Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Correlate with Their Function Levels of Membrane Lipid Order That T Cells Have Diverse + Primary Human CD4

Membrane lipid microdomains (lipid rafts) play an important role in T cell function by forming areas of high lipid order that facilitate activation. However, their role in regulating T cell differentiation and function remains controversial. In this study, by applying a new approach involving microscopy and ﬂow cytometry, we characterize membrane lipid order in ex vivo primary human CD4 + T cells. We reveal that differential membrane lipid order dictates the response to TCR stimulation. T cells with high membrane order formed stable immune synapses and proliferated robustly, intermediate order cells had reduced proliferative ability accompanied by unstable immune synapse formation, whereas low order T cells were profoundly unresponsive to TCR activation. We also observed that T cells from patients with autoimmune rheumatic disease had expanded intermediate order populations compared with healthy volunteers. This may be important in dictating the nature of the immune response since most IFN- g + CD4 + T cells were conﬁned within intermediate membrane order populations, whereas IL-4 + CD4 + T cells were contained within the high order populations. Importantly, we were able to alter T cell function by pharmacologically manipulating membrane order. Thus, the results presented from this study identify that ex vivo CD4 + T cells sustain a gradient of plasma membrane lipid order that inﬂuences their function in terms of proliferation and cytokine production. This could represent a new mechanism to control T cell functional plasticity, raising the possibility that therapeutic targeting of membrane lipid order could direct altered immune cell activation in pathology. The Journal of Immunology , 2011, 186: 3505–3516.
IL-2 production by dendritic cells promotes Foxp3+ regulatory T-cell expansion in autoimmune-resistant NOD congenic mice

Il2 allelic variation in non-obese diabetic mice imparts marked resistance to type 1 diabetes. IL-2 is pivotal for the fitness and homeostasis of Foxp3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells, and the Idd3B6 locus augments IL-2 production by effector T cells, which in turn enhances the potency of Treg cell functions. Given the important role dendritic cells (DCs) play in Treg cell-mediated tolerance induction, we hypothesized that DCs from Idd3B6 congenic mice contribute to increased Treg cell activity. Here, we observed that CD11c+ DCs, harboring protective Idd3B6 genes, are endowed with the capacity to secrete IL-2, enabling them to preferentially promote Treg cell functions in vitro and in vivo. Our results show that Il2 gene variation may imprint DCs to favor T-cell regulation of autoimmunity.
Loneliness among elderly people living in stockholm: a population study.

The purpose was to investigate experienced loneliness among the elderly. The material included 1725 people, aged 75 and over. The study describes relationships between loneliness, social network, cognitive function and health. Thirty-five per cent experienced loneliness, and a higher percentage was found among women. A gradual increase in loneliness was found up to the age of 90, after which a levelling was found. Elderly persons living together with a partner experienced less loneliness. There were no significant differences between those with and without children. Ten per cent reported not having any friends and, of these, one out of two experienced loneliness. A high frequency of experienced loneliness was found among elderly people with reduced cognitive function. Subjectively experienced bad health and loneliness were strongly related to each other, i.e. a person who experienced loneliness did usually not feel completely healthy.
Gestion de production et transports : vers une nouvelle économie de la circulation

Le developpement de la logistique industrielle, en particulier des methodes dites de “flux tendus”, est un des changements majeurs actuels de l'organisation economique. L'ouvrage en rappelle les logiques et explore les implications de ces changements sur la demande en transports
Dexamethasone Promotes Calcium Pyrophosphate Dihydrate Crystal Formation by Articular Chondrocytes

Objective. Calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) crystals are commonly found in osteoarthritic joints and correlate with a poor prognosis. Intraarticular corticosteroids, such as dexamethasone (Dxm), are commonly used therapies for osteoarthritis with or without CPPD deposition. Dxm has variable effects in mineralization models. We investigated the effects of Dxm on CPPD crystal formation in a well established tissue culture model. Methods. Porcine articular chondrocytes were incubated with ATP to generate CPPD crystals. Chondrocytes incubated with or without ATP were exposed to 1–100 nM Dxm in the presence of 45Ca. Mineralization was measured by 45Ca uptake in the cell layer. We also investigated the effect of Dxm on mineralization-regulating enzymes such as alkaline phosphatase, nucleoside triphosphate pyrophosphohydrolase (NTPPPH), and transglutaminase. Results. Dxm significantly increased ATP-induced mineralization by articular chondrocytes. While alkaline phosphatase and NTPPPH activities were unchanged by Dxm, transglutaminase activity increased in a dose-responsive manner. Levels of Factor XIIIA mRNA and protein were increased by Dxm, while type II Tgase protein was unchanged. Transglutaminase inhibitors suppressed Dxminduced increases in CPPD crystal formation. Conclusion. These findings suggest a potential for Dxm to contribute to pathologic mineralization in cartilage and reinforce a central role for the transglutaminase enzymes in CPPD crystal formation.
Entry point depth and online search using a controlled vocabulary

