Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Erythropoietin and Erythropoietin Receptor in the Developing Human Central Nervous System

We have previously shown the presence of erythropoietin (Epo) within the spinal fluid of normal preterm and term infants, and the presence of Epo receptor (Epo-R) in the spinal cords of human fetuses. It is not known, however: 1) whether cells within the fetal central nervous system(CNS) express Epo; 2) if so, whether this expression changes with development; 3) which cells within the CNS express Epo-R;4) whether Epo-R expression within the CNS changes with development; and 5) whether Epo-R within the fetal CNS are functional. Expression of mRNA for Epo and Epo-R was sought by reverse transcription-PCR in mixed primary cultures of fetal spinal cords as well as NT2 and hNT cells, human cell lines of neuronal precursors and mature neurons, respectively. Epo was measured by ELISA in spent media from primary cell culture, and immunohistochemistry was used to identify Epo-R on neurons and glia in cell culture, and in brain sections. Developmental changes in Epo and Epo-R expression were sought in spinal cords and brains from fetuses of 7-24 wk postconception by semiquantitative PCR. To assess Epo-R function, NT2 cells were exposed to conditions which stimulate programmed cell death, and rescue from apoptosis by the addition of recombinant Epo was evaluated by nuclear matrix protein ELISA, cell counts, and by Klenow labeling of DNA fragments. Epo and Epo-R mRNA were expressed in mixed primary cultures of neural tissues and NT2 and hNT cells. Epo was detected by ELISA in media removed from mixed cell cultures, and immunohistochemical staining confirmed the presence of Epo-R on neurons and their supporting cells. Semiquantitative PCR revealed no significant change in expression of either Epo or Epo-R in spinal cords between 7 and 16 wk of gestation, with increased expression of Epo and Epo-R in brains from 8 to 24 wk of gestation. Epo mRNA expression from neurons doubled under conditions of hypoxia. Recombinant Epo decreased apoptotic cell death of neurons under conditions of hypoxia. Protein and mRNA for Epo and its receptor are expressed by human neurons and glial cells in spinal cord and brain during fetal development. These receptors appear to have a neuroprotective effect in conditions of hypoxia.
Designing Authentic Emotions for Non-Human Characters: A Study Evaluating Virtual Affective Behavior

While human emotions have been researched for decades, designing authentic emotional behavior for non-human characters has received less attention. However, virtual behavior not only affects game design, but also allows creating authentic avatars or robotic companions. After a discussion of methods to model and recognize emotions, we present three characters with a decreasing level of human features and describe how established design techniques can be adapted for such characters. In a study, 220 participants assess these characters' emotional behavior, focusing on the emotion "anger". We want to determine how reliable users can recognize emotional behavior, if characters increasingly do not look and behave like humans. A secondary aim is determining if gender has an impact on the competence in emotion recognition. The findings indicate that there is an area of insecure attribution of virtual affective behavior not distant but close to human behavior. We also found that at least for anger, men and women assess emotional behavior equally well.
The use of Erbium: Yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser in cavity preparation and surface treatment: 3-year follow-up

From the currently available choices, esthetic restorative materials for posterior teeth are limited to composite and ceramic restoration. Ceramic inlays/onlays are reliable solutions for both of these treatments. For successful treatment planning, usable ceramic and adhesive systems should be chosen by the dentist. Since the Federal Drug Administration approval of the erbium: Yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Er:YAG) laser-for caries removal, cavity preparation and the conditioning of tooth substance-in 1997, there have been many reports on the use of this technique in combination with composite resins. In addition, cavity pretreatment with the Er:YAG laser (laser etching) has been proposed as an alternative to acid etching of enamel and dentin. This case report presents the use of the Er:YAG in cavity preparation for composite resin restoration and surface treatment for ceramic onlay restoration of adjacent permanent molars.
Multirate cascaded continuous time /spl Sigma//spl Delta/ modulators

