Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization of specific HLA-DQ alpha allospecificities by genomic, biochemical, and serologic analysis.

Bgl II restriction endonuclease digestion of genomic DNA from lymphoblastoid cell lines homozygous for HLA DR and DQ serological specificities, followed by hybridization with a DQ alpha cDNA probe, identified a genomic polymorphism characterized by two reciprocal patterns, one associated with DR 3, 5 and 8 and the other with DR 1, 2, 4, 7, and 9. The former pattern corresponded precisely to the reactivity of monoclonal antibody SFR20-DQ alpha 5, shown by Western blotting to react with isolated alpha-chains, but not with beta-chains. Additional variants of the DQ alpha genes were identified by using a locus-specific oligonucleotide probe for the DQ alpha gene, indicating differences among the DQ alpha 5-negative set of alleles. This analysis defines a set of DQ alpha allelic markers that are distinct from the well-established DQ serologic specificities DQw1, 2, 3 or "blank. " Although most DQ alpha 5+ cells carry the DRw52 specificity associated with the DR beta 2 gene, analysis of DQ alpha polymorphisms on DR5, DQw1; DR8, DQw1; and DRw13, DQw1 cells verified that this DQ alpha family of alleles was not invariably linked to the DR beta 2 locus.
The uncertain role of thrombolytic therapy in the treatment of pulmonary embolism.

IED20006 THE FIRST clinical report of the use of a thrombolytic agent (streptokinase) to treat acute pulmonary embolism (PE) appeared in 1964,1 and the first randomized clinical trial comparing urokinase plus heparin with heparin alone was published in 1970.2 A randomized clinical trial comparing urokinase to streptokinase in the treatment of PE was published in 1974.3 The first report of a third thrombolytic agent, recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator, in the treatment of acute PE was published by Bounameaux et al4 in 1985. The US Food and Drug Administration approved streptokinase in 1977, urokinase in 1978, and recombinant tissuetype plasminogen activator in 1990 for the treatment of acute PE.5 Despite more than 3 decades of experience with these thrombolytic agents, their role in the treatment of PE remains uncertain and controversial.
Oxidative Stress Increased in Healthcare Workers Working 24-Hour On-Call Shifts

Introduction:Long work hours, night shifts, stressful situations and insufficient social support increase levels of anxiety and depression and decrease motivation to perform among healthcare professionals. In this study, we evaluated oxidative stress levels in medical residents working 24-hour on-call shifts, and in nurses, relative to non-healthcare hospital staff in sedentary positions. We also measured serum prolidase activity, a measure of collagen turnover, as an objective proxy for level of physical activity. Methods:Fifty-five male and 15 female medical residents on 24-hour, in-house, on-call duty, and 45 nurses and 30 (15 male/15 female) non-healthcare staff working 8-hour shifts were recruited. All were healthy nonsmokers. Parameters of oxidative stress and serum prolidase activity were measured twice for each subject, upon arising at 8 am after an overnight fast; and then again near the end of the work shift, or after 16 hours of consecutive work (at 12 pm) for residents. Results:After hours of continuous work, serum total oxidative status and the oxidative stress index increased significantly, whereas total antioxidant status decreased (all P < 0.0001) in healthcare staff (nurses, male and female residents). All these variables remained virtually unchanged in non-healthcare staff. Similarly, serum prolidase activity increased in healthcare staff (P < 0.0001), but failed to increase statistically in non-healthcare staff. Conclusions:Healthcare workers suffer increased oxidative stress after prolonged work hours, especially while still on duty. Possible mechanisms for this include increased workload and, perhaps, psychological stress as well. However, long-term studies are needed to clarify the effects of sustained exposure to oxidative stress.
Combination of LPCVD and PECVD SiC in fabricating evanescent waveguides

