Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Proteomic characterization of adipose tissue constituents, a necessary step for understanding adipose tissue complexity

The original concept of adipose tissue as an inert storage depot for the excess of energy has evolved over the last years and it is now considered as one of the most important organs regulating body homeostasis. This conceptual change has been supported by the demonstration that adipose tissue serves as a major endocrine organ, producing a wide variety of bioactive molecules, collectively termed adipokines, with endocrine, paracrine and autocrine activities. Adipose tissue is indeed a complex organ wherein mature adipocytes coexist with the various cell types comprising the stromal‐vascular fraction (SVF), including preadipocytes, adipose‐derived stem cells, perivascular cells, and blood cells. It is known that not only mature adipocytes but also the components of SVF produce adipokines. Furthermore, adipokine production, proliferative and metabolic activities and response to regulatory signals (i.e. insulin, catecholamines) differ between the different fat depots, which have been proposed to underlie their distinct association to specific diseases. Herein, we discuss the recent proteomic studies on adipose tissue focused on the analysis of the separate cellular components and their secretory products, with the aim of identifying the basic features and the contribution of each component to different adipose tissue‐associated pathologies.
New cohorts of naive T cells exacerbate ongoing allergy but can be suppressed by regulatory T cells

Although as pretreatment oral tolerance is a potent means to achieve systemic suppression, its application in ongoing disease is controversial. Here we propose that availability of naive T cells may critically determine whether immunological tolerance is achieved during ongoing antigenic reactivity. Infusion of naive antigen‐specific T cells into mice directly prior to eliciting a secondary Th2 response induces these naive cells to actively engage in the antigenic response despite presence of established memory. Naive antigen‐specific T‐cells divided faster, produced more interleukin (IL)‐2, IL‐4 and IL‐5 and enhanced immunoglobulin E (IgE) release during a secondary Th2 response, compared with naive T cells that were infused prior to a primary response. Despite such contribution by new cohorts of naive T cells co‐infusion of mucosal Tr together with naive T cells could suppress enhanced IgE release during a secondary Th2 response. We conclude that naive T cells contribute to a secondary Th2 response and although they can still be suppressed in the presence of sufficient numbers of mucosal Tr, they may interfere with potential therapeutic application of mucosal tolerance.
Anomalous human behavior detection: an adaptive approach

Detection of anomalies (outliers or abnormal instances) is an important element in a range of applications such as fault, fraud, suspicious behavior detection and knowledge discovery. In this article we propose a new method for anomaly detection and performed tested its ability to detect anomalous behavior in videos from DARPA's Mind's Eye program, containing a variety of human activities. In this semi-unsupervised task a set of normal instances is provided for training, after which unknown abnormal behavior has to be detected in a test set. The features extracted from the video data have high dimensionality, are sparse and inhomogeneously distributed in the feature space making it a challenging task. Given these characteristics a distance-based method is preferred, but choosing a threshold to classify instances as (ab)normal is non-trivial. Our novel aproach, the Adaptive Outlier Distance (AOD) is able to detect outliers in these conditions based on local distance ratios. The underlying assumption is that the local maximum distance between labeled examples is a good indicator of the variation in that neighborhood, and therefore a local threshold will result in more robust outlier detection. We compare our method to existing state-of-art methods such as the Local Outlier Factor (LOF) and the Local Distance-based Outlier Factor (LDOF). The results of the experiments show that our novel approach improves the quality of the anomaly detection.
A case study of organizational capacity in nonprofit community sport.

