Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
IV contrast selection for MDCT: current thoughts and practice.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this article is to review studies evaluating how contrast concentration affects MDCT of the body and to report IV contrast infusion protocols from MDCT angiography and MDCT of abdominal tumors. CONCLUSION Higher concentrations (350 mg I/mL or greater) may improve visualization of small abdominal arteries. However, preliminary data comparing 300 mg I/mL to higher concentrations for MDCT of hypervascular hepatocellular carcinoma and pancreatic cancer have shown that higher concentrations may not increase tumor conspicuity.
N′-[1-(2-Hydroxy-5-methylphenyl)ethylidene]benzenesulfonohydrazide

The two independent molecules in the asymmetric unit of the title compound, C15H16N2O3S, are each linked by an N—H⋯Osulfonyl hydrogen bond into a linear chain that runs along the shortest axis of the triclinic unit cell. The hydroxy groups are engaged in intramolecular hydrogen bonding and the amino N atom shows pyramidal coordination.
Effectiveness of Spinosad Bait Sprays (GF-120) in Controlling Mango-Infesting Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Benin

ABSTRACT Effectiveness of GF-120 (Dow Chemical) Fruit Fly Bait containing the insecticide spinosad in controlling mango-infesting fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) was assessed by comparing treated orchards with untreated orchards. Twelve mango, Mangifera indica L. , plantations located in six villages (two similar orchards per village: one orchard treated and orchard untreated) scattered in the Borgou department (northern Benin) were monitored weekly with fly traps, and the fruit was sampled twice for larval infestation at the beginning and in the middle of May in both 2006 and 2007. The two main mango fruit fly pests are Ceratitis cosyra (Walker) and Bactrocera invadens Drew, Tsuruta & White, an invasive species that recently spread throughout West Africa. In both the 2006 and 2007 seasons, C. cosyra had the earliest peak of abundance, and the difference between treated and untreated orchards, in terms of mean number of flies trapped per week and per trap, was significant only in 2007. B. invadens populations quickly increased with the onset of the rains, from mid-May onward, with no significant difference between treated and untreated orchards. In 2006 and 2007, the larval infestation by B. invadens was significantly lower in plots treated with GF-120 than in untreated control plots. GF-120 provided an 81% reduction in the number of pupae per kilogram of fruit after weekly applications for 7 wk in 2006 and an 89% reduction after 10 wk of weekly applications in 2007. The possibility of integrating GF120 bait sprays in an integrated pest management package is discussed in relation to market requirements.
Broadband Transmission via Underground Medium-Voltage Power Lines—Part II: Capacity

The end-to-end transfer function of three-phase underground medium-voltage broadband over power-lines (MV/BPL) cables with common shield and armor is determined based on a new exact version of the chain scattering matrix method. The various topologies of the underground MV grid are studied with regard to the spectral behavior of the end-to-end attenuation and to the respective capacity and are compared to the corresponding overhead cases. The numerical results reveal that broadband transmission via underground MV power lines depends drastically on the type of cables used and the topology of the underground MV grid. Also, the relaxed power injection limits and the lower noise power levels characterizing underground MV/BPL transmission counteract the extremely high inherent attenuation, making the capacity achieved compatible to that achieved in overhead MV/BPL transmission.
Self-Critical Depressive Experience in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Consistent with prior research, 73 hospitalized male Vietnam veterans with combat-related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) reported high scores on Self-criticism as measured by the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire. Self-criticism scores predicted greater severity of PTSD (Mississippi scale) after controlling for symptomatic depression (MMPI-D scale), suggesting that the nature of depression in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder differs from that in major depressive disorder.
Pediocin‐like antimicrobial peptides (class IIa bacteriocins) and their immunity proteins: biosynthesis, structure, and mode of action

