Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increased levels of CCR7 ligands in carotid atherosclerosis: different effects in macrophages and smooth muscle cells.

AIMS The homeostatic chemokines, CCL19 and CCL21 and their receptor CCR7, have recently been linked to atherogenesis. We investigated the expression of CCL19/CCL21/CCR7 in carotid atherosclerosis as well as the ability of these chemokines to modulate lipid accumulation in macrophages and vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) phenotype. METHODS AND RESULTS Our major findings were: (i) patients with carotid atherosclerosis (n = 158) had increased plasma levels of CCL21, but not of CCL19, compared with controls (n = 20), with particularly high levels in symptomatic (n = 99) when compared with asymptomatic (n = 59) disease. (ii) Carotid plaques showed markedly increased mRNA levels of CCL21 and CCL19 in symptomatic (n = 14) when compared with asymptomatic (n = 7) patients, with CCR7 localized to macrophages and vascular SMC (immunohistochemistry). (iii) In vitro, CCL21, but not CCL19, increased the binding of modified LDL and promoted lipid accumulation in THP-1 macrophages. (iv) CCL19, but not CCL21, increased proliferation and release and activity of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 1 in vascular SMC. (v) The differential effects of CCL19 and CCL21 in macrophages and SMC seem to be attributable to divergent signalling pathways, with CCL19-mediated activation of AKT in SMC- and CCL21-mediated activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 in macrophages. CONCLUSION CCL19 and CCL21 are up-regulated in carotid atherosclerosis. The ability of CCL21 to promote lipid accumulation in macrophages and of CCL19 to induce proliferation and MMP-1 expression in vascular SMC could contribute to their pro-atherogenic potential.
Divergence of West African and North American Communities of Aspergillus SectionFlavi

ABSTRACT West African Aspergillus flavus S isolates differed from North American isolates. Both produced aflatoxin B1. However, 40 and 100% of West African isolates also produced aflatoxin G1 in NH4 medium and urea medium, respectively. No North American S strain isolate produced aflatoxin G1. This geographical and physiological divergence may influence aflatoxin management.
An investigation on robust biped walking using compliant force control and a online walking pattern generator

This paper discuses biped walking which is robust to external disturbances and how it could be realized by means of achieving compliance and dynamic trajectory generation. A method of limiting the ground reaction forces is presented. It is mathematically equivalent to a conventional position control system when the ground reaction forces are within the set limits, therefore in this case the positioning performance is the same. This method only requires the tooltip position reference, joint states and force sensor data as inputs. As an application it can be used to limit the ZMP of a biped robot to be within the foot sole, limiting the lateral forces to prevent sliding and limiting the downwards foot force after a jumping maneuver to prevent breaking the leg mechanism. It could be considered to be more general than the conventional ZMP controller method of stabilizing biped walking yet it is compatible and can be used in conjunction with such a method. A method of calculating the foot and COM trajectories online is also discussed. A walking simulation is presented to show the effectiveness of the ground reaction force limiter in the case where the input trajectory is inappropriate for the robot. A different simulation shows how the robot can attain compliance to external forces while keeping the ZMP in a predefined sub-region of the foot. Finally a simulation is shown to demonstrate the proposed walking pattern generator.
Pentacarbonyl-1κ2 C,2κ3 C-(4-iodophenyl isocyanide-1κC)(μ-propane-1,3-dithiolato-1:2κ4 S,S′:S,S′)iron(I)(Fe—Fe)

In the title compound, [Fe2(C7H4IN)(C3H6S2)(CO)5], the Fe—Fe distance of 2.5156 (11) Å compares well with that in related model structures. The phenyl isocyanide ligand is in the basal position and trans to the S atoms of the propanedithiolate ligand due to steric hindrance. The crystal structure features C—H⋯O interactions.
Reproductive hormone reference intervals for healthy fertile young men: evaluation of automated platform assays.

