Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cultivation and Phenotypic Characterization of Rabbit Epithelial Cells Expanded Ex Vivo from Fresh and Cryopreserved Limbal and Oral Mucosal Explants

Abstract Purpose: To compare the morphology of cultured rabbit epithelial sheets and the expression of stem cells with differentiated cell markers of cultivated epithelial cells from fresh and cryopreserved limbal and oral mucosal biopsies. Materials and methods: Six New Zealand white rabbits were divided into two groups of three, from which limbal and oral mucosal biopsies were taken. Harvested tissues from each rabbit were brought to immediate cultivation, while another set of tissues was cryopreserved. Cultivation was performed by the explant culture technique using human amniotic membrane as a culture substrate, co-culturing with 3T3 fibroblasts and using the air-lifting method. Cells were cultured for three weeks; then cultured epithelial sheets were stained with hematoxylin–eosin and examined for expression patterns of p63, keratin 3 (K3) and connexin 43 (Cx43). Cryopreservation was carried out using the vitrification method. Tissues were preserved in liquid nitrogen using 25% dimethyl sulfoxide combined with 25% propylene glycol in Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s Medium containing 20% fetal bovine serum. After two months, the tissues were warmed, cultured and stained using the same processes as for fresh tissue cultures. Results: Cultivation of fresh limbal and fresh oral mucosal tissues showed epithelial stratification, with two to five cell layers. Immunohistochemical staining showed p63-positive cells in basal and intermediate cell layers. K3 staining was observed in cells in the suprabasal layer, while expression of Cx43 was scattered throughout all layers of the epithelia. All culture sheets expressed p63, K3 and Cx43 with the exception of one sheet from the oral mucosal culture that was p63-negative. Cultured epithelial sheets from cryopreserved tissues showed results similar to those from fresh tissue culture. Conclusions: This study found that cells in cultivated fresh limbal and oral mucosal tissues had similar morphology to cells in cultivated cryopreserved limbal and oral mucosal tissues, both containing a heterogeneous population of cells including stem cells and differentiated cells.
Characterization of N-Acetyltransferase 1 Activity in Human Keratinocytes and Modulation by para-Phenylenediamine

N-acetyltransferase 1 (NAT1)-mediated N-acetylation in keratinocytes is an important detoxification pathway for the hair dye ingredient para-phenylenediamine (PPD). Because NAT1 can be regulated by various exogenous compounds, including some NAT1 substrates themselves, we investigated NAT1 expression in keratinocytes and the interactions between PPD and NAT1. NAT1 activity was found to be cell-cycle phase-dependent. Maximum NAT1 activities (mean: 49.7 nmol/mg/min) were estimated when HaCaT keratinocytes were arrested in G0/G1 phase, whereas nonsynchronized cells showed the lowest activities (mean: 28.9 nmol/mg/min). It is noteworthy that we also found an accelerated progression through the cell cycle in HaCaT cells with high NAT1 activities. This evidence suggests an association between NAT1 and proliferation in keratinocytes. Regarding the interaction between NAT1 and PPD, we found that keratinocytes N-acetylate PPD; however, this N-acetylation was saturated with increasing PPD concentrations. HaCaT cultured in medium supplemented with PPD (10–200 μM) for 24 h showed a significant concentration-dependent decrease (17–50%) in NAT1 activity. PPD also induced down-regulation of NAT1 activity in human primary keratinocytes. Western blot studies using a NAT1-specific antibody in HaCaT showed that the loss of enzyme activity was associated with a decline in the amount of NAT1 protein, whereas no changes in the amounts of NAT1 P1 (NATb)-dependent mRNA were found by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis, suggesting the involvement of a substrate-dependent mechanism of NAT1 down-regulation. In conclusion, these data show that overall N-acetylation capacity of keratinocytes and consequently detoxification capacities of human skin is modulated by the presence of NAT1 substrates and endogenously by the cell proliferation status of keratinocytes.
Role of MAPK in the Regulation of Double-Stranded RNA- and Encephalomyocarditis Virus-Induced Cyclooxygenase-2 Expression by Macrophages1

