Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Gradual Increase of FcγRIIIa/CD16a Expression and Shift toward IFN-γ Secretion during Differentiation of CD56dim Natural Killer Cells

Natural killer (NK) cell effector functions include cytotoxicity and secretion of cytokines such as interferon-γ (IFN-γ). The immature CD56bright subset of human NK cells lacks expression of FcγRIIIa/CD16a, one of the low-affinity immunoglobulin G receptors, or exhibits low-density expression (CD56brightCD16−/dim) and produces IFN-γ in response to cytokine stimulation, whereas the mature CD56dimCD16+ subset is the most cytotoxic one. A further differentiation/maturation of the latter subset according to the gradual loss of NKG2A and/or gain of KIR2DL (CD158a and CD158b) has been demonstrated and the ability to produce IFN-γ in response to activating receptor (AR) co-engagement is gradually acquired during terminal differentiation. In the course of flow cytometry analysis of CD56dim NK cells, we noted a substantial intraindividual heterogeneity of expression of FcγRIIIa. FcγRIIIa is unique among ARs: it does not require the co-engagement of other ARs to induce substantial cytotoxicity or cytokine synthesis in CD56dim cells. We, therefore, investigated whether individual differentiation/maturation of polyclonal CD56dim NK cells defined by expression of NKG2A/KIR2DL is related to FcγRIIIa expression and to the heterogeneity of NK cell responses upon FcγRIIIa engagement. When we analyzed unstimulated CD56dim cells by increasing level of FcγRIIIa expression, we found that the proportion of the more differentiated CD158a,h+ and/or CD158b,j+ cells and that of the less differentiated NKG2A+ cells gradually increased and decreased, respectively. FcγRIIIa engagement by using plate-bound murine anti-CD16 monoclonal antibody (mAb) or rituximab or trastuzumab (two therapeutic mAbs), resulted in donor-dependent partial segregation of IFN-γ-producing and/or degranulating CD56dim cells. Importantly, the proportion of CD158a,h/b,j+ cells and that of NKG2A+ cells was increased and decreased, respectively, IFN-γ-producing cells, whereas these proportions were poorly modified in degranulating cells. Similar results were observed after engagement of ARs by a combination of mAbs targeting NKG2D, NKp30, NKp46, and 2B4. Thus, the gradual increase of FcγRIIIa expression is an important feature of the differentiation/maturation of CD56dim cells and this differentiation/maturation is associated with a shift in functionality toward IFN-γ secretion observed upon both FcγRIIIa-dependent and FcγRIIIa-independent stimulation. The functional heterogeneity related to the differentiation/maturation of CD56dim NK cells could be involved in the variability of the clinical responses observed in patients treated with therapeutic mAbs.
Compressed and fully compressed pattern matching in one and two dimensions

We survey the complexity issues related to several algorithmic problems for compressed and fully compressed pattern matching in one- and two-dimensional texts without explicit decompression. Several related problems for compressed strings and arrays are considered: equality testing, computation of regularities, subsegment extraction, language membership, and solvability of word equations.
Deletion of amino acids 261-269 in the brown fat uncoupling protein converts the carrier into a pore.

The uncoupling protein (UCP) from brown adipose tissue mitochondria is a carrier that catalyzes proton re-entry into the matrix and thus dissipates the proton electrochemical potential gradient as heat. UCP activity is regulated: purine nucleotides inhibit while fatty acids activate transport. We have previously reported that sequence 261-269 of the UCP has a closely related counterpart in the adenine nucleotide translocator, as well as in the DNA binding domain of the estrogen receptor. Site-directed mutagenesis of the UCP showed that deletion of amino acids 267-269 in the UCP abolished nucleotide inhibition [Bouillaud, F. , et al. (1994) EMBO J. 13, 1990-1997]. Complete deletion of the homologous domain (UCPDelta9) produced a highly deleterious mutant that collapsed the mitochondrial membrane potential and halted yeast growth. Since under our growth conditions revertants appeared rapidly, it was not possible to characterize this mutant. In this article, we have designed conditions to isolate mitochondria containing significant amounts of the UCPDelta9 mutant protein. These mitochondria show no respiratory control and are insensitive to nucleotides. Investigation of the permeability properties revealed that UCPDelta9 mitochondria swell rapidly in potassium salts in the absence of valinomycin, thus indicating a loss of specificity. The size exclusion properties of this mutant were determined with polyethylene glycols of various molecular masses (400-20000 Da), and it was found that UCPDelta9 can catalyze permeation of molecules of up to 1000 Da. We conclude that the deletion of amino acids 261-269 converts the UCP into an unspecific pore.
Determinant of FDI inflow from Asian Economies to Lao PDR

