Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CD4+ T cells contribute to postischemic liver injury in mice by interacting with sinusoidal endothelium and platelets

The mechanisms by which T cells contribute to the hepatic inflammation during antigen‐independent ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) are not fully understood. We analyzed the recruitment of T cells in the postischemic hepatic microcirculation in vivo and tested the hypothesis that T cells interact with platelets and activate sinusoidal endothelial cells, resulting in microvascular dysfunction followed by tissue injury. Using intravital videofluorescence microscopy, we show in mice that warm hepatic I/R (90/30‐140 min) induces accumulation and transendothelial migration of CD4+, but not CD8+ T cells in sinusoids during early reperfusion. Simultaneous visualization of fluorescence‐labeled CD4+ T cells and platelets showed that approximately 30% of all accumulated CD4+ T cells were colocalized with platelets, suggesting an interaction between both cell types. Although interactions of CD4+/CD40L−/− T cells with CD40L−/− platelets in wild‐type mice were slightly reduced, they were almost absent if CD4+ T cells and platelets were from CD62P−/− mice. CD4 deficiency as well as CD40‐CD40L and CD28‐B7 disruption attenuated postischemic platelet adherence in the same manner as platelet inactivation with a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa antagonist and reduced neutrophil transmigration, sinusoidal perfusion failure, and transaminase activities. Treatment with an MHC class II antibody, however, did not affect I/R injury. In conclusion, we describe the type, kinetic, and microvascular localization of T cell recruitment in the postischemic liver. CD4+ T cells interact with platelets in postischemic sinusoids, and this interaction is mediated by platelet CD62P. CD4+ T cells activate endothelium, increase I/R‐induced platelet adherence and neutrophil migration via CD40‐CD40L and CD28‐B7‐dependent pathways, and aggravate microvascular/hepatocellular injury. (HEPATOLOGY 2006;43:306–315.)
Modulation of the Activity of RNase E in Vitro by RNA Sequences and Secondary Structures 5′ to Cleavage Sites*

The endoribonuclease RNase E is believed to initiate the degradation of many mRNAs in Escherichia coli, yet the mechanism by which it recognizes cleavage sites is poorly understood. We have prepared derivatives of the mRNA encoding ribosomal protein S20 which contain a single major RNase E cleavage site at residues 300/301 preceded by variable 5′ extensions. Three of these RNAs are cleaved in vitro with significantly reduced efficiencies relative to the intact S20 mRNA by both crude RNase E and pure Rne protein (endonuclease component of RNase E). In all three substrates as well as in the full-length mRNA the major cleavage site itself remains single-stranded. One such substrate (t84D) contains a 5′ stem-loop structure characterized by three noncanonical A-G pairs. Removal or denaturation of the stem restores efficient cleavage at the major RNase E site. The other two contain single-stranded 5′-termini but apparently lack cleavage sites near the termini. Our data show that sensitivity to RNase E can be influenced by distant structural motifs in the RNA and also suggest a model in which the initial recognition and cleavage of a substrate near its 5′ end facilitates sequential cleavages at more distal sites. The model implies that RNase E contains at least a dimer of the Rne subunit and that the products of the first cleavage are retained by Rne prior to the second cleavage.
First monolithic integration of GaN-based enhancement mode n-channel and p-channel heterostructure field effect transistors

GaN-based devices have shown to be promising alternatives to Si-based devices in a wide range of applications. After covering several frequency bands in RF power amplification, GaN-based devices also penetrate into the power-switching market. Owing to the high carrier density and the high mobility in a 2-D electron gas (2DEG) and a large bandgap, GaN-based devices have shown great performance. These properties may also be exploited in digital logic applications, for which complementary logic offers the lowest power consumption. Hence, p-channel devices which employ a 2-D hole gas (2DHG) have attracted increasing research interest lately [1,2]. The recent progress of p-channel device characteristics [1] finally enables the monolithic integration of p- and n-channel transistors. Hence, complementary logic on basis of GaN (C-GaN) is within reach. As a first step towards C-GaN, the first report on the integration of enhancement mode (e-mode) n- and p-channel devices on a single wafer is presented. Challenges encountered are discussed and a first voltage transfer characteristic of an inverter structure is shown.
Role of silicon dangling bonds in the electronic properties of epitaxial graphene on silicon carbide

