Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bioelectrical impedance analysis in clinical practice: a new perspective on its use beyond body composition equations

Purpose of reviewThe bioelectrical impedance analysis is not a direct method for estimating body composition. Its accuracy depends on regression equations, and recent papers have suggested that this approach should not be used in several clinical situations. Another option is to obtain information about the electrical properties of tissues by using raw bioelectrical impedance measurements, resistance and reactance. They can be expressed as a ratio (phase angle) or as a plot (bioelectrical impedance vector analysis). This review describes their use in clinical practice. Recent findingsThe phase angle changes with sex and age. It is described as a prognostic tool in many clinical situations. There are some controversies about considering it as a nutritional marker. Studies in burn victims and sickle-cell disease corroborate its ability to evaluate cell membrane function. Bioelectrical impedance vector analysis allows a semi-quantitative estimation of body composition from information from tissue hydration and soft-tissue mass in a plot. It can be used in healthy individuals or patients, for a population or individual evaluation of fluid imbalance or an assessment of soft-tissue mass. It has also been used as a prognostic tool in dialysis and cancer patients. SummaryThe phase angle can be considered a global marker of health, and future studies are needed to prove its utility in intervention studies. Bioelectrical impedance vector analysis has increased its utility in clinical practice, even when the equations may be inaccurate for body composition analysis.
Half Mode Substrate Integrated Waveguide (HMSIW) Directional Filter

A double-loop directional filter is described and realized in this work by using a novel guided-wave structure called half mode substrate integrated waveguide (HMSIW), which retains the attractive performances of substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) with a nearly half reduction in size compared to the original SIW version. The demonstrated filter is designed at 12 GHz with less than 3.2 dB insertion loss for a 250-MHz bandwidth, and the minimum insertion loss is 1.5 dB. It presents low insertion loss, high power capacity in planar compact configuration with a standard PCB fabrication process.
EBV and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A New Perspective1

We have proposed that EBV uses mature B cell biology to access memory B cells as a site of persistent infection. A central feature of this model is that EBV adapts its gene expression profile to the state of the B cell it resides in and that the level of infection is stable over time. This led us to question whether changes in the behavior or regulation of mature B cells would alter the state of EBV persistence. To investigate this, we studied the impact of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a disease characterized by immune dysfunction, on EBV infection. We show that patients with SLE have abnormally high frequencies of EBV-infected cells in their blood, and this is associated with the occurrence of SLE disease flares. Although patients with SLE have frequencies of infected cells comparable to those seen in immunosuppressed patients, in SLE the effect was independent of immunosuppressive therapy. Aberrant expression of viral lytic (BZLF1) and latency (latency membrane proteins 1 and 2a) genes was also detected in the blood of SLE patients. We conclude that the abnormal regulation of EBV infection in SLE patients reflects the sensitivity of the virus to perturbation of the immune system.
Somatic mutations of WNT/wingless signaling pathway components in primitive neuroectodermal tumors

Primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs) represent the most frequent malignant brain tumors in childhood. The majority of these neoplasms occur in the cerebellum and are classified as medulloblastomas (MB). Most PNETs develop sporadically; however, their incidence is highly elevated in patients carrying germline APC gene mutations. The APC gene encodes a central component of the WNT/wingless developmental signaling pathway. It regulates the levels of cytoplasmic β‐catenin protein that plays a central role in neural development and cell proliferation. We analyzed 87 sporadic PNETs and 10 PNET cell lines for mutations of the APC gene and β‐catenin (CTNNB1) gene using single strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) and sequencing analysis. We examined the mutation cluster region of APC (codons 1255–1641) for germline variants and somatic mutations. The medulloblastoma cell line MHH‐MED‐2 carried a Glu1317Gln missense germline variant and a sporadic MB sample showed a somatic Pro1319Leu substitution. Mutational analysis of exon 3 of CTNNB1 uncovered 4 PNETs (4.8%) with somatic missense mutations. These mutations caused amino acid substitutions in 3 of 80 medulloblastomas (Ser33Phe, Ser33Cys and Ser37Cys) and 1 of 4 supratentorial PNETs (Gly34Val). All mutations affected GSK‐3β phosphorylation sites of the degradation targeting box of β‐catenin and resulted in nuclear β‐catenin protein accumulation. Deletions of CTNNB1 were not detected by PCR amplification with primers spanning exons 1–5. Our data indicate that inappropriate activation of the WNT/wingless signaling pathway by mutations of its components may contribute to the pathogenesis of a subset of PNETs. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Basal repression of BRCA1 by multiple E2Fs and pocket proteins at adjacent E2F sites

