Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MicroRNA-214 Reduces Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) Receptor Expression and Downstream mTORC1 Signaling in Renal Carcinoma Cells*

Elevated IGF-1/insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) autocrine/paracrine signaling in patients with renal cell carcinoma is associated with poor prognosis of the disease independent of their von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) status. Increased expression of IGF-1R in renal cancer cells correlates with their potency of tumor development and progression. The mechanism by which expression of IGF-1R is increased in renal carcinoma is not known. We report that VHL-deficient and VHL-positive renal cancer cells possess significantly decreased levels of mature, pre-, and pri-miR-214 than normal proximal tubular epithelial cells. We identified an miR-214 recognition element in the 3′UTR of IGF-1R mRNA and confirmed its responsiveness to miR-214. Overexpression of miR-214 decreased the IGF-1R protein levels, resulting in the inhibition of Akt kinase activity in both types of renal cancer cells. IGF-1 provoked phosphorylation and inactivation of PRAS40 in an Akt-dependent manner, leading to the activation of mTORC1 signal transduction to increase phosphorylation of S6 kinase and 4EBP-1. Phosphorylation-deficient mutants of PRAS40 and 4EBP-1 significantly inhibited IGF-1R-driven proliferation of renal cancer cells. Expression of miR-214 suppressed IGF-1R-induced phosphorylation of PRAS40, S6 kinase, and 4EBP-1, indicating inhibition of mTORC1 activity. Finally, miR-214 significantly blocked IGF-1R-forced renal cancer cell proliferation, which was reversed by expression of 3′UTR-less IGF-1R and constitutively active mTORC1. Together, our results identify a reciprocal regulation of IGF-1R levels and miR-214 expression in renal cancer cells independent of VHL status. Our data provide evidence for a novel mechanism for IGF-1R-driven renal cancer cell proliferation involving miR-214 and mTORC1.
Rapid functional assay for the detection of multidrug-resistant cells using the fluorescent dye rhodamine 123.

To the Editor: Making use of the fluorescent properties of anthracyclines they described a rapid flow cytometric assay for the determination of intracellular daunorubicin (DNR) accumulation and retention. Such a technically simple assay may offer the possibility to predict Recently, Berman et all examined the effect of tamoxifen on two cell lines that display the multidrug-resistant (MDR) phenotype.
Perturbation-based digital background calibration technique for pipelined ADCs

This paper presents a perturbation-based gain and nonlinearity background calibration scheme for high-resolution pipelined analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). Two uncorrelated pseudo-random sequences are used to inject a perturbation signal into the pipeline stages and then estimate the linearity of multiplying digital-to-analog converters (MDACs). The gain and linearity errors are corrected to achieve high-resolution performance. A 14-bit pipelined ADC is simulated to verify the proposed calibration scheme. The SNDR is improved from 45 dB to 80 dB. The simulated SFDR is over 99 dB to show the linearity improvement.
Multifrequency and multipolarization radar backscattering from mangrove forests

The authors examine the dependence between multifrequency/multipolarization synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data and mangrove forest parameters. AIRSAR data at P-, L-, and C-band were acquired over French Guiana in June 1993. Structural parameters, namely, tree height, tree diameter at breast height (DBH), tree density, basal area, and total above-ground biomass were estimated in 12 stands representative of different mangrove forest stages. At the study site, total biomass ranges from about 5 to 437 tons of dry matter per ha (t DM ha/sup -1/). Strong relationships were found between most forest parameters and radar data, with P-HV showing the greatest sensitivity to total biomass. Estimation of the forest parameters was performed through multiple stepwise regression techniques. While /spl sigma//sup 0/ at P-HV saturated at about 160 t DM ha/sup -1/, the use of several frequencies and polarizations allowed total biomass to be accurately estimated up to about 240 t DM ha/sup -1/. Furthermore, the use of polarization ratios at different frequencies has provided useful information about the penetration capability of the radar wave as well as the dominant mechanisms occurring between the radar wave and the mangrove canopy.
Combination of transcranial sonography, olfactory testing, and MIBG myocardial scintigraphy as a diagnostic indicator for Parkinson’s disease