Cascaded continuous time sigma-delta (/spl Sigma//spl Delta/) modulators provide a favourable way to achieve high resolution, high speed A/D converters. This paper presents a way to upgrade the advantages further by using multirate cascaded continuous time modulators. Therewith high resolution can be achieved with even lower oversampling ratio and therefore lower power consumption than in the single rate case. Here we show the successful synthesis of a multirate cascaded (2-1) continuous time /spl Sigma//spl Delta/ modulator. The performance is analyzed theoretically and by simulations. Finally it is shown what speed forfeits we have to own up to. It will be shown that multirate cascaded continuous time /spl Sigma//spl Delta/ modulators are useful to achieve high speed, high resolution A/D converters.
The cyclo-tetraphosphate Cd2P4O12, a member of the isotypic series M 2P4O12 (M = Mg, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu)

The title compound, Cd2P4O12, dicadmium cyclo-tetraphosphate, crystallizes isotypically with the members of the series M II 2P4O12, where M = Mg, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni or Cu. Two CdO6 octahedra, one with 2 and one with symmetry, share corners with the centrosymmetric P4O12 4− ring anion that is built up from four corner-sharing PO4 tetrahedra. The isolated ring anions are arranged in layers parallel to (10) with the CdO6 octahedra situated between these layers. The main difference between the individual M II 2P4O12 structures pertains to the different sizes of the MO6 octahedra whereas the geometric parameters of all cyclo-P4O12 4− anions are very similar.
Inhibition of NF-kB Renders Cells more Vulnerable to Apoptosis Induced by Amyloid ß Peptides

One of the mechanisms leading to neurodegeneration during Alzheimer's disease (AD) is amyloid β peptide neurotoxicity. In response to a variety of stress insults, namely oxidative stress, the transcription factor NF-kB can be activated. We have previously shown that amyloid β peptides 25-35 and 1-40 (Aβ 25-35 and Aβ 1-40) induces cell death. In response to Aβ 25-35 or 1-40 treatment, we observed an increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in NT2 cells. Amyloid beta peptides also induced an increase in SOD expression levels. This could result from NF-kB activation, as determined by the expression of p65. We observed that the NF-kB inhibitor, PDTC, prevented SOD overexpression after Aβ treatment. Previously we have shown that Aβ peptides could activate caspases-mediated apoptotic cell death. In this study, we analyzed if NF-kB activation prevented cells from caspases-activation and we also observed that inhibition of NF-kB by PDTC induced an increase in caspase-3 and caspase-6 activation. Taken together, these data suggest that pharmacological induction of NF-kB can be a potential target in Alzheimer's disease treatment.
Elastic scattering of hydrogen atoms at low temperatures.

The elastic scattering of two hydrogen atoms interacting at very small energies is explored numerically using the most accurate potential-energy curves available for the {ital X} {sup 1}{Sigma}{sub g}{sup +} and {sup 3}{Sigma}{sub u}{sup +} states of H{sub 2}. The scattering lengths and low-temperature-averaged cross sections are determined and compared with previous calculations. The scattering lengths are 0.41{ital a}{sub 0} for the singlet case and 1.91{ital a}{sub 0} for the triplet. The predicted total triplet cross section at 2 K is 5.5{times}10{sup {minus}15} cm{sup 2} but it could be lower, at 4.8{times}10{sup {minus}15} cm{sup 2}, with a different fit to the triplet potential between 12{ital a}{sub 0} and 15{ital a}{sub 0}. A more accurate triplet-state potential is needed at these separations.
DAP12-Based Activating Chimeric Antigen Receptor for NK Cell Tumor Immunotherapy

NK cells are emerging as new effectors for immunotherapy of cancer. In particular, the genetic engraftment of chimeric Ag receptors (CARs) in NK cells is a promising strategy to redirect NK cells to otherwise NK cell–resistant tumor cells. On the basis of DNAX-activation protein 12 (DAP12), a signaling adaptor molecule involved in signal transduction of activating NK cell receptors, we generated a new type of CAR targeting the prostate stem cell Ag (PSCA). We demonstrate in this article that this CAR, designated anti–PSCA-DAP12, consisting of DAP12 fused to the anti-PSCA single-chain Ab fragment scFv(AM1) confers improved cytotoxicity to the NK cell line YTS against PSCA-positive tumor cells when compared with a CAR containing the CD3ζ signaling chain. Further analyses revealed phosphorylation of the DAP12-associated ZAP-70 kinase and IFN-γ release of CAR-engineered cells after contact with PSCA-positive target cells. YTS cells modified with DAP12 alone or with a CAR bearing a phosphorylation-defective ITAM were not activated. Notably, infused YTS cells armed with anti–PSCA-DAP12 caused delayed tumor xenograft growth and resulted in complete tumor eradication in a significant fraction of treated mice. The feasibility of the DAP12-based CAR was further tested in human primary NK cells and confers specific cytotoxicity against KIR/HLA-matched PSCA-positive tumor cells, which was further enhanced by KIR-HLA mismatches. We conclude that NK cells engineered with DAP12-based CARs are a promising tool for adoptive tumor immunotherapy.
Body Composition Changes in Adult Females after Lifestyle Intervention Are Influenced by the NYD-SP18 Variant.

