Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An immunomorphometric study on megakaryocyte precursor cells in bone marrow tissue from patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)

Abstract: An immunomorphometric study was performed on trephine biopsies of the bone marrow in 41 patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) to determine number and size of megakaryocyte precursor cells (pro‐ and megakaryoblasts). For specific staining, a monoclonal antibody against platelet glycoprotein IIIa (Y2/51) was employed which is applicable on routinely fixed and paraffin embedded tissue. In comparison with control specimens from 15 patients, in CML morphometric analysis revealed an increase in the total amount of megakaryocytes per square and cubic millimeter marrow tissue, but particularly in patients with thrombocythemia. Moreover, a non‐disorderly expansion of the megakaryocyte precursor pool was recognizable by showing a relative frequency of pro‐ and megakaryoblasts in congruence with the normal value. In this context a significant correlation between the counts for Y2/51‐positive megakaryocytic elements and promegakaryoblasts with the corresponding platelet values was encountered. The more mature stages of megakaryopoiesis (pro‐ end megakaryocytes) disclosed a relevant shift to smaller cell forms with rounded cell perimeters and a more compact aspect of their nuclei. Additionally, in 6 patients with CML, evolution into a subacute and manifest (micro)‐megakaryoblastic transformation accompanied by myelofibrosis could be demonstrated by a retrospective review of file material.
A study on load modulation for underwater wireless power transfer

In this work we present a study addressing the load modulation for wireless power transfer in underwater applications. A voltage-mode class-D in a series-series resonance topology is analyzed with simplified equations provided to describe the operation of the wireless power system, including the influence of the load on the primary side. The analysis is validated through simulation results provided for a resistive load modulation using component SPICE models, including the characterization of coupling coils in salt water.
Mediator proteins orchestrate enzyme-ssDNA assembly during T4 recombination-dependent DNA replication and repair

Studies of recombination-dependent replication (RDR) in the T4 system have revealed the critical roles played by mediator proteins in the timely and productive loading of specific enzymes onto single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) during phage RDR processes. The T4 recombination mediator protein, uvsY, is necessary for the proper assembly of the T4 presynaptic filament (uvsX recombinase cooperatively bound to ssDNA), leading to the recombination-primed initiation of leading strand DNA synthesis. In the lagging strand synthesis component of RDR, replication mediator protein gp59 is required for the assembly of gp41, the DNA helicase component of the T4 primosome, onto lagging strand ssDNA. Together, uvsY and gp59 mediate the productive coupling of homologous recombination events to the initiation of T4 RDR. UvsY promotes presynaptic filament formation on 3′ ssDNA-tailed chromosomes, the physiological primers for T4 RDR, and recent results suggest that uvsY also may serve as a coupling factor between presynapsis and the nucleolytic resection of double-stranded DNA ends. Other results indicate that uvsY stabilizes uvsX bound to the invading strand, effectively preventing primosome assembly there. Instead, gp59 directs primosome assembly to the displaced strand of the D loop/replication fork. This partitioning mechanism enforced by the T4 recombination/replication mediator proteins guards against antirecombination activity of the helicase component and ensures that recombination intermediates formed by uvsX/uvsY will efficiently be converted into semiconservative DNA replication forks. Although the major mode of T4 RDR is semiconservative, we present biochemical evidence that a conservative “bubble migration” mode of RDR could play a role in lesion bypass by the T4 replication machinery.
Review of active noise control algorithms for impulsive noise control

Active noise control is gaining popularity in recent years. Especially, active control of impulsive noise is of great interest. Due to specific nature of such noise, standard approach to active control is not satisfying. This paper reviews existing algorithms specifically developed for impulsive noise control. Performance of the algorithms is verified using computer simulations and several noise signals.
Neuroprotective effect of sonic hedgehog up‐regulated in Schwann cells following sciatic nerve injury

