Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chemoattractant Signals and Adhesion Molecules Promoting Human Regulatory T Cell Recruitment to Porcine Endothelium

Background Human CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T regulatory cells (huTreg) suppress CD4+ T cell–mediated antipig xenogeneic responses in vitro and might therefore be used to induce xenograft tolerance. The present study investigated the role of the adhesion molecules, their porcine ligands, and the chemoattractant factors that may promote the recruitment of huTreg to porcine aortic endothelial cells (PAEC) and their capacity to regulate antiporcine natural killer (NK) cell responses. Methods Interactions between ex vivo expanded huTreg and PAEC were studied by static chemotaxis assays and flow-based adhesion and transmigration assays. In addition, the suppressive function of huTreg on human antiporcine NK cell responses was analyzed. Results The TNF&agr;-activated PAEC released factors that induce huTreg chemotaxis, partially inhibited by antihuman CXCR3 blocking antibodies. Coating of PAEC with human CCL17 significantly increased the transmigration of CCR4+ huTreg under physiological shear stress. Under static conditions, transendothelial Treg migration was inhibited by blocking integrin sub-units (CD18, CD49d) on huTreg, or their respective porcine ligands intercellular adhesion molecule 2 (CD102) and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (CD106). Finally, huTreg partially suppressed xenogeneic human NK cell adhesion, NK cytotoxicity and degranulation (CD107 expression) against PAEC; however, this inhibition was modest, and there was no significant change in the production of IFN&ggr;. Conclusions Recruitment of huTreg to porcine endothelium depends on particular chemokine receptors (CXCR3, CCR4) and integrins (CD18 and CD49d) and was increased by CCL17 coating. These results will help to develop new strategies to enhance the recruitment of host huTreg to xenogeneic grafts to regulate cell-mediated xenograft rejection including NK cell responses.
A breathtaking feat

Salmonella is a common cause of food poisoning. However, after ingestion the pathogen has to compete with resident microbes that already occupy the intestinal lumen (microbiota), which poses a challenge for Salmonella to successfully colonize this niche. Recent data show that Salmonella elicits help from the host immune response to beat the competition. After arriving in the intestine, Salmonella elicits acute intestinal inflammation. The respiratory burst of neutrophils that transmigrate into the intestinal lumen during inflammation oxidizes endogenous sulfur compounds to generate a respiratory electron acceptor, tetrathionate. As a result, Salmonella can use tetrathionate respiration to outgrow the fermenting microbiota in the anaerobic environment of the gut, which promotes transmission of the pathogen. This principle might be used by other gut microbes and contribute to changes in the microbiota composition observed during inflammation.
Chronology, mound-building and environment at Huaca Prieta, coastal Peru, from 13 700 to 4000 years ago

Renewed in-depth multi-disciplinary investigation of a large coastal mound settlement in Peru has extended the occupation back more than 7000 years to a first human exploitation ~13720 BP. Research by the authors has chronicled the prehistoric sequence from the activities of the first maritime foragers to the construction of the black mound and the introduction of horticulture and monumentality. The community of Huaca Prieta emerges as innovative, complex and ritualised, as yet with no antecedents.
Effect of prolonged driving on overtaking criteria.