AIM The study focuses on the analysis of the possible relationship between a common NYD-SP18 (rs6971091, G>A) gene polymorphism and weight loss after lifestyle intervention (combined dietary intake and physical activity) in overweight/obese females. METHODS We genotyped 139 unrelated non-diabetic Czech females (49.5 ± 13.3 years, average BMI at baseline 32.2 ± 4.6 kg/m². Biochemical and anthropometrical measurements were performed before and after ten weeks of lifestyle intervention. CONCLUSION Overweight/obese female carriers of the NYD-SP18 rs6971091 GG genotype exhibited a more beneficial response to the intensive lifestyle intervention than others.
Side population in human uterine myometrium displays phenotypic and functional characteristics of myometrial stem cells

Over the course of pregnancy, the human uterus undergoes a 500- to 1,000-fold increase in volume and a 24-fold increase in weight. The uterine smooth muscle layer or myometrium is remodeled, and both cell hypertrophy and hyperplasia are evident. The origin of the new smooth muscle cells, however, is unclear. They may arise from existing smooth muscle cells, or they may be the product of stem cell differentiation. This study describes a subset of myometrial cells isolated from nonpregnant human myometrium that represents the myometrial stem cell population. This was characterized as side population of myometrial cells (myoSP) by a distinct Hoechst dye efflux pattern. In contrast to the main population of myometrial cells (myoMP), myoSP resided in quiescence, underexpressed or lacked myometrial cell markers, and could proliferate and eventually differentiate into mature myometrial cells in vitro only under low oxygen concentration. Although myoMP displayed mature myometrial phenotypes before and after in vitro cultivation, only myoSP, not myoMP, generated functional human myometrial tissues efficiently when transplanted into the uteri of severely immunodeficient mice. Finally, myoSP were multipotent and made to differentiate into osteocytes and adipocytes in vitro under the appropriate differentiation-inducing conditions. Thus, myoSP exhibited phenotypic and functional characteristics of myometrial stem cells. Study of myoSP will improve the understanding of myometrial physiology and the pathogenesis of myometrium-derived diseases such as leiomyoma. myoSP may also represent a novel source of biological material that could be used in the reconstruction of not only the human uterus but also other organs as well.
Refinement of the genomic structure of STX1A and mutation analysis in nondeletion Williams syndrome patients.

Williams syndrome (WS) is a contiguous gene deletion disorder in which the commonly deleted region contains at least 17 genes. One of these genes, Syntaxin 1A (STX1A), codes for a protein that is highly expressed in the nervous system and is essential for the docking of synaptic vesicles with the presynaptic plasma membrane. In this study, we refine the complete genomic structure of the human STX1A gene by direct sequencing and primer walking of bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones and show that STX1A contains at least 10 exons and 9 introns. The length of exons range from 27 bp to 138 bp and all splice sites conform to the GT-AG rule. Investigation of the STX1A gene sequence in five WS patients without detectable deletions did not identify any point mutations. Although the regulatory elements that control STX1A transcription were not examined, these results do not support a role for STX1A in the WS phenotype.
Factor X/Xa Elicits Protective Signaling Responses in Endothelial Cells Directly via PAR-2 and Indirectly via Endothelial Protein C Receptor-dependent Recruitment of PAR-1*