In response to virus infection or treatment with dsRNA, macrophages express the inducible form of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and produce proinflammatory prostaglandins. Recently, we have shown that NF-κB is required for encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV)- and dsRNA-stimulated COX-2 expression in mouse macrophages. The dsRNA-dependent protein kinase R is not required for EMCV-stimulated COX-2 expression, suggesting the presence of protein kinase R-independent pathways in the regulation of this antiviral gene. In this study, the role of MAPK in the regulation of macrophage expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX)-2 in response to EMCV infection was examined. Treatment of mouse macrophages or RAW-264.7 cells with dsRNA or infection with EMCV stimulates the rapid activation of the MAPKs p38, JNK, and ERK. Inhibition of p38 and JNK activity results in attenuation while ERK inhibition does not modulate dsRNA- and EMCV-induced COX-2 expression and PGE2 production by macrophages. JNK and p38 appear to selectively regulate COX-2 expression, as inhibition of either kinase fails to prevent dsRNA- or EMCV-stimulated inducible NO synthase expression by macrophages. Using macrophages isolated from TLR3-deficient mice, we show that p38 and JNK activation and COX-2 expression in response to EMCV or poly(IC) does not require the presence the dsRNA receptor TLR3. These findings support a role for p38 and JNK in the selective regulation of COX-2 expression by macrophages in response to virus infection.
Transplanting neural progenitors into a complete transection model of spinal cord injury

Neural progenitor cell (NPC) transplantation is a promising therapeutic strategy for spinal cord injury (SCI) because of the potential for cell replacement and restoration of connectivity. Our previous studies have shown that transplants of NPC, composed of neuron‐ and glia‐restricted progenitors derived from the embryonic spinal cord, survived well in partial lesion models and generated graft‐derived neurons, which could be used to form a functional relay. We have now examined the properties of a similar NPC transplant using a complete transection model in juvenile and adult rats. We found poor survival of grafted cells despite using a variety of lesion methods, matrices, and delays of transplantation. If, instead of cultured progenitor cells, the transplants were composed of segmental or dissociated segments of fetal spinal cord (FSC) derived from similar‐staged embryos, grafted cells survived and integrated well with host tissue in juvenile and adult rats. FSC transplants differentiated into neurons and glial cells, including astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. Graft‐derived neurons expressed glutaminergic and GABAergic markers. Grafted cells also migrated and extended processes into host tissue. Analysis of axon growth from the host spinal cord showed serotonin‐positive fibers and biotinylated dextran amine‐traced propriospinal axons growing into the transplants. These results suggest that in treating severe SCI, such as complete transection, NPC grafting faces major challenges related to cell survival and formation of a functional relay. Lessons learned from the efficacy of FSC transplants could be used to develop a therapeutic strategy based on neural progenitor cells for severe SCI. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Prevalence of Gastroesophageal Reflux in Cats During Anesthesia and Effect of Omeprazole on Gastric pH

Background Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is poorly characterized in anesthetized cats, but can cause aspiration pneumonia, esophagitis, and esophageal stricture formation. Objective To determine whether pre‐anesthetic orally administered omeprazole increases gastric and esophageal pH and increases serum gastrin concentrations in anesthetized cats, and to determine the prevalence of GER using combined multichannel impedance and pH monitoring. Animals Twenty‐seven healthy cats undergoing elective dental procedures. Methods Prospective, double‐masked, placebo‐controlled, randomized clinical trial. Cats were randomized to receive 2 PO doses of omeprazole (1.45–2.20 mg/kg) or an empty gelatin capsule placebo 18–24 hours and 4 hours before anesthetic induction. Blood for measurement of serum gastrin concentration was collected during anesthetic induction. An esophageal pH/impedance catheter was utilized to continuously measure esophageal pH and detect GER throughout anesthesia. Results Mean gastric pH in the cats that received omeprazole was 7.2 ± 0.4 (range, 6.6–7.8) and was significantly higher than the pH in cats that received the placebo 2.8 ± 1.0 (range, 1.3–4.1; P < .001). Omeprazole administration was not associated with a significant increase in serum gastrin concentration (P = .616). Nine of 27 cats (33.3%) had ≥1 episode of GER during anesthesia. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance Pre‐anesthetic administration of 2 PO doses of omeprazole at a dosage of 1.45–2.20 mg/kg in cats was associated with a significant increase in gastric and esophageal pH within 24 hours, but was not associated with a significant increase in serum gastrin concentration. Prevalence of reflux events in cats during anesthesia was similar to that of dogs during anesthesia.
Role of edge electric field and poloidal rotation in the L-H transition.

