Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Phospholamban Ablation Rescues Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+ Handling but Exacerbates Cardiac Dysfunction in CaMKII&dgr;C Transgenic Mice

Rationale: We previously showed that transgenic mice expressing Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II &dgr;C (CaMKII-TG) develop dilated cardiomyopathy associated with increased ryanodine receptors (RyR2) phosphorylation, enhanced sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ leak and lowering of SR Ca2+ load. We hypothesized that phospholamban (PLN) ablation would restore SR Ca2+ load and prevent the decreased ventricular contractility, dilation and mortality seen in CaMKII-TG. Objective: Our objectives were to generate CaMKII-TG mice lacking PLN, determine whether the maladaptive effects of cardiac CaMKII&dgr;C expression were corrected, and establish the mechanistic basis for these changes. Methods and Results: CaMKII-TG were crossed with PLN knockout (PLN-KO) mice to generate KO/TG mice. Myocytes from wild type (WT), CaMKII-TG, PLN-KO and KO/TG were compared. The decreased SR Ca2+ load and twitch Ca2+ transients seen in CaMKII-TG were normalized in KO/TG. Surprisingly the heart failure phenotype was exacerbated, as indicated by increased left ventricular dilation, decreased ventricular function, increased apoptosis and greater mortality. In KO/TG myocytes SR Ca2+ sparks and leak were significantly increased, presumably because of the combined effects of restored SR Ca2+ load and RyR2 phosphorylation. Mitochondrial Ca2+ loading was increased in cardiomyocytes from KO/TG versus WT or CaMKII-TG mice and this was dependent on elevated SR Ca2+ sparks. Cardiomyocytes from KO/TG showed poor viability, improved by inhibiting SR Ca2+ release and mitochondrial Ca2+ loading. Conclusions: Normalizing cardiomyocyte SR Ca2+ loading in the face of elevated CaMKII and RyR2 phosphorylation leads to enhanced SR Ca2+ leak and mitochondrial Ca2+ elevation, associated with exacerbated cell death, heart failure and mortality.
Développement d'une technique de radiothérapie stéréotaxique des cancers de la prostate reposant sur deux concepts différents de préservation de la paroi rectale

Le present travail de these decrit le developpement d'un protocole d'irradiation stereotaxique combinee a une radiotherapie conformationnelle avec modulation d'intensite. Ce projet a ete initiee dans le service de radiotherapie-oncologie du Centre Hospitalier Lyon Sud. La premiere partie de ce travail fait etat d'une revue de litterature sur les techniques d'irradiation du cancer de la prostate. Trois grands themes de recherche ont ete identifies et developpes : un premier these de recherche portant sur la definition optimale des volumes a irradier lors d'une irradiation stereotaxique de la prostate et la fiabilite d'uin reperage de l'oragane par des marqueurs intra-prostatiques. La deuxieme thematique de recherche etait dediee a la planification du traitement stereotaxique de la prostate avec pour principal objectif une protection optimale de la paroi rectale avec deux approches differentes : a) une augmentation focalisee de la dose d'irradiation uniquement sur la tumeur macroscopiquement visible, ou b) l'utilisation d'un gel injecte entre la paroi du rectum et la prostate. Le nombre optimal de faisceaux a utiliser ainsi que l'energie la mieux adaptee ont ete evalues dans le cadre de la premiere approche avec uin boost integre. La trosieme thematique portait sur les controles qualite a realiser dans le cadre de la mise en route de cette technique d'irradiation. Trois detecteur dedies aux controles de la distribution de dose sous l'accelarateur ont ete evalues. L'ensemble de ces travaux serviront de supports a la realisation d'une etude de phase II integrant une irradiation stereotaxique des cancers de la prostate avec injection de gel d'acide hyaluronique entre le rectum et la prostate
Effects of Focus of Attention and Type of Practice on Learning and Self-Efficacy in Dart Throwing

The present investigation studied the effect of focus of attention and type of practice on self-efficacy and learning during a demonstration of the dart-throwing skill. 48 university students (M = 22.5 yr., SD = 3.6) without any experience of dart throwing were divided into four groups according to the type of practice (physical and observational) and focus of attention (internal and external) and practiced a dart-throwing task. Self-efficacy in dart throwing was measured at the pre-test, acquisition, and transfer phases. The internal-focus group concentrated on their limb function, whereas the external-focus group concentrated on the darts and the target during the demonstration. Observational groups only watched during the acquisition phase, then performed the task in the retention and transfer phases. There was a main effect of focus of attention in the retention and transfer phases after controlling self-efficacy, with external focus groups showing higher performance than internal focus groups. External focus of attention could facilitate the acquisition of a motor skill during observation and may build and/or be supported by self-efficacy.
Aerobic and anaerobic bacteriology of concurrent chronic otitis media with effusion and chronic sinusitis in children.

