Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Twelve Weeks of Pioglitazone Therapy Significantly Attenuates Dysmetabolism and Reduces Inflammation in Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis Patients—a Randomized Crossover Trial

♦ Background: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of oral pioglitazone (PIO) on lipid metabolism, insulin resistance, inflammation, and adipokine metabolism in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients. ♦ Methods: In this randomized crossover trial, 36 CAPD patients with serum triglyceride levels above 1.8 mmol/L were randomly assigned to receive either oral PIO 15 mg once daily or no PIO for 12 weeks. Then, after a 4-week washout, the patients were switched to the alternative regimen. The primary endpoint was change in serum triglycerides during the PIO regimen compared with no PIO. Secondary endpoints included changes in other lipid levels, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), adipocytokines, and C-reactive protein (CRP). ♦ Results: All 36 CAPD patients (age: 64 ± 11 years; 33% men; 27.8% with diabetes mellitus) completed the study. Comparing patients after PIO and no PIO therapy, we found no significant differences in mean serum triglycerides (3.83 ± 1.49 mmol/L vs 3.51 ± 1.98 mmol/L, p = 0.2). However, mean high-density lipoprotein (0.94 ± 0.22 mmol/L vs 1.00 ± 0.21 mmol/L, p = 0.004) and median total adiponectin [10.34 μg/mL (range: 2.59 - 34.48 μg/mL) vs 30.44 μg/mL (3.47 - 93.41 μg/mL), p < 0.001] increased significantly. Median HOMA-IR [7.51 (1.39 - 45.23) vs 5.38 (0.97 - 14.95), p = 0.006], mean fasting blood glucose (7.31 ± 2.57 mmol/L vs 6.60 ± 2.45 mmol/L, p = 0.01), median CRP [8.78 mg/L (0.18 - 53 mg/L) vs 3.50 mg/L (0.17 - 26.30 mg/L), p = 0.005], and mean resistin (32.70 ± 17.17 ng/mL vs 28.79 ± 11.83 ng/mL, p = 0.02) all declined. The PIO was well tolerated, with only one adverse event: lower-extremity edema in a patient with low residual renal function. ♦ Conclusions: Blood triglycerides were not altered after 12 weeks of PIO 15 mg once daily in CAPD patients, but parameters of dysmetabolism were markedly improved, including insulin resistance, inflammation, and adipokine balance, suggesting that PIO could be of value for this high-risk patient group. Larger, more definitive studies are needed to confirm these findings.
Deregulated Aurora‐B induced tetraploidy promotes tumorigenesis

High expression of Aurora‐B has been observed in various cancers, and inhibition of this kinase has been shown to halt cellular proliferation. However, the mechanism of effect of Aurora‐B on cellular transformation has not been fully explored. Here, we show that overexpression of Aurora‐B in murine epithelial cells promotes generation of tetraploids. In search of a related mechanism, spectral karyotyping was carried out, showing premature chromatid separation (PCS). Of interest, PCS is a hallmark of Robert's syndrome, which also involves cellular polyploidy and aneu‐ ploidy. Sorted tetraploid Aurora‐B‐overexpressing cells promoted significant mammary epithelial cancers when injected into nude mice, as compared to injection of nonfractionated cells, suggesting that tetraploidy is an important mediator of Aurora‐B‐induced tumorigenesis. Comparative chromosome hybridization performed on DNA derived from tetraploid cell‐induced tumors indicates amplifications and deletions of regions throughout the genome, which include tumor‐promoting or tumorsuppressing genes, respectively. Thus, sustained expression of Aurora‐B induces tetraploidy, which, in turn, facilitates genomic instability and tumor development in a xenograft model. — Nguyen, H. G. , Makitalo, M. , Yang, D. , Chinnappan, D. , St. Hilaire, C. , Ravid, K. Deregulated Aurora‐B induced tetraploidy promotes tumorigenesis. FASEBJ. 23, 2741–2748 (2009)
A novel akermanite/poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) porous composite scaffold fabricated via a solvent casting-particulate leaching method improved by solvent self-proliferating process