CONTEXT Management of male infertility and/or androgen deficiency requires accurate hormonal measurements with valid reference intervals. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to develop a valid reference panel of blood samples from healthy eugonadal young men with verified normal reproductive function and to use this panel to evaluate the performance of seven fully automated, commercial multiplex immunoassay platforms used to measure serum total testosterone (T), LH, and FSH. DESIGN This was an observational study of consistency among seven different automated immunoassays for each of total T, LH, and FSH. Each method was implemented in two laboratories, with each repeating the analysis of the full reference panel samples twice. Serum T concentrations were also measured by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), and serum inhibin B levels were determined by an ELISA. SETTING The study was performed at commercial, high-volume, clinical pathology laboratories. PARTICIPANTS From 147 men screened, sera from 124 healthy, reproductively normal men (age, 21-35 yr) with normal sperm output were used as a reference panel. All laboratories selected for elite performance in the national immunoassay quality assurance program agreed to participate. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) For each of the 868 assays, descriptive statistics were calculated in the natural and log-transformed scales and were analyzed by nested, repeated measures ANOVA after log transformation. Reference intervals, defined as 95% confidence limits, were calculated using arithmetic (natural scale), geometric (log scale) and nonparametric methods. RESULTS Descriptive statistics and reference intervals for serum T, LH, and FSH differed widely and significantly between methods, but variation between laboratories for the same assay was negligible. All T methods showed significant differences in regression slope and intercept in deviance plots as well as in estimated reference ranges compared with the independent GC/MS reference method. Although similar between-method differences existed for gonadotropin assays, the smaller quantitative discrepancies allowed assignment of consensus reference intervals for serum FSH (1.3-8.4 IU/liter) and LH (1.6-8.0 IU/liter), although these differed from manufacturers' currently quoted expected values. CONCLUSIONS Using a reference panel of sera from healthy eugonadal young men with verified normal reproductive function, major differences exist between commercial T immunoassays as well as divergence from the GC/MS standard. This impairs their clinical diagnostic utility and requires substantial improvements in automated T immunoassay technologies or a switch to GC/MS methods. Gonadotropin assays showed less variability, but current high-throughput immunoassays remain suboptimal to confirm accurate diagnosis of azoospermia or androgen deficiency.
EFFECTS OF CASTRATION ON CANNABINOID CB1 RECEPTOR EXPRESSION AND ON THE BIOLOGICAL ACTIONS OF CANNABINOID IN THE PAROTID GLAND

1 In the present study, we examined whether cannabinoid receptor expression and the effects of receptor stimulation vary as a function of gonadal status in a peripheral tissue, namely the male rat parotid gland. Four groups of male rats were studied: gonadal intact, castrated, castrated testosterone (1 mg/100 g bodyweight) treated and gonadal intact testosterone treated. 2 The results showed that the density of CB1 receptors decreased after castration and that receptor density was restored to control values after testosterone treatment. This decrement was associated with a decrease of anandamide (10‐10 to 10‐5 mol/L)‐induced cAMP accumulation and amylase release without changes in the anandamide‐induced inhibition of Na+/K+‐ATPase activity. 3 Castration did not modify either the subtype of cannabinoid receptor involved in the actions of anandamide or drug affinity for the receptor. 4 The mechanism underlying anandamide‐induced cAMP accumulation, amylase release and inhibition of Na+/K+‐ATPase activity, namely through the activation of adenylyl cyclase, was the same in control and castrated rats. 5 Basal cAMP accumulation, amylase release and Na+/K+‐ATPase activity were not altered by castration. 6 Castration had no effect on the concentration of total protein. 7 It can be concluded that CB1 cannabinoid receptor expression is regulated by testosterone in male rat parotid gland and this has functional implications for cAMP accumulation and amylase release.
Assessment of Processes of Change for Weight Management in a UK Sample

