Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
IL-18 Enhances Immunosuppressive Responses by Promoting Differentiation into Monocytic Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are major immunosuppressive cells that lead to T cell defects in cancer. IL-18 is important in inflammatory and immune responses. IL-18 has been reported to have a dual effect on tumor progression, as it not only stimulates host immune responses, but also exerts procancer effects by inducing immune escape and angiogenesis. In the present study, we investigated the effect of IL-18 on MDSCs and found that IL-18 treatment significantly increased the percentage and the absolute number of monocytic MDSCs (M-MDSCs) via differentiation of CD11b− bone marrow progenitor cells. IL-18–induced MDSCs showed enhanced suppression of T cell proliferation and IFN-γ production along with a dramatic increase of M-MDSC suppressive function, including NO production and arginase 1 expression. Although IL-18 decreased the number of granulocytic MDSCs (G-MDSCs) in a concentration-dependent manner, we found that the absolute number of G-MDSCs and their reactive oxygen species production remained unchanged. Additionally, we demonstrated that IL-18–induced M-MDSCs have a more potent suppressive effect on T cell responses with lower IFN-γ production than do G-MDSCs, suggesting that the increased suppressive effect observed in our study resulted from M-MDSCs. Furthermore, in vivo administration of IL-18 significantly increased the accumulation of M-MDSCs in the tumor microenvironment. Taken together, our findings indicate that IL-18 specifically enhances the differentiation and function of M-MDSCs, leading to immunosuppression.
Research of terrain recognition for off-road robot based on extreme learning theory

Feature extraction and classification algorithm is the key to classification accuracy. Terrain recognition for off-road robot need higher real-time classification algorithm, while the traditional neural network training method is difficult to meet the requirements. Extreme learning machine is used to classify the terrain pictures collected by robot in real time. Experimental results show that the accuracy of ELM terrain classification is slightly higher than the traditional neural network algorithm, but algorithm efficiency is raised more than a dozen times for the small sample size of 150, which meets the requirements for accuracy, especially for real time.
Detection of Rearrangements of the BCL2 Major Breakpoint Region in Follicular Lymphomas Correlation of Polymerase Chain Reaction Results With Southern Blot Analysis

The translocation t(14;18)(q32;q21) occurs in 70% of follicular lymphomas and places the BCL2 proto-oncogene, normally located at 18q21. under the control of the immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) gene at 14q32. Its detection by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), made possible by the close clustering of most of the BCL2 breakpoints in the major breakpoint region (MBR) of the gene, has numerous clinical applications. Since the PCR covers shorter lengths of DNA than Southern blotting, PCR-based tests may be more susceptible to microheterogeneity in breakpoint location. There have been no published studies of the impact of breakpoint microheterogeneity on the detection rate of this translocation by PCR. We studied 30 follicular lymphomas with the t(14;18), in which a BCL2 MBR rearrangement had previously been demonstrated and mapped by conventional Southern blotting, by PCR with the commonly used IgH and BCL2 MBR primers. Twenty-five cases (83%) had a junction fragment demonstrable by PCR. All three cases in which the MBR rearrangement mapped outside of the 4.3-kb HindIII fragment containing the MBR, as determined by Southern blotting, were negative by PCR. In addition, two cases with rearrangements within the HindIII fragment were also negative. All negative results were repeated at least once and were confirmed to be true negatives by actin PCR. Our results suggest that negative PCR results in this setting are attributable to small variations in BCL2 MBR breakpoint location and cannot be interpreted without the corresponding conventional Southern blotting data. With this caveat in mind, PCR analysis for the t(14;18) remains an extremely useful technique, especially in the follow-up and monitoring for minimal residual disease in previously characterized cases of follicular lymphoma.
Grid management functions built in PV inverters for distributed power generation

The performance of the Grid Connected Inverters (GCIs) like Photovoltaic (PV) converters is extremely important related to stable and safe operation of the utility grid. These inverters control features not only cover the renewable energy conversion and active power feeding into the utility grid but furthermore they provide grid voltage stabilization support with reactive power of the grid in case of voltage dips and have a role related to frequency stabilization too. The GCIs support the system operators to meet the power quality standards by means of their control functions and fast response time. Decentralized suppliers must contribute to the control of the grid parameters by delivering active and reactive power. This paper gives an overview on the necessary features of GCIs, the inverter limitations and introduces some simulation and operation results.
The cost of productivity losses associated with allergic rhinitis.

