Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
N-Formyl Peptide Receptor 3 (FPR3) Departs from the Homologous FPR2/ALX Receptor with Regard to the Major Processes Governing Chemoattractant Receptor Regulation, Expression at the Cell Surface, and Phosphorylation

Among human N-formyl peptide chemoattractant receptors, FPR2/ALX and FPR3 share the highest degree of amino acid identity (83%), and trigger similar cell responses upon ligand binding. Although FPR2/ALX is a promiscuous receptor, FPR3 has only one specific high affinity ligand, F2L, and a more restricted tissue/cell distribution. In this study, we showed that FPR2/ALX behaved as the prototypical receptor FPR1. The agonist-dependent phosphorylation used a hierarchical mechanism with a prominent role of Ser329, Thr332, and Thr335. Phosphorylation of FPR2/ALX was essential for its desensitization but the lack of phosphorylation did not result in enhanced or sustained responses. In contrast, resting FPR3 displayed a marked level of phosphorylation, which was only slightly increased upon agonist stimulation. Another noticeable difference between the two receptors was their subcellular distribution in unstimulated cells. Although FPR2/ALX was evenly distributed at the plasma membrane FPR3 was localized in small intracellular vesicles. By swapping domains between FPR2/ALX and FPR3, we uncovered the determinants involved in the basal phosphorylation of FPR3. Experiments aimed at monitoring receptor-bound antibody uptake showed that the intracellular distribution of FPR3 resulted from a constitutive internalization that was independent of C terminus phosphorylation. Unexpectedly, exchanging residues 1 to 53, which encompass the N-terminal extracellular region and the first transmembrane domain, between FPR2/ALX and FPR3 switched localization of the receptors from the plasma membrane to intracellular vesicles and vice versa. A clathrin-independent, possibly caveolae-dependent, mechanism was involved in FPR3 constitutive internalization. The peculiar behavior of FPR3 most probably serves distinct physiological functions that remain largely unknown.
Revalidation: a critical perspective.

As the stadium for the 2012 Olympics rises brick by shining brick against the London skyline, the apparatus for revalidation of doctors in the UK is currently being constructed to a similar timetable (although tellingly, no date has been set for its opening ceremony). 1 Revalidation's goals appear to be threefold: restore public trust in the medical profession; support professional development in all doctors; and weed out the bad apples.2–4 Many have pointed out that these goals may conflict (for example, professional development is a formative and supportive process, while dealing with unacceptably poor practice must surely be summative and judgemental) and that the evidence base linking the proposed input (5-yearly assessment of a portfolio) with the desired outcome (better, safer care for patients) is all but absent.5–8 The research literature on revalidation is indeed sparse. For example, a single randomised trial in 66 Scottish GPs compared a light-touch, ‘criterion-based’ model with a more comprehensive, ‘educational outcome’ model; there were no differences in what was recorded in the portfolios or in self-reported changes in practice, but participants preferred the former model.9 In this study of volunteers, 20% of doctors did not hand in their portfolio and impact on patient care was not measured. Professional certification status in the US has been depicted as having led to improvements in quality of care, but online responses pointed out that association in an uncontrolled study does not prove causation.10 We could find only one paper which applied an explicit theoretical model of professional practice to revalidation: 6 years ago, Paul Thomas argued in this Journal that: > ‘Shipman could have passed tests for medical competence. It was someone unafraid to ask ‘why do so many of your patients die? ’ that found him out … Revalidation must …
Trade-off between jerk and time headway as an indicator of driving style

Variation in longitudinal control in driving has been discussed in both traffic psychology and transportation engineering. Traffic psychologists have concerned themselves with “driving style”, a habitual form of behavior marked by it’s stability, and its basis in psychological traits. Those working in traffic microsimulation have searched for quantitative ways to represent different driver-car systems in car following models. There has been unfortunately little overlap or theoretical consistency between these literatures. Here, we investigated relationships between directly observable measures (time headway, acceleration and jerk) in a simulated driving task where the driving context, vehicle and environment were controlled. We found individual differences in the way a trade-off was made between close but jerky vs. far and smooth following behavior. We call these “intensive” and “calm” driving, and suggest this trade-off can serve as an indicator of a possible latent factor underlying driving style. We posit that pursuing such latent factors for driving style may have implications for modelling driver heterogeneity across various domains in traffic simulation.
VERBARIUM and LIFE SPACIES: creating a visual language by transcoding text into form on the Internet

We are artists working on the creation of interactive computer systems that use the audiences' participation as essential input for the creation of image structures. In 1998 and 1999 we created two interactive Web sites for the Internet called VERBARIUM and LIFE SPACIES. These two Web sites allow users on the Internet to write text messages that are instantly translated into visual 3D forms. Our custom designed text-to-form editor takes the letters, syntax and sequencing of a text message as generic code and updates the design functions for the creation of 3D forms according to the text message parameters. As the text messages of the different users on the Internet are usually unique and diverse, unique and personal 3D visual forms and shapes can be created by the users.
Frequncy and etiology of lymphadenopathy in Iranian HIV/AIDS patients.

