Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Use of Anti-Platelet and/or Anticoagulant Agents in the Prevention of Large Vessel Vasculitis-Associated Ischemic Complications: A Meta-Analysis

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of antiplatelet and/or anticoagulant therapy (AP/AC) at reducing ischemic events in patients with Large Vessel Vasculitis (LVV). Methods: We performed a random effects meta-analysis of studies examining antiplatelet and/or anticoagulant therapy (AP/AC) and ischemic events in Takayasu’s Arteritis (TAK) or Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA). Severe ischemic events were defined as stroke, ischemic ocular manifestations and claudication symptoms. Any ischemic event included jaw claudication in addition to the above manifestations. Results: Seven studies met inclusion criteria: 1 TAK and 6 GCA. The majority of patients (>80%) were treated with ASA and treatment was initiated prior to diagnosis of LVV. Risk of severe and any ischemic event in patients with LVV treated with AP/AC versus no treatment was not significantly different (OR 0.570, 95% CI 0.243, 1.340 and OR 0.594, 95% CI 0.248, 1.421, respectively). For studies with follow-up data (26-76 months), AP/AC was protective for severe ischemic events (OR 0.18, 95% CI 0.04, 0.83). Findings were similar when excluding studies that did not account for potential confounders, such as cardiovascular risk factors. Conclusion: At follow-up, antiplatelet therapy significantly decreases ischemic events in patients with LVV. However, in most cases of GCA, the treatment was initiated prior to the diagnosis of vasculitis. The benefit of initiating anti-platelet therapy at the time of GCA diagnosis remains unclear.
The relationship between bowling action classification and three-dimensional lower trunk motion in fast bowlers in cricket

Abstract Lower back injuries, specifically lumbar stress fractures, account for the most lost playing time in professional cricket. The aims of this study were to quantify the proportion of lower trunk motion used during the delivery stride of fast bowling and to examine the relationship between the current fast bowling action classification system and potentially injurious kinematics of the lower trunk. Three-dimensional kinematic data were collected from 50 male professional fast bowlers during a standing active range of motion trial and three fast bowling trials. A high percentage of the fast bowlers used a mixed bowling action attributable to having shoulder counter-rotation greater than 30°. The greatest proportion of lower trunk extension (26%), contralateral side-flexion (129%), and ipsilateral rotation (79%) was used during the front foot contact phase of the fast bowling delivery stride. There was no significant difference in the proportions of available lower trunk extension, contralateral side-flexion, and ipsilateral rotation range of motion used during fast bowling by mixed and non-mixed action bowlers. Motion of the lower trunk, particularly side-flexion, during front foot contact, in addition to variables previously known to be related to back injury (e.g. shoulder counter-rotation), should be examined in future cross-sectional and prospective studies examining the fast bowling action and low back injury.
A synthetic peptide administered with IL-12 elicits immunity to Listeria monocytogenes.

IL-12 is a pivotal cytokine signal for the development of Th1-type cellular responses that are required for control of intracellular pathogens. We previously demonstrated that coinjection of IL-12 with heat-killed Listeria monocytogenes, which was not immunogenic when injected alone, elicited intense Ag-specific T cell responses that conferred protection against subsequent challenge with Listeria. Herein we describe the remarkable finding that a nonimmunogenic synthetic peptide corresponding to a dominant MHC class II (H-2k)-restricted listerial determinant, when coinjected i.p. with murine IL-12, elicited potent Ag-specific immune responses that conferred protective immunity against Listeria.
Duty cycle control scheme to guarantee practical stability: A case study in DC-DC buck converter

Stability property is the key index for converter control. A practical stable control scheme is proposed for DC power supply converters. Firstly, the converter system is described as a linear model with two constraints, one is that the input is discontinuous and it is a Finite Control Set (FCS), the other is that the switching frequency is limited. Secondly, a unified control design method satisfied the constraints to guarantee the practical stability and convergence called sampling point equivalence scheme is introduced, which is illustrated as the duty cycle feedback control in form. Then the relationship between the convergent zone and the sampling time is analyzed, which is also the character of practical stability. The DC-DC buck converter is chosen as the plant to show the proposed methods, which are finally validated by both simulation and experiments.
Phosphorylation of Phospholipase C‐δ1 Regulates its Enzymatic Activity

