Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clinicopathological and Prognostic Value of MicroRNA-21 and MicroRNA-155 in Colorectal Cancer

Objective: The clinical significance of microRNA-21 (miR-21) and miR-155 in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients remains elusive. In this study, we established the prognostic value of miR-21 and miR-155 using clinical samples from CRC patients. Furthermore, relationships between these microRNAs and target genes (PDCD4 and TP53INP1 mRNAs) were examined. Methods: miR-21 and miR-155 expression was assessed in tumor tissue and in adjacent normal tissue of 156 CRC patients by TaqMan MicroRNA assays, and PDCD4 and TP53INP1 mRNA levels were measured by quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR). Results: High miR-21 expression was significantly associated with venous invasion, liver metastasis and tumor stage, and high miR-155 expression was significantly correlated with lymph node metastases. The overall (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) rates of patients with high miR-21 expression were significantly worse than those of patients with low miR-21 expression. The OS and DFS of patients with high miR-155 expression were also significantly worse than those in patients with low miR-155 expression. miR-21 and miR-155 expression levels in CRC tissue were independent prognostic factors for OS and DFS. Significant inverse correlations were demonstrated between miR-21 and PDCD4 mRNA, and miR-155 and TP53INP1 mRNA. Conclusion: Increases in miR-21 and miR-155 expression may represent effective biomarkers for the prediction of a poor prognosis.
TRPC1 is regulated by caveolin‐1 and is involved in oxidized LDL‐induced apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells

Oxidized low‐density lipoprotein (oxLDL) induced‐apoptosis of vascular cells may participate in plaque instability and rupture. We have previously shown that vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) stably expressing caveolin‐1 were more susceptible to oxLDL‐induced apoptosis than VSMC expressing lower level of caveolin‐1, and this was correlated with enhanced Ca2+ entry and pro‐apoptotic events. In this study, we aimed to identify the molecular events involved in oxLDL‐induced Ca2+ influx and their regulation by the structural protein caveolin‐1. In VSMC, transient receptor potential canonical‐1 (TRPC1) silencing by ARN interference prevents the Ca2+ influx and reduces the toxicity induced by oxLDL. Moreover, caveolin‐1 silencing induces concomitant decrease of TRPC1 expression and reduces oxLDL‐induced apoptosis of VSMC. OxLDL enhanced the cell surface expression of TRPC1, as shown by biotinylation of cell surface proteins, and induced TRPC1 translocation into caveolar compartment, as assessed by subcellular fractionation. OxLDL‐induced TRPC1 translocation was dependent on actin cytoskeleton and associated with a dramatic rise of 7‐ketocholesterol (a major oxysterol in oxLDL) into caveolar membranes, whereas the caveolar content of cholesterol was unchanged. Altogether, the reported results show that TRPC1 channels play a role in Ca2+ influx and Ca2+ homeostasis deregulation that mediate apoptosis induced by oxLDL. These data also shed new light on the role of caveolin‐1 and caveolar compartment as important regulators of TRPC1 trafficking to the plasma membrane and apoptotic processes that play a major role in atherosclerosis.
Caprine arthritis encephalitis virus dysregulates the expression of cytokines in macrophages

