Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Generation and Characterization of Human Monoclonal Antibodies Targeting Anthrax Protective Antigen following Vaccination with a Recombinant Protective Antigen Vaccine

ABSTRACT The anthrax protective antigen (PA) is the central component of the three-part anthrax toxin, and it is the primary immunogenic component in the approved AVA anthrax vaccine and the “next-generation” recombinant PA (rPA) anthrax vaccines. Animal models have indicated that PA-specific antibodies (AB) are sufficient to protect against infection with Bacillus anthracis. In this study, we investigated the PA domain specificity, affinity, mechanisms of neutralization, and synergistic effects of PA-specific antibodies from a single donor following vaccination with the rPA vaccine. Antibody-secreting cells were isolated 7 days after the donor received a boost vaccination, and 34 fully human monoclonal antibodies (hMAb) were identified. Clones 8H6, 4A3, and 22F1 were able to neutralize lethal toxin (LeTx) both in vitro and in vivo. Clone 8H6 neutralized LeTx by preventing furin cleavage of PA in a dose-dependent manner. Clone 4A3 enhanced degradation of nicked PA, thereby interfering with PA oligomerization. The mechanism of 22F1 is still unclear. A fourth clone, 2A6, that was protective only in vitro was found to be neutralizing in vivo in combination with a toxin-enhancing antibody, 8A7, which binds to domain 3 of PA and PA oligomers. These results provide novel insights into the antibody response elicited by the rPA vaccine and may be useful for PA-based vaccine and immunotherapeutic cocktail design.
Mucin Function in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: An Update

MUC2 is the primary component of the mucin barrier that separates the intestinal microbiota and the intestinal epithelium. This mucous barrier is affected by both luminal/microbial factors and host/immune factors, both of which have genetic and environmental determinants. The complex interactions between these players in health and disease states are not fully understood. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has both genetic and environmental etiologies that lead to the breakdown of the epithelial barrier. In this review, we explore the up-to-date evidence that implicates mucin in the pathogenesis of IBD. In IBD, quantitative changes in mucin secretion occur, as well as structural changes in mucin’s glycoprotein core and the sulfation and sialylation of mucin’s oligosaccharide residues. These changes are associated with a diminished functionality of the mucous barrier. We identify the various genetic mutations associated with these changes and outline the animal models that have enhanced the current understanding of the genetic basis for IBD. Further study is needed to better characterize the immune and genetic influences on mucin expression and secretion and role of endoplasmic reticulum stress and a defective unfolded protein response in mediating these changes.
The reactivity of murine lymphocytes to epidermal cells.

Epithelial cells are effective targets for lymphocyte stimulation in vitro. The magnitude of response to incompatible epithelial cells was equal to or slightly greater than that following incubation with lymphoid cells. Lymph node lymphocytes appear slightly more reactive to epithelia than comparable preparations of spleen cells. This model was used to study whether differentiation antigens of skin (Sk) which are not expressed on lymphoid cells can provoke an in vitro allograft reaction.
Medical Holography for Basic Anatomy Training

The conceptualization of three-dimensional (3D) images within the human brain is a difficult task requiring extensive use of the brain’s working memory. In the medical education community, this problem is particularly prevalent due to the complex 3D structures inherent in human anatomy. One potential solution to this problem is to present medical content in 3D dimensions rather than 2D or 2.5D. In doing so, the trainee would no longer be burdened with the additional cognitive load imposed during conversion of a 2/2.5D representation to a 3D representation within working memory. A unique technological solution to achieve this uses holography to present the medical content. Holography allows the user to view fully parallax, auto-stereoscopic 3D images. Within this research effort, static, full-color holograms were created depicting medical content. A study was conducted involving two groups of students presented with medical content in either a traditional format via textbook handouts or through holography. Cognitive load analysis was performed to determine if a difference in cognitive effort was experienced while using holography. A usability study was conducted to evaluate hologram performance and collect user experience metrics during the trial. This paper will discuss in detail the results of the experiment including the cognitive load analysis, the usability evaluation, performance trends, and lessons learned. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hesitant Fuzzy Linguistic VIKOR Method and Its Application in Qualitative Multiple Criteria Decision Making

The hesitant fuzzy linguistic term set (HFLTS) has turned out to be a powerful and flexible technique in representing decision makers' qualitative assessments in the processes of decision making. The aim of this paper is to develop a method to solve the multicriteria decision making (MCDM) problem within the context of HFLTS in which the criteria conflict with each other. To do so, the concepts of ideal solutions for a HFL-MCDM problem have been introduced. In addition, in order to represent the closeness of one solution to the ideal one, we propose a sort of hesitant fuzzy linguistic measures, such as the hesitant fuzzy linguistic group utility measure, the hesitant fuzzy linguistic individual regret measure, and the hesitant fuzzy linguistic compromise measure. Based on these measures, we develop a hesitant fuzzy linguistic VIKOR (HFL-VIKOR) method, which is motivated by the traditional VIKOR method. The general procedures for the HFL-VIKOR method are given. Some numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the advantages and practicality of our method. Finally, we make some discussions on the advantages of the HFL-VIKOR method, as well as future work.
First steps towards mutually-immersive mobile telepresence

