Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Two patterns of thrombopoietin signaling suggest no coupling between platelet production and thrombopoietin reactivity in thrombocytopenia-absent radii syndrome

Background Thrombocytopenia with absent radii syndrome is defined by bilateral radius aplasia and thrombocytopenia. Due to impaired thrombopoietin signaling there are only few bone marrow megakaryocytes and these are immature; the resulting platelet production defect improves somewhat over time. A microdeletion on chromosome 1q21 is present in all patients but is not sufficient to form thrombocytopenia with absent radii syndrome. We aimed to refine the signaling defect in this syndrome. Design and Methods We report an extended study of 23 pediatric and adult patients suffering from thrombocytopenia with absent radii syndrome in order to scrutinize thrombopoietin signal transduction by immunoblotting and gel electrophoretic shift assays. In addition, platelet immunotyping and reactivity were analyzed by flow cytometry. Results were correlated with clinical data including age and platelet counts. Results Two distinct signaling patterns were identified. Juvenile patients showed abrogated thrombopoietin signaling (pattern #1), which is restored in adults (pattern #2). Phosphorylated Jak2 was indicative of activation of STAT1, 3 and 5, Tyk2, ERK, and Akt, showing its pivotal role in distinct thrombopoietin-dependent pathways. Jak2 cDNA was not mutated and the thrombopoietin receptor was present on platelets. All platelets of patients expressed normal levels of CD41/61, CD49b, and CD49f receptors, while CD42a/b and CD29 were slightly reduced and the fibronectin receptor CD49e markedly reduced. Lysosomal granule release in response to thrombin receptor activating peptide was diminished. Conclusions We show a combined defect of platelet production and function in thrombocytopenia with absent radii syndrome. The rise in platelets that most patients have during the first years of life preceded the restored thrombopoietin signaling detected at a much later age, implying that these events are uncoupled and that an unknown factor mediates the improvement of platelet production.
Regulation of pancreatic β-cell mitochondrial metabolism : influence of Ca 2 + , substrate and ADP

To gain insight into the regulation of pancreatic β-cell mitochondrial metabolism, the direct effects on respiration of different mitochondrial substrates, variations in the ATP}ADP ratio and free Ca#+ were examined using isolated mitochondria and permeabilized clonal pancreatic β-cells (HIT). Respiration from pyruvate was high and not influenced by Ca#+ in State 3 or under various redox states and fixed values of the ATP}ADP ratio ; nevertheless, high Ca#+ elevated pyridine nucleotide fluorescence, indicating activation of pyruvate dehydrogenase by Ca#+. Furthermore, in the presence of pyruvate, elevated Ca#+ stimulated CO # production from pyruvate, increased citrate production and efflux from the mitochondria and inhibited CO # production from palmitate. The latter observation suggests that β-cell fatty acid oxidation is not regulated exclusively by malonyl-CoA but also by the mitochondrial redox state. α-Glycerophosphate (α-GP) oxidation was Ca#+-dependent with a half-maximal rate observed at around 300 nM Ca#+. We have recently demonstrated that
Extraction of Stride Events From Gait Accelerometry During Treadmill Walking

Objective: evaluating stride events can be valuable for understanding the changes in walking due to aging and neurological diseases. However, creating the time series necessary for this analysis can be cumbersome. In particular, finding heel contact and toe-off events which define the gait cycles accurately are difficult. Method: we proposed a method to extract stride cycle events from tri-axial accelerometry signals. We validated our method via data collected from 14 healthy controls, 10 participants with Parkinson's disease, and 11 participants with peripheral neuropathy. All participants walked at self-selected comfortable and reduced speeds on a computer-controlled treadmill. Gait accelerometry signals were captured via a tri-axial accelerometer positioned over the L3 segment of the lumbar spine. Motion capture data were also collected and served as the comparison method. Results: our analysis of the accelerometry data showed that the proposed methodology was able to accurately extract heel and toe-contact events from both feet. We used t-tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and mixed models to summarize results and make comparisons. Mean gait cycle intervals were the same as those derived from motion capture, and cycle-to-cycle variability measures were within 1.5%. Subject group differences could be similarly identified using measures with the two methods. Conclusions: a simple tri-axial acceleromter accompanied by a signal processing algorithm can be used to capture stride events. Clinical impact: the proposed algorithm enables the assessment of stride events during treadmill walking, and is the first step toward the assessment of stride events using tri-axial accelerometers in real-life settings.
Protest Events: Cause or Consequence of State Action? The U.S. Women's Movement and Federal Congressional Activities, 1956-1979

