Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genome-Wide Analysis of mRNAs Regulated by Drosha and Argonaute Proteins in Drosophila melanogaster

ABSTRACT RNA silencing pathways are conserved gene regulation mechanisms that elicit decay and/or translational repression of mRNAs complementary to short interfering RNAs and microRNAs (miRNAs). The fraction of the transcriptome regulated by these pathways is not known, but it is thought that each miRNA may have hundreds of targets. To identify transcripts regulated by silencing pathways at the genomic level, we examined mRNA expression profiles in Drosophila melanogaster cells depleted of four Argonaute paralogs (i.e., AGO1, AGO2, PIWI, or Aubergine) that play essential roles in RNA silencing. We also profiled cells depleted of the miRNA-processing enzyme Drosha. The results reveal that transcripts differentially expressed in Drosha-depleted cells have highly correlated expression in the AGO1 knockdown and are significantly enriched in predicted and validated miRNA targets. The levels of a subset of miRNA targets are also regulated by AGO2. Moreover, AGO1 and AGO2 silence the expression of a common set of mobile genetic elements. Together, these results indicate that the functional overlap between AGO1 and AGO2 in Drosophila is more important than previously thought.
Virion conformational forms and the complex inactivation kinetics of echovirus by chlorine in water

Aberrant inactivation kinetics were observed when monodispersed echovirus type 1 (Farouk) was inactivated with chlorine. An initial 1- to 2-log10-unit decrease in titer was followed by lag period, during which the titer stayed the same or increased, and this was followed by a final decline in titer. First-order kinetics were obtained with poliovirus type 1 under the same conditions. Isoelectric focusing studies of echovirus before chlorine treatment showed that the virus distributed into two pH-dependent and interconvertible isoelectric forms. After chlorine treatment all remaining virus infectivity was associated with a third pH-independent isoelectric form. The complex inactivation kinetics appeared to be due to shifts between these conformational forms during inactivation in certain ionic environments. Under certain conditions the conformational shifts resulted in substantial resistance of monodispersed echovirus to chlorine.
A Recursive Distributed Topology Discovery Service for Network-Aware Grid Clients

Distributed application (e.g., grid-enabled application) performance is highly dependent on the information available when computational resources are chosen. A resource selection based on computational resource information complemented with network performance information has the potential to be optimal from the application performance viewpoint. This is particularly true for network-intensive distributed applications. This study proposes a Recursive Distributed Topology Discovery Service (RD-TDS) that allows grid clients to retrieve network performance information (i.e., IP-level topology and link capacity) without the need of specific administrative privileges. The RD-TDS exploits a selected set of distributed beacons (i.e., measurement points) that recursively probe newly discovered nodes until no undiscovered nodes are found during an exploration step. The RD-TDS simulative and experimental evaluation confirms its expected qualities: a rapid and complete discovery of the network performance information with the utilization of a limited number of active beacons. In addition, the proposed method rationale can be easily applied to many current network exploration tools.
Isoform Pattern of 14‐3‐3 Proteins in the Cerebrospinal Fluid of Patients with Creutzfeldt‐Jakob Disease

Abstract : Two‐dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of CSF has been used in the diagnosis of Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease (CJD). One of the two diagnostic protein spots was identified as isoform(s) of the 14‐3‐3 family of abundant brain proteins. This has led to the development of one‐dimensional 14‐3‐3 sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis immunoblot, which is currently used to support the diagnosis of CJD. In the present study employing western blot analysis, we have identified the panel of 14‐3‐3 isoforms that appear in the CSF of 10 patients with CJD compared with 10 patients with other dementias. The results clearly show that the 14‐3‐3 isoforms β, γ, ε, and η are present in the CSF of patients with CJD and can be used to differentiate other dementias. 14‐3‐3η also gave a baseline signal in all patients with other dementias, including six patients with Alzheimer's disease. The presence of 14‐3‐3η in the CSF of a patient with herpes simplex encephalitis was particularly noteworthy. This study has determined that isoform‐specific 14‐3‐3 antibodies against β, γ, and ε should be considered for the neurochemical differentiation of CJD from other neurodegenerative diseases.
Specialist Medical Abbreviations as a Foreign Language