As a pivotal part of the nonprofit and voluntary sector, community sport organizations provide opportunities for active participation, social engagement, and community cohesion. This study examined the nature and impact of organizational capacity in one nonprofit community sport club to identify factors that affect the ability of this organization to fulfill its mandate and provide sport opportunities in the community. Hall et al.’s (2003) multidimensional framework of human resources, financial, relationships/ networks, infrastructure and process, and planning and development capacity was used. The study incorporated interviews with board members and coaches as well as active-member researcher observations (Adler & Adler, 1987). Key strengths and challenges of each capacity dimension were uncovered, and connections among the dimensions were revealed. The relatively greater importance of human resources and planning and development capacity for goal achievement was identified. The findings support the use.
Plasma lipoproteins in transport of silibinin, an antioxidant flavonolignan from Silybum marianum

To assess the role of plasma lipoproteins in the transport of silibinin, an antioxidant ﬂavonolignan, 125I‐labelled silibinin (125I‐SB) administered perorally to the rat was used. The plasma 125I‐SB derived radioactivity was distributed among plasma lipoproteins according to their lipophilicity (TAG‐rich lipoproteins 30–40% > LDL 15% > HDL 5%), and in the fraction of d > 1.215 containing albumin and other proteins a minority amount of radioactivity was found. Administration of 125I‐SB in a complex with phosphatidylcholine resulted in proportionally higher radioactivities in all fractions as well as in tissues. Dietary olive oil had a slightly decreasing effect on plasma concentrations of silibinin measured by HPLC as well as on 125I‐SB derived radioactivity in plasma and liver. In the TAG‐rich lipoprotein fraction and HDL no effects of olive oil on the levels of 125I‐SB derived radioactivities were observed, however, at a 30 min interval the levels of 125I‐SB derived radioactivity in LDL and the heart were signiﬁcantly decreased in the olive oil group. These results suggest that (i) silibinin is not resorbed by the chylomicron pathway, and (ii) the endogenous lipoprotein pathway VLDL → LDL may play a role in the transport of silibinin from the liver to the extrahepatic tissues concurrently facilitating the lipoprotein antioxidant inﬂuence of silibinin. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Experiences of patients with traumatic brain injury and their carers during transition from in-patient rehabilitation to the community: a qualitative study

Abstract Purpose: To explore the experiences of individuals who have had a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and their carers in the first month post-discharge from in-patient rehabilitation into living in the community. Method: Using a qualitative approach underpinned by critical realism, we explored the narratives of 10 patients and nine carers using semi-structured interviews approximately one month post-discharge. Thematic analysis was carried out independently by two researchers. Results: Firstly, perceptions of support were mixed but many patients and carers felt unsupported in the inpatient phase, during transitions between units and when preparing for discharge. Secondly, they struggled to accept a new reality of changed abilities, loss of roles and loss of autonomy. Thirdly, early experiences post-discharge exacerbated fears for the future. Conclusions: Most patients and carers struggled to identify a cohesive plan that supported their transition to living in the community. Access to services required much persistence on the part of carers and tended to be short-term, and therefore did not meet their long-term needs. We propose the need for a case manager to be involved at an early stage of their rehabilitation and act as a key point for information and access to on-going rehabilitation and other support services. Implications for Rehabilitation Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a major cause of long-term disability. It can affect all areas of daily life and significantly reduce quality of life for both patient and carer. Professionals appear to underestimate the change in abilities and impact on daily life once patients return home. Community services maintain a short-term focus, whereas patients and carers want to look further ahead – this dissonance adds to anxiety. The study’s findings on service fragmentation indicate an urgent need for better integration within health services and across health, social care and voluntary sectors. A link person/case manager who oversees the patient journey from admission onwards would help improve integrated care and ensure the patient, and carer, are at the center of service provision.
A long memory property of stock market returns and a new model

A "long memory" property of stock market returns is investigated in this paper. It is found that not only there is substantially more correlation between absolute returns than returns themselves, but the power transformation of the absolute turn |rt|d also has quite high autocorrelation for long lags. It is possible to characterize |rt|d to be "long memory" and this property is strongest when d is around 1. This result appears to argue against ARCH type specifications based upon squared returns. But our Monte-Carlo study shows that both ARCH type models based on squared returns and those based on absolute return can produce this property. A new general class of models is proposed which allows the power δ of the heteroskedasticity equation to be estimated from the data.
TOUSLED Is a Nuclear Serine/Threonine Protein Kinase That Requires a Coiled-coil Region for Oligomerization and Catalytic Activity*