In this paper, we study the electronic properties of epitaxial graphene (EG) on silicon carbide by means of ab initio calculations based on the local spin density approximation + U method taking into account the Coulomb interaction between Si localized electrons. We show that this interaction is not completely suppressed but is screened by carbon layers grown on-top of silicon carbide. This finding leads to a good qualitative understanding of the experimental results reported on EG on silicon carbide. Our results highlight the presence of the Si localized states and might explain the anomalous Hanle curve and the high values of spin relaxation time in EG.
ARF6 Inhibition Stabilizes the Vasculature and Enhances Survival during Endotoxic Shock

The vascular endothelium responds to infection by destabilizing endothelial cell–cell junctions to allow fluid and cells to pass into peripheral tissues, facilitating clearance of infection and tissue repair. During sepsis, endotoxin and other proinflammatory molecules induce excessive vascular leak, which can cause organ dysfunction, shock, and death. Current therapies for sepsis are limited to antibiotics and supportive care, which are often insufficient to reduce morbidity and prevent mortality. Previous attempts at blocking inflammatory cytokine responses in humans proved ineffective at reducing the pathologies associated with sepsis, highlighting the need for a new therapeutic strategy. The small GTPase ARF6 is activated by a MyD88–ARNO interaction to induce vascular leak through disruption of endothelial adherens junctions. In this study, we show that the MyD88–ARNO–ARF6–signaling axis is responsible for LPS-induced endothelial permeability and is a destabilizing convergence point used by multiple inflammatory cues. We also show that blocking ARF6 with a peptide construct of its N terminus is sufficient to reduce vascular leak and enhance survival during endotoxic shock, without inhibiting the host cytokine response. Our data highlight the therapeutic potential of blocking ARF6 and reducing vascular leak for the treatment of inflammatory conditions, such as endotoxemia.
Conservation of Scops Owl Otus scops in the Alps: relationships with grassland management, predation risk and wider biodiversity

The Scops Owl Otus scops is the most endangered and least studied owl in Europe, with widespread declines reported throughout Europe. The species is qualitatively associated with two threats: changes in agricultural practices and predation by Tawny Owls Strix aluco. We investigated these two threats to a population in the Alps, where land abandonment is causing widespread woodland expansion with unknown consequences. Predation risk and environmental indicators of the degree of agricultural change both predicted Scops Owl distribution. Furthermore, agricultural change also affected broader biodiversity, as estimated by the richness and diversity of bird and diurnal butterfly species. This resulted in a strong association between Scops Owl presence and wider biodiversity, which held at different spatial scales and justified a conservation focus on a single, threatened species. The persistence of Scops Owls in the Alps could be promoted through subsidies halting land abandonment and promoting extensive grassland management practices. Such interventions would have the additional advantage of yielding broader biodiversity benefits.
Dietary Therapy could be an Important Factor in the Prevention of Headache Symptoms in Migraine (without Aura): A Case Study

Background/Aims: Early work suggests that migraine may be triggered by a diet-induced reactive hypoglycemia. The aim here is to report on the efficacy of dietary therapy in the management and treatment of headache symptoms in a chronic migraine (without aura) patient. Methods: A 51-year-old man previously diagnosed with chronic migraine (without aura) presented for treatment. The patient, upon request by his treating medical practitioner, had maintained a comprehensive headache diary, which included details of headache frequency and severity, time of headache onset, and headache-related medication usage for a period of six months. Several interviews were conducted to determine medical and complimentary health treatment history prior to the introduction of dietary therapy. As part of the dietary regimen the patient was required to: (1) completely eliminate alcohol, monosodium glutamate, artificial sweeteners, sugar, and food containing sucrose natural or otherwise from the diet; (2) modify the consumption of fruit, dairy, and fat; (3) eat at least six small meals per day; (4) ensure the interval between meals did not exceed 3 hours; (5) consume complex carbohydrate and a small glass of water at every meal and upon waking in the middle of the night; and (6) avoid all medication deemed to be unsuitable for hypoglycemic patients. The patient was also required to maintain his headache diary at all times. The results showed that the implementation of the dietary regimen successfully reduced the need for headache-related pain medication by at least 70% when compared to pre-treatment levels. Alternatively, subsequent deviation from the prescribed dietary regimen immediately resulted in a 2.5 fold increase in headache related pain medication usage. Conclusions: Dietary therapy may be effective in reducing headache frequency and should be explored when deciding on the best treatment and management strategy for migraine patients.
Modeling and simulation of a photovoltaic array for a fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle

Nowadays the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) have received attention as a tool for the human and military applications, such as monitoring, surveillance and also in the development of sensors networks. Therefore, some of the critical tasks of UAVs are: planning, control and autonomy. Regarding the autonomy, it is limited for the durability and lifetime of battery. In this way, the solar energy plays and important role for the unmanned vehicles in order to provide the enough power. This work present the modeling and simulation of photovoltaic (PV) array for application in unmanned aerial vehicle to supply the energy of the UAV avionic. The model was developed in MATLAB/Simulink for 3 Watts of photovoltaic array. It is based on mathematical equations taking in account the equivalent circuit. The simulation allows determining the performance of PV array under different values of solar radiation and temperature. The model was validated and compared with experimental data and it presented an error of 11%.
DESCRIBING THE STRUCTURE OF CONVERSATION USING MARKOV CHAINS, CHAIN ANALYSIS AND MONTE CARLO SIMULATION

The s tudy of social in te rac t ion f rom the p sycho log i s t ' s perspect ive has focussed p r i m a r i l y on n o n v e r b a l b e h a v i o u r s such as body movemen t s , gesture and eye-contact , as we l l as p a r a l i n g u i s t i c aspects of speech i n c l u d i n g changes in p i t c h and i n t o n a t i o n (Trower e t a l , 1978). Thomas & B u l l (1981) however , have a rgued that the verbal e lements of i n t e r a c t i o n are an i m p o r t a n t , t h o u g h f r e q u e n t l y neglected v a r i a b l e in the s tudy of social i n t e rac t ion . E l l i s & W h i t t i n g t o n (1981) for e x a m p l e , have commented on the l a c k of de ta i l in the e x i s t i n g m o d e l s of c o n v e r s a t i o n and have c a l l e d for more research ' w h i c h r e f i n e s and e labora tes e x i s t i n g m o d e l s o f social i n t e r a c t i o n 1 (p . 196) . S i m i l a r l y , in recent years there has been a g r o w i n g demand for p rogrammes that teach c o n v e r s a t i o n a l s k i l l s (e .g . Anderson e t a l . , 1982; Jowet t , 1982) , yet those c u r r e n t l y a v a i l a b l e s u f f e r f rom a marked l ack of de ta i l and p r o v i d e l i t t l e i n s i g h t in to the way in w h i c h c o n v e r s a t i o n i s s t ruc tu red . For a n u m b e r of years , socia l in te rac t ion has been conceptur a l i s e d in terms of s t ruc tu red sequences of b e h a v i o u r s . A r g y l e ' s (1969) model of social in te rac t ion for e x a m p l e , considers that 'each socia l act is de t e rmined by the l a s t act of the o t h e r * (p. 168) and T h i b a u t and K e l l y (1959) have commented that ' i f enough observat i o n s were at h a n d , the e lements of a g i v e n sequence of acts cou ld be i d e n t i f i e d on the basis of certain s ta t i s t ica l r e g u l a r i t i e s ' (p . 1 1 ) . Sacks ( 1 9 7 2 ) has suggested that o r g a n i s a t i o n a l s t ruc tures come in to effect a t ce r t a in po in t s in the conve r sa t i on , Argyle (1969) s u g g e s t i n g that these cons t r a in t s operate in conver sa t ion th rough d i f f e r e n t c lasses of u t te rance h a v i n g s p e c i f i c ef fects on subsequen t i n t e r a c t i o n . For e x a m p l e , q u e s t i o n s lead to answer s , orders may lead to a c t i o n , and new i n f o r m a t i o n may have va r i ed consequences as a r e su l t of a d d i n g to the k n o w l e d g e a v a i l a b l e to others. In its most genera l sense, a c o m m u n i c a t i o n process comprises a series of b e h a v i o u r a l exchanges between people . W h i l e i t i s gene ra l ly accepted now tha t the c o n s t i t u e n t b e h a v i o u r s of social in te rac t ion
Biopsies of olfactory epithelium in patients with Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder involving several neuronal systems. Impaired olfactory function may constitute one of the earliest symptoms of PD. However, it is still unclear to what degree changes of the olfactory epithelium may contribute to dysosmia and if these changes are different from those of other hyposmic or anosmic patients. This study aimed to investigate the hypothesis that olfactory loss in PD is a consequence of specific PD‐related damage of olfactory epithelium. Biopsies of 7 patients diagnosed with PD were taken. Six patients with PD were hyposmic, one anosmic. As non‐PD controls served 9 patients with hyposmia, 9 with anosmia, and 7 normosmic individuals. Further, nasal mucosa of 4 postmortem individuals was investigated. Immunohistochemical examinations were performed with antibodies against olfactory marker protein (OMP), protein gene product 9.5 (PGP 9.5), beta‐tubulin, (BT), proliferation‐associated antigen (Ki 67), the stem cell marker nestin, cytokeratin, p75NGFr, and α‐synuclein. Most of the biopsy specimens exhibited irregular areas of olfactory‐like, dysplastic epithelium positive for either PGP 9.5 or BT, but negative for OMP. No major histochemical differences in either the expression or distribution of these proteins were observed in the olfactory epithelium of patients with PD compared with controls. Reverse transcription PCR (RT‐PCR) data indicated mRNA for OMP in almost all subjects, independently of their olfactory performance. These data support the idea that olfactory loss in Parkinson's disease is not a consequence of damage to the olfactory epithelium but rather results from distinct central‐nervous abnormalities. © 2009 Movement Disorder Society
Financial Development and Economic Growth: A Meta‐Analysis