Background: Appropriate diagnostic biomarkers are useful for improving speed and accuracy of a diagnosis. Substantia nigra (SN) hyperechogenicity visualized by transcranial sonography (TCS), olfactory dysfunction, and the reduced uptake of 123I‐metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) in myocardial scintigraphy have been suggested as potential biomarkers for the identification of Parkinson’s disease (PD).
Effectiveness and Robustness of Robot Infotaxis for Searching in Dilute Conditions

Tracking scents and locating odor sources is a major challenge in robotics. The odor plume is not a continuous cloud but consists of intermittent odor patches dispersed by the wind. Far from the source, the probability of encountering one of these patches vanishes. In such dilute conditions, a good strategy is to first ‘explore’ the environment and gather information, then ‘exploit’ current knowledge and direct toward the estimated source location. Infotactic navigation has been recently proposed to strike the balance between exploration and exploitation. Infotaxis was tested in simulation and produced trajectories similar to those observed in the flight of moths attracted by a sexual pheromone. In this paper, we assess the performance of infotaxis in dilute conditions by combining robotic experiments and simulations. Our results indicate that infotaxis is both effective (seven detections on average were sufficient to reach the source) and robust (the source is found in presence of inaccurate modeling by the searcher). The biomimetic characteristic of infotaxis is also preserved when searching with a robot in a real environment.
Structure and action of saikosaponins isolated from Bupleurum falcatum L. II. Metabolic actions of saikosaponins, especially a plasma cholesterol-lowering action.

Several metabolic actions of saikosaponins isolated from the root of Bupleurum falcatum L. were examined using albino rats. Hepatic protein synthesis from leucine-14C(U) was enhanced. Glycogen content in the liver was increased, but oxidation of glucose-14C(U) in the liver was not changed. Elevation of plasma levels of cholesterol, triglycerides and p-ospholipids by cholesterol feeding was reduced. Although hepatic lipogenesis and cholesterogenesis from acetate-1-14C of glucose-14C(U) were stimulated, the elimination of i.p. injected cholesterol-4-14C from plasma was acclerated. Fecal excretion of i.p. injected cholesterol-4-14C, expressed as total-14C including bile acids-14C and neutral sterols-14C, was increased. Among the saikosaponins isolated from Bupleurum falcatum L. , saikosaponins a and d, but not c, had metabolic actions as well as anti-inflammatory action. These metabolic actions and anti-inflammatory action of saikosaponins may confirm the clinical application of Bupleurum falcatum L, which has been widely used in the prescriptions of the oriental medicine, and may suggest possible mechanisms for the actions of its active principles.
Le logement des faibles : nouvelles données sur l'élimination du prolétariat

Résumé Dans le numéro d'avril-juin 1957, a paru un article de M. G. Malignac sur le logement des «faibles » et la répartition antisociale qui résulte, en France, d'une réglementation imparfaite. Depuis la parution de cet article, ont paru les résultats complets définitifs de l'enquête sur le logement entreprise en octobre 1955 par l'Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques. Ces résultats confirment les conclusions qui se dégageaient de l'analyse de la législation et de divers résultats statistiques. Nous aurions pu nous contenter d'analyser ces nouveaux résultats dans la rubrique « Notes et documents ». Mais l'importance du sujet, l'insuffisante attention qu'y portent l'opinion et les pouvoirs publics, la nécessité d'accompagner ces résultats de commentaires explicatifs, nous ont conduit à rédiger un nouvel article, sur ce sujet encore mal connu, parce que concernant une catégorie sociale discrètement sacrifiée.
YOLK PROTEIN UPTAKE IN THE OOCYTE OF THE MOSQUITO AEDES AEGYPTI. L

Yolk proteins are thought to enter certain eggs by a process akin to micropinocytosis but the detailed mechanism has not been previously depicted. In this study the formation of protein yolk was investigated in the mosquito Aedes aegypti L. Ovaries were fixed in phosphate-buffered osmium tetroxide, for electron microscopy, before and at intervals after a meal of blood. The deposition of protein yolk in the oocyte was correlated with a 15-fold increase in 140 mµ pit-like depressions on the oocyte surface. These pits form by invagination of the oocyte cell membrane. They have a 20 mµ bristle coat on their convex cytoplasmic side. They also show a layer of protein on their concave extracellular side which we propose accumulates by selective adsorption from the extraoocyte space. The pits, by pinching off from the cell membrane become bristle-coated vesicles which carry the adsorbed protein into the oocyte. These vesicles lose the coat and then fuse to form small crystalline yolk droplets, which subsequently coalesce to form the large proteid yolk bodies of the mature oocyte. Preliminary radioautographs, and certain morphological features of the fat body, ovary, and midgut, suggest that the midgut is the principal site of yolk protein synthesis in the mosquito.
Structural and compliant anatomy of the patent foramen ovale in patients undergoing transcatheter closure.

