Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cellular Interactions in the LPR and GLD Models of Systemic Autoimmunity

The lpr and gld murine models have been important contributors to our understanding of systemic autoimmune diseases. Mice homozygous for either of these autosomal recessive genes develop a phenotypically identical disease characterized by the accumulation of CD4-CD8- T-cells and the production of a wide spectrum of autoantibodies. The lpr (lymphoproliferation) mutation encodes a defective Fas apoptosis receptor gene. More recently, gld (generalized lymphadenopathy) has been shown to be a point mutation in the Fas ligand gene. Despite the molecular characterization of these mutations, the exact mechanism by which tolerance is lost is still unknown, although in vivo cell transfer studies have provided clues. Chimera studies, in which normal and lpr bone marrow were co-infused into lpr mice, demonstrated not only that the normal Fas receptor is functionally expressed in both T- and B-cells, but that the Fas mutation is required in both for full expression of the lpr phenotype. Conversely, in analogous experiments with gld mice, co-infusion of normal and gld bone marrow largely prevented the development of autoantibodies. Sporadic autoantibody titers were seen in some mice, but were derived from both donors. The effects on T-cells were subtly different: The CD4-CD8- T-cells were also greatly reduced in number, but all were of gld origin. These data indicate that the gld defect is extrinsic to B-cells but only partially extrinsic to T-cells, and suggest that Fas ligand in T-cells may have an autocrine and paracrine function.
VCO-ADCs with a Quadrature Band-Pass Noise-Transfer-Function

This work describes a systematic way to implement a band-pass noise-transfer-function (NTF) in an analog-to-digital converter implemented with a voltage-controlled-oscillator (VCO-ADC). The approach is based on the pulse frequency modulation (PFM) interpretation of a VCO-ADC, where the NTF is defined by a suitable pulse shaping filter inserted after the VCO. In this work, we explain how this pulse shaping filter can be defined to implement a quadrature band-pass NTF. In addition to describing the best theoretical way to achieve this, we also propose a hardware implementation using a digital delay line whose outputs are decoded with two lookup tables (LUTs). This enables tuning the NTF in software. Transient simulations were made to validate the implementation and robustness of the proposed approach and a case study of the power consumption was made for the case of a 65-nm CMOS process. Due to the mostly digital circuit implementation, the proposed structure is suitable for even newer ultra deep submicron CMOS processes.
An Electrically Small Frequency Reconfigurable Antenna With a Wide Tuning Range

An electrically small frequency-reconfigurable antenna with a very wide tuning band is proposed. Three varactor diodes are used to achieve the tunable capacitance. With a modifled feeding structure, the measured tuning range of the fabricated antenna reaches from 457.5 to 894.5 MHz, and the tuning band enhancement is also explained through an equivalent circuit analysis.
Depressive mood modulates the anterior lateral CA1 and DG/CA3 during a pattern separation task in cognitively intact individuals: A functional MRI study

Although patients with major depressive disorder typically have a reduced hippocampal volume, particularly in the cornu ammonis 1 (CA1), animal studies suggest that depressive mood is related to the dentate gyrus (DG). In this study, our objective was to clarify which hippocampal subregions are functionally associated with depressive mood in humans. We conducted a functional MRI (fMRI) study on 27 cognitively intact volunteers. Subjects performed a modified version of a delayed matching‐to‐sample task in an MRI scanner to investigate pattern separation‐related activity during each phase of encoding, delay, and retrieval. In each trial, subjects learned a pair of sample cues. Functional MR images were acquired at a high spatial resolution, focusing on the hippocampus. Subjects also completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), a questionnaire about depressive mood. Depending on the similarity between sample cues, activity in the DG/CA3 and medial CA1 in the anterior hippocampus changed only during encoding. Furthermore, the DG/CA3 region was more active during successful encoding trials compared to false trials. Activity in the DG/CA3 and lateral CA1 was negatively correlated with BDI scores. These results suggest that the DG/CA3 is the core region for pattern separation during the encoding phase and interacts with the medial CA1, depending on the similarity of the stimuli, to achieve effective encoding. Impaired activity in the DG/CA3, as well as in the lateral CA1, was found to be associated with depressive symptoms, even at a subclinical level. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Use of A Bioreactor Consisting of Sequentially Aligned L‐Glutamate Dehydrogenase and L‐Glutamate Oxidase for the Determination of Ammonia by Chemiluminescence

