Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
DNA vaccine induces similar immunological responses to conventional plasmid DNA independently of immune recognition by TLR 9 in a pre-clinical model

Vaccination with DNA that encodes cancer antigens is a simple and convenient way to raise immunity against cancer and has already shown promise in the clinical setting. Conventional plasmid DNA is commonly used which together with the encoded antigen also includes bacterial immunostimulatory CpG motifs to target the DNA sensor Toll-like receptor 9. Recently DNA vaccines using doggybone DNA (dbDNATM), have been developed without the use of bacteria. The cell-free process relies on the use of Phi29 DNA polymerase to amplify the template followed by protelomerase TelN to complete individual closed linear DNA. The resulting DNA contains the required antigenic sequence, a promoter and a poly A tail but lacks bacterial sequences such as an antibiotic resistance gene, prompting the question of immunogenicity. Here we compared the ability of doggybone DNA vaccine with plasmid DNA vaccine to induce adaptive immunity using clinically relevant oncotargets E6 and E7 from HPV. We demonstrate that despite the inability to trigger TLR9, doggybone DNA was able to induce similar levels of cellular and humoral immunity as plasmid DNA, with suppression of established TC-1 tumours.
Galanin-Like Peptide mRNA Alterations in Arcuate Nucleus and Neural Lobe of Streptozotocin-Diabetic and Obese Zucker Rats

Galanin-like peptide (GALP) is a 60-amino-acid peptide with structural similarities to galanin and a high affinity for galanin receptors. GALP is expressed by a discrete population of neurons in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) and median eminence of the hypothalamus of several species, including the rat. GALP neurons express leptin receptors and GALP mRNA levels are decreased slightly in fasted rats and stimulated significantly by acute leptin treatment in combination with fasting. In studies to further explore the leptin dependence of GALP expression, we examined GALP mRNA levels in the hypothalamus of obese Zucker and streptozotocin-induced diabetic (STZ-DM) rats. In leptin receptor-deficient obese Zucker rats, with 75% higher body weight than lean littermates, GALP mRNA levels in the ARC were decreased by 75%, while neuropeptide Y (NPY) mRNA levels were increased 7-fold (n = 5, p < 0.001), consistent with earlier reports. In hypoleptinemic diabetic rats with 4.5-fold higher blood glucose and 15% lower body weight than controls, GALP mRNA levels in the ARC were decreased by 90%, while NPY mRNA levels were increased 9-fold (n = 5, p < 0.001). GALP is also expressed by pituicytes in the neural lobe of the rat pituitary gland and GALP expression is increased by osmotic stimulation such as dehydration and salt loading. Thus, in STZ-DM rats that are in a hyperosmotic state with elevated plasma vasopressin levels, GALP mRNA levels were increased by ∼20-fold in the neural lobe relative to control (n = 4, p < 0.001). The current findings are consistent with a strong tonic influence of leptin receptor signalling on hypothalamic GALP expression under normal conditions, and possible abnormalities in GALP neuronal signalling and their putative targets, thyrotropin-releasing hormone and gonadotropin hormone-releasing hormone neurons, under pathophysiological conditions such as diabetes and obesity. Our data in STZ-DM rats also clearly demonstrate that GALP gene expression is differentially regulated in neurons and pituicytes.
Manipulation by a parallel-jaw gripper having a turntable at each fingertip

This paper presents dextrous manipulation by a non-articulated multifingered hand. To achieve dextrous manipulation by a non-articulated multifingered hand, a parallel-jaw gripper which has a turntable at each fingertip has been developed. This hand has only one free rotation at each fingertip, but can achieve various manipulations. The design of this hand and manipulation using this hand are easier than with an articulated multifingered hand. In this paper, the mechanism of the new hand is presented and the manipulations possible with this hand when an object is placed in the lower pair are analyzed. The required conditions for achieving these manipulations are calculated. <<ETX>>
Is a shorter hot flash diary just as good as a 7-day diary?