The physiological roles of sonic hedgehog (Shh) have been intensively characterized in development of various organs. However, their functions in adult tissues have not been fully elucidated. We investigated the expression and the potential function of Shh in crush‐injured adult rat sciatic nerves. The Shh expression was up‐regulated in Schwann cells adjacent to the injured site. The time‐course analyses of various neurotrophic factors revealed the up‐regulation of Shh mRNA followed by that of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA. The continuous administration of cyclopamine, a hedgehog signal inhibitor, to the injured site suppressed the increase of BDNF expression and deteriorated the survival of motor neurons in lumbar spinal cord. Treatment of exogenous Shh in cultured Schwann cells enhanced the BDNF expression. The BDNF promoter activity (exon I and II) was increased in IMS32 cells co‐transfected with Shh and its receptor Smoothened. These findings imply that the up‐regulated expression of Shh in Schwann cells may play an important role in injured motor neurons through the induction of BDNF.
Synthesis, Antibacterial and Thermal Studies of Cellulose Nanocrystal Stabilized ZnO-Ag Heterostructure Nanoparticles

Synthesis of ZnO-Ag heterostructure nanoparticles was carried out by a precipitation method with cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) as a stabilizer for antimicrobial and thermal studies. ZnO-Ag nanoparticles were obtained from various weight percentages of added AgNO3 relative to Zn precursors for evaluating the best composition with enhanced functional properties. The ZnO-Ag/CNCs samples were characterized systematically by TEM, XRD, UV, TGA and DTG. From the TEM studies we observed that ZnO-Ag heterostructure nanoparticles have spherical shapes with size diameters in a 9–35 nm range. The antibacterial activities of samples were assessed against the bacterial species Salmonella choleraesuis and Staphylococcus aureus. The CNCs-stabilized ZnO-Ag exhibited greater bactericidal activity compared to cellulose-free ZnO-Ag heterostructure nanoparticles of the same particle size. The incorporation of ZnO-Ag hetreostructure nanoparticles significantly increased the thermal stability of cellulose nanocrystals.
Fasting Increases Human Skeletal Muscle Net Phenylalanine Release and This Is Associated with Decreased mTOR Signaling

Aim Fasting is characterised by profound changes in energy metabolism including progressive loss of body proteins. The underlying mechanisms are however unknown and we therefore determined the effects of a 72-hour-fast on human skeletal muscle protein metabolism and activation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), a key regulator of cell growth. Methods Eight healthy male volunteers were studied twice: in the postabsorptive state and following 72 hours of fasting. Regional muscle amino acid kinetics was measured in the forearm using amino acid tracers. Signaling to protein synthesis and breakdown were assessed in skeletal muscle biopsies obtained during non-insulin and insulin stimulated conditions on both examination days. Results Fasting significantly increased forearm net phenylalanine release and tended to decrease phenylalanine rate of disappearance. mTOR phosphorylation was decreased by ∼50% following fasting, together with reduced downstream phosphorylation of 4EBP1, ULK1 and rpS6. In addition, the insulin stimulated increase in mTOR and rpS6 phosphorylation was significantly reduced after fasting indicating insulin resistance in this part of the signaling pathway. Autophagy initiation is in part regulated by mTOR through ULK1 and fasting increased expression of the autophagic marker LC3B-II by ∼30%. p62 is degraded during autophagy but was increased by ∼10% during fasting making interpretation of autophagic flux problematic. MAFbx and MURF1 ubiquitin ligases remained unaltered after fasting indicating no change in protesomal protein degradation. Conclusions Our results show that during fasting increased net phenylalanine release in skeletal muscle is associated to reduced mTOR activation and concomitant decreased downstream signaling to cell growth.
Prevalence of posttraumatic growth hormone deficiency is highly dependent on the diagnostic set-up: results from The Danish National Study on Posttraumatic Hypopituitarism.

