Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
FLIP switches Fas-mediated glucose signaling in human pancreatic β cells from apoptosis to cell replication

Type 2 diabetes mellitus results from an inadequate adaptation of the functional pancreatic β cell mass in the face of insulin resistance. Changes in the concentration of glucose play an essential role in the regulation of β cell turnover. In human islets, elevated glucose concentrations impair β cell proliferation and induce β cell apoptosis via up-regulation of the Fas receptor. Recently, it has been shown that the caspase-8 inhibitor FLIP may divert Fas-mediated death signals into those for cell proliferation in lymphatic cells. We observed expression of FLIP in human pancreatic β cells of nondiabetic individuals, which was decreased in tissue sections of type 2 diabetic patients. In vitro exposure of islets from nondiabetic organ donors to high glucose levels decreased FLIP expression and increased the percentage of apoptotic terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated UTP end labeling (TUNEL)-positive β cells; FLIP was no longer detectable in such TUNEL-positive β cells. Up-regulation of FLIP, by incubation with transforming growth factor β or by transfection with an expression vector coding for FLIP, protected β cells from glucose-induced apoptosis, restored β cell proliferation, and improved β cell function. The beneficial effects of FLIP overexpression were blocked by an antagonistic anti-Fas antibody, indicating their dependence on Fas receptor activation. The present data provide evidence for expression of FLIP in the human β cell and suggest a novel approach to prevent and treat diabetes by switching Fas signaling from apoptosis to proliferation.
CD25 expression on residual leukemic blasts at the time of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant predicts relapse in patients with acute myeloid leukemia without complete remission

Abstract Recent studies have shown that CD25 expression at the time of diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) may be associated with an unfavorable outcome. We focus on patients with AML without complete remission (CR) and examine the clinical correlation between surface CD25 expression at the time of transplant and subsequent transplant outcomes. We observed a significant difference in overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS) and cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) between CD25 positive (+) (n = 22) and negative (−) groups (n = 44) (2-year OS; CD25 (+) group: 5% vs. CD25 (−) group: 40%, p < 0.0001, 2-year DFS; 5% vs. 29%, p < 0.0001, 2-year CIR; 77% vs. 52%, p = 0.03). Multivariate analysis showed that CD25 expression was an independent adverse factor for OS (p = 0.002) and relapse (p = 0.001). Patients with AML with residual CD25 positive blasts at the time of transplant may require additional therapy before or after transplant to improve survival.
Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of Primary Roots of Brassica napus Seedlings with Extremely Different Primary Root Lengths Using RNA Sequencing

Primary root (PR) development is a crucial developmental process that is essential for plant survival. The elucidation of the PR transcriptome provides insight into the genetic mechanism controlling PR development in crops. In this study, we performed a comparative transcriptome analysis to investigate the genome-wide gene expression profiles of the seedling PRs of four Brassica napus genotypes that were divided into two groups, short group (D43 and D61), and long group (D69 and D72), according to their extremely different primary root lengths (PRLs). The results generated 55,341,366–64,631,336 clean reads aligned to 62,562 genes (61.9% of the current annotated genes) in the B. napus genome. We provide evidence that at least 44,986 genes are actively expressed in the B. napus PR. The majority of the genes that were expressed during seedling PR development were associated with metabolism, cellular processes, response to stimulus, biological regulation, and signaling. Using a pairwise comparison approach, 509 differentially expressed genes (DEGs; absolute value of log2 fold-change ≥1 and p ≤ 0.05) between the long and short groups were revealed, including phytohormone-related genes, protein kinases and phosphatases, oxygenase, cytochrome P450 proteins, etc. Combining GO functional category, KEGG, and MapMan pathway analyses indicated that the DEGs involved in cell wall metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, lipid metabolism, secondary metabolism, protein modification and degradation, hormone pathways and signaling pathways were the main causes of the observed PRL differences. We also identified 16 differentially expressed transcription factors (TFs) involved in PR development. Taken together, these transcriptomic datasets may serve as a foundation for the identification of candidate genes and may provide valuable information for understanding the molecular and cellular events related to PR development.
Hand-held metal detector identification of ingested foreign bodies