OBJECTIVE To estimate and outline the frequency and etiology of lymphadenopathy in HIV/AIDS patients. METHODS This study was conducted on 178 consecutive HIV/AIDS patient files for etiologies (categorized into three sub-groups: definite, probable and possible) and associated factors of local and generalized lymphadenopathy. RESULTS Seventy-two (40.45%) patients including 63 male patients (87.5%) developed lymphadenopathy. HIV in lymphadenopathy(+) patients was most commonly transmitted intravenously (n=49). Generalized and localized lymphadenopathy respectively occurred in 27 (37.50%) and 45 (62.50%) patients, mainly in the cervical region (28.9% for local and 63% for generalized lymphadenopathy). The most common causes of lymphadenopathy were tuberculosis (n=24, 33.3%) and lymphoma (n=12, 16.6%). The frequency of lymphadenopathy was non-significantly higher in patients with AIDS (CD4 count <200 cell/µL) vs. HIV(+) patients (CD4 count >200 cell/µL). CONCLUSIONS Lymphadenopathy in HIV/AIDS patients may reflect a serious condition, most likely tuberculosis and lymphoma. Since patients might underestimate lymphadenopathy, physicians would rather list these entities for diagnosis.
Altered Neuronal Intrinsic Properties and Reduced Synaptic Transmission of the Rat's Medial Geniculate Body in Salicylate-Induced Tinnitus

Sodium salicylate (NaSal), an aspirin metabolite, can cause tinnitus in animals and human subjects. To explore neural mechanisms underlying salicylate-induced tinnitus, we examined effects of NaSal on neural activities of the medial geniculate body (MGB), an auditory thalamic nucleus that provides the primary and immediate inputs to the auditory cortex, by using the whole-cell patch-clamp recording technique in MGB slices. Rats treated with NaSal (350 mg/kg) showed tinnitus-like behavior as revealed by the gap prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle (GPIAS) paradigm. NaSal (1.4 mM) decreased the membrane input resistance, hyperpolarized the resting membrane potential, suppressed current-evoked firing, changed the action potential, and depressed rebound depolarization in MGB neurons. NaSal also reduced the excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic response in the MGB evoked by stimulating the brachium of the inferior colliculus. Our results demonstrate that NaSal alters neuronal intrinsic properties and reduces the synaptic transmission of the MGB, which may cause abnormal thalamic outputs to the auditory cortex and contribute to NaSal-induced tinnitus.
Online adaptive dictionary learning and weighted sparse coding for abnormality detection

This paper focuses mainly on adaptive dictionary updating and abnormality detection via weighted space coding in video surveillance. Generally, abnormality analysis conducted on a large amount of video data is very complicated, time-consuming and time-variant. However, our dictionary is very efficient at following up on shifted contents in video and abandoning old inactive information in time. The adaptability characteristic also helps reduce the dictionary's size to a small scale, since it only needs to keep recent or active information. We also introduce a simple, but effective, judgement criterion for abnormal detection based on sparse coding over weighted bases. Because of the condensed dictionary and the simplified judgment criterion, our algorithm performs online learning and online detection with a high speed and a high accuracy in various scenes.
Evaluation of Lapatinib Powder-Entrapped Biodegradable Polymeric Microstructures Fabricated by X-Ray Lithography for a Targeted and Sustained Drug Delivery System

An oral medication of a molecular targeted drug, lapatinib, is taken regularly to maintain the drug concentration within the desired therapeutic levels. To alleviate the need for such cumbersome administration schedules in several drugs, advanced drug delivery systems (DDSs), which can provide time-controlled and sustained drug release, have recently received significant attention. A biodegradable synthetic polymer, such as polycaprolactone (PCL), is usually used as a carrier material for DDSs. In this paper, lapatinib powder-entrapped, PCL microstructures were fabricated with a precise X-ray lithography-based method. In vitro experiments on HER2 positive-human gastric cancer derived NCI-N87 cells were performed to appraise the drug release characteristics of the fabricated DDSs. The in vitro results indicate that after the X-ray lithography process, the lapatinib powder is still working well and show time- and dose- dependent drug release efficiencies. The cell growth inhibition characteristics of one hundred 40-μm sized microstructures were similar to those of a 1 μM lapatinib solution for over 144 h. In conclusion, the developed lapatinib-entrapped PCL microstructures can be used in molecular targeted delivery and sustained release as effective cancer-targeted DDSs.
The Association Between Cervical Human Papillomavirus Infection and Subsequent HIV Acquisition in Tanzanian and Ugandan Women: A Nested Case-Control Study