The depth of indexing, the number of terms assigned on average to each document in a retrieval system as entry points, has a significant effect on the standard retrieval performance measures in modern commercial retrieval systems, just as it did in previous experimental work. Tests of the effect of basic index search, as opposed to controlled vocabulary search, in these real systems are quite different than traditional comparisons of free text searching with controlled vocabulary searching. In modern commercial systems the controlled vocabulary serves as a precision device, since the structure of the default for unqualified search terms in these systems requires that it do so. © 1989 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A modified ant colony optimization algorithm for virtual network embedding

Traditional Internet architecture is far too rigid for use with large numbers of network applications with different quality of service requirements. One new and promising approach to overcome the rigidity is network virtualization (NV), which allows multiple heterogeneous virtual networks to coexist on a shared substrate network (SN). However, one of the key problems for NV is the virtual network embedding (VNE) problem, which concerns the efficient mapping of virtual nodes and links to SN nodes and paths. The VNE problem has proven to be nondeterministic polynomial-time hard and approximation algorithms are needed to address it. In this paper, we define the VNE problem based on the multiple-choice knapsack model and propose a modified ant colony optimization algorithm to solve the problem. The combination of revenue and acceptance ratio of an SN is used as an important component when designing the fitness function to evaluate iterative solutions obtained by ants, and pheromone update rules are designed based on the fitness function. The cost of a candidate network is defined as the selection heuristic information. Simulation results show that this algorithm performs well with various numbers of VN requests. The algorithm also provides better optimization performance than existing algorithms.
A controlled experimental model of revision implants: Part II. Implementation with loaded titanium implants and bone graft

We used an experimental model producing an aggressive tissue response associated with implant loosening in humans: a 6 mm polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) cylinder was pistoning 500 w m concentrically in a 7.5 mm hole, with polyethylene (PE) particles, for 8 weeks. At 8 weeks, the PMMA implant was revised with a titanium alloy (Ti) implant, and an identical primary Ti implant was inserted contralaterally for 4 weeks. With this protocol, we evaluated primary and revision plasma-sprayed Ti implants which were loaded under stable conditions with or without allograft, or under unstable conditions without allograft (bilateral primary and revision implants, n 8 per group, 48 implants in 24 dogs). Revision implants had lower interfacial shear strength, less bone in contact with and adjacent to the implant, and resulted in higher levels of IL-6 g and TNF f and lower levels of TGF g . In both the revision and primary settings, allograft increased shear strength, stiffness and energy, bone-implant contact, and bone area adjacent to the implant. Unstable implants could not generate a mechanically sound interface, and further exacerbated the difference between primary and revision. We conclude that factors important for improving the fixation of revision implants were bone graft and a stable interface.
Presence of cartilaginous foci in the left atrioventricular opening of the chinchilla's heart.

There are several publications in veterinary medicine reporting the presence of cartilage tissue in the hearts of different classes of animals, including reptiles, birds, and mammals. Among mammalian species this phenomenon has been documented in rodents, lagomorphs, carnivores, proboscideans, perissodactyls, and artiodactyls. Related studies usually encompassed the location, morphological and histological structure, as well as the function of cartilaginous foci in adult animals (9, 11). The few available publications on the chondrogenesis of mammalian hearts (10, 12) discuss the focal formation of cartilage in the area of the aortic and pulmonary valves in the Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus auratus). According to these publications, cartilaginous tissue appears most frequently in the right fibrous ring of the heart and in the area of aortic leaflet attachments to the aortic annulus. Less frequently, it can be located in the left fibrous ring of the heart, in the membranous portion of the interventricular septum, and in the pulmonary valve (3, 14). The aim of this study was to document foci of cartilaginous tissue in the left atrioventricular ostium and left atrioventricular valve of chinchillas (Chinchilla lanigera). Material and methods
Revising a process‐based biogeochemistry model (DNDC) to simulate methane emission from rice paddy fields under various residue management and fertilizer regimes