In journals, unexplained abbreviations cause frustration and confusion,1,2 and the same is likely to be true of case notes from an unfamiliar specialty. Serious drug errors have arisen from misunderstanding of abbreviations.3,4 With the changes in medical working hours in the UK, it is now commonplace for a doctor to cover several different subspecialties. We therefore designed a questionnaire to assess how well some abbreviations widely used in ear, nose and throat surgery (ENT) were understood by junior doctors in other specialties. The thirteen chosen abbreviations, selected from those previously judged 'acceptable' in operation notes,5 were as follows: TAG SMR=submucous resection; SMD=submucous diathermy; DIT=diathermy of inferior turbinate; FESS=functional endoscopic sinus surgery; MUA=manipulation under anaesthesia; PNS=postnasal space; EUA=examination under anaesthesia; OE=otitis externa; CSOM=chronic suppurative otitis media; OME=otitis media with effusion; TM=tympanic membrane; FB=foreign body. For each of the abbreviations, the questionnaire gave a hint of the context—for example, 'name of operation' or 'diagnosis'. Participants were also asked for reactions (from 1=strongly disagree to 5=strongly agree) to the statement that 'any doctor should be able to read and understand notes from any specialty'. The questionnaire was distributed to all junior doctors attending lunchtime meetings at two different hospitals (no duplication)—namely, 4 specialist registrars, 20 senior house officers and 21 preregistration house officers, in specialties including accident and emergency, orthopaedics, general medicine and general surgery; none had held a post in ENT. Answers about abbreviations were scored as either correct or incorrect, though with some latitude if close enough for the clinical sense to be preserved. The response rate was 100%, and Figure 1 shows the rates of correct answers. There was a tendency to agree with the proposal that doctors should be able to understand notes from any specialty (median score 4). Figure 1 Results of survey This small study indicates that 6 of 13 commonly used abbreviations in ENT were unclear to more than 90% of junior doctors from other specialties. With the European Working Time Directive, cross-cover will be an increasing feature of life in the National Health Service; and, if abbreviations continue to be used in the traditional manner, medical notes may be incompletely understood by the doctor on call. The solution is either to ban abbreviations from medical notes or to distribute widely a list of those acceptable, with explanations.
A Comparative Study of CN2 Rule and SVM Algorithm and Prediction of Heart Disease Datasets Using Clustering Algorithms

In this paper, we discuss diagnosis analysis and identification of heart disease using with data mining techniques. The heart disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in modern society; it is extremely important but complicated task that should be performed accurately and efficiently. It is an huge amount data of leads medical data to the need for powerful data analysis tools are availability on the data mining technique. They have long to been an concerned with applying for statistical and data mining tools and data mining techniques to improve data analysis on large datasets. In this paper, to proposed system are implemented to find out the heart disease through as to compared with the some data mining techniques are Decision tree, SOM, CN2 Rule and K-Means Clustering the data mining could help in the identification or the prediction of high or low risk of Heart Disease.Keywords: Data Mining, Heart Disease, Decision tree, SOM, CN2 Rule and cluster.
STABILITY ANALISYS FOR THE FITZHIGH-NAGUMO MATHEMATICAL MODEL

The biological membranes play fundamental roles in many of life’s processes. Many of these processes are electrical, and the membrane, is one of the physica l states of nerve cells that can be measured in vit ro. The flow of various ions through membranes produces electrical currents causing changes in the membrane potential. The pulses observed in the voltage are called action potential s. Here, we are particularly interested in the freq u ncy at which action potentials are generated and what informatio n can be carried by their firing frequency. Various mathematical models have been formulated, describing important f eatures of this kind of problem. All models are ele ctrical circuits of the “flush and fill” kind, where a charge builds up and then is released within a circuit. This pap er resents some physical aspects of these processes with special em phasis on a nerve cell’s electrical behavior and a special and simplified mathematical model. According to the cur rent literature, the Hodgkin–Huxley (HH) mathematic l model published in 1952 by Hodgkin and Huxley is a major success in characterizing the action potential of a squid axon. The Fitzhugh–Nagumo (FH) mathematical model is cons idered a simplification of the Hodgkin–Huxley (HH) model. This model is a second order ODE and a reinterpreta tion of the model developed by Hodgkin–Huxley (HH), which deals with the variation in time of quantities, rel ated to the potassium and sodium conductance in the axon. It corresponds to an electrical circuit composed by a linear system coupled to a nonlinear one, involving a tunnel diode in a flush-and-fill circuit. It is also known that Fitzhugh considered the Bonhoeffer–van der Pol (BvP ) equation as a simplified alternative mathematical model. This pap er analyzes the non-linear dynamics of the Fitzhugh –Nagumo (FN) mathematical model and its stability.
Metformin for Reducing Racial/Ethnic Difference in Prostate Cancer Incidence for Men with Type II Diabetes

