Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
YKL-40 Is Elevated in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Activates Alveolar Macrophages1

YKL-40 is a chitin-binding protein that is elevated in patients with various inflammatory conditions associated with ongoing remodeling. We investigated whether the levels of YKL-40 were up-regulated in the circulation and the airways of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and whether it promoted the production of inflammatory mediators from macrophages. Serum, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), bronchial biopsies, lung tissue specimens, and alveolar macrophages from never-smokers (n = 15), smokers without COPD (n = 20), and smokers with COPD (n = 30) were assessed for YKL-40 levels and immunolocalization. In addition, YKL-40-induced mediator release from alveolar macrophages was examined. We found that smokers with COPD had elevated levels of YKL-40 in serum (p ≤ 0.027) and BAL (p ≤ 0.007), more YKL-40-positive cells in bronchial biopsies (p ≤ 0.03), and a greater proportion of alveolar macrophages expressing YKL-40 than smokers without COPD or never-smokers. YKL-40 levels in serum and BAL were associated with airflow obstruction (pre-β2 agonist forced expiratory volume in 1 s, rs = −0.3892, p = 0.0072 and rs = −0.5491, p < 0.0001, respectively) and impaired diffusion lung capacity (transfer factor of the lung for carbon monoxide, rs = −0.4667, p = 0.002 and rs = −0.3854, p = 0.0045, respectively). TNF-α stimulated YKL-40 synthesis in alveolar macrophages from smokers with COPD, and exposure of these cells to YKL-40 promoted the release of IL-8, MCP-1, MIP-1α, and metalloproteinase-9. We conclude that YKL-40 is up-regulated in COPD, in which it may contribute to tissue inflammation and remodeling by sustaining the synthesis of proinflammatory and fibrogenic chemokines and of metalloproteinases by alveolar macrophages.
Automatic Emotional Text Annotation Using Facial Expression Analysis

Sentiment analysis calls for large amounts of annotated data, which are usually in short supply and require great efforts in terms of manual annotation. Furthermore, the analysis is often limited to text polarity and writer’s emotions are ignored, even if they provide valuable information about writer's feelings that might support a large number of applications, such as open innovation processes. Our research is hence aimed at developing a methodology for the automatic annotation of texts with regard to their emotional aspects, exploiting the correlation between speech and facial expressions in videos. In the present work we describe the main ideas of our proposal, presenting a four-phase methodology and discussing the main issues related to the selection of input frames and the processing of emotions resulting from facial expressions analysis.
Predicting over-indebtedness on batch and streaming data

Detecting over-indebtedness, the difficulties meeting household payment commitments, poses multiple Big Data challenges for banking institutions. We present a novel data-driven framework for predicting over-indebtedness on real-world data. A warning mechanism that generates predictions 6 months ahead, improving the chances of financial recovery. This framework is based on the combination of feature selection and supervised learning techniques, and uses data balancing for fine-tuning the predictive models. We propose two versions of the framework based on state-of-the-art batch and streaming learning techniques. To the best of our knowledge, the proposed framework is the first to cast over-indebtedness prediction as a stream learning problem. The appeal of stream learning rises from the large amount of data continuously generated, and the fact that batch models become obsolete over time as financial data evolves, while stream models are continuously updated as new data is available. We use credit data from two banks from the Groupe BPCE (the second-largest banking institution in France) and apply multi-metric criteria to evaluate model performance and fairness. Test results show the framework's interbank applicability and that the proposed batch and stream frameworks outperform the current solution for both single and multi-metric criteria. Additionally, the generic structure of the framework serves as a template for systematically approaching similar classification problems.
Threonine 1342 in Human Topoisomerase IIα Is Phosphorylated Throughout the Cell Cycle*