Phosphorylation of phospholipase C‐δ1 (PLC‐δ1) in vitro and in vivo was investigated. Of the serine/threonine kinases tested, protein kinase C (PKC) phosphorylated the serine residue(s) of bacterially expressed PLC‐δ1 most potently. It was also demonstrated that PLC‐δ1 directly bound PKC‐α via its pleckstrin homology (PH) domain. Using deletion mutants of PLC‐δ1 and synthetic peptides, Ser35 in the PH domain was defined as the PKC mediated in vitro phosphorylation site of PLC‐δ1. In vitro phosphorylation of PLC‐δ1 by PKC stimulated [3H]PtdIns(4,5)P2 hydrolyzing activity and [3H]Ins(1,4,5)P3‐binding of the PLC‐δ1. On the other hand, endogenous PLC‐δ1 was constitutively phosphorylated and phosphoamino acid analysis revealed that major phosphorylation sites were threonine residues in quiescent cells. The phosphorylation level and the species of phosphoamino acid were not changed by various stimuli such as PMA, EGF, NGF, and forskolin. Using matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight (MALDI‐TOF) mass spectrometry, we determined that Thr209 of PLC‐δ1 is one of the constitutively phosphorylated sites in quiescent cells. The PLC activity was potentiated when constitutively phosphorylated PLC‐δ1 was dephosphorylated by endogenous phosphatase(s) in vitro. Additionally, coexpression with PKC‐α reduced serine phosphorylation of PLC‐δ1 detected by an anti‐phosphoserine antibody and PLC‐δ1‐dependent basal production of inositol phosphates in NIH‐3T3 cells, suggesting PKC‐α activates phosphatase or inactivates another kinase involved in PLC‐δ1 serine phosphorylation to modulate the PLC‐δ1 activity in vivo. Taken together, these results suggest that PLC‐δ1 has multiple phosphorylation sites and phosphorylation status of PLC‐δ1 regulates its activity positively or negatively depends on the phosphorylation sites. J. Cell. Biochem. 108: 638–650, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Role of the Escherichia coli SurA Protein in Stationary-Phase Survival

ABSTRACT SurA is a periplasmic peptidyl-prolyl isomerase required for the efficient folding of extracytoplasmic proteins. Although thesurA gene had been identified in a screen for mutants that failed to survive in stationary phase, the role played by SurA in stationary-phase survival remained unknown. The results presented here demonstrate that the survival defect of surA mutants is due to their inability to grow at elevated pH in the absence of ςS. When cultures of Escherichia coli were grown in peptide-rich Luria-Bertani medium, the majority of the cells lost viability during the first two to three days of incubation in stationary phase as the pH rose to pH 9. At this time the surviving cells resumed growth. In cultures of surA rpoS double mutants the survivors lysed as they attempted to resume growth at the elevated pH. Cells lacking penicillin binding protein 3 and ςS had a survival defect similar to that of surA rpoS double mutants, suggesting that SurA foldase activity is important for the proper assembly of the cell wall-synthesizing apparatus.
The potential of topical DNA vaccines adjuvanted by cytokines

To improve the efficacy of DNA immunization epidermal Langerhans cells are attractive targets to deliver antigen-encoding plasmid DNA. Topical vaccination with naked plasmid DNA has been shown to induce immune responses, and their potency might be improved by chemical and physical methods aimed to enhance the efficiency of plasmid DNA delivery into the skin. Cytokines have also been evaluated as adjuvants for DNA vaccines because they influence the host immune response. This review focuses on the action of several cytokines tested as molecular adjuvants for DNA vaccines and the combination of them with the DermaVir Patch vaccine. DermaVir vaccine, topically administered under a patch, consists of a plasmid DNA that is chemically formulated into a nanoparticle to support vaccine delivery into epidermal Langerhans cells and to induce antigen-specific memory T cells.
Approximation of a nonlinear distortion function for combined linear and nonlinear residual echo suppression