A comprehensive biogeochemistry model, DNDC, was revised to simulate crop growth and soil processes more explicitly and improve its ability to estimate methane (CH4) emission from rice paddy fields under a wide range of climatic and agronomic conditions. The revised model simulates rice growth by tracking photosynthesis, respiration, C allocation, tillering, and release of organic C and O2 from roots. For anaerobic soil processes, it quantifies the production of electron donors [H2 and dissolved organic carbon (DOC)] by decomposition and rice root exudation, and simulates CH4 production and other reductive reactions based on the availability of electron donors and acceptors (NO3−, Mn4+, Fe3+, and SO42−). Methane emission through rice is simulated by a diffusion routine based on the conductance of tillers and the CH4 concentration in soil water. The revised DNDC was tested against observations at three rice paddy sites in Japan and China with varying rice residue management and fertilization, and produced estimates consistent with observations for the variation in CH4 emission as a function of residue management. It also successfully predicted the negative effect of (NH4)2SO4 on CH4 emission, which the current model missed. Predicted CH4 emission was highly sensitive to the content of reducible soil Fe3+, which is the dominant electron acceptor in anaerobic soils. The revised DNDC generally gave acceptable predictions of seasonal CH4 emission, but not of daily CH4 fluxes, suggesting the model's immaturity in describing soil heterogeneity or rice cultivar‐specific characteristics of CH4 transport. It also overestimated CH4 emission at one site in a year with low temperatures, suggesting uncertainty in root biomass estimates due to the model's failure to consider the temperature dependence of leaf area development. Nevertheless, the revised DNDC explicitly reflects the effects of soil electron donors and acceptors, and can be used to quantitatively estimate CH4 emissions from rice fields under a range of conditions.
Shoulder pain and disability index: its effectiveness and reliability in an outpatient setting in Indian population

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> One of the most common joints to be treated in the clinic is the shoulder joint. An orthopedic surgeon and physical therapists should be knowledgeable about the proper assessment of the shoulder joint to effectively evaluate and design a treatment program in shoulder pathologies. Shoulder pain and disability index (SPADI) is a questionnaire designed to measure pain and disability associated with shoulder pathologies in a clinical setting. SPADI’s effectiveness as a tool needed to be validated in Indian population hence this study. The objectives of this study were to measure effectiveness of SPADI in our setting and to measure the reliability and acceptability of SPADI in Indian population. </p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> 60 patients with shoulder pain between the age of 25-50 years who attended the orthopaedic OPD during the time period of April 2017 to April 2018 were included. The subjects were evaluated with SPADI and oxford shoulder score (OSS) questionnaires. The data was analyzed by paired sample T test and alpha coefficient level. <strong></strong></p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> The data statistically analysed revealed that the scales are reliable as the Cronbach's alpha was high (>0.7) and was effective to measure the pain and disability of the shoulder joint in our clinical set up. </p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusions:</strong> It can be concluded from our statistical analysis that both SPADI and OSS are equally effective tools in measuring pain and disability in our clinical set up, the only difference being that SPADI is operationally very simple and lucid for our population. </p>
Natural killer-cell activity after human renal transplantation in relation to killer immunoglobulin-like receptors and human leukocyte antigen mismatch1

Background. Natural killer (NK) cells use killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) that bind to self-class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules to prevent killing of autologous cells. Mismatched allografts, which do not express recipient MHC class I molecules, can therefore be potential targets for NK-cell killing. In our living related-unrelated renal transplantation program, donor-recipient pairs vary in the amount of both HLA and KIR genes they share. This provides us with a unique opportunity to dissect the influence of KIR on NK-cell function after transplantation. Methods. Recipient NK cells were used in a cytotoxicity assay against donor peripheral blood mononuclear cells 2 days before, on the day of, and 3 days after transplantation. Results were correlated to HLA-KIR compatibility between donor and recipient. Results. NK killing, in a direct ex vivo setting, was demonstrated to be HLA mismatch dependent. Recipient NK antidonor cytotoxicity was unaltered despite having received 2 days’ treatment with cyclosporine A before transplantation. However, cytotoxicity increased 3 days after transplantation in 71% of recipients. Recipients exhibiting increased NK cytotoxicity against their donors after transplantation were found to possess more activating KIR genes specific for donor class I MHC molecules than those in whom killing activity did not increase (P <0.04). Conclusions. NK cells are activated after transplantation despite quadruple immunosuppression, suggesting that recipient NK-cell cytotoxicity against the donor may be a previously unrecognized area of the rejection process, especially in poorly matched donor-recipient pairs where the recipient may not express the correct repertoire of inhibitory receptors to prevent killing of donor cells.
Asymmetric energy distribution of interface traps in n- and p-MOSFETs with HfO/sub 2/ gate dielectricon ultrathin SiON buffer layer

