Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Culture Strongly Impact the Placental Transcriptome in the Mouse Model

Background Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) are increasingly used in humans; however, their impact is now questioned. At blastocyst stage, the trophectoderm is directly in contact with an artificial medium environment, which can impact placental development. This study was designed to carry out an in-depth analysis of the placental transcriptome after ART in mice. Methodology/Principal Findings Blastocysts were transferred either (1) after in vivo fertilization and development (control group) or (2) after in vitro fertilization and embryo culture. Placentas were then analyzed at E10.5. Six percent of transcripts were altered at the two-fold threshold in placentas of manipulated embryos, 2/3 of transcripts being down-regulated. Strikingly, the X-chromosome harbors 11% of altered genes, 2/3 being induced. Imprinted genes were modified similarly to the X. Promoter composition analysis indicates that FOXA transcription factors may be involved in the transcriptional deregulations. Conclusions For the first time, our study shows that in vitro fertilization associated with embryo culture strongly modify the placental expression profile, long after embryo manipulations, meaning that the stress of artificial environment is memorized after implantation. Expression of X and imprinted genes is also greatly modulated probably to adapt to adverse conditions. Our results highlight the importance of studying human placentas from ART.
On the No-Counterexample Interpretation

Abstract In [15], [16] G. Kreisel introduced the no-counterexample interpretation (n.c.i.) of Peano arithmetic. In particular he proved, using a complicated ε-substitution method (due to W. Ackermann), that for every theorem A (A prenex) of first-order Peano arithmetic PA one can find ordinal recursive functionals of order type < ε0 which realize the Herbrand normal form AH of A. Subsequently more perspicuous proofs of this fact via functional interpretation (combined with normalization) and cut-elimination were found. These proofs however do not carry out the no-counterexample interpretation as a local proof interpretation and don't respect the modus ponens on the level of the nocounterexample interpretation of formulas A and A → B. Closely related to this phenomenon is the fact that both proofs do not establish the condition (δ) and—at least not constructively—(γ) which are part of the definition of an ‘interpretation of a formal system’ as formulated in [15].
Banana and Abaca Fiber-Reinforced Plastic Composites Obtained by Rotational Molding Process

Natural fibers can be used in rotational molding process to obtain parts with improved mechanical properties. Different approaches have been followed in order to produce formulations containing banana or abaca fiber at 5% weight, in two- and three-layer constructions. Chemically treated abaca fiber has also been studied, causing some problems in processability. Fibers used have been characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), optical microscopy, and single-fiber mechanical tests. Rotomolded parts have been tested for tensile, flexural, and impact properties, demonstrating that important increases in elastic modulus are achieved with these fibers, although impact properties are reduced.
Clinical Patterns of Alopecia Areata among Children in South Jordan

Results: A total number of 58 pediatric patients were included in the study. There were 31 male and 27 female with a ratio of 1.1:1. The age of patients ranged from two to 14 years. The age of onset ranged from one to 13 years (mean = 7 years). The most common age of presentation was in the age group four to eight (34.5%) and eight to 12 (32.8%). Most patients (77.6%) presented with limited alopecia areata, and 22.4% of patients presented with widespread alopecia areata. The majority of patients (77.6%) presented with primary alopecia areata and 22.4% of patients presented with recurrent alopecia areata. The mean duration of the disease was three months. Patients with primary alopecia areata had a median duration of two months while those with recurrent alopecia areata had a median duration of four months. Atopic dermatitis was found in 5 patients, vitiligo in one patient and thyroid disease in one patient. Severe alopecia areata was noted mainly in male patients (25.9%), younger age groups (66.7% of patients in the age group 0 to 4), patients with recurrent alopecia areata (60%), patients who had ophiasis (87.5%) and in all patients who had nail abnormality. Alopecia areata occurred in 5.9%, 0.6% and 0.2% of first, second and third degree relatives of patients respectively. Conclusion: There was a slight preponderance for male gender in pediatric alopecia areata in South Jordan. Most patients had limited alopecia areata. Severe alopecia areata is associated with male gender, younger age of onset, recurrent alopecia areata, presence of ophiasis and presence of nail involvement. Patients with recurrent disease tend to have a longer duration of their disease. Relatives of patients have a higher frequency of alopecia areata which indicates the important role of genetic factors.
Effect of refractive index of dielectric on transmission properties for metal/dielectric/metal photonic crystal