Mutually-Immersive Mobile Telepresence uses a teleoper-ated robotic surrogate to visit remote locations as a substitute for physical travel. Our goal is to recreate to the greatest extent possible, both for the user and the people at the remote location, the sensory experience relevant for business interactions of the user actually being in the remote location. The system includes multi-channel bidirectional video and near-CD quality four-channel audio on a mobile platform, preserves gaze, can reproduce remote participants at near life size, strives to accurately recreate colors, and includes haptic feedback. This video shows some of the features of our ﬁrst system prototype.
Realized Information Systems Strategy: A Multiple-Case Study

After the multiple-case study of seven enterprises, this paper identifies the dimensional construct of information systems (IS) strategy of Chinese enterprises. The study shows: the four-dimensional construct of IS strategy proposed by Chan, Huff and Copeland is partly applicable to the enterprises in China. In fact, the IS strategy of our country encompasses three dimensions: business action support dimension, business decision support dimension and network embeddedness support dimension. Meanwhile, it finds that for different enterprises, the three dimensions of IS strategy can coexist in a enterprise but vary from one another and the supporting function of the same IS to business strategy can also be different.
Spectrum of Doppler ultrasound signals from nonstationary blood flow

A new formulation for the Doppler signal generation process in pulsatile flow has been developed enabling easier identification and quantification of the mechanisms involved in spectral broadening and the development of a simple estimation formula for the measured rms spectral width. The accuracy of the estimation formula was tested by comparing it with the spectral widths found by using conventional spectral estimation on simulated Doppler signals from pulsatile flow. The influence of acceleration, sample volume size, and time window duration on the Doppler spectral width was investigated for flow with blunt and parabolic velocity profiles passing through Gaussian-shaped sample volumes. Our results show that, for short duration windows, the spectral width is dominated by window broadening and that acceleration has a small effect on the spectral width. For long duration windows, the effect of acceleration must be taken into account. The size of the sample volume affects the spectral width of the Doppler signal in two ways: by intrinsic broadening and by the range of velocities passing through it. These effects act in opposite directions. The simple spectral width estimation formula was shown to have excellent agreement with widths calculated using the model and indicates the potential for correcting not only for window and nonstationarity broadening but also for intrinsic broadening.
Current strategies and future trends in immunosuppression after heart transplantation

Purpose of reviewCurrent immunosuppressive drugs have provided excellent outcomes after heart transplantation. However, more patients suffer from long-term complications of these drugs. A series of prospective randomized trials has been conducted and has offered disparate results. This report reviews the challenges of immunosuppressive therapy during the past decade, describes recent reports and explores potential future trends in immunosuppressive protocols in heart transplantation. Recent findingsThe traditional combination of cyclosporine, azathioprine and steroids has been changed to tacrolimus (Tac) or cyclosporine in combination with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and steroids due to the results of several trials. The use of mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors in combination with Tac or cyclosporine A has not shown a clear benefit compared with MMF. All different combinations have shown some positive effects counteracted by side-effects and negative synergism of combinations. Future protocols need to be adapted according to individual patient's needs and risks. SummaryThe changing population of heart transplantation patients has become older and sicker. Immunosuppression strategies should be developed for each patient based on their risk for rejection and their risk for developing important complications of immunosuppressive therapy.
Gender and appearance accuracy: Women’s advantage over men is restricted to dress items

ABSTRACT Which aspects of people’s appearance do women remember better than men? Women were predicted to remember the dress-related items but not the physical characteristics of targets more accurately than men, given that the former might be a more female-relevant domain of interest among perceivers. Participants watched a videotaped target and then completed a surprise test of their memory for her/his appearance. Men were as accurate as women at remembering the target’s physical features but less accurate than woman at recalling what the target was wearing. Discussion focuses on the implications of these findings for eyewitness accuracy.
Microvesicles as Cell–Cell Messengers in Cardiovascular Diseases