The BRCA1 gene is rarely mutated in sporadic tumors, although numerous studies suggest that the expression of this critical tumor suppressor gene is frequently down-regulated in tumors derived from a wide range of tissues. However, little is known regarding the mechanisms by which BRCA1 is transcriptionally regulated in human cells in vivo. We have shown recently that the tumor microenvironmental stress of hypoxia induces an E2F-dependent repression of BRCA1 in cancer cells. Here, we report that multiple E2Fs and associated factors bind the BRCA1 promoter at two adjacent E2F sites in the proximal promoter region of the gene, as detected by quantitative chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analysis. Intriguingly, our data suggest that E2F1 and E2F4 bind the BRCA1 proximal promoter simultaneously at the two E2F sites, although E2F4 appears to be the predominant E2F bound in log-phase cells. In contrast to previous studies, we have also detected promoter occupancy by the pocket proteins p130 and p107, but not Rb, and our data indicate that E2F4 and p130/p107 complexes basally repress the BRCA1 promoter. We find that binding by these factors requires both intact E2F sites, which suggests a novel interaction between adjacent promoter elements. Taken together, these findings provide an enhanced molecular portrait of BRCA1 transcriptional regulation by E2Fs and pocket proteins, and they enhance our understanding of regulation by repressive E2F complexes at target genes in vivo. Furthermore, the identification of E2F4 and p130/p107 complexes as basal repressors of BRCA1 expression may facilitate the development of strategies based on disruption of these interactions to rescue BRCA1 expression in human tumors.
Multicopy single‐stranded DNAs with mismatched base pairs are mutagenic in Escherichia coli

Retrons are genetic elements that encode multicopy single‐stranded DNAs called msONAs. They are clonally distributed in Escherichia coli and retrons in different clones produce DNAs with different nucleotide sequences. msDNAs consist of an RNA molecule covalently linked to a single‐stranded DNA molecule. The latter contains an inverted repeat, resulting in a stem‐loop structure. In two retrons, Ec83 and Ec78, the DNA is cleaved off from the RNA. All known retrons except Ec78, have one or more mismatched base pairs in the stem‐loop structure. We found that two retrons, Ec86 and Ec83, when present in high copy numbers are mutagenic. The ratios of mutation frequencies observed in Lac indicator strains were similar to the ratios observed for a mutant defective in mismatch repair. It is known that some proteins required for mismatch repair bind to mismatched base pairs prior to carrying out repair. The similarity in the mutation frequency ratios suggested that the mutagenesis caused by msDNAs of retrons Ec86 and Ec83 might be due to seqestration of a mismatch repair protein by msDNA. Strong support for this interpretation was obtained from the finding that the msDNA produced by retron Ec78 is not mutagenic.
Infantile Systemic Hyalinosis or Juvenile Hyaline Fibromatosis?