During the first and last 3 hours of a 12-hour spell of driving by 6 subjects the experimenter recorded the number of overtaking manoeuvres which were begun with what he judged to be an unduly high level of risk. When the data were corrected for inter-session differences in frequency of overtaking, risky manoeuvres were found to be initiated 50 per cent more often during the last 3 hours of the spell than during the first. This result conflicts with Potts' (1951) finding that lsquo;near accidents’ decrease with time on task, but it supports earlier conclusions on the superiority of assessing fatigue effects subjectively rather than objectively.
CD163 expression is increased in the involved skin and sera of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationship between M2 macrophages and disease activity in SLE. METHODS The expression of CD163, an M2 macrophage marker, in skin specimens was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to determine mRNA expression of CD163 in the skin section. Serum levels of soluble CD163 were measured in 20 SLE patients and 12 healthy controls with specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. RESULTS The number of CD163-positive M2 macrophages and the mRNA levels of CD163 in the skin of SLE patients was significantly increased. SLE patients had significantly higher serum sCD163 levels than healthy controls. By analysis of the association between serum sCD163 levels and the clinical/laboratory features, we found that patients with elevated serum sCD163 levels showed significantly higher levels of anti-double-strand-DNA antibodies and higher prevalence of leukopenia than those with normal levels. CONCLUSION Infiltration of CD163-positive M2 macrophages was increased in SLE skin and sCD163 levels were increased in SLE sera. A systemic increase of sCD163 as well as local overexpression of CD163 in SLE patients indicate that M2 macrophages may play a role in the pathogenesis of SLE. Serum sCD163 levels may be a useful marker for disease severity in patients with SLE.
The Middle Paleolithic: Adaptation, Behavior, and Variability

Papers originally presented at a symposium on the Middle Paleolithic of Europe and the Near East, organized as part of the annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology in the spring of 1989. Paleolithic archaeology has entered a period in which new interpretations, based on new finds and revised ideas concerning previously known material, are competing with traditional interpretations. There is an urgent need for continued dialogue among Paleolithic scholars, exemplified by these papers. Symposium Series IV University Museum Monograph, 78
Identification of a direct GABAergic pallidocortical pathway in rodents

Interaction between the basal ganglia and the cortex plays a critical role in a range of behaviors. Output from the basal ganglia to the cortex is thought to be relayed through the thalamus, but an intriguing alternative is that the basal ganglia may directly project to and communicate with the cortex. We explored an efferent projection from the globus pallidus externa (GPe), a key hub in the basal ganglia system, to the cortex of rats and mice. Anterograde and retrograde tracing revealed projections to the frontal premotor cortex, especially the deep projecting layers, originating from GPe neurons that receive axonal inputs from the dorsal striatum. Cre‐dependent anterograde tracing in Vgat‐ires‐cre mice confirmed that the pallidocortical projection is GABAergic, and in vitro optogenetic stimulation in the cortex of these projections produced a fast inhibitory postsynaptic current in targeted cells that was abolished by bicuculline. The pallidocortical projections targeted GABAergic interneurons and, to a lesser extent, pyramidal neurons. This GABAergic pallidocortical pathway directly links the basal ganglia and cortex, and may play a key role in behavior and cognition in normal and disease states.
NAPP and PIRP Encode Subunits of a Putative Wave Regulatory Protein Complex Involved in Plant Cell Morphogenesis

The ARP2/3 complex is an important regulator of actin nucleation and branching in eukaryotic organisms. All seven subunits of the ARP2/3 complex have been identified in Arabidopsis thaliana, and mutation of at least three of the subunits results in defects in epidermal cell expansion, including distorted trichomes. However, the mechanisms regulating the activity of the ARP2/3 complex in plants are largely unknown. In mammalian cells, WAVE and WASP proteins are involved in activation of the ARP2/3 complex. WAVE1 activity is regulated by a protein complex containing NAP1/HEM/KETTE/GEX-3 and PIR121/Sra-1/CYFIP/GEX-2. Here, we show that the WAVE1 regulatory protein complex is partly conserved in plants. We have identified Arabidopsis genes encoding homologs of NAP1 (NAPP), PIR121 (PIRP), and HSPC300 (BRK1). T-DNA inactivation of NAPP and PIRP results in distorted trichomes, similar to ARP2/3 complex mutants. The napp-1 mutant is allelic to the distorted mutant gnarled. The actin cytoskeleton in napp-1 and pirp-1 mutants shows orientation defects and increased bundling compared with wild-type plants. The results presented show that activity of the ARP2/3 complex in plants is regulated through an evolutionarily conserved mechanism.
Potential for the Use of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) in the Detection and Identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex in Sputum Samples