OBJECTIVE To measure the cost of absenteeism and reduced productivity associated with allergic rhinitis. METHODS The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) was used to obtain information on days lost from work and lost productivity due to allergic rhinitis. Wage estimates for occupations obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) were used to calculate the costs. RESULTS Productivity losses associated with a diagnosis of allergic rhinitis in the 1995 NHIS were estimated to be $601 million. When additional survey information on the use of sedating over-the-counter (OTC) allergy medications, as well as workers' self-assessments of their reduction in at-work productivity due to allergic rhinitis, were considered, the estimated productivity loss increased dramatically. At-work productivity losses were estimated to range from $2.4 billion to $4.6 billion. CONCLUSION Despite the inherent difficulty of measuring productivity losses, our lowest estimate is several times higher than previous estimates of the indirect medical costs associated with allergic rhinitis treatment. The most significant productivity losses resulted not from absenteeism but from reduced at-work productivity associated with the use of sedating OTC antihistamines.
Corrected end-tidal P(CO(2)) accurately estimates Pa(CO(2)) at rest and during exercise in morbidly obese adults.

BACKGROUND Obesity affects lung function and gas exchange and imposes mechanical ventilatory limitations during exercise that could disrupt the predictability of Pa(CO(2)) from end-tidal P(CO(2)) (P(ETCO(2))), an important clinical tool for assessing gas exchange efficiency during exercise testing. Pa(CO(2)) has been estimated during exercise with good accuracy in normal-weight individuals by using a correction equation developed by Jones and colleagues (P(JCO(2)) = 5.5 + 0.9 x P(ETCO(2)) – 2.1 x tidal volume). The purpose of this project was to determine the accuracy of Pa(CO(2)) estimations from P(ETCO(2)) and P(JCO(2)) values at rest and at submaximal and peak exercise in morbidly obese adults. METHODS Pa(CO(2)) and P(ETCO(2)) values from 37 obese adults (22 women, 15 men; age, 39 ± 9 y; BMI, 49 ± 7; [mean ± SD]) were evaluated. Subjects underwent ramped cardiopulmonary exercise testing to volitional exhaustion. P(ETCO(2)) was determined from expired gases simultaneously with temperature-corrected arterial blood gases (radial arterial catheter) at rest, every minute during exercise, and at peak exercise. Data were analyzed using paired t tests. RESULTS P(ETCO(2)) was not significantly different from Pa(CO(2)) at rest (P(ETCO(2)) = 37 ± 3 mm Hg vs Pa(CO(2)) = 38 ± 3 mm Hg, P = . 14). However, during exercise, P(ETCO(2)) was significantly higher than Pa(CO(2)) (submaximal: 42 ± 4 vs 40 ± 3, P < .001; peak: 40 ± 4 vs 37 ± 4, P < .001, respectively). Jones’ equation successfully corrected P(ETCO(2)), such that P(JCO(2)) was not significantly different from Pa(CO(2)) (submax: P(JCO(2)) = 40 ± 3, P = . 650; peak: 37 ± 4, P = . 065). CONCLUSION P(JCO(2)) provides a better estimate of Pa(CO(2)) than P(ETCO(2)) during submaximal exercise and at peak exercise, whereas at rest both yield reasonable estimates in morbidly obese individuals. Clinicians and physiologists can obtain accurate estimations of Pa(CO(2)) in morbidly obese individuals by using P(JCO(2)).
Involvement of Protein Kinase C in γ‐Aminobutyric Acid Release from Xenopus Oocytes Injected with Rat Brain mRNA

