Atrioventricular Node? Some Clues in Sorting out its Structure‐Function Relationship

What is the AV Node? The anatomic and functional substrate underlying AV nodal rate‐dependent and dual pathway properties remains highly controversial. This article focuses on some factors that impair the understanding of the AV nodal structure‐function relationship and some clues toward sorting it out. A definition of the AV node that applies to both anatomic and functional studies, an orthogonal topographic representation of nodal structures, and the integration of rate‐dependent and dual pathway behavior of the AV node are proposed as primary steps toward a better understanding of the AV nodal structure‐function relationship. Further fact‐based information is the key to the sorting out of this puzzle.
Human parainfluenza virus type 3 transcription in vitro: role of cellular actin in mRNA synthesis

Purified ribonucleoprotein complexes of human parainfluenza virus type 3 (HPIV-3) virions required, in addition to the viral proteins, soluble cytoplasmic proteins from uninfected cells for the synthesis of mRNAs in vitro. In contrast to Sendai virus transcription, in vitro RNA synthesis from HPIV-3 ribonucleoprotein complexes was not stimulated significantly by purified tubulin. Moreover, cytoplasmic extract depleted of tubulin by immunoprecipitation stimulated HPIV-3 transcription effectively, suggesting involvement of a host protein(s) other than tubulin in the HPIV-3 transcription process. The transcription stimulatory factor was purified from uninfected cell extract by conventional chromatography and was found to contain a major 43-kDa polypeptide. In Western blot (immunoblot) analysis, this protein reacted with antiactin antibody, suggesting that the 43-kDa polypeptide is actin. This possibility was further supported by its polymerization activity and properties of binding to blue-Sepharose and heparin-Sepharose columns. Furthermore, when the cell extract was depleted of actin by immunoprecipitation by antiactin antibody, the stimulatory activity was abolished, indicating an involvement of actin in the stimulation of HPIV-3 transcription. After purification from RNAses, similar stimulatory activity associated with the 43-kDa protein was detected in other cell lines as well, including CV-1, HeLa, and BHK.
Dopamine Modulates Insulin Release and Is Involved in the Survival of Rat Pancreatic Beta Cells

The local synthesis of dopamine and its effects on insulin release have been described in isolated islets. Thus, it may be accepted that dopamine exerts an auto-paracrine regulation of insulin secretion from pancreatic beta cells. The aim of the present study is to analyze whether dopamine is a regulator of the proliferation and apoptosis of rat pancreatic beta cells after glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Glucose stimulated pancreatic islets obtained from male Wistar rats were cultured with 1 or 10 μM dopamine from 1 to 12 h. Insulin secretion was analyzed by RIA. The cellular proliferation rate of pancreatic islets and beta cells was studied with immunocytochemical double labelling for both insulin and PCNA (proliferating cell nuclear antigen), and active caspase-3 was detected to evaluate apoptosis. The secretion of insulin from isolated islets was significantly inhibited (p<0.01), by treatment with 1 and 10 μM dopamine, with no differences between either dose as early as 1 h after treatment. The percentage of insulin-positive cells in the islets decreased significantly (p<0.01) after 1 h of treatment up to 12 h. The proliferation rate of insulin-positive cells in the islets decreased significantly (p<0.01) following treatment with dopamine. Apoptosis in pancreatic islets and beta cells was increased by treatment with 1 and 10 μM dopamine along 12 h. In conclusion, these results suggest that dopamine could modulate the proliferation and apoptosis of pancreatic beta cells and that dopamine may be involved in the maintenance of pancreatic islets.
Interactions between primordial germ cells play a role in their migration in mouse embryos.

Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are the founder cell population of the gametes which form during the sexually mature stage of the life cycle. In the mouse, they arise early in embryogenesis, first becoming visible in the extraembryonic mesoderm, posterior to the primitive streak, at 7.5 days post coitum (d.p.c.). They subsequently become incorporated into the epithelium of the hind gut, from which they emigrate (9.5 d.p.c.) and move first into the dorsal mesentery (10.5 d.p.c.), and then into the genital ridges that lie on the dorsal body wall (11.5 d.p.c.). We have used confocal microscopy to study PGCs stained with an antibody that reacts with a carbohydrate antigen (Stage-Specific Embryonic Antigen-1, SSEA-1) carried on the PGC surface. This allows the study of the whole PGC surface, at different stages of their migration. The appearance of PGCs in tissue sections has given rise to the conventional view that they migrate as individuals, each arriving in turn at the genital ridge. In this paper, we show that PGCs leave the hind gut independently, but then extend long (up to 40 microns) processes, with which they link up to each other to form extensive networks. During the 10.5-11.5 d.p.c. period, these networks of PGCs aggregate into groups of tightly apposed cells in the genital ridges. As this occurs, their processes are lost, and their appearance suggests they are now non-motile. Furthermore, we find that PGCs taken from the dorsal mesentery at 10.5 d.p.c. perform the same sequence of movements in culture. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Modified Bell Retinoscopy: Measuring Accommodative Lag in Children

Purpose. To describe a modified bell retinoscopy (MBR) method for quantifying accommodative lag in children and to assess its repeatability and comparability with other techniques. Methods. In MBR, the target is advanced toward the patient until the retinoscopic reflex is neutralized. A “standardized 40-cm target estimate” of lag was derived for each child using data from three retinoscope distances. Within-visit repeatability was assessed in normal children 5 to 23 months of age, a heterogenous group of clinic patients, and a group of children with Down syndrome. Clinic patients were tested on separate days for between-visit repeatability and, also, with Nott retinoscopy (NR) and the monocular estimate method (MEM) on day 2. Results. MBR correlated with NR (r = 0.84) and MEM (r = 0.82). MBR and NR estimates were lower than MEM for high lags. Within-visit repeatability of the standardized 40-cm target estimate of MBR in normal children and clinic patients varied with the amount of lag (p < 0.0001). The repeatability index for 0.50 D lag was 0.49 D and for 1.00 D lag it was 0.80 D. Repeatability was similar in children with Down syndrome. In clinic patients, the between-visit repeatability index for 0.50 D lag was 0.60 D for the second estimate of each day, with lower repeatability for the first measure of each day. Repeatability did not vary with age or refractive error. The decrease in repeatability with high lag may be attributable to spatial measurement error. Conclusions. MBR estimates of accommodative lag correlate with traditional dynamic retinoscopy measures over a wide range of lags and show comparable repeatability. MBR may be a useful addition to the repertoire of clinical tools available for assessing accommodation in young children.
Synaptic circuits involving an individual retinogeniculate axon in the cat

In order to describe the circuitry of a single retinal X‐cell axon in the lateral geniculate nucleus, we physiologically characterized such an axon in the optic tract and injected it intra‐axonally with horseradish peroxidase. Subsequently, we recovered the axon and employed electron microscopic techniques to examine the distribution of synapses from 18% of its labeled terminals by reconstructing the unlabeled postsynaptic neurons through a series of 1,200 consecutive thin sections. We found remarkable selectivity for the axon's output, since only four of the 43 available neurons in a limited portion of the terminal arbor receive synapses from labeled terminals. Moreover, the distribution of these synapses on the four neurons, which we term cells 1 through 4, varies with respect to synapses from other classes of terminals that contact the same cells, including synapses from unlabeled retinal terminals. For cells 1 and 3, the labeled terminals provide 49% and 33%, respectively, of their retinal synapses, and these are located on both dendritic shafts and appendages. Synapses from the injected axon to these cells are thus integrated with those from other retinal axons. For cell 2, the labeled terminals provide 100% of its retinal synapses, but these synapses converge on clusters of dendritic appendages where they are integrated with convergent inhibitory inputs. Finally, for cell 4, the labeled terminals provide less than 2% of its retinal inputs, and these are distally located; we suggest that these synapses are remnants of physiologically inappropriate miswiring that occurs during development. The findings from this study support a concept of selectivity in neuronal circuitry in the mammalian central nervous system and also reveal some of the diverse integrative properties of neurons in the lateral geniculate nucleus.
Emerging Role of Infectious Etiologies in the Pathogenesis of Marginal Zone B-cell Lymphomas

Extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphomas of the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) arise from lymphoid populations that are induced by chronic inflammation in extranodal sites. The most frequently affected organ is the stomach, where MALT lymphoma is incontrovertibly associated with a chronic gastritis induced by a microbial pathogen, Helicobacter pylori. Gastric MALT lymphoma therefore represents a paradigm for evaluating inflammation-associated lymphomagenesis, which may lead to a deeper understanding of a possible etiologic association between other microorganisms and nongastric marginal zone lymphomas. Besides infectious etiology, chronic inflammation caused by autoimmune diseases, such as Sjögren syndrome or Hashimoto thyroiditis, can also carry a significant risk factor for the development of marginal zone lymphoma. In addition to the continuous antigenic drive, additional oncogenic events play a relevant role in lymphoma growth and progression to the point at which the lymphoproliferative process may eventually become independent of antigenic stimulation. Recent studies on MALT lymphomas have in fact demonstrated genetic alterations affecting the NF-κB) pathway, a major signaling pathway involved in many cancers. This review aims to present marginal zone lymphoma as an example of the close pathogenetic link between chronic inflammation and tumor development, with particular attention to the role of infectious agents and the integration of these observations into everyday clinical practice. See all articles in this CCR Focus section, “Paradigm Shifts in Lymphoma. ” Clin Cancer Res; 20(20); 5207–16. ©2014 AACR.
In humans, ajulemic acid has a more favorable side-effect profile than THC for the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain

This is a comment on a report by Vann et al. (2006) on the pharmacological effects of ajulemic acid compared to CB1 receptor agonists. Their data, which were obtained using animal models, suggested an unfavorable therapeutic index as an analgesic. However, the available clinical data do not support such conclusions and indicate a deficiency in some of their models.
Lutein and beta-carotene from lutein-containing yellow carrots are bioavailable in humans.

BACKGROUND Lutein is a hydroxy-carotenoid constituting the macular pigment of the human retina. Increasing lutein intake from foods could increase the density of this pigment and decrease the risk of developing macular degeneration. Yellow carrots are a novel food source that could increase lutein consumption. OBJECTIVE We evaluated and compared lutein uptake and clearance in humans from genetically selected lutein-containing yellow carrots fed chronically and from a lutein supplement. DESIGN Four women and 5 men aged 23-28 y participated in this randomized, blinded, 3 x 3 crossover intervention. Treatments consisted of yellow carrots (YC treatment, 1.7 mg lutein/d), white carrots as a negative control (WC treatment, 0 mg lutein/d), and a lutein supplement in oil as a positive control (LS treatment, 1.7 mg lutein/d). Each treatment lasted 7 d and was followed by a 7-d washout period. RESULTS Mean (+/- SD) peak changes in serum lutein concentration from baseline were 0.31 +/- 0.08, 0.19 +/- 0.08, and -0.04 +/- 0.04 micromol/L for the LS, YC, and WC treatments, respectively. The areas under the curve for 0-14 d (AUC(0-14d)) differed significantly (P < 0.0001) between treatments. Lutein from the YC treatment was 65% as bioavailable as that from the LS treatment. The AUC(0-14d) for beta-carotene (-0.01 +/- 0.28 micromol.d/L) also showed that the YC treatment maintained peak serum beta-carotene concentrations at 0.35 +/- 0.30 micromol/L, whereas the LS treatment did not (AUC(0-14d) = -0.71 +/- 0.59 micromol.d/L). CONCLUSION Lutein from this novel food source significantly increases serum lutein concentrations and does not result in the decrease in beta-carotene concentrations that accompanies administration of lutein supplements.
TR-2010-003 Non-interactive data release for distributive queries with differential privacy