Racial/ethnic disparity in prostate cancer is under studied in men with diabetes who are at a higher risk of aggressive prostate cancer. This study assessed the race/ethnic disparity in prostate cancer incidence for men with type II diabetes (T2D) and whether the impact of metformin on prostate cancer incidence varied by race/ethnicity. We conducted a retrospective study in 76,733 male veterans with T2D during 2003 to 2012. Cox proportional hazards model adjusting for covariates and propensity scores of metformin use and race/ethnic group membership was utilized to compute the HR of prostate cancer incidence associated with race/ethnicity and compare HR associated with metformin use between race/ethnic groups. Mean follow-up was 6.4 ± 2.8 years; 7% were Hispanics; 17% were African Americans (AA); mean age was 67.8 ± 9.8 years; 5.2% developed prostate cancer; and 38.9% used metformin. Among these diabetic men without metformin use, prostate cancer incidence was higher in Hispanics and AA than in non-Hispanic White (NHW). Use of metformin alone or metformin + statins was associated with a greater prostate cancer incidence reduction in Hispanics compared with NHW, but not between AA and NHW. Use of metformin + finasteride was associated with a greater prostate cancer incidence reduction in Hispanics and AA compared with NHW. Our results suggested that metformin treatment could be a potential strategy to reduce prostate cancer incidence in the minority populations who are at high risk for fatal prostate cancer. It will be important to further examine the pleiotropic effects of metformin in multi-race/ethnic prospective studies to better inform clinical management and potentially reduce racial/ethnic disparity in prostate cancer incidence among diabetic men. Cancer Prev Res; 9(10); 779–87. ©2016 AACR.
Trust Resource Management in Digital Government Through Process Modeling

This paper explores the use of process technology to create formal process models to increase the level of trust that stakeholders have in digital government. Digital Government services have been painfully slow to emerge. The paper's focus is on the digital government processes, the complex interplays of the human, institutional, and data processing entities that these systems support. Our approach is to provide mechanisms to increase trust and speed development by facilitating transparency in the development, representation and analysis of digital government processes.
Perceived sexual dysfunction in breast cancer survivors.

67 Background: Sexual dysfunction after breast cancer treatment has been well documented in the literature. However, the degree of dysfunction and how best to address this issue in survivors is less clear. We sought to determine the prevalence of patient perceived sexual dysfunction in breast cancer patients in our patient population. Methods of addressing dysfunction, influence on satisfaction, and interfering factors were indentified. METHODS An IRB-approved survey study of English speaking female breast cancer patients stage 0-III, ages 20 to 80, from 2008-2011 was performed. A 30 question survey containing components related to demographic, breast cancer treatment, perceived impact on sexual function due to treatment, overall satisfaction with intimate relationship, and factors interfering with intimate relationships was used. RESULTS Of the 407 women meeting inclusion criteria, 103 returned an informed consent, and 83 completed the survey. A total of 47 (64%) of responders felt that treatment had a negative impact on their sexual function. Of those, only 23% discussed the issue with a care provider while 60% desired a physician initiated conversation. A negative perception was associated with decreased satisfaction with intimate relationships (p<0.001). The prevalence of treatment related interfering factors such as fatigue, hot flashes, scars, dysparunia, and breast tenderness were cited most frequently. Of these, only the presence of scars was significantly associated with a perceived negative impact on intimate relationships (p<0.04). Women treated with breast conservation were less likely to perceive a negative impact than mastectomy patients (p=0.036). CONCLUSIONS Patient perceived sexual dysfunction is a documented consequence of breast cancer treatment. Our data demonstrates that patients do not feel this issue is addressed during routine care. However, the majority of patients want this issue discussed with their physicians. Sexual dysfunction is independent of age, time post surgery, and interfering factors making it difficult to identify high risk populations. Therefore, sexual dysfunction should be identified in breast cancer patients during follow-up with interventions made when appropriate.
IL-15-Dependent Induction of 4-1BB Promotes Antigen-Independent CD8 Memory T Cell Survival1

