Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Differing Roles of Inflammation and Antigen in T Cell Proliferation and Memory Generation1

Recent studies have demonstrated that viral and bacterial infections can induce dramatic in vivo expansion of Ag-specific T lymphocytes. Although presentation of Ag is critical for activation of naive T cells, it is less clear how dependent subsequent in vivo T cell proliferation and memory generation are upon Ag. We investigated T cell expansion and memory generation in mice infected alternately with strains of Listeria monocytogenes that contained or lacked an immunodominant, MHC class I-restricted T cell epitope. We found substantial differences in the responses of effector and memory T cells to inflammatory stimuli. Although effector T cells undergo in vivo expansion in response to bacterial infection in the absence of Ag, memory T cells show no evidence for such bystander activation. However, Ag-independent expansion of effector T cells does not result in increased memory T cell frequencies, indicating that Ag presentation is critical for effective memory T cell generation. Early reinfection of mice with L. monocytogenes before the maximal primary T cell response induces typical memory expansion, suggesting that the capacity for a memory T cell response exists within the primary effector population. Our findings demonstrate that T cell effector proliferation and memory generation are temporally overlapping processes with differing requirements for Ag.
HKT1 Mediates Sodium Uniport in Roots. Pitfalls in the Expression of HKT1 in Yeast1

The function of HKT1 in roots is controversial. We tackled this controversy by studying Na+ uptake in barley (Hordeum vulgare) roots, cloning the HvHKT1 gene, and expressing the HvHKT1 cDNA in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) cells. High-affinity Na+ uptake was not detected in plants growing at high K+ but appeared soon after exposing the plants to a K+-free medium. It was a uniport, insensitive to external K+ at the beginning of K+ starvation and inhibitable by K+ several hours later. The expression of HvHKT1 in yeast was Na+ (or K+) uniport, Na+-K+ symport, or a mix of both, depending on the construct from which the transporter was expressed. The Na+ uniport function was insensitive to external K+ and mimicked the Na+ uptake carried out by the roots at the beginning of K+ starvation. The K+ uniport function only took place in yeast cells that were completely K+ starved and disappeared when internal K+ increased, which makes it unlikely that HvHKT1 mediates K+ uptake in roots. Mutation of the first in-frame AUG codon of HvHKT1 to CUC changed the uniport function into symport. The expression of the symport from either mutants or constructs keeping the first in-frame AUG took place only in K+-starved cells, while the uniport was expressed in all conditions. We discuss here that the symport occurs only in heterologous expression. It is most likely related to the K+ inhibitable Na+ uptake process of roots that heterologous systems fail to reproduce.
Macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1 is increased in individuals before type 2 diabetes diagnosis but is not an independent predictor of type 2 diabetes: the Whitehall II study.

OBJECTIVE Macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1 (MIC-1) belongs to the transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta superfamily, and has been reported to be involved in energy homoeostasis and weight loss and to have anti-inflammatory properties. We hypothesized that decreased concentrations of MIC-1 would be associated with higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. DESIGN AND METHODS We designed a nested case-control study within the Whitehall II cohort and measured serum concentrations of MIC-1 by ELISA in 180 individuals without type 2 diabetes at baseline who developed type 2 diabetes during the follow-up period of 11.5+/-3.0 years and in 372 controls frequency-matched for age, sex, and body mass index with normal glucose tolerance throughout the study. RESULTS MIC-1 concentrations at baseline were higher in cases (median (25/75th percentiles) 537.1 (452.7-677.4) pg/ml) than in controls (499.7 (413.8-615.4) pg/ml; P=0.0044). In the age- and sex-adjusted model, a 1-S.D. increase in MIC-1 (206.0 pg/ml) was associated with an odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of 1.21 (0.997; 1.46; P=0.054) for type 2 diabetes. Adjustment for waist circumference, cardiovascular risk factors, socioeconomic status, proinflammatory mediators, and glycemia abolished the association. CONCLUSIONS Baseline MIC-1 concentrations were increased, not decreased, in individuals before type 2 diabetes manifestation, but not independently associated with incident type 2 diabetes in multivariable analyses. This upregulation of MIC-1 could be part of an anti-inflammatory response preceding the onset of type 2 diabetes, which has been described before for interleukin-1 receptor antagonist and TGF-beta1.
Randomized trial of treatment with cisplatin and interleukin-2 either alone or in combination with interferon-alpha-2a in patients with metastatic melanoma: a Federation Nationale des Centres de Lutte Contre le Cancer Multicenter, parallel study.

