Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Standardization of a Digestion-filtration Method for Isolation of Pancreatic Islets

Standardization of a technic for isolating large numbers of pancreatic islets is described. This procedure employed collagenase digestion of rat pancreatic tissue in a cylindrical wire screen in order to separate isolated islets from undigested pancreas. From this basic protocol the following conditions were established: (1) the duration of the initial digestion period was found to be optimal at six minutes; (2) three subsequent digestions of one minute each effected maximum islet yield; (3) the optimal initial collagenase concentration was found to be 1,000 U. (Worthington)/ml. ; and (4) proper reductions of collagenase concentrations during the three subsequent digestions were found to be 50 per cent of each preceding incubation period. This method, combined with Ficoll gradient separation, yielded a mean of 800 islets per two rat pancreases. The isolated islets appeared morphologically intact, contained 0.36 ± 0.05 μg. protein/islet, and demonstrated a normal biphasic release of insulin in response to stimulative levels of D-glucose. The present method provides a means for obtaining a large mass of viable islet cell tissue in a short time.
The Sphingosine-1-phosphate Receptors S1P1, S1P2, and S1P3 Function Coordinately during Embryonic Angiogenesis*

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) elicits diverse cellular responses through a family of G-protein-coupled receptors. We have shown previously that genetic disruption of the S1P1 receptor, the most widely expressed of the family, results in embryonic lethality because of its key role within endothelial cells in regulating the coverage of blood vessels by vascular smooth muscle cells. To understand the physiologic functions of the two other widely expressed S1P receptors, we generated S1P2 and S1P3 null mice. Neither the S1P2 null mice nor the S1P3 null mice exhibited significant embryonic lethality or obvious phenotypic abnormalities. To unmask possible overlapping or collaborative functions between the S1P1, S1P2, and S1P3 receptors, we examined embryos with multiple S1P receptor mutations. We found that S1P1 S1P2 double null and S1P1 S1P2 S1P3 triple null embryos displayed a substantially more severe vascular phenotype than did embryos with only S1P1 deleted. We also found partial embryonic lethality and vascular abnormalities in S1P2 S1P3 double null embryos. Our results indicate that the S1P1, S1P2 and S1P3 receptors have redundant or cooperative functions for the development of a stable and mature vascular system during embryonic development.
Cephalexin: Microbiological effects and pharmacologic parameters in man

Cephalexin (desacetoxycephaloglycin), a semisynthetic derivative of cephalosporin C, was found to have a range of antimicrobial activity similar to that of cephalothin which inhibits the in vitro growth of most gram‐positive bacteria, with the exception of the enterococci and of some gram‐negative organisms. Except for methicillin‐resistant strains, all 62 strains of Staphylococcus aureus, including penicillin‐resistant strains, were inhibited by from 0.15 to 12.5 µg per milliliter of the drug. Eleven strains of methicillin‐resistant Staph. aureus were highly resistant to cephalexin; most were inhibited by 100 µg per milliliter. Among the other susceptible species were Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus viridans, Diplococcus pneumoniae, most strains of Salmonella, Shigella, and Hemophilus influenzae, approximately 50 per cent of Escherichia coli, and almost one third of Proteus isolates. Enterococci, Aerobacter aerogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Alcaligenes fecalis, and Serratia were highly resistant. In man, following ingestion of 500 mg. in the fasting state, peak levels of 18 µg per milliliter were attained in the serum at one hour, whereas after a meal the level was 12 µg per milliliter. From 75 to 100 per cent of the oral dose was excreted in the urine within the first 8 hours, producing urinary levels in some specimens of over 1,000 µg of cephalexin per milliliter of urine. The minimum inhibitory concentration of cephalexin for sensitive organisms fell within the range of serum concentrations produced by ingestion of 500 mg. of this drug.
FSW (feasible solution of wrench) for multi-legged robots

