Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of phenotypic, functional and molecular characteristics of porcine mesenchymal stromal/stem cells depending on donor age, gender and tissue source

The biological properties of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are influenced by donor age, gender and/or tissue sources. The present study investigated the cellular and molecular properties of porcine mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) isolated from different tissues (adipose & dermal skin) and sex at different ages (1 week & 8 months after birth) with similar genetic and environmental backgrounds. MSCs were analyzed for alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity, CD90 and Oct3/4 expression, in vitro differentiation ability, senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-Gal) activity, telomeric properties, cell cycle status and expression of senescence (IL6, c-myc, TGFβ, p53 and p21)- and apoptosis (Bak and Bcl2)-related proteins. An age-dependent decline in AP activity and adipogenesis was observed in all MSCs, except for male A-MSCs. CD90 expression did not change, but SA-β-Gal activity increased with advancement in age, except in A-MSCs. Telomeric properties were similar in all MSCs, whereas expression levels of Oct3/4 protein declined with the advancement in age. p21 expression was increased with increase in donor age. Male derived cells have shown higher IL6 expression. The expression of p53 was slightly lower in MSCs of dermal tissue than in adipose tissue. Bak was expressed in all MSCs regardless of age, but up regulation of Bcl2 was observed in DS-MSCs derived at 1 week after birth. In conclusion, adipose tissue-derived MSCs from young female individuals were found to be more resistant to senescence under in vitro culture conditions.
Type-safe runtime code generation: accelerate to LLVM

Embedded languages are often compiled at application runtime; thus, embedded compile-time errors become application runtime errors. We argue that advanced type system features, such as GADTs and type families, play a crucial role in minimising such runtime errors. Specifically, a rigorous type discipline reduces runtime errors due to bugs in both embedded language applications and the implementation of the embedded language compiler itself. In this paper, we focus on the safety guarantees achieved by type preserving compilation. We discuss the compilation pipeline of Accelerate, a high-performance array language targeting both multicore CPUs and GPUs, where we are able to preserve types from the source language down to a low-level register language in SSA form. Specifically, we demonstrate the practicability of our approach by creating a new type-safe interface to the industrial-strength LLVM compiler infrastructure, which we used to build two new Accelerate backends that show competitive runtimes on a set of benchmarks across both CPUs and GPUs.
Impacts of climate change on air pollution levels in the Northern Hemisphere with special focus on Europe and the Arctic

The response of a selected number of chemical species is inspected with respect to climate change. The coupled Atmosphere-Ocean General Circulation Model ECHAM4-OPYC3 is providing meteorological fields for the Chemical long-range Transport Model DEHM. Three selected decades (1990s, 2040s and 2090s) are inspected. The 1990s are used as a reference and validation period. In this decade an evaluation of the output from the DEHM model with ECHAM4-OPYC3 meteorology input data is carried out. The model results are tested against similar model simulations with MM5 meteorology and against observations from the EMEP monitoring sites in Europe. The test results from the validation period show that the overall statistics (e.g. mean values and standard deviations) are similar for the two simulations. However, as one would expect the model setup with climate input data fails to predict correctly the timing of the variability in the observations. The overall performance of the ECHAM4-OPYC3 setup as meteorological input to the DEHM model is shown to be acceptable according to the applied ranking method. It is concluded that running a chemical long-range transport model on data from a "free run" climate model is scientifically sound. From the model runs of the three decades, it is found that the overall trend detected in the evolution of the chemical species, is the same between the 1990 decade and the 2040 decade and between the 2040 decade and the 2090 decade, respectively. The dominating impacts from climate change on a large number of the chemical species are related to the predicted temperature increase. Throughout the 21th century the ECHAM4-OPYC3 projects a global mean temperature increase of 3 K with local maxima up to 11 K in the Arctic winter based on the IPCC A2 emission scenario. As a consequence of this temperature increase, the temperature dependent biogenic emission of isoprene is predicted to increase significantly over land by the DEHM model. This leads to an increase in the O 3 production and together with an increase in water vapor to an increase in the number of free OH radicals. Furthermore this increase in the number of OH radicals contributes to a significant change in the typical life time of many species, since OH are participating in a large number of chemical reactions. It is e.g. found that more SO 4 2− will be present in the future over the already polluted areas and this increase can be explained by an enhanced conversion of SO 2 to SO 4 2− .
IRAK1b, a Novel Alternative Splice Variant of Interleukin-1 Receptor-associated Kinase (IRAK), Mediates Interleukin-1 Signaling and Has Prolonged Stability*