The study purpose was to determine the ability of handheld metal detectors (HHMDs) to identify the presence of ingested metallic foreign bodies (MFBs). Twenty-three children presenting to the emergency department with a complaint of MFBs ingested were enrolled. Sixteen of 23 patients had radiographically proven foreign bodies. The MFBs comprised coins (n=11), a button battery (n=1), a medallion (n=1), a token (n=I), a needle (n=1), and a marble (leaded glass) (n=1). The HHMD correctly detected 15 of 16 radiographically positive MFBs (93%) and correctly excluded a potential MFB in six of six radiographically negative cases. The only foreign body not detected was an ingested needle. One radiograph was equivocal. Radiographic localization of the ingested objects was as follows: esophagus, n=4; stomach, n — 9; and intestines, n=3. The HHMD correctly localized all detected MFBs. The HHMD had a sensitivity of 94%, a specificity of 100%, a positive predictive value of 100%, and a negative predictive value of 86%. HHMDs are effective screening devices for possible ingested MFBs. Positive studies localized to the stomach and lower gastrointestinal tract do not require confirmatory radiographic studies.
Combining Information Sources for Confidence Estimation with CRF Models

Obtaining accurate confidence measures for automatic speech recognition (ASR) transcriptions is an important task which stands to benefit from the use of multiple information sources. This paper investigates the application of conditional random field (CRF) models as a principled technique for combining multiple features from such sources. A novel method for combining suitably defined features is presented, allowing for confidence annotation using lattice-based features of hypotheses other than the lattice 1-best. The resulting framework is applied to different stages of a state-of-the-art large vocabulary speech recognition pipeline, and consistent improvements are shown over a sophisticated baseline system. Copyright © 2011 ISCA.
Design of an ultra low power MAC for a heterogeneous in-body sensor network

This paper presents an ultra low power MAC designed for in-body implant network. We show how an in-body implant network, has its own unique set of requirements (priority, latency, throughput etc.) which are not addressed by generic BAN(body area network) protocols which are designed assuming identical sensors. By choosing a particular use case, we demonstrate how we can exploit disparities inherent in a typical implanted BAN to enable ultra low power operation which also meets other (often) competing requirements. We present a new MAC scheme, which allows ultra low power operation by handling the nodes in accordance to their power and latency requirements. We present a new scheme for deriving analytically the power-optimised TDMA frame parameters like beacon interval and discuss solutions to manage synchronisation overhead. Equations for deriving the duty-cycling efficiency are presented and the packet error rate is calculated for the in-body wireless channel. Our results and simulations show that the protocol outperforms best of reported MACs and for low data rate sensors (typical of BAN) our MAC allows close to standby limit power consumption.
Effect of aerosolization on subsequent bacterial survival

To determine whether aerosolization could impair bacterial survival, Pseudomonas syringae and Erwinia herbicola were aerosolized in a greenhouse, the aerosol was sampled at various distances from the site of release by using all-glass impingers, and bacterial survival was followed in the impingers for 6 h. Bacterial survival subsequent to aerosolization of P. syringae and E. herbicola was not impaired 1 m from the site of release. P. syringae aerosolized at 3 to 15 m from the site of release at a temperature of 12 degrees C and a relative humidity of 80% survived 35- to 65-fold better than P. syringae released at 27 degrees C and a relative humidity of 40%. No difference was observed in the survival of P. syringae and E. herbicola following aerosolization at the same temperature and relative humidity. Bacteria sprayed directly onto bean and oat plants established stable populations at comparable numbers on both plants over an 8-day period following inoculation. Bacteria that inoculated adjacent plants by drifting downwind up to 5 m were detectable at an initial population of 10(2) CFU/g on oats and 10(5) CFU/g on beans 2 h after the spray. However, bacterial populations on both plants were undetectable within 48 h.
SOME INTERPRETATIONS OF THE HUITZILAPA SHAFT TOMB