The effect of refractive index of dielectric on transmission properties for metal/dielectric/metal photonic crystal (M/D/MPhC) by changing a thin dielectric layer was studied experimentally. We measured zero-order transmission spectra of three different M/D/MPhC samples in the middle-infrared region and found that the transmission peaks shifted regularly along with the refractive index change, owing to the role of surface plasmon polaritons (SPP) coupling in the M/D/MPhC. The position of transmission peak for M/D/MPhC is not only determined by the periodic structure on top Au film but is also affected by the refractive index of intermediate dielectric. By analyzing the relationship between transmission peaks and effective refractive index of a thin dielectric layer sandwiched by two gold layers, we find that the transmission properties for M/D/MPhC depend strongly on both the material property and the refractive index of dielectric being sandwiched by two metal films. The transmission peak sensitive nature to the refractive index of a thin dielectric layer in M/D/MPhC is promising in applications of biochemical sensing and tunable integrated plasmonic devices.
Incidence and Characteristics of Bacteremia among Children in Rural Ghana

The objective of the study was to describe systemic bacterial infections occurring in acutely ill and hospitalized children in a rural region in Ghana, regarding frequency, incidence, antimicrobial susceptibility patterns and associations with anthropometrical data. Blood cultures were performed in all children below the age of five years, who were admitted to Agogo Presbyterian Hospital (APH), Asante Region, Ghana, between September 2007 and July 2009. Medical history and anthropometrical data were assessed using a standardized questionnaire at admission. Incidences were calculated after considering the coverage population adjusted for village-dependent health-seeking behavior. Among 1,196 hospitalized children, 19.9% (n = 238) were blood culture positive. The four most frequent isolated pathogens were nontyphoidal salmonellae (NTS) (53.3%; n = 129), Staphylococcus aureus (13.2%; n = 32), Streptococcus pneumoniae (9.1%; n = 22) and Salmonella ser. Typhi (7.0%; n = 17). Yearly cumulative incidence of bacteremia was 46.6 cases/1,000 (CI 40.9–52.2). Yearly cumulative incidences per 1,000 of the four most frequent isolates were 25.2 (CI 21.1–29.4) for NTS, 6.3 (CI 4.1–8.4) for S. aureus, 4.3 (CI 2.5–6.1) for S. pneumoniae and 3.3 (CI 1.8–4.9) for Salmonella ser. Typhi. Wasting was positively associated with bacteremia and systemic NTS bloodstream infection. Children older than three months had more often NTS bacteremia than younger children. Ninety-eight percent of NTS and 100% of Salmonella ser. Typhi isolates were susceptible to ciprofloxacin, whereas both tested 100% susceptible to ceftriaxone. Seventy-seven percent of NTS and 65% of Salmonella ser. Typhi isolates were multi-drug resistant (MDR). Systemic bacterial infections in nearly 20% of hospitalized children underline the need for microbiological diagnostics, to guide targeted antimicrobial treatment and prevention of bacteremia. If microbiological diagnostics are lacking, calculated antimicrobial treatment of severely ill children in malaria-endemic areas should be considered.
Inhibition of K+ Currents in Type I Vestibular Hair Cells by Gentamicin and Neomycin