To investigate the relationship between the modulation of topoisomerase II activity and its phosphorylation state during the cell cycle, a monoclonal antibody against C-terminal peptide (residues 1335-1350) of topoisomerase IIα containing a consensus sequence of casein kinase II, TDDE and its phosphorylated threonine were prepared. In an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, the antibody, named PT1342, recognized the immunogenic phosphopeptide but not the non-phosphorylated form of the peptide. The PT1342 antibody reacted only with a 170-kDa protein from HeLa cells and recognized anti-topoisomerase IIα immunoprecipitants. Furthermore, the antibody did not react with the human topoisomerase IIα mutated at codon 1342 from threonine to alanine, showing that PT1342 was directed against the phosphorylated threonine 1342. To examine the level of phosphorylation of threonine 1342 of topoisomerase IIα through the cell cycle, HeLa cells were stained simultaneously for phosphorylated topoisomerase IIα and DNA and analyzed by flow cytometry. Cells in the G2-M phase contained about double the PT1341-reacted topoisomerase IIα than did cells in G1 or S phases. The antibody stained the nuclei in interphase and mitotic chromosomes and its periphery, as seen with anti-topoisomerase IIα antibody. Thus, threonine 1342 in topoisomerase IIα is phosphorylated throughout the cell cycle.
Regulation of Serotonin Release in the Frontal Cortex and Ventral Hippocampus of Homozygous Mice Lacking 5‐HT1B Receptors: In Vivo Microdialysis Studies

Abstract: To assess the involvement of the serotonin receptor subtype 5‐HT1B as terminal autoreceptor regulating 5‐HT release in mice, we compared basal values and potassium‐evoked changes of extracellular 5‐HT levels obtained by in vivo microdialysis in two serotoninergic terminal projection areas of conscious wild‐type mice with those measured in homozygous mutant mice lacking the gene encoding the 5‐HT1B receptor. In the frontal cortex and ventral hippocampus, basal and K+‐evoked 5‐HT release did not differ between the two strains of mice studied. The infusion via reverse microdialysis of the selective 5‐HT1B receptor agonist CP‐93,129 (500 nM) decreased significantly K+‐evoked 5‐HT release in the frontal cortex (by −44%) and ventral hippocampus (by −32%) of wild‐type mice but had no effect in mutants. In a similar manner, the mixed 5‐HT1B‐5‐HT1D receptor agonist sumatriptan (800 nM) decreased significantly K+‐evoked 5‐HT release in the frontal cortex (by −46%) of wild‐type mice but had no effect in mutants. These results demonstrated that 5‐HT1B knockout mice are not as sensitive to full (CP‐93,129) and mixed (sumatriptan) 5‐HT1B receptor agonists as are wild‐type mice. These data provide in vivo evidence that, in mice, 5‐HT1B, but not 5‐HT1D, autoreceptors inhibit 5‐HT release at nerve terminals located in the frontal cortex and ventral hippocampus.
March Test Generation Revealed

Memory testing commonly faces two issues: the characterization of detailed and realistic fault models and the definition of time-efficient test algorithms. Among the different types of algorithms proposed for testing static random access memories, march tests have proven to be faster, simpler, and regularly structured. The majority of the published march tests have been manually generated. Unfortunately, the continuous evolution of the memory technology introduces new classes of faults such as dynamic and linked faults and makes the task of handwriting test algorithms harder and not always leading to optimal results. Although some researchers published handmade march tests able to deal with new fault models, the problem of a comprehensive methodology to automatically generate march tests addressing both classic and new fault models is still an open issue. This paper proposes a new polynomial algorithm to automatically generate march tests. The formal model adopted to represent memory faults allows the definition of a general methodology to deal with static, dynamic, and linked faults. Experimental results show that the new automatically generated march tests reduce the test complexity and, therefore, the test time, compared to the well-known state of the art in memory testing.
Internet social support for parents: the state of science.