Abstract: Involvement of protein kinase C (PKC) in the release of γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) was examined in Xenopus laevis oocytes injected with mRNA from rat cerebellum, as compared with findings in slices of rat cerebellum. The mRNA‐injected oocytes preloaded with [3H]GABA showed spontaneous release of [3H]GABA, ∼0.5% of GABA content per 1 min. Stimulation with either Ca2+ ionophore (A23187) or a high K+ concentration increased the release of [3H]GABA from slices of rat deep cerebellar nucleus and mRNA‐injected oocytes but not from noninjected and water‐injected oocytes. 12‐O‐Tetradecanoylphorbol 13‐acetate (10–300 nM) but not 4α‐phorbol 12,13‐didecanoate (300 nM) potentiated the A23187‐stimulated release of [3H]GABA from slices and from mRNA‐injected oocytes, in a concentration‐dependent manner. Thus, machinery associated with release processes of GABA can be expressed in oocytes by injecting rat cerebellar mRNA, and PKC participates in GABA release from the functionally expressed GABAergic nerve terminals.
A content management layer for software-defined information centric networks

The traditional abstraction mechanism in Software Defined Networking does not support including non forwarding elements (proxy and cache for example) in a network. Thus, an OpenFlow network cannot support any content centric functionality natively. We propose an extension of the SDN abstractions to allow these functionalities. We describe our demonstration setup which works by extending OpenFlow to support content identifification and management.
Material choices of honeycomb structures and their effects in mm-wave RLSAs

This paper investigates the material choices to create the honeycomb structures to be used as the dielectric spacers inside the Radial Line Slot Antennas (RLSAs). Nomex® and Quartz fibers are studied and compared in many aspects such as electromagnetic properties, physical behaviors, or market availabilities. Each material has its own advantages and disadvantages. 90cm RLSAs fabricated using the same slot design, with different material choices; and the peak gain of the RLSA with Quartz honeycomb structure is 46.2dB, which improves 1.5dB from a 44.6dB peak gain of the RLSA with Nomex® honeycomb structure.
Verbal Multi-Word Expressions Livnat

Multi-word expressions (MWEs) are challenging for grammatical theories and grammar development since they blur the traditional distinction between the lexicon and the grammar, and vary in the degree of idiosyncrasy with respect to their semantic, syntactic, and morphological behavior. Nevertheless, the need to incorporate MWEs into grammars is unquestionable, especially in light of estimates claiming that MWEs account for approximately half of the entries in the lexicon. In this study we focus on verbal MWEs in Modern Hebrew: we consider different types of this class of MWEs, and propose an analysis in the framework of HPSG. Moreover, we incorporate this analysis into HeGram, a deep linguistic processing grammar of Modern Hebrew.
TCRGene Transfer : MAGE-C 2 / HLA-A 2 andMAGE-A 3 / HLA-DP 4 Epitopes as Melanoma-Specific Immune Targets

Adoptive therapy with TCR gene-engineered T cells provides an attractive and feasible treatment option for cancer patients. Further development of TCR gene therapy requires the implementation of T-cell target epitopes that prevent “on-target” reactivity towards healthy tissues and at the same time direct a clinically effective response towards tumor tissues. Candidate epitopes that meet these criteria are MAGE-C2336−344/HLA-A2 (MC2/A2) and MAGE-A3243−258/HLA-DP4 (MA3/DP4). We molecularly characterized TCRαβ genes of an MC2/A2-specific CD8 and MA3/DP4-specific CD4 T-cell clone derived from melanoma patients who responded clinically to MAGE vaccination. We identified MC2/A2 and MA3/DP4-specific TCR-Vα3/Vβ28 and TCRVα38/Vβ2 chains and validated these TCRs in vitro upon gene transfer into primary human T cells. The MC2 and MA3 TCR were surface-expressed and mediated CD8 T-cell functions towards melanoma cell lines and CD4 T-cell functions towards dendritic cells, respectively. We intend to start testing these MAGE-specific TCRs in phase I clinical trial.
Combined 18F-NaF and 18F-FDG PET/CT in the Evaluation of Sarcoma Patients