Caprine arthritis encephalitis virus (CAEV) is a lentivirus of goats that leads to chronic mononuclear infiltration of various tissues, in particular, the radiocarpal joints. Cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage are the major host cells of CAEV in vivo. We have shown that infection of cultured goat macrophages with CAEV results in an alteration of cytokine expression in vitro. Constitutive expression of interleukin 8 (IL-8) and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) was increased in infected macrophages, whereas transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1) mRNA was down-regulated. When macrophages were infected with a CAEV clone lacking the trans-acting nuclear regulatory gene tat, IL-8 and MCP-1 were also increased. No significant differences from cells infected with the wild-type clone were observed, suggesting that Tat is not required for the increased expression of IL-8 and MCP-1 in infected macrophages. Furthermore, infection with CAEV led to an altered pattern of cytokine expression in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), heat-killed Listeria monocytogenes plus gamma interferon, or fixed cells of Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I. In infected macrophages, tumor necrosis factor alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6, and IL-12 p40 mRNA expression was reduced in response to all stimuli tested whereas changes in expression of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor depended on the stimulating agent. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays demonstrated that, in contrast to effects of human immunodeficiency virus infection of macrophages, CAEV infection had no effect on the level of constitutive nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activity or on the level of LPS-stimulated NF-kappaB activity, suggesting that NF-kappaB is not involved in altered regulation of cytokine expression in CAEV-infected cells. In contrast, activator protein 1 (AP-1) binding activity was decreased in infected macrophages. These data show that CAEV infection may result in a dysregulation of expression of cytokines in macrophages. This finding suggests that CAEV may modulate the accessory functions of infected macrophages and the antiviral immune response in vivo.
Rift Valley Fever Outbreak in Livestock, Mozambique, 2014

In early 2014, abortions and death of ruminants were reported on farms in Maputo and Gaza Provinces, Mozambique. Serologic analysis and quantitative and conventional reverse transcription PCR confirmed the presence of Rift Valley fever virus. The viruses belonged to lineage C, which is prevalent among Rift Valley fever viruses in southern Africa.
The M2 muscarinic receptors are essential for signaling in the heart left ventricle during restraint stress in mice

Abstract We hypothesized that muscarinic receptors (MRs) in the heart have a role in stress responses and thus investigated changes in MR signaling (gene expression, number of receptors, adenylyl cyclase (AC), phospholipase C (PLC), protein kinase A and C (PKA and PKC) and nitric oxide synthase [NOS]) in the left ventricle, together with telemetric measurement of heart rate (HR) in mice (wild type [WT] and M2 knockout [KO]) during and after one (1R) or seven sessions (7R) of restraint stress (seven mice per group). Stress decreased M2 MR mRNA and cell surface MR in the left ventricle in WT mice. In KO mice, 1R, but not 7R, decreased surface MR. Similarly, AC activity was decreased in WT mice after 1R and 7R, whereas in KO mice, there was no change. PLC activity was also decreased after 1R in WT and KO mice. This is in accord with the concept that cAMP is a key player in HR regulation. No change was found with stress in NOS activity. Amount of AC and PKA protein was not changed, but was altered for PKC isoenzymes (PKCα, β, γ, η and ε (increased) in KO mice, and PKCι (increased) in WT mice). KO mice were more susceptible to stress as shown by inability to compensate HR during 120 min following repeated stress. The results imply that not only M2 but also M3 are involved in stress signaling and in allostasis. We conclude that for a normal stress response, the expression of M2 MR to mediate vagal responses is essential.
Chapter 2 History and Diagnosis

The eponymous name of Behçet’s Syndrome (BS) was derived from the description of the “Triple Symptom Complex” by Professor Hulusi Behçet [1–3]. He described the association of oral and genital ulceration with uveitis and considered this to be of possible viral aetiology. Biographies of Hulusi Behçet (1889–1948), written by Professor Türkan Saylan, have been published in the proceedings of an International Conference on Behçet’s Disease held in Istanbul in 1977 [4], and in the Yonsei Medical Journal (1997) [5] the latter demonstrating the great interest in the condition in Korea. Professor Nihat Dilşen also wrote a short biography, and reviewed the development of knowledge of the syndrome between the fifth century BC and 1996, in the proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Behçet’s Disease, Tunis [6]. Behçet was born in Istanbul but educated in Damascus where his family lived, and then studied medicine at the Turkish Gülhane Military Medical Academy qualifying at the age of 21 years. Subsequently he specialised in dermatology and venereology and during the first World War served at the Edirne Military Hospital. He gained post-graduate experience in Budapest and Berlin and returned to Istanbul to practise dermatology and venereology. After the formation of the University of Istanbul in 1933 he became its first Professor of Dermatology and was responsible for the development of the Department of Dermatology. He was a prolific writer and enthusiastic teacher; he retired in 1947 and died a year later.
Subversion of effector CD8+ T cell differentiation in acute hepatitis C virus infection: exploring the immunological mechanisms