Marked changes in the edge radial electric field {ital E}{sub {ital r}} and in the edge poloidal rotation velocity {ital v}{sub {theta}} are important signatures of the {ital L}-{ital H} transition in the DIII-D tokamak. Shear exists in {ital E}{sub {ital r}} and {ital v}{sub {theta}} and increases from the {ital L} mode to the {ital H} mode. A comparison of experiment with theory shows that shear in {ital E}{sub {ital r}} and {ital v}{sub {theta}} is sufficient to suppress edge fluctuations, that ion-orbit loss is large enough to be the source of {ital v}{sub {theta}}, and that {ital E}{sub {ital r}} and {ital v}{sub {theta}} may play a causal role in the {ital L}-{ital H} transition.
Overexpression of active TGF-beta-1 in the murine knee joint: evidence for synovial-layer-dependent chondro-osteophyte formation.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the impact of a prolonged and constant active TGF-beta expression by the synovial lining cells on cartilage and ligamentous joint structures in vivo. DESIGN An adenoviral vector (AdTGF-beta1(223,225)) was used for the overexpression of active TGF-beta1 in knee joints of C57Bl/6 mice. RESULTS It was found that physiological relevant levels of active TGF-beta1 produced by the synovial lining layer resulted in histopathological changes: hyperplasia of synovium and chondro-osteophyte formation at the so-called chondro-synovial junctions. No histological changes were seen after intra-articular injection of an empty control vector (AdDL70-3) or by overexpression of latent TGF-beta1 (AdTGF-beta1). The predominant site of TGF-beta production in osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the synovial lining layer. To address the question whether the TGF-beta-induced changes were related to the expression site in the synovial lining, the synovial lining layer was depleted by local treatment with liposomes encapsulating clodronate. Depletion of the lining resulted in a dramatic change of TGF-beta1-induced pathology: markedly reduced chondro-osteophyte formation and increased accumulation of extracellular matrix in the synovium. CONCLUSION This study shows that overexpression of active TGF-beta1 in the knee joint results in OA-like changes and suggests the synovial lining cells contribute to the chondro-osteophyte formation.
On the feasibility of WiFi offloading in urban areas: The Paris case study

With the increasing number of users subscribing to mobile Internet such as 3G and 4G networks, the Wireless Internet Services providers (WISP) aim to offer a good service for customers while elevating the number of clients. Several proposals to offload the traffic of 3G networks have been made in the past few years, including the use of femtocells,WiFi offloading and more recently mobile-to-mobile opportunistic offloading. In this paper, we measure the public WiFi hotspots provided by the government and private WiFi access points (AP) scanned during several bus routes in Paris in order to evaluate the feasibility of offloading data traffic through WiFi. We compare the AP positions with the positions of mobile clients provided publicly in Location Sharing Services, such as Foursquare. Our main findings are that, on average, an access point is available up to 60m of range, during 30 seconds, and the already deployed WiFi infrastructure could offload up to 30% of mobile traffic in the scenario analyzed.
Noninvasive predictors of mortality for patients with Chagas' heart disease: a multivariate stepwise logistic regression study.