Cell–cell communication has proven to be even more complex than previously thought since the discovery that extracellular vesicles serve as containers of biological information on various pathophysiological settings. Extracellular vesicles are classified into exosomes, microvesicles/microparticles, or apoptotic bodies, originating from different subcellular compartments. The cellular machinery controlling their formation and composition, as well as the mechanisms regulating their extracellular release, remain unfortunately much unknown. Extracellular vesicles have been found in plasma, urine, saliva, and inflammatory tissues. Their biomarker potential has raised significant interest in the cardiovascular field because the vesicle composition and microRNA content are specific signatures of cellular activation and injury. More than simply cell dust, extracellular vesicles are capable of transferring biological information to neighboring cells and play an active role in inflammatory diseases, including atherosclerosis and angiogenesis. The molecular interactions regulating these effects involve specific receptor activation, proteolytic enzymes, reactive oxygen species, or delivery of genetic information to target cells. Unraveling their mechanisms of action will likely open new therapeutic avenues.
An introduction to MPEG-4 audio lossless coding

Lossless coding is to become the latest extension of the MPEG-4 audio standard. In response to a call for proposals, many companies have submitted lossless audio codecs for evaluation. The codec of the Technical University of Berlin was chosen as reference model for MPEG-4 audio lossless coding (ALS), attaining working draft status in July 2003. The encoder is based on linear prediction, which enables high compression even with moderate complexity, while the corresponding decoder is straightforward. The paper describes the basic elements of the codec, points out envisaged applications, and gives an outline of the standardization process.
Voltage-gated potassium channels in larval CNS neurons of Drosophila

The availability of genetic, molecular, and biophysical techniques makes Drosophila an ideal system for the study of ion channel function. We have used the patch-clamp technique to characterize voltage-gated K+ channels in cultured larval Drosophila CNS neurons. Whole-cell currents from different cells vary in current kinetics and magnitude. Most of the cells contain a transient A-type 4-AP-sensitive current. In addition, many cells also have a more slowly inactivating TEA-sensitive component and/or a sustained component. No clear correlation between cell morphology and whole-cell current kinetics was observed. Single- channel analysis in cell-free patches revealed that 3 types of channels, named A2, KD, and K1 can account for the whole-cell currents. None of these channels requires elevated intracellular calcium concentration for activation. The A2 channels have a conductance of 6–8 pS and underlie the whole-cell A current. They turn on rapidly, inactivate in response to depolarizing voltage steps, and are completely inactivated by prepulses to -50 mV. The KD (delayed) channels have a conductance of 10–16 pS and can account, in part, for the more slowly inactivating component of whole-cell current. They have longer open times and activate and inactivate more slowly than the A2 channels. The K1 channels have a slope conductance, measured between 0 and +40 mV, of 20–40 pS. These channels do not inactivate during 500 msec voltage steps and thus can contribute to the sustained component of current. They exhibit complex gating behavior with increased probability of being open at higher voltages. Although the K1 channels are sufficient to account for the noninactivating component of whole- cell current, we have observed several other channel types that have a similar voltage dependence and average kinetics.
A study of locking objects with bimodal fields

Object locking can be efficiently implemented by bimodal use of a field reserved in an object. The field is used as a lightweight lock in one mode, while it holds a reference to a heavyweight lock in the other mode. A bimodal locking algorithm recently proposed for Java achieves the highest performance in the absence of contention, and is still fast enough when contention occurs. However, mode transitions inherent in bimodal locking have not yet been fully considered. The algorithm requires busy-wait in the transition from the light mode (inflation), and does not make the reverse transition (deflation) at all. We propose a new algorithm that allows both inflation without busy-wait and deflation, but still maintains an almost maximum level of performance in the absence of contention. We also present statistics on the synchronization behavior of real multithreaded Java programs, which indicate that busy-wait in inflation and absence of deflation can be problematic in terms of robustness and performance. Actually, an implementation of our algorithm shows increased robustness, and achieves performance improvements of up to 13.1% in server-oriented benchmarks.
The familial occurrence of intracranial aneurysms

INTRACRANIAL saccular aneurysms are usually regarded as congenital in origin but their etiology is unknown. Any clue that might lead to better understanding of their pathogenesis is worth pursuit, and one such clue is their familial occurrence. One of us has recently reported 3 families, each with 2 affected individuals.lP2 We have subsequently studied these families in greater detail and the results are reported here. We have also reviewed other familial cases previously published and personally communicated to us. In addition, we have attempted to collect information on variations in incidence of intracranial aneurysm in different countries and ethnic groups. While the role of genetic factors in most cases of intracranial aneurysm is unknown, aneurysms occasionally may be due to the inheritance of a single mutant gene, such as those occurring as a complication of the dominantly inherited disorders of connective tissue (for instance, the Ehlers-Danlos ~yndrome,~.3,* which is reported in the first pedigree set out here) or in association with polycystic kidneys.5. 6 These examples show that intracranial saccular aneurysms are a heterogeneous disorder; i.e., the same clinical and pathological syndrome is produced by more than one cause. We have attempted to discern whether other familial cases could be separated from the larger group.
Sound induces perceptual reorganization of an ambiguous motion display in human infants