Hallmark of acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a severe virus‐specific effector CD8+ T cell dysfunction that seems to be a critical factor in preventing the resolution of infection and in favoring the onset of chronic liver immunopathology. We suggest that this dysfunction is critical in the establishment of HCV persistence, unless it is compensated by multispecific responses, as found in individuals resolving infection. Analyses on purified populations indicate that central memory HCV‐specific CCR7+/CD8+ T cells efficiently proliferate and differentiate in vitro, although the large population of memory effector CCR7– cells found in the peripheral blood of acutely infected patients display poor effector functions ex vivo (semi‐effectors). However, we report strong evidence in support of IL‐2 being capable of pushing semi‐effector CTL to complete their effector cell program. Therefore, IL‐2 deficiency during T cell activation may be responsible for the dichotomy between memory CTL expansion and incomplete effector differentiation shown in patients with acute HCV infection. These data are consistent with the possible therapeutic treatment with IL‐2 to rebuild the effector T cell pool in these patients.
Set-theoretic robust FD of UAV nonlinear longitudinal motion under discrete-time quasi-LPV framework

This paper presents a set-theoretic robust fault detection (FD) method to the nonlinear longitudinal motion of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), which combines the discrete-time quasi linear parameter varying (DT-qLPV) framework and the set-theoretic FD theory. First, a qLPV approximation of the UAV nonlinear longitudinal motion is derived to avoid linearization around trim conditions of the UAV dynamics. For the convenience of designing FD algorithm, the discretization of continuous-time qLPV(CT-qLPV) system is considered. Second, a detailed analysis on discretization errors is given and the bounds of the discretization errors are derived. Furthermore, the set-theoretic FD method is applied to detect faults in the DT-qLPV system. Finally, a simulation based on the longitudinal dynamics of UAV is used to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Vif Is Efficiently Packaged into Virions during Productive but Not Chronic Infection

ABSTRACT Packaging of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Vif protein into virus particles is mediated through an interaction with viral genomic RNA and results in the association of Vif with the nucleoprotein complex. Despite the specificity of this process, calculations of the amount of Vif packaged have produced vastly different results. Here, we compared the efficiency of packaging of Vif into virions derived from acutely and chronically infected H9 cells. We found that Vif was efficiently packaged into virions from acutely infected cells (60 to 100 copies per virion), while packaging into virions from chronically infected H9 cells was near the limit of detection (four to six copies of Vif per virion). Superinfection by an exogenous Vif-defective virus did not rescue packaging of endogenous Vif expressed in the chronically infected culture. In contrast, exogenous Vif expressed by superinfection of wild-type virus was readily packaged (30 to 40 copies per virion). Biochemical analyses suggest that the differences in the relative packaging efficiencies were not due to gross differences in the steady-state distribution of Vif in chronically or acutely infected cells but are likely due to differences in the relative rates of de novo synthesis of Vif. Despite its low packaging efficiency, endogenously expressed Vif was sufficient to direct the production of viruses with almost wild-type infectivity. The results from our study provide novel insights into the biochemical properties of Vif and offer an explanation for the reported differences regarding Vif packaging.
An Overview of Recent Progress in Volumetric Semantic 3 D Reconstruction ( Invited Paper )

This paper gives an overview of a recently proposed method of solving dense 3D reconstruction and semantic segmentation from multiple input images in a joint fashion, i.e. as semantic 3D reconstruction. The formulation is cast as a volumetric fusion of depth maps and pixel-wise semantic classification scores. By posing the two problems as a joint optimization problem, both of the tasks can benefit from the other task’s information. This leads to formulations which can reconstruct hidden unobserved surfaces. We give an overview of several papers which describe different ways of modeling the data term from the input data and also works which introduce object shape priors to the formulation. We present the basic convex multi-label formulation on which the method builds and also discuss the relation to other reconstruction algorithms which extract semantically annotated 3D models from images.
On Revised QA-VCG Mechanism in Procurement Combinatorial Auction