TOPIC Parents of emotionally disturbed young children have expressed the need for more social support but societal constraints limit their ability to obtain adequate social support. PURPOSE This paper discusses what is currently known about coping, social support and Internet social support. It proposes the use of electronic social support to meet the needs of parents of emotionally disturbed children. SOURCE Review of literature. CONCLUSIONS Electronic forms of social support have the potential to meet the identified needs of parents for more social support.
Performance-Occupation trade-off examination in custom processor design

Trade-off between execution time and resource occupation arise in all kinds of digital system designs. Here we present such relation for FPGA-based custom processor design. Usually, the optimal tradeoff is directed by device sizing on all scales of the design, but for FPGA device, as predefined hardware platform, it is more focused on comparison of existing platforms organizations. The customization of processor architecture as a point of design performance improvement is usually focused on selection of parameter set that governs the most the design characteristics. In this paper, the focus is on processor architecture datapath with predefined design template and relationship of its structure to final FPGA implementation it maps to. For purpose of evaluation of multiple design at the same time, the appropriate software flow is applied to construct the design space based on constraining of datapath functional units operation types. The data are collected throughout the whole design flow starting from input control and data flow characteristics of the application and ending with FPGA implementation data. The analysis of the design flow showed dependence of final implementation on datapath structure and its components complexities.
Current-fed multiresonant isolated DC-DC converter

A novel topology, current-fed multiresonant dc-dc converter (CF-MRC) was studied theoretically and experimentally. The new topology differs from previously described current-fed push-pull parallel-resonant topologies in the fact that the output is coupled to the current of the resonant inductor and in the addition of a second capacitor across the transformer. The main features of the proposed converter are an inherent protection against a short and open circuit at the output, a high voltage gain and zero voltage switching (ZVS) over a large range of output voltage. These characteristics make it a viable choice for applications, such as a high voltage capacitor charger, that require controllable current sourcing over a wide output voltage swing.
Multimodal image registration for the characterization of the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and the cardiac asynchronism. (Intégration d'images multimodales pour la caractérisation de cardiomyopathies hypertrophiques et d'asynchronismes cardiaques)

This work concerns cardiac characterization, a major methodological and clinical issue, both to improve disease diagnostic and to optimize its treatment. Multisensor registration and fusion methods are proposed to bring into a common referential data from cardiac magnetic resonance (CMRI), dynamic cardiac X-ray computed tomography (CT), speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) and electro-anatomical mappings of the inner left ventricular chamber (EAM). These data is used to describe the heart by its anatomy, electrical and mechanical function, and the state of the myocardial tissue. The methods proposed to register the multimodal datasets rely on two main processes: temporal registration and spatial registration. The temporal dimensions of input data (images) are warped with an adaptive dynamic time warping (ADTW) method. This method allowed to handle the nonlinear temporal relationship between the different acquisitions. Concerning the spatial registration, iconic methods were developed, on the one hand, to correct for motion artifacts in cine acquisition, to register cine-CMRI and late gadolinium CMRI (LGE-CMRI), and to register cine-CMRI with dynamic CT. On the other hand, a contour-based method developed in a previous work was enhanced to account for multiview STE acquisitions. These methods were evaluated on real data in terms of the best metrics to use and of the accuracy of the iconic methods, and to assess the STE to cine-CMRI registration. The fusion of these multisensor data enabled to get insights about the diseased heart in the context of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and cardiac asynchronism. For HCM, we aimed to improve the understanding of STE by fusing fibrosis from LGE-CMRI with strain from multiview 2D STE. This analysis allowed to assess the significance of regional STE strain as a surrogate of the presence of regional myocardial fibrosis. Concerning cardiac asynchronism, we aimed to describe the intra-segment electro-mechanical coupling of the left ventricle using fused data from STE, EAM, CT and, if relevant, from LGE-CMRI. This feasibility study provided new elements to select the optimal sites for LV stimulation.
Viral contaminants of molluscan shellfish: detection and characterisation

Abstract: Environmental virology started with the detection of poliovirus in water. Since then other enteric viruses responsible for gastroenteritis and hepatitis have replaced enteroviruses as the main target for detection. Most shellfish-borne viral outbreaks are restricted to norovirus and hepatitis A virus, making them the main targets for bivalve virological analysis. The inclusion of virus analysis in regulatory standards for viruses in molluscan bivalve samples must overcome several shortcomings such as the technical difficulties and high costs of virus monitoring, the lack of harmonised and standardised assays and the challenge posed by the ever-changing nature of viruses. Nowadays methods are available to detect, quantify and characterise viral pathogens in molluscan shellfish to reduce the risks of shellfish-borne virus diseases.
Spiral Computed Tomographic Angiography – A New Technique for Evaluation of Vascular Access in Hemodialysis Patients