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) is a pleiotropic cytokine essential for initiation of the immune response to infections and stress. IL-1 interacts with its type I receptor (IL-1RI) and triggers a number of intracellular signaling cascades leading to activation of transcription factors, transcriptional up-regulation of target genes, and mRNA stabilization. IL-1RI-associated kinase-1 (IRAK1) is a membrane proximal serine-threonine kinase involved in IL-1 signaling that becomes phosphorylated and progressively degraded in response to IL-1 induction. We have identified a novel variant of IRAK1, which we have named IRAK1b, that arises from the use of an alternative 5′-acceptor splice site defined by sequence within exon 12 of IRAK1. IRAK1b mRNA exhibits wide tissue expression and is evolutionarily conserved in both mouse and human. IRAK1b can activate the transcription factor nuclear factor κB and interacts with the IL-1 signaling factors Toll-interacting protein and tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6. It forms homodimers and heterodimers with the previously described isoform of IRAK1. We show that the IRAK1b protein is kinase-inactive and that, unlike IRAK1, its levels remain constant after IL-1 induction. The presence of an alternative splice variant of IRAK1, which is functionally active and highly stable following IL-1 stimulation, adds further complexity to the control mechanisms that govern IL-1 signaling.
Perspectives Series: Cell Adhesion in Vascular Biology Genetic Manipulation of Vascular Adhesion Molecules in Mice

The process of atherosclerosis is thought to be initiated by injury to the arterial wall, followed by a reparative response by the vascular smooth muscle cells (vSMCs). 1 This response consists of migration and proliferation of vSMCs within the arterial intima, leading to the great intimal expansion seen in atherosclerotic plaques. One of the mainstays of current therapy for patients who have coronary artery obstruction with myocardial ischemia is balloon angioplasty, which often leads to a temporary relief, followed by a restenosis of the vessel. To address this problem, a number of animal models have been developed in which an intimal smooth muscle lesion is developed after injury from a balloon catheter. These models show that a large number of vSMCs proliferate in the first 72 h after injury (1). This proliferative state is concomitant with the phenotypic modulation of the vSMCs from a contractile to a synthetic phenotype (2). In addition to cell growth, this phenotypic modulation leads to an increased production of a number of extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules (2), which may explain the increased collagen deposition seen in advanced intimal lesions, particularly in coronary artery plaques. While a clear pathogenic role for smooth muscle proliferation in atherosclerotic plaque development has yet to be shown, some studies have used injury models to show that antiproliferative therapies can be effective in preventing the development of smooth muscle intimal lesions (1, 3). In particular, infection of the aorta with adenoviruses encoding a constitutively active mutant of the retinoblastoma protein (pRb) leads to a dramatic prevention of the smooth muscle intimal lesion after balloon injury (3). These results demonstrate that smooth muscle proliferation, as in most cell types, is controlled by phosphorylation of pRb. Since recent work has also demonstrated that pRb phosphorylation is jointly regulated by growth factors and the extracellular matrix (see references 5 and 6), we have considered the idea of the ECM as a cell cycle control element, regulating pRb function during normal and abnormal smooth muscle cell proliferation.
Perspective Taking: Reducing Prejudice Towards General Outgroups and Specific Individuals