OBJECTIVE To correlate the aerobic and anaerobic microbiologic findings of concurrent chronic otitis media with effusion and chronic maxillary sinusitis. METHODS Cultures were obtained from 32 children with concurrent chronic otitis media with effusion and maxillary sinusitis who underwent tympanostomy tube placement. RESULTS A total of 42 isolates, 24 aerobic and 18 anaerobic, were recovered from 30 patients; 27 were isolated from both sites, 4 from the ear only, and 11 from the sinus only. The most common isolates were Haemophilus influenzae (9 isolates), Streptococcus pneumoniae (n = 7), Prevotella species (n = 8), and Peptostreptococcus species (n = 6). Microbiological concordance between the ear and sinus was found in 22 (69%) of culture-positive patients. CONCLUSION The concordance in recovery of organisms in more than two thirds of the patients illustrates the common bacterial etiology between chronic otitis media with effusion and chronic sinusitis in children.
On the security of an enhanced novel access control protocol for wireless sensor networks

New node deployment is inevitable in a wireless sensor network because nodes in the network may be lost, exhausted, or destroyed. To secure the new node deployment process, Kim and Lee (2009) proposed an enhanced novel access control protocol (ENACP) using the elliptic curve cryptography and the hash chain. We identified an inherent flaw in their design and demonstrated that ENACP is vulnerable to a new node masquerading attack and a legal node masquerading attack, in violation of their security claims. We hope that by identifying this design flaw, similar structural mistakes can be avoided in future designs.
ANTIBODY OF BLOOD-GROUP SPECIFICITY IN SIMPLE (“COLD”) HAEMOLYTIC ANAEMIAS

Two cases of “cold” (simple) haemolytic anaemia are described. The serological investigation showed conclusively that the sera of both patients contained an anti-I antibody and that their cells were I positive. The antibody found is thus a true auto-antibody. This is in keeping with the findings obtained previously in the “warm” (hyperimmune) type of haemolytic anaemia.
¹H-NMR fingerprinting of Vaccinium vitis-idaea flavonol glycosides.

INTRODUCTION The fruits of Vaccinium vitis-idaea L. are a valuable source of biologically active flavonoid derivatives. For studies focused on the purification of its quercetin glycosides (QGs) and related glycosides from plants and for the purpose of biological studies, the availability of numeric datasets from computer-assisted ¹H iterative full spin analysis (HiFSA), that is, ¹H-NMR fingerprinting, can replace and assist the repetitive and tedious two-dimensional NMR identification protocol required for both known and new compounds, respectively. OBJECTIVE To fully interpret the complex ¹H-NMR fingerprints of eight QGs obtained from the berries of V. vitis-idaea and provide complete and unambiguous signal assignments. METHODS Vaccinium vitis-idaea QGs were purified in a single run by long-bed gel permeation chromatography and identified by comparison with commercially available compounds using LC-MS combining ion-trap and time-of-flight detection and one- or two-dimensional NMR. The HiFSA analysis yielded full sets of ¹H chemical shifts and proton-proton coupling constants, allowing for field-independent spectral simulation. RESULTS Signal assignments were achieved for the reference standards and the QGs that dominated in purified fractions. However, even mixtures of two to three QGs could be fitted using the HiFSA approach. In the case of the overlapped sugar resonances, the initial fitting of the ¹H spectra of reference compounds, together with values extracted from the two-dimensional NMR data and literature data, assisted in the process. CONCLUSION The HiFSA method revealed for the first time the presence of Q-3-O-β-glucopyranoside and Q-3-O-β-glucuronopyranoside in the berries of V. vitis-idaea, and unambiguously confirmed the structures of Q-3-O-[4″-(3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaroyl)]-α-rhamnopyranoside, Q-3-O-α-rhamnopyranoside, Q-3-O-β-galactopyranoside, Q-3-O-α-arabinofuranoside, Q-3-O-β-xylopyranoside and Q-3-O-α-arabinopyranoside.
The Magic Number 4 ± 0: A New Look at Visual Numerosity Judgements