Spiral computed tomographic angiography (CTA), a new noninvasive imaging technique, was used to study 10 arteriovenous fistulas (AVF) in 9 hemodialysis patients. Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) was also performed as a gold standard for comparison. AVF stenosis was graded by a four-point scale: grade 0, well patency of supplying artery, anastomosis and drainage vein; grade 1, <50% stenosis; grade 2, 50–70% stenosis; grade 3, 70–99% stenosis, and grade 4, total occlusion. We found CTA correlated closely to DSA in detecting both stenosis and dilatation of AVF and it spared all the shortcomings of DSA. CTA has the potential to be alternative for imaging of dialysis fistulas. Further studies will be performed to specify the role of CTA images in the assessment of the hemodialysis vascular access.
Four-Dimensional Visualization of the Simultaneous Activity of Alternative Adeno-Associated Virus Replication Origins

ABSTRACT The adeno-associated virus (AAV) inverted terminal repeats (ITRs) contain the AAV Rep protein-binding site (RBS) and the terminal resolution site (TRS), which together act as a minimal origin of DNA replication. The AAV p5 promoter also contains an RBS, which is involved in Rep-mediated regulation of promoter activity, as well as a functional TRS, and origin activity of these signals has in fact been demonstrated previously in the presence of adenovirus helper functions. Here, we show that in the presence of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and AAV Rep protein, p5 promoter-bearing plasmids are efficiently amplified to form large head-to-tail concatemers, which are readily packaged in HSV-1 virions if an HSV-1 DNA-packaging/cleavage signal is provided in cis. We also demonstrate simultaneous and independent replication from the two alternative AAV replication origins, p5 and ITR, on the single-cell level using multicolor-fluorescence live imaging, a finding which raises the possibility that both origins may contribute to the AAV life cycle. Furthermore, we assess the differential affinities of Rep for the two different replication origins, p5 and ITR, both in vitro and in live cells and identify this as a potential mechanism to control the replicative and promoter activities of p5.
Development of the Health and Work Questionnaire (HWQ): an instrument for assessing workplace productivity in relation to worker health.

BACKGROUND Workplace productivity evaluations often involve subjective assessments. This study was performed to develop and validate a new multidimensional instrument, the Health and Work Questionnaire (HWQ), for measuring workplace productivity and worker heath. METHODS In a prospective, non-randomized study, objective and subjective workplace productivity (measured with the HWQ) was assessed among 96 current, 94 former, and 104 non-smoking volunteer reservation agents at a US-based international airline. RESULTS Six HWQ sub-scales were identified from factor analyses: productivity, concentration/focus, supervisor relations, impatience/irritability, work satisfaction, and non-work satisfaction. Non-smokers (individuals who had never smoked) had higher scores on all scales. The HWQ scale scores all correlated significantly with the objective measure "Time Lost"; two of the scales correlated significantly with the summary objective performance measure. Magnitudes of the significant correlations were modest (0.12 to 0.22). CONCLUSIONS The HWQ may be useful for evaluating the impact of interventions on workplace productivity. Additional validation research on the HWQ is recommended before use as a primary measure in studies of worker productivity.
Binding of Peptides with Basic and Aromatic Residues to Bilayer Membranes