The TOUSLED (TSL) gene is essential for the proper morphogenesis of leaves and flowers in Arabidopsis thaliana. Protein sequence analysis predicts TSL is composed of a carboxyl-terminal protein kinase catalytic domain and a large amino-terminal regulatory domain. TSL fusion proteins, expressed in and purified from yeast, were used to demonstrate TSL protein kinase activity in vitro. TSL trans-autophosphorylates on serine and threonine residues, and phosphorylates exogenous substrates. Using the yeast two-hybrid system, TSL was found to oligomerize via its NH2-terminal domain. A deletion series indicates that a region containing two α-helical segments predicted to participate in a coiled-coil structure is essential for oligomerization. TSL localizes to the nucleus in plant cells through an essential NH2-terminal nuclear localization signal; however, this signal is not necessary for protein kinase activity. Finally, deletion mutants demonstrate a strict correlation between catalytic activity and the ability to oligomerize, arguing that activation of the protein kinase requires interaction between TSL molecules.
No Change in 24-Hour Hydration Status Following a Moderate Increase in Fluid Consumption

Purpose: To investigate changes in 24-hour hydration status when increasing fluid intake. Methods: Thirty-five healthy males (age 23.8 ± 4.7 years; mass 74.0 ± 9.4 kg) were divided into 4 treatment groups for 2 weeks of testing. Volumes of 24-hour fluid ingestion (including water from food) for weeks 1 and 2 was 35 and 40 ml/kg body mass, respectively. Each treatment group was given the same proportion of beverages in each week of testing: water only (n = 10), water + caloric cola (n = 7), water + noncaloric cola (n = 10), or water + caloric cola + noncaloric cola + orange juice (n = 8). Serum osmolality (Sosm), total body water (TBW) via bioelectrical impedance, 24-hour urine osmolality (Uosm), and volume (Uvol) were analyzed at the end of each 24-hour intervention. Results: Independent of treatment, total beverage consumption increased 22% from week 1 to 2 (1685 ± 320 to 2054 ± 363 ml; p < 0.001). Independent of beverage assignment, the increase in fluid consumption between weeks 1 and 2 did not change TBW (43.4 ± 5.2 vs 43.0 ± 4.8 kg), Sosm (292 ± 5 vs 292 ± 5 mOsm/kg), 24-hour Uosm (600 ± 224 vs 571 ± 212 mOsm/kg), or 24-hour Uvol (1569 ± 607 vs 1580 ± 554 ml; all p > 0.05). Conclusions: Regardless of fluid volume or beverage type consumed, measures of 24-hour hydration status did not differ, suggesting that standard measures of hydration status are not sensitive enough to detect a 22% increase in beverage consumption.
Recent advances in blood‐related proteomics

Blood is divided in two compartments, namely, plasma and cells. The latter contain red blood cells, leukocytes, and platelets. From a descriptive medical discipline, hematology has evolved towards a pioneering discipline where molecular biology has permitted the development of prognostic and diagnostic indicators for disease. The recent advance in MS and protein separation now allows similar progress in the analysis of proteins. Proteomics offers great promise for the study of proteins in plasma/serum, indeed a number of proteomics databases for plasma/serum have been established. This is a very complex body fluid containing lipids, carbohydrates, amino acids, vitamins, nucleic acids, hormones, and proteins. About 1500 different proteins have recently been identified, and a number of potential new markers of diseases have been characterized. Here, examples of the enormous promise of plasma/serum proteomic analysis for diagnostic/prognostic markers and information on disease mechanism are given. Within the blood are also a large number of different blood cell types that potentially hold similar information. Proteomics of red blood cells, until now, has not improved our knowledge of these cells, in contrast to the major progresses achieved while studying platelets and leukocytes. In the future, proteomics will change several aspects of hematology.
Recent Advances in Bladder Cancer Chemotherapy

In 1999, an estimated 54,200 new cases of bladder carcinoma will be diagnosed in the United States, resulting in 12,100 deaths (1). The majority are superficial tumors, confined to the mucosa and lamina propria of the bladder. These carcinomas are treated by urologists with cystoscopic surgery and in select cases intravesical drug therapy. Although these superficial bladder cancers frequently recur and may be multifocal, survival is excellent. However, when the carcinoma penetrates the muscular wall of the bladder, the prognosis worsens. Approximately 50% of patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer will develop metastatic disease. For this reason, there is a clear need for effective systemic therapy for bladder cancer. In this article, we review the past achievements and recent developments in the field of systemic chemotherapy for bladder cancer.
Generation of Antigen-specific Helper-inducer Clones .