The site of Huitzilapa, located northwest of the Tequila volcano, in central Jalisco, is a médium-sized site of the Teuchitlan tradition. An unlooted shaft tomb discovered and excavated at Huitzilapa has provided the most detailed information to date on the funerary customs of the Late Formative period. This article evaluates the place of Huitzilapa in local and regional settlement patterns, updates our understanding of the shaft tomb tradition, and examines whether the Huitzilapa evidence supports the proposition of stratified societies in central Jalsico during the Late Formative period.
Investigation of Cu-containing low resistivity CdTe thin films deposited by the two-source evaporation technique

Cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin films were deposited onto scratch-free transparent glass substrates by the two-source evaporation technique, using Cd and Te as two different evaporants. In the next step, films were heated under vacuum at 500 °C for 1 h and dipped in Cu(NO3)2–H2O solution at room temperature. These films were again heated under vacuum for 1 h at 500 °C to obtain maximum Cu diffusion. The samples were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optically by a Lambda 900 UV/VIS/NIR spectrophotometer and electrically, i.e. dc electrical resistivity, by the van der Pauw method at room temperature, dark conductivity, and activation energy analysis as a function of temperature by the two-probe method under vacuum. The EDX results showed an increase of Cu content in the samples by increasing the immersion time of the CdTe films in the solution. The layer thickness of diffused Cu atoms in CdTe is determined by comparing the difference of absorption between as-deposited and immersed films with the absorption graph of Cu films of varying thicknesses.
The Effect of 6-Thioguanine on Alternative Splicing and Antisense-Mediated Exon Skipping Treatment for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

The severe muscle wasting disorder Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is caused by genetic defects in the DMD gene, leading to a complete absence of dystrophin protein. Of the therapeutic approaches addressing the underlying genetic defect, exon skipping through antisense oligonucleotides (AONs) is the closest to clinical application. Several strategies to improve the efficiency of this approach are currently being investigated, such as the use of small chemical compounds that improve AONmediated exon skipping levels. Recently, enhanced exon skipping in combination with a guanine analogue, 6-thioguanine (6TG) was reported for phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (PMO). Here the effect of 6TG on the exon skipping efficacy of 2’-O-methyl phosphorothioate RNA (2OMePS) and PMO AONs in vitro and in vivo was further evaluated, as well as the effect of 6TG by itself. Results confirm an increase of exon skipping levels in vitro, however, in contrast to the previous report, no effect was observed in vivo. Importantly, 6TG treatment in vitro resulted in numerous additional DMD exon skipping events. This, in combination with the known cytotoxic effects of 6TG after incorporation in DNA, warrants reconsidering of the use of 6TG as enhancer of AON efficiency in DMD, were chronic treatment will be required.
Activation of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor‐tropomyosin receptor kinase B signaling in the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus: a novel mechanism for the homeostatic regulation of rapid eye movement sleep

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep dysregulation is a symptom of many neuropsychiatric disorders, yet the mechanisms of REM sleep homeostatic regulation are not fully understood. We have shown that, after REM sleep deprivation, the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPT) plays a critical role in the generation of recovery REM sleep. In this study, we used multidisciplinary techniques to show a causal relationship between brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)‐tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) signaling in the PPT and the development of REM sleep homeostatic drive. Rats were randomly assigned to conditions of unrestricted sleep or selective REM sleep deprivation (RSD) with PPT microinjections of vehicle control or a dose of a TrkB receptor inhibitor (2, 3, or 4 nmol K252a or 4 nmol ANA‐12). On experimental days, rats received PPT microinjections and their sleep‐wake physiological signals were recorded for 3 or 6 h, during which selective RSD was performed in the first 3 h. At the end of all 3 h recordings, rats were killed and the PPT was dissected out for BDNF quantification. Our results show that K252a and ANA‐12 dose‐dependently reduced the homeostatic responses to selective RSD. Specifically, TrkB receptor inhibition reduced REM sleep homeostatic drive and limited REM sleep rebound. There was also a dose‐dependent suppression of PPT BDNF up‐regulation, and regression analysis revealed a significant positive relationship between REM sleep homeostatic drive and the level of PPT BDNF expression. These data provide the first direct evidence that activation of BDNF‐TrkB signaling in the PPT is a critical step for the development of REM sleep homeostatic drive.
Non-Fatal Injuries among Preschool Children in Daegu and Kyungpook.