Electrostatic interactions with positively charged regions of membrane-associated proteins such as myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS) may have a role in regulating the level of free phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2) in plasma membranes. Both the MARCKS protein and a peptide corresponding to the effector domain (an unstructured region that contains 13 basic residues and 5 phenylalanines), MARCKS-(151–175), laterally sequester the polyvalent lipid PI(4,5)P2 in the plane of a bilayer membrane with high affinity. We used high resolution magic angle spinning NMR to establish the location of MARCKS-(151–175) in membrane bilayers, which is necessary to understand the sequestration mechanism. Measurements of cross-relaxation rates in two-dimensional nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy NMR experiments show that the five Phe rings of MARCKS-(151–175) penetrate into the acyl chain region of phosphatidylcholine bilayers containing phosphatidylglycerol or PI(4,5)P2. Specifically, we observed strong cross-peaks between the aromatic protons of the Phe rings and the acyl chain protons of the lipids, even for very short (50 ms) mixing times. The position of the Phe rings implies that the adjacent positively charged amino acids in the peptide are close to the level of the negatively charged lipid phosphates. The deep location of the MARCKS peptide in the polar head group region should enhance its electrostatic sequestration of PI(4,5)P2 by an “image charge” mechanism. Moreover, this location has interesting implications for membrane curvature and local surface pressure effects and may be relevant to a wide variety of other proteins with basic-aromatic clusters, such as phospholipase D, GAP43, SCAMP2, and the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor.
Spread the word. Word of mouth is a powerful, but often undervalued, marketing strategy---here's how to harness it.

W hile woRd-of-mouth mARketing has always been available to marketers, it tends to be dismissed and undervalued as a legitimate strategy. check the index of any marketing or public relations textbook —a description of WOM is usually just a paragraph to a few pages long, if it’s included at all. More often than not, such a mention tends to focus squarely on the consequences of negative WOM without discussing the ramifications of positive WOM. For instance, most marketing professionals have learned that very satisfied consumers will tell an average of three people about their positive encounter while a bad experience will be shared with 10 people. WOM marketing is typically defined as the sharing of information from one person to another person or groups though human communication such as face-to-face contact, telephone, correspondence (letters, e-mail, text messaging) or social media. positive WOM, often called buzz, viral marketing or free advertising, occurs when one individual tells another individual(s) about a product or service. positive WOM is considered to be one of the most powerful forces in the marketplace, especially in health care, where services can be complex and difficult to evaluate. in health care, positive WOM from experienced and trustworthy sources can reduce the discomfort of making a medical decision. in the article, “Loyalty and positive Word of Mouth: patients and hospital personnel as advcates of a customer-centric health care Organization,” ronald Ferguson and colleagues noted that WOM helps to overcome the following: SpReAd the woRd
The molten glass sewing machine

We present a fluid-instability-based approach for digitally fabricating geometrically complex uniformly sized structures in molten glass. Formed by mathematically defined and physically characterized instability patterns, such structures are produced via the additive manufacturing of optically transparent glass, and result from the coiling of an extruded glass thread. We propose a minimal geometrical model—and a methodology—to reliably control the morphology of patterns, so that these building blocks can be assembled into larger structures with tailored functionally and optically tunable properties. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Patterning through instabilities in complex media: theory and applications’.
Lethal infantile mitochondrial disease with isolated complex I deficiency in fibroblasts but with combined complex I and IV deficiencies in muscle

A 2-month-old boy died of a lethal infantile mitochondrial disease with severe lactic acidosis and involvement of the CNS. Histochemical analysis of skeletal muscle showed that cytochrome c oxidase staining was lacking in all muscle fibers but was present in arterioles. Ragged red fibers were not seen, but some fibers showed excessive staining for succinate dehydrogenase. Biochemical analysis revealed a combined complex I and IV deficiency in skeletal muscle but only a complex I deficiency in his fibroblasts. Two-dimensional native SDS electrophoresis confirmed these enzymatic findings at the protein level. Analysis of mitochondrial translation products in fibroblasts revealed no abnormalities, and analysis of mitochondrial DNA in muscle showed no depletion, large-scale deletions, or frequently occurring point mutations. We conclude that this disease must have been the result of either a nuclear DNA mutation in a gene controlling the expression or assembly of both complex I and the muscle-specific isoform of complex IV or, alternatively, a heteroplasmic point mutation in a mitochondrial tRNA, which codon is used more often by mtDNA encoded subunits of complex I than by mtDNA encoded subunits of complex IV. A different degree of heteroplasmy in skeletal muscle and fibroblasts would then explain the curious heterogeneous tissue expression of defects in this patient. NEUROLOGY 1996;47: 243-248