As a promising material in MEMS field, SiC is widely used to fabricate sensors in many applications. Considering its fabrication potential and optical properties, SiC was chosen as the core material of evanescent waveguide sensor in this paper. LPCVD and PECVD deposition were combined in fabricating the waveguide. To reduce the coupling loss and misalignment effect, 3D tapered couplers were designed to be added to the input and output of the waveguide and a novel slope transfer method was investigated to fabricate the taper slope. In initial experiments we have achieved a slope of 16.7°.
Evidence That Spinal Interneurons Undergo Programmed Cell Death Postnatally in the Rat

Programmed cell death has been demonstrated in several specific neuronal populations as a mechanism for modulating the population size following differentiation, but its applicability to all neuronal types is unclear. Evidence for programmed cell death in some populations such as the numerous spinal interneurons has been lacking. We have studied the incidence of apoptosis in the rat spinal cord with three different methods and found a previously undocumented wave of apoptosis occurring in spinal grey matter shortly after birth. The apoptotic morphology was confirmed ultrastructurally. Dying cells were identified as neurons by immunocytochemical labelling for neuronal markers and had an anatomical distribution which indicated that most of the apoptotic cells were interneurons not motoneurons. This wave of apoptosis has the characteristics of a discrete developmental process and occurs later than that of either ventral horn motoneurons or dorsal root ganglion cells, to which most spinal interneurons are connected. These findings indicate that interneurons do undergo programmed cell death, and we suggest that this occurs in response to the earlier reduction in size of their main synaptic targets.
Some of what one needs to know about using head-mounted displays to improve teleoperator performance

It is noted that a head-mounted display (HMD) system would be a useful teleoperator system display if it increased operator performance of the desired task but could degrade performance because of display update rate limitations and communication delays. 3-D tracking and pick-and-place tasks are simulated to characterize performance levels for a range of update rates and delays. How performance changes as the display is altered to maintain the update rate is also examined. The results of the update experiments indicate that performance levels degrade only slightly until the update rate is below 1 or 2 Hz. Attempts to maintain update rate by eliminating display features such as stereo and occlusion cues show that the presence of either cue alone is sufficient to maintain performance levels in the simple, short-term tasks considered. Delays also degrade performance in both manipulation tasks considered. These HMD performance problems are not lessened by the presentation of a predictive feedback display. Instead, the delay in the head movement tracking loop must be eliminated. >
What Controls the Mean East–West Sea Surface Temperature Gradient in the Equatorial Pacific: The Role of Cloud Albedo

AbstractThe mean east–west sea surface temperature gradient along the equator is a key feature of tropical climate. Tightly coupled to the atmospheric Walker circulation and the oceanic east–west thermocline tilt, it effectively defines tropical climate conditions. In the Pacific, its presence permits the El Nino–Southern Oscillation phenomenon. What determines this temperature gradient within the fully coupled ocean–atmosphere system is therefore a central question in climate dynamics, critical for understanding past and future climates. Using a comprehensive coupled model [Community Earth System Model (CESM)], the authors demonstrate how the meridional gradient in cloud albedo between the tropics and midlatitudes (Δα) sets the mean east–west sea surface temperature gradient in the equatorial Pacific. To change Δα in the numerical experiments, the authors change the optical properties of clouds by modifying the atmospheric water path, but only in the shortwave radiation scheme of the model. When Δα is va.
Plasma Membrane Localization of Ras Requires Class C Vps Proteins and Functional Mitochondria in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