Abstract: Infantile systemic hyalinosis and juvenile hyaline fibromatosis are presumably autosomal recessive inherited diseases of unknown origin in which accumulation of an amorphous, hyaline material occurs in the skin and other organs. Both disorders may show clinical overlapping, suggesting that they might represent different variants of the same disease spectrum. We describe a 6‐year‐old boy with such overlap. Salient features included papular skin lesions on his face and neck, gingival hyperplasia, perianal nodules, large subcutaneous tumors on the scalp, hyperpigmented plaques over the metacarpophalangeal joints and malleoli, limited joint movement, diffuse osteopenia, short stature, and persistent diarrhea. Histopathologic and ultrastructural studies confirmed the presence of hyalin material in the dermis. The term systemic hyalinosis involves both conditions and should be preferred until a clear distinction can be made between them.
The presence of a second rat has only subtle effects on the location‐specific firing of hippocampal place cells

We compared the spatial firing properties of hippocampal place cells as a hungry rat foraged for randomly scattered food pellets in a familiar environment while it was by itself and while it shared the arena with a second rat that also was trained in the same task. Our goal was to determine if the hippocampal mapping system remained functional in the presence of the second rat, despite a strong initial tendency of the two animals to stay close together and despite the increased complexity of the sensory surroundings. We found that almost all place cell firing fields were only marginally changed by introducing the second rat. In particular, there was no evidence of the remapping characteristic of place cells in a sufficiently different novel environment. Instead, firing fields became somewhat less well organized and slightly weaker in the presence of the second rat. These second order changes were found to be distance dependent; the degradation of firing properties was maximal when the two rats were near each other. We conclude that signals in the hippocampal mapping system are affected to a small enough extent that accurate navigational is still possible when the environment is enriched in this realistic fashion. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Differential polymorphism in cutaneous glands of archaic Leiopelma species

Endemic New Zealand frogs of the genus Leiopelma are from a basal lineage of extant anurans that release defensive secretions onto their skin when disturbed. Here, we characterize the gross anatomy and microscopic structure of the skin of L. archeyi, L. hochstetteri, and L. pakeka using stereoscopic, light and transmission electron microscopy. The terrestrial L. archeyi and L. pakeka possess dimorphic granular glands, categorized as type I and II, based on their frequency and morphological traits, whereas the semi‐aquatic L. hochstetteri lacks type I glands. This is the first report of differential dimorphism in anurans of the same genus. This dimorphism could be interpreted as an adaptation to different physiological or ecological needs of these species. However, species within this ancient genus share similar general gland morphology with other anurans, namely, a secretory unit containing storage granules ensheathed by myoepithelial cells. Type I glands are ellipsoid, large and contain a homogeneous mass of electron‐dense granules (1.8 ± 0.08 μm in diameter). Type II glands are round and contain larger heterogeneous granules (4.06 ± 0.16 μm) of varying densities. Exposure to noradrenaline causes the contraction of myoepithelial cells, resulting in bulk discharge of type I glands through the epidermal duct onto the skin surface. Differential release of secretions from dimorphic glands may be indicative of their functional specialisation in antipredatory or regulative roles. Mass spectrometric techniques were used to de novo sequence peptides present in the skin secretions of Leiopelma species. A total of 30 previously undescribed peptides from Leiopelma species were fully or partially sequenced. These peptides exhibited no similarity to any known compounds. J. Morphol. 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Economic Growth from a Kaldorian Perspective: Theory, Evidence and Agenda

This paper presents a literature review of the Kaldorian literature, which identifies three important gaps, or areas for future research. Firstly, the determinants of the magnitude of the key parameters of Kaldor-Verdoorn’s Law (the Verdoorn coefficient) and of Thirlwall’s Law (the income elasticities) have not been fully understood. Secondly, the fact that cumulative causation works through price competitiveness in the Kaldor-Dixon-Thirlwall model represents an important limitation of the model, which has not yet been solved. Thirdly, sectoral differences have not been fully explored in Kaldorian theory. The review indicates that, in the first two research areas, exploring the effects of additional variables could help clarify what determines the magnitudes of the parameters, as have been sought by the works that combine Kaldorian and Schumpeterian insights, indicating also new channels through which cumulative causation could work. Finally, the last issue requires more attention to similarities and differences between manufacturing sectors, as well as exploring more carefully how sectoral dynamics work.
Comprehensive Detection of Eccentricity Fault in Switched Reluctance Machines Using High-Frequency Pulse Injection

