Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Relationship between stress and relapse in multiple sclerosis: part II. Direct and indirect relationships

Objective The aim of this two-year prospective study was to determine which factors were: (i) directly related and/or (ii) indirectly related to multiple sclerosis (MS) relapse. These factors included life-event stressors, disease, demographic, psychosocial and lifestyle factors. Background Relatively little attention has been paid to the role of non-clinical relapse predictors (other than stressful life-events) in MS, or factors that indirectly impact on the stress-relapse relationship. Methods A total of 101 consecutive participants with MS were recruited from two MS clinics in Sydney, Australia. Stressful life-events, depression, anxiety and fatigue were assessed at study-entry and at three-monthly intervals for two years. Disease, demographic, psychosocial and lifestyle factors were assessed at baseline. Patient-reported relapses were recorded and corroborated by neurologists or evaluated against accepted relapse criteria. Results MS relapse was predicted by acute stressor frequency counts, coping responses that utilized social support, and being born in Australia, but not by chronic stressors, disease, demographic, psychosocial or lifestyle factors. No factors were found to indirectly impact on the stress-relapse relationship. Conclusions The number rather than severity of stressors was most important in relation to MS relapse risk, along with coping responses that utilized social support, suggesting that MS patients should avoid situations that are likely to generate multiple stressors or which provide few avenues for social support.
Megaintestine in claudin-15-deficient mice.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Claudins, the major components of tight junction (TJ) strands, which form paracellular barriers, consist of 24 family members, the combination of which determines the properties of TJ-based paracellular barriers. Here, we generated claudin-15-deficient (Cldn15(-/-)) mice to examine the ubiquitously expressed functions of claudin-15. METHODS We generated Cldn15(-/-) mice by the conventional gene-targeting strategy. Because the upper small intestine was enlarged in Cldn15(-/-) mice, we analyzed the phenotype from various angles regarding histology, physiology, and cell biology. RESULTS Cldn15(-/-) mice were born and grew normally with an enlarged upper small intestinal phenotype, megaintestine. Deficiency of claudin-15 did not cause a compensatory increase in the background expression of other types of claudins, claudin-1, -2, -3, -4, -7, -12, -18, -20, and -23, in the small intestine. Cldn15(-/-) mice showed enhanced proliferation of normal cryptic cells after weaning without diseased states such as polyps or cancer, resulting in megaintestine, in which the upper small intestine was approximately 2 times larger than normal in length and diameter. The number of transit-amplifying cells in crypts increased approximately 2-fold. Freeze-fracture electron microscopy revealed that deficiency of claudin-15 decreased the number of TJ strands, although the electric conductance was decreased in distal segments in Cldn15(-/-) jejunum, as compared with Cldn15(+/+) littermates. CONCLUSIONS Based on the specific roles of claudins in paracellular barrier formation without any direct role in cell proliferation, as previously shown in cultured epithelial cells, we propose that claudin-15-based formation of TJs to organize the microenvironment including ion conductance is important for normal-sized morphogenesis of the small intestine.
LODVader: An Interface to LOD Visualization, Analyticsand DiscovERy in Real-time

The Linked Open Data (LOD) cloud is in danger of becoming a black box. Simple questions such as "What kind of datasets are in the LOD cloud? ", "In what way(s) are these datasets connected? " -- albeit frequently asked -- are at the moment still difficult to answer due to the lack of proper tooling support. The infrequent update of the static LOD cloud diagram adds to the current dilemma, since there is neither reliable nor timely-updated information to perform an interactive search, analysis or in particular visualization in order to gain insight into the current state of Linked Open Data. In this paper, we propose a new hybrid system which combines LOD Visualisation, Analytics and DiscovERy (LODVader) to aid in answering the above questions. LODVader is equipped with (1) a multi-layer LOD cloud visualization component comprising datasets, subsets and vocabularies, (2) dataset analysis components that extend the state of the art with new similarity measures and efficient link extracting techniques and (3) a fast search index that is an entry point for dataset discovery. At its core, LODVader employs a timely-updated index using a complex cluster of Bloom filters as a fast search index with low memory footprint. This BF cluster is able to efficiently perform analysis on link and dataset similarities based on stored predicate and object information, which -- once inverted -- can be employed to discover invalid links by displaying the Dark LOD Cloud. By combining all these features, we allow for an up-to-date, multi-dimensional LOD cloud analysis, which -- to the best of our knowledge -- was not possible before.
Diurnal Rhythm in Anticoagulant Effect of Heparin during a Low Dose Constant Rate Infusion