This prospective investigation was conducted in an attempt to identify noninvasive predictors of mortality for patients with Chagas' heart disease through a multivariate stepwise logistic regression study. Fifty-six patients with a positive complement fixation test for Chagas' disease were followed up at the Cardiomyopathy Clinic of our institution from April 1990 to April 1992. Patient age was 59 +/- 17 years; 28 (50%) were male. Upon admission, 19 patients (33%) were in the New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III and 8 (14%) in the NYHA class IV. Systolic blood pressure was 125 +/- 23 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure 76 +/- 11 mm Hg and resting heart rate 77 +/- 11 beats/min. Forty patients (71%) were given digitalis and 39 (69%) angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. Plasma Na+ was 140 +/- 4 mEq/l, K+ was 4.34 +/- 0.73 mEq/l and creatinine level 1.34 +/- 0.31 mg/100 ml. Cardiomegaly was observed in the chest X-ray of 41 of 51 (79%) available patients. Atrial fibrillation was observed in the resting ECG of 24 of 54 (44%) available patients, premature ventricular contractions in 23 (41%), right bundle branch block in 26 (46%) and left anterior hemiblock in 26 (46%) patients. Echocardiography revealed a left ventricular ejection fraction of 0.45 +/- 0.16, left ventricular systolic dimension of 51.23 +/- 13.53 mm and left ventricular diastolic dimension of 62.94 +/- 19 mm. Sixteen (28%) patients died during the 2-year study, 11 of them suddenly. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Impacts of Climate Variability on Latin American Small-scale Fisheries

Small-scale fisheries (SSFs) are social-ecological systems that play a critical role in terms of food security and poverty alleviation in Latin America. These fisheries are increasingly threatened by anthropogenic and climatic drivers acting at multiple scales. We review the effects of climate variability on Latin American SSFs, and discuss the combined effects of two additional human drivers: globalization of markets and governance. We show drastic long-term and large-scale effects of climate variability, e.g., sea surface temperature anomalies, wind intensity, sea level, and climatic indices, on SSFs. These variables, acting in concert with economic drivers, have exacerbated stock depletion rates in Latin American SSFs. The impact of these drivers varied according to the life cycle and latitudinal distribution of the target species, the characteristics of the oceanographic systems, and the inherent features of the social systems. Our review highlights the urgent need to improve management and governance systems to promote resilience as a way to cope with the increasing uncertainty about the impacts of climate and globalization of markets on Latin American SSFs.
Composting of Greenhouse Tomato Plant Residues, Wheat Straw, and Separated Dairy Manure, and the Effect of Free Air Space on the Process

This study investigated the optimum mixture ratio of greenhouse tomato plant residues, wheat straw, and separated dairy manures for composting. Five 127-L laboratory-scale bioreactors were used to investigate the effect of separated dairy manure addition on the composting process of a tomato plant residues-wheat straw mixture. The wastes were mixed at 5 different ratios during the trials and were then placed in the reactor. Whereas the C/N ratios of the material mixtures placed in the reactors were fixed at a level of about 31, the FAS values ranged between 24.56% and 32.64%. Temperature and CO2 measurements were made from the reactors during the trials along with organic matter and moisture content analyses. According to the results, the optimum mixture ratio for composting the experimental materials was found to be 60% tomato waste, 10% wheat straw, and 30% separated manures on a dry basis. The FAS ratio of this mixture was 30.22%.
Uric acid variation among regular blood donors is indicative of red blood cell susceptibility to storage lesion markers: A new hypothesis tested

Oxidative stress orchestrates a significant part of the red blood cell (RBC) storage lesion. Considering the tremendous interdonor variability observed in the “storability,” namely, the capacity of RBCs to sustain the storage lesion, this study aimed at the elucidation of donor‐specific factors that affect the redox homeostasis during the storage of RBCs in standard systems.
Do Financial Indicators Drive Market Value of Firms in the Transition Economies? The Russian Case

