Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Expression of Telomerase Extends Longevity and Enhances Differentiation in Human Adipose Tissue-derived Stromal Cells

Human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSCs) are defined as pluripotent progenitor cells with the ability to differentiate into osteoblasts, chondrochytes, adipocytes, muscle cells, and neural cells. Recently, it has been shown that telomerase expression not only extends the replicative life-span and maintains their bone-forming capability of hBMSCs. We previously reported that human adipose tissue stromal cells (hATSCs) have similar characteristics with hBMSCs. In this study, hATSCs were stably tranduced by a retrovirus containing the gene for the catalytic subunit of human telomerase (hTERT) and MSCV-neo retrovirus, and 12 clones for hTERT-hATSCs and 6 clones for MSCV-hATSCs were isolated. The tranduced clones (hATSC-TERTs) had high telomerase activity, which was maintained during subsequent subcultivation. The transduced cells of two representative clones have undergone more than 100 population doublings (PD) and continue to proliferate, whereas control cells underwent senescence-associated proliferation arrest after 36-40 PD. The cells had a normal karyotype, and increased differentiation potential, especially osteogenic lineage. Intraventricular injection of hATSC-TERTs in ischemic rat brain showed enhancement of functional recovery as like hATSC-MSCVs. The tissue engraftment of hATSCs and hTERT-hATSCs in NOD/SCID mice after intravenous administration was identical. These results further support a similarity between hBMSCs and hATSCs. hATSCs can be used as an alternative of pluripotent stromal cells for cell replacement therapy as like hBMSCs.
Analysis of the MSS51 region on chromosome XII of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

We have localized gene MSS51 on chromosome XII of Saccharomyces cerevisiae between the RDN1 and CDC42 loci. ‘Head to head’ with MSS51 is another gene, QRI5, the function of which is unkown. However, the proximity of these genes, the structure of the intergenic region and the presence of an ABFl binding site right in the middle of this region suggest that the MSS51 and QRI5 expressions are submitted to a common regulatory process.
Bridging the Gap Between Media Synchronicity and Task Performance

The study examines effects of media synchronicity in a group problem-solving task. The media characteristics of parallelism, immediacy of feedback, and reprocessability are varied within text-based computer-mediated communication. The hidden profile task requires groups to exchange unshared pieces of information and to integrate them. Contrary to expectations, asynchronous media characteristics do not support the production of unshared information. Furthermore, asynchronous media characteristics result in higher engagement in integrating information during discussion. Asynchronous media characteristics decrease the coherence of the discourse and increase the mental effort of the participants. Since coherence and mental effort indicate that asynchronous media characteristics impede the information integration process, the higher engagement in information integration is interpreted as compensatory effort.
Modeling of Drain Electric Flux Passing Through the BOX Layer in SoI MOSFETs—Part I: Preparation for Modeling Based on Conformal Mapping

Silicon-on-insulator (SoI) technology has been reported as a technique to improve electrical characteristics over those of bulk MOSFETs. However, this approach results in the disadvantage of increased drain-induced barrier lowering (DIBL) due to drain electric flux (or field) passing through the buried oxide (BOX) layer. Against such a background, the development of a method to easily estimate the amount of this electric flux is expected to support the prediction of BOX-related DIBL. This paper involved the investigation of a model-derived analytically using conformal mapping techniques to represent the amount of flux in subthreshold regions of ground-plane SoI MOSFETs. To create the model, this paper was divided into two parts. In Part I, as preparation for model development, the relationships between coordinates in MOSFETs and potential/stream function were derived using conformal mapping, and related validity was verified. In Part II, the model's development was considered based on these relationships, and its validity was also verified.
Modification of a sonographic enthesitis score to differentiate between psoriatic arthritis and young healthy volunteers