Objective: In randomized trials, the most common way to measure the effect of treatment on the frequency and severity of menopausal hot flashes is a 7-day self-reported diary. However, adherence with completing the hot flash diary in real time may be poor, and completing a diary is cumbersome for study participants. Our objective was to determine if a shorter diary for recording self-reported hot flashes is as accurate and precise as the traditional 7-day diary. Methods: Using cross-sectional data from a multicenter randomized clinical trial of an herbal preparation (MF101, an estrogen receptor &bgr;-selective agonist for treatment of menopausal hot flashes), we compared findings based on shorter diaries with findings based on a 7-day diary. Results: With 3 days of diary keeping, the mean number of hot flashes per day and mean severity were almost identical to the means based on the 7-day diary, the SDs of the means were almost identical, and the intraclass correlations were almost perfect. The difference in the mean number of hot flashes per day compared with the 7-day diary was only 12% of one hot flash. Data from a different clinical trial revealed similar correspondence between the findings of a 3- and 7-day diary. Conclusions: In our study, the optimal duration of diary keeping to record menopausal hot flashes seems to be 3 days. In addition to being as good as a 7-day diary, a 3-day diary would be less burden on study participants and research staff and less expensive.
Use of a prosthetic ventricle as a bridge to cardiac transplantation for postinfarction cardiogenic shock.

The use of an artificial heart as a bridge to cardiac transplantation was first reported in 1969, in a patient who could not be weaned from cardiopulmonary bypass.1 Since then, the intraaortic balloon pump has been used successfully for partial cardiac assistance before transplantation,2 but little published information is available about the temporary use of univentricular or biventricular prosthetic hearts to provide time to procure a donor heart.3 4 5 6 We report the successful use of a prosthetic left ventricle as a bridge to transplantation in a 47-year-old man in cardiogenic shock after massive acute myocardial infarction. At one year the patient .
Profiling of genes expressed in human monocytes and monocyte‐derived dendritic cells using cDNA expression array

Using a human cDNA expression array, we obtained expression profiles of 588 genes in CD14+ monocytes and monocyte‐derived dendritic cells (DCs). Overall, 22 genes were upregulated, and nine genes were downregulated in DCs of both samples from two different individuals. Many of the genes that were upregulated in DCs encode proteins that are related to differentiation, cell structure, migration, termination of cell cycle as well as proliferation, e.g. tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), tumour necrosis factor receptor II (TNFRII), thymosin β‐10, epithelial discoidin domain receptor 1, replication factor C, putative transcription factor DB1, alpha catenin, transforming growth factor‐β1, prohibitin, p53‐regulating protein and neu differentiation factor. Among the downregulated genes in DCs were genes that encode proteins of cell cycle regulation: mitotic growth and transcription activator, platelet‐derived growth factor receptor‐β subunit, interleukin 2 receptor (IL‐2R)‐γ subunit, IL‐7R‐α subunit, leucocyte interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) and granulocyte–macrophage colony‐stimulating factor receptor (GM‐CSFR). Semi‐quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction method confirmed the upregulated expression levels in DCs for TNFRII, TNF‐α, alpha catenin and downregulation of IFN‐γ, GM‐CSFR on four different donor samples of DCs and monocytes. Moreover, our data show the presence of a ‘switch‐on’ step for the TNF‐α and TNFRII gene expression in immature DCs for further differentiation into mature DCs.
rcss: Subgradient and duality approach for dynamic programming

This short paper gives an introduction to the \emph{rcss} package. The R package \emph{rcss} provides users with a tool to approximate the value functions in the Bellman recursion using convex piecewise linear functions formed using operations on tangents. A pathwise method is then used to gauge the quality of the numerical results.
Presence of Phosphorylcholine on a Filarial Nematode Protein Influences Immunoglobulin G Subclass Response to the Molecule by an Interleukin-10-Dependent Mechanism