BACKGROUND The objective of the current study was to evaluate the response rate, survival, and toxicity of treatment with cisplatin and high dose intravenous continuous infusion interleukin-2 (IL-2) with or without interferon-alpha-2a (IFN) in patients with metastatic melanoma. METHODS One hundred and seventeen patients with metastatic melanoma randomly were assigned to receive cisplatin, 100 mg/m2, followed after a 3-day rest period by IL-2, 18 x 10(6) IU/m2, on Days 3-6 and Days 17-21 (Arm 1) or cisplatin and IL-2 using an identical schedule plus subcutaneous IFN, 9 x 10(6) U, 3 times a week during IL-2 administration (Arm 2). In the absence of disease progression or undue toxicity, the cycle could be repeated on Day 29. Patients who responded after two cycles eventually could receive a third cycle. One hundred and one patients were evaluable for toxicity and efficacy. RESULTS On treatment Arm 1, 3 patients (6%) achieved a complete response (CR) and 5 patients (10%) achieved a partial response (PR) with a median response duration of 3.8 months for the CRs and 8.7 months for the PRs. On treatment Arm 2, 2 patients (3%) achieved a CR (durations of 5.9 and 33.1 months, respectively) and 11 patients (21%) a PR with a median response duration of 8.3 months. The median durations of overall survival were 10.4 months (range, 1.1-39.7+ months) and 10.9 months (range, 0.5-38.1+ months) for treatment Arms 1 and 2, respectively. The toxicity profile was consistent with the known side effects of this IL-2 intravenous regimen combined with cisplatin chemotherapy and IFN. Toxicity was more pronounced in treatment Arm 2 compared with treatment Arm 1. There were 2 and 4 patients, respectively, in treatment Arms 1 and 2 who died within 28 days after completion of treatment. CONCLUSIONS The observed overall response rates of 16% and 25% in treatment Arms 1 and 2, respectively, is lower than that expected with biochemotherapy; despite the fact that the objective of the trial was not to show any difference between the 2 treatment arms, our results indicate that the addition of IFN, at the dose and schedule used in this trial, fails to improve the activity of a cisplatin/IL-2 regimen significantly in patients with metastatic melanoma. Although response rates were relatively low, the median overall survival was nearly 1 year in both groups.
Full-thickness skin grafts from flaky skin mice to nude mice: maintenance of the psoriasiform phenotype.

Flaky skin (fsn) is an autosomal recessive mouse mutation with papulosquamous disease features similar to human psoriasis. In fsn/fsn skin, one sees marked acanthosis and hyperkeratosis with focal parakeratosis, subcorneal pustules, dermal capillary dilation, and a marked diffuse dermal infiltration of mixed inflammatory cells, predominantly lymphocytes. To determine if these pathologic features are a characteristic of the skin or a chronic autoimmune attack, we placed full-thickness skin grafts from affected homozygous (fsn/fsn) and normal littermate control (+/? ) mice on the dorsal skin of genetically athymic nude (nu/nu) mice. After 10 weeks of observation, the grafts maintained the histologic phenotype of the donor animal. In the fsn/fsn grafts, there was persistence of both epidermal proliferation and dermal inflammation, characteristics of the mutation. The fsn/fsn phenotype was also confirmed by immunohistochemical evaluation for specific mouse keratinocyte marker expression. Based on tritiated thymidine uptake, we found DNA synthesis rates elevated threefold or more in fsn/fsn epidermis compared to littermate control mouse skin. Elevated rates of DNA synthesis remained a feature of the fsn/fsn grafts but not that of littermate control skin grafts. This study demonstrates that the psoriasiform phenotype of this mouse mutation can persist independent of the host thymic-derived immune system.
Frontal lobotomy and electrical stimulation of orbital surface of frontal lobes; effect on respiration and on blood pressure in man.