Using data compiled from a variety of different sources, we seek to answer questions about the emergence and outcomes of women's collective action in the United States between 1956 and 1979. In particular, we examine hypotheses derived from political opportunity and resource mobilization theories about the emergence of women's protest. We also examine the consequence of women's collective action on congressional hearings and House and Senate roll call votes on women's issues. We find support for arguments about the effects of resources on the emergence of protest. We also find mixed support for arguments about the effects of political opportunity on the emergence of protest. Finally, we find little support for arguments about the effects of women's collective action on congressional hearings and House and Senate roll call votes on women's issues.
The Accuracy of Noninvasive Hemoglobin Measurement by Multiwavelength Pulse Oximetry After Cardiac Surgery

BACKGROUND: In March 2008, a new multiwavelength pulse oximeter, the Radical 7 (Rad7; Masimo Corp., Irvine, CA), was developed that offers noninvasive measurement of hemoglobin concentration. Accuracy has been established in healthy adults and some surgical patients, but not in cardiac surgery intensive care patients, a group at high risk of postoperative bleeding events and anemia in whom early diagnosis could improve management. METHODS: In this prospective, observational study conducted in a cardiovascular intensive care unit, we compared hemoglobin concentrations shown by the Rad7 with arterial hemoglobin concentrations determined by an automated hematology analyzer, XE-2100 (Roche, Neuilly sur Seine, France). Two software versions of Rad7 (V 7.3.0.1 [42 points of comparison in 14 patients] and the updated V 7.3.1.1 [61 points of comparison in 27 patients]) were studied during two 1-week periods. Bias, defined as the difference between the 2 methods (Masimo SpHb − XE-2100 laboratory hemoglobin), was calculated. A negative bias indicated that the Masimo underestimated hemoglobin compared with the laboratory analyzer. Correlation between the perfusion index given by Rad7 and the hemoglobin bias was also studied. RESULTS: Correlations between Rad7 and XE-2100 were weak for both software versions (R2 = 0.11 for V 7.3.0.1 and R2 = 0.27 for V 7.3.1.1). Mean bias was −1.3 g/dL for V 7.3. 0.1 and −1.7 g/dL for V 7.3. 1.1, with wide 95% prediction intervals for the bias (respectively, −4.6 to 2.1 g/dL and −5.7 to 2.3 g/dL). The absolute hemoglobin bias tended to increase when the perfusion index decreased. For the V 7.3. 0.1 software, the average absolute bias was 1.9 g/dL for perfusion index <2 and 0.8 g/dL for perfusion index >2 (P = 0.03). For V 7.3. 1.1, the mean absolute bias was 2.1 g/dL when the perfusion index was <2, and 1.6 g/dL when the perfusion index was >2 (P = 0.26). CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates poor correlation between hemoglobin measured noninvasively by multiwavelength pulse oximetry and a laboratory hematology analyzer. The difference was greater when the pulse oximetry perfusion index was low, as may occur in shock, hypothermia, or vasoconstriction patients. The multiwavelength pulse oximetry is not sufficiently accurate for clinical use in a cardiovascular intensive care unit.
Lenticules for the control of quantitative methods in food microbiology

Control dried organisms as lenticules are a dependable and convenient alternative to wet cultures for quality assurance and process controls in routine food microbiology. Lenticules are designed to give a fixed, reproducible inoculum over an extended period of time without loss of cultural characteristics or viability. During a period of 23 months, 596 paired counts were performed by both Miles and Misra and spiral plating techniques on lenticule controls. Correlation between the two methods and within batches was excellent. Only 14 counts (2·5%) fell outside the standard operating limit of 0·5 log10. All were within 1·0 log10. On two separate occasions, replicate runs were performed on five reconstituted lenticules from a batch. The counts obtained showed variation within and between lenticules only slightly in excess of what is expected by chance. Lenticule replicates performed by three other laboratories also produced satisfactory results. It is thought that lenticules could improve the accuracy of total plate counts and lead to a better standardization of quantitative methods in food microbiology within and between laboratories.
Symptom clusters in patients with advanced-stage cancer referred for palliative radiation therapy in an outpatient setting.