Objectives: We aimed to describe sonographic structural and inflammatory changes in entheses of patients with recently diagnosed psoriatic arthritis (PsA), patients with established PsA, and young healthy volunteers, and to investigate whether the MAdrid Sonographic Enthesitis Index (MASEI) enables us to distinguish these groups in an extreme comparison. Method: New and established PsA patients and healthy volunteers (aged 20–30 years) were recruited. The triceps, quadriceps, patellar, Achilles and elbow extensor tendon insertion, and plantar fascia entheses were investigated sonographically for structural changes, erosions, calcifications, increased thickness, bursitis, and power Doppler (PD) signal according to the MASEI. Results: The study included 25 new and 25 established PsA patients, and 25 healthy volunteers. Increased thickness and PD signal in knee entheses were common for patients and healthy volunteers, while changes at other locations predominantly occurred in patients only. PD was recoded (1, one spot; 1.5, two or three spots; 2, confluent signal; 3, severe confluent signal) and thickness of knee entheses excluded. This resulted in different modified MASEI scores between PsA patients and young healthy controls: median (interquartile range) modified MASEI of 13 (10–22.5) in new PsA, 13.5 (9.5–18) in established PsA, and 3 (1–8.5) in healthy volunteers (p = 0.002). Conclusions: Structural ultrasound changes and PD in entheses are common in both new and established PsA and healthy controls. MASEI score did not differentiate PsA patients from young healthy volunteers. After recoding of PD severity and excluding thickness of knee entheses, marked differences between PsA patients and healthy controls were observed.
Some influences of population density on Hymenolepis diminuta in rats

When measured 56 days postinfection the length, wet weight and dry-weight of Hymenolepis diminuta were all found to decrease with increasing number of cysticercoids given up to 20. The mean position of the worms in 10, 12 and 20 worm infections is significantly posterior to that of 1, 2 and 5 worm infections and the worms are attached over a wider area of the intestine. Egg production by the worms was followed up to day 56 postinfection; the number of eggs produced per worm and even per rat decreased with increasing population density. Thus the best way to get most eggs and to maintain the parasite in the laboratory is to have rats infected with only one tapeworm. Rats given 1–20 cysticercoids showed a mean recovery of 100–65%, while rats given 40–200 cysticercoids showed a mean recovery ranging from 13 to 2%. In addition to ‘normal’ worms, defined as worms > 10 mm, small, most probably destrobilated, worms were found. In the 50 and 100 cysticercoid infections, worm recoveries were, respectively, 8% ‘normal’, 16% small, and 2% ‘normal’, 5% small. From the significantly lower recovery from heavy infections it is concluded that a deleterious factor is operating during the 8 weeks after the infection.
A semiautomated approach using GUI for the detection of red blood cells

Counting of Red Blood cell (RBC) is a significant measure that helps to diagnose specific diseases. Manual pathological RBCs counting process by experienced specialist is extremely tedious, time consuming, and imprecise which may be prone to high chance of error. Due to recent advancement, automated detection of red blood cell using image processing techniques is gaining popularity. In order to increase the accuracy of the results, it is preferred to accommodate experienced specialist in the RBC counting. In this paper, a new approach is presented for semi-automatically count of the RBCs. The user can specify the dimension of RBC by dragging two points over the image and then apply the Hough transform to detect the oval and biconcave shape of RBC with the specified diameter. The proposed semi-automatic system outperformed the automated system in terms of the executing time. In addition, the proposed system is supported by a GUI to facilitate the pathologist interaction with the proposed system.
A Fixed-Beam Leaky-Wave Cavity-Backed Slot Antenna Manufactured by Bulk Silicon MEMS Technology