ABSTRACT Ras proteins are synthesized as cytosolic precursors, but then undergo posttranslational lipid addition, membrane association, and subcellular targeting to the plasma membrane. Although the enzymes responsible for farnesyl and palmitoyl lipid addition have been described, the mechanism by which these modifications contribute to the subcellular localization of Ras is not known. Following addition of the farnesyl group, Ras associates with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), where palmitoylation occurs in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The subsequent translocation of Ras from the ER to the plasma membrane does not require the classical secretory pathway or a functional Golgi apparatus. Vesicular and nonvesicular transport pathways for Ras proteins have been proposed, but the pathway is not known. Here we describe a genetic screen designed to identify mutants defective in Ras trafficking in S. cerevisiae. The screen implicates, for the first time, the class C VPS complex in Ras trafficking. Vps proteins are best characterized for their role in endosome and vacuole membrane fusion. However, the role of the class C Vps complex in Ras trafficking is distinct from its role in endosome and vacuole vesicle fusion, as a mitochondrial involvement was uncovered. Disruption of class C VPS genes results in mitochondrial defects and an accumulation of Ras proteins on mitochondrial membranes. Ras also fractionates with mitochondria in wild-type cells, where it is detected on the outer mitochondrial membrane by virtue of its sensitivity to protease treatment. These results point to a previously uncharacterized role of mitochondria in the subcellular trafficking of Ras proteins.
Visuospatial encoding deficits and compensatory strategies in schizophrenia revealed by eye movement analysis during a working memory task

Objective: To investigate scanpath abnormalities during the encoding of static stimuli in schizophrenia and their interaction with visuospatial working memory (VSWM) dysfunction. Methods: Outpatients with schizophrenia and control subjects were asked to encode a static pattern for subsequent recognition after a short delay. We measured the number of correct and incorrect choices. We also assessed the number and the distribution of fixations, the scanning time in specific regions of interest (ROIs) and the head movements during the encoding of the stimuli. The distributions of fixations and scanning time in definite ROIs during the discrimination of the correct pattern from the foils were also measured. Results: Patients recognised fewer correct patterns than controls. Correct trials in patients were characterised by a specific exploration of the central part of the stimulus during its presentation, whereas this feature was absent in incorrect trials. However, the scanning time and the numbers of fixations and head movements during encoding were similar in both groups and unrelated to recognition accuracy. In both groups, correct trials were associated with a selective exploration of the correct pattern amongst the six possibilities during recognition. Furthermore, patients gave more attention to incorrect patterns with a leftmost element identical to that of the correct response and also those approximating its global structure. Conclusion: Patients showed a VSWM deficit independent of oculomotor dysfunctions and head movements during encoding. Patients’ correct trials were related to specific scanning during encoding and discrimination phases. Analysis of these patterns suggests that patients try to compensate for reduced VSWM ability by using specific encoding strategies.
Antisense Growth Inhibition of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus by Locked Nucleic Acid Conjugated with Cell-Penetrating Peptide as a Novel FtsZ Inhibitor

ABSTRACT Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections are becoming increasingly difficult to treat, owing to acquired antibiotic resistance. The emergence and spread of MRSA limit therapeutic options and require new therapeutic strategies, including novel MRSA-active antibiotics. Filamentous temperature-sensitive protein Z (FtsZ) is a highly conserved bacterial tubulin homologue that is essential for controlling the bacterial cell division process in different species of S. aureus. We conjugated a locked nucleic acid (LNA) that targeted ftsZ mRNA with the peptide (KFF)3K, to generate peptide-LNA (PLNA). The present study aimed to investigate whether PLNA could be used as a novel antibacterial agent. PLNA787, the most active agent synthesized, exhibited promising inhibitory effects on four pathogenic S. aureus strains in vitro. PLNA787 inhibited bacterial growth and resolved lethal Mu50 infections in epithelial cell cultures. PLNA787 also improved the survival rates of Mu50-infected mice and was associated with reductions of bacterial titers in several tissue types. The inhibitory effects on ftsZ mRNA and FtsZ protein expression and inhibition of the bacterial cell division process are considered to be the major mechanisms of PLNA. PLNA787 demonstrated activity against MRSA infections in vitro and in vivo. Our findings suggest that ftsZ mRNA is a promising new target for developing novel antisense antibiotics.
Molecular-Genetic Approaches for Identification and Typing of Pathogenic Candida Yeasts: A Review