We analyze 1334 estimates from 67 studies that examine the effect of financial development on economic growth. Taken together, the studies imply a positive and statistically significant effect, but the individual estimates vary widely. We find that both research design and heterogeneity in the underlying effect play a role in explaining the differences in results. Studies that do not address endogeneity tend to overstate the effect of finance on growth. While the effect seems to be weaker in less developed countries, the effect decreases worldwide after the 1980s. Our results also suggest that stock markets support faster economic growth than other financial intermediaries.
Systematic mutagenesis of the Helicobacter pylori cag pathogenicity island: essential genes for CagA translocation in host cells and induction of interleukin‐8

Helicobacter pylori (Hp) carries a type IV secretion system encoded by the cag pathogenicity island (cag-PAI), which is used to: (i) translocate the bacterial effector protein CagA into different types of eukaryotic cells; and (ii) induce the synthesis and secretion of chemokines, such as interleukin-8 (IL-8). The cag-PAI in Hp 26695 consists of 27 putative genes, six of which were identified as homologues to the basic type IV secretion system represented by the Agrobacterium tumefaciens virB operon. To define the role and contribution of each of the 27 genes, we applied a precise deletion/insertion mutagenesis procedure to knock out each individual gene without causing polar effects on the expression of downstream genes. Seventeen out of 27 genes were found to be absolutely essential for translocation of CagA into host cells and 14 out of 27 for the ability of Hp fully to induce transcription of IL-8. The products of hp0524 (virD4 homologue), hp0526 and hp0540 are absolutely essential for the translocation of CagA, but not for the induction of IL-8. In contrast, the products of hp0520, hp0521, hp0534, hp0535, hp0536 and hp0543 are not necessary for either translocation of CagA or for IL-8 induction. Our data argue against a translocated IL-8-inducing effector protein encoded by the cag-PAI. We isolated a variant of Hp 26695, which spontaneously switched off its capacity for IL-8 induction and translocation of CagA, but retained the complete cag-PAI. We identified a point mutation in gene hp0532, causing a premature translational stop in the corresponding polypeptide chain, providing a putative explanation for the defect in the type IV secretion system of the spontaneous mutant.
Address generation for lossless frame memory compression in an H.264/AVC encoder