A chemiluminometric method for the automated flow injection analysis of ammonia is described. The essence of the invention is the use of a bioreactor consisting of both immobilized L‐glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH) and L‐glutamate oxidase (GLXD), which are sequentially aligned in this order in a minicolumn measuring 2.0 × 20 mm. The unidirectional constant flow of liquid through the column reactor minimizes the reversed diffusion of the solutes so that the following sequence of reactions is ensured. Thus, ammonia to be determined is first transformed by GLDH into L‐glutamate, which then produces hydrogen peroxide by GLXD. Hydrogen peroxide in the effluent from the column is then determined by its chemiluminescence upon admixing with luminol and potassium ferricyanide. The present method gives linearity of the standard curve for ammonia up to 1.0 mM. It is at least 100 times more sensitive than the conventional method for ammonia assay using ultraviolet absorption measurement.
Antigen‐antibody complexes suppress antibody production by mouse plasmacytoma cells in vitro

Preformed complexes of 2,4‐dinitrophenylated keyhole limpet hemocyanin (DNP‐KLH) and anti‐DNP or anti‐KLH antibodies selectively, suppressed the production of anti‐DNP IgA by the plasmacytoma cell line, MOPC 315, in vitro. Complexes made with DNP8.5KLH (8.5 moles DNP/105 daltons carrier) inhibited the secretion of IgA but not its synthesis, whereas complexes prepared with the more highly substituted DNP20KLH inhibited synthesis as well. Moreover, complexes of DNP‐KLH and anti‐DNP F(ab′)2 fragments were as suppressive as those made with IgG antibodies, suggesting that the mode of presentation of antigenic determinants and not surface Fc receptors may play a major role in this phenomenon.
Good Applications for Crummy Entity Linkers?: The Case of Corpus Selection in Digital Humanities

Over the last decade we have made great progress in entity linking (EL) systems, but performance may vary depending on the context and, arguably, there are even principled limitations preventing a "perfect" EL system. This also suggests that there may be applications for which current "imperfect" EL is already very useful, and makes finding the "right" application as important as building the "right" EL system. We investigate the Digital Humanities use case, where scholars spend a considerable amount of time selecting relevant source texts. We developed WideNet; a semantically-enhanced search tool which leverages the strengths of (imperfect) EL without getting in the way of its expert users. We evaluate this tool in two historical case-studies aiming to collect a set of references to historical periods in parliamentary debates from the last two decades; the first targeted the Dutch Golden Age, and the second World War II. The case-studies conclude with a critical reflection on the utility of WideNet for this kind of research, after which we outline how such a real-world application can help to improve EL technology in general.
A comparison of female and castrate pigs slaughtered at weights above and below 120 kg on carcass traits, intramuscular fat and fatty acid composition of carcasses intended for dry-cured ham and shoulder production

The objective of this trial was to study the impact of slaughter weight (SW) class: heavy (≥120 kg) or light (<120 kg) on carcass fatness, development of main lean cuts and fat composition in barrows and gilts intended for dry-cured ham and shoulder elaboration. A total of 181 Duroc × (Landrace × Large White) pigs was used, being 94 barrows and 87 gilts. Carcasses from barrows had lower ham compactness but higher shoulder:ham weight ratio than those from gilts. The allometric growth coefficient of ham was higher in gilts whereas those for shoulder, loin and shoulder/ham were higher in barrows. An interaction sex × SW class was found for carcass fatness; the increase of fat thickness was higher in barrows than in gilts in light SW class but higher in gilts than in barrows in heavy SW class. In addition, the allometric growth coefficients for ham, loin and shoulder:ham ratio were higher in light than in heavy pigs. Percentage of rejected carcasses at slaughterhouse, due to lack of fat thickness, was higher for females than for barrows and for light than for heavy pigs. Sex and SW class had no effect on intramuscular fat content. However, more saturation was found in fat (intramuscular) from barrows and in that (subcutaneous) from light pigs. It can be concluded that carcasses from barrows are commercially more suitable than those from gilts and heavy SW might be more interesting when animals are intended for Teruel dry-cured ham and shoulder production.
Getting Growth Accounting Right