BACKGROUND Most current intracardiac closure devices target the atrial septal defect. However, defects such as the patent foramen ovale (PFO) have unique structural features that may influence rational device design. With mounting interest in transcatheter techniques for closure of PFO in patients with cryptogenic stroke, a clearer understanding of these features is warranted. METHODS Retrospectively, we reviewed angiograms obtained at the time of transcatheter closure of PFOs with a non-self-centering device in a group of 21 patients with a history of stroke. RESULTS The PFO appeared as a tunnel of varying length (2.4 to 19.5 mm, mean 9.1 +/- 4.7 mm) bounded by septum secundum and septum primum. The potential area of the defect was as small as 12.2 mm(2) and as large as 121.1 mm(2). With device placement, the tunnel length shortened or disappeared (0.5 +/- 1.6 mm) by inferior displacement of the more compliant septum primum. CONCLUSIONS In patients with PFO referred for transcatheter closure, the defect most commonly appeared as a tunnel-like defect between a thicker, less compliant septum secundum and a thinner, more compliant septum primum. Although the length of the undisturbed tunnel varied widely, the tunnel was shortened or eliminated by placement of a non-self-centering device. The observation that PFO anatomy can be predictably altered by some devices may have an impact on device design or implantation technique.
Temperature dependence of protein transport across lymphatic endothelium in vitro

The purpose of the work was to develop an in vitro model for the study of lymphatic endothelium and to determine, using this model, whether or not a cytoplasmic process may be involved in transendothelial transport. Segments of canine renal hilar lymphatics were dissected clean, cannulated at both ends, and transferred to a perfusion chamber for measurement of transendothelial protein transport and for ultrastructural tracer studies. The segments were subsequently processed for light and electron microscopy. By both structural and functional criteria the lymphatics were judged to have retained their integrity. At 37 degrees C, 36 lymphatics showed a mean rate of protein transport of 3.51 +/- 0.45 (SEM) micrograms/min per cm2 of lymphatic endothelium. The rate was influenced by the temperature of the system, being significantly reduced by 49% +/- 4.8, 31% +/- 5.3, and 29% +/- 3.9 when the temperature was lowered to 4 degrees, 24 degrees, and 30 degrees C, respectively. When the temperature was raised to 40 degrees C, the rate was significantly increased by 48% +/- 12.2. The vesicular system and the intercellular regions in vessels with increased or reduced rates of transport were analyzed quantitatively to ascertain whether the rate changes could be correlated with ultrastructurally demonstrable changes in either of these postulated pathways. No significant changes in junctional or vesicular parameters were found between the control lymphatics and those perfused at 24 degrees, 30 degrees, and 40 degrees C. At 4 degrees C, the temperature at which the rate of protein transport was maximally reduced, vesicular size decreased, and the number of free cytoplasmic vesicles increased, whereas the number associated with the abluminal and luminal surfaces decreased. We concluded that isolated perfused lymphatic segments transport protein at a relatively constant rate under control conditions, and that this transendothelial transport comprises both temperature-dependent and temperature-independent mechanisms. The findings were considered in terms of the different theories of lymph formation and were interpreted as providing support for the vesicular theory.
Treatment of hepatic venocclusive disease with recombinant human tissue plasminogen activator and heparin in 42 marrow transplant patients.