Candida is a medically important fungi because of its high frequency as a commensal and pathogenic microorganism causing superficial as well as invasive infections. Because the accurate diagnosis of candidiasis remains difficult, a fast and reliable assay for characterization of fungal pathogens is critical for the early initiation of adequate antifungal therapy and/or for introduction of preventive measures. As novel molecular genetic techniques are continuously introduced, their role in the management of infectious diseases has also been growing . Strain typing and delineation of the species are essential for understanding its biology, epidemiology and population structure. A wide range of molecular techniques have been used for this purpose including non-DNA-based methods (multi-locus enzyme electrophoresis), conventional DNA-based methods (electrophoretic karyotyping, random amplified polymorphic DNA, amplified fragment length polymorphism, restriction enzyme analysis with and without hybridization, rep-PCR) and DNA-based methods called exact typing (PCR based methods, microstallite length polymorphism, multilocus sequence typing, DNA microarray ) because they generate unambiguous and highly reproducible typing data. Today, molecular strategies complement conventional methods and provide more accurate and detailed insight. It can be expected that future technical development will improve their potential furthermore.In this article, we provide a critical review on the vigorously fermenting field of molecular approaches to Candida identification and typing and summarized their advantages and limitations with regard to their discriminatory power, reproducibility, cost and ease of performance.
UNUSUAL CASE OF A MAXILLARY FIRST INCISOR WITH TWO ROOT CANALS

Introduction: Maxillary central incisors usually have one root with one root canal. The cases with two root canals are extremely rare. Purpose: The aim was to present an unusual case of a maxillary first incisor with two root canals and the methods of treatment. Material and methods: The 48-year old patient had a painful swelling above the first maxillary incisor. The diagnosis was Periodontitis chronica granulomatosa diffusa exacerbata. After exploration of the pulp chamber, the inspection with an operating microscope was found two root canals. The lesion was covered to periapical and the part of marginal periodontium. The decision was taken of combined endodontic and surgery treatment. Results and discussion: After 7-year follow-up, there was a healing of the lesions and no recurrence. Conclusions: The combined endodontic and surgery treatment was successful choice for preservation of the tooth.
Modeling and Evaluation of Topological and Application Characteristics on Mobile Wireless Ad Hoc Networks

The paper presents a simulation-based study of topological characteristics of a mobile wireless ad-hoc network, namely, connectivity, coverage and diameter. Knowledge of these characteristics aids in the design of new distributed protocols as well as in predicting the performance and robustness of current protocols executing on the network. The nodes exhibit intelligent mobility pattern which aims to achieve required levels of the output parameter values. The nodes also have constraints on their transmission ranges and exhibit both transient and permanent failures. The first part of the study studies the behavior of the output measures with increasing number of nodes in the topology without regard to the traffic and shows that coverage is the primary determinant. Next, a distributed location determination algorithm is simulated on the network with a mix of mobile nodes and anchor nodes that have location information. Measures of one-hop neighbor connectivity and anchor connectivity relevant to the application are calculated with respect to the execution time of the protocol. The study shows that with the given node transmission range and 20% anchor nodes, at least 67 nodes are required so that the average error in location information is less than 10%.
GENETIC CONTRIBUTION TO THE SEPTIC RESPONSE IN A MOUSE MODEL

The response to injury is dependent on several factors, including the type and extent of the injury, genetics, and the environment. In the present study, the genetic contribution to sepsis was evaluated in a mouse model. Sepsis was induced in two inbred mouse strains, C57BL/6J (B6) and A/J, by cecal ligation and single puncture (CLP). Frequency of mortality was significantly higher in B6 than A/J mice from 36 to 132 h after CLP. Plasma TNF-&agr;, IL-1&bgr;, and IL-6 levels were similar in both strains after CLP. IL-10 plasma levels were significantly higher in B6 mice as opposed to A/J mice after 24 h of CLP. Similarly, hepatic myeloperoxidase activity, an index of polymorphonuclear leukocytes, was elevated in B6 mice as compared with A/J mice after 24 h of CLP. On the contrary, metallothionein mRNA levels were higher in A/J mice compared with B6 mice. Finally, leptin levels were also higher in A/J than B6 mice within 19 h of CLP. This study demonstrates a genetic contribution in the response to sepsis.
Neural activity‐ and development‐dependent expression and distribution of CASK interacting nucleosome assembly protein in mouse brain