ABSTRACT The filarial nematode product ES-62 contains phosphorylcholine (PC) covalently attached to N-linked glycans. ES-62 induced high levels of immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) antibodies, but no IgG2a, to non-PC epitopes of the molecule following subcutaneous injection into BALB/c mice. Conversely, mice given ES-62 lacking PC demonstrated significant production of both IgG subclasses. Thus, PC appears to block production of IgG2a antibodies to other epitopes on the parasite molecule. A role for interleukin-10 (IL-10) in this effect was shown by the ability of IL-10−/− mice to make an IgG2a antibody response to non-PC epitopes of ES-62.
Autocrine Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 Signaling Is Critical for Self‐Renewal of Human Multipotent Adipose‐Derived Stem Cells

Adipose tissue‐derived stem cells offer tremendous potential for regenerative medicine. However, characterization of their self‐renewal ability has not been performed yet, although it is a crucial feature for in vitro expansion of undifferentiated cells and in vivo maintenance of stem cell pools. We have undertaken the identification of molecular events that are involved in in vitro self‐renewal of human multipotent adipose‐derived stem (hMADS) cells from young donors, by assessing their proliferation rate, their ability to grow at the single‐cell level (clonogenicity), and their differentiation potential. As hMADS cells are propagated in culture, cell morphology changes dramatically, concomitantly to a progressive decrease in proliferation, clonogenicity, and differentiation potential. This decrease is associated with a decrease in fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) expression and can be circumvented by chronic treatment with exogenous FGF2. Moreover, analysis of FGF2 secretion revealed that it is exported to hMADS cell surface without being released into the culture medium, suggesting a strictly autocrine loop. Indeed, treatment of FGF2‐expressing hMADS cells with PD173074, a specific FGF receptor inhibitor, decreases dramatically their clonogenicity and differentiation potential. Thus, hMADS cells express a functional autocrine FGF loop that allows maintenance of their self‐renewal ability in vitro. Finally, inhibition of mitogen‐activated protein kinase kinase 1 reduces the clonogenic potential of hMADS cells but does not affect their differentiation potential, indicating that the extracellular signal‐related kinases 1/2 signaling pathway is partly involved in FGF2‐mediated self‐renewal. Together, our data clearly identify the key function of FGF2 in the maintenance of self‐renewal of adipose tissue‐derived stem cells.
Heat Shock Preconditioning Reduces the Formation of 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal Modified Proteins in Ischemia-reperfused Liver of Rats

Heat shock preconditioning (HSPC) is a promising strategy for providing ischemic tolerance. The objective of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of HSPC in preventing oxidative damage of cellular proteins and DNA during ischemia-reperfusion of the liver. Male Wistar rats were divided into a heat shock group (group HS) and control (group C). Forty-eight hours prior to ischemia, rats in group HS received HSPC at 42°C for 15 u min. All rats received hepatic warm ischemia for 30 u min and subsequent reperfusion. The formation of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) modified proteins in liver tissue, survival rate of the animals, and changes in biochemical and histological parameters were compared between groups. Heat shock protein 72 was produced only in group HS. The 7-day survival of rats was significantly better in group HS (10/10) than in group C (5/10) ( p <0.01). The serum release of alanine aminotransferase ( n =10, p <0.01) and the concentration of adenosine triphosphate in liver tissue ( n =10, p <0.01) 40 u min after reperfusion was significantly better in group HS than in group C. The formation of 8-OHdG in liver tissue measured by high-performance liquid chromatography was suppressed in group HS ( p <0.01). The production of HNE-modified proteins as determined by Western-blot analysis was also decreased in group HS. These results were also confirmed by immunohistochemical analysis. As determined by levels of 8-OHdG and HNE-modified proteins produced during ischemia-reperfusion of the liver, HSPC reduced the oxidative injury of cellular proteins and DNA in the liver tissue.
Prevalence, incidence burden, and clinical impact of healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance: a national prevalent cohort study in acute care hospitals in Greece