An inter-prediction in an H.264/AVC encoder requires a large amount of access to the external memory. Thus, the power consumption and encoding latency caused by the external data transactions are significantly high. One approach to reduce the external data transactions is the frame memory compression (FMC). For lossless FMC, the compressed data size of each macroblock depends on the contents of the macroblock, and consequently, an address table is required to locate the start address of the compressed data of each macroblock. In this paper, a novel address calculation scheme is proposed for lossless FMC. Due to regular memory allocation, the memory addresses of all macroblocks in a frame are calculated using 7 additions. For 1280×720 videos, 2KB of internal memory is enough to store all information to calculate the memory address.
Dose‐adjusted arsenic trioxide for acute promyelocytic leukaemia in chronic renal failure

To determine the potential for arsenic trioxide (ATO) to be safely and effectively incorporated into induction therapy of newly diagnosed acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) in patients with severe chronic renal failure (CRF) by reduction of the ATO dosage to compensate for reduced renal elimination of arsenic in CRF.
EMERGENT EVOLUTION? KLAPWIJK AND DOOYEWEERD

With his book Purpose in the living world? Creation and emergent evolution1 Klapwijk meets two challenges. Often the suggestion is made that the theory of evolution denies any meaning and purpose to the world because everything is the result of chance. Klapwijk argues that the actual process of evolution provides arguments for the opposite view, according to which evolution cannot be properly understood without the recognition of purpose and directionality. The question posed in the main title is definitely given a positive answer. The second challenge concerns the Christian response to the theory of evolution. Should it be rejected because it is incompatible with the belief in creation? Again, Klapwijk’s answer points in the opposite direction. “Darwin’s theory does not undermine the picture of creation but clarifies it. ”(Purpose 210) Evidently, Klapwijk’s Christian conviction does not urge him to reject the theory of evolution, trying to find scientific or philosophical arguments against it. The scientific theory of evolution rather is accepted as an established fact. The point is how to interpret (or transform) it in such a way that it can be integrated with the Christian faith.
The Drosophila hairy protein acts in both segmentation and bristle patterning and shows homology to N‐myc.

The Drosophila segmentation gene, hairy (h), acts to regulate embryonic segmentation and bristle pattern. We present the DNA sequence of the h gene and of h cDNAs, thereby deducing the organization of the h transcripts. The h gene encodes a 337 amino acid protein that acts in both embryonic segmentation and adult bristle patterning. The h protein includes a domain that shows extensive similarity to a domain of the proto‐oncogene N‐myc that may be involved in DNA binding and/or protein dimerization. We discuss mechanisms of h action as a transcriptional regulator.
Role of Inflammatory Cytokine-Induced Cycloxygenase 2 in the Ocular Immunopathologic Disease Herpetic Stromal Keratitis

ABSTRACT Ocular infection with herpes simplex virus (HSV) results in a blinding immunoinflammatory stromal keratitis (SK) lesion. Early preclinical events include polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) infiltration and neovascularization in the corneal stroma. We demonstrate here that HSV infection of the cornea results in the upregulation of the cycloxygenase 2 (COX-2) enzyme. Early after infection, COX-2 was produced from uninfected stromal fibroblasts as an indirect effect of virus infection. Subsequently, COX-2 may also be produced from other inflammatory cells that infiltrate the cornea. The induction of COX-2 is a critical event, since inhibition of COX-2 with a selective inhibitor was shown to reduce corneal angiogenesis and SK severity. The administration of a COX-2 inhibitor resulted in compromised PMN infiltration into the cornea, as well as diminished corneal vascular endothelial growth factor levels, likely accounting for the reduced angiogenic response. COX-2 stimulation by HSV infection represents a critical early event accessible for therapy and the control of SK severity.