Objective: The present study aimed to validate the English version of the Processes of Change questionnaire in weight management (P-Weight). Methods: Participants were 1,087 UK adults, including people enrolled in a behavioural weight management programme, university students and an opportunistic sample. The mean age of the sample was 34.80 (SD = 13.56) years, and 83% were women. BMI ranged from 18.51 to 55.36 (mean = 25.92, SD = 6.26) kg/m2. Participants completed both the stages and processes questionnaires in weight management (S-Weight and P-Weight), and subscales from the EDI-2 and EAT-40. A refined version of the P-Weight consisting of 32 items was obtained based on the item analysis. Results: The internal structure of the scale fitted a four-factor model, and statistically significant correlations with external measures supported the convergent validity of the scale. Conclusion: The adequate psychometric properties of the P-Weight English version suggest that it could be a useful tool to tailor weight management interventions.
Impact of 1 wk of diabetes on the regulation of myocardial carbohydrate and fatty acid oxidation

Chatham, John C. , Zhi-Ping Gao, and John R. Forder. Impact of 1 wk of diabetes on the regulation of myocardial carbohydrate and fatty acid oxidation. Am. J. Physiol. 277 (Endocrinol. Metab. 40): E342–E351, 1999. —The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of increasing exogenous palmitate concentration on carbohydrate and palmitate oxidation in hearts from control and 1-wk diabetic rats. Hearts were perfused with glucose, [3-13C]lactate, and [U-13C]palmitate. Substrate oxidation rates were determined by combining 13C-NMR glutamate isotopomer analysis of tissue extracts with measurements of oxygen consumption. Carbohydrate oxidation was markedly depressed after diabetes in the presence of low (0.1 mM) but not high (1.0 mM) palmitate concentration. Increasing exogenous palmitate concentration 10-fold resulted in a 7-fold increase in the contribution of palmitate to energy production in controls but only a 30% increase in the diabetic group. Consequently, at 0.1 mM palmitate, the rate of fatty acid oxidation was higher in the diabetic group than in controls; however, at 1.0 mM fatty acid oxidation, it was significantly depressed. Therefore, after 1 wk of diabetes, the major differences in carbohydrate and fatty acid metabolism occur primarily at low rather than high exogenous palmitate concentration.
FGF7 and FGF10 directly induce the apical ectodermal ridge in chick embryos.

During vertebrate limb development, the apical ectodermal ridge (AER) plays a vital role in both limb initiation and distal outgrowth of the limb bud. In the early chick embryo the prelimb bud mesoderm induces the AER in the overlying ectoderm. However, the direct inducer of the AER remains unknown. Here we report that FGF7 and FGF10, members of the fibroblast growth factor family, are the best candidates for the direct inducer of the AER. FGF7 induces an ectopic AER in the flank ectoderm of the chick embryo in a different manner from FGF1, -2, and -4 and activates the expression of Fgf8, an AER marker gene, in a cultured flank ectoderm without the mesoderm. Remarkably, FGF7 and FGF10 applied in the back induced an ectopic AER in the dorsal median ectoderm. Our results suggest that FGF7 and FGF10 directly induce the AER in the ectoderm both of the flank and of the dorsal midline and that these two regions have the competence for AER induction. Formation of the AER of the dorsal median ectoderm in the chick embryo is likely to appear as a vestige of the dorsal fin of the ancestors.
Non‐classical use of clathrin during bacterial infections