We recently demonstrated that the Gla domain-dependent interaction of protein C with endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) leads to dissociation of the receptor from caveolin-1 and recruitment of PAR-1 to a protective signaling pathway. Thus, the activation of PAR-1 by either thrombin or PAR-1 agonist peptide elicited a barrier-protective response if endothelial cells were preincubated with protein C. In this study, we examined whether other vitamin K-dependent coagulation protease zymogens can modulate PAR-dependent signaling responses in endothelial cells. We discovered that the activation of both PAR-1 and PAR-2 in endothelial cells pretreated with factor FX (FX)-S195A, but not other procoagulant protease zymogens, also results in initiation of protective intracellular responses. Interestingly, similar to protein C, FX interaction with endothelial cells leads to dissociation of EPCR from caveolin-1 and recruitment of PAR-1 to a protective pathway. Further studies revealed that, FX activated by factor VIIa on tissue factor bearing endothelial cells also initiates protective signaling responses through the activation of PAR-2 independent of EPCR mobilization. All results could be recapitulated by the receptor agonist peptides to both PAR-1 and PAR-2. These results suggest that a cross-talk between EPCR and an unknown FX/FXa receptor, which does not require interaction with the Gla domain of FX, recruits PAR-1 to protective signaling pathways in endothelial cells.
A Novel Multi-User Interference Statistics Estimator for UWB-IR based on Gaussian Mixture Model

Ultra-Wideband Impulse Radio communications have been growing rapidly over the last few years, as a promising technique for high bit-rate and multi-user transmissions over the 3–10 GHz unlicensed spectrum. In literature, multi-user interference is often approximated with a white Gaussian process and embodied in the overall noise term. However, it has been found that, in a typical indoor environments, such approximation is inadequate. In this paper, we propose a new approach to characterize the interference, based on the Gaussian mixture model. We also derive an estimator for multi-user interference statistics, based on the iterative Expectation Maximization algorithm. The effectiveness of the proposed estimator is finally shown by means of numerical examples.
End-of-life spiritual care at a VA medical center: Chaplains' perspectives

Abstract Objective: Spiritual care is an essential component of quality palliative care. Recognizing the importance, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) mandates the inclusion of chaplains in a palliative care consult team (PCCT). The purpose of this study is to explain the process and content of spiritual care provided in a VA Medical Center from chaplains' perspectives. Method: Five Christian chaplains who provide care to patients at end of life were interviewed. Each interview was recorded and transcribed. Analysis based on the grounded theory was used to identify themes from each interview question. Results: The PCCT in this study appeared to have a strong referral and communication system in which every palliative care patient was seen by a chaplain and the care plan was discussed with an interdisciplinary team. Chaplains reported providing a range of services, which addressed religious, spiritual, emotional, family, and illness concerns. Chaplains were aware of the unique spiritual needs of veterans, including working through guilt for killing in war and requiring forgiveness. Chaplains' ideas for improvement of spiritual care services included increasing time to provide care, providing bereavement care and support to families, and adding chaplains with different religious backgrounds. Chaplains reported how their own spirituality influenced the care they provided. Significance of results: Spiritual care in the VA can include a range of services and should consider the unique needs of the veteran population. Future studies can build upon our findings from chaplains to learn about the perspectives of patients, family, and other healthcare providers of spiritual care. This information would allow identification of strengths of current spiritual care practices and areas for care improvement, and ultimately could improve the well-being of patients at the end of life.
Advanced Practice Nursing Students' Knowledge, Self-efficacy, and Attitudes Related to Depression in Older Adults: Teaching Holistic Depression Care

The aim of this study was to examine the knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy of advanced practice nursing students toward depression in older adults. Findings suggest that advanced practice nursing students are interested in caring for the whole person and desired more information on the physical and emotional-spiritual needs of older patients with depression. Suggestions for holistic nursing depression care education are presented.
Data management system for computational experiments in blood cell modelling: Mesh analysis showcase

In this work we present a design of data management system for computational experiments in biomedical research. This system can handle the data storage, details for each simulation, easy access to requested parameters and simulation results. We demonstrate its usefulness on the computational study of different meshes for red blood cell. Previous studies of spring network models of red blood cells showed that elastic coefficients depend on the number of mesh nodes. Here we investigated the dependence of elastic behaviour on nodes layout and overall shape of a cell.
The Role of Flavonol Glycosides and Carotenoids in Protecting Soybean from Ultraviolet-B Damage