In this paper, we focus on a problem of how to confirm a feasible condition of applied force to a multi-legged robot on rough terrain. The problem often appeals as a subject of walking stability criterion for a legged robot. ZMP (zero moment point) is one of the well-known criteria. It shows the condition as footprints of a legged robot, but it cannot be defined on the rough terrain. Therefore, we suggest a new criterion FSW (feasible solution of wrench), which gives the feasible condition even on the rough terrain from the viewpoint of "wrench"-a special representation of force screw. And we present two short examples of FSW for a biped robot, how to analyse the validity of ZMP on stairs and how to design a force trajectory on rough terrain.
Proteomic and Metabolomic Analysis of Smooth Muscle Cells Derived From the Arterial Media and Adventitial Progenitors of Apolipoprotein E–Deficient Mice

We have recently demonstrated that stem cell antigen 1–positive (Sca-1+) progenitors exist in the vascular adventitia of apolipoprotein E–deficient (apoE−/−) mice and contribute to smooth muscle cell (SMC) accumulation in vein graft atherosclerosis. Using a combined proteomic and metabolomic approach, we now characterize these local progenitors, which participate in the formation of native atherosclerotic lesions in chow-fed apoE−/− mice. Unlike Sca-1+ progenitors from embryonic stem cells, the resident Sca-1+ stem cell population from the vasculature acquired a mature aortic SMC phenotype after platelet-derived growth factor-BB stimulation. It shared proteomic and metabolomic characteristics of apoE−/− SMCs, which were clearly distinct from wild-type SMCs under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. Among the differentially expressed proteins were key enzymes in glucose metabolism, resulting in faster glucose consumption and a compensatory reduction in baseline interleukin-6 secretion. The latter was associated with a marked upregulation of insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) 3 and 6. Notably, reconstitution of interleukin-6 to levels measured in the conditioned medium of wild-type SMCs attenuated the elevated IGFBP expression in apoE−/− SMCs and their vascular progenitors. This coregulation of apoE, interleukin-6, and IGFBPs was replicated in wild-type SMCs from hypercholesterolemic mice and confirmed by silencing apoE expression in SMCs from normocholesterolemic mice. In summary, we provide evidence that Sca-1+ progenitors contribute to native atherosclerosis in apoE−/− mice, that apoE deficiency and hypercholesterolemia alter progenitor cell behavior, and that inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 act as metabolic regulators in SMCs of hyperlipidemic mice.
A 14-bit 50-MS/s pipelined analog-to-digital converter with digital error calibration

A 14-bit 50-MS/s pipelined analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is presented. Operational amplifier (op-amp) sharing technique, 1.5 bit redundant stages based on switched capacitor circuits with inverter-based comparators and digital gain error calibration are used to reduce power consumption of the ADC and relax op-amp requirements. Simulation results in MATLAB/Simulink (structure level) and Cadence Virtuoso (schematic level, 180 nm 1.8 V CMOS) are provided. The pipelined ADC achieves 70 dB SINAD/80 dB SFDR and consumes 135 mW at 1.8 V supply, FoM is 1.04 pJ/conv.
Joint maximum a posteriori adaptation of transformation and HMM parameters

Model adaptation techniques are an efficient way to reduce the mismatch that typically occurs between the training and test condition of any speech recognizer. Adaptation techniques can usually be divided into two families of approaches. On one hand, direct model adaptation attempts to directly reestimate the model parameters, for example using MAP adaptation. Since direct adaptation only reestimates model parameters of the corresponding units appearing in the adaptation data, a large amount of such data is needed to observe any significant improvement in performance. However, nice asymptotic properties are usually observed, meaning that the performance improves as the amount of adaptation data increases. On the other hand, indirect model adaptation applies a general transformation on some clusters of model parameters. Because each individual model is transformed, the approach is quite effective when a small amount of adaptation data is available. However, as the amount of adaptation data increases, the performance improvement quickly saturates. We propose to jointly estimate model parameters and transformation parameters using a single estimation criterion based on Bayesian statistics. We show that by providing a prior distribution for the model parameters and the transformation parameters, it is possible to jointly estimate these two sets of parameters using maximum a posteriori estimation (MAP). Experimental evaluation on nonnative speaker and channel adaptation illustrates the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Homotypic and heterotypic serological responses to rotavirus neutralization epitopes in immunologically naive and experienced animals