Summary The objective of the study was to investigate possible diurnal rhythms in coagulation tests during a continuous intravenous infusion of unfractionated heparin. Six volunteers participated in the study, which was divided in a treatment (500 U heparin/h for 30 h) and a control experiment. Under basal conditions, no rhythm was found in coagulation tests. During heparin treatment, APTT, thrombin clotting time and anti-Xa activity showed a greater anticoagulant effect at night, with a striking decrease in the morning. In a search for the explanation of this phenomenon we looked for diurnal variations in the urinary excretion of heparin, in the plasma concentrations of antithrombin III and platelet factor 4, and in the effect of heparin added to the plasma samples in vitro. None of these studies provided the explanation.
Lipopolysaccharides from atherosclerosis‐associated bacteria antagonize TLR4, induce formation of TLR2/1/CD36 complexes in lipid rafts and trigger TLR2‐induced inflammatory responses in human vascular endothelial cells

Infection with bacteria such as Chlamydia pneumonia, Helicobacter pylori or Porphyromonas gingivalis may be triggering the secretion of inflammatory cytokines that leads to atherogenesis. The mechanisms by which the innate immune recognition of these pathogens could lead to atherosclerosis remain unclear. In this study, using human vascular endothelial cells or HEK‐293 cells engineered to express pattern‐recognition receptors (PRRs), we set out to determine Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) and functionally associated PRRs involved in the innate recognition of and response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from H. pylori or P. gingivalis. Using siRNA interference or recombinant expression of cooperating PRRs, we show that H. pylori and P. gingivalis LPS‐induced cell activation is mediated through TLR2. Human vascular endothelial cell activation was found to be lipid raft‐dependent and to require the formation of heterotypic receptor complexes comprising of TLR2, TLR1, CD36 and CD11b/CD18. In addition, we report that LPS from these bacterial strains are able to antagonize TLR4. This antagonistic activity of H. pylori or P. gingivalis LPS, as well as their TLR2 activation capability may be associated with their ability to contribute to atherosclerosis.
An RFID Unilateral Distance Bounding Protocol and Analysis Over a Noisy Channel

form of automatic identification systems used for humans and objects is radio frequency identification (RFID). Fast and almost error-free calculations have led to its wide application in many places. Distance Bounding (DB) protocols verify that the tag is within a certain distance form reader. This process can be done by measuring the round trip time for message exchange. These protocols are sensitive to location-based attacks and noisy environment. Currently, many unilateral DB protocols have been designed to resist location-based attacks. As a general classification, existing DB protocols are divided into two categories: those based on the Brand and Chaum (BC) protocol and those based on the Hancke and Kuhn (HK) protocol. In this paper, we present a unilateral HK-based DB protocol. Using this protocol, two random binary challenges are sent and responses receive with a predefined delay. The communication channel between tag and reader is noisy. The DB protocols are very sensitive to noisy environment while the communication should be resilient to noise. The security of this protocol analyzed in binary symmetric channel (BSC). The results show reduced adversary success probability due to mafia and distance fraud in both noiseless and noisy channels among existing DB protocols.
Multicast active probing measurement technique

In this paper, we extend unicast resource measurement techniques to multicast environment to estimate bottleneck link bandwidth. We show that path segment measurement is more suitable to multicast environment, more robust than full path measurement, and reduces error probability of estimating network resources. We also introduce a novel way to measure end-to-end queuing delay by using a pair of packets with different priorities. The proposed scheme doesn't require time synchronization and doesn't need to communicate with core routers. Our approach is edge-based scheme. Measurements are made at each potential receiver at the network edge, and can be easily implemented in various networks. We have evaluated and compared our scheme with other existed resource measurement approaches through a set of OPNET simulation experiments.
The new age of acne therapy: Light, lasers, and radiofrequency