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to explore the presence of symptom clusters in patients with advanced cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients with metastatic cancer referred to an outpatient palliative radiation therapy clinic were asked to rate their symptom distress using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS). Baseline demographic data were obtained. To determine interrelationships between symptoms, a principal component analysis with "varimax rotation" was performed on the 9 ESAS symptoms. RESULTS Between January 1999 and January 2002, a total of 1296 patients with metastases provided complete baseline data on the ESAS. The most common primary cancer sites were lung, breast, and prostate. Fatigue was the highest scored symptom, followed by poor sense of well-being, pain, lack of appetite, and drowsiness. The 4 most prevalent symptoms were poor sense of well-being (92.7%), fatigue (92.2%), drowsiness (79.7%), and anxiety (78.7%). Three symptom clusters were found. Cluster 1 included lack of appetite, nausea, poor sense of well-being, and pain. Cluster 2 included fatigue, drowsiness, and shortness of breath. Cluster 3 included anxiety and depression. CONCLUSION More work needs to be done on symptom cluster research, especially in setting a consensus in methodology.
Relationship of the Dental Aesthetic Index to the oral health-related quality of life.

OBJECTIVE To assess the impact of malocclusion on the quality of life. MATERIALS AND METHODS This cross-sectional study involved 150 subjects attending the Primary Care Unit with no history of orthodontic treatment. The Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI) with 10 occlusal characteristics were measured on study models. Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) was assessed with the Malaysian version of the Oral Health Impact Profile questionnaire (OHIP-14). The Spearman rank-order correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the relationship between the malocclusion and quality of life. RESULTS Significantly weak correlations (r = .176) were found between the DAI and the OHRQoL. Females and the younger age group (12-19 years) tended to score higher on the OHIP-14 than their counterparts. For males, domain 3 (psychological discomfort; r = .462), domain 4 (physical disability; r = .312), domain 7 (handicap; r = .309), and overall score (r = .289) were weak correlates but significant to the DAI compared with females. The older age group showed a significant weak correlation in domain 3 (psychological discomfort; r = .268) and domain 7 (handicap; r = .238), whereas the younger age group showed no correlation with any domain. CONCLUSIONS The DAI score does not predict the effect of malocclusion on the OHRQoL.
Nuclear Factor-κB–Related Serum Factors as Longitudinal Biomarkers of Response and Survival in Advanced Oropharyngeal Carcinoma

Purpose: Cytokines and growth factors modulated by transcription factor nuclear factor-κB and secreted by tumor and stromal cells are detectable in serum of patients with advanced cancers, including head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (SCC). Longitudinal changes in these serum factors could be early biomarkers of treatment response and survival. Experimental Design: Interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, growth-related oncogene-1 (GRO-1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) concentrations were determined by Luminex multiplex assay using serum obtained at baseline and every 3 months in a prospective study of 30 patients with locally advanced (stage III/IV) oropharyngeal SCC receiving chemoradiation therapy. The relationship between baseline and direction of change in individual and multiple cytokines with cause-specific and disease-free survival was determined by Cox proportional hazards models and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Statistical analyses included adjustment for smoking status and response to chemoradiation. Results: Three-year cause-specific and disease-free survival was 74.4% and 68.9%. Nonsmoking history (P = 0.05) and higher baseline VEGF (P = 0.003) correlated with increased survival. Longitudinal increases in levels of individual factors predicted decreased cause-specific survival when adjusted for smoking history [IL-6: relative risk (RR), 3.8; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 2.0-7.4; P = 0.004; IL-8: RR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.2-2.2; P = 0.05; VEGF: RR, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.6-5.6; P = 0.01; HGF: RR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.9-4.4; P = 0.02; and GRO-1: RR, 1.2; 95% CI, 1.1-1.3; P = 0.02]. For a given individual, large increases in the upper quartile for any three or more factors predicted poorer cause-specific survival compared with patients with two or fewer large increases in factor levels (P = 0.004). Conclusions: Pretreatment VEGF levels and longitudinal change in IL-6, IL-8, VEGF, HGF, and GRO-1 may be useful as biomarkers for response and survival in patients with locally advanced oropharyngeal and head and neck SCC treated with chemoradiation.
QTL Mapping of Winter Hardiness Genes in Lentil

Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) germplasm with sufficient winter hardiness to survive most winters in cold northern areas is available. However, the use of that germplasm in breeding programs is hampered by variable winter conditions that make field evaluations needed for effective breeding and selection difficult. Our objectives were to gain additional information on the genetics of winter hardiness in lentil by QTL analysis and to identify markers for use in marker-assisted selection. A total of 106 F 6 derived recombinant inbred lines (RILs) from the cross WA8649090/Precoz were evaluated for winter survival in the field at Pullman, WA, USA, Haymana, Turkey, and Sivas, Turkey, in a randomized complete block design with three replications over 3 yr. Winter survival was based on plant stand counts before and after winter. In addition, winter injury was monitored at Pullman during the 1998-1999 winter season. Mean survival of the RILs was 49.7, 5.3, and 895% at Haymana in 1997-1998, at Pullman in 1998-1999, and at Haymana in 1999-2000, respectively. For QTL analysis of winter survival, three QTL were detected at Haymana in 1997-1998, one QTL was detected at Pullman in 1998-1999, and three QTL were identified at Haymana in 1999-2000. Only one of the QTL was common to all environments. For winter injury scores at Pullman in 1999, four QTL were identified that influenced winter survival. Overall results indicated that winter hardiness is influenced by several genes and the cumulative effects of winter stress.
Opportunistic Multihopping for Energy Efficiency: Opportunistic Multihop Cellular Networking for Energy-Efficient Provision of Mobile Delay-Tolerant Services

Cellular operators are facing considerable capacity and energy-efficiency challenges as cellular data traffic keeps rising. Several studies have shown that multihop cellular networks (MCNs) could help tackle these challenges through the integration of device-to-device (D2D) and cellular communications. This article demonstrates that significant energy- efficiency gains can be achieved when MCNs jointly exploit opportunistic networking and the traffic delay-tolerance characteristics of relevant mobile data services.
Subcutaneous fat necrosis of the newborn: a systematic evaluation of risk factors, clinical manifestations, complications and outcome of 16 children

Background Subcutaneous fat necrosis (SFN) of the newborn is a rare acute transient hypodermatitis that develops within the first weeks of life in term infants. It often follows a difficult delivery. Prognosis is generally good except for the development of hypercalcaemia in severe cases. Only several case reports or small patients series have been published.
Effects of anti-E2 monoclonal antibody on sindbis virus replication in AT3 cells expressing bcl-2

Antibodies directed to Sindbis virus (SV) envelope protein E2 are able to control virus replication in vivo and in persistently infected cultures of neurons in vitro. We investigated the mechanisms by which anti-E2 monoclonal antibody (MAb) alters virus replication by using AT3 rat prostatic carcinoma cells expressing the inhibitor of apoptosis bcl-2. Treatment of SV-infected AT3-bcl-2 cells with anti-E2 MAb G5 for 2 h decreased the rate of virus release for 6 to 8 h after removal of the antibody. Electron microscopic analysis of MAb-treated cells revealed that failure of virus release was linked to a defect in the budding process. The decrease in extracellular virus particles occurred despite continued formation of nucleocapsids and synthesis of envelope glycoproteins. MAb treatment delayed the inhibition of K+ influx and shutoff of host cell protein synthesis by SV infection in a dose-dependent manner. Synthesis of host cell factors and of nonstructural polyprotein precursors required for the formation of initial replication complexes was also prolonged, causing a slower shutdown of overall viral RNA synthesis. We conclude that one mechanism by which anti-E2 MAb treatment down-regulates SV replication is by reestablishing certain critical host cell functions in infected cells.
A Unified Power Management Framework for Distributed Video Streaming to Mobile Devices