ONE OF the problems in physiology has been the identification of areas in the cerebral cortex which modify activity of the autonomic nervous system. In view of the striking changes which take place in autonomic activity as a result of emotion, it is logical to assume that such areas are present. As a result of experimental work on animals and clinical observations on man, at present there appear to be four areas of the cerebral cortex which play a role in the regulation of autonomic activity. They are the motor areas 4 and 6, the anterior part of the cingulate gyrus (area 24), area 8 of the frontal lobe and the orbital surface of the frontal lobe. 1 Lesions of areas 4 and 6 of the cerebral cortex in monkeys and in man are associated with an alteration in vasomotor activity. 2 By electrical stimulation of the motor cortex of
Increases in plasma motilin follow each episode of gallbladder emptying during the interdigestive period, and changes in serum bile acid concentration correlate to plasma motilin.

BACKGROUND The relationship between each single period of gallbladder emptying during the migrating motor complex (MMC) cycle and changes in concentration of plasma motilin and serum bile acids is unknown. METHODS The variations in the concentration of plasma motilin and serum bile acids in relation to interdigestive gallbladder motility and the MMCs was studied in nine healthy male volunteers. A method combining biliary scintigraphy (99mTc-labelled dimethyl-iminodiacetic acid) and continuous pressure recording from the antroduodenal region was used. RESULTS During 9 MMC cycles a total of 15 episodes of gallbladder emptying were observed with a median (range) duration of 25 min (15-45 min). Each episode of gallbladder emptying was followed by a steep increase in plasma motilin, reaching a median value of 30 pmol/l (13-43 pmol/l), corresponding to an increase of 18 pmol/l (4-33 pmol/l). The increase in plasma motilin started at the beginning of gallbladder emptying, but the peak value was not reached until a median of 20 min (10-45 min) later. Low plasma motilin concentrations were found between the emptying periods in cases with two or more emptying during the MMC cycle. The serum concentration of bile acids also showed a cyclic variation in relation to gallbladder motility. During periods of gallbladder emptying serum bile acid concentration had a median value of 1.78 mumol/l, as compared with a median value of 1.17 mumol/l during periods of gallbladder filling. This difference did not reach significance, however. In the pooled data from all subjects, a significant correlation (p < 0.01) between the serum concentration of bile acids and plasma concentration of motilin was found. CONCLUSION Gallbladder emptying was followed by a steep increase in plasma motilin concentration, and in cases of two or more emptying periods during the MMC cycle the concentration decreased in between. The shape of the serum bile acid profile is dependent on the intestinal transport and absorption of bile acids, and the significance of the cyclic variation in serum concentration of bile acids in relation to plasma motilin, gallbladder motility, and MMC needs further investigation.
Time Domain Analysis of Grounding Electrodes' Impulse Response

Lightning protection studies require estimation of grounding systems' dynamic behavior. This paper presents the results of a new methodology for calculating the lightning response of the basic component of any grounding system, the grounding electrode. Lightning strike is modeled using a double exponential time function. Closed-form mathematical formulae are used to describe current and voltage distribution along the electrode. The effect of soil ionization can be also taken into account. The proposed methodology is validated by comparison of the obtained results with experimental and simulated waveforms found in literature.
Can low dose of propofol effectively suppress fentanyl-induced cough during induction of anaesthesia? A double blind randomized controlled trial