A fixed-beam leaky-wave slot antenna with an air-filled back cavity is proposed in the millimeter-waveband. The antenna is fabricated based on the bulk silicon microelectromechanical systems micromachining technology. This micromachining process can etch silicon wafers and plate them with gold. Because all surfaces of the proposed antenna are plated with gold, electromagnetic waves can transmit in the air medium without any other dielectric. The air-filled structure contributes to achieving a leaky-wave slot antenna with fixed beam as operating frequency varies. A prototype of the proposed antenna is fabricated to verify the design strategy. The measured results show that the impedance bandwidth of the proposed antenna is 55–67 GHz and within the operating frequency band, the main beam direction only varies from 48° to 53°, which confirms the fixed-beam characteristic. The measured peak gain varies from 9.1 to 10.5 dBi in the operating frequency band.
Relationship among lipoperoxides, jasmonates and indole-3-acetic acid formation in potato tuber after wounding

Plant responses to biotic and abiotic stress can be mediated by oxidised products and in this study we analysed the relation among some of them and the growth factor indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). The plant material used was potato tuber sliced below bud and incubated for different lengths of time before analysis. Wounding in potato tuber leads, in a very short time (0–30 min), to the generation of lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH) from polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). These reactive species could cause a subsequent increase of 9 and 13-lipoxygenase (LOX, E.C.1.13.12.12.), analysed by RT-PCR and spectrophotometric assay, LOOH, Jasmonates and IAA all quantified by GC–MS analysis. The activation of 9 and 13-LOX, using different timing, leads to the formation of LOOH with a subsequent generation of jasmonates and IAA as highlighted by the addition on the potato tuber slices of salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM), an inhibitor of LOX activity. A correlation between jasmonates and IAA resulted by testing their reciprocal influence during wounding in potato tuber. The relationship occurring among each hormone analysed during wounding underlines the fact that the jasmonates level can be regulated in situ and this can suggest a role for these compounds in potato tuber which has been underestimated up to now.
Quadcopter for Agricultural Surveillance

The aerial Quad copter used for agricultural surveillance is an unmanned vehicle used for proper and accurate surveying of the crops and leaves reducing the human effort. The agricultural farm is surveyed by an infrared camera which will show the colour image displaying the difference between infected or diseased crop and matured crop. The innovative foldable frame design developed will allow the Quad copter to be transported safely and with ease in a cylindrical shaped cushioned box packing.
Bowel preparation regimens for colon capsule endoscopy: a review

Colon capsule endoscopy (CCE) is being actively evaluated as an emerging complementary or alternative procedure for evaluation of the colon. The yield of CCE is significantly dependent on the quality of bowel preparation. In addition to achieving a stool-free colon the bowel preparation protocols need to decrease bubble effect and aid propulsion of the capsule. An extensive English literature search was done using PubMed with search terms of colon capsule endoscopy, PillCam and bowel preparation. Full-length articles which met the criteria were included for review. A total of 12 studies including 1149 patients were reviewed. There was significant variability in the type of bowel preparation regimens. Large-volume (3–4 liters) polyethylene glycol (PEG) was the most widely used laxative. Lower volumes of PEG showed comparable results but larger studies are needed to determine efficacy. Sodium phosphate was used as an effective booster in most studies. Magnesium citrate and ascorbic acid are emerging as promising boosters to replace sodium phosphate when it is contraindicated. The potential benefit of prokinetics needs further evaluation. Over the past decade there has been significant improvement in the bowel preparation regimens for CCE. Further experience and studies are likely to standardize the bowel preparation regimens before CCE is adopted into routine clinical practice.
Dicer-like 3 produces transposable element-associated 24-nt siRNAs that control agricultural traits in rice