This paper presents a comprehensive method for eccentricity fault diagnosis in switched reluctance machine (SRM) during offline and standstill modes. In this method, the fault signature is achieved by processing the differential currents resulted from injected high-frequency diagnostic pulses to the motor windings. For feasibility assessment of the proposed method, the correlation between differential current and eccentricity occurrence is analytically demonstrated. A 3-D transient finite-element method is utilized to analyze the proposal, and its results are validated by experimental tests on a prototype machine in the laboratory. According to the obtained results by experimental as well as numerical analysis, a pattern is introduced in order to detect fault presence. In this stage, an algorithm with two methods is proposed for the detection of fault location or faulty phase. Furthermore, the direction of fault is recognized by a simple comparative technique. Next, a normalized indicator is proposed in order to estimate the eccentricity fault severity as well as its occurrence. This indicator is not dependent of the healthy motor information, which makes it reliable and applicable tool for all sizes of SRMs. Finally, a simple procedure based on achieved pattern and indicator is implemented to distinguish the static, dynamic, and mixed eccentricity in the SRM.
Autoantibodies to DFS 70 kd/transcription coactivator p75 in atopic dermatitis and other conditions.

BACKGROUND Sera of patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) were found to have autoantibodies that reacted with tissue culture cell substrates in immunohistochemistry to display a characteristic pattern of nuclear distribution of dense fine speckles. The sera also recognized a 70-kd protein on Western immunoblots, and the antigen was termed dense fine speckles 70 kd (DSF70). OBJECTIVE Because spontaneously occurring autoantibodies could be immune responses to proteins that might be participating in the disease process, it was of interest to identify the antigens driving the autoimmune antibody response. METHODS A serum containing high-titer antibodies to DFS70 was used to immunoscreen a complementary (c)DNA expression library to isolate cDNA encoding the antigen. After the cDNA was isolated, this was used to express recombinant protein to determine the prevalence of antibody in AD and other conditions. RESULTS Thirty percent of patients with AD were found to have antibody to recombinant DFS70 in Western immunoblots. Sixteen percent of patients with asthma and 9% of patients with interstitial cystitis had antibodies of the same specificities. The cDNA encoding DFS70 was identical to a transcription coactivator called p75, which had been shown to be required for RNA polymerase II-dependent transcription. Another important finding was that IgE antibodies to DFS70 were also present in AD sera. CONCLUSION It is suggested that a common basis for the presence of autoantibodies to DFS70 might be related to AD in asthma, interstitial cystitis, and other conditions. A possible role of this antigen-antibody system in pathogenesis remains to be demonstrated, but it appears to be a marker for a subset of patients with AD.
Enthalpic lattice Boltzmann formulation for heat conduction during melting of PCMs with embedded solid blocks with different thermophysical properties

In this paper, we extend the enthalpic formulation introduced in previous work of Hamila et al. [1], to solve transient conduction heat transfer during melting of phase change material. The volume fraction of liquid phase is described by a Heaviside step function smoothly approximated by a logistic curve having a common "S" shape, also called sigmoid curve. Several conduction test problems during melting of some specific phase change material are simulated and comparisons are made with the control volume solutions. The simulation of conduction heat transfer during melting of commercial PCM filling the cavity, in which one or more circular solid blocks (with enhanced thermophysical properties) are embedded, is performed. The proposed formulation can handle accurately conduction heat transfer problem with phase change including interface evolving over time. Special attention is given to distinction between thermophysical properties of solid and liquid phase which are not equal.
A Fast-Locking CDR Circuit with an Autonomously Reconfigurable Charge Pump and Loop Filter