Abstract Desirable scaffolds for tissue engineering should be biodegradable carriers to supply suitable microenvironments mimicked the extracellular matrices for desired cellular interactions and to provide supports for the formation of new tissues. In this work, a kind of slightly soluble bioactive ceramic akermanite (AKT) powders were aboratively selected and introduced in the PLGA matrix, a novel l-lactide modified AKT/poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (m-AKT/PLGA) composite scaffold was fabricated via a solvent casting-particulate leaching method improved by solvent self-proliferating process. The effects of m-AKT contents on properties of composite scaffolds and on MC3T3-E1 cellular behaviors in vitro have been primarily investigated. The fabricated scaffolds exhibited three-dimensional porous networks, in which homogenously distributed cavities in size of 300–400 μm were interconnected by some smaller holes in a size of 100–200 μm. Meanwhile, the mechanical structure of scaffolds was reinforced by the introduction of m-AKT. Moreover, alkaline ionic products released by m-AKT could neutralize the acidic degradation products of PLGA, and the apatite-mineralization ability of scaffolds could be largely improved. More valuably, significant promotions on adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation of MC3T3-E1 have been observed, which implied the calcium, magnesium and especially silidous ions released sustainably from composite scaffolds could regulate the behaviors of osteogenesis-related cells.
Ethnically Diverse Patients’ Perceptions of Clinician Computer Use in a Safety-net Clinic

Electronic health record (EHR) implementation may affect patient-clinician communication for diverse safety-net populations. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of English-, Spanish-, and Cantonese-speaking patients in a public hospital clinic with a basic EHR. We examined multivariate associations of patient race/ethnicity, language, and education with perceptions of primary-care provider (PCP) computer use. Among 399 respondents, 25% had less than a high school education, 22% preferred Spanish, and 17% Cantonese. Asian (AOR 3.1), non-English-speakers (AOR 3.6) were more likely to report that PCPs used the computer half or more of the visit. Asians were more likely to report that computers helped PCPs remember patient concerns (AOR 5.6). Non-English-speakers had lower odds of reporting that PCPs listened less carefully to them because of computers (AOR 0.3). Patients at risk for communication barriers may perceive advantages of PCP computer use. Safety-net clinics should consider EHR impact on communication disparities.
Effect of exercise duration on density and coupling of beta-adrenergic receptors on human mononuclear cells.

The effect of maximal exercise on lymphocyte beta-adrenergic receptors was examined in 26 normal subjects. Exercise increased O2 consumption (Vo2) from 5 +/- 1 to 50 +/- 4 ml.min-1.kg-1, plasma norepinephrine level from 188 +/- 28 to 2,682 +/- 160 pg/ml, and plasma epinephrine level from 94 +/- 72 to 857 +/- 180 pg/ml. The density of beta-adrenergic receptors on lymphocytes obtained at rest was 31 +/- 3.7 fmol/mg protein; exercise increased the density of receptors by 86 +/- 33% (range 0-257%) to 58.3 +/- 1.5 fmol/mg protein but did not alter the affinity of the receptor for [125I]iodopindolol or the coupling of the receptor to the guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory protein. The density of beta-adrenergic receptors increased progressively throughout exercise and paralleled the increase in heart rate. The magnitude of the change in the density of beta-adrenergic receptors did not correlate with the magnitude of the increase in heart rate, Vo2, or plasma levels of catecholamines. The density of receptors was still elevated 15 min after completion of exercise but fell below base line 1 h after peak exercise to 18.2 +/- 6.7 fmol/mg protein (P less than 0.05 vs. base-line levels). These results demonstrate that exhaustive exercise results in a progressive increase in the number of beta-adrenergic receptors on lymphocyte membranes, followed by a reduction in the density of receptors during the recovery phase of exercise. Despite a significant increase in the level of plasma catecholamines, the receptor remains coupled to the guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory protein.
Proteolytic processing of the replicase ORF1a protein of equine arteritis virus

To study the proteolytic processing of the equine arteritis virus (EAV) replicase open reading frame 1a (ORF1a) protein, specific antisera were raised in rabbits, with six synthetic peptides and a bacterial fusion protein as antigens. The processing of the EAV ORF1a product in infected cells was analyzed with Western blot (immunoblot) and immunoprecipitation techniques. Additional information was obtained from transient expression of ORF1a cDNA constructs. The 187-kDa ORF1a protein was found to be subject to at least five proteolytic cleavages. The processing scheme, which covers the entire ORF1a protein, results in cleavage products of approximately 29, 61, 22, 31, 41, and 3 kDa, which were named nonstructural proteins (nsps) 1 through 6, respectively. Pulse-chase experiments revealed that the cleavages at the nsp1/2 and nsp2/3 junctions are the most rapid processing steps. The remaining nsp3456 precursor is first cleaved at the nsp4/5 site. Final processing of the nsp34 and nsp56 intermediates is extremely slow. As predicted from previous in vitro translation experiments (E. J. Snijder, A. L. M. Wassenaar, and W. J. M. Spaan, J. Virol. 66:7040-7048, 1992), a cysteine protease domain in nsp1 was shown to be responsible for the nsp1/2 cleavage. The other processing steps are carried out by the putative EAV serine protease in nsp4 and by a third protease, which remains to be identified.
A Novel Fast Algorithm for Speech and Audio Coding