Significance The functional relationship of transposons and small RNAs remains an important question in the study of gene expression and its effect on agronomic traits. Here, we use deep sequencing of small RNAs to provide the first evidence that the rice Dicer-like 3 homolog OsDCL3a produces 24-nt small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) predominantly associated with miniature inverted repeat transposable elements (MITEs). These 24-nt siRNAs target genes adjacent to MITEs and act as broadly functioning regulators of gene expression. In particular, OsDCL3a directly targets genes involved in homeostasis of the plant hormones gibberellin and brassinosteroid, thus controlling important agricultural traits. This mechanism of fine-tuning gene expression mediated by MITEs may be conserved in organisms with genomes rich in dispersed repeats or transposable elements. Transposable elements (TEs) and repetitive sequences make up over 35% of the rice (Oryza sativa) genome. The host regulates the activity of different TEs by different epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation, histone H3K9 methylation, and histone H3K4 demethylation. TEs can also affect the expression of host genes. For example, miniature inverted repeat TEs (MITEs), dispersed high copy-number DNA TEs, can influence the expression of nearby genes. In plants, 24-nt small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are mainly derived from repeats and TEs. However, the extent to which TEs, particularly MITEs associated with 24-nt siRNAs, affect gene expression remains elusive. Here, we show that the rice Dicer-like 3 homolog OsDCL3a is primarily responsible for 24-nt siRNA processing. Impairing OsDCL3a expression by RNA interference caused phenotypes affecting important agricultural traits; these phenotypes include dwarfism, larger flag leaf angle, and fewer secondary branches. We used small RNA deep sequencing to identify 535,054 24-nt siRNA clusters. Of these clusters, ∼82% were OsDCL3a-dependent and showed significant enrichment of MITEs. Reduction of OsDCL3a function reduced the 24-nt siRNAs predominantly from MITEs and elevated expression of nearby genes. OsDCL3a directly targets genes involved in gibberellin and brassinosteroid homeostasis; OsDCL3a deficiency may affect these genes, thus causing the phenotypes of dwarfism and enlarged flag leaf angle. Our work identifies OsDCL3a-dependent 24-nt siRNAs derived from MITEs as broadly functioning regulators for fine-tuning gene expression, which may reflect a conserved epigenetic mechanism in higher plants with genomes rich in dispersed repeats or TEs.
Consensus statement on transcultural issues in depression and anxiety from the International Consensus Group on Depression and Anxiety.

OBJECTIVE To provide primary care physicians with a better understanding of transcultural issues in depression and anxiety. PARTICIPANTS The 4 members of the International Consensus Group on Depression and Anxiety were James C. Ballenger (chair), Jonathan R. T. Davidson, Yves Lecrubier, and David J. Nutt. Five faculty invited by the chair also participated: Laurence J. Kirmayer, Jean-Pierre Lepine, Keh-Ming Lin, Osamu Tajima, and Yutaka Ono. EVIDENCE The consensus statement is based on the 5 review articles that are published in this supplement and the scientific literature relevant to the issues reviewed in these articles. CONSENSUS PROCESS Group meetings were held over a 2-day period. On day 1, the group discussed the review articles, and the chair identified key issues for further debate. On day 2, the group discussed these issues to arrive at a consensus view. After the group meetings, the consensus statement was drafted by the chair and approved by all attendees. CONCLUSION The consensus statement underlines the prevalence of depression and anxiety disorders across all cultures and nations while recognizing that cultural differences exist in symptom presentation and prevalence estimates. In all countries, the recognition of depression by clinicians in the primary care setting is low (generally less than 50%), and the consensus group recommends a 2-step process to aid the recognition and diagnosis of depression. In line with the low recognition of depression and anxiety disorders is the finding that only a small proportion of patients with depression or anxiety are receiving appropriate treatments for their condition. Biological diversity across ethnic groups may account for the differential sensitivity of some groups to psychotropic medication, but this area requires further investigation.
Outcome of adults with acute lymphocytic leukemia in second or subsequent complete remission