OBJECTIVES This study was performed to investigate the injury rates and risk factors for preschool children in Daegu city and Kyungpook province. METHODS A questionnaire survey about medically attended injuries during the preschool period was performed in nine primary schools located in Daegu city, Pohang city and Goryung County. The overall injury rate was estimated using person-year. The causes and patterns of the injuries, and their risk factors were examined. RESULTS A total of 469 medically attended injuries were reported in 330 of the 959 study subjects during the preschool period. The overall annual injury rate was 7.5 per 100 children. The injury rate increased sharply during the period from infant (2.4) to 1 year of age (7.5), and the peak injury rate (9.2) was reported for 5 year olds. The most common causes of injuries were falling (36.0%), followed by being struck by an object (23.7%), and traffic accidents (14.1%). Among the traffic accidents, 72.8% occurred while playing on the road, riding a bicycle or roller-skating. A proportional hazard model showed that males (hazard ratio=1.49, p< 0.001 compared with female) and the mother's higher education level (hazard ratio of college or higher= 1.51, p=0.013; high school=1.32, p=0.085 compared with those of middle school or lower) were significant risk factors of childhood injury. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study suggested that efforts for children's safety should be made, especially from the toddler stage, and in male children. To develop a more specific childhood injury prevention program, a surveillance system for injuries should be established. Further study of the relationship between mother's occupation and injury rates is also needed.
Matrigel supports survival and neuronal differentiation of grafted embryonic stem cell‐derived neural precursor cells

Cell replacement therapy holds great promise as a means of treating neurological disorders, including Parkinson's disease. However, one of the major obstacles to the success of this treatment is the low survival rate of grafted cells, which probably results from mechanical damage, acute inflammation, and immunological rejection. To overcome this problem, we investigated the effect of different types of extracellular matrix (ECM) on the survival and differentiation of embryonic stem (ES) cell‐derived neural precursor cells (NPCs). We tested materials from natural sources, including collagen, ornithine/laminin, and growth factor‐reduced Matrigel (gfrMG), as well as the synthetic biomaterial PuraMatrix, which consists of self‐assembling polypeptides. GfrMG efficiently supported cell survival, migration, and neurite outgrowth in vitro and promoted proliferation of grafted cells in vivo, resulting in larger graft volume and an increase in the number of TH‐positive dopaminergic neurons in the graft. GfrMG did not induce dopaminergic differentiation directly; rather, it reduced the invasion of pan‐leukocytic CD45‐positive cells into the graft. Insofar as the inflammatory or immune response in the host brain inhibits neuronal differentiation of grafted NPCs, gfrMG may increase the number of TH‐positive cells by suppressing this effect. Thus, gfrMG appears to provide a suitable scaffold that supports survival and differentiation of NPCs. However, because it is derived from mouse sarcomas, a human‐derived matrix or synthetic biomaterial must be developed for clinical applications. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Optimal generalized sampling expansion

This work presents an analysis of Papoulis' (1977) generalized sampling expansion (GSE) for a wide-sense stationary signal with a known power spectrum in the presence of quantization noise. We find the necessary and sufficient conditions for a GSE system to produce the minimum mean squared error while using the optimal linear estimation filter. This is actually an extension of the optimal linear equalizer (linear source/channel optimization) to the case of M parallel channels.
Light Emission from Quantum Dots embedded in a Photonic Double-Heterostructure Nanocavity

The light-emission properties of quantum dots embedded in a photonic double-heterostructure nanocavity are investigated for the first time. Light emission peaks related to waveguide modes and the nanocavity are successfully assigned. By means of polarization-resolved resonant excitation of the waveguide mode, the nanocavity mode is clearly observed.
Identifying Relationships Among Factors in IS Implementation