Significant ototoxicity limits the use of aminoglycoside (AG) antibiotics. Several mechanisms may contribute to the death of both auditory and vestibular hair cells. In this study the effects of gentamicin and neomycin on K<sup>+</sup> currents in mature and early postnatal type I vestibular hair cells (HCI) were tested directly. The whole-cell patch clamp technique was used to assess the effects of AG and KCNQ channel modulators on K<sup>+</sup> currents (I<sub>K</sub>) in HCI acutely isolated from gerbil semicircular canals. Extracellular neomycin (1 m<smlcap>M</smlcap>) rapidly reduced peak outward I<sub>K</sub> by 16 ± 4% (n = 9) in mature HCI (postnatal days, P, 25-66). Gentamicin (5 m<smlcap>M</smlcap>) reduced outward I<sub>K</sub> by 16 ± 3% (n = 8). A similar reduction in outward current was seen in immature HCI (P5-9) that lacked the low-voltage-activated component of I<sub>K</sub> observed in mature cells. Intracellular application of gentamicin and neomycin also reduced I<sub>K</sub> in mature HCI. Modulators of KCNQ channels were used to probe KCNQ channel involvement. The selective KCNQ antagonist XE991 did not reduce I<sub>K</sub> and the neomycin-induced reduction in I<sub>K</sub> was not reversed by the KCNQ agonist flupirtine. Application of intracellular poly-<smlcap>D</smlcap>-lysine to sequester PIP<sub>2</sub> did not reduce I<sub>K</sub>. Application of the K<sup>+</sup> channel blocker 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) strongly reduced I<sub>K</sub>, and extracellular AG in the presence of 4-AP gave no further inhibition of I<sub>K</sub>. In summary, AG significantly reduce the 4-AP-sensitive I<sub>K</sub> in early postnatal and mature HCI. K<sup>+</sup> current inhibition differs from that seen in outer hair cells, since it does not appear to involve PIP<sub>2</sub> sequestration or KCNQ channels.
Interleukin-17 A-Induced Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition of Human Intrahepatic Biliary Epithelial Cells : Implications for Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

269 Received August 1, 2016; revised and accepted November 9, 2016. Published online December 3, 2016; doi: 10.1620/tjem.240. 269. *These authors contributed equally to this work. Correspondence: Yurong Qiu, Laboratory Medicine Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. e-mail: qiuyuronggz@126.com Interleukin-17A-Induced Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition of Human Intrahepatic Biliary Epithelial Cells: Implications for Primary Biliary Cirrhosis
Classification and pathogenesis of cerebral hemorrhages after thrombolysis in ischemic stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Brain hemorrhage after ischemic stroke is a serious complication of treatment; however, its pathology is poorly understood. A classification based on brain imaging may help to better understand and avoid causal factors. METHODS Review of the results of controlled randomized trials and the available literature. RESULTS Hemorrhagic infarctions have no impact on clinical outcome and are probably not associated with the thrombolytic itself and the type of reperfusion strategy. They are associated with the extent of ischemic damage and most probably to an ischemic vasculopathy. Parenchymal hematomas are often clinically relevant. Their incidence is affected by the thrombolytic itself, the type, and probably the time point of reperfusion strategy. The loss of hemostatic control seems important in their pathogenesis. Extraischemic hematomas (remote from the infarct), unique or multiple, suggest pre-existing brain pathology, especially cerebral amyloid angiopathy. CONCLUSIONS The radiological description of 3 different types of brain hemorrhage is useful to better understand the specific pathology and the impact on clinical outcome. It may help to avoid clinically relevant brain hemorrhages.
Molecular Epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus in the General Population in Northeast Germany: Results of the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP-TREND-0)

ABSTRACT Population-based studies on Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization are scarce. We examined the prevalence, resistance, and molecular diversity of S. aureus in the general population in Northeast Germany. Nasal swabs were obtained from 3,891 adults in the large-scale population-based Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP-TREND). Isolates were characterized using spa genotyping, as well as antibiotic resistance and virulence gene profiling. We observed an S. aureus prevalence of 27.2%. Nasal S. aureus carriage was associated with male sex and inversely correlated with age. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) accounted for 0.95% of the colonizing S. aureus strains. MRSA carriage was associated with frequent visits to hospitals, nursing homes, or retirement homes within the previous 24 months. All MRSA strains were resistant to multiple antibiotics. Most MRSA isolates belonged to the pandemic European hospital-acquired MRSA sequence type 22 (HA-MRSA-ST22) lineage. We also detected one livestock-associated MRSA ST398 (LA-MRSA-ST398) isolate, as well as six livestock-associated methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (LA-MSSA) isolates (clonal complex 1 [CC1], CC97, and CC398). spa typing revealed a diverse but also highly clonal S. aureus population structure. We identified a total of 357 spa types, which were grouped into 30 CCs or sequence types. The major seven CCs (CC30, CC45, CC15, CC8, CC7, CC22, and CC25) included 75% of all isolates. Virulence gene patterns were strongly linked to the clonal background. In conclusion, MSSA and MRSA prevalences and the molecular diversity of S. aureus in Northeast Germany are consistent with those of other European countries. The detection of HA-MRSA and LA-MRSA within the general population indicates possible transmission from hospitals and livestock, respectively, and should be closely monitored.
Development and characterisation of chitosan and polyhydroxybutyrate based polymeric scaffolds