Background Assessing the overall burden of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) is challenging, but imperative in evaluating the cost-effectiveness of infection control programs. This study aimed to estimate the point prevalence and annual incidence of HAIs in Greece and assess the excess length of stay (LOS) and mortality attributable to HAIs, overall and for main infection sites and tracer antimicrobial resistance (AMR) phenotypes and pathogens. Patients and methods This prevalent cohort study used a nationally representative cross-section of 8,247 inpatients in 37 acute care hospitals to record active HAIs of all types at baseline and overall LOS and in-hospital mortality up to 90 days following hospital admission. HAI incidence was estimated using prevalence-to-incidence conversion methods. Excess mortality and LOS were assessed by Cox regression and multistate models correcting for confounding and time-dependent biases. Results HAIs were encountered with daily prevalence of 9.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] 7.8%–10.6%). The estimated annual HAI incidence was 5.2% (95% CI 4.4%–5.3%), corresponding to approximately 121,000 (95% CI 103,500–123,700) affected patients each year in the country. Ninety-day mortality risk was increased by 80% in patients with HAI compared to those without HAI (adjusted hazard ratio 1.8; 95% CI 1.3–2.6). Lower respiratory tract infections, bloodstream infections, and multiple concurrent HAIs doubled the risk of death, whereas surgical site and urinary tract infections were not associated with increased mortality. AMR had significant impact on the daily risk of 90-day mortality, which was increased by 90%–110% in patients infected by carbapenem-resistant gram-negative pathogens. HAIs increased LOS for an average of 4.3 (95% CI 2.4–6.2) additional days. Mean excess LOS exceeded 20 days in infections caused by major carbapenem-resistant gram-negative pathogens. Conclusion HAIs, alongside with increasing AMR, pose significant burden to the hospital system. Burden estimates obtained in this study will be valuable in future evaluations of infection prevention programs.
Michael Kaisers Reinforcement Learning in Multi-agent Games 2 Concepts from Game Theory

This article investigates the performance of independent reinforcement learners in multiagent games. Convergence to Nash equilibria and parameter settings for desired learning behavior are discussed for Q-learning, Frequency Maximum Q value (FMQ) learning and lenient Q-learning. FMQ and lenient Q-learning are shown to outperform regular Q-learning significantly in the context of coordination games with miscoordination penalties. Furthermore, Qlearning with an -greedy and FMQ learning with a Boltzmann action selection are shown to scale well to games with one thousand agents.
Estimation of the shear force in Transverse Dynamic Force Microscopy using a sliding mode observer

This paper concerns the application of a sliding mode observer to the problem of estimation of the shear force affecting the cantilever dynamics of a Transverse Dynamic Force Microscope (TDFM). The oscillated cantilever in proximity to a specimen permits the investigation of the specimen topography at nano-metre precision. The oscillation amplitude, but also in particular the shear forces, are a measure of distance to the specimen, and therefore the estimation of the shear force is of significance when attempting to construct TDFM images at submolecular accuracy. For estimation of the shear forces, an approximate model of the cantilever is derived using the method of lines. Model order reduction and sliding mode techniques are employed to reconstruct the unknown shear force affecting the cantilever dynamics based on only tip position measurements. Simulations are presented to illustrate the proposed scheme, which is to be implemented on the TDFM set up at the Centre for NSQI at Bristol.
Fixed-mobile Convergence in TISPAN/3GPP IMS - Conception and Evaluation of Systems for Seamless Vertical Handover