This work shows a novel method to suppress linear and nonlinear residual echo components after application of a linear echo canceler. The main idea is to separately treat linear and nonlinear residual echo components, as linear echo is reduced by AEC, while nonlinear echo passes the AEC unchanged. In particular, it is shown that a very simple model, such as a hard clipping function, is sufficient to approximate the nonlinear residual echo power; and that the clipping threshold can be estimated by comparing the broad-band predicted nonlinear residual echo power (produced with the current clipping threshold estimate) to the broad-band observed nonlinear residual echo power (obtained through linear AEC and subtraction of the linear residual echo power, as determined with linear coupling factors). Experimental evaluations show ERLE improvements by up to 14.9 dB compared to linear echo cancellation and suppression at a negligible decrease in speech quality during double talk.
A distributed multi-agent approach for resilient supervision over a IPv6 WSAN infrastructure

Wireless Sensor and Actuator Networks has become an important area of research. They can provide flexibility, low operational and maintenance costs and they are inherently scalable. In the realm of Internet of Things the majority of devices is able to communicate with one another, and in some cases they can be deployed with an IP address. This feature is undoubtedly very beneficial in wireless sensor and actuator networks applications, such as monitoring and control systems. However, this kind of communication infrastructure is rather challenging as it can compromise the overall system performance due to several factors, namely outliers, intermittent communication breakdown or security issues. In order to improve the overall resilience of the system, this work proposes a distributed hierarchical multi-agent architecture implemented over a IPv6 communication infrastructure. The Contiki Operating System and RPL routing protocol were used together to provide a IPv6 based communication between nodes and an external network. Experimental results collected from a laboratory IPv6 based WSAN test-bed, show the relevance and benefits of the proposed methodology to cope with communication loss between nodes and the server.
Shared familial aggregation of susceptibility to different manifestations of venous thromboembolism: a nationwide family study in Sweden

M.L. , Huard, C. , Raimondi, S.C. , Behm, F.G. , Pui, C.H. , Downing, J.R. , Gilliland, D.G. , Lander, E.S. , Golub, T.R. & Look, A.T. (2002) Gene expression signatures define novel oncogenic pathways in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Cancer Cell, 1, 75–87. Ferrando, A.A. , Herblot, S. , Palomero, T. , Hansen, M. , Hoang, T. , Fox, E.A. & Look, A.T. (2004) Biallelic transcriptional activation of oncogenic transcription factors in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Blood, 103, 1909–1911. Homminga, I. , Pieters, R. , Langerak, A.W. , de Rooi, J.J., Stubbs, A. , Verstegen, M. , Vuerhard, M. , Buijs-Gladdines, J., Kooi, C. , Klous, P., van Vlierberghe, P., Ferrando, A.A. , Cayuela, J.M. , Verhaaf, B. , Beverloo, H.B. , Horstmann, M. , de Haas, V. , Wiekmeijer, A.S. , Pike-Overzet, K. , Staal, F.J., de Laat, W. , Soulier, J., Sigaux, F. & Meijerink, J.P. (2011) Integrated transcript and genome analyses reveal NKX2-1 and MEF2C as potential oncogenes in T Cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Cancer Cell, 19, 484–497.
α-Synuclein structures from fluorescence energy-transfer kinetics: Implications for the role of the protein in Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease is associated with the deposition and accumulation of α-synuclein fibrils in the brain. A30P and A53T mutations have been linked to the early-onset familial disease state. Time-resolved tryptophan fluorescence energy-transfer measurements have been used to probe the structures of pseudo-wild-type and mutant (A30P) α-synucleins at physiological pH (7.4), in acidic pH (4.4) solutions, and in the presence of SDS micelles, a membrane mimic. Fluorescent donor–energy acceptor (DA) distance distributions for six different tryptophan/3-nitro-tyrosine pairs reveal the presence of compact, intermediate, and extended conformations of the protein. CD spectra indicate that the protein develops substantial helical structure in the presence of SDS micelles. DA distributions show that micelles induce compaction in the N-terminal region and expansion of the acidic C terminus. In acidic solutions, there is an increased population of collapsed structures in the C-terminal region. Energy-transfer measurements demonstrate that the average DA distances for the W4–Y19 and Y19–W39 pairs are longer in one of the two disease-related mutants (A30P).
No wide spread of stellar ages in the Orion Nebula Cluster