Electrospinning is a versatile method of producing nanofibrous polymeric material with potential applications as tissue engineering scaffolds. The main aim of this project was to produce and characterise electrospun polymeric scaffolds based on chitosan and bacterial polyhydroxybutyrate. The effect of the parameters used in the electrospinning process were studied and optimised by electrospinning polyvinyl alcohol from 8 wt% and 10 wt% solutions under a variable applied voltage from 10-25 kV. Attempts were made to electrospun chitosan however it was found that the creation of a polymer blend was necessary to facilitate fibre formation. PVA-chitosan blends were successfully electrospun at blend ratios of up to 80:20. A chitosan-hydroxybenzotriazole-PVA aqueous solution was successfully prepared enabling the production of chitosan/PVA nanofibres without the need for the use of an organic solvent. Polyhydroxybutyrate produced by bacterial synthesis from R. Eutropha using three different carbon sources; olive oil, rapeseed oil and glucose were electrospun and characterized. The choice of carbon source did not have a significant effect on the morphology or crystallinity of the produced fibres. PHB fibre diameters were reduced by 30% through the addition of the salt Benzyl tributylammonium chloride to the electrospinning solution.
PREVALENCE OF MANDIBULAR OSTEOMYELITIS IN ROE DEER (CAPREOLUS CAPREOLUS) IN SLOVENIA

Mandibular osteomyelitis in free-ranging cervids is a rare, but eventually fatal, disease. We examined 41,895 defleshed mandibles of roe deer collected throughout Slovenia in 2007. Mandibles from 14,679 fawns had no signs of osteomyelitis, and were excluded from further analysis. Of the remaining 27,216 specimens, chronic osteomyelitis (‘‘lumpy jaw'') was found in 113 mandibles (4.2%; 7.0% of adults). The majority of cases were observed from the Mediterranean and subalpine regions, near larger cities and thermal power plants. There was no statistically significant correlation between severity of the mandibular osteomyelitis and body weight. Females were more frequently affected than males. Coarse and abrasive food, and to some extent dental fluorosis, are the most probable triggers for development of lesions.
Targeting of Proteins of the Striatin Family to Dendritic Spines: Role of the Coiled‐Coil Domain

Striatin, SG2NA and zinedin, the three mammalian members of the striatin family are multimodular WD‐repeat, calmodulin and calveolin‐binding proteins. These scaffolding proteins, involved in both signaling and trafficking, are highly expressed in neurons. Using ultrastructural immunolabeling, we showed that, in Purkinje cells and hippocampal neurons, SG2NA is confined to the somatodendritic compartment with the highest density in dendritic spines. In cultured hippocampal neurons, SG2NA is also highly concentrated in dendritic spines. By expressing truncated forms of HA‐tagged SG2NAβ, we demonstrated that the coiled‐coil domain plays an essential role in the targeting of SG2NA within spines. Furthermore, co‐immunoprecipitation experiments indicate that this coiled‐coil domain is also crucial for the homo‐ and hetero‐oligomerization of these proteins. Thus, oligomerization of the striatin family proteins is probably an obligatory step for their routing to the dendritic spines, and hetero‐oligomerization explains why all these proteins are often co‐expressed in the neurons of the rat brain and spinal cord.
Requirements for T Lymphocyte Migration in Explanted Lymph Nodes1

Although the requirements for T lymphocyte homing to lymph nodes (LNs) are well studied, much less is known about the requirements for T lymphocyte locomotion within LNs. Imaging of murine T lymphocyte migration in explanted LNs using two-photon laser-scanning fluorescence microscopy provides an opportunity to systematically study these requirements. We have developed a closed system for imaging an intact LN with controlled temperature, oxygenation, and perfusion rate. Naive T lymphocyte locomotion in the deep paracortex of the LN required a perfusion rate of >13 μm/s and a partial pressure of O2 (pO2) of >7.4%. Naive T lymphocyte locomotion in the subcapsular region was 38% slower and had higher turning angles and arrest coefficients than naive T lymphocytes in the deep paracortex. T lymphocyte activation decreased the requirement for pO2, but also decreased the speed of locomotion in the deep paracortex. Although CCR7−/− naive T cells displayed a small reduction in locomotion, systemic treatment with pertussis toxin reduced naive T lymphocyte speed by 59%, indicating a contribution of Gαi-mediated signaling, but involvement of other G protein-coupled receptors besides CCR7. Receptor knockouts or pharmacological inhibition in the adenosine, PG/lipoxygenase, lysophosphatidylcholine, and sphingosine-1-phosphate pathways did not individually alter naive T cell migration. These data implicate pO2, tissue architecture, and G-protein coupled receptor signaling in regulation of naive T lymphocyte migration in explanted LNs.
Fractionated CO2 laser skin rejuvenation