FDI inflow plays an essential role in economic growth in any countries. Thus FDI inflow and its impact on economic growth deserve attention in the economics literatures. This article intends to analyses the main determinant of FDI inflow from some Asian countries that contributed a high value of investment in Lao PDR. The static and dynamic gravity models were applied to panel data over 1995-2015 time periods. The findings conclude that the natural resource (hydropower, mining), FDI in the previous year, market size (home countries), inflation rate, infrastructure, and WTO have the positive impact on FDI inflow. While real exchange rate, trade openness, ASEAN, distance, and crisis are not the critical determinant to attract FDI from Asian countries.
Differential stimulation of interleukin-12 (IL-12) and IL-10 by live and killed Helicobacter pylori in vitro and association of IL-12 production with gamma interferon-producing T cells in the human gastric mucosa

The objective of these experiments was to examine the ability of Helicobacter pylori to stimulate interleukin-10 (IL-10) or IL-12 and select for either Th1 or Th2 cells. Gastric biopsy specimens were collected from patients who were categorized with respect to the presence of H. pylori and gastric disease as well as their age, gender, medications, and other factors. As Th1 and Th2 cells are selected by IL-12 and IL-10, respectively, biopsy specimens were screened for mRNA and protein for these cytokines. Although mRNA for IL-12 and IL-10 was detected in biopsy specimens obtained from both infected and uninfected patients, IL-12 protein predominated. Levels of IL-10 and IL-12 in gastric tissue did not change in response to infection. Moreover, gamma interferon (IFN-gamma)-producing T cells were found in both the infected and the uninfected gastric mucosa. Stimulation of peripheral blood leukocytes from either infected or uninfected donors with various concentrations of live or killed H. pylori induced immunoreactive IL-12 and IL-10. After stimulation with live H. pylori, IL-12 levels increased more than 30-fold, whereas IL-10 levels increased only 2- to 5-fold, compared to cells stimulated with medium alone. Interestingly, killed H. pylori induced significantly more IL-10 (P < 0.05) than live H. pylori, while recombinant urease only induced IL-10. These results demonstrate that live H. pylori selectively stimulates the induction of IL-12 and Th1 cells that produce IFN-gamma, whereas preparations used in oral vaccines induce more IL-10 and may favor Th2 cell responses.
Effects of antipsychotics on insight in schizophrenia: results from independent samples of first-episode and acutely relapsed patients

We aimed to investigate whether antipsychotics differentially impact insight and whether these effects appear because of improvement in psychopathological manifestation in 132 first-episode schizophrenia patients and 201 acutely relapsed schizophrenic patients, who were followed up for 12 weeks. Olanzapine and risperidone were administered to first-episode schizophrenia patients, whereas acutely relapsed schizophrenic patients were treated with olanzapine, perazine and ziprasidone. The Positive And Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used to assess psychopathology. Insight was assessed using the G12 item of PANSS. Unadjusted mixed-model regression analysis indicated a significant improvement in the PANSS G12 item score in both groups. There were no significant differences between distinct treatment subgroups of patients in terms of improvement in the PANSS G12 item score. After adjustment for the trajectories of changes in symptom dimensions, a decrease in the PANSS G12 item score was because of an improvement in positive, negative and excitement symptoms. A decrease in the PANSS G12 item score was also related to an increase in the severity of depressive symptomatology. Our results indicate that antipsychotics exert similar effects on insight in acute psychosis. These effects are likely because of an improvement in psychopathological manifestation. The improvement in insight might be related to the development of depressive symptoms.
XIST RNA Associates with Specific Regions of the Inactive X Chromatin*