The COBAS AMPLICOR Mycobacterium tuberculosis assay was evaluated for routine detection and identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) in 629 sputum samples. In addition to the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), diagnostic culture, which is considered the reference method, was also performed on theses samples. Of the 629 specimens tested, 64 were culture positive for M. tuberculosis and 51 were positive by COBAS AMPLICOR MTB assay and 19 specimens were considered PCR inhibitory. There were no false positive results in all tested samples and 3 PCR-negative, culture-positive specimens were considered false negative especially after reviewing the medical records for the 3 patients. A PCR inhibition rate of 3 % (19/629) was observed; these samples remained inhibitory despite re-testing. After excluding the inhibitory samples from the statistical analysis, the overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV) for the COBAS AMPLICOR MTB assay were 94.4, 100, 100 and 99.5 % respectively compared to those of the diagnostic culture. In conclusion, the COBAS AMPLICOR PCR system proved itself a very useful component of today mycobacteriology laboratory.
A Fast Passivity Test for Stable Descriptor Systems via Skew-Hamiltonian/Hamiltonian Matrix Pencil Transformations

Passivity of a linear system is an important property to guarantee stable global simulation. Most circuits and interconnected systems are naturally described as descriptor systems (DSs) or singular state spaces. Passivity tests for DSs, however, are much less developed compared to their regular (nonsingular) state space counterparts. For large-scale DSs, the existing linear-matrix-inequality test is computationally prohibitive. Other system decoupling techniques involve complicated algorithms and sometimes ill-conditioned transformations. This paper proposes a simple DS passivity test based on the insight that the sum of a passive system and its adjoint must render an impulse-free system under minimal realization. The proper part (nonimpulsive part) and the residue matrix at infinity (impulsive part), if any, of a passive DS are conveniently extracted using numerically efficient skew-Hamiltonian/Hamiltonian matrix pencil techniques. Numerical experiments confirm the effectiveness of the proposed test over conventional approaches.
Two 68‐kDa Proteins in Slow Axonal Transport Belong to the 70‐kDa Heat Shock Protein Family and the Annexin Family

Abstract: The major 68‐kDa protein found selectively in the faster of the two subcomponents of slow axonal transport [group IV or slow component b (SCb)] in the rat sciatic nerve has been characterized. It was found to contain two distinct classes of proteins, S1 and S2, both of which have isoelectric points of 5.7, but differ in their solubility in the presence of calcium. The S1 protein, which contributes up to 70% of the 68‐kDa component, was soluble in the presence or absence of calcium, whereas the S2 protein was bound to the cytoskeleton in a calcium‐dependent manner. Further characterization of the two proteins by peptide mapping and immunological methods revealed that the S1 protein belonged to a family of proteins related to the 70‐kDa heat shock protein, whereas the S2 protein was identical to 68‐kDa calelec‐trin (annexin VI). Selective occurrence in SCb of these proteins with potential abilities to regulate protein‐protein or protein‐membrane interactions suggests that they may play important roles in the control of cytoskeletal organization in the axon, because SCb contains mainly cytoskeletal proteins in a more dynamic form compared with the slowest rate component, slow component a, which is enriched in the stably polymerized form of these proteins.
An integrated common mode and differential mode choke for EMI suppression using magnetic epoxy mixture

CM and DM chokes are the majority parts in EMI filters, which take big portion of total system volume and weight. Integration technology can help on integrating the CM and DM chokes together and reduce the total volume and weight, helps on improving power density of the converters. This paper proposed a CM /DM integrated choke using magnetic mixture (magnetic gel). Applying the magnetic gel around the CM inductor can contain the leakage flux within the gel, so that it can help reduce the inductive coupling between EMI filter components. Simulation and experimental results show the potential of this material in magnetic integration.
Theology, History, and Archaeology in the Chronicler's Account of Hezekiah

In a doctoral dissertation completed in 1995 (no institution noted), Vaughn takes the treatment of Hezekiah in 2 Chronicles 29-32 as an opportunity to test the relationship between extra-biblical historical data and an interpretation of Chronicles. He combines archaeological and epigraphic evidence with a focused reading of the verses to argue that traditions or remembrances that were historically accurate were used to construct the ideological message for the post-exile community.
Numerical Optimization of Pin-Fin Heat Sink with Forced Cooling