CONTEXT Recent international guidelines suggest pituitary screening in patients with moderate and severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Predominantly isolated GH deficiency (GHD) was reported in the literature, raising the question of potential methodological bias. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to assess the prevalence of GHD in patients admitted in 2008 with TBI, with concurrent assessment of methodological bias. DESIGN AND SETTING We conducted a nationwide population-based cohort study at tertiary referral university hospitals. PARTICIPANTS Participants were Danish patients with a head trauma diagnosis from the Danish Board of Health diagnostic code registry; 439 patients and 124 healthy controls underwent dynamic assessment of GH secretion 2.5 years (median) after TBI. MAIN OUTCOME We evaluated the prevalence of GHD given use of 1) local versus guideline cutoffs, 2) insulin tolerance test (ITT), pyridostigmine (PD)-GHRH or GHRH-arginine (arg) test, 3) single versus repeated testing, and 4) GH assessment by assays with different isoform specificities. RESULTS The prevalence of GHD was lower by local than by guideline cutoffs (12% vs 19% [PD-GHRH/GHRH-arg, P<.001]; 4.5% vs 5% [ITT, P=.9]), and by ITT than by PD-GHRH/GHRH-arg (P=.006 [local cutoffs]; P<.001 [guideline cutoffs]). Only 1% of patients had GHD according to 2 tests. GH assessment by the Immulite or iSYS assay caused no significant diagnostic differences. CONCLUSIONS The study confirmed a high risk of bias in the management of pituitary testing of patients with TBI and stresses the importance of a proper control group and stringent GH testing including confirmatory testing in cohorts with low a priori likelihood of GHD such as in TBI. Our results question the evidence for newly introduced recommendations for routine pituitary assessment in TBI.
Motif Enrichment Tool

The Motif Enrichment Tool (MET) provides an online interface that enables users to find major transcriptional regulators of their gene sets of interest. MET searches the appropriate regulatory region around each gene and identifies which transcription factor DNA-binding specificities (motifs) are statistically overrepresented. Motif enrichment analysis is currently available for many metazoan species including human, mouse, fruit fly, planaria and flowering plants. MET also leverages high-throughput experimental data such as ChIP-seq and DNase-seq from ENCODE and ModENCODE to identify the regulatory targets of a transcription factor with greater precision. The results from MET are produced in real time and are linked to a genome browser for easy follow-up analysis. Use of the web tool is free and open to all, and there is no login requirement. Address: http://veda.cs. uiuc.edu/MET/.
Relating Habitat and Climatic Niches in Birds

Predicting species' responses to the combined effects of habitat and climate changes has become a major challenge in ecology and conservation biology. However, the effects of climatic and habitat gradients on species distributions have generally been considered separately. Here, we explore the relationships between the habitat and thermal dimensions of the ecological niche in European common birds. Using data from the French Breeding Bird Survey, a large-scale bird monitoring program, we correlated the habitat and thermal positions and breadths of 74 bird species, controlling for life history traits and phylogeny. We found that cold climate species tend to have niche positions in closed habitats, as expected by the conjunction of the biogeographic history of birds' habitats, and their current continent-scale gradients. We also report a positive correlation between thermal and habitat niche breadths, a pattern consistent with macroecological predictions concerning the processes shaping species' distributions. Our results suggest that the relationships between the climatic and habitat components of the niche have to be taken into account to understand and predict changes in species' distributions.
Secure messaging and diabetes management: experiences and perspectives of patient portal users

BACKGROUND Patient portal use has been associated with favorable outcomes, but we know less about how patients use and benefit from specific patient portal features. OBJECTIVE Using mixed-methods, we explored how adults with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) use and benefit from secure messaging (SM) within a patient portal. METHODS Adults with T2DM who had used a patient portal participated in a focus group and completed a survey (n=39) or completed a survey only (n=15). We performed thematic analysis of focus group transcripts to identify the benefits of and barriers to using SM within a portal. We also examined the association between use of various patient portal features and patients' glycemic control. RESULTS Participants were on average 57.1 years old; 65% were female; 76% were Caucasian/White, and 20% were African American/Black. Self-reported benefits of SM within a portal included enhanced patient satisfaction, enhanced efficiency and quality of face-to-face visits, and access to clinical care outside traditional face-to-face visits. Self-reported barriers to using SM within a portal included preconceived beliefs or rules about SM and prior negative experiences with SM. Participants' assumptions about providers' opinions about SM and providers' instructions about SM also influenced use. Greater self-reported use of SM to manage a medical appointment was significantly associated with patients' glycemic control (ρ=-0.29, p=0.04). CONCLUSION SM within a portal may facilitate access to care, enhance the quality of office visits, and be associated with patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes for patients with diabetes, but provider communication about SM is essential.
Coverbal iconic gestures for object descriptions in virtual environments