Microscopy studies have shown thatXIST RNA colocalizes with the inactive X chromosome (Xi). However, the molecular basis for this colocalization is unknown. Here we provide two lines of evidence from chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments that XIST RNA physically associates with the Xi chromatin. First, XIST RNA can be co-precipitated by antiserum against macroH2A, a histone H2A variant enriched in the Xi. Second, XIST RNA can be co-precipitated by antisera that recognize unacetylated, but not acetylated, isoforms of histones H3 and H4. The specificity ofXIST RNA association with hypoacetylated chromatin, together with the previous finding that hypoacetylated histone H4 is enriched at promoters of X-inactivated genes, raises the possibility that XIST RNA may contribute to the hypoacetylation of specific regions of the Xi so as to alter the expression of X-linked genes.
Hyperstable regulation of vigilance in patients with major depressive disorder

Abstract Objectives. This study tested the hypothesis that patients with depression show less and later declines into lower EEG vigilance stages (different global functional brain states) under resting conditions than healthy controls, as proposed by the vigilance theory of affective disorders. Methods. Thirty patients with Major Depressive Disorder (19 female; mean age: 37.2 years, SD: 12.6) without psychotropic medication and 30 carefully age- and sex-matched controls (19 female; mean age: 37.3 years, SD: 12.8) without past or present mental disorders underwent a 15-min resting EEG. EEG-vigilance regulation was determined with a computer-based vigilance classification algorithm (VIGALL, Vigilance Algorithm Leipzig), allowing a classification of vigilance stages A (with substages A1, A2 and A3), B (with substages B1 and B2/3) and C. Results. Depressive patients spent significantly more time in the highest EEG vigilance substage A1, and less time in substages A2, A3 and B2/3 than controls. In depressive patients, a significantly longer latency until the occurrence of substages A2, A3 and B2/3 was observed. No significant group differences in the percentage of B1 segments or the latency until occurrence of B1 were found. Conclusions. The results confirm the hypothesis that patients with depression show less (and later) declines into lower EEG vigilance stages under resting conditions than healthy controls, and support the vigilance theory of affective disorders linking a hyperstable vigilance regulation to depression.
Compressed sensing in dynamic MRI

Recent theoretical advances in the field of compressive sampling—also referred to as compressed sensing (CS)—hold considerable promise for practical applications in MRI, but the fundamental condition of sparsity required in the CS framework is usually not fulfilled in MR images. However, in dynamic imaging, data sparsity can readily be introduced by applying the Fourier transformation along the temporal dimension assuming that only parts of the field‐of‐view (FOV) change at a high temporal rate while other parts remain stationary or change slowly. The second condition for CS, random sampling, can easily be realized by randomly skipping phase‐encoding lines in each dynamic frame. In this work, the feasibility of the CS framework for accelerated dynamic MRI is assessed. Simulated datasets are used to compare the reconstruction results for different reduction factors, noise, and sparsity levels. In vivo cardiac cine data and Fourier‐encoded velocity data of the carotid artery are used to test the reconstruction performance relative to k‐t broad‐use linear acquisition speed‐up technique (k‐t BLAST) reconstructions. Given sufficient data sparsity and base signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR), CS is demonstrated to result in improved temporal fidelity compared to k‐t BLAST reconstructions for the example data sets used in this work. Magn Reson Med 59:365–373, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Optimising business intelligence results through strategic application of software process model