The purpose of this report is to review the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center experience of treating patients with venocclusive disease of the liver (VOD) after marrow transplantation using recombinant human tissue plasminogen activator (rh-tPA) and heparin. The charts of 42 patients who had received rh-tPA and heparin for the treatment of VOD between February 1991 and December 1995 were reviewed. Response to rh-tPA and heparin was defined as a reduction in total serum bilirubin by 50% within 10 days of starting treatment. Total serum bilirubin, percent weight gain, and serum creatinine before, after, and at the start of rh-tPA and heparin were examined to determine whether these laboratory values distinguished patients who responded to treatment from those who did not. We also evaluated whether evidence of multiorgan failure (requirement for supplemental oxygen, requirement for hemodialysis, requirement for mechanical ventilation) or whether the calculated probability of a fatal outcome from VOD could discriminate responders from nonresponders. In addition, the incidence and outcome of bleeding as a major complication of thrombolytic therapy was examined. Twelve patients responded to rh-tPA and heparin and 30 patients did not. There were no statistically significant differences between responders and nonresponders in the day treatment was started, dose of rh-tPA, total serum billirubin, and percent weight gain before, after, or at the start of treatment, or the calculated probability of dying from VOD on the day treatment with rh-tPA and heparin was begun. More nonresponding patients required dialysis or mechanical ventilation (11 of 30) before or at the start of rh-tPA and heparin than responding patients (0 of 12), P = . 0183. Serum creatinine was greater at the start of treatment in nonresponding patients (1.9 +/- 1.3 mg/dL) than in responding patients (1.1 +/- 0.4 mg/dL), P = . 0794. Ten patients had severe bleeding episodes, which resulted in death in three patients and may have contributed to death in an additional three patients. Treatment for VOD using rh-tPA and heparin was successful in 29% of patients but was associated with a significant risk of life-threatening hemorrhage. Requirement for supplemental oxygen, dialysis, or mechanical ventilation before the start of treatment were prognostic indicators of no response to thrombolytic therapy. We do not recommend treatment using tPA and heparin in patients with severe VOD who have already developed multiorgan dysfunction.
HAMR: A dataflow-based real-time in-memory cluster computing engine

As the attention given to big data grows, cluster computing systems for distributed processing of large data sets become the mainstream and critical requirement in high performance distributed system research. One of the most successful systems is Hadoop, which uses MapReduce as a programming/execution model and takes disks as intermedia to process huge volumes of data. Spark, as an in-memory computing engine, can solve the iterative and interactive problems more efficiently. However, currently it is a consensus that they are not the final solutions to big data due to a MapReduce-like programming model, synchronous execution model and the constraint that only supports batch processing, and so on. A new solution, especially, a fundamental evolution is needed to bring big data solutions into a new era. In this paper, we introduce a new cluster computing system called HAMR which supports both batch and streaming processing. To achieve better performance, HAMR integrates high performance computing approaches, i.e. dataflow fundamental into a big data solution. With more specifications, HAMR is fully designed based on in-memory computing to reduce the unnecessary disk access overhead; task scheduling and memory management are in fine-grain manner to explore more parallelism; asynchronous execution improves efficiency of computation resource usage, and also makes workload balance across the whole cluster better. The experimental results show that HAMR can outperform Hadoop MapReduce and Spark by up to 19x and 7x respectively, in the same cluster environment. Furthermore, HAMR can handle scaling data size well beyond the capabilities of Spark.
Calcimimetic NPS R-568 prevents parathyroid hyperplasia in rats with severe secondary hyperparathyroidism.

UNLABELLED Calcimimetic NPS R-568 prevents parathyroid hyperplasia in rats with severe secondary hyperparathyroidism. BACKGROUND Secondary hyperparathyroidism (secondary HPT) in chronic renal insufficiency (CRI) is characterized by multiglandular hyperplasia. METHODS In this study, we investigated the effects of the calcimimetic NPS R-568 on the parathyroid gland in rats with CRI induced by ligation of the renal arteries and severe secondary HPT induced by dietary phosphorus loading. Six days after surgery, high-phosphorus diet feeding was started, and NPS R-568 was administered to the rats for 56 days either by daily gavage (30 or 100 micromol/kg) or by continuous subcutaneous infusion (20 micromol/kg. day). RESULTS After 54 days, serum PTH levels in vehicle-treated CRI rats were 1019 vs. 104 pg/mL in sham-operated controls. Infusion of NPS R-568 maintained serum PTH at levels comparable with those of sham-operated controls, whereas daily gavage also prevented much of the increase in CRI controls and decreased PTH levels intermittently in a dose-dependent fashion. Parathyroid gland enlargement was caused predominantly by hyperplasia. Total cell number per kg body wt was 3.5-fold higher in vehicle-treated CRI rats than in sham-operated controls. Both infusion and high-dose gavage of NPS R-568 completely prevented the increase in parathyroid cell number. CONCLUSION These results demonstrate that the calcimimetic compound NPS R-568 can prevent both the increase in serum PTH levels and parathyroid hyperplasia in rats with CRI and severe secondary HPT. Moreover, these changes occurred despite decreases in serum 1, 25(OH)2D3 and increases in serum phosphate, suggesting a dominant role for the calcium receptor in regulating parathyroid cell proliferation.
Characterization of avian natural killer cells and their intracellular CD3 protein complex