Adults who watch an ambiguous visual event consisting of two identical objects moving toward, through, and away from each other and hear a brief sound when the objects overlap report seeing visual bouncing. We conducted three experiments in which we used the habituation/test method to determine whether these illusory effects might emerge early in development. In Experiments 1 and 3 we tested 4-, 6- and 8-month-old infants’ discrimination between an ambiguous visual display presented together with a sound synchronized with the objects’ spatial coincidence and the identical visual display presented together with a sound no longer synchronized with coincidence. Consistent with illusory perception, the 6- and 8-month-old, but not the 4-month-old, infants responded to these events as different. In Experiment 2 infants were habituated to the ambiguous visual display together with a sound synchronized with the objects’ coincidence and tested with a physically bouncing object accompanied by the sound at the bounce. Consistent with illusory perception again, infants treated these two events as equivalent by not exhibiting response recovery. The developmental emergence of this intersensory illusion at 6 months of age is hypothesized to reflect developmental changes in object knowledge and attentional mechanisms.
SPS-assisted Synthesis of SICp reinforced high entropy alloys: Reactivity of SIC and effects of pre-mechanical alloying and post-annealing treatment

In this work a traditional high entropy alloy (FeCoNiCrAl) was reinforced by uniformly distributed reactive silicon carbide (SiC) particles by a powder metallurgy synthetic route, using as precursors simply mixed powders or mechanically prealloyed ones. The reactive sintering produced a single isomorphic BCC structure. The sample microstructure resulted equiassic, more homogenous in samples based on prealloyed powders. The instability of SiC in the presence of metal precursors resulted in the formation of more stable carbides and silicides, as well as in carbon diffusion in the high entropy alloy matrix and partially unreacted SiC particles. The formation of these newly formed fine precipitates, as well as the presence of residual SiC were useful to increase the hardness of the alloy.
Micro-hole array fluorescent sensor based on AC-Dielectrophoresis (DEP) for simultaneous analysis of nano-molecules

We propose a simple fluorescent bio-chip based on two types of alternative current-dielectrophoretic (AC-DEP) force, attractive (positive DEP) and repulsive (negative DEP) force, for simultaneous nano-molecules analysis. Various radius of micro-holes on the bio-chip are designed to apply the different AC-DEP forces, and the nano-molecules are concentrated inside the micro-hole arrays according to the intensity of the DEP force. The bio-chip was fabricated by Micro Electro Mechanical system (MEMS) technique, and was composed of two layers; a SiO2 layer and Ta/Pt layer were accomplished for an insulation layer and a top electrode with micro-hole arrays to apply electric fields for DEP force, respectively. Each SiO2 and Ta/Pt layers were deposited by thermal oxidation and sputtering, and micro-hole arrays were fabricated with Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) etching process. For generation of each positive and negative DEP at micro-holes, we applied two types of sine-wave AC voltage with different frequency range alternately. The intensity of the DEP force was controlled by the radius of the micro-hole and size of nano-molecule, and calculated with COMSOL multi-physics. Three types of nano-molecules labelled with different fluorescent dye were used and the intensity of nano-molecules was examined by the fluorescent optical analysis after applying the DEP force. By analyzing the fluorescent intensities of the nano-molecules, we verify the various nano-molecules in analyte are located successfully inside corresponding micro-holes with different radius according to their size.
Accidents in childhood.

DURING the last 100 years there has been a remarkable fall in child mortality rates. Before 1860, 4 per cent of children who survived their first year died before attaining the age of fifteen, while in the slums the figure was as high as 20 per cent (Office of Health Economics, 1962). The term "The Survival of the Fittest" was more than an aspect of Darwin's new theory of Evolution: it was a hard fact of life. The reasons for the improvement in the picture are not difficult to find. Improved Public Health services and possibly superior resistance to infectious diseases transmitted by surviving parents probably account for the earlier, slow but steady fall in the child mortality rate; the rapid increase in tempo since the 1930's is undoubtedly mainly the result of the development of effective antibacterial agents and vaccines. The control of the five infectious diseases--pneumonia, tuberculosis, diphtheria, measles and whooping cough-and their complications accounts for over half the reduction in mortality since 1931 (Office of Health Economics, 1962); only pneumonia remains as an important cause of death to-day (Fig 1). Deaths attributed to accidents in childhood have also decreased in number during this period, including, surprisingly enough, a 50 per cent fall in the number of deaths from road accidents, but this decline has been much less marked than the fall in deaths from infectious disease, so that accidents have assumed greater relative importance and now account for nearly 30 per cent of all childhood mortality. Indeed, a Lancet annotation in 1961 declared that accidents were the largest single cause of death between the ages of 1 and 9 years in the United Kingdom, while in some countries more persons between 5 and 19 years of age die from accidents than from all other causes combined. It is convenient to consider accidents in two categories-those inside and those outside the home.