According to Gartner, 60% of organisations are still unable to make fruitful decisions due to various factors like, data quality issues, lack of careful consideration of components involved, skill shortage. In this paper, we consider the software process, which is one of the key factors and show how a software process model may be applied to business intelligence (BI) process by defining the entire BI process as a two stage software component process model which internally involves other components. For this purpose, we have defined two software process component models for the entire BI process. We also emphasise all key considerations that need to be followed to achieve successful BI results. We throw light on how the sequential iteration phase can be applied at each component level. This model serves as a prototype for the future BI projects which can benefit organisations and top decision makers in making quality decisions.
Proline/arginine‐rich end leucine‐rich repeat protein N‐terminus is a novel osteoclast antagonist that counteracts bone loss

hbdPRELP is a peptide corresponding to the N‐terminal heparin binding domain of the matrix protein proline/arginine‐rich end leucine‐rich repeat protein (PRELP). hbdPRELP inhibits osteoclastogenesis entering pre‐fusion osteoclasts through a chondroitin sulfate– and annexin 2–dependent mechanism and reducing the nuclear factor‐κB transcription factor activity. In this work, we hypothesized that hbdPRELP could have a pharmacological relevance, counteracting bone loss in a variety of in vivo models of bone diseases induced by exacerbated osteoclast activity. In healthy mice, we demonstrated that the peptide targeted the bone and increased trabecular bone mass over basal level. In mice treated with retinoic acid to induce an acute increase of osteoclast formation, the peptide consistently antagonized osteoclastogenesis and prevented the increase of the serum levels of the osteoclast‐specific marker tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase. In ovariectomized mice, in which osteoclast activity was chronically enhanced by estrogen deficiency, hbdPRELP counteracted exacerbated osteoclast activity and bone loss. In mice carrying osteolytic bone metastases, in which osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption were enhanced by tumor cell–derived factors, hbdPRELP reduced the incidence of osteolytic lesions, both preventively and curatively, with mechanisms involving impaired tumor cell homing to bone and tumor growth in the bone microenvironment. Interestingly, in tumor‐bearing mice, hbdPRELP also inhibited breast tumor growth in orthotopic sites and development of metastatic disease in visceral organs, reducing cachexia and improving survival especially when administered preventively. hbdPRELP was retained in the tumor tissue and appeared to affect tumor growth by interacting with the microenvironment rather than by directly affecting the tumor cells. Because safety studies and high‐dose treatments revealed no adverse effects, hbdPRELP could be employed as a novel biological agent to combat experimentally induced bone loss and breast cancer metastases, with a potential translational impact.
Balance of Payment Dynamic in Indonesia and the Structure of Economy

This paper will assess in aggregate and detail the trend of BOP and its component in Indonesia. Stationarity test will be employed to each component of Indonesian BOP to assess the persistency. This study will calculate the balance of payment constrained growth (BOPC) using Kalman Filter technique (state space model). The BOP, secondary income, and financial account are found to be stationer which means that the data are mean reverting. On the other hand, current account balance, trade balance, service balance, primary income, and capital account balance are unit root. This paper found the evidence of the importance of commodity price to Indonesian current account and export. Indonesian dependency on commodity-based export need to be restructured. Indonesia should also consider the side effect of FDI as a source of financing for current account deficit, without ignoring the positive effect of FDI and the volatility of portfolio investment. The persistency of primary income deficit should also become Indonesian future policy agenda.
The reference phantoms: voxel vs polygon

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) reference male and female adult phantoms, described in Publication 110, are voxel phantoms based on whole-body computed tomography scans of a male and a female patient, respectively. The voxel in-plane resolution and the slice thickness, of the order of a few millimetres, are insufficient for proper segmentation of smaller tissues such as the lens of the eye, the skin, and the walls of some organs. The calculated doses for these tissues therefore present some limitations, particularly for weakly penetrating radiation. Similarly, the Publication 110 phantoms cannot represent 8–40-µm-thick target regions in respiratory or alimentary tract organs. Separate stylised models have been used to represent these tissues for calculation of the ICRP reference dose coefficients (DCs). ICRP Committee 2 recently initiated a research project, the ultimate goal of which is to convert the Publication 110 phantoms to a high-quality polygon-mesh (PM) format, including all source and target regions, even those of the 8–40-µm-thick alimentary and respiratory tract organs. It is expected that the converted phantoms would lead to the same or very similar DCs as the Publication 110 reference phantoms for penetrating radiation and, at the same time, provide more accurate DCs for weakly penetrating radiation and small tissues. Additionally, the reference phantoms in the PM format would be easily deformable and, as such, could serve as a starting point to create phantoms of various postures for use, for example, in accidental dose calculations. This paper will discuss the current progress of the phantom conversion project and its significance for ICRP DC calculations.
Properties of two calcium‐activated hyperpolarizations in rat hippocampal neurones.