Visual numerosity judgements were made for tachistoscopically presented linear arrays of dots or lines. The interelement interval (which could be specified in spatial frequency terms) was constant for a given array but varied across conditions. A clear limit in the accuracy of numerosity judgements was found to be set at 4 for regularly spaced elements with spatial frequencies below approximately 10 cycles/deg (element and interelement interval of 0·05 deg). This limit in terms of accuracy is accompanied by a fast and almost constant response time for arrays of 4 or less, compared to response times for arrays of more than 4 elements. The limit in accuracy falls to 2 elements rather than 4 for spacing narrower than 0·05 deg although with such spacing the elements are still easily resolved. The limit of 4 is found if the stimulus is a bright afterimage, lasting for approximately 60 s. This result suggests that the limit is independent of the time allowed for a single fixation and is a perceptual limit rather than a limit in some memory buffer. ‘Numerosity’ units are proposed to account for the results.
Isolation of a mycoplasma from sarcoid tissue

Using a modified cell-free culture medium, a mycoplasma was isolated from sarcoid lymph nodes in two cases and from sarcoid skin lesions in four out of seven cases of chronic sarcoidosis. Growth inhibition tests showed that the isolates were related to Mycoplasma orale type 1. By the indirect haemagglutination method, 244 cases of definite or probable sarcoidosis, 160 patients with other diseases, and 355 blood donors were tested for antibodies against an isolated mycoplasma (strain 215-M). Titres [unk] 16 were found in 14% of the patients with sarcoidosis and in 8% of the patients with other diseases but only in 0·6% of the blood donors. The proportion of patients with high antibody titres among those with sarcoidosis and erythema nodosum was smaller (8%) than among those with other forms of sarcoidosis (17%). The role of the mycoplasmas isolated from sarcoid tissues remains obscure, but it is possible that these organisms are only an expression of altered immunity in sarcoidosis.
Chemerin Regulates Crosstalk Between Adipocytes and Vascular Cells Through Nox

Adipocytes produce adipokines, including chemerin, a chemoattractant that mediates effects through its ChemR23 receptor. Chemerin has been linked to endothelial dysfunction and vascular injury in pathological conditions, such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. Molecular mechanisms underlying this are elusive. Here we assessed whether chemerin through redox-sensitive signaling influences molecular processes associated with vascular growth, apoptosis, and inflammation. Human microvascular endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells were stimulated with chemerin (50 ng/mL). Chemerin increased generation of reactive oxygen species and phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases, effects that were inhibited by ML171, GKT137831 (Nox inhibitors), and N-acetylcysteine (reactive oxygen species scavenger). Chemerin increased mRNA expression of proinflammatory mediators in vascular cells and increased monocyte-to-endothelial cell attachment. In human vascular smooth muscle cells, chemerin induced phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases and stimulated proliferation (increased proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression [proliferation marker] and BrdU incorporation [proliferation assay]). Chemerin decreased phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B activation and increased TUNEL-positive human vascular smooth muscle cells. In human microvascular endothelial cells, chemerin reduced endothelial nitric oxide synthase activity and nitric oxide production. Adipocyte-conditioned medium from obese/diabetic mice (db/db), which have elevated chemerin levels, increased reactive oxygen species generation in vascular smooth muscle cells, whereas adipocyte-conditioned medium from control mice had no effect. Chemerin actions were blocked by CCX 832, a ChemR23 inhibitor. Our data demonstrate that chemerin, through Nox activation and redox-sensitive mitogen-activated protein kinases signaling, exerts proapoptotic, proinflammatory, and proliferative effects in human vascular cells. These findings elucidate some molecular mechanisms through chemerin, which is increased in obesity, whereby adipocytes may influence vascular function. We identify chemerin as a novel vasoactive adipokine, which may be important in obesity-related vascular injury.
Enhancing Source Camera Identification Based on Multiplicative Denoising Filter