Purpose The combined administration of 18F-NaF and 18F-FDG in a single PET/CT scan has the potential to improve patient convenience and cancer detection. Here we report the use of this approach for patients with sarcomas. Patients and Methods This is a retrospective review of 21 patients (12 men, 9 women; age, 19–66 years) with biopsy-proven sarcomas who had separate 18F-NaF PET/CT, 18F-FDG PET/CT, and combined 18F-NaF/18F-FDG PET/CT scans for evaluation of malignancy. Two board-certified nuclear medicine physicians and 1 board-certified musculoskeletal radiologist were randomly assigned to review the scans. Results were analyzed for sensitivity and specificity, using linear regression and receiver operating characteristics. Results A total of 13 patients had metastatic disease on 18F-NaF PET/CT, 18F-FDG PET/CT, and combined 18F-NaF/18F-FDG PET/CT. Skeletal disease was more extensive on the 18F-NaF PET/CT scan than on the 18F-FDG PET/CT in 3 patients, whereas in 1 patient, 18F-FDG PET/CT showed skeletal disease and the 18F-NaF PET/CT was negative. Extraskeletal lesions were detected on both 18F-FDG and combined 18F-NaF/18F-FDG PET/CT in 20 patients, with 1 discordant finding in the lung. Conclusions The combined 18F-NaF/18F-FDG PET/CT scan allows for accurate evaluation of sarcoma patients. Further evaluation of this proposed imaging modality is warranted to identify the most suitable clinical scenarios, including initial treatment strategy and evaluation of response to therapy.
Sun exposure and Protection Behavior of Danish Farm Children: Parental Influence on Their Children

Healthy sun habits acquired in childhood could reduce skin cancer incidence. We examined the sun exposure and protection behavior of an expected high‐exposure group of children, and the association to their parents. Open, prospective cohort study. One hundred and thirty nine participants (40 families) kept daily sun behavior diaries (sun exposure, sunscreen use, sunburns) over a 4‐month summer period (15 985 diary days). The Pigment Protection Factor (PPF), an objective measure of sun exposure, was measured at two body sites, before and after summer. All participants presented data from the same 115 days. Risk behavior (sun exposure of upper body) took place on 9.5 days (boys) and 15.6 days (girls). Sunburn and sunscreen use were infrequent. Boys’ sun exposure resulted in an increased photo protection over the study period of 1.7 SED (upper arm) and 0.8 SED (shoulder) to elicit erythema. Corresponding values for girls were as follows: 0.9 SED (upper arm) and 0.5 SED (shoulder). Boys’ sunscreen use correlated to their mothers’ (r = 0.523, P = 0.02). Girls’ number of risk days (r = 0.552, P = 0.005) and sun exposure (upper arm: r = 0.621, P < 0.001) correlated to their mothers’. The children's sun exposure was substantial. Only mothers influenced children's sun behavior and exposure. This may be of relevance in future sun protection campaigns.
Deep Levels Characterization in GaN HEMTs—Part II: Experimental and Numerical Evaluation of Self-Heating Effects on the Extraction of Traps Activation Energy

In this paper, the effects of device self-heating on the extraction of traps activation energy are investigated through experimental measurements and numerical simulations. Neglecting the device temperature increase during the experimental measurements can lead to an underestimation of traps activation energies as well as nonoverlapping Arrhenius plots. It will be shown that said artifacts can be removed once device thermal resistance is known and used to correct the temperatures data points at which trap time constants are extracted. The correctness of the proposed method is also supported through numerical simulations carried out both by neglecting and considering thermal effects during the drain current transient measurements. Finally, the experimental results obtained are also suggesting a novel method for the extraction of device thermal resistance, which yielded comparable results with respect to those obtained with other experimental techniques.
Enhanced expression of three monocarboxylate transporter isoforms in the brain of obese mice

Monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) are membrane carriers for lactate and ketone bodies. Three isoforms, MCT1, MCT2 and MCT4, have been described in the central nervous system but little information is available about the regulation of their expression in relation to altered metabolic and/or nutritional conditions. We show here that brains of mice fed on a high fat diet (HFD) up to 12 weeks as well as brains of genetically obese (ob/ob) or diabetic (db/db) mice exhibit an increase of MCT1, MCT2 and MCT4 expression as compared to brains of control mice fed a standard diet. Enhanced expression of each transporter was visible throughout the brain but most prominently in the cortex and in the hippocampus. Using immunohistochemistry, we observed that neurons (expressing mainly MCT2 but also sometimes low levels of MCT1 under normal conditions) were immunolabelled for all three transporters in HFD mice as well as in ob/ob and db/db mice. At the subcellular level, changes were most remarkable in neuronal cell bodies. Western blotting performed on brain structure extracts allowed us to confirm quantitatively the enhancement of MCT1 and MCT2 expression. Our data demonstrate that the expression of cerebral MCT isoforms can be modulated by alterations of peripheral metabolism, suggesting that the adult brain is sensitive and adapts to new metabolic states. This observation could be relevant in the context of obesity development and its consequences for brain function.
Comparison of Petri Net and Finite State Machine Discrete Event Control of Distributed Surveillance Network