Gnotobiotic or specific-pathogen-free animals with no previous exposure to rotavirus were vaccinated with strain UK, serotype G6. The highest serological response was to homologous virus; significant but lower responses occurred to viruses with either VP4 or VP7 related to that of vaccine virus; responses to other viruses were of low titer or infrequent. Adult cows vaccinated with UK virus produced increased titers of antibody to all rotavirus serotypes. The increases in titer to homologous virus and to other natural and reassortant viruses sharing VP7 with the vaccine virus were significantly higher than those to all other viruses. These results suggest the presence of common epitopes which are not well recognized in primary infections.
Prospective study of the innate cellular immune response in low vaccine responder children

We recently reported our findings from a longitudinal, prospective study where we identified 10% infants who were low vaccine responders (LVR) at age 9–12 mo following routine primary series vaccine schedule. We found multiple cellular deficiencies in LVR children, including low number of memory B cells, reduced polyclonal stimulation of naïve/memory T cell response and suboptimal APC response. These children outgrew their poor vaccine response by the time they received booster doses of vaccine. Studies in human infant innate immunity are rare because of the unique challenges in specimen collection. As innate immunity instructs adaptive immunity, we hypothesized that the primary immune defect lies with innate immunity and in this study we sought to determine the ontogeny of innate immune response in LVR children between 6 and 36 mo of age. Interestingly, suboptimal APC response observed in LVR children at 6–9 mo of age characterized by significantly (P < 0.05) low basal MHC II expression, low R848 induced IRF7 fold change, as well as low IFN-α, IL-12p70 and IL-1β levels, came to parity with normal vaccine responders by 12–15 mo of age, suggesting that the observed immune deficiency in LVR children may be the result of delayed maturation of immune system.
Biochemical and physiological studies of the yeast virus-like particle

A study was made of the virus-like particle (VLP) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae S7. This strain contains elevated amounts of P1 double-stranded ribonucleic acid (dsRNA) but no P2 dsRNA. The amount of dsRNA contained in cells grown on a fermentable carbon source (glucose) was compared with that in cells grown on a nonfermentable carbon source (ethanol). It was found that ethanol-grown cells contain higher levels of dsRNA than glucose-grown cells. In the former, the amount of dsRNA increased during the logarithmic phase of growth, whereas in the latter it increased during the transition from the logarithmic to the stationary phase. A method was devised to isolate VLPs from these cells by using CsCl gradients, and the yield was assessed by monitoring the recovery of dsRNA. Three proteins were found to be tightly associated with these particles. They have molecular weights of 75,000, 53,000, and 37,000. Together they account for almost all of the coding capacity of the P1 dsRNA that the VLP contains.
Aluminum Oxide Sandblasting of Hexagonal Coping and Abutment: Influence on Retention and Marginal Leakage Using Temporary Cements

Purpose:To compare the tensile strength and marginal leakage of prefabricated abutments/copings, with or without surface sandblasting with aluminum oxide, luted with a calcium hydroxide-based temporary cement (CH, Dycal; Dentsply, Petrópolis, RJ, Brazil) or a noneugenol zinc oxide cement (ZO, Temp Bond NE; Kerr, Orange, CA). Materials and Methods:A total of 48 CeraOne abutment analogs and respective copings were divided into 6 groups (n = 8) according to the component that was sandblasted: the coping only, coping + abutment or no sandblasting and the temporary cement used: CH or ZO. After cementation, the samples underwent 500 thermal cycles (5°C ± 2°C and 55°C ± 2°C) and were subsequently immersed in an aqueous solution of 0.5% basic fuchsine dye for 24 hours. Next, the tensile test was performed, and microleakage was assessed qualitatively. Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis tests, followed by the Student-Newman-Keuls test (&agr; = 0.05). Results:CH cement showed a tensile strength (245.6 N) significantly higher than that of the ZO (18.1 N). Sandblasting both abutment and coping increased tensile strength by 1.7 times. Marginal leakage was not influenced by sandblasting; however, CH presented less microleakage. Conclusion:Aluminum oxide sandblasting of the coping and abutment favored the tensile strength of temporary cements and the CH showed a higher tensile strength and less microleakage than did the ZO cement.
Internal anatomy of an erg sequence from the aeolian-fluvial system of the De La Cuesta Formation (Paganzo Basin, northwestern Argentina)