We propose QA-VCG,an efficient multi-attributes procurement combinatorial auction,in which suppliers will bid combinations of items with truthful report.Moreover,we design a revised mechanism,revised QA-VCG,which enhances the auctioneer's revenue with all desired properties in QA-VCG.Furthermore,in terms of enhancing auctioneer's expected revenue,we prove revised QA-VCG is optimal mechanism.
A comparison of indoor channel properties in V and E bands

This paper presents wideband channel measurements in an office environment in the 62 GHz and 83 GHz frequency bands. Measurements were performed with a VNA and the mechanical steering of directive antennas at both the transmitter and receiver side, allowing a double-directional angular characterization. A comparison of propagation characteristics such as the path loss, multipaths clusters' dispersion properties in the delay and angular domains are provided. Results show that similar propagation characteristics are attainable in the two bands considered.
Genetic Variability and the Classification of Hepatitis E Virus

ABSTRACT The classification of hepatitis E virus (HEV) variants is currently in transition without agreed definitions for genotypes and subtypes or for deeper taxonomic groupings into species and genera that could incorporate more recently characterized viruses assigned to the Hepeviridae family that infect birds, bats, rodents, and fish. These conflicts arise because of differences in the viruses and genomic regions compared and in the methodology used. We have reexamined published sequences and found that synonymous substitutions were saturated in comparisons between and within virus genotypes. Analysis of complete genome sequences or concatenated ORF1/ORF2 amino acid sequences indicated that HEV variants most closely related to those infecting humans can be consistently divided into six genotypes (types 1 to 4 and two additional genotypes from wild boar). Variants isolated from rabbits, closely related to genotype 3, occupy an intermediate position. No consistent criteria could be defined for the assignment of virus subtypes. Analysis of amino acid sequences from these viruses with the more divergent variants from chickens, bats, and rodents in three conserved subgenomic regions (residues 1 to 452 or 974 to 1534 of ORF1 or residues 105 to 458 of ORF2) provided consistent support for a division into 4 groups, corresponding to HEV variants infecting humans and pigs, those infecting rats and ferrets, those from bats, and those from chickens. This approach may form the basis for a future genetic classification of HEV into four species, with the more divergent HEV-like virus from fish (cutthroat trout virus) representing a second genus.
Stroke volume estimation from the new noninvasive cardiopulmonary stethoscope

This paper presents advanced signal processing techniques and associated results for measuring the stroke volume using cardiopulmonary stethoscope (CPS), a new noninvasive multiple vital signs sensor. The CPS is a novel sensor based on RF measurements on patient's chest. It can noninvasively and accurately measure changes in lung water (CLW), heart rate (HR), and respiration rate (RR) as reported in previous studies. CPS cardiac signal was correlated with arterial blood pressure measurements for studying the feasibility of estimating this important parameter noninvasively. Stroke volume measurement was computed using two methods, namely mean arterial blood pressure and area under the curve. Validation results by comparison with arterial blood pressure waveform are presented.
Allocation of subjects to test null relative risks smaller than one