How invasive bacteria exploit mammalian host cell components to induce their entry into cells has received a lot of attention in the last two decades. Model organisms have emerged and helped understanding the various mechanisms that are used. Among those, Listeria monocytogenes is one of the most documented organisms. It enters into cells via two bacterial proteins, internalin (also called InlA) and InlB, which interact with cell surface receptors, E‐cadherin and the hepatocyte growth factor receptor, Met, respectively. These interactions initiate a series of events that leads to actin polymerization, membrane invagination and bacterial internalization. Investigations on internalin‐ and InlB‐mediated entries have repeatedly shown that Listeria fully usurps the host cell machinery. Moreover, they have also shown that previously unknown components discovered during the study of Listeria invasion play a role either in E‐cadherin‐mediated cell–cell adhesion or Met signalling. Unexpectedly, recent studies have highlighted a role for clathrin in Listeria InlB‐mediated actin polymerization and entry, revealing a new role for this endocytic protein, i.e. in bacterial‐induced internalization. Furthermore, comparative studies have demonstrated that the clathrin‐mediated endocytosis machinery is also used in the internalin–E‐cadherin pathway, and for the entry of other bacteria that enter by a ‘zipper’ mechanism. By contrast, the clathrin‐mediated endocytic machinery is not used by bacteria that inject effectors into mammalian cells via the type III secretion system and enter by the so‐called trigger mechanism, characterized by enormous membrane ruflles that result in the macropinocytosis of the corresponding bacteria. Finally, adherent bacteria, for example enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC), also co‐opt clathrin to induce the formation of actin‐rich pedestals. Together, these new data illuminate our view on how actin rearrangements may be coupled to clathrin recruitment during bacterial infection. They also shed light on a new function for clathrin in mammalian cells, i.e. internalization of objects much larger than previously accepted.
Equity Culture and the Distribution of Wealth

Wider participation in stockholding is often presumed to reduce wealth inequality. We measure and decompose changes in US wealth inequality between 1989 and 2001, a period of considerable spread of equity culture. Inequality in equity wealth is found to be important for net wealth inequality, despite equity's limited share. Our findings show that reduced wealth inequality is not a necessary outcome of the spread of equity culture. We estimate contributions of stockholder characteristics to levels and inequality in equity holdings, and we distinguish changes in configuration of the stockholder pool from changes in the influence of given characteristics. Our estimates imply that both the 1989 and the 2001 stockholder pools would have produced higher equity holdings in 1998 than were actually observed for 1998 stockholders. This arises from differences both in optimal holdings and in financial attitudes and practices, suggesting a dilution effect of the boom followed by a cleansing effect of the downturn. Cumulative gains and losses in stockholding are shown to be significantly influenced by length of household investment horizon and portfolio breadth but, controlling for those, use of professional advice is either insignificant or counterproductive.
Single-input adaptive fuzzy sliding mode control of the lower extremity exoskeleton based on human–robot interaction

This article introduces a human–robot interaction controller toward the lower extremity exoskeleton whose aim is to improve the tracking performance and drive the exoskeleton to shadow the wearer with less interaction force. To acquire the motion intention of the wearer, two subsystems are designed: the first is to infer the wearer is in which phase based on floor reaction force detected by a multi-sensor system installed in the sole, and the second is to infer the motion velocity based on the multi-axis force sensor and admittance model. An improved single-input fuzzy sliding mode controller is designed, and the adaptive switching controller is combined to promote the tracking performance considering system uncertainties. Adaptation laws are designed based on the Lyapunov stability theorem. Therefore, the stability of the single-input adaptive fuzzy sliding mode control can be guaranteed. Finally, the proposed methods are applied to the lower extremity exoskeleton, especially in the swing phase. Its effectiveness is validated by comparative experiments.
Acinetobacter Skin Colonization of US Army Soldiers

Objective. To evaluate whether skin colonization with Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-baumannii complex exists in a population of healthy, nondeployed US Army soldiers and, if present, how it might relate to the infections seen in current war casualties. Design. We sampled various skin sites of soldiers to test for the presence of A. calcoaceticus-baumannii complex and to establish the prevalence of colonization. We then used ribotyping and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles to compare the isolates we recovered with A. calcoaceticus-baumannii complex isolates from injured soldiers. Setting. Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Participants. A population of healthy, nondeployed US Army soldiers in training. Results. A total of 17% of healthy soldiers were found to harbor A. calcoaceticus-baumannii complex. However, the strains differed from those recovered from injured soldiers. Conclusions. Skin carriage of A. calcoaceticus-baumannii complex exists among soldiers before deployment. However, the difference in the strains isolated from healthy soldiers, compared with the strains from injured soldiers, makes it difficult to identify skin colonization as the source of infection.
Tunisian city name recognition based on dynamic Bayesian networks: Factorial hidden Markov model case