Optimizing user experience for streaming video applications on handheld devices is a significant research challenge. In this paper, we propose an integrated power management approach that unifies low level architectural optimizations(CPU, memory, register), OS power-saving mechanisms (Dynamic Voltage Scaling) and adaptive middleware techniques(admission control, optimal transcoding, network traffic regulation). Specifically, we identify interaction parameters between the different levels and optimize them to significantly reduce power consumption. With knowledge of device configurations, dynamic device parameters and changing system conditions, the middleware layer selects an appropriate video quality and fine tunes the architecture for optimized delivery of video. Our performance results indicate that architectural optimizations that are cognizant of user level parameters(e.g. transcoded video quality) can provide energy gains as high as 57.5% for the CPU and memory. Middleware adaptations to changing network noise levels can save as much as 70% of energy consumed by the wireless network interface. Furthermore, we demonstrate how such an integrated framework, that supports tight coupling of inter-level parameters can enhance user experience on a handheld substantially.
mag-1, a homolog of Drosophila mago nashi, regulates hermaphrodite germ-line sex determination in Caenorhabditis elegans.

The Caenorhabditis elegans gene mag-1 can substitute functionally for its homolog mago nashi in Drosophila and is predicted to encode a protein that exhibits 80% identity and 88% similarity to Mago nashi (P. A. Newmark et al., 1997, Development 120, 3197-3207). We have used RNA-mediated interference (RNAi) to analyze the phenotypic consequences of impairing mag-1 function in C. elegans. We show here that mag-1(RNAi) causes masculinization of the germ line (Mog phenotype) in RNA-injected hermaphrodites, suggesting that mag-1 is involved in hermaphrodite germ-line sex determination. Epistasis analysis shows that ectopic sperm production caused by mag-1(RNAi) is prevented by loss-of-function (lf) mutations in fog-2, gld-1, fem-1, fem-2, fem-3, and fog-1, all of which cause germ-line feminization in XX hermaphrodites, but not by a her-1(lf) mutation which causes germ-line feminization only in XO males. These results suggest that mag-1 interacts with the fog, fem, and gld genes and acts independently of her-1. We propose that mag-1 normally allows oogenesis by inhibiting function of one or more of these masculinizing genes, which act during the fourth larval stage to promote transient sperm production in the hermaphrodite germ line. When the Mog phenotype is suppressed by a fog-2(lf) mutation, mag-1(RNAi) also causes lethality in the progeny embryos of RNA-injected, mated hermaphrodites, suggesting an essential role for mag-1 during embryogenesis. The defective embryos arrest during morphogenesis with an apparent elongation defect. The distribution pattern of a JAM-1::GFP reporter, which is localized to boundaries of hypodermal cells, shows that hypodermis is disorganized in these embryos. The temporal expression pattern of the mag-1 gene prior to and during morphogenesis appears to be consistent with an essential role of mag-1 in embryonic hypodermal organization and elongation.
Monoterpenes Support Systemic Acquired Resistance within and between Plants

Infection of Arabidopsis thaliana with avirulent Pseudomonas syringae induces camphene and α- and β-pinene emissions contributing to systemic resistance induction in the same and neighboring plants. This study investigates the role of volatile organic compounds in systemic acquired resistance (SAR), a salicylic acid (SA)-associated, broad-spectrum immune response in systemic, healthy tissues of locally infected plants. Gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry analyses of SAR-related emissions of wild-type and non-SAR-signal-producing mutant plants associated SAR with monoterpene emissions. Headspace exposure of Arabidopsis thaliana to a mixture of the bicyclic monoterpenes α-pinene and β-pinene induced defense, accumulation of reactive oxygen species, and expression of SA- and SAR-related genes, including the SAR regulatory AZELAIC ACID INDUCED1 (AZI1) gene and three of its paralogs. Pinene-induced resistance was dependent on SA biosynthesis and signaling and on AZI1. Arabidopsis geranylgeranyl reductase1 mutants with reduced monoterpene biosynthesis were SAR-defective but mounted normal local resistance and methyl salicylate-induced defense responses, suggesting that monoterpenes act in parallel with SA. The volatile emissions from SAR signal-emitting plants induced defense in neighboring plants, and this was associated with the presence of α-pinene, β-pinene, and camphene in the emissions of the “sender” plants. Our data suggest that monoterpenes, particularly pinenes, promote SAR, acting through ROS and AZI1, and likely function as infochemicals in plant-to-plant signaling, thus allowing defense signal propagation between neighboring plants.