Permian red beds of the De La Cuesta Formation in the Sierra de Narvaez (Paganzo Basin, northwestern Argentina) are essentially composed of sandstones associated with mudstones and subordinate conglomerates. Facies distributions and stacking patterns indicate that these sediments resulted from the interaction between aeolian and ephemeral fluvial systems, and are represented by aeolian dune, dry aeolian interdune and aeolian sand sheet, mudflat, wet aeolian interdune, and fluvial deposits. The De La Cuesta Formation is characterised by aeolian (erg) sequences alternating with non-aeolian (terminal alluvial fan – mudflat) sequences. Each erg sequence is bounded at its base by a regionally extensive sand-drift surface and at the top by an extinction surface. A number of architectural elements, including aeolian dunes limited by interdunes, grouped crescentic aeolian dunes, longitudinal dunes, and draa with superimposed crescentic dunes are recognised in the erg sequences. The sand sea developed during phases of increasing aridity, whereas non-aeolian deposition might have occurred during more humid phases. Thus, the styles of aeolian-fluvial interaction are considered to result from cyclical climatic changes. Within the drier hemicycles, the rhythmic alternation between draa deposits and aeolian dune and interdune deposits indicates higher frequency cycles that could be attributed to subtle climatic oscillations and/ or changes in sand supply and availability. The development of the Permian sand sea in the inland Paganzo Basin seems to be related to the growth of a volcanic chain to the west. This topographic barrier separated the Paganzo Basin from the Chilean Basin, located along the western margin of Gondwana and characterised by shallow marine carbonate sedimentation. The correlation between the Permian erg and the shallow marine carbonates suggests a regional warming period during the Middle Permian in western Gondwana. 1
Nested performance bounds and approximate solutions for the sensor placement problem

This paper considers the placement of m sensors at n > m possible locations. Given noisy observations, knowledge of the state correlation matrix, and a mean-square error criterion (equivalently maximizing an efficacy cost criterion), the problem is formulated as an integer programming problem. Computing the solution for large m and n is infeasible, requiring us to look at approximate algorithms and bounding optimal performance. Approximate algorithms include greedy algorithms and variations based on examining the efficacy cost function and projection-based methods that all run in polynomial time of m and n. A sequence of nested bounds are found that upper bound the optimal performance (with analysis based on using matrix pencils and generalized eigenvectors). Finally, we show through simulations that the approximate algorithms perform well and provide tight implementable lower bounds to optimal performance and the nested bounds provide upper bounds to optimal performance with tighter bounds achieved with increasing complexity. The sensor placement problem has many energy applications where we are often confronted with limited resources. Some examples include where to place environmental sensors for an area in which there are many distributed solar photovoltaic generators and where to place grid monitors on an electrical distribution microgrid.
MicroRNA reins in embryonic and cancer stem cells

MicroRNAs represents a new layer of gene regulation in stem cells by controlling the molecular mechanisms involved in modulating stem cell fate and behavior. Such a role of microRNA is seen in embryonic stem cell as well, maintaining a delicate balance between survival, proliferation, and self-renewal signals. Further, dysregulation of stem cell self-renewal is a likely requirement for the initiation and formation of cancer stem cells that probably pose resistance to current cancer treatments. In fact, the precise mechanism that regulates embryonic as well as cancer stem cell self-renewal and pluripotency remains largely unknown. Understanding the miRNA related stem cell biology and pathways offers great promise for improving stem cell mediated regenerative therapy as well as cancer therapies. Here we summarize some of the emerging evidences demonstrating the role of these molecular switches in embryonic and cancer stem cells.
Genetically Engineered Mouse Models for Human Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the world, which is a cause for more solid tumor-related deaths than all other carcinomas combined. More than 170,000 new cas‐ es are diagnosed each year in the United States alone, of whom ~160,000 will eventually die, accounting for nearly 30% of all cancer deaths (Siegel et al., 2012). The annual incidence for lung cancer per 100,000 population is highest among African Americans (76.1), followed by whites (69.7), American Indians/Alaska Natives (48.4), and Asian/Pacific Islanders (38.4). Hispanic people have much lower lung cancer incidence (37.3) than non-Hispanics (71.9) (CDC, 2010). These results identify the racial/ethnic populations and geographic regions that would benefit from enhanced efforts in lung cancer prevention, specifically by reducing cig‐ arette smoking and exposure to environmental carcinogens.
An algorithmic approach to coordinate transformation for robotic manipulators