The wide luminosity dispersion seen for stars at a given effective temperature in the Hertzsprung–Russell diagrams of young clusters and star-forming regions is often interpreted as due to significant (∼10 Myr) spreads in stellar contraction age. In the scenario where most stars are born with circumstellar discs, and that disc signatures decay monotonically (on average) over time-scales of only a few Myr, any such age spread should lead to clear differences in the age distributions of stars with and without discs. We have investigated large samples of stars in the Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC) using three methods to diagnose disc presence from infrared measurements. We find no significant difference in the mean ages or age distributions of stars with and without discs, consistent with expectations for a coeval population. Using a simple quantitative model, we show that any real age spread must be smaller than the median disc lifetime. For a lognormal age distribution, there is an upper limit of <0.14 dex (at 99 per cent confidence) to any real age dispersion, compared to the � 0.4 dex implied by the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram. If the mean age of the ONC is 2.5 Myr, this would mean at least 95 per cent of its low-mass stellar population have ages between 1.3–4.8 Myr. We suggest that the observed luminosity dispersion is caused by a combination of observational uncertainties and physical mechanisms that disorder the conventional relationship between luminosity and age for pre-main-sequence stars. This means that individual stellar ages from the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram are unreliable and cannot be used to directly infer a star formation history. Irrespective of what causes the wide luminosity dispersion, the finding that any real age dispersion is less than the median disc lifetime argues strongly against star formation scenarios for the ONC lasting longer than a few Myr.
Testosterone Augments Neuronal Fos Responses to Estrous Odors throughout the Vomeronasal Projection Pathway of Gonadectomized Male and Female Rats

Pheromonal signals emanating from female rats' soiled bedding have previously been shown to attract male conspecifics and to augment the number of Fos-immunoreactive neurons present in portions of the vomeronasal projection pathway, ranging from the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) to the medial preoptic area (mPOA) of gonadectomized, testosterone-treated male as well as female subjects. In the present study we extended these findings by showing that these neuronal Fos responses to estrous odors occurred only in gonadectomized subjects which received testosterone propionate (TP), as opposed to oil vehicle, at the time of testing. Previously, when treated with TP, all subjects had displayed mounting with an estrous female. In subsequent tests, gonadectomized male and female subjects spent significantly more time investigating soiled estrous bedding as opposed to clean or anestrous bedding, again, provided they were receiving TP. We propose that testosterone facilitates odor-induced neuronal Fos expression either via its conversion to estradiol, and the subsequent action of this steroid at estrogen response elements on the c-fos gene, or via some indirect mechanism involving centrifugal control of AOB neurotransmission. The ability of female odors to stimulate equivalent numbers of Fos-IR cells in gonadectomized, TP-treated male and female rats indicates that the functional responsiveness of neurons throughout the vomeronasal projection pathway is made more male-like by the fetal actions of testosterone in female as well as in male rats. Previous studies established that males have more neurons than females in several segments of the vomeronasal pathway; however, this morphological sexual dimorphism does not account for the observed isomorphic neuronal Fos responses to female odors.
QUANTITATIVE DETERMINATION OF PHOSPHOINOSITIDES *

The quantitative assay of any lipid in a tissue involves two major problems. First, the lipid must be extracted completely without loss and second, a suitable method for the determination of the lipid in the extract must be devised. The phosphoinositides have presented difficulties that are unique, particularly with respect to the extraction of the polyphosphoinositides; however, the major problems now appear to have been solved. It is hoped that future studies in this area will be helped by a review of the solutions to these problems.
The Topical Isoflavonoid NV-07α Reduces Solar-simulated UV-induced Suppression of Mantoux Reactions in Humans¶