In this work, a new mathematical modeling approach is proposed for the representation of the speech and audio signals. This approach is based on the generation of the so called predefined signature sequence (PSS) and predefined envelope sequence (PES) sets. After the generation process of the PSS and PES sets, they are clustered by effective k-means clustering algorithm and the PSS and PES are redefined by using these centroids. By using this approach, the drawbacks by means of the size of the sets, speed of the reconstruction process (computational complexity) which arise in the proposed methods previously are highly eliminated. In spite of these improvements, the initial results proved that, the quality of the reconstructed signals remains within the limitations of the acceptable hearing quality.
Radiation Effect Evaluation in Effective Short and Narrow Channels of LDD Transistor With LOCOS Isolation Using OTCP Method

In this paper, we have presented a new methodology to take out the local oxidation of silicon (LOCOS) and lightly doped drain (LDD) subdiffusion effects from charge-pumping (CP) curves, leaving only the CP current of the effective channel, in narrow- and short-channel MOSFET transistors. First, we have clarified the contribution of LDD-subdiffusion and LOCOS regions to the CP characteristics by studying the spatial distributions of CP threshold and flatband voltages. We have shown that the maximum CP current is the contribution of pumped current in the effective-channel, LOCOS, and LDD-subdiffusion regions. Second, we have successfully used the oxide-trap CP (OTCP) to extract the radiation-induced oxide trap (¿N ot) and interface trap (¿N it) in effective short- and narrow-channel transistors. Finally, we have performed a comparison between the OTCP and the capacitance-versus-voltage method.
Pushing CMOS beyond the roadmap

Today, the 90nm generation is in production and in spite of many roadblocks, the latest ITRS 04 expects that CMOS can be scaled down to the 22nm node and beyond. However, for conventional bulk CMOS serious challenges are evident and new transistors with better electrostatic channel control, lower off-currents and higher on-currents will be needed. Among them, multi-gate devices with very thin silicon channels are most promising. Several architectures like FinFET, wafer bonded double gate and SON gate all around have been demonstrated with good electrical characteristics at gate lengths of 25-10nm. Under certain assumptions for the SD regions, quantum mechanical simulations predict that silicon MOSFETs can be functional down to 2nm gate length. Multi-gate transistors have also been implemented in high density flash memory cells down to 20nm. Large Vt shifts suitable for multi-level storage were achieved. Therefore, it seems very realistic that the device roadmap will not end at the 22nm node. Assuming that manufacturing and cost issues can be fulfilled, CMOS will continue to dominate in the nanoelectronics era.
Role of junctional zone cells between Purkinje fibres and ventricular muscle in arrhythmogenesis.

OBJECTIVE The aim was to examine under abnormal conditions the flow of currents across junctional (J-) cells found between Purkinje fibre cells and ventricular muscle cells, and determine whether these currents play a role in increasing the excitation rate of ventricular muscle. METHODS Canine Purkinje fibre and papillary muscle preparations were mapped to locate the Purkinje fibre-ventricular muscle cell junction (PVJ). Using standard techniques, action potentials from Purkinje fibres, J-cells, and ventricular muscle cells and extracellular electrograms were simultaneously recorded at the PVJ. The tissue was then superfused with Tyrode solution plus 4.5-5.0 mmol of ethylenediamine tetra-acetate (EDTA). RESULTS EDTA prolonged the action potential duration mainly in Purkinje fibres. Secondary plateaus were recorded at membrane potentials of -63.5(SD 7.6) mV (n = 16) in J-cells, and at membrane potentials of -74.9(4.3) mV (n = 9) in ventricular muscle cells. Triggered activations appeared on both secondary plateaus with the earliest site of activation at J-cells (n = 12), at ventricular muscle cells (n = 4), or in both (n = 6). Tetrodotoxin (3-9 x 10(-7) M) and verapamil (1 x 10(-6)-10(-5) M) suppressed triggered activations. CONCLUSION The PVJ zone appears to be an important site for the generation of triggered activations. Interventions suggest that triggered activations originating in the J-cell depend on delayed repolarisations which trigger the activation of sodium and/or calcium channels.
Development of hydrogel patch for controlled release of alpha‐hydroxy acid contained in tamarind fruit pulp extract