Wireless sensor networks are an important military technology with civil and scientific applications. In this article, we derive a discrete event controller system for distributed surveillance networks that consists of three interacting hierarchies—sensing, communications, and command. Petri Net representations of the hierarchies provide plant models of resource contention and internal consistency. Control specifications are derived that enforce consistency across the hierarchies. Three controllers are created using different methodologies to satisfy these specifications. The methods used are Petri Net, finite state automata using the Ramadge and Wonham approach, and vector addition control using the Wonham and Li approach. We use the controllers derived to contrast the design methodologies. Our results find these three approaches to be roughly equivalent. Each method has advantages and disadvantages.
Probability Metrics and their Applications

In this article, we introduce the definitions and characteristics of some important probability metrics (distances); furthermore, we examine some applications of these metrics. The relationships among these metrics are evaluated. Finally, we study the convexity property of metrics and this property is investigated for the Birnbaum-Orlicz average distance.
A Game Theoretic Model for AS Topology Formation with the Scale-Free Property

Recent studies investigating the Internet topology reported that inter Autonomous System (AS) topology exhibits a power-law degree distribution which is known as the scale-free property. Although there are many models to generate scale-free topologies, no game theoretic approaches have been proposed yet. In this paper, we propose the new dynamic game theoretic model for the AS level Internet topology formation. Through numerical simulations, we show our process tends to give emergence of the topologies which have the scale-free property especially in the case of large decay parameters and large random link costs. The significance of our study is summarized as following three topics. Firstly, we show that scale-free topologies can also emerge from the game theoretic model. Secondly, we propose the new dynamic process of the network formation game for modeling a process of AS topology formation, and show that our model is appropriate in the micro and macro senses. In the micro sense, our topology formation process is appropriate because this represents competitive and distributed situation observed in the real AS level Internet topology formation process. In the macro sense, some of statistical properties of emergent topologies from our process are similar to those of which also observed in the real AS level Internet topology. Finally, we demonstrate the numerical simulations of our process which is deterministic variation of dynamic process of network formation game with transfers. This is also the new result in the field of the game theory.
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Hospitals and Long-Term Care Facilities: Microbiology, Epidemiology, and Preventive Measures

Strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have become increasingly common in the United States and in many other countries since 1975. Although MRSA was recovered primarily in university and federal hospitals in this country during the late 1970s, these organisms are being encountered with increasing frequency in all types of hospitals, especially in the eastern half of the United States. Although there is a paucity of information available on the prevalence of MRSA in long-term care facilities, a few reports suggest that MRSA is also seen frequently in these settings. Because colonized patients are frequently transferred between hospitals and long-term care facilities, a continuing circuit of MRSA transmission occurs in areas where these organisms are prevalent. MRSA prevalence rates vary widely by locale and by type and size of hospital. In some geographic areas, the prevalence remains low, whereas in other areas, from 10% to 50% of all S aureus isolates recovered from patients in large medical centers are MRSA. Even within a given city, MRSA prevalence rates may vary widely among acute care hospitals.
Interaction in Online Tutoring Sessions: An Opportunity to Knit English Language Learning in a Blended Program

This article reports a research study which intended to describe the interaction taking place between a tutor and her students during the online tutoring sessions ( OTS) in the ALEX Virtual English Program at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, in Bogota. Students’ surveys, chat transcriptions and tutor’s journals were used to collect data. The results showed how language itself, the methodology of the course, reflection upon learning, and social and personal issues made up the conversational topics prevailing in these sessions. It was also found that the main interactions between the tutor and the learners consisted of double-way dynamics.