Coordinate transformation is one of the most important issues in robotic manipulator control. Robot tasks are naturally specified in work space coordinates, usually a Cartesian frame, while control actions are developed on joint coordinates. Effective inverse kinematic solutions are analytical in nature; they exist only for special manipulator geometries and geometric intuition is usually required. Computational inverse kinematic algorithms have recently been proposed; they are based on general closed-loop schemes which perform the mapping of the desired Cartesian trajectory into the corresponding joint trajectory. The aim of this paper is to propose an effective computational scheme to the inverse kinematic problem for manipulators with spherical wrists. First an insight into the formulation of kinematics is given in order to detail the general scheme for this specific class of manipulators. Algorithm convergence is then ensured by means of the Lyapunov direct method. The resulting algorithm is based on .
The Use of DNA Extraction for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Training: A Practical and Alternative Approach

DNA extraction and polymerase chain reaction are molecular biology techniques widely used in research, diagnostics and biotechnology industry. In this work, we report a practical course designed for undergraduate students of health, biological sciences and biotechnology areas. The course is five days long and emphasizes basic procedures in practical activities. The students were challenged to use three different protocols for DNA isolation (one using commercial silica column and two, in-house) using no lab animals but themselves. They evaluated the DNA yield, and potential amplification of the extracted DNA by PCR using their own cells genetic material. Students were stimulated to adopt a critical view during the course to develop skills including critical analysis of primary results and possible errors, scientific report writing and a problem solving profile.
Phase 1 Trial of Subcutaneous IL-6 in Patients With Refractory Cancer: Clinical and Biologic Effects

The authors evaluated the clinical and biologic effects of human recombinant interleukin-6 (rhIL-6) in patients with refractory cancer. A phase 1 trial using escalating doses of rhIL-6 (1–50 &mgr;g·kg−1·d−1, Monday through Friday for 4 weeks) was performed in 30 patients. Toxicity was moderate and the maximum tolerated dose was determined to be 25 &mgr;g·kg−1·d−1 based on cardiac and neurocortical toxicity in one patient each and thrombocytosis (platelets > 800,000/&mgr;L) in three patients. One patient with non–small-cell lung cancer had a partial response after three cycles of therapy. The biologic effects of rhIL-6 included anemia and dose-related thrombocytosis. Various proinflammatory activities were induced and included dose-related cyclical increases in peripheral blood monocytes and the CD14+/CD45RB+ ± CD16C+ mononuclear cell populations. These increases were accompanied by increased levels of C-reactive protein, serum neopterin, and type I soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor. In contrast, rhIL-6 did not affect lymphocyte numbers or function (cytotoxicity, cytokine levels, immunoglobulin levels), with the possible exception of IL-2R&agr; mRNA induction in peripheral blood lymphocytes. rhIL-6 has pleiotropic proinflammatory actions in vivo and moderate toxicity when administered as long-term therapy.
Reduction of Blood Pressure, Plasma Cholesterol, and Atherosclerosis by Elevated Endothelial Nitric Oxide*

In the vascular system, nitric oxide is generated by endothelial NO synthase (eNOS). NO has pleiotropic effects, most of which are believed to be atheroprotective. Therefore, it has been argued that patients suffering from cardiovascular disease could benefit from an increase in eNOS activity. However, increased NO production can cause oxidative damage, cell toxicity, and apoptosis and hence could be atherogenic rather than beneficial. To study thein vivo effects of increased eNOS activity, we created transgenic mice overexpressing human eNOS. Aortic blood pressure was ∼20 mm Hg lower in the transgenic mice compared with control mice because of lower systemic vascular resistance. The effects of eNOS overexpression on diet-induced atherosclerosis were studied in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. Elevation of eNOS activity decreased blood pressure (∼20 mm Hg) and plasma levels of cholesterol (∼17%), resulting in a reduction in atherosclerotic lesions by 40%. We conclude that an increase in eNOS activity is beneficial and provides protection against atherosclerosis.