CASK interacting nucleosome assembly protein (CINAP) modulates gene expression and its abundance in cultured neurons is regulated by synaptic activity. To further study the function of CINAP in vivo, we examined the temporal and spatial expression profiles of CINAP. CINAP was widely expressed in different regions of adult mouse brain, including the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, striatum, hypothalamus, cerebellum, and two adult brain regions known to generate progenitor neurons. During early development, CINAP was also expressed in regions where neuronal progenitor cells were actively dividing, the ventricular and subventricular zones, suggesting that in addition to regulating gene expression in mature neurons, CINAP may also play a role in dividing cells. Since the hypothalamus responds to several physiological responses, we examined whether CINAP protein levels in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus are regulated by changes in osmolality achieved through oral administration of hypertonic saline. Compared with control mice, mice treated with hypertonic saline expressed higher CINAP protein levels in the PVN, supporting a role of CINAP in neural response in vivo. Using confocal microscopic analysis, a significant amount of CINAP was found in the cytoplasm of neurons. Biochemical fractionation further confirmed that CINAP was associated with synapses, suggesting a translocation of CINAP protein from synapse to the nucleus. Consistent with this speculation, nuclear CINAP levels in the PVN were higher in hypertonic saline‐treated mice than those who drank water. CINAP may be regulated through changes in protein stability and nuclear translocation in neurons. J. Comp. Neurol. 494:606–619, 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The design of a chassis system based on multi-objective qLPV control

In this paper we compare LTI and qLPV H_infty H_2 controllers. The Pareto limit is used to show the compromise that has to be done when a mixed synthesis is achieved. Simulations on a nonlinear half vehicle model, with multiple objectives, are performed to show the efficiency of the method.
Summarization of Technical Articles: Modeling User's Expectation from a Summary Using Specificity Score

Conventional importance based extractive summarization methods face many difficulties as notion of importance is malleable. Instead, users expectation from a summary could possibly be defined in more precise manner – say by some of the discourse properties. In this paper we use specificity score – a measure of how specific or generic a particular text is – to characterize the types of documents, and further encode the expectation from a summary. We further demonstrate use of specificity score to summarize technical articles. Our hypothesis is: users expect summary sentences to convey more specific information from a technical article.
Comparative Histological Analysis of Collagen and Elastic Fibers Present in the Ventricular Folds and the Vocal Folds of Cadaveric Larynges

Introduction: Knowledge of the structural features of the vocal fold and the ventricular fold may help to understand the phonation process, and consequently may facilitate the use of the ventricular fold in phonation after laryngeal damage. Objective: To compare the histology and the distribution of collagen and elastic fibers between the ventricular folds and the vocal folds. Methods: Hemilaringes from 14 male cadavers were collected, processed for histology, sections stained for collagen and elastic fibers and analyzed. Results: The major part of the ventricular fold was lined with pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium containing goblet cells. In the ventricular folds the collagen fibers are homogeneously distributed in layers. In contrast, in the vocal fold the collagen fibers are unorganized and have a heterogeneous distribution. The percent of total collagen and of type I and type III collagen is similar between the vocal fold and the ventricular fold. However, the percent of type I collagen is increased in the ventricular fold in comparison to type III collagen. In the ventricular fold the elastic fibers are found in all layers of lamina propria, while in the vocal fold these elastic fibers are preferentially found in the deep layer of the lamina propria. The percent of elastic fibers is similar between the vocal folds and the ventricular folds. Conclusion: The percentage of collagen fibers and elastic fibers is similar between the vocal fold and the ventricular fold. However, in the ventricular fold the percentage of type I collagen is greater than type III collagen.