Differential privacy is emerging as a strong notion for protecting individual privacy in privacy preserving data analysis or publishing. While it has been proven that it is possible to non-interactively release a database that are useful for all queries satisfying certain constraints with differential privacy, there is still a lack of general and efficient methods for achieving the data release. We propose a novel and efficient method for non-interactive data release for distributive queries with differential privacy. We examine queries with unlimited and limited output domain respectively and propose different differential privacy mechanisms which simultaneously guarantees differential privacy and the usefulness of released data. We also instantiate the general method for different queries including interval queries, parity queries and max queries. In addition to providing formal proofs of the differential privacy and usefulness guarantees of the released data using our method, we also present a set of experimental results and demonstrate the actual feasibility and performance of our method for different queries.
Critical assessment of reduced pressure test. Part 2: Quantification

Abstract The presence of bifilms in aluminium alloys has not so far been widely accepted, because there is no single metal quality test that is capable of identifying and classifying them, despite them appearing to be among the most serious defects that can exist. The reduced pressure test (RPT) is widely known and already used throughout the industry. However, the purpose of the present study was to evaluate its potential for the assessment of metal quality in terms of hydrogen content and bifilm content, and assess whether it has potential to be developed into a quantitative technique. To investigate these effects, two alloys from the previous work were used: LM4 (Al–5Si–3Cu) and LM24 (Al–8Si–3Cu–Fe). Various quality index concepts were explored in an effort to quantify the results of the reduced pressure test. The 'Bifilm Index', the total length of bifilms on the sectioned surface of the RPT sample solidified at 100 mbar, appears to have promise as a fundamental parameter to quantify quality. Good products appear to have a typical total bifilm length up to 1 mm, whereas possibly tolerable products are up to 30 mm. Poorly handled alloy can contain bifilms of total length approaching 300 mm. In terms of area of bifilms in a standard weight of melt, for a RPT sample weighing about 90 g, these values correspond approximately to 1.0, 1000 and 100 000 mm2 per 100 g.
Dealer Behavior and Trading Systems in Foreign Exchange Markets

We study dealer behavior in the foreign exchange spot market using a detailed data set on the complete transactions of four dealers. There is strong support for an information effect in incoming trades. Although there is evidence that the information effect increases with trade size in direct bilateral trades, the direction of a trade seems to be more important. The large share of electronically brokered trades is probably responsible for this finding. In direct trades it is the initiating dealer that determines trade size, while in broker trades it is the dealer submitting the limit order that determines the maximum trade size. We also find strong evidence of inventory control for all the four dealers. Inventory control is not, however, manifested through a dealer's own prices as suggested in inventory models. This is different from the strong price effect from inventory control found in previous work by Lyons [J. Fin. Econ 39(1995) 321]. A possible explanation for this finding is that the introduction of electronic brokers allowed more trading options. Furthermore, we document differences in trading styles among the four dealers, especially how they actually control their inventories.
Improvement Techniques of Soft Ground in Subsiding and Lowland Environment

This book outlines the problems commonly encountered during infrastructure construction on soft and subsiding ground in lowland environments and their solutions in terms of soil/ground improvement techniques. For soft and cohesive soils on subsiding environments, ground improvement can be done by reinforcement, by addition of chemical additives, and by drainage or dewatering. The soil fills above ground can also be improved by reinforcing with geogrids, steel grids and/or geotextiles. The book is divided into the following sections: (1) ground improvement by vertical drains; (2) ground improvement using granular piles; (3) lime/cement deep mixing method; (4) mechanically stabilized earth (mse) embankments/walls.
Histomorphometric study on blood cells in male adult ostrich

In order to perform a histomorphometric study of blood cells in male adult ostrich, blood samples were obtained from jugular vein of 10 clinically healthy male adult ostriches (2 - 3 years old). The slides were stained with the Giemsa methods and the smears were evaluated for cellular morphology, with cellular size being determined by micrometry. The findings of this study revealed that the shape of the cell, cytoplasm and nucleus of erythrocytes in male adult ostriches were similar to those in other birds such as quails, chickens, Iranian green-head ducks.