BACKGROUND: Current treatments for acne vulgaris include topical and oral medications that counteract microcomedone formation, sebum production, Propionibacterium acnes, and inflammation. Concerns about the short‐ and long‐term consequences of these medications, along with technological advancements, have to significant progress in the management of acne. These developments include light, laser, and radio frequency, which may offer faster onset of action, equal or greater efficacy, and greater convenience than traditional approaches. CONCLUSION: Research emphasizing long‐term follow‐up and comparative, randomized trials is necessary to determine whether these emerging technologies will become a viable alternative to standard therapies such as antibiotics.
Improvement of the frequency bandwidth of LTCC meander antenna

The paper describes the study of possibility to improve the bandwidth of the LTCC (Low Temperature Cofired Ceramics) antennas. It is well-known that bandwidth broadening of microstrip antennas can be achieved by substrate structurizing. In our paper we describe the influence of an air cavity beneath a radiating patch or strip on the LTCC antenna performance. Results of computer simulations using HFSS™ software are shown. Then, manufacturing process is described. Results of measurement of network parameters and radiaton patterns of the antenna model are presented. Finally, a comparison between measured parameters and computer simulations is discussed.
Saponin Production in Submerged Adventitious Root Culture of Panax ginseng as Affected by Culture Conditions and Elicitors

Root growth and saponin production in the root culture of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer were investigated under various pH values, concentrations of sucrose, nitrogen and phosphate and elicitors. The pH of a medium did not have a significant effect on root growth, but apparently affected the saponin content. The maximum saponin content of 0.26 % was obtained at pH 6.0. The optimal concentrations of sucrose, nitrogen and phosphate on root growth and saponin production were 30 g/l, 382.7 mg/l and 40.40 mg/l, respectively. Saponin biosynthesis was stimulated by the addition of panaxatriol saponin (PTS) and total saponin (TS). However, fresh weight in PTS was so low that the theoretical total saponin in TS treatment was higher than that in PTS treatment. Thus, it appears that TS is a better elicitor than PTS in the ginseng root culture. The saponin content in TS treated ginseng root was 0.38 % and approximately 1.5-fold higher than the control. This work will be helpful for efficient large-scale bioprecessing of the ginseng root culture in a bioreactor.
The Study of Pulse Interval Modulation in Wireless Laser Communication System

This paper studies the pulse interval modulation scheme for wireless laser communication between two nodes. This pulse interval modulation (PIM) scheme is a modified version of the pulse position modulation (PPM) data scheme and is intended for fast, low power and reliable wireless laser transmission with simple, minimum and low-cost hardware implementation. This paper tries to introduce one of the methods how to realize the PIM modulation by the use of microcontroller. At first, this technique can effectively improve the synchronization puzzles confronted during the process of modulation and demodulation. The second, the method can improve the coding efficiency of the laser communication system. The third, it could be integrated into one system by using PIC controlling mode. For the laser communicating system transmits data with computers via asynchronous series ports so that the demodulator can be made simple and cheap. At the end, the paper concludes the advantages for this implementation such as easier circuit design, more stable working reliability etc.
Genetic and Genomic Evidence That Sucrose Is a Global Regulator of Plant Responses to Phosphate Starvation in Arabidopsis1[W][OA]

Plants respond to phosphate (Pi) starvation by exhibiting a suite of developmental, biochemical, and physiological changes to cope with this nutritional stress. To understand the molecular mechanism underlying these responses, we isolated an Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) mutant, hypersensitive to phosphate starvation1 (hps1), which has enhanced sensitivity in almost all aspects of plant responses to Pi starvation. Molecular and genetic analyses indicated that the mutant phenotype is caused by overexpression of the SUCROSE TRANSPORTER2 (SUC2) gene. As a consequence, hps1 has a high level of sucrose (Suc) in both its shoot and root tissues. Overexpression of SUC2 or its closely related family members SUC1 and SUC5 in wild-type plants recapitulates the phenotype of hps1. In contrast, the disruption of SUC2 functions greatly inhibits plant responses to Pi starvation. Microarray analysis further indicated that 73% of the genes that are induced by Pi starvation in wild-type plants can be induced by elevated levels of Suc in hps1 mutants, even when they are grown under Pi-sufficient conditions. These genes include several important Pi signaling components and those that are directly involved in Pi transport, mobilization, and distribution between shoot and root. Interestingly, Suc and low-Pi signals appear to interact with each other both synergistically and antagonistically in regulating gene expression. Our genetic and genomic studies provide compelling evidence that Suc is a global regulator of plant responses to Pi starvation. This finding will help to further elucidate the signaling mechanism that controls plant responses to this particular nutritional stress.
Sevoflurane Anesthesia Alters Exploratory and Anxiety-like Behavior in Mice Lacking the β2 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Subunit