The variable rise and fall time charge-pumping technique has been used to determine the energy distribution of interface trap density (D/sub it/) in MOSFETs with a HfO/sub 2/ gate dielectric grown on an ultrathin (<1 nm)-SiON buffer layer on Si. Our results have revealed that the (D/sub it/) is higher in the upper half of the bandgap than in the lower half of the bandgap, and are consistent with qualitative results obtained by the subthreshold current-voltage (I--V) measurements, capacitance-voltage (C-V), and ac conductance techniques. These results are also consistent with the observation that n-channel mobilities are more severely degraded than p-channel mobilities when compared to conventional MOSFETs with SiO/sub 2/ or SiON as the gate dielectric.
A clinical practice guideline for the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers.

BACKGROUND The role of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) has been examined in the medical literature for decades. There are more systematic reviews of the HBO2/DFU literature than there have been randomized controlled trials (RCTs), but none of these reviews has resulted in a clinical practice guideline (CPG) that clinicians, patients and policy-makers can use to guide decision-making in everyday practice. METHODS The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS), following the methodology of the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) Working Group, undertook this systematic review of the HBO2 literature in order to rate the quality of evidence and generate practice recommendations for the treatment of DFUs. We selected four clinical questions for review regarding the role of HBO2 in the treatment of DFUs and analyzed the literature using patient populations based on Wagner wound classification and age of the wound (i.e., acute post-operative wound vs. non-healing wound of 30 or more days). Major amputation and incomplete healing were selected as critical outcomes of interest. RESULTS This analysis showed that HBO2 is beneficial in preventing amputation and promoting complete healing in patients with Wagner Grade 3 or greater DFUs who have just undergone surgical debridement of the foot as well as in patients with Wagner Grade 3 or greater DFUs that have shown no significant improvement after 30 or more days of treatment. In patients with Wagner Grade 2 or lower DFUs, there was inadequate evidence to justify the use of HBO2 as an adjunctive treatment. CONCLUSIONS Clinicians, patients, and policy-makers should engage in shared decision-making and consider HBO2 as an adjunctive treatment of DFUs that fit the criteria outlined in this guideline. The current body of evidence provides a moderate level of evidence supporting the use of HBO2 for DFUs. Future research should be directed at improving methods for patient selection, testing various treatment protocols and improving our confidence in the existing estimates.
Fast and reliable calibration of solid substrate fermentation kinetic models using advanced non-linear programming techniques

Calibration of mechanistic kinetic models describing microorganism growth and secondary metabolite production on solid substrates is difficult due to model complexity given the sheer number of parameters needing to be estimated and violation of standard conditions of numerical regularity. We show how advanced non-linear programming techniques can be applied to achieve fast and reliable calibration of a complex kinetic model describing growth of Gibberella fujikuroi and production of gibberellic acid on an inert solid support in glass columns. Experimental culture data was obtained under different temperature and water activity conditions. Model differential equations were discretized using orthogonal collocations on finite elements while model calibration was formulated as a simultaneous solution/optimization problem. A special purpose optimization code (IPOPT) was used to solve the resulting large-scale non-linear program. Convergence proved much faster and a better fitting model was achieved in comparison with the standard sequential solution/optimization approach. Furthermore, statistical analysis showed that most parameter estimates were reliable and accurate.
Bimodal benefit for cochlear implant listeners with different grades of hearing loss in the opposite ear

Abstract Objective: To determine speech perception in quiet and noise of adult cochlear implant listeners retaining a hearing aid contralaterally. Second, to investigate the influence of contralateral hearing thresholds and speech perception on bimodal hearing. Patients and methods: Sentence recognition with hearing aid alone, cochlear implant alone and bimodally at 6 months after cochlear implantation were assessed in 148 postlingually deafened adults. Data were analyzed for bimodal summation using measures of speech perception in quiet and in noise. Results: Most of the subjects showed improved sentence recognition in quiet and in noise in the bimodal condition compared to the hearing aid-only or cochlear implant-only mode. The large variability of bimodal benefit in quiet can be partially explained by the degree of pure tone loss. Also, subjects with better hearing on the acoustic side experience significant benefit from the additional electrical input. Conclusions: Bimodal summation shows different characteristics in quiet and noise. Bimodal benefit in quiet depends on hearing thresholds at higher frequencies as well as in the lower- and middle-frequency ranges. For the bimodal benefit in noise, no correlation with hearing threshold in any frequency range was found.