Acknowledgements Many have contributed during this past months to make this diploma thesis a reality. The order of appearance of the persons I would like to thank has no special meaning. I would like to start with my first years at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Telecomunicación of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. The scholarship of the Fundación Angel Barbero helped me fund my first years of University, a fact that I will never forget. Professor Angel Alvarez showed me the importance of studying abroad and gave me the chance to participate in the exchange program which brought me to the Technische Universität Darmstadt (TUD). Brigitte Astheimer from the International Relations Office was of great importance in making my stay in Darmstadt so satisfactory. The International Darm-stadt Exchange Alumni (IDEA) also highly contributed during my integration period into the German culture and afterwards as well, allowing me to be part of this team of friends with the common objective of amusing the life of every international student coming to Darmstadt. For giving me the opportunity of doing my diploma thesis at T-Systems Enterprise Services GmbH, for introducing me to the telecom world and for the supervision of this thesis, I would like to express my special gratitude to Dr.-Ing. Bangnan Xu. His confidence in me and his contribution in bearing my research work have been conclusive. For the examination of my diploma thesis, for their valuable comments and inspiring discussions, I would like to thank all the colleagues from the Mobil & Wireless Solutions (PCT26) Department of T-Systems. Nothing of this would have been possible without the mentoring of Dipl. I have learned the theory of communication networks and I have had the chance to contribute in their research activities. I thank Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ralf Steinmetz and KOM for these years of formation and for their support while writing my diploma thesis externally in T-Systems. In my life, I have encountered many people from whom I have learned important things, both at a technical and at a personal level. Such persons have been a constant source of motivation. My special friends have all had their own important supporting role. Last but not least, my father José Luis and my mother Annette, for the values of life they have transmitted to me, their love and support, I thank you all.
Nickel released from children's toys is deposited on the skin

Nickel allergy is common in both children and adults, and sensitized individuals may develop allergic contact dermatitis after repetitive or prolonged skin contact with metallic items releasing nickel in excessive amounts, for example jewellery, belt buckles, buttons, and work tools (1). However, the prevalence of nickel allergy has decreased significantly since the EU restricted nickel release from selected consumer products (2, 3). Although children have an overall lower prevalence of nickel allergy than adults, it is still disturbingly high (4). The reasons remain unclear, but studies have suggested that children are sensitized at an early age, and, interestingly, a recent survey found that 34.4% of 212 children’s toys purchased in Denmark and the United States with exposed metal components released nickel when screened with the dimethylglyoxime (DMG) test (5–7). Importantly, cases of allergic contact dermatitis in children resulting from toy exposure have been reported, making this a relevant source of nickel allergy and dermatitis (6–8). Here, we examined whether short skin contact with three DMG test-positive children’s toys from the recent survey resulted in nickel deposition on the skin (5).
Nonlinear discrete time optimal control based on Fuzzy Models

The approach of designing a discrete time optimal controller for a nonlinear system represented by a fuzzy model is presented in this paper. A fuzzy model with product inference engine, singleton fuzzifier, center average defuzzifier, and Gaussian membership functions is trained by the orthogonal least square (OLS) learning algorithm based on given input-output data pairs. An optimal control scheme is then formulated based on the fuzzy model. The numerical solution of the problem is achieved by use of a feasible-direction algorithm. To show the effectiveness of the proposed method, the simulation results of three nonlinear optimal control problems are presented. The results show that the performance of the proposed approach is quite similar to that of optimal control of the system represented by an explicit mathematical model, thus demonstrating the efficacy of the proposed scheme for optimal control of unknown nonlinear systems.
Genetic diversity among geographically separated populations of Nepenthes mirabilis

The distribution of Nepenthes mirabilis ranges from Northeast (NE) to South (S) Thailand. Eleven individuals from NE, S and Suen Jatujak market in Bangkok, Central (C) Thailand, were collected and divided into four populations according to their geographical areas. These four populations were analyzed to determine a genetic diversity profile using thirteen inter-simple sequence repeat markers. The individuals produced 75.18% polymorphic banding profiles. The Shannon’s index was used to estimate genetic diversity. Total genetic diversity (HT) and inter-population genetic diversity (HS) were 0.854 and 0.678, respectively. The degree of genetic differentiation (GST) of the species populations is 0.206, whereas the gene flow (Nm) among all the various geographical area populations is 1.016. Both the dendrogram and the results of the Shannon’s diversity index suggest great genetic diversity. These results support the broad range of distribution sites of Nepenthes mirabilis, which would require high genetic diversity to adapt to the environmental variations that can be found between NE, C, and S Thailand. ANOVA shows that the genetic diversity in each population is not significantly different (P > 0.05). Mantel tests reveal that geographical distance is an important factor for affecting the genetic distances among populations.