Natural killer (NK) cell activity appears to be conserved throughout vertebrate development but NK cells have only been well characterized in mammals. Candidate NK cells have been identified in the chicken as cytoplasmic CD3+ and surface T cell receptor (TCR)/CD3– (TCRO) lymphocytes that often express CD8. The fact that the TCRO cells are abundant in the embryonic spleen before T cells enter this organ allowed us to cultivate the embryonic TCRO cells using growth factors derived from activated adult lymphocytes. These TCRO cells were cytotoxic for an NK target cell line. They expressed cell surface CD8, a putative interleukin‐2 receptor, CD45 and a receptor for IgG, but did not express CD4, major histocompatibility complex class II or immunoglobulin. Biochemical analysis of the cytoplasmic CD3 antigen revealed two of the three CD3 γ, δ and ϵ homologues, and RNA transcripts for the third. The CD3 monoclonal antibody also precipitated a 32‐kDa dimer that may represent a heterodimer of different CD3 constituents. TCR α and β gene transcripts were not detected in the TCRO cells. These results indicate that the avian TCRO cell is the mammalian NK cell homologue. The shared evolutionary features of T cells and NK cells in birds and mammals support the idea that they derive from a common progenitor.
Extended synaptotagmins (E-Syts): Architecture and dynamics of membrane contact sites revealed

Eukaryotic cells are compartmentalized into membrane-enclosed organelles with defined structure and functions. These organelles are separated from each other, and for a long time it was thought that communication between them is confined to vesicular traffic or to exchange of membrane lipids by cytoplasmic transfer proteins. Recently, however, it has become apparent that organelles hitherto not suspected of being intimate friends can align very closely with each other, forming membrane contact sites (MCSs) of distinct structure and composition. Such sites are now known to play pivotal roles in the exchange of molecules and ions, thus being of considerable functional importance. In particular, the widespread network of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), origin of most membrane proteins and lipids, forms multiple contacts with a variety of organelles such as mitochondria and the plasma membrane (PM). At ER–PM contacts the membranes are closely aligned, being separated by gaps of only 10–30 nm. Different proteins have been shown to be instrumental for contact formation such as junctophilins, stromal interaction molecule (STIM), tricalbins, and, more recently, a small group of ER membrane proteins termed extended synaptotagmins (E-Syts) (1, 2). The name E-Syts reflects their similarity to synaptotagmins, a family of proteins involved in Ca2+-dependent secretion. Although rapid progress has being made concerning the role of E-Syt domains in establishing ER–PM contacts, information about the architecture of the contact sites has hitherto been lacking. In PNAS, Fernandez-Busnadiego et al. (3) used cryoelectron tomography to close this gap in our understanding.
Indoor positioning system based on the UWB technique

— This paper explores the possibility to realise the indoor positioning system using the Ultra wide Band. The Ultra wide band technique allow a high precision ranging due to its fine resolution in order to resolve multipath fading and the presence of lower frequencies in the base band in order to penetrate walls. Three stations or transmitters are necessary to determinate the mobile station (MS) position. For each station a special code is attributed. In this paper, two approaches are evaluated in terms of localisation errors. The first one is based on the code division multiple access technique CDMA using Gold code. The second one is based on the new waveforms called the Modified Gegenbauer Functions. These functions allow specific waveforms for each base station with a good orthogonal propriety. In order to evaluate the performance of these systems the localisation errors are calculated for two channel models: the AWGN and the IEEE 802.15 4a using the Time Difference of Arrived TDOA technique. The simulations results show that our positioning system based on MGF gives a better performance than the DS-CDMA positioning system.