1. Intracellular recording from hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells in the slice preparation was used to analyse the pharmacological sensitivity of action potential repolarization and the hyperpolarizations that follow the action potential. The Ca2+‐activated after‐hyperpolarizations (a.h.p.s) could be divided into a fast a.h. p. with a time course of milliseconds, and a slow a.h. p. which lasted for a few seconds at a temperature of 30 degrees C. 2. The repolarization of the action potential is sensitive to the Ca2+ channel blocker Cd2+. This effect is simultaneous with a block of the fast a.h. p. which follows immediately upon the repolarization of the action potential. The slow a.h. p. was also blocked by Cd2+. 3. Low concentrations of the K+ channel blocker, tetraethylammonium (TEA; 200‐500 microM), block the fast a.h. p. and slow down action potential repolarization. The slow a.h. p. was not affected by low concentrations of TEA. 4. The action potential repolarization and the fast a.h. p. are also reversibly sensitive to charybdotoxin. This agent had no effect on the slow a.h. p. 5. When EGTA or BAPTA were added to the normal recording electrolyte (KMeSO4), the generation of slow a.h. p.s was prevented. In addition, cells impaled with BAPTA‐containing electrodes displayed broader action potentials and much reduced fast a.h. p.s compared to recordings made with electrodes containing KMeSO4 alone or with EGTA. 6. The slow a.h. p. can be eliminated by noradrenaline, 8‐bromocyclic AMP or carbachol. Under these conditions there are no effects on the fast a.h. p. or on action potential duration. 7. Block of the fast a.h. p. with TEA or CTX (charybdotoxin) is associated with an increased frequency of the first few action potentials during a depolarization. This is a quite distinct effect from the greatly increased number of action potentials which results from block of the slow a.h. p. 8. The results support a conclusion that the fast a.h. p. is generated by the TEA‐ and voltage‐sensitive Ca2+‐activated K+ current, IC. This current is involved in spike repolarization and turns off upon the return to resting potential. Thus block of IC has no effect on the slow a.h. p. which is caused by a separate membrane current.
Trade-offs in the family: Sibling effects on daughters’ activities in 1910

This paper uses the 1910 Census Public Use Sample to examine how the presence and activities of key family members shaped the labor force activity, domestic work, and schooling of working-age daughters. There is no evidence that daughters worked to send their brothers to school; parents practiced a more egalitarian distribution of resources than the literature suggests. Having brothers and sisters in school increased a daughter’s odds of attending school herself. Similarly, daughters with employed siblings were more likely to be gainfully employed. Nonetheless, parents allocated activities to sons and daughters in ways that reinforced traditional gender roles. Working brothers increase daughters’ likelihood of working in the home, while reducing their odds of attending school.
An alternative approach to recursive fibonacci sequences

Generating a tera of a Fibonacci sequence is often discussed in introductory programming courses as an example where the recursive form has a very desirable simple beauty, but where the price of recursion is too high in terms of time and space. By generalizing to any Fibonacci sequence, another recursive formula can be used that saintains simple for a and understanding and yet is fast and requires reasonable resources.
Investigation of low injection effects using the local ideality factor obtained from effective lifetime measurements

The effective minority carrier lifetime of p-type silicon wafers passivated by silicon nitride and of n-type silicon wafers passivated by aluminum oxide often decreases significantly as the excess carrier concentration decreases. Several theories have been postulated to explain this effect. The main ones are asymmetric carrier lifetimes, high recombination within a surface damage region, and edge recombination. As in some cases the effective lifetime measurements can be fitted quite well by all these effects, it is challenging to determine which of them limits the low injection performance of a specific wafer. This study demonstrates that although these mechanisms affect the lifetime in ways that are difficult to be distinguished, they have a significantly different influence on the resulting injection-dependent local ideality factor. It is therefore suggested that the injection dependent local ideality factor can be used to distinguish between these mechanisms.