This article studies the factors which influence market valuation of Russian listed firms. Several financial metrics and corporate governance indicators are analysed. Emphasis is given to multicollinearity and cause-and-effect relationships between independent variables. Main results show that there is no significant correlation between the fundamental financial indicators and the Tobin’s Q. However, state ownership, concentration of capital and size are negatively associated with the firm valuation. The evidence suggests that the costs of government ownership outweigh its benefits. JEL classification: G15, G14, C22, F23
Microangiopathy is common in submucosal vessels of the colon in patients with diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVES The pathophysiology behind gastrointestinal dysmotility in diabetes mellitus is unknown. Both esophageal dysmotility and gastroparesis have been shown to be associated with retinopathy, suggesting that microangiopathy is important in the common etiology. The aim of the present study was to examine whether patients with diabetes exhibit microangiopathy in the colon, and if present, to correlate microangiopathy with the clinical picture. METHODS Consecutive patients subjected to colon surgery were identified in the southernmost districts of Skåne between January 2011 and May 2013. Medical records were scrutinized, and patients with a history of diabetes were noted. Gender, age, type of diabetes, treatment, complications, and other concomitant diseases were registered. Histopathologic re-evaluation of surgical biopsies with morphometric analyses of submucosal vessels in the colon was performed. Morphometric examination and clinical data were compared with non-diabetic patients. RESULTS Of 1135 identified patients during the time period studied, 95 patients with diabetes were recognized and included. Fifty-three non-diabetic, randomly chosen patients served as controls. The mean age was 71.8 ± 10.2 and 71.4 ± 9.5 years in diabetic and non-diabetic patients, respectively. Microangiopathy was found in 68.4% of diabetic patients and in 7.5% of non-diabetic patients (p < 0.001). The wall-to-lumen ratio was 0.31 (0.23-0.46) in patients with diabetes compared with 0.16 (0.12-0.21) in non-diabetic patients (p < 0.001). No clinical association with microangiopathy could be verified. CONCLUSION Microangiopathy in the colon is more common in diabetic than in non-diabetic patients. The clinical significance of microangopathy has yet to be clarified.
Epileptogenicity Correlated with Increased N‐Methyl‐d‐Aspartate Receptor Subunit NR2A/B in Human Focal Cortical Dysplasia

Summary: Purpose: Human cortical dysplasia (CD) is a frequent cause of medically intractable focal epilepsy. The neurotransmitter mechanisms of epileptogenicity in these lesions have been attributed to changes in various glutamate receptor subtypes. Increased N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA) receptor (NR) 2A/B coassembled with NRI subunits has been shown in focal epileptic CD. The purpose of this study is to correlate in situ CD epileptogenicity and the expression of various glutamate receptor subtypes.
Chipless Radio Frequency Identification by Remote Measurement of Complex Impedance

A novel technique for radio frequency identification devices (RFID) based on remote measurement of complex impedance at microwave frequencies is presented. The low cost read-only tags do not need semiconductor elements and can be implemented by printing a conducting pattern on a low cost dielectric substrate. Multiple tags are simultaneously illuminated by a chirped microwave signal with a bandwidth of few hundred MHz to few GHz. The composite backscatter from all tags is mixed with the transmitted chirp signal and filtered to generate an intermediate frequency (IF). The IF is further processed with a narrow detection bandwidth to select a particular tag. Next, the phase-frequency profile of the reflection coefficient (complex impedance) of the selected tag is recovered with the help of a reference channel. Phase-frequency signatures of individual tags determine the tag identity. The technique allows operation with low transmit power, provides range information and mitigates against multi-path propagation and interference.
A parallel collection of clinical trials in Portuguese and English

Parallel collections of documents are crucial resources for training and evaluating machine translation (MT) systems. Even though large collections are available for certain domains and language pairs, these are still scarce in the biomedical domain. We developed a parallel corpus of clinical trials in Portuguese and English. The documents are derived from the Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry and the corpus currently contains a total of 1188 documents. In this paper, we describe the corpus construction and discuss the quality of the translation and the sentence alignment that we obtained.
Effect of Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation on Plasma B‐type Natriuretic Peptide

The study was designed to investigate the impact of radiofrequency catheter ablation on the plasma level of B‐type natriuretic peptide (BNP). In 36 patients who underwent catheter ablation of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, the plasma level of BNP was analyzed before and after the ablation procedures. The plasma BNP at baseline, 30 minutes after the ablation, 3 and 24 hours after the ablation was 12.78 ± 2.47, 18.45 ± 4.02 (P = 0.446), 43.54 ± 8.12 (P = 0.0001), and 17.88 ± 4.71 (P = 0.493) pg/mL, respectively. Plasma troponin I was also increased 3 and 24 hours after the ablation (n = 10, P < 0.05). Multivariate regression analysis showed a significant correlation between the levels of BNP 3 hours after ablation and the preablation BNP and the total radiofrequency energy used for the ablation. We conclude that radiofrequency catheter ablation of supraventricular tachycardia increases the plasma level of BNP. The clinical significance of the ablation‐induced increase in BNP needs to be further investigated.