This paper describes an empirical study aimed at investigating object references in Virtual Environments using iconic gestures. Observations are focused on spatial concepts conveyed gestually and their relation to features of the gesture shape. A set of important features and spatial concepts useful for automated gesture recognition is identified. Based on these findings we propose a model of an iconic reference recognizer.
Physical properties, thermal stability, and glass transition temperature of multi-walled carbon nanotube/polypyrrole nanocomposites

Polypyrrole (PPy) was synthesized and doped with 1, 2, 4, and 8 wt. % of functionalized multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) by in situ polymerization. TGA/DTA analysis of nanocomposites revealed an increase in thermal stability by increasing the CNTs wt. %. Measurement of electrical resistivity showed a reduction in the resistivity of the composites at all temperatures. The glass transition temperature (Tg) of the samples was measured using electrical resistivity measurements and showed that by increasing the amount of functionalized MWCNTs in PPy, its Tg was increased. Temperature dependence of resistivity of pressed pure PPy showed that by increasing the pelletization pressure, the Tg increased. Also the hardness of nanocomposites was increased by increasing the MWCNTs wt. %.
EyeMusic: Introducing a "visual" colorful experience for the blind using auditory sensory substitution.

PURPOSE Sensory-substitution devices (SSDs) provide auditory or tactile representations of visual information. These devices often generate unpleasant sensations and mostly lack color information. We present here a novel SSD aimed at addressing these issues. METHODS We developed the EyeMusic, a novel visual-to-auditory SSD for the blind, providing both shape and color information. Our design uses musical notes on a pentatonic scale generated by natural instruments to convey the visual information in a pleasant manner. A short behavioral protocol was utilized to train the blind to extract shape and color information, and test their acquired abilities. Finally, we conducted a survey and a comparison task to assess the pleasantness of the generated auditory stimuli. RESULTS We show that basic shape and color information can be decoded from the generated auditory stimuli. High performance levels were achieved by all participants following as little as 2-3 hours of training. Furthermore, we show that users indeed found the stimuli pleasant and potentially tolerable for prolonged use. CONCLUSIONS The novel EyeMusic algorithm provides an intuitive and relatively pleasant way for the blind to extract shape and color information. We suggest that this might help facilitating visual rehabilitation because of the added functionality and enhanced pleasantness.
Assessment of the effectiveness of orange (Citrus reticulata) peel in the recovery of nickel from electroplating wastewater.

BACKGROUND Wastewater discharged from electroplating industry contains different concentrations of heavy metals, which when released into the environment pose a health hazard to human beings. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of orange peel as an adsorbent in the recovery of Nickel (Ni) from electroplating wastewater. MATERIALS AND METHODS The effectiveness of orange peel as an adsorbent was assessed by determining the optimum conditions of adsorption (adsorbent dose, pH, and contact time), calculating the recovery percentage, and characterizing the orange peel sludge resulting from adsorption/desorption process as being hazardous or not. RESULTS Under optimum conditions for adsorption, orange peel was found to be an effective adsorbent of Ni from electroplating wastewater. It achieved 59.28% removal of the metal from a solution containing 528 mg/l, at a dose of 60 g/l, at pH 7, and for 1-h contact time. The nickel uptake capacity of orange peel was calculated to be 5.2 mg/g. Using HCl for desorption of adsorbed Ni, a recovery of 44.46% of Ni discharged in the wastewater could be reached. Orange peel resulting from the adsorption/desorption process was characterized as being nonhazardous. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION Orange peel was found to be effective in the recovery of nearly half of the amount of Ni discharged in electroplating wastewater. Further studies are required to determine (a) the impact of the recovered NiCl2 solution on the quality of the plated product, (b) the effect of activation of orange peel on the adsorption process, and (c) the number of cycles during which orange peel can be reused as an effective adsorbent.
Multiplexed glycoproteomic analysis of glycosylation disorders by sequential yolk immunoglobulins immunoseparation and MALDI‐TOF MS