Variation in factor shares, extensively documented in recent years, implies that standard growth accounting exercises are plagued by measurement issues. First, the standard assumption of constant shares generates a bias in the estimation of the contribution of factors to economic growth. Second, the effect that changes in factor shares have on output depends on the relative abundance of factors and, for this reason, having correct units of measurement for all factors is imperative. We perform a growth accounting exercise that incorporates factor share variation and solves the measurement issue. Results suggest that (i) the correct units of measurement are significantly lower than standard ones for the stocks of physical, natural and human capital per worker (ii) changes in factor shares have an important effect on the growth rates of income per worker for several countries and (iii) the marginal productivity of all factors is positively correlated with per worker income.
Squamous cell carcinoma of the thymus. An analysis of eight cases

Right cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the anterior mediastinum, most likely derived from the thymus, are presented. Seven were male and one female ranging in age from 39 to 65 years: the average was 55.5 years. There were no cases associated with any paraneo-plastic syndromes. They possessed common morphological characteristics. Grossly, the tumors resembled malignant thymoma. Invasion of the lung and metastases to regional lymph nodes were frequent. Often observed microscopically were foci of sharply defined kcratinization resembling Hassall's corpuscles, no radial arrangement of tumor cells at the periphery of nests, and broad, fibrotic, or hyalinized stroma. Admixture of a few lymphoid cells and some features transitional to thymoma were also observed in some parts of tumors. However, undoubtedly carcinomatous areas were present in some or large parts of all the tumors, where individual cells possessed a vesicular nucleus and a prominent round nucleolus. These features were distinct from those of bronchogenic squamous cell carcinoma and other thymic tumors, although they appeared to be related to thymoma. Treatment of choice is radical surgery and postoperative radiotherapy, because of relatively high radiosensitivity. Prognosis of patients was relatively good. From analyses of cases, it is concluded that squamous cell carcinoma of the thymus should be separated from ordinary thymoma of the epithelial type, and that squamous cell carcinoma involving both the thymus and lungs should be carefully examined for the primary site of growth.
A nation-wide evidence-based data analysis of repeated suicide attempts.

BACKGROUND Taiwan is a high-risk area for suicide. Repeated suicide attempts are an important factor of suicide mortality. Yet there has been little research on the factors associated with repeated suicidal behavior in Taiwan. AIMS To explore the characteristics of repeated suicide attempts. METHODS Data were obtained from the National Health Insurance Research Database for 2005 to 2008. We then classified repeated suicide attempts into single method, two different methods, and three different methods. RESULTS A total of 1,004 inpatients were admitted to Taiwanese hospitals due to repeated suicide attempts, and the use of a single suicide method constituted the majority of the cases (71%). Risk factors related to repeated suicide attempts included being female, aged 30-39, suicide by poisoning using solid and/or liquid substances, the fall season, living in Northern Taiwan, more psychiatric nature of injury codes (N-codes), seeking medical attention from a psychiatrist, receiving more surgeries or procedures, a longer length of stay in a hospital, coming from a low-income background, and having a serious illness. CONCLUSIONS Consultation and treatment are particularly crucial for patients with mental illnesses and other concomitant diseases, so that the psychiatric symptoms such as auditory and visual hallucinations can be controlled.
Identification of Key Charged Residues of Human Interleukin-5 in Receptor Binding and Cellular Activation (*)