— This study presents the numerical simulation of optimum pin-fin heat sink with air impinging cooling by using Taguchi method. 9 L ( 4 3 ) orthogonal array is selected as a plan for the four design-parameters with three levels. The governing equations are discretized by using the control-volume-based-finite-difference method with a power-law scheme on the non-uniform staggered grid. We solved the coupling of the velocity and the pressure terms of momentum equations using SIMPLEC algorithm. We employ the k − ε two-equations turbulence model to describe the turbulent behavior. The parameters studied include fin height H (35mm-45mm), inter-fin spacing a , b , and c (2 mm-6.4 mm), and Reynolds number ( Re = 10000- 25000). The objective of this study is to examine the effects of the fin spacings and fin height on the thermal resistance and to find the optimum group by using the Taguchi method. We found that the fin spacings from the center to the edge of the heat sink gradually extended, and the longer the fin’s height the better the results. The optimum group is 3 1 2 3 H a b c . In addition, the effects of parameters are ranked by importance as a , H , c , and b .
Regulation and Physiological Functions of G12/13-Mediated Signaling Pathways

Accumulating data indicate that G12 subfamily (Gα12/13)-mediated signaling pathways play pivotal roles in a variety of physiological processes, while aberrant regulation of this pathway has been identified in various human diseases. It has been demonstrated that Gα12/13-mediated signals form networks with other signaling proteins at various levels, from cell surface receptors to transcription factors, to regulate cellular responses. Gα12/13 have slow rates of nucleotide exchange and GTP hydrolysis, and specifically target RhoGEFs containing an amino-terminal RGS homology domain (RH-RhoGEFs), which uniquely function both as a GAP and an effector for Gα12/13. In this review, we will focus on the mechanisms regulating the Gα12/13 signaling system, particularly the Gα12/13-RH-RhoGEF-Rho pathway, which can regulate a wide variety of cellular functions from migration to transformation.
Regional Growth Impacts on Agricultural Land Development: A Spatial Model for Three States

In this study we attempt to understand the relationship between regional growth in population, employment, and per capita income, and farmland development in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. A spatial simultaneous equations model is estimated using county-level data. Results indicate that while county income growth and agricultural land value increases in neighboring counties increase the rate of farmland loss, growth in county agricultural land values, increases in agricultural land density in neighboring counties, and increases in agricultural income per farm reduce farmland losses. Farmland protection policies were not significant in reducing agricultural land development. This approach, focused on regional growth, provides insight into linkages between growth and agricultural land development that can potentially enhance land use planning.
J‐Curve Association Between Glucose Intolerance and Hemoglobin and Ferritin Levels at High Altitude

This study revealed that evaluating communication skills based on a single examiner results in considerably lower reliability levels than generally considered adequate. Grading systems need to be based on three or more examiners to achieve acceptable interrater agreement. In prior studies, interrater agreement for communication skill assessments varied from 0.38 to 0.74 in different contexts, but none of these studies targeted geriatrics fellows. A systematic review designed to investigate the reliability of OSCEs found that communication stations have lower interrater reliability than clinical stations, probably because of the more-subjective criteria used to rate communication. Other recent studies have also shown that is challenging to assess communication skills. The Liverpool Undergraduate Communication Assessment Scale, an OSCE-based evaluation, required average measures of four examiners to achieve an ICC of 0.73. In this context, this study demonstrated that the video-recorded OSCE is a promising method of providing accurate ratings of communication skills of geriatrics fellows by allowing the participation of multiple examiners. Further studies are needed to develop better rating strategies appropriate to a variety of clinical scenarios in geriatric medicine.
Challenges to understand plant responses to wind