Allocating a proportion k′=1/(1+√r0) of subjects to an intervention is a practical approach to approximately maximize power for testing whether an intervention reduces relative risk of disease below a null ratio r0<1. Furthermore, allocating k′s, a convenient fraction close to k′, to intervention performs nearly as well; for example, allocating k′s=3/5 for 0.5⩾r0>0.33,2/3 for 0.33⩾r0>0.17 and 3/4 for 0.17⩾r0⩾0.10. Both k′ and k′s are easily calculated and invariant to alterations in disease rate estimates under null and alternative hypotheses, when r0 remains constant. In examples that we studied, allocating k′ (or k′s) subjects to intervention achieved close to the minimum possible sample size, given test size and power (equivalently, maximum power, given test size and sample size), for likelihood score tests. Compared to equal allocation, k′ and k′s reduced sample sizes by amounts ranging from ∼5.5 per cent for r0=0.50 to ∼24 per cent for r0=0.10. These sample size savings may be particularly important for large studies of prophylactic interventions such as vaccines. While k′ was derived from variance minimization for an arcsine transformation, we do not recommend the arcsine test, since its true size exceeded the nominal value. In contrast, the true size for the uncorrected score test was less than the nominal size. A skewness correction made the size of the score test very close to the nominal level and slightly increased power. We recommend using the score test, or the skewness‐corrected score test, for planing studies designed to show a ratio of proportions is less than a prespecified null ratio r0<1. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Simultaneous High Intensity Ultrashort Pulsed Electric Field and Temperature Measurements Using a Unique Electro-Optic Probe

High intensity nanosecond pulsed electric fields and temperature were simultaneously measured using a unique electro-optic (EO) probe. The measurements were performed in an electroporation cuvette with 4 mm electrode gap and filled with a buffered salt solution. High voltage generators delivering 2.6 and 10 ns duration pulses with different pulses shape and intensity were investigated. The EO probe linearity was characterized up to 2 MV/m. The temperature measurement uncertainty was found to be less than 22 mK. Excellent measurement abilities were achieved with this EO probe showing its suitability for bioelectromagnetic experiments and particularly for wideband high intensity field applications.
Cerebral metabolism of acetate and glucose studied by 13C-n.m.r. spectroscopy. A technique for investigating metabolic compartmentation in the brain.

The time courses of incorporation of 13C from 13C-labelled glucose or acetate into cerebral amino acids (glutamate, glutamine and 4-aminobutyrate) and lactate were monitored by using 13C-n.m. r. spectroscopy. When [1-13C]glucose was used as precursor the C-2 of 4-aminobutyrate was more highly labelled than the analogous C-4 of glutamate, whereas no label was observed in glutamine. A similar pattern was observed with [2-13C]glucose: the C-1 of 4-aminobutyrate was more highly labelled than the analogous C-5 of glutamate. Again, no labelling of glutamine was detected. In contrast, [2-13C]acetate labelled the C-4 of glutamine and the C-2 of 4-aminobutyrate more highly than the C-4 of glutamate; [1-13C]acetate also labelled the C-1 and C-5 positions of glutamine more than the analogous positions of glutamate. These results are consistent with earlier patterns reported from the use of 14C-labelled precursors that led to the concept of compartmentation of neuronal and glial metabolism and now provide the possibility of distinguishing differential effects of metabolic perturbations on the two pools simultaneously. An unexpected observation was that citrate is more highly labelled from acetate than from glucose.
The Theoretical Basis of Public Sector Reforms in Nigeria: A General Critique

The state in Nigeria, a very crucial economic agent as in other countries, hitherto regulated the interaction between and among other economic agents and also sometimes engages directly in the creation of utility via the production of goods and services for the people. It is often claimed by some scholars that the primary purpose of its activities involved the provision of a level playing field as well as catering for the weak segments of the society so that none is left behind in benefiting from the national output. However, the fact that many people and groups in society are short-changed by many policies and actions of government gives the lie to this claim. In addition to this, and very importantly, the state plays an interventionist role when the market system failed or broke down in allocating resources efficiently and equitably. For investment projects which required huge capital outlay beyond the capacity of private sector agents, the State came to the rescue. It had discharged these functions creditably over the years through its public sector organs and institutions. This had implications for state-society relationship. However, recently, public sector reform has dominated policy design and actions and discourses in socio-economic and political circles although it had been a long-standing item in the general reform agenda encapsulated in the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) of the 1980s and 1990s. The exercise is not peculiar to developing countries as the developed world grappled with it in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In the latter countries, the rationale for it is explained by a number of factors. These include increased demand for service quality, pressure on government