Previous research has found that perspective taking improves attitudes towards outgroups. We find that taking the perspective of an outgroup member not only improves attitudes towards outgroups, but also reduces prejudice and discriminatory behavior against other specific individual members of that outgroup. Experiment 1 demonstrates that perspective-taking improves liking towards another member of the outgroup, while experiment 2 finds that the improved liking does not generalize to all outgroups, only the group to which the target of empathy belongs. Finally, experiment 3 shows that perspective taking also increases helping behavior towards another member of the outgroup. Moreover, we find evidence that perspective taking improves intergroup attitudes through the induction of empathy.
Serum C3 Is a Stronger Inflammatory Marker of Insulin Resistance Than C-Reactive Protein, Leukocyte Count, and Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate

OBJECTIVE—This study was performed to ascertain the relative relevance of some inflammatory markers in insulin resistance. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—Four inflammatory markers (leukocyte count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR], high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [CRP], and C3 complement) were assessed as possible determinants of the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) index, together with the five elements of the metabolic syndrome (National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults [Adult Treatment Panel III] definition), total cholesterol, physical activity, and four indicators of adiposity (BMI, waist circumference, percent body fat, and hepatic steatosis) in an unselected population of 990 subjects aged 65–91 years (the Pianoro Study). RESULTS—In univariable analysis, C3, CRP, and leukocyte count, but not ESR, were significantly correlated with HOMA index. In multivariable analysis, C3 remained associated with insulin resistance with the highest partial R2 value (0.049), independently of all other covariates. The other most significant (P < 0.0001) determinants of HOMA index were total cholesterol (inverse association, R2 = 0.026), waist circumference (R2 = 0.023), triglycerides (R2 = 0.022), and hepatic steatosis (R2 = 0.021) (R2 = 0.450 for the whole model). The adjusted relative risks of having the metabolic syndrome for the subjects with inflammatory markers in the high tertile, with respect to those with lower values, were (prevalence ratio [95% CI]): 1.77 (1.41–2.22) for C3, 1.38 (1.12–1.70) for leukocyte count, 1.17 (0.94–1.46) for CRP, and 1.13 (0.91–1.40) for ESR. CONCLUSIONS—Of the four inflammatory markers simultaneously assessed in our elderly population, only C3 was strongly associated with insulin resistance, independently of the components of the metabolic syndrome and the main indexes of abdominal and general obesity.
TLR5 Signaling Stimulates the Innate Production of IL-17 and IL-22 by CD3negCD127+ Immune Cells in Spleen and Mucosa

In adaptive immunity, Th17 lymphocytes produce the IL-17 and IL-22 cytokines that stimulate mucosal antimicrobial defenses and tissue repair. In this study, we observed that the TLR5 agonist flagellin induced swift and transient transcription of genes encoding IL-17 and IL-22 in lymphoid, gut, and lung tissues. This innate response also temporarily enhanced the expression of genes associated with the antimicrobial Th17 signature. The source of the Th17-related cytokines was identified as novel populations of CD3negCD127+ immune cells among which CD4-expressing cells resembling lymphoid tissue inducer cells. We also demonstrated that dendritic cells are essential for expression of Th17-related cytokines and so for stimulation of innate cells. These data define that TLR-induced activation of CD3negCD127+ cells and production of Th17-related cytokines may be crucial for the early defenses against pathogen invasion of host tissues.
Involvement of integrin‐induced activation of protein kinase C in the formation of adherens junctions

In epithelial cells, tight junctions (TJs) and adherens junctions (AJs) form junctional complexes. At AJs, cadherins and nectins are the major cell‐cell adhesion molecules. Nectins first form cell–cell adhesions and then recruit cadherins to the nectin‐based cell–cell adhesion sites to form AJs in coordination with the activation of integrin αvβ3, followed by the formation of TJs. We previously demonstrated that when MDCK cells precultured at a low Ca2+ concentration were treated with the protein kinase C (PKC) activator 12‐O‐tetradecanoyl‐phorbol‐13‐acetate (TPA), incomplete AJs and a TJ‐like structure were achieved. However, it remains unknown how PKC is activated and how it regulates the formation of cell–cell junctions. When MDCK cells precultured at a low Ca2+ concentration were treated with TPA, incomplete AJs were formed without the activation of integrin αvβ3. Treatment of cells with TPA also enhanced the phosphorylation of FAK, which transmits the outside‐in signal of integrin and plays a role in the nectin‐induced formation of AJs. In addition, inhibition of PKC suppressed the formation of AJs. These results indicate that the activation of PKC functions downstream of integrin αvβ3 and upstream of FAK, and is important for the nectin‐induced formation of AJs.
Bayesian Filtering and Anonymous Sensors for Localization in a Smart Home