Information systems (IS) researchers find a large number of factors are related to the effectiveness of IS implementations; however, many researchers also lament the lack of theoretical relationships among the factors. In addition, recent studies of IS implementation produced conflicting results regarding the relative importance and manageability of IS implementation factors. To address these issues, we encourage researchers to think “out-of-thebox” as we propose a new way of viewing the traditional IS implementation factors. The nature of the relationships among the factors is analogous to Maslow’s generally accepted theories of individual motivation in which certain factors are necessary but not sufficient conditions for given levels of achievement.
An overview of the AIRS radiative transfer model

The two main elements of the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder radiative transfer algorithm (AIRS-RTA) are described in this paper: 1) the fast parameterization of the atmospheric transmittances that are used to perform the AIRS physical retrievals and 2) the spectroscopy used to generate the parameterized transmittances. We concentrate on those aspects of the spectroscopy that are especially relevant for temperature and water vapor retrievals. The AIRS-RTA is a hybrid model in that it parameterizes most gases on a fixed grid of pressures, while the water optical depths are parameterized on a fixed grid of water amounts. Water vapor, ozone, carbon monoxide, and methane profiles can be varied, in addition to the column abundance of carbon dioxide.
Airline Codeshare Alliances and their Competitive

Code-share alliances have become a prominent feature in the competitive landscape of the airline industry. However, policy makers are extremely hesitant to approve proposed code-share alliances when the potential partners’ route networks have significant overlap. The main concern is that the alliance may facilitate price collusion on partners’ overlapping routes. The main contribution of this paper is to show how policy makers can use a structural econometric framework developed by Nevo (2000b) to quantify the competitive effects of proposed code-share alliances, where potential alliance partners compete on overlapping routes in the pre-alliance industry. As an example, I apply the econometric model to the recently implemented Delta/Continental/Northwest alliance. This proposed alliance was initially greeted with skepticism by the U.S. Department of Transportation due to the potential partners’ unprecedented level of route network overlap. For the markets considered in my analyses, it appears as though the ultimate approval of the alliance by policy makers was justified. JEL Classification: L13, L93, C1, C25
Benzoisoquinolinediones as Potent and Selective Inhibitors of BRPF2 and TAF1/TAF1L Bromodomains

Bromodomains (BD) are readers of lysine acetylation marks present in numerous proteins associated with chromatin. Here we describe a dual inhibitor of the bromodomain and PHD finger (BRPF) family member BRPF2 and the TATA box binding protein-associated factors TAF1 and TAF1L. These proteins are found in large chromatin complexes and play important roles in transcription regulation. The substituted benzoisoquinolinedione series was identified by high-throughput screening, and subsequent structure–activity relationship optimization allowed generation of low nanomolar BRPF2 BD inhibitors with strong selectivity against BRPF1 and BRPF3 BDs. In addition, a strong inhibition of TAF1/TAF1L BD2 was measured for most derivatives. The best compound of the series was BAY-299, which is a very potent, dual inhibitor with an IC50 of 67 nM for BRPF2 BD, 8 nM for TAF1 BD2, and 106 nM for TAF1L BD2. Importantly, no activity was measured for BRD4 BDs. Furthermore, cellular activity was evidenced using a BRPF2– or TAF1–histone H3.3 or H4 interaction assay.
Analysis, Design, and Experimentation on Constant-Frequency DC-DC Resonant Converters With Magnetic Control

In this paper, a new technique for controlling dc-dc resonant converters is investigated. A variable inductance is used to control and regulate the dc output voltage maintaining constant switching frequency for the half-bridge transistors. The output voltage characteristics of the series resonant and parallel resonant converters under the proposed magnetic control are obtained and analyzed. In order to evaluate the proposed technique, a laboratory prototype for a 48 V-input 5 V/10 A-output 500 kHz parallel resonant converter is presented. A methodology for obtaining the converter dynamic response using a step response test is carried out. From the dynamic response, a compensator for operating the converter at closed loop is developed and tested in the laboratory. The results prove that the proposed technique is suitable for controling resonant inverters at constant frequency using a low-cost half-bridge inverter.