Interleukin-5 (IL-5) is a cytokine that plays a major role in the differentiation and activation of eosinophils. In order to identify which charged residues of human IL-5 are important in binding to its receptor and subsequent cellular activation, we have systematically replaced all of the clusters of charged amino acids with alanine residues. The mutants have been expressed in Escherichia coli, renatured, and purified. They were assayed for ability to cause proliferation of the erythroleukaemic cell line TF-1 and the up-regulation of eosinophil adhesion to ICAM-1. In addition, we studied receptor binding using either immobilized recombinant IL-5 receptor α-chain or the α/β-receptor complex expressed on TF-1 cells. The key charged residue involved in binding to the β-chain of the receptor is Glu-12. This residue is in an identical position to those previously identified in IL-3 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) involved in binding to the receptor β-chain. The α-chain binding site is shown to involve the side chains Arg-90 and Glu-109, located in the second β sheet and after the end of the fourth helix, respectively. It is unique to IL-5 and does not occur in IL-3 or GM-CSF. Understanding the topology of the interaction of IL-5 with its receptor chains will help in the search for rationally designed antagonists of IL-5 function.
Preventable Maternal Risk Factors and Association of Genital Infection with Fetal Growth Restriction

Introduction: Maternal risk factors may interfere with mechanisms regulating fetal growth. The aim of the present study was to determine which sociodemographic and reproductive risk factors may be related to fetal growth restriction (FGR), with a special focus on determinants possible for preventive intervention. Materials and Methods: The study period is from May 2007 until December 2009. Data about lifestyle habits were collected by use of a detailed questionnaire in 65 women who attended Riga Maternity Hospital with the confirmed diagnosis of intrauterine FGR of a singleton fetus, and in 65 matched controls with normal pregnancies. Results: Being unmarried (p = 0.04), having pregnancy-related blood pressure rise (p = 0.02), current (p = 0.01) and pre-pregnancy smoking (p = 0.01) and history of more than 3 pregnancy failures (p = 0.04) were more frequent in women with FGR than controls. Surprisingly, the finding of genital infection (STI) during pregnancy (p = 0.006) was also strongly associated with FGR. Conclusions: Obviously, several maternal risk factors play an important role in FGR. Besides refraining from smoking, screening and treating for STI may not only prevent preterm birth, but also FGR. Identifying such anticipating factors would likely have the potential impact if detected before conception, or as early as possible in gestation.
Consumption growth, uncovered equity parity and the cross-section of returns on foreign currencies

Lagged foreign stock returns in excess of the U.S. stock market return are informative about quarterly exchange rate movements. A past high foreign stock return relative to the U.S. signals a foreign currency depreciation and hence low returns on the foreign currency. Conditional on stock return differentials, the consumption-based CAPM (CCAPM) explains the cross-sectional dispersion in U.S. dollar exchange rates. The CCAPM captures more than 40 percent of the variation in foreign currency returns scaled with the respective stock return differential on a country-by-country basis.
More Virulent Offspring Result From Hybridization of Invasive Aphid Species, Diuraphis noxia (Hemiptera: Aphididae), With Diuraphis tritici Endemic to the United States

Abstract The Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Kurdjumov), invaded the United States in 1986 and soon became a significant pest of wheat. Diuraphis tritici (Gillette) is native to the United States and was firmly established on wild grasses before the arrival of Russian wheat aphid. Both species are known to coinfest the same grass hosts, during the time they enter the sexual phase in the fall, mate, and produce overwintering eggs. Therefore, we induced males and females under greenhouse conditions in the fall and conducted studies in the laboratory to determine if these two species interbred and produced viable offspring. Fitness and virulence to Russian wheat aphid-resistant wheat and barley entries were also compared among the hybrid progeny and both parents. Diuraphis tritici produced males and females in October. Diuraphis noxia biotype RWA8 produced enough oviparae to conduct crossing experiments. No males occurred in the D. noxia colony making it only possible to crossbreed D. tritici males with RWA8 oviparae and to inbreed D. tritici. No difference in egg production per female (2.0–2.5) or percent egg hatch (23.1–27.0%) was found between crosses. However, progeny survival after hatch for D. tritici inbreds (33.3%) was much higher than the D. tritici × D. noxia crosses (0.25%). Only one hybrid survived to reproductive adult. Intrinsic rate of increase (rm) indicated the hybrid (0.18) was less fit than both parents (0.24–0.29). The hybrid line produced damage ratings to the 16 cereal entries similar to D. tritici but was more virulent to wheat and barley entries than both parents.
C-Type Natriuretic Peptide Induces Redifferentiation of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells With Accelerated Reendothelialization