The aim of this study was to develop hydrogel patch using crosslinked chitosan–starch as polymeric matrix for controlling the release of the natural alpha‐hydroxy acid (AHA) contained in the extract of tamarind's fruit pulp. The chitosan (MW 100 000) was blended with corn, tapioca or rice starch in various ratios and then crosslinked with glutaraldehyde. The physical characteristics, mechanical resistance, bio‐adhesion property and surface morphology of the prepared hydrogel patches with and without the extract were investigated. The release patterns of the hydrogel patches containing the extract were investigated by measuring the amount of tartaric acid, a major AHA present in the tamarind's fruit pulp extract, accumulated in the receptor medium of the vertical diffusion cell at various time intervals over a period of 6 h. The results indicated that the formulations of chitosan : corn starch 4.5 : 0.5 with glutaraldehyde 0.02% w/w (C4.5C0.5G0.02) or 0.04% w/w (C4.5C0.5G0.04), chitosan : tapioca starch 4.5 : 0.5 with glutaraldehyde 0.04% w/w (C4.5T0.5G0.04) or 0.05% w/w (C4.5T0.5G0.05), and chitosan : rice starch 4.5 : 0.5 with glutaraldehyde 0.04% w/w (C4.5R0.5G0.04) and chitosan : rice starch 4.0 : 1.0 with glutaraldehyde 0.03% w/w (C4.0R1.0G0.03) provided the flexible and elastic patches with good bio‐adhesive property. The tensile strength values ranged from 5 to15 N mm−2 and the elasticity ranged from 30 to 60%. The addition of the extract in these formulations significantly increased the tensile strength values of the obtained patches. The patch of C4.0R1.0G0.03 formulation containing the extract showed relatively highest porosity, corresponding to its highest amount (12.02 ± 0.33 mg) and rate (0.452 ± 0.012 mg mm−2 min−1/2) of tartaric acid released. The amounts of tartaric acid released from the developed hydrogel patches were proportional to a square root of time (Higuchi's model), particularly the release from C4.0R1.0G0.03 (R2, 0.9978 ± 0.0020) and C4.5R0.5G0.04 (R2, 0.9961 ± 0.0024) patches.
Die Energiewende wird nicht an Stromspeichern scheitern

Die Umsetzung der Energiewende erfordert einen weiteren starken Ausbau der erneuerbaren Energien in Deutschland. Jedoch werden in der energiepolitischen Debatte immer wieder Zweifel geausert, ob eine weitgehend auf fluktuierender Wind- und Solarenergie basierende Energieversorgung moglich sei. So droht einer aktuell diskutierten Analyse Hans-Werner Sinns zufolge der weitere Ausbau der Wind- und Solarenergie in Deutschland aufgrund fehlen-der Stromspeicher an eine Grenze zu stosen. In diesem Beitrag wird gezeigt, dass der dabei ermittelte Speicherbedarf aufgrund methodischer Schwachen weit hoher liegt als in anderen relevanten Studien. Er kann um rund zwei Grosenordnungen niedriger ausfallen, wenn eine moderate Abregelung erneuerbarer Stromerzeugungsspitzen erlaubt wird, wenn also nicht jede von Wind-kraft- und Solaranlagen erzeugbare Kilowattstunde eingespeichert werden muss. Zudem konnen neue flexible Stromnachfrager den Speicherbedarf noch deutlich weiter verringern. Der Stromspeicherbedarf stellt somit, anders als von Hans-Werner Sinn behauptet, kein Hindernis fur den weiteren Fortgang der Energiewende dar.
High CD49f expression is associated with osteosarcoma tumor progression: a study using patient-derived primary cell cultures