Pediocin‐like antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) form a group of lactic acid bacteria produced, cationic membrane‐permeabilizing peptides with 37 to 48 residues. Upon exposure to membrane‐mimicking entities, their hydrophilic, cationic, and highly conserved N‐terminal region forms a three‐stranded antiparallel β‐sheet supported by a conserved disulfide bridge. This N‐terminal β‐sheet region is followed by a central amphiphilic α‐helix and this in most (if not all) of these peptides is followed by a rather extended C‐terminal tail that folds back onto the central α‐helix, thereby creating a hairpin‐like structure in the C‐terminal half. There is a flexible hinge between the β‐sheet N‐terminal region and the hairpin C‐terminal region and one thus obtains two domains that may move relative to each other. The cationic N‐terminal β‐sheet domain mediates binding of the pediocin‐like AMPs to the target‐cell surface through electrostatic interactions, while the more hydrophobic and amphiphilic C‐terminal hairpin domain penetrates into the hydrophobic part of the target‐cell membrane, thereby mediating leakage through the membrane. The hinge provides the structural flexibility that enables the C‐terminal hairpin domain to dip into the hydrophobic part of the membrane. Despite extensive sequence similarities, these AMPs differ markedly in their target‐cell specificity, and results obtained with hybrid AMPs indicate that the membrane‐penetrating hairpin‐like C‐terminal domain is the major specificity determinant.
Learning random forests for segmentation of person in self-portrait photos

We propose a method for person segmentation in self-portrait photographs. We use random forests to learn the joint distribution of shape, texture and color for the hair, skin, clothes and background classes, respectively. Decisions in each tree, based on the distance of the pixel feature to pre-trained exemplars for each feature channel, are selected so that they effectively distinguish each category. Experimental evaluation shows that accuracy of the proposed method is near (less than 7% decline) the state-of-the-art methods which use significantly more complex learning models.
Detection of Enterococcal Surface Protein Gene (esp) and Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism Typing of Glycopeptide-Resistant Enterococcus faecium during Its Emergence in a Greek Intensive Care Unit

ABSTRACT The emergence of glycopeptide-resistant Enterococcus faecium (GREF) in a Greek intensive care unit was studied by amplified fragment length polymorphism analysis and esp gene detection. Three GREF clones harboring the esp gene were recovered from 17 out of 21 patients, indicating the dissemination of genetically homogenous and virulent strains of GREF.
SIGN-R1, a novel C-type lectin expressed by marginal zone macrophages in spleen, mediates uptake of the polysaccharide dextran.

The marginal zone macrophages of the spleen are implicated in the clearance of polysaccharides, but underlying mechanisms need to be pinpointed. SIGN-R1 is one of five recently identified mouse genes that are homologous to human DC-SIGN and encode a single, external, C-terminal C-type lectin domain. We find that a polyclonal antibody to a specific SIGN-R1 peptide reacts primarily and strongly with a subset of macrophages in the marginal zone of spleen and lymph node medulla. In both sites, SIGN-R1 exists primarily in an aggregated form, resistant to dissociation into monomers upon boiling in SDS under reducing conditions. Upon transfection into three different cell lines, high-mol. -wt forms bearing SIGN-R1 are expressed, as well as reactivity with ER-TR9, a mAb previously described to react selectively with marginal zone macrophages. SIGN-R1-expressing macrophages preferentially sequester dextrans following i.v. injection. Likewise, when phagocytic cells are enriched from spleen and tested in culture, dextran is selectively endocytosed by a subset of very large SIGN-R1(+) cells representing approximately 5% of total released macrophages. Uptake of FITC-dextran by these macrophages in vivo and in vitro is blocked by ER-TR9 and polyclonal anti-SIGN-R1 antibodies. Following transfection with SIGN-R1, cell lines become competent to endocytose dextrans. The dextran localizes primarily to compartments lacking transferrin receptor and the LAMP-1 CD107a panlysosomal antigen. Therefore, SIGN-R1 mediates the uptake of dextran polysaccharides, and it is predominantly expressed in the macrophages of the splenic marginal zone and lymph node medulla.
DNA methylation dependent silencing of the human glutamate transporter EAAT2 gene in glial cells

Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the CNS that is cleared from the extracellular space by a family of high‐affinity glutamate transporters. The astroglial glutamate transporter EAAT2 is thought to carry out the uptake of the vast quantity of glutamate, and dysregulation of EAAT2 expression is involved in the pathogenesis of neurological disorders with marked excitotoxic components. Here, we present a novel epigenetic mechanism by which the human EAAT2 gene is kept in a silent state. Sequence inspection identified a classical CpG island at the EAAT2 promoter. Bisulfite analysis of the DNA methylation profile revealed that lack of EAAT2 expression in human glioma cell lines was associated with a densely methylated EAAT2 promoter. In contrast, EAAT2 positive normal human brain tissue used as reference displayed hypomethylation of the same promoter regions. In vitro methylation of EAAT2 promoter sequences indeed altered the binding properties of nuclear factors to the respective DNA sites as illustrated by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Moreover, we observed a reduced activity of a methylated EAAT2 promoter construct as compared to the unmethylated control, both in a human glioma cell line and rodent primary astrocytes. Further supporting a role of DNA methylation for EAAT2 silencing, inhibition of DNA methyltransferases robustly enhanced EAAT2 mRNA transcription in several cell lines tested. In conclusion, the idea is put forward of an epigenetic mode of EAAT2 regulation based on the differential methylation of the gene promoter. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Multi locus sequence typing of Chlamydiales: clonal groupings within Chlamydophila abortus and host associated genotypes of Chlamydophila psittaci

Y. Pannekoek, D.S. A. Beeckman, V. Dickx, E. Vretou, D. Vanrompay and A. van der Ende 1 Academic Medical Center, Center for Infection and Immunity Amsterdam (CINIMA), Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; 2 Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; 3 Laboratory of Biotechnology, Department of Microbiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
Optimization of Tryptophan Production in Bacteria. Design of a Strategy for Genetic Manipulation of the Tryptophan Operon for Tryptophan Flux Maximization

In the present work we have applied the indirect optimization method (Torres, N. V. et al.Biotechnol. Bioeng.1996, 49, 247–258) to the maximization of tryptophan biosynthesis in Escherichia coli. The optimization procedure is applied to an updated model of this biochemical system (Xiu, Z‐L et al., J. Biotechnol.1997, 58,125–140) and thus extended to a problem that includes the processes of transcription and translation. The model representation used by these authors is first translated into the corresponding S‐system version. Then, to guarantee cell viability, we impose a set of constraints on some variable and parameter values, all of which are able to be modulated by available techniques. Our results show that it is possible to attain a stable and robust steady state with a rate of tryptophan production increased more than 4 times. This is achieved by changing four key parameters related to the efflux of tryptophan, the growth rate, the inhibition constant, and the tryptophan repressor level. Moreover, it is demonstrated that we can reach this optimum state in a sequential manner, each step leading us to a better situation in relation to the previous one. Thus, only by doubling the tryptophan excretion we can triplicate the rate of tryptophan production. A further, although lesser, improvement can be attained by increasing 4‐fold the rate of growth and subsequently by weakening the inhibitory feedback interaction of tryptophan on the enzymes leading to its synthesis. Finally, a significant jump in the rate of production can be obtained if the level of the trp operon could be decreased. When a second approach was considered, in which the growth rate is kept constant in the optimized profile, we found out that by modulation of the parameters it is possible to increase more than 2‐fold the rate of tryptophan production.
On the BEMs with the Müller formulation and the Nyström method for periodic electromagnetic scattering problems

We investigate a boundary element method with Müller's formulation for dielectric scattering problems in periodic domains. In this method, the iteration number of iterative methods is expected to be small since the operators in Müller's formulation are essentially identical with the unit operator to within a compact operator. We use the Nyström method for the discretisation so that we do not need to use any basis functions. We make several numerical experiments to see the accuracy and the efficiency of this method.
On the impact of imperfect multipath detection on the performance of CDMA systems with space-time spreading

We investigate the impact of imperfect multipath detection on the performance of CDMA systems employing space-time spreading. Conventionally, multipath components are detected and assigned to the RAKE fingers based on their average energy content. It is shown that the errors produced by the conventional scheme in detecting the potential multipath components severely impact the performance of the receiver. To boost the performance, we introduce an improved multipath detection scheme based on estimating the interference power in the resolved paths. Our results show that the proposed scheme not only improves the bit error rate performance significantly, but also utilizes the pilot power much more efficiently.
Open release versus radiofrequency microtenotomy in the treatment of lateral epicondylitis: a prospective randomized controlled trial