Background: Preexisting cognitive impairment and advanced age are factors that increase the risk of developing postoperative cognitive dysfunction. Because anesthetic agents interfere with cholinergic transmission and as impairment of cholinergic function is associated with cognitive decline, the authors studied how the volatile anesthetic sevoflurane affects exploratory and anxiety-like behavior in young and aged animals with a genetically modified cholinergic system. Methods: Young and aged wild-type and mutant mice lacking the β2 subunit of the nicotinic cholinergic receptor (β2KO) were anesthetized for 2 h with 2.6% sevoflurane in oxygen and compared with nonanesthetized controls. Locomotor activity and organization of movement in the open field model were assessed before and 24 h after anesthesia. Locomotor activity and anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze were assessed 24 h after anesthesia. High- and low-affinity nicotinic receptor and cholinergic uptake site densities were evaluated in the hippocampus, amygdala, and forebrain regions using receptor autoradiography. Results: Sevoflurane anesthesia significantly reduced locomotor activity, altered temporospatial organization of trajectories, and increased anxiety-like behavior in young β2KO mice, whereas no such changes were observed in young wild-type mice. Aged wild-type and β2KO mice displayed reactions that were similar, but not identical, to the reactions of young mice to sevoflurane anesthesia. However, behavioral changes were not associated with differences in nicotinic receptor or cholinergic uptake site densities. Conclusion: In conclusion, sevoflurane anesthesia altered exploratory and anxiety-like behavior in mice lacking the β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit.
Analyses of spectral efficiency and nonlinear tolerance of DPSK formats in 160-Gb/s Raman amplified systems

Five-channel 160-Gb/s wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) systems using ABA dispersion map and Raman amplification are investigated numerically. Transmission distance and system margin are evaluated for return-to-zero differential phase-shift keying (RZ-DPSK) and carrier-suppressed return-to-zero (CSRZ)-DPSK formats. The results show that RZ-DPSK can offer 2300-km system reach at large WDM channel spacing, while CSRZ-DPSK is more robust against nonlinear effects in the fibers and offers a reach of 1900 km at a spectral efficiency of 0.53 b/s/Hz. CSRZ-DPSK can also provide twice the dispersion tolerance of RZ-DPSK and larger spectral efficiency.
High relapse rate after a brief chemotherapy course and involved-field radiotherapy in early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma

There is general consensus on the use of combined chemotherapy, usually ABVD, and involved-field radiation therapy (IF-RT) in the management of patients with early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) [1 – 3]. Such an approach is successful in inducing a high rate (495%) of complete remission (CR) with more than 90% of patients recurrence-free [1 – 3]. Some ongoing studies are focusing on reducing toxicity without limiting effectiveness [4]. Accordingly, in May 1998, we started a pilot study with a brief chemotherapy course, consisting of two cycles of a modified ABVD regimen (VEBEP) followed by IFRT in early-stage HL. The reasons for utilizing this regimen are: (1) positive data in advanced HL with a similar combination [5]; (2) reduced cardiac and pulmonary toxicity by substituting epirubicin for doxorubicin and decreasing the cumulative dose of bleomycin; (3) substitution of vinblastine with vinorelbine, a drug with demonstrated efficacy and limited toxicity in pretreated HL [6]; and (4) the exclusion of dacarbazine, a drug with limited, non-clearly demonstrated activity in HL as demonstrated by comparable results with regimens not containing dacarbazine, such as MOPPABV [7], ABV, or AV [8]. Eligibility criteria included patients with newly diagnosed stage I or II HL according to the Ann Arbor criteria. Patients with bulky disease, symptoms and mediastinal involvement were excluded as well as those older than 70 years and/or with comorbidities (cardiac, pulmonary, metabolic or neurologic diseases), or with prior neoplasia. Clinical staging procedures were performed according to the Ann Arbor criteria integrated at the Cotswolds meeting [9]. Clinical and radiologic re-evaluation was performed at the end of chemotherapy as well as at the end of the whole treatment, and included gallium or PET scan. The treatment consisted of two courses of VEBEP followed by low-dose (30 Gy) IF-RT. The regimen consisted of epidoxorubicin 30 mg/m iv on day 1 – 3, cyclophosphamide 1000 mg/m iv on day 1, vinorelbine 25 mg/m iv on day 2, bleomycin 10 mg/m iv on day 3, and prednisone 100 mg iv on day 1 – 3. Courses were given on an outpatient basis every 21 days without growth factor support. Radiotherapy was delivered within 4 weeks from the end of the chemotherapy program and only if CR was demonstrated at the end of VEBEP. All patients were evaluated according to the National Cancer Institute criteria [10]. Freedom from progression (FFP) and overall survival (OS) were dated from initiation of the first course of VEBEP. All calculations were performed using Stata 9 software (www.stata.com). From May 1998 to May 2003, 26 consecutive patients were prospectively given two courses of VEBEP and IF-RT. Their characteristics are listed in Table I. All patients completed the chemotherapy
A novel HashedNets model based on the efficient hyperparameter optimization

The research of neural networks compression becomes a hot spot in the AI area. In this paper, we propose a novel method to optimize the hyperparameters of a compression Neural Networks called HashedNets with Radial Basis Function (RBF) interpolation model and Dynamic Coordinate Search (DYCORS) method, the proposed model is called HD-HORD which can help the HashedNets search for the best hyperparameters automatically and efficiently. Experimental results show that the efficiency of HD-HORD can be improved 72% faster than other methods.
Mutations of the Ca2+-sensing Stromal Interaction Molecule STIM1 Regulate Ca2+ Influx by Altered Oligomerization of STIM1 and by Destabilization of the Ca2+ Channel Orai1*

Background: Calcium influx (ICRAC) is important for proper cell function. Results: A novel STIM1 mutant increases ICRAC, Ca2+-dependently destabilizes Orai1, and alters clustering. A new mathematical model explains the phenotype. Conclusion: The molecular kinetics of STIM1 and Orai1 are major determinants of ICRAC. Significance: The diffusion trap model and alteration of Orai1 stability provide a tool for understanding ICRAC regulation. A drop of endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ concentration triggers its Ca2+ ssensor protein stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1) to oligomerize and accumulate within endoplasmic reticulum-plasma membrane junctions where it activates Orai1 channels, providing store-operated Ca2+ entry. To elucidate the functional significance of N-glycosylation sites of STIM1, we created different mutations of asparagine-131 and asparagine-171. STIM1 NN/DQ resulted in a strong gain of function. Patch clamp, Total Internal Reflection Fluorescent (TIRF) microscopy, and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) analyses revealed that expression of STIM1 DQ mutants increases the number of active Orai1 channels and the rate of STIM1 translocation to endoplasmic reticulum-plasma membrane junctions with a decrease in current latency. Surprisingly, co-expression of STIM1 DQ decreased Orai1 protein, altering the STIM1:Orai1 stoichiometry. We describe a novel mathematical tool to delineate the effects of altered STIM1 or Orai1 diffusion parameters from stoichiometrical changes. The mutant uncovers a novel mechanism whereby “superactive” STIM1 DQ leads to altered oligomerization rate constants and to degradation of Orai1 with a change in stoichiometry of activator (STIM1) to effector (Orai1) ratio leading to altered Ca2+ homeostasis.
Surface Diffusion on Stressed Solid Surface

The surface diffusion of an axi-symmetric solid, a whisker, subject to applied uniaxial stress, is studied numerically based on a new boundary integral formulation for periodic stress configurations. An efficient semi-implicit time-stepping scheme is developed to treat the serve stiffness due to high-order derivatives. When the initial perturbation is small the effect of the stress on the motion of the whisker is found to agree with the linear stability analysis. Numerical simulations of a fully nonlinear case are also presented, and a potential break-up of the whisker is observed.