The human T cell leukemia/lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) 1 is a retrovirus etiologically associated with adult T cell leukemia]lymphoma (ATLL) (1). ATLL has an aggressive clinical course and is often accompanied by opportunistic infections (2, 3). Leukemic cells from patients are usually T3 ,T4 + and T 8 (4); they express IL-2-R and class II HLA (5). This surface phenotype corresponds to that of mature helper/inducer cells that are immunologically activated (6-8). Cell lines derived from the leukemic cells, and cells infected by HTLV-I in vitro, generally have a similar phenotype (9, 10). Various abnormalities of immune function are demonstrable in the neoplastic cells from ATLL patients and in cell lines infected by HTLV-I. Although the leukemic cells have the surface phenotype of helper cells, they do not manifest helper activity, and some function as suppressor cells (5). Cloned T cells of known antigen specificity that have been infected by HTLV-I in vitro show loss of the ability to respond to specific antigen; both helper and cytotoxic functions may be inhibited (11-14). Some T cells infected by HTLV-I in vitro have been shown to respond to antigen without the requirement for accessory cells (12). However, with time in culture, they also became nonresponsive to antigen. Despite the impairment of antigen-specific responsiveness, some cell lines infected by HTLV-I possess the ability to react nondiscriminatively to HLA class II antigens (15). Patients hospitalized with specific infectious diseases in an area of Japan in which HTLV-I is endemic were found to have an almost threefold higher incidence of antibodies to HTLV-I than the general population (16). This suggests that immune dysfunction may also be an important consequence of HTLV-I infection in the clinical situation. T lymphocytes, unlike B lymphocytes, recognize foreign antigen in association with self HLA molecules (17). The T cell receptor (TCR), which is thought to recognize both antigen and HLA determinants (18-20), has recently been identified as a 90 kD surface glycoprotein (21-25). It is composed of two
Platelet microparticles and soluble P selectin in peripheral artery disease: Relationship to extent of disease and platelet activation markers

Background. There is increased platelet activation in many cardiovascular diseases. This observation may explain the presence of increased levels of platelet microparticles (PMP) in these diseases. However, whether or not levels of PMPs inter‐relate with other markers of platelet activation, such as soluble P‐selectin, or with disease severity, is unknown. We therefore hypothesized raised PMP levels in stable peripheral artery disease (PAD) intermittent claudication (IC), with an additional increase in severe PAD critical limb ischaemia (CLI). Furthermore, we tested the hypothesis that PMP levels are correlated with other markers of platelet activation, such as soluble P‐selectin, membrane bound P‐selectin (CD62P) and CD63. Methods. Patients with PAD were recruited from the vascular outpatient and inpatient facilities at a teaching hospital. Age‐ and sex‐matched controls were also recruited from healthy volunteers. Venous blood was obtained from 23 patients with severe disease (CLI), 36 with moderate disease (IC), and from 30 healthy controls. The percentage of platelets positive for CD62P and CD63, as well as the numbers of PMPs were defined by flow cytometry. Plasma soluble P selectin was measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results. PMPs were increased relative to healthy controls in patients with IC, with a further increase in CLI (P<0.001). Soluble P selectin and CD62+ve platelets were raised in both patient groups, but there was no difference amongst the two patient groups. CD63+ve cells were raised only in CLI compared to healthy controls. In multivariate analysis, only PMP and soluble P selectin independently predicted disease severity, and the two markers correlated modestly (r = 0.345, P<0.001). Conclusion. Increased PMP and soluble P selectin are both related to the severity of symptomatic PAD. However, it is uncertain if this relationship is a cause or effect of atherosclerosis. This finding may have clinical implications as PMPs have the potential to influence the progression of atheroma as well as promote thrombosis.
On the origin of sphingolipid/cholesterol-rich detergent-insoluble cell membranes: physiological concentrations of cholesterol and sphingolipid induce formation of a detergent-insoluble, liquid-ordered lipid phase in model membranes.