In the context of a constantly increasing aging population with cognitive deficiencies, insuring the autonomy of the elders at home becomes a priority. The DOMUS laboratory aims to address this issue by conceiving a smart home which can both assist people and preserve their quality of life. Obviously, the ability to monitor properly the occupant's activities and thus provide the pertinent assistance depends highly on location information inside the smart home. This paper proposes a solution to localize the occupant thanks to Bayesian filtering and a set of anonymous sensors disseminated throughout the house. The localization system is designed for a single person inside the house. It could however be used in conjunction with other localization systems in case more people are present. Our solution is already functional in real conditions. The preliminary results are encouraging: location estimation exceeds 85% certainty in most cases. We conceived an experiment to estimate precisely the system's accuracy. The experiment consists of a scenario of daily routine that maximizes the occupant's motion in meaningful activities and will be performed by 30 volunteers. We conclude the paper by discussing possible continuations of this work.
Prognostic role of the neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio in renal cell carcinoma: a meta-analysis

Objective Increasing evidence suggests that cancer-associated inflammation is associated with poor prognosis in patients with cancer. The role of the neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as a predictor in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remains controversial. We conducted the meta-analysis to determine the association between NLR and clinical outcome of patients with RCC. Methods and materials Studies were identified from PubMed and EMBASE databases in March 2014. Meta-analysis was performed to generate combined HRs with 95% CIs for overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free/progress-free survival (RFS/PFS). Results 15 cohorts containing 3357 patients were included. Our analysis results indicated that elevated NLR predicted poorer OS (HR=1.82, 95% CI 1.51 to 2.19) and RFS/PFS (HR=2.18, 95% CI 1.75 to 2.71) in patients with RCC. These findings were robust when stratified by study region, sample size, therapeutic intervention, types of RCC and study quality. However, it differed significantly by assessment of the cut-off value defining ‘elevated NLR’ in RFS/PFS (p=0.004). The heterogeneity in our meta-analysis was mild to moderate. Conclusions Elevated NLR indicates a poorer prognosis for patients with RCC. NLR should be monitored in patients with RCC for rational risk stratification and treatment individualisation.
Anger, catharsis, and purchasing behavior following aggressive customer complaints

This study employed the responses of 237 subjects to questions regarding the emotions they experienced while complaining about products or organizations to test a neo‐Freudian catharsis hypothesis concerning the consequences for repeat purchasing of angry customer complaints. Aggressive complaining frequently led to the psychologically gratifying relief of frustration, and hence to higher post‐complaint levels of regard for the product or supplying firm. Identifies sub‐groups of customers possessing specific personal characteristics (extreme type‐A, type‐B personalities, low self‐esteem, guilt‐propensity); examines disparities in the patterns of complaining behavior of the various categories; and assesses the implications of the differences observed. Of the respondents who reported having complained angrily, 82 percent continued to buy the products (or use particular suppliers). Some even increased purchasing levels. Concludes that firms should actively encourage assertive complaining by customers so that the beneficial consequences of catharsis may be obtained.
Effect of Preload on Left Ventricular Longitudinal Strain by 2D Speckle Tracking