Abstract UV radiation suppresses delayed-type hypersensitivity responses to intradermally injected tuberculin purified protein derivative in Mantoux-positive individuals. The effect of the topically administered isoflavonoid NV-07α, a synthetic derivative of the isoflavonoid equol, on UV-induced suppression of Mantoux reactions was assessed in 18 healthy Mantoux-positive volunteers. A single, fixed dose of solar-simulated UV radiation was delivered to the volunteers' lower backs. Different concentrations of NV-07α or its vehicle were applied to different sites within the irradiated field immediately after UV exposure and again 24 h later. Forty-eight hours after irradiation, Mantoux testing was performed at both the irradiated sites and adjacent, unirradiated sites. The intensity of Mantoux reactions was measured 72 h later with a reflectance erythema meter and by measuring the diameter of each reaction. Although lower concentrations of NV-07α (0.5 and 2 mM) did not prevent UV immunosuppression, 4 mM NV-07α partially but significantly attenuated UV-induced suppression of Mantoux-induced erythema. Minimal erythema doses were also determined for sites treated with NV-07α or its vehicle immediately after UV exposure. NV-07α had no significant effects on UV erythema. We conclude that 4 mM NV-07α prevented the suppressive effects of UV radiation on Mantoux responses in humans but did not affect UV-induced erythema at the concentrations used.
FATE OF THE IODINE RADIOISOTOPES IN THE HUMAN AND ESTIMATION OF THE RADIATION EXPOSURE.

Fate of the iodine isotopes and resulting organ exposures have been studied using the four-compartment model proposed by BROWNELL to account for the metabolism of this element. Mathematical equations have been established for this model from biological data accepted in the human. They have been used to calculate the amounts of iodine-131 in the thyroid and in the remaining body as a function of time in case of a single or a chronic contamination; in this latter case three phases have been considered: rise, equilibrium and decrease after removal of the contaminating source. The importance of the daily stable iodine intake from the food has been emphasized. Some of these theoretical results have been checked by experiments on eight volunteers. Calculations have been extended to nine other iodine isotopes in order to determine the exposure doses of the thyroid and the remaining body for a single or a chronic contamination; maximum permissible concentrations in water and in air have also been computed. It appears that some I.C. R.P. recommendations for maximum permissible body burden must be revised. © 1965 Health Physics Society.
Acanthamoeba spp. as Agents of Disease in Humans

SUMMARY Acanthamoeba spp. are free-living amebae that inhabit a variety of air, soil, and water environments. However, these amebae can also act as opportunistic as well as nonopportunistic pathogens. They are the causative agents of granulomatous amebic encephalitis and amebic keratitis and have been associated with cutaneous lesions and sinusitis. Immuno compromised individuals, including AIDS patients, are particularly susceptible to infections with Acanthamoeba. The immune defense mechanisms that operate against Acanthamoeba have not been well characterized, but it has been proposed that both innate and acquired immunity play a role. The ameba's life cycle includes an active feeding trophozoite stage and a dormant cyst stage. Trophozoites feed on bacteria, yeast, and algae. However, both trophozoites and cysts can retain viable bacteria and may serve as reservoirs for bacteria with human pathogenic potential. Diagnosis of infection includes direct microscopy of wet mounts of cerebrospinal fluid or stained smears of cerebrospinal fluid sediment, light or electron microscopy of tissues, in vitro cultivation of Acanthamoeba, and histological assessment of frozen or paraffin-embedded sections of brain or cutaneous lesion biopsy material. Immunocytochemistry, chemifluorescent dye staining, PCR, and analysis of DNA sequence variation also have been employed for laboratory diagnosis. Treatment of Acanthamoeba infections has met with mixed results. However, chlorhexidine gluconate, alone or in combination with propamidene isethionate, is effective in some patients. Furthermore, effective treatment is complicated since patients may present with underlying disease and Acanthamoeba infection may not be recognized. Since an increase in the number of cases of Acanthamoeba infections has occurred worldwide, these protozoa have become increasingly important as agents of human disease.