Detergent-insoluble membrane fragments that are rich in sphingolipid and cholesterol can be isolated from both cell lysates and model membranes. We have proposed that these arise from membranes that are in the liquid-ordered phase both in vivo and in vitro [Schroeder et al. (1994) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 91, 12130-12134]. In order to detect formation of the liquid-ordered phase while avoiding possible detergent artifacts, we have now used fluorescence quenching to examine the phase behavior of mixtures of phosphatidylcholines, sphingolipids, and cholesterol. Phase separation was found in binary mixtures of either dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) or sphingomyelin (SM) and a nitroxide-labeled phosphatidylcholine (12SLPC). A DPPC- or SM-enriched solidlike gel phase coexisted with a 12SLPC-enriched liquid-disordered fluid phase at 23 degrees C. As expected, phase separation was not seen at low concentrations of DPPC or SM. Instead, only a uniform fluid phase was present. Including 33 mol % cholesterol in model membranes greatly promoted phase separation. Phase separation was seen at higher temperatures and/or at lower concentrations of DPPC or SM in the presence of cholesterol than in its absence. Mixtures of DPPC or SM and cholesterol are known to form the liquid-ordered phase. Therefore, the fact that phase separation was observed in the cholesterol-containing membranes shows that liquid-ordered and liquid-disordered phase domains coexist. At 37 degrees C, the SM-enriched liquid-ordered phase was first seen at a SM/PC ratio of close to 0.25, when SM made up 17% of the total lipid including cholesterol. (This is similar to or less than the SM concentration of the plasma membranes of mammalian cells.) Furthermore, the detergent insolubility of cholesterol-containing model membranes correlated well with the amount of liquid-ordered phase as detected by fluorescence quenching. Thus, the detergent-insoluble membranes isolated from cells are likely to exist in the liquid-ordered phase prior to detergent extraction. The promotion of liquid-ordered phase formation may be an important function of cholesterol and sphingolipids in cells and may be a major distinction between the cholesterol- and sphingolipid-rich plasma membrane and most other cellular membranes.
Application Mapping and Communication Synthesis for Object-Oriented Platform-Based Design

Platform-based design of embedded systems on a chip consists of the parallel functional application specification, configuration of the hardware platform (i.e. connection of processing, memory and physical communication channels) and mapping of the application description on the processing, memory and communication resources of the hardware platform. The main contribution of this work is the seamless object-oriented modelling and automatic refinement of communication. In the application model, communication is specified by method calls on communication objects, independent from a physical communication channel. By means of mapping rules, these application model method calls are automatically transformed (synthesized) and implemented on the processing, memory and communication resources of the hardware platform. This approach enables the exploration and assessment of the impact of different platform configurations and mapping rules on functional and extra-functional properties.
Construction of a genetic map using EST-SSR markers and QTL analysis of major agronomic characters in hexaploid sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam)

The Sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam, is difficult to study in genetics and genomics because it is a hexaploid. The sweet potato study not have been performed domestically or internationally. In this study was performed to construct genetic map and quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis. A total of 245 EST-SSR markers were developed, and the map was constructed by using 210 of those markers. The total map length was 1508.1 cM, and the mean distance between markers was 7.2 cM. Fifteen characteristics were investigated for QTLs analysis. According to those, the Four QTLs were identified, and The LOD score was 3.0. Further studies need to develop molecular markers in terms of EST-SSR markers for doing to be capable of efficient breeding. The genetic map created here using EST-SSR markers will facilitate planned breeding of sweet potato cultivars with various desirable traits.