Fractional photothermolysis has been reported in the literature to improve both the pigmentary and textural changes associated with photoaging. The objective of the study was to review the literature of non‐ablative fractional laser (NAFL) and ablative fractional laser (AFL) resurfacing for the treatment of photoaging. This is a review of the Medline literature evaluating NAFL and AFL for photoaging. Review of the literature supports the use of NAFL and AFL as safe and effective treatments for photoaging. It is likely that the controlled, limited dermal heating of fractional resurfacing initiates a cascade of events in which normalization of the collagenesis/collagenolysis cycle occurs. The advent of fractionated resurfacing for the treatment of photoaging is a significant advance over ablative laser resurfacing treatments, which were complicated by prolonged erythema, delayed onset hypopigmentation, and scarring.
Good lattice constellations for both Rayleigh fading and Gaussian channels

Recent work on lattices matched to the Rayleigh fading channel has shown how to construct good signal constellations with high spectral efficiency. We present a new family of lattice constellations, based on complex algebraic number fields, which have good performance on Rayleigh fading channels. Some of these lattices also present a reasonable packing density and thus may be used at the same time over a Gaussian channel. Conversely, we show that particular versions of the best lattice packings (D/sub 4/, E/sub 6/, E/sub 8/, K/sub 12/, /spl Lambda//sub 16/, /spl Lambda//sub 24/), constructed from totally complex algebraic cyclotomic fields, present better performance over the Rayleigh fading channel. The practical interest in such signal constellations rises from the need to transmit information at high rates over both terrestrial and satellite links. Some further results in algebraic number theory related to ideals and their factorization are presented and the decoding algorithm used with these lattice constellations are illustrated together with practical results.
A precise estimation of the 3D structure of the forest based on the fusion of airborne and terrestrial lidar data

Modern forest inventory is based on the accurate and precise characterization of the 3D structure of the forest. Although LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is an effective tool to estimate forest parameters, when acquired from single view point it is not able to represent accurately the entire scene. To solve this problem, in this paper we present a method that integrates the terrestrial and airborne LiDAR data. The proposed method first performs an automatic co-registration of the data sources based on the spatial pattern of the structure of the stand plot. Second, it integrates the LiDAR point clouds to accurately represent the structure of the crown. The resulting fused LiDAR point cloud can be used for an accurate estimation of the crown parameters, thus making it possible a more comprehensive representation of the 3D structure of the forest stand. Experimental results carried out in a oakland savanna in Fresno (California) confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Trending Paths: A New Semantic-Level Metric for Comparing Simulated and Real Crowd Data

We propose a new semantic-level crowd evaluation metric in this paper. Crowd simulation has been an active and important area for several decades. However, only recently has there been an increased focus on evaluating the fidelity of the results with respect to real-world situations. The focus to date has been on analyzing the properties of low-level features such as pedestrian trajectories, or global features such as crowd densities. We propose the first approach based on finding semantic information represented by latent Path Patterns in both real and simulated data in order to analyze and compare them. Unsupervised clustering by non-parametric Bayesian inference is used to learn the patterns, which themselves provide a rich visualization of the crowd behavior. To this end, we present a new Stochastic Variational Dual Hierarchical Dirichlet Process ( SV-DHDP) model. The fidelity of the patterns is computed with respect to a reference, thus allowing the outputs of different algorithms to be compared with each other and/or with real data accordingly. Detailed evaluations and comparisons with existing metrics show that our method is a good alternative for comparing crowd data at a different level and also works with more types of data, holds fewer assumptions and is more robust to noise.