Background: Peak systolic longitudinal strain (PSLS) obtained using the 2D speckle tracking method is a novel indicator of the long‐axis function of the left ventricle (LV). We used the 2D strain profile to examine the effect of preload reduction by hemodialysis (HD) on LV PSLS in patients with end‐stage renal disease (ESRD). Method and results: Twenty‐nine pairs of echocardiographic evaluations were obtained before and after dialysis. Global LV PSLS was −18.4 ± 2.9%, at baseline and decreased to −16.9 ± 3.2% after HD (P < 0.001). Segmental analysis showed that the decrease in PSLS after dialysis was most prominent in mid‐LV segments (−17.1 ± 3.5% vs. −15.4 ± 3.4%, P < 0.001). Conclusion: PSLS obtained from the 2D strain profile is a reliable parameter that may be useful for evaluating LV systolic long‐axis function. However, PSLS should be applied cautiously in ESRD patients because it could be affected by dialysis.
Incorporating primary and secondary prevention approaches to address childhood obesity prevention and treatment in a low-income, ethnically diverse population: study design and demographic data from the Texas Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration (TX CORD) study.

BACKGROUND There is consensus that development and evaluation of a systems-oriented approach for child obesity prevention and treatment that includes both primary and secondary prevention efforts is needed. This article describes the study design and baseline data from the Texas Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration (TX CORD) project, which addresses child obesity among low-income, ethnically diverse overweight and obese children, ages 2-12 years; a two-tiered systems-oriented approach is hypothesized to reduce BMI z-scores, compared to primary prevention alone. METHODS Our study aims are to: (1) implement and evaluate a primary obesity prevention program; (2) implement and evaluate efficacy of a 12-month family-centered secondary obesity prevention program embedded within primary prevention; and (3) quantify the incremental cost-effectiveness of the secondary prevention program. Baseline demographic and behavioral data for the primary prevention community areas are presented. RESULTS Baseline data from preschool centers, elementary schools, and clinics indicate that most demographic variables are similar between intervention and comparison communities. Most families are low income (≤$25,000) and Hispanic/Latino (73.3-83.8%). The majority of parents were born outside of the United States. Child obesity rates exceed national values, ranging from 19.0% in preschool to 35.2% in fifth-grade children. Most parents report that their children consume sugary beverages, have a television in the bedroom, and do not consume adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables. CONCLUSIONS Interventions to address childhood obesity are warranted in low-income, ethnically diverse communities. Integrating primary and secondary approaches is anticipated to provide sufficient exposure that will lead to significant decreases in childhood obesity.
Theta oscillation coupled spike latencies yield computational vigour in a mammalian sensory system

Theoretical work carried out almost a decade ago proposed that subthreshold oscillations in membrane potential could be used to convert synaptic current strength into a code reliant on action potential (AP) latencies. Using whole‐cell recordings we present experimental evidence for the occurrence of prominent network‐driven subthreshold theta oscillations in mitral cells of the mouse olfactory bulb. Activity induced by both injected current and sensory input was accurately reflected in initial AP latency from the beginning of each oscillation cycle. In a network model we found that an AP latency code rather than AP number or instantaneous firing rate provided computational speed and high resolution, and was easily implemented. This coding strategy was also found to be invariant to the total input current as long as the relative input intensities to glomeruli remained constant. However, it was highly sensitive to changes in the ratios of the input currents and improved by lateral inhibitory mechanisms. Since the AP latency‐based coding scheme was dependent on the subthreshold oscillation we conclude that the theta rhythm serves a functional role in temporally reformatting the strengths and patterns of synaptic input in this sensory system.
Dynamic observers-a neural net approach

Design of static observers employing neural network has already appeared in the literature. In this paper neural networks are exploited to design nonlinear dynamic observers for estimating the states of a nonlinear system. A number of schemes using Multi-layered Feed-forward Neural Network (MFNN) are presented. In the first approach, the neural network is used to approximate the nonlinear Kalman gain of the observer. Two different training schemes are proposed in this structure. Full and reduced order observer schemes based on a more direct approach are then considered. These schemes utilize the neural nets to assume the nonlinear dynamic mapping from the system input and output in order to obtain the estimated states. The network training for all the schemes is based on a gradient algorithm that uses the recently proposed Block Partial Derivatives (BPD). Simulation results are presented to validate the usefulness of the proposed schemes.