The outcome of adults with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) who achieve a complete response (CR) on salvage therapy is thought to be poor, but not previously analyzed. To define the course of adult ALL post CR on salvage therapy and the effects of pretreatment factors on prognosis. One hundred seventy-two adults with ALL who achieved a second or third CR on salvage therapy were reviewed. Prognostic factors affecting survival were analyzed by multivariate analysis. The median survival post achieving CR for the entire group was 10 months. The estimated 1-year survival rate was 42%. Forty-three patients underwent stem cell transplant in subsequent CR: their median survival was 12 months and the 3-year survival rate was 25%. Independent poor prognostic factors for survival were age >55 years, duration of first CR <12 months, and lactate dehydrogenase levels >1000 IU/L. This analysis defines the outcome of adult ALL in CR post salvage therapy and the prognostic factors influencing survival. These results could be used in assessing the efficacy of new treatments aimed at improving CR durations and survival post salvage therapy.
LIFETIME PARASITISM OF GLASSY-WINGED SHARPSHOOTER EGG MASSES BY GONATOCERUS ASHMEADI ( HYMENOPTERA : MYMARIDAE ) Project Leader Cooperator Cooperator

1. Objectives The main objective was to measure real lifetime contributions of individual female Gonatocerus ashmeadi to parasitism of glassy-winged sharpshooter (GWSS) egg masses in citrus orchards. However it is unknown whether G. ashmeadi is proor syn-ovigenic. Gonatocerus parasitoids are generally classified as strictly pro-ovigenic (Jervis and Copland, 1996). Jervis et al. (2001) calculated ovigeny index (number of mature eggs at emergence divided by potential lifetime fecundity) of 638 species of parasitoids from 28 families and concluded that ovigeny exists on a continuum from strictly pro-ovigenic species (ovigeny index = 1) to extremely synovigenic species (ovigeny index = 0). In order to investigate realized lifetime fecundity of individual G. ashmeadi in the field it is essential to determine whether this parasitoid is proor synovigenic and whether egg maturation or oosorption exist.
Exploiting Target Data to Learn Deep Convolutional Networks for Scene-Adapted Human Detection

The difference between sample distributions of public data sets and specific scenes can be very significant. As a result, the deployment of generic human detectors in real-world scenes most often leads to sub-optimal detection performance. To avoid the labor-intensive task of manual annotations, we propose a semi-supervised approach for training deep convolutional networks on partially labeled data. To exploit a large amount of unlabeled target data, the knowledge learnt from public data sets is transferred to new model training by adapting an auxiliary detector to the target scene. We hypothesize that the components of the auxiliary detector capture essential human characteristics useful for constructing a scene-adapted detector. A selective ensemble algorithm is proposed to select a subset of the components relevant to the target scene for recombination. The resulting model is applied for collecting high-confidence samples from unlabeled target data. Furthermore, a deep convolutional network is trained by progressively labeling and selecting new training samples in a self-paced way. The detailed experimental evaluation verifies the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed approach in scene-specific human detection.
Engineering molecular recognition of endoxylanase enzymes and their inhibitors through phage display

Specific binding of interacting proteins generally depends on a limited set of amino acid residues located at the contact interface. We have applied a phage‐display‐based screening method to simultaneously evaluate the role of multiple residues of endo‐β‐1,4‐xylanase enzymes in conferring binding specificity towards two different endoxylanase inhibitors. Seven residues of the two β‐strand ‘thumb’ region of Trichoderma longibrachiatum endo‐β‐1,4‐xylanase XynII were targeted for randomization. The generated combinatorial library representing 62 208 site‐directed variants was displayed on the surface of filamentous phage and selected against xylanase inhibitor protein (XIP) and Triticum aestivum xylanase inhibitor (TAXI). DNA sequence analysis of phagemid panning isolates provided information on the occurrence of particular amino acids at distinct positions. In particular, residues at positions 124 (Asn) and 131 (Thr) were found to be critical for specific inhibitor binding. These residue predictions derived from the combinatorial exploration of the thumb region and accompanying sequence analyses were experimentally confirmed by testing the inhibitor sensitivity of a limited set of recombinantly expressed XynII mutants. In addition, we successfully altered the inhibition susceptibility of the bacterial Bacillus subtilis endoxylanase XynA from XIP‐insensitive to XIP‐sensitive. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.