Mice lacking CD137L (4-1BBL) show normal primary expansion and contraction of the CD8+ T cell response to influenza virus, but exhibit a defect in Ag-specific CD8+ T cell numbers at 3–6 wk postinfection. Previous results showed that the decrease in CD8+ T cell numbers in this model is not due to a programming defect during primary expansion. Thus, it appears that 4-1BB/4-1BBL interactions control the number of surviving CD8+ effector memory cells, late in the primary response. In this report, we asked how 4-1BB on T cells could play a role after Ag has apparently been cleared from the host. We show that IL-15, a cytokine involved in regulation of CD8+ memory T cell survival, induces the expression of 4-1BB on CD8+CD44high memory phenotype T cells, but not on CD4+ T cells. The Ag-independent induction of 4-1BB by IL-15 was dependent on MAPK p38 and ERK activation. Transfer of in vitro-generated OT-I CD8+ memory T cells into unimmunized wild-type or 4-1BBL-deficient hosts revealed a 2- to 3-fold survival advantage when 4-1BBL was present, recapitulating the effect seen in the endogenous response to influenza in mice. Decreases in the overall number of memory CD8+ T cells were also observed in the bone marrow of unmanipulated 4-1BBL-deficient mice. These data suggest a model whereby 4-1BB expression on memory CD8+ T cells, perhaps due to encounter with IL-15 in the bone marrow, allows 4-1BB/4-1BBL interactions to maintain memory CD8 T cell survival in the absence of Ag.
Ageing and recurrent episodes of neuroinflammation promote progressive experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in Biozzi ABH mice

Current therapies for multiple sclerosis (MS) reduce the frequency of relapses by modulating adaptive immune responses but fail to limit the irreversible neurodegeneration driving progressive disability. Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in Biozzi ABH mice recapitulates clinical features of MS including relapsing–remitting episodes and secondary‐progressive disability. To address the contribution of recurrent inflammatory events and ageing as factors that amplify progressive neurological disease, we examined EAE in 8‐ to 12‐week‐old and 12‐month‐old ABH mice. Compared with the relapsing–remitting (RREAE) and secondary progressive (SPEAE) EAE observed in young mice, old mice developed progressive disease from onset (PEAE) associated with pronounced axonal damage and increased numbers of CD3+ T cells and microglia/macrophages, but not B cells. Whereas the clinical neurological features of PEAE and SPEAE were comparable, the pathology was distinct. SPEAE was associated with significantly reduced perivascular infiltrates and T‐cell numbers in the central nervous system (CNS) compared with PEAE and the acute phase of RREAE. In contrast to perivascular infiltrates that declined during progression from RREAE into SPEAE, the numbers of microglia clusters remained constant. Similar to what is observed during MS, the microglia clusters emerging during EAE were associated with axonal damage and oligodendrocytes expressing heat‐shock protein B5, but not lymphocytes. Taken together, our data reveal that the course of EAE is dependent on the age of the mice. Younger mice show a relapsing–remitting phase followed by progressive disease, whereas old mice immediately show progression. This indicates that recurrent episodes of inflammation in the CNS, as well as age, contribute to progressive neurological disease.
Differences in Atherosclerotic Plaque burden and Morphology between Type 1 and 2 Diabetes Mellitus as Assessed by Multi-slice Computed Tomography