Understanding plant response to wind is complicated as this factor entails not only mechanical stress but also affects leaf microclimate. In a recent study, we found that plant responses to mechanical stress (MS) may be different and even in the opposite direction to those of wind. MS-treated Plantago major plants produced thinner more elongated leaves while those in wind did the opposite. The latter can be associated with the drying effect of wind as is further supported by data on petiole anatomy presented here. These results indicate that plant responses to wind will depend on the extent of water stress. It should also be recognized that the responses to wind may differ between different parts of a plant and between plant species. Physiological research on wind responses should thus focus on the signal sensing and transduction of both the mechanical and drought signals associated with wind, and consider both plant size and architecture.
Chapter 2 Random Process Variation in Deep-Submicron CMOS

One of the most notable features of nanometer scale CMOS technology is the increasing magnitude of variability of the key parameters affecting performance of integrated circuits [1]. Although scaling made controlling extrinsic variability more complex, nonetheless, the most profound reason for the future increase in parameter variability is that the technology is approaching the regime of fundamental randomness in the behavior of silicon structures where device operation must be described as a stochastic process. Electric noise due to the trapping and de-trapping of electrons in lattice defects may result in large current fluctuations, and those may be different for each device within a circuit. At this scale, a single dopant atom may change device characteristics, leading to large variations from device to device [2]. As the device gate length approaches the correlation length of the oxide-silicon interface, the intrinsic threshold voltage fluctuations induced by local oxide thickness variation will become significant [3]. Finally, line-edge roughness, i.e., the random variation in the gate length along the width of the channel, will also contribute to the overall variability of gate length [4]. Since placement of dopant atoms introduced into silicon crystal is random, the final number and location of atoms in the channel of each transistor is a random variable. As the threshold voltage of the transistor is determined by the number and placement of dopant atoms, it will exhibit a considerable variation [3]. This leads to variation in the transistors’ circuit-level properties, such as delay and power [5]. Predicting the timing uncertainty is traditionally done through corner-based analysis, which performs static timing analysis (STA) at multiple corners to obtain the extreme-case results. In each corner, process parameters are set at extreme points in the multidimensional space. As a consequence, the worst-case delay from the corner-based timing analysis is over pessimistic since it is unlikely for all process parameters to have extreme values at the same time. Additionally, the number of process corners grows exponentially as the number of process variations increases. Recently, statistical STA (SSTA) has been proposed as a potential alternative to consider process variations for timing verification. In contrast to static timing analysis, SSTA represents gate delays and interconnect delays as probability distributions, and provides the distribution (or statistical moments) of each timing
AN EXAMINATION OF WHETHER AND HOW RACIAL AND GENDER BIASES INFLUENCE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

We examined whether and how various biases may influence customers’ satisfaction evaluations and produce discriminatory judgments for minority and female service employees. We argue that customer satisfaction evaluations are biased because they are anonymous judgments by untrained raters that usually lack an evaluation standard. Laboratory and field samples provide disturbing evidence generally confirming our arguments and suggesting that the presence of nonwhite and women service employees may produce lower aggregated customer satisfaction evaluations that may ultimately hurt individuals and organizations financially.
TFII‐I down‐regulates a subset of estrogen‐responsive genes through its interaction with an initiator element and estrogen receptor α

TFII‐I was initially identified as the general transcription factor that binds to initiator (Inr) elements in vitro. Subsequent studies have shown that TFII‐I activates transcription of various genes either through Inr elements or through other upstream elements in vivo. Since, however, most studies so far on TFII‐I have been limited to over‐expression and reporter gene assays, we reevaluated the role of TFII‐I in vivo by using stable knockdown with siRNA and by examining the expression of endogenous genes. Contrary to the widely accepted view, here we show that TFII‐I is not important for cell viability in general but rather inhibits the growth of MCF‐7 human breast cancer cells. MCF‐7 cells are known to proliferate in an estrogen‐dependent manner. Through analysis of TFII‐I's cell‐type specific growth inhibitory effect, we show evidence that TFII‐I down‐regulates a subset of estrogen‐responsive genes, only those containing Inr elements, by recruiting estrogen receptor (ER) α and corepressors to these promoters. Thus, this study has revealed an unexpected new role of TFII‐I as a negative regulator of transcription and cell proliferation