In this paper, we present a new approach for the recognition of Tunisian city names. This approach use two sliding windows with a uniform size in two directions (vertical and horizontal) in order to extract the features according to the lines and columns. Then, the two sequences of obtained information have been modeled by a factorial hidden Markov model. This model is a variant of the dynamic Bayesian network, in which we represent the interaction and the dependence between the two primitive sequences using an intermediate hidden layer. The approach has been tested with the benchmark IFN/ENIT database and the recorded results have been encouraging.
Sensibilité au tissu économique local et performance de l'entreprise

Cette these est consacree a la sensibilite de l’entreprise au Tissu Economique Local. Le chapitre preliminaire presente un cheminement aboutissant a trois questions de recherche ciblant trois aspects de cette relation, au niveau, local, europeen et mondial. Le premier article pose la question suivante : quelle est la perception, par les dirigeants d’entreprise, de la sensibilite de leur entreprise au Tissu Economique Local (TEL), et de son impact sur sa performance ? Cette etude porte sur 25 entretiens semi-directifs effectues aupres de dirigeants dans les departements des deux Savoie (France). Les resultats montrent une difficulte pour les dirigeants a lier sensibilite au TEL et performance, et font emerger les determinants de la sensibilite. Le second article traite la question suivante : quel est l’impact de la sensibilite de l’entreprise au Tissu Economique Local sur sa performance ? L’echantillon d’etude est compose de 252 entreprises europeennes cotees et notees par l’agence de notation extra financiere VIGEO entre 2004 et 2011. Les resultats mettent en lumiere un effet convexe, d’abord negatif puis positif, de la sensibilite au TEL sur la performance comptable. Il est donc necessaire pour les entreprises d’investir fortement sur le marche local pour deceler une amelioration de leur performance. Concernant la performance boursiere a l’horizon de trois ans, les entreprises peu sensibles surperforment les entreprises tres sensibles et le marche. Enfin, le troisieme article repond a la question suivante : comment a evolue la concentration geographique des investissements en capital-risque et quels en sont les determinants ? L’echantillon etudie retrace les investissements au sein des pays de l’OCDE et les BRICS sur la periode 1970 - 2013. Les resultats mettent en exergue quatre tendances pour quatre groupes de pays, ainsi qu’un effet positif de la quantite d’investissement sur la concentration, en particulier durant la periode precedant la crise internet. A l’inverse, le niveau de developpement financier des pays reduit la concentration geographique.
Expression of neuropeptide Y in olfactory ensheathing cells during prenatal development

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is expressed in a special type of glial cell, the olfactory ensheathing cells, that surround the axons of olfactory sensory neurons on their way from the olfactory epithelium to the glomeruli in the olfactory bulb. The expression of NPY in ensheathing cells was examined during prenatal development of the olfactory system by using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. NPY expression was compared with the expression of growth associated protein‐43, olfactory marker protein, the low‐affinity nerve growth factor receptor (p75) and S‐100, factors expressed in the olfactory system at known stages of development. NPY‐like immunoreactivity (NPY‐LI) and NPY mRNA expression was first detected in the olfactory nerve layer of the olfactory bulb at embryonic day 15. From embryonic day 16 and onward, a clear segregation could be observed in the intensity of both NPY‐LI and NPY mRNA expression within the olfactory nerve layer. NPY expression was most intense in the inner part of the olfactory nerve layer. In the outer olfactory nerve layer, a clear decrease in NPY expression was observed. The inner olfactory nerve layer, showing high NPY expression, did not stain for S‐100 or p75. However, NPY‐LI was found to coexist with S‐100–LI from the outer olfactory nerve layer until the olfactory epithelium and with p75‐LI in cells surrounding the olfactory nerve. These results show that NPY is expressed in ensheathing cells before olfactory sensory neurons mature and the formation of the glomerular layer starts. NPY might be involved in the guidance, growth, or both, of olfactory sensory axons toward their target glomeruli in the olfactory bulb or have a function in the maturation of the olfactory sensory neurons. J. Comp. Neurol. 423:13–25, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.