Overall prognosis for osteosarcoma (OS) is poor despite aggressive treatment options. Limited access to primary tumors, technical challenges in processing OS tissues, and the lack of well‐characterized primary cell cultures has hindered our ability to fully understand the properties of OS tumor initiation and progression. In this study, we have isolated and characterized cell cultures derived from four central high‐grade human OS samples. Furthermore, we used the cell cultures to study the role of CD49f in OS progression. Recent studies have implicated CD49f in stemness and multipotency of both cancer stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells. Therefore, we investigated the role of CD49f in osteosarcomagenesis. First, single cell suspensions of tumor biopsies were subcultured and characterized for cell surface marker expression. Next, we characterized the growth and differentiation properties, sensitivity to chemotherapy drugs, and anchorage‐independent growth. Xenograft assays showed that cell populations expressing CD49fhi/CD90lo cell phenotype produced an aggressive tumor. Multiple lines of evidence demonstrated that inhibiting CD49f decreased the tumor‐forming ability. Furthermore, the CD49fhi/CD90lo cell population is generating more aggressive OS tumor growth and indicating this cell surface marker could be a potential candidate for the isolation of an aggressive cell type in OSs.
Evaluation of cytomegalovirus‐specific T‐cell reconstitution in patients after various allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation using interferon‐γ‐enzyme‐linked immunospot and human leucocyte antigen tetramer assays with an immunodominant T‐cell epitope

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a major complication for patients who received allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Accurate monitoring of CMV‐specific T‐cell reconstitution is required for appropriate decision on treatment, such as anti‐viral drugs, which have adverse effects. Although human leucocyte antigen (HLA) tetramer and interferon‐γ‐enzyme‐linked immunospot (IFN‐γ‐ELISPOT) assays have been used to measure CMV‐specific T cells, detailed comparison of these assays and kinetics of anti‐CMV T‐cell reconstitution between reduced‐intensity transplantation (RIST) and conventional HSCT has not yet been performed. In this study, we performed prospective comparative monitoring of CMV‐specific T cells using HLA tetramer and IFN‐γ‐ELISPOT assays with a single immunodominant CMV495 peptide in 28 HLA‐A*0201 and 9 HLA‐A*0206 patients after various allogeneic HSCTs. The IFN‐γ‐ELISPOT assay was more sensitive for evaluation of functional T cells than the HLA tetramer assay, and CMV‐specific T cells were reconstituted earlier in patients who received RIST without anti‐thymocyte globulin (ATG) than those receiving RIST with ATG or conventional HSCT. The threshold level for protection from CMV reactivation was estimated as over 1 × 106 cells/l peripheral blood with the IFN‐γ‐ELISPOT assay. These results demonstrate that the IFN‐γ‐ELISPOT assay with CMV495 provides more accurate evaluation on CMV immunity in HLA‐A*0201 and ‐A*0206 patients, and may be useful for determining timing of various treatments.
Mapping the Citation Flow of New York Times Newspaper Indexed in Web of Science

The objective of the paper is to find out the flow of the New York Times newspaper information in scholarly publication during 2001-2010. New York Times is considered for the present study since it is the most highly cited English newspaper indexed in Web of Science. During the study period there were 13600 records with 14764 citations in different scholarly publications. The citation of the New York Times in scholarly publications increased gradually from 2005 onwards. The study also found that there is gradual increase in citing Byline newspaper information from 2005 onwards in scholarly publications, whereas, there is gradual increase in Dateline newspaper information citations from 2003 onwards. The New York Times is highly cited in Journals with 78.32% citations followed by Review with 9.41% citations. There are 3543 scholarly publications citing the New York Times during 2001-2010. Further, there are 132 journals within top 50 journals citing the New York Times newspaper. There are 83 countries citing New York Times newspaper during 2001-2010. Maximum citations are from USA with 69.93%, followed by UK with 4.73% citations.
Enzymatic modification of lymphocyte receptors for antigen. III. Resistance of receptors to trypsin at the peak of the immune response

Using sheep erythrocytes (SRBC) as the antigen, two subpopulations of spleen antigen‐binding lymphocytes could be distinguished by a marked difference in the susceptibility of their receptors to trypsin. In unimmunized animals, 30 % of the antigen‐binding cells were trypsin‐resistant, whereas at 5 days after immunization, 80–90% were trypsin‐resistant, indicating an increase of about 50‐fold in trypsin‐resistant antigen‐binding cells per spleen. In contrast, trypsinsensitive cells per spleen were only 4‐fold higher on day 5 than before immunization. Therise in % trypsin sensitivity preceded the increase in rosettes per spleen, implying that immunization produced a preferential increase in trypsinresistant antigen binding cells partly by converting sensitive cells to resistant cells. After the 5th day, the trypsin sensitivity of antigen‐binding cells slowly returned toward the unimmunized level, but a booster injection of SRBC restored trypsin resistance.