Background and Aims: Fentanyl-induced cough (FIC) is often seen after intravenous (IV) administration of fentanyl during the induction of general anesthesia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of low dose of propofol in suppressing of FIC during induction of anesthesia. Material and Methods: In a prospective double-blind randomized controlled trial, a total of 240 patients, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status Class I and II, scheduled for elective surgery were randomly assigned into two equally sized groups (n = 120). Patients in Group A received low dose of propofol (10 mg) and patients in Group B received the same volume of normal saline (control group). Two minutes later, all patients were given fentanyl (2 μg/kg) over 2 s through the peripheral IV line in the forearm. The vital sign profiles and frequency and intensity of cough were recorded within 2 min after fentanyl bolus by a nurse blinded to study design. Data were analyzed using independent t-test, paired t-test and Chi-square test. Results: The incidences of FIC were 9.2% and 40.8% in Group A (propofol) and Group B (placebo) respectively (P = 0.04). Furthermore, there was a significant difference in the intensity of cough between Groups A and B (P < 0.0001). The hemodynamic value (systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, mean arterial pressure and saturation of oxygen) were similar, and there was no significant difference between two groups in the baseline value or after propofol or placebo injection.
Transvaginal Color Doppler Imaging in the Detection of Ovarian Cancer in a Large Study Population

Introduction: The aim of the study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of grayscale sonography and that of color Doppler imaging in the diagnosis of ovarian malignancy in a prospective study by the Sardinia-Navarra group. Methods: The study was performed as a collaborative work at the 2 European university departments of obstetrics and gynecology between 1997 and 2007. A total of 2148 pelvic masses in 1997 women on whom transvaginal sonography were performed before surgical exploration were included in the study. An adnexal mass was first studied in grayscale sonography, and any cystic mass in which the echo architecture was not suggestive of benign tumor was categorized as malignant. Second, any solid excrescences or solid portions of the tumor were evaluated with color/power Doppler sonography. A mass was graded malignant if flow was shown within the excrescences or the solid areas and benign if there was no flow or if flow was only peripheral. Results: Four hundred sixty-eight masses were malignant. Color Doppler evaluation was more accurate in the diagnosis of adnexal malignancies in comparison with grayscale sonography because of a significantly higher specificity (94% vs 89%, P = 0.001), with similar sensitivity (95% vs 98%, P = 0.44). The pretest probability of ovarian cancer was 22%, and this probability rose to 82% when the diagnosis was suggested by color Doppler evaluation. The diagnostic accuracy of the tests was also dependent on menopausal status. Conclusions: The evaluation of vessel distribution by color Doppler sonography in adnexal masses increases the diagnostic accuracy of grayscale sonography in the detection of adnexal malignancies in a large study population.
Resistivity and induced polarization monitoring of biogas combined with microbial ecology at a brownfield site

AbstractThe accumulation of biogenic greenhouse gases (methane, carbon dioxide) in organic sediments is an important factor in the redevelopment and risk management of many brownfield sites. Good practice with brownfield site characterization requires the identification of free-gas phases and pathways that allow its migration and release at the ground surface. Gas pockets trapped in the subsurface have contrasting properties with the surrounding porous media that favor their detection using geophysical methods. We have developed a case study in which pockets of gas were intercepted with multilevel monitoring wells, and their lateral continuity was monitored over time using resistivity. We have developed a novel interpretation procedure based on Archie’s law to evaluate changes in water and gas content with respect to a mean background medium. We have used induced polarization data to account for errors in applying Archie’s law due to the contribution of surface conductivity effects. Mosaics defined by cha.
Availability and utilization of opioids for pain management: global issues.

BACKGROUND Pain can significantly influence an individual's health status and can have serious negative consequences: poor nutrition, decreased appetite, abnormal sleep patterns, fatigue, and impairment of daily living activities. Pain can cause psychological impairment and decrease healing and recovery from injuries and illness. A hallmark of many chronic conditions, pain affects more patients' lives than diabetes mellitus, heart disease, and cancer combined. However, many chronic sufferers do not have access to effective pain management for a variety of reasons, including limited access, restrictions, and personal and cultural biases. METHODS This review summarizes issues of access, distribution, and cultural bias with regard to opioid agents and seeks to clarify the challenges related to opioid delivery. The considerable negative physical and mental consequences of chronic pain are discussed for the general and palliative care population. RESULTS Opioids are an effective treatment for various intractable painful conditions, but problems in global opioid access for safe and rational use in pain management contribute to unnecessary suffering. These problems persist despite increased understanding in recent years of the pathophysiology of pain. CONCLUSIONS Comprehensive guidelines for goal-directed and patient-friendly chronic opiate therapy will potentially enhance the outlook for future chronic pain management. The improvement of pain education in undergraduate and postgraduate training will benefit patients and clinicians. The promise of new medications, along with the utilization of multimodal approaches, has the potential to provide effective pain relief to future generations of sufferers.
Cross-Range Scaling Algorithm for ISAR Images Using 2-D Fourier Transform and Polar Mapping