Background Optimal surgical treatment of lateral epicondylitis remains uncertain. Recently, radiofrequency microtenotomy (RFMT) has been proposed as a suitable treatment. We compared RFMT with standard open release (OR) in this prospective randomized controlled trial. Methods In total, 41 patients with symptoms for at least 6 months were randomized into two groups: 23 patients had RFMT and 18 had OR. Two patients from RFMT withdrew. Each patient underwent Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) pain score, grip strength and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) scores pre-operatively and at 6 weeks. Pain and DASH scores were repeated at 6 months and 12 months. Results NRS pain scores improved by 4.8 points for RFMT and by 3.9 points for OR. There was a significant improvement in both groups from pre-operative scores, although there was no statistically significant difference between the groups at 1 year. Grip strength improved by 31% in the RFMT group compared to 38% in OR. There was no significant difference between the initial and 6 weeks scores or between treatments. At 1 year, DASH was 39.8 points for RFMT and 24.4 points for OR. There was a significant improvement in both groups from pre-operative scores, although there was no statistically significant difference between the groups at 1 year. Conclusions Both groups showed significant improvements and similar benefit to the patient. The results of the present study do not show any benefit of RFMT over the standard OR. As a result of the extra expense of RFMT, we therefore recommend that OR is offered as the standard surgical management.
Expression of a Diverse Array of Ca2+-Activated K+ Channels (SK1/3, IK1, BK) that Functionally Couple to the Mechanosensitive TRPV4 Channel in the Collecting Duct System of Kidney

The voltage- and Ca2+-activated, large conductance K+ channel (BK, maxi-K) is expressed in the collecting duct system of kidney where it underlies flow- and Ca2+-dependent K+ excretion. To determine if other Ca2+-activated K+ channels (KCa) may participate in this process, mouse kidney and the K+-secreting mouse cortical collecting duct (CCD) cell line, mCCDcl1, were assessed for TRPV4 and KCa channel expression and cross-talk. qPCR mRNA analysis and immunocytochemical staining demonstrated TRPV4 and KCa expression in mCCDcl1 cells and kidney connecting tubule (CNT) and CCD. Three subfamilies of KCa channels were revealed: the high Ca2+-binding affinity small-conductance SK channels, SK1and SK3, the intermediate conductance channel, IK1, and the low Ca2+-binding affinity, BK channel (BKα subunit). Apparent expression levels varied in CNT/CCD where analysis of CCD principal cells (PC) and intercalated cells (IC) demonstrated differential staining: SK1:PCIC, IK1:PC>IC, BKα:PC = IC, and TRPV4:PC>IC. Patch clamp analysis and fluorescence Ca2+ imaging of mCCDcl1 cells demonstrated potent TRPV4-mediated Ca2+ entry and strong functional cross-talk between TRPV4 and KCa channels. TRPV4-mediated Ca2+ influx activated each KCa channel, as evidenced by selective inhibition of KCa channels, with each active KCa channel enhancing Ca2+ entry (due to membrane hyperpolarization). Transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) analysis of confluent mCCDcl1 cells grown on permeable supports further demonstrated this cross-talk where TRPV4 activation induce a decrease in TEER which was partially restored upon selective inhibition of each KCa channel. It is concluded that SK1/SK3 and IK1 are highly expressed along with BKα in CNT and CCD and are closely coupled to TRPV4 activation as observed in mCCDcl1 cells. The data support a model in CNT/CCD segments where strong cross talk between TRPV4-mediated Ca2+ influx and each KCa channel leads to enhance Ca2+ entry which will support activation of the low Ca2+-binding affinity BK channel to promote BK-mediated K+ secretion.
Performance degradation analysis of switched systems with application to HiMAT vehicle

This paper proposes a new concept of performance degradation for switched systems in the sense of stability and converging rate. The relationship between the eigenvalues of each subsystem and the converging rate of the whole switched system is established, which can help to evaluate the accepting performance degradation in the presence of faults in system components and actuators. The efficiency of the proposed methods is illustrated by a flight control system example.
Pan HLA DR-Binding Peptide -Amyloid and Promiscuous T Cell Epitope b the Immunodominant B Cell Epitope from Prototype Alzheimer's Disease Vaccine Using