Abstract—We recently reported that C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) occurs in vascular endothelial cells and acts as a vascular-type natriuretic peptide. In the present study, we stimulated the cGMP cascade in proliferating smooth muscle cells (SMCs), in which particulate guanylate cyclase-B, the specific receptor for CNP, is predominantly expressed, by use of an adenovirus encoding rat CNP cDNA (Ad.CNP). In the Ad.CNP-treated cultured SMCs, CNP caused the growth inhibition of SMCs at G1 phase with an early increase of p21CIP1/WAF1 expression and subsequent upregulation of p16INK4a. The expression of smooth muscle myosin heavy chain-2, which is the molecular marker of highly differentiated SMCs, was reinduced in the Ad.CNP- treated SMCs. The Ad.CNP-treated SMCs also reexpressed particulate guanylate cyclase-A, which shows high affinity to atrial and brain natriuretic peptide and is exclusively expressed in well-differentiated SMCs. CNP, which was overexpressed in rabbit femoral arteries in vivo at the time of balloon injury, significantly suppressed neointimal formation. Furthermore, an enhancement of the expression of smooth muscle myosin heavy chain-2 occurred in the residual neointima. In addition, early regeneration of endothelial cells was observed in the Ad.CNP-infected group. Thus, stimulation of cGMP cascade in proliferating dedifferentiated SMCs can induce growth inhibition and redifferentiation of SMCs with accelerated reendothelialization.
Persistence of chloramphenicol residues in chicken muscle tissue after a therapeutic dose administration

ABSTRACT One-day-old chickens were individually orally treated with chloramphenicol at a dose of 100 mg per kg of body weight per day for three consecutive days. After the final treatment, the groups of six birds were sacrificed in seven-day intervals up to 42 days. The muscle tissue collected from the breasts and legs of each bird was individually examined for the presence of chloramphenicol residues using a GC/MS-NCI analytical method, which was validated according to Commission Decision 2002/657/EC. The decision limit (CCα) obtained for the method was 0.05 ng g−1. The results showed a rapid decrease of chloramphenicol concentration in the muscle tissue after termination of the treatment, but also showed a relatively long persistence of low residue concentrations. Levels of chloramphenicol in muscle tissue averaged 64 ng g−1 seven days after the final treatment and fell to 0.21 ng g−1 after 35 days. All animals tested on the 35th day after the final treatment showed detectable chloramphenicol concentrations above the decision limit of the method used. No residues were detected in the animal tissues 42 days after the end of the treatment.
Cognitive Predictors of Satisfaction with Hospital Inpatient Service Encounters Among the Elderly

ABSTRACT Given the burgeoning growth of the elderly population, ensuring the satisfaction of senior consumers of health services is worthy of heightened attention by healthcare administrators both on economic and social grounds. By examining inpatient satisfaction among the elderly, we have focused our attention on an important and understudied segment of health consumers within a dominant service delivery context. Moreover, we have supplemented traditional hospital service satisfaction indicators by including a variety of rarely used psychological variables as cognitive predictors of service assessments. This study reinforces the empirical connection between trust in one's physician and elderly inpatient satisfaction at an increased level. The results suggest that increased levels of trust is positively associated with overall satisfaction of elderly inpatients as well as their satisfaction with several subdimensions of service that represent specific attributes of the hospital inpatient encounter.