This paper proposes a new method that solves the problem of inverse synthetic aperture radar image cross-range scaling by estimating the rotational velocity (RV) using the expansion-rotation-scale relationship between two range-Doppler (RD) images. This method is composed of three steps. The first step is preprocessing to construct 2-D Fourier transform images and initial polar-mapped images. In this step, two RD images are 2-D Fourier transformed to avoid the necessity of finding the rotation center; then, the transformed images are polar mapped with identical polar grids to convert rotation into translation in the θ-direction only. The second step is a coarse search that finds the angular shift that provides the maximum correlation between two polar images. The angular shift found is used as the initial relative rotation angle (RA), and the initial relative scaling factor (RSF) is calculated using the RV which is equal to the angular shift divided by the time delay between the images. The third step is the optimization of the relative RA using the Nelder-Mead approach, with the RSF updated using the relative RA derived during each iteration. In simulations using a Mig-25 aircraft, composed of ideal point scatterers, and the measured data from a Boeing 747-400, the targets were properly rescaled in the range-cross-range domain due to the accurate estimation of the RV.
A compact planar ultra-wideband bandpass filter based on Multiple Resonant and defected ground Structure

A compact bandpass filter having an ultra wide pass band (UWB − 3.1 to 10.6 GHz) is proposed. It is based on hybrid microstrip coplanar waveguide (dual sided metal) structure. A Multiple Resonant Structure (MRS) is constructed using coplanar waveguide (CPW) planar transmission line. The MRS makes the resonance using quarter wavelength and half wavelength open ended CPW. The equispaced three resonances at lower edge (3.1 GHz), center (6.85 GHz) and higher edge (10.6 GHz) of the whole Ultra Wide Band are achieved using CPW MRS. To make the band as flat as possible, two more resonances are introduced using quarter wavelength microstrip patches on top of commonly shared substrate, so the proposed filter becomes a five pole bandpass filter. A dumb-bell shaped defected ground structure on either side of CPW MRS improves the return loss almost less than −20 dB over the whole UWB passband. The simulated results of proposed filter shows good transmission response within passband and good rejection in out of band. The measured results agree well with the simulated ones.
A mixture model of discontinuous development in heavy drinking from ages 18 to 30: the role of college enrollment.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to illustrate the use of latent class analysis to examine change in behavior over time. Patterns of heavy drinking from ages 18 to 30 were explored in a national sample; the relationship between college enrollment and pathways of heavy drinking, particularly those leading to adult heavy drinking, was explored. METHOD Latent class analysis for repeated measures is used to estimate common pathways through a stage-sequential process. Common patterns of development in a categorical variable (presence or absence of heavy drinking) are estimated and college enrollment is a grouping variable. Data were from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (N=1,265). RESULTS Eight patterns of heavy drinking were identified: no heavy drinking (53.7%); young adulthood only (3.7%); young adulthood and adulthood (3.7%); college age only (2.6%); college age, young adulthood, and adulthood (8.7%); high school and college age (4.4%); high school, college age, and young adulthood (6.3%); and persistent heavy drinking (16.9%). CONCLUSIONS We found no evidence that prevalence of heavy drinking for those enrolled in college exceeds the prevalence for those not enrolled at any of the four developmental periods studied. In fact, there is some evidence that being enrolled in college appears to be a protective factor for young adult and adult heavy drinking. College-enrolled individuals more often show a pattern characterized by heavy drinking during college ages only, with no heavy drinking prior to and after the college years, whereas nonenrolled individuals not drinking heavily during high school or college ages are at increased risk for adult heavy drinking.