Photo-response non-uniformity (PRNU) noise has been recognized as a unique fingerprint of digital cameras. However, how to extract precise PRNU noise from a given image is a main challenge. Previous literatures assume PRNU noise is a white Gaussian noise (WGN) and extracted by an additive denoising filter (ADF). However, experiments have demonstrated that the PRNU noise is a multiplicative noise. In this paper, an approach is proposed to extract more accurate PRNU noise through multiplicative denoising filter (MDF). Specifically, PRNU noise is modeled as a WGN multiplied by image content and extracted by proposed MDF based on linear minimum mean squared error (LMMSE) estimation. Experimental results demonstrate the proposed method outperforms, or at least performs comparably to, the state-of-the-art methods.
Increasing the quantum UNSAT penalty of the circuit-to-Hamiltonian construction

The Feynman-Kitaev Hamiltonian used in the proof of QMA-completeness of the local Hamiltonian problem has a ground state energy which scales as $\Omega((1-\sqrt{\epsilon}) T^{-3})$ when it is applied to a circuit of size $T$ and maximum acceptance probability $\epsilon$. We refer to this quantity as the quantum UNSAT penalty, and using a modified form of the Feynman Hamiltonian with a non-uniform history state as its ground state we improve its scaling to $\Omega((1-\sqrt{\epsilon})T^{-2})$, without increasing the number of local terms or their operator norms. As part of the proof we show how to construct a circuit Hamiltonian for any desired probability distribution on the time steps of the quantum circuit (which, for example, can be used to increase the probability of measuring a history state in the final step of the computation). Next we show a tight $\mathcal{O}(T^{-2})$ upper bound on the product of the spectral gap and ground state overlap with the endpoints of the computation for any clock Hamiltonian that is tridiagonal in the time register basis, which shows that the scaling of the quantum UNSAT penalty achieved by our construction cannot be further improved within this framework. Our proof of the upper bound applies a quantum-to-classical mapping for arbitrary tridiagonal Hermitian matrices combined with a sharp bound on the spectral gap of birth-and-death Markov chains. In the context of universal adiabatic computation we show how to reduce the number of qubits required to represent the clock by a constant factor over the standard construction, but show that it is otherwise already optimal in the sense we consider and cannot be further improved with tridiagonal clock Hamiltonians, which agrees with a similar upper bound from a previous study.
Nonlinear evolution of the electron two‐stream instability: Two‐dimensional particle simulations

[1] We studied nonlinear evolution of the electron two-stream instability in a two-dimensional system. Electron two-stream and bump-on-tail instabilities are considered to be the most probable generation mechanisms for electrostatic solitary waves and electron holes observed in various regions of the Earth's magnetosphere. We performed two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations for various sets of electron cyclotron frequencies and initial electron thermal velocities. We found that the nonlinear evolution falls into four groups. When the electron cyclotron frequency is smaller than the bounce frequency of electrons trapped by electron holes, the electron holes become unstable as reported in previous simulations. When the electron cyclotron frequency is larger than the bounce frequency, the stability of electron holes is controlled by their amplitude. In the case of the cold two-stream instability where the potential energy of excited electrostatic waves becomes larger than the thermal energy of background electrons, electron holes decay into electrostatic whistler waves. In another case, the two-stream instability develops to form electron holes in runs with high initial electron thermal velocities. When the electron cyclotron frequency is much larger than the electron bounce frequency, we found the formation of stable one-dimensional electron holes through coalescence. When the electron cyclotron frequency is smaller than twice the bounce frequency, we found formation of two-dimensional electron holes isolated in both directions parallel and perpendicular to the ambient magnetic field.
Mitochondria‐derived oxidative stress induces a heat shock protein response