The increase in ultraviolet-B (UV-B; 0.290–0.320 [mu]m) radiation received by plants due to stratospheric ozone depletion heightens the importance of understanding UV-B tolerance. Photosynthetic tissue is believed to be protected from UV-B radiation by UV-B-absorbing compounds (e.g. flavonoids). Although synthesis of flavonoids is induced by UV-B radiation, its protective role on photosynthetic pigments has not been clearly demonstrated. This results in part from the design of UV-B experiments in which experimental UV-A irradiance has not been carefully controlled, since blue/UV-A radiation is involved in the biosynthesis of the photosynthetic pigments. The relationship of flavonoids to photosynthetic performance, photosynthetic pigments, and growth measures was examined in an experiment where UV-A control groups were included at two biologically effective daily UV-B irradiances, 14.1 and 10.7 kJ m-2. Normal, chlorophyll-deficient, and flavonoid-deficient pigment isolines of two soybean (Glycine max) cultivars that produced different flavonol glycosides (Harosoy produced kaempferol, Clark produced quercetin and kaempferol) were examined. Plants with higher levels of total flavonoids, not specific flavonol glycosides, were more UV-B tolerant as determined by growth, pigment, and gas-exchange variables. Regression analyses indicated no direct relationship between photosynthesis and leaf levels of UV-B-absorbing compounds. UV-B radiation increased photosynthetic pigment content, along with UV-B-absorbing compounds, but only the former (especially carotenoids) was related to total biomass (r2 = 0.61, linear) and to photosynthetic efficiency (negative, exponential relationship, r2 = 0.82). A reduction in photosynthesis was associated primarily with a stomatal limitation rather than photosystem II damage. This study suggests that both carotenoids and flavonoids may be involved in plant UV-B photoprotection, but only carotenoids are directly linked to photoprotection of photosynthetic function. These results additionally show the importance of UV-A control in UV-B experiments conducted using artificial lamps and filters.
AMPA receptor phosphorylation is selectively regulated by constitutive phospholipase A2 and 5‐lipoxygenase activities

The present investigation provides the first indication that constitutive, calcium‐independent phospholipase A2 activity (iPLA2) modulates phosphorylation of the α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methylisoxazole‐4‐propionate (AMPA) subtype of glutamate receptors. Preincubation of frozen‐thawed brain sections with two iPLA2 inhibitors, bromoenol lactone (BEL) or palmitoyl trifluoromethyl ketone (PACO), produced a dose‐dependent enhancement in phosphorylation at both Ser831 and Ser845 sites on the GluR1 subunit of AMPA receptors. This effect was not associated with changes in phosphorylation at the Ser sites of either the GluR2/3 subunits of AMPA receptors or the NR1 subunits of N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate (NMDA) receptors, nor was it reproduced by inhibition of the calcium‐dependent form of PLA2 activity. These results suggest that the effects of these inhibitors are selective to GluR1 subunits and that they are dependent on iPLA2 activity. The ability of iPLA2 inhibitors to increase GluR1 phosphorylation was mimicked by the 5‐lipoxygenase (5‐LO) inhibitor MK‐886, but not by blockers of 12‐lipoxygenase (12‐LO) or cyclooxygenase. Additional experiments indicated that calcium‐mediated truncation of GluR1 subunits was reduced by iPLA2 inhibitors, an effect that was not correlated with overall changes in the distribution of AMPA receptors between intracellular and membrane compartments prepared from whole brain sections. However, quantitative autoradiographic analysis indicated enhanced 3H‐AMPA binding to the CA1 stratum radiatum of the hippocampus in BEL‐treated sections. Saturation kinetics experiments demonstrated that this binding augmentation was due to an increase in the maximal number of AMPA binding sites. Altogether, our results point to the conclusion that basal iPLA2 activity, through the generation of 5‐LO metabolites, regulates AMPA receptor phosphorylation of GluR1 subunits, an effect that might selectively influence the number of membrane receptors in area CA1 of the hippocampus. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Localization of WSN node based on Time of Arrival using Ultra wide band spectrum

In this paper, the proposed methodology calculates the distance between two nodes in Wireless Sensor Network for localization purpose. The methodology is a variant of Time of Arrival (TOA) methodology. The simulations are done in Matlab using Ultra wide band spectrum and Gaussian monocycle pulses. The measured distances are compared with set distances and mean square errors are calculated. Finally, the set distance and measured distances are compared for various transmission frequencies within UWB spectrum.