objective It is unclear whether coronary atherosclerotic plaque burden is similar in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. By using multi-slice CT (MSCT) the presence, degree and morphology of coronary artery disease (CAD) in type 1 and type 2 diabetes were compared. Prospectively, coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring and MSCT coronary angiography were performed in 135 asymptomatic patients (65 patients with type 1 and 70 patients with type 2 diabetes). The presence and extent of coronary atherosclerosis as well as plaque phenotype were assessed and compared between groups. Results No difference was observed in average CAC score (217±530 vs. 174±361) nor the prevalence of coronary atherosclerosis (65% vs. 71%) in type 1 and type 2 diabetes. However, the prevalence of obstructive atherosclerosis was higher in patients with type 2 diabetes (n=24; 34%) as compared to type 1 diabetes (n=11; 17%) (P=0.02). Also, higher mean number of atherosclerotic and obstructive plaques was observed in type 2 diabetes. In addition, the percentage of non-calcified plaques was higher in type 2 diabetes (66%) versus type 1 diabetes (27%) (P<0.001), resulting in a higher plaque burden for each CAC score as compared to type 1 diabetic patients.
Oligodendrocytes expressing exclusively the DM20 isoform of the proteolipid protein gene: Myelination and development

Oligodendroglia and Schwann cells synthesize myelin‐specific proteins and lipids for the assembly of the highly organized myelin membrane of the motor‐sensory axons in the central (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS), respectively, allowing rapid saltatory conduction. The isoforms of the main myelin proteins, the peripheral myelin basic isoproteins (MBP) and the integral proteolipid proteins, PLP and DM20, arise from alternative splicing. Activation of a cryptic splice site in exon III of plp leads to the deletion of 105 bp encoding the PLP‐specific 35 amino acid residues within the cytosolic loop 3 of the four‐transmembrane domain (TMD) integral membrane protein. To study the different proposed functions of DM20 during the development of oligodendrocytes and in myelination, we targeted the plp locus in embryonic stem cells by homologous recombination by a construct, which allows solely the expression of the DM20 specific exon III sequence. The resulting dm20only mouse line expresses exclusively DM20 isoprotein, which is functionally assembled into the membrane, forming a highly ordered and tightly compacted myelin sheath. The truncated cytosolic loop devoid of the PLP‐specific 35 amino acid residues, including two thioester groups, had no impact on the periodicity of CNS myelin. In contrast to the PLP/DM20‐deficient mouse, mutant CNS of dm20only mice showed no axonal swellings and neurodegeneration but a slow punctuated disintegration of the compact layers of the myelin sheath and a rare oligodendrocyte death developing with aging. GLIA 37:19–30, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A rapid weighted median filter based on saliency region for underwater image denoising

In this paper, a novel weighted median filter model has been put forward with saliency detection for underwater image denoising. Saliency detection is first taken to only optionally highlight and prominent the salient region in the underwater images. One weighted median filter is further proposed to greatly accelerate the image denoising speed. It has been shown in our simulation experiments that the proposed method not only can provide better performance of suppressing noises and preserving the detailed features in underwater images, but also the running time can be largely shortened.
Voltage beam-steerable leaky-wave antenna using magnet-less non-reciprocal metamaterial (MNM)

A novel voltage beam-scanning leaky-wave antenna, consisting of an array of traveling-wave resonant particle by metal ring resonator with variable capacitance and uni-lateral component is proposed, analyzed, and measured. In contrast to ferrite-based leaky-wave antenna, this antenna does not require a biasing magnet but only an bias voltage for the FETs, and beam steering voltage for varactor diodes. The simulation result exhibits clear full-space beam scanning at 7 GHz, and its properties are examined by prototype antenna structure.
Testing with model checkers: a survey

About a decade after the initial proposal to use model checkers for the generation of test cases we take a look at the results in this field of research. Model checkers are formal verification tools, capable of providing counterexamples to violated properties. Normally, these counterexamples are meant to guide an analyst when searching for the root cause of a property violation. They are, however, also very useful as test cases. Many different approaches have been presented, many problems have been solved, yet many issues remain. This survey paper reviews the state of the art in testing with model checkers. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.