In addition to minimizing native and non‐native protein aggregations, heat shock proteins (HSPs) regulate programmed cell death pathways. Members of this conserved protein family are in general activated by oxidative stress, and likely help maintain viability under this stress condition. To further our understanding of heat shock protein physiology, we studied whether a specific subtype of oxidative stress, namely that arising from mitochondrial electron transport chain inhibition, induced a heat shock protein response. We exposed human teratocarcinoma (NT2) cells to varying concentrations of the cytochrome oxidase inhibitor sodium azide. Micromolar exposures resulted in a cytoplasm to nucleus translocation of the inducible Hsp70 and of Hsp40, and this was followed by an overall upregulation. The response did not coincide temporally with the onset of azide exposure, but rather was activated when the degree of cytochrome oxidase inhibition (which was progressive over time) surpassed a threshold. Azide did not affect either Hsp70 or Hsp40 dynamics in NT2 ρ0 cells, which lack functional electron transport chains. For the azide‐exposed native cell line, addition of the antioxidant trolox to the medium abrogated both Hsp70/Hsp40 translocation and upregulation. We conclude that mitochondrial electron transport chain dysfunction activates a heat shock protein response, and that this response is mediated by oxidative stress. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Vertebral Body Stenting System for the Treatment of Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fracture: Follow-up at 12 Months in 20 Cases

We describe our preliminary experience with the vertebral body stenting system (VBS) for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral fracture or traumatic vertebral fracture showing our clinical results at 12 months follow-up. Twenty patients (16 women, four men, mean age 71 years): four with traumatic vertebral fracture (Magerl A1 fractures) and 16 with osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (VCFs) resistant to conservative therapy, were treated by vertebral body stenting system (VBS) as follows: two at level T11, four at T12, one at L1, two at L2, five at L3 and six at L4. All patients were studied by MR (protocol: sagittal T1W, T2W and T2 STIR) and MDCT with MPR reconstructions. All procedures were performed under local anesthesia with fluoroscopy guidance and a bipeduncular approach. VBS, a new system of implantation of endovertebral stent used as an alternative to conventional vertebroplasty (VP), was implanted in all patients to restore the loss of height in the fractured vertebral body. A clinical and x-ray follow-up was performed at six and 12 months evaluating the result by VAS and ODS scale. New vertebral fractures at a distant level were observed in two cases and treated by VP. VBS was successful and led to an excellent outcome in all patients with clinical improvement stable at six months and one year follow-up. The height in the fractured vertebral body was increased in 12 of the 20 VCFs by an average of 1.5 mm. No vascular, extraforaminal or epidural leakage or other adverse events were observed. In the clinical 12 months follow-up we recorded a reduction of four scores in the VAS evaluation and a 40% reduction in the ODS score compared with the pre-treatment values. Endovertebral stents were stable at 12 months at x-ray control in 19/20 patients. No new vertebral fracture located in adjacent vertebrae were observed at 12 month follow-up. By using a stent, the VBS system reduces the collapsed vertebral body and offers good height restoration. The mechanical scaffold of the stent restores the height and at the same time offers a cavity for injection of highly viscous PMMA bone cement without increasing the rate of new vertebral fracture post-VP. A long-term follow-up is recommended.
The impact of visual media to encourage low protein cooking in inherited metabolic disorders.

BACKGROUND The use of educational visual aids is one way to help children with inherited metabolic disorders (IMD) understand and develop a positive attitude towards their low protein diet. However, it is difficult to establish their effectiveness in the clinical setting. The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of a low protein recipe book and accompanying DVD for children with IMD. METHODS One hundred and five children (53% female; median age = 6-8 years) with IMD on low protein diets were each given a low protein recipe book and DVD. After 6 months, children and carers were posted a questionnaire asking whether they used these resources; identifying any change in frequency of low protein cooking; and the outcome when preparing recipes. RESULTS One hundred and two questionnaires were returned, representing 105 patients. Seventy percent (n = 71) of questionnaires were from carers. Ninety-three percent (n = 66) of carers acknowledged receipt of the resource; one-third (n = 22) had not watched the DVD and 23% (n = 15) had not opened the recipe book; 55% (n = 36) had tried the recipes; and 71% (n = 47) said the recipe book and/or DVD motivated them to try new recipes. Children were more likely to have watched the DVD (75%; n = 21/28) and read the recipe book (86%; n = 24/28) than carers. CONCLUSIONS Although a helpful educational tool, just over one-half of respondents had used the resource. Identifying visual media that, by itself, will motivate most families of children with IMD to prepare low protein recipes may be unrealistic. The combined approach of visual aids and 'hands-on' practical experience, such as low protein cooking workshops and individual counselling, may be more beneficial.