This paper presents the design of a phase-locked loop (PLL) based clock and data recovery (CDR) circuit that meets fast locking and low jitter. We reduce the locking time of a CDR circuit using a new autonomously reconfigurable charge pump and loop filter in a 1.25 Gb/s CDR circuit. An experimental prototype was implemented in a 0.18 mum standard CMOS technology. A receiver that incorporates our CDR circuit has an active area of 380 mum times 350 mum.
Anomalies of the anaerobic tricarboxylic acid cycle in Shewanella oneidensis revealed by Tn‐seq

The availability of increasingly inexpensive sequencing combined with an ever‐expanding molecular biology toolbox has transported classical bacterial genetics into the 21st century. Whole genome genetic fitness analysis using transposon mutagenesis combined with next‐generation high‐throughput sequencing (Tn‐seq) promises to revolutionize systems level analysis of microbial metabolism. Tn‐seq measures the frequency of actual members of a heterogeneous mutant pool undergoing purifying selection to determine the contribution of every non‐essential gene in the genome to the fitness of an organism under a given condition. Here we use Tn‐seq to assess gene function in the Gram negative γ‐proteobacterium Shewanella oneidensis strain MR‐1. In addition to being a model environmental organism, there is considerable interest in using S. oneidensis as a platform organism for bioremediation and biotechnology, necessitating a complete understanding of the metabolic pathways that may be utilized. Our analysis reveals unique aspects of S. oneidensis metabolism overlooked by over 30 years of classical genetic and systems level analysis. We report the utilization of an alternative citrate synthase and describe a dynamic branching of the S. oneidensis anaerobic tricarboxylic acid cycle, unreported in any other organism, which may be a widespread strategy for microbes adept at dissipating reducing equivalents via anaerobic respiration.
Expression of TAp73 and DeltaNp73 isoform transcripts in thyroid tumours.

AIM This study was aimed to determine p73 status in thyroid tumours. METHODS Differential expression of the TAp73, DeltaTAp73 transcripts was measured in a panel of 60 thyroid malignancies by quantitative RT-PCR. RESULTS By comparison to normal thyroid tissue surrounding the tumours, we observed significant downregulation of TP73 transcripts in adenomas and in differentiated carcinomas. Correlations were found in normal tissue specimens between the expression of TAp73 and DeltaNp73 transcripts and that of p53, p14ARF p16INK4a, but these correlations were lost in carcinomas (PTC or FTC). CONCLUSIONS We have found significant variations of TAp73, DeltaNp73, p53, p14ARF p16INK4a, expressions and correlations between the expressions of those different genes in thyroid cancer.
Evaluation of diagnostic tests used for detection of bovine viral diarrhea virus and prevalence of subtypes 1a, 1b, and 2a in persistently infected cattle entering a feedlot.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate diagnostic tests used for detection of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) and determine the prevalence of BVDV subtypes 1a, 1b, and 2a in persistently infected (PI) cattle entering a feedlot. DESIGN Prospective study. ANIMALS 21,743 calves. PROCEDURES Samples were obtained from calves initially testing positive via antigen capture ELISA (ACE) performed on fresh skin (ear notch) specimens, and ACE was repeated. Additionally, immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed on skin specimens fixed in neutral-buffered 10% formalin, and reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) assay and virus isolation were performed on serum samples. Virus was subtyped via sequencing of the 5' untranslated region of the viral genome. RESULTS Initial ACE results were positive for BVDV in 88 calves. After subsequent testing, results of ACE, IHC, RT-PCR assay, and viral isolation were positive in 86 of 88 calves; results of all subsequent tests were negative in 2 calves. Those 2 calves had false-positive test results. On the basis of IHC results, 86 of 21,743 calves were PI with BVDV, resulting in a prevalence of 0.4%. Distribution of BVDV subtypes was BVDV1b (77.9%), BVDV1a (11.6%), and BVDV2a (10.5%). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Rapid tests such as ACE permit identification and segregation of PI cattle pending results of further tests, thus reducing their contact with the rest of the feedlot population. Although vaccines with BVDV1a and 2a components are given to cattle entering feedlots, these vaccines may not provide adequate protection against BVDV1b.