This study applied yolk immunoglobulins immunoaffinity separation and MALDI‐TOF MS for clinical proteomics of congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG) and secondary glycosylation disorders [galactosemia and hereditary fructose intolerance (HFI)]. Serum transferrin (Tf) and α1‐antitrypsin (AAT) that are markers for CDG, were purified sequentially to obtain high‐quality MALDI mass spectra to differentiate single glycoforms of the native intact glycoproteins. The procedure was found feasible for the investigation of protein macroheterogeneity due to glycosylation site underoccupancy then ensuing the characterization of patients with CDG group I (N‐glycan assembly disorders). Following PNGase F digestion of the purified glycoprotein, the characterization of protein microheterogeneity by N‐glycan MS analysis was performed in a patient with CDG group II (processing disorders). CDG‐Ia patients showed a typical profile of underglycosylation where the fully glycosylated glycoforms are always the most abundant present in plasma with lesser amounts of partially and unglycosylated glycoforms in this order. Galactosemia and HFI are potentially fatal diseases, which benefit from early diagnosis and prompt therapeutic intervention. In symptomatic patients with galactosemia and in those with HFI, MALDI MS of Tf and AAT depicts a hypoglycosylation profile with a significant increase of underglycosylated glycoforms that reverses by dietary treatment, representing a clue for diagnosis and treatment monitoring.
Feature-Oriented Coupled Bidirectional Flow for Image Denoising and Edge Sharpening

In this paper, a new type of diffusion process that simultaneously denoises and sharpens images is considered. We presents a feature-oriented coupled bidirectional flow process, where, according to image features such as edges, textures, and fine parts, it can switch from a forward diffusion to a backward (inverse) one along the normal directions to the isophote lines (edges), while a forward diffusion is performed along the tangent directions. To eliminate the conflict between the backward and the forward force, we split them into a coupled scheme. In order to enhance image features the nonlinear diffusion coefficients are locally adjusted according to the directional derivatives of the image. Experimental results demonstrate that our algorithm can substantially enhance features on denoising smoother areas of the image.
Detection of Intracranial Atherosclerosis: Which Imaging Techniques Are Available in European Hospitals?

Background and Purpose— The diagnosis of intracranial atherosclerosis requires availability of appropriate imaging techniques. The objective was to evaluate the proportion of European hospitals where imaging techniques necessary to detect intracranial atherosclerosis are available. Method— We randomly selected 886 hospitals in 25 countries and classified them in 3 categories according to the availability of 3 imaging techniques (transcranial color-coded duplex imaging, computed tomographic angiography, and magnetic resonance angiography): “all” when the 3 techniques were available, “at least 1,” and “none. ” We compared the proportion of hospitals meeting these criteria, using the odds ratio method and Germany as reference. Results— Two hundred seventy-two hospitals (30.7%) met criteria for all, 445 (50.2%) met criteria for at least 1, and 169 (19.1%) met criteria for none. In 2005, they had admitted, respectively, 139,118, 160, 393, and 62 667 stroke patients. Brain CT or MRI were available in 820 (92.6%) hospitals, computed tomographic angiography in 619 (69.9%), magnetic resonance angiography in 498 (56.2%), and transcranial color-coded duplex in 352 (39.7%). Compared to Germany, Greece (OR, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.01–0.88), Iberic countries (OR, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.05–0.27), Baltic countries (OR, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.03–0.56), Poland (OR, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.21–0.77), and France (OR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.31–0.89), had significantly less hospitals in the all group. Conclusion— In Europe, less than one-third of ischemic stroke patients are admitted in hospitals with all imaging techniques available to detect intracranial atherosclerosis. There are important differences between countries.