Immunization of amyloid precursor protein transgenic mice with ﬁbrillar (cid:1) -amyloid (A (cid:1) ) prevents Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-like neuropathology. The ﬁrst immunotherapy clinical trial used ﬁbrillar A (cid:1) , containing the B and T cell self epitopes of A (cid:1) , as the immunogen formulated with QS21 as the adjuvant in the vaccine. Unfortunately, the clinical trial was halted during the phase II stage when 6% of the participants developed meningoencephalitis. The cause of the meningoencephalitis in the patients that received the vaccine has not been deﬁnitively determined; however, analysis of two case reports from the AN-1792 vaccine trial suggest that the meningoencephalitis may have been caused by a T cell-mediated autoimmune response, whereas production of anti-A (cid:1) Abs may have been therapeutic to the AD patients. Therefore, to reduce the risk of an adverse T cell-mediated immune response to A (cid:1) immunotherapy we have designed a prototype epitope vaccine that contains the immunodominant B cell epitope of A (cid:1) in tandem with the synthetic universal Th cell pan HLA DR epitope, pan HLA DR-binding peptide (PADRE). Importantly, the PADRE-A (cid:1) 1–15 sequence lacks the T cell epitope of A (cid:1) . Immunization of BALB/c mice with the PADRE-A (cid:1) 1–15 epitope vaccine produced high titers of anti-A (cid:1) Abs. Splenocytes from immunized mice showed robust T cell stimulation in response to peptides containing PADRE. However, splenocytes from immunized mice were not reactivated by the A (cid:1) peptide. New preclinical trials in amyloid precursor protein transgenic mouse models may help to develop novel immunogen-adjuvant conﬁgurations with the potential to avoid the adverse events that occurred in the ﬁrst clinical trial. The Journal of Immunology, 2005, 174: 1580–1586.
Altered Innate Immune Functioning of Dendritic Cells in Elderly Humans: A Role of Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase-Signaling Pathway1

Aging represents a state of paradox where chronic inflammation is associated with declining immune responses. Dendritic cells (DCs) are the major APCs responsible for initiating an immune response. However, DC functions in aging have not been studied in detail. In this study, we have compared the innate immune functions of monocyte-derived myeloid DCs from elderly subjects with DCs from young individuals. We show that although phenotypically comparable, DCs from the aging are functionally different from DCs from the young. In contrast to DCs from the young, DCs from elderly individuals display 1) significantly reduced capacity to phagocytose Ags via macropinocytosis and endocytosis as determined by flow cytometry; 2) impaired capacity to migrate in vitro in response to the chemokines MIP-3β and stromal cell-derived factor-1; and 3) significantly increased LPS and ssRNA-induced secretion of TNF-α and IL-6, as determined by ELISA. Investigations of intracellular signaling revealed reduced phosphorylation of AKT in DCs from the aging, indirectly suggesting decreased activation of the PI3K pathway. Because the PI3K-signaling pathway plays a positive regulatory role in phagocytosis and migration, and also functions as a negative regulator of TLR signaling by inducing activation of p38 MAPK, this may explain the aberrant innate immune functioning of DCs from elderly subjects. Results from real-time PCR and protein expression by flow cytometry demonstrated an increased expression of phosphatase and tensin homolog, a negative regulator of the PI3K-signaling pathway, in DCs from the aging. Increased phosphatase and tensin homolog may thus be responsible for the defect in AKT phosphorylation and, therefore, the altered innate immune response of DCs from elderly humans.
Political participation and civic engagement: Towards a new typology

Reviewing the literature on political participation and civic engagement, the article offers a critical examination of different conceptual frameworks. Drawing on previous definitions and operationalisations, a new typology for political participation and civic engagement is developed, highlighting the multidimensionality of both concepts. In particular, it makes a clear distinction between manifest “political participation” (including formal political behaviour as well as protest or extra-parliamentary political action) and less direct or “latent” forms of participation, conceptualized here as “civic engagement” and “social involvement”. The article argues that the notion of “latent” forms of participation is crucial to understand new forms of political behaviour and the prospects for political participation in different countries. Due to these innovations it contributes to a much-needed theoretical development within the literature on political participation and citizen engagement.