Objective This study was performed to analyze the associations between cervical human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) acquisition, using cervical samples from previous studies in Tanzania and Uganda. Methods. A total of 161 adult women who acquired HIV infection during follow-up and 464 individually matched HIV-seronegative controls were selected from 5 cohorts of women working in bars and recreational facilities. Stored cervical samples were tested for 37 HPV genotypes, using a polymerase chain reaction assay (Roche Linear Array genotyping assay). Multivariate matched analysis using conditional logistic regression was performed to evaluate HPV infection, persistence, and clearance as predictors of HIV acquisition. Results. HIV seroconverters were significantly more likely than controls to frequently drink alcohol and to be infected with Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, or herpes simplex virus type 2. There was no evidence of an association between HIV acquisition and any detectable HPV at the visit prior to HIV seroconversion (adjusted odds ratio, 1.02; 95% confidence interval, .66–1.57) or between HIV acquisition and persistent HPV infection (defined as 2 positive HPV genotype–specific test results at least 6 months apart), cleared HPV infection (defined as a positive HPV test result followed by negative HPV genotype–specific test result), or newly acquired HPV infection, compared with HPV-negative women. Conclusions. There was no evidence of association between HPV infection status and subsequent HIV acquisition. These results stand in contrast to other observational studies.
In vitro evaluation of the inflammatory potential of the silk fibroin.

Silk fibroin membranes recently have been suggested as matrices for biomedical applications, such as guided tissue regeneration and burn wound dressings. The aim of this study was to evaluate the inflammatory potential of fibroin films and to compare the fibroin films with two model materials with completely different physico-chemical properties: poly(styrene) and poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate). Fibroin bound lower levels of fibrinogen than did the two synthetic polymers while the same amounts of adsorbed human plasma complement fragment C3 and IgG were detected. Studies of the binding strength of C3 to fibroin, evaluated by a novel experimental procedure, indicated the occurrence of strong hydrophobic interactions at the interface. The activation of the mononuclear cells by fibroin, measured as interleukin 1beta production, was lower than the reference materials. Adhesion experiments showed the ability of the macrophages to adhere to fibroin by filopodia without a complete spreading of the cells. The results achieved in this study demonstrate that the interactions of fibroin with the humoral components of the inflammatory system were comparable with those of the two model surfaces while the degree of activation and adhesion of the immunocompetent cells appeared more limited.
Primary peritoneal cancer in BRCA carriers after prophylactic bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy.

OBJECTIVE The presence of deleterious mutations in breast cancer (BRCA)-1 or BRCA-2 gene has a decisive influence on the development of various types of neoplasms, such as breast, ovarian, tubal, and peritoneal cancers. Primary peritoneal cancer is an aggressive malignancy which, due to the absence of a specific screening test, cannot be diagnosed in its early stages. As a risk-reducing option, prophylactic bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and mastectomy are often proposed in BRCA gene carriers. The effectiveness of a preventive surgical treatment is, however, unclear in the development of peritoneal cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS An extensive electronic search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane databases. RESULTS The total number of patients who underwent prophylactic bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy was 1,830, of whom 28 presented with peritoneal cancer (1.53%). The age of the included patients ranged from 48 to 61 years. BRCA-1 was present in 9 out of 28 patients and BRCA-2 in 2 patients, while the type of BRCA was unclear in 17 patients. Salpingo-oophorectomy was performed in 23 out of 28 patients, while oophorectomy was carried out in 5 patients. The interval from initial risk-reducing surgical treatment to the presentation of peritoneal cancer ranged from 12 to 84 months. CONCLUSION Modification of the follow-up guidelines and increase in healthcare providers' awareness may reduce the risk of peritoneal cancer.
Socioeconomic Characteristics of the Community in Childhood and Cognition in Old Age

ABSTRACT We examined the relation of early life socioeconomic circumstances to cognition in older residents of a biracial urban community. Participants had brief cognitive testing three times at approximately 3-year intervals. At baseline, information about early life household and county socioeconomic level was collected. In mixed-effects models adjusted for age, sex, race, and education, both early life household and county socioeconomic levels were positively associated with baseline level of cognition but unrelated to cognitive decline. The results suggest that socioeconomic conditions in early life are associated with level of cognitive function in old age but not with rate of cognitive decline.
Behavior of Dielectrics in a Charging Space Environment and Related Anomalies in Flight

The aim of this paper is to give a brief description of spacecraft structure and their environments. After a brief presentation of the composition of the various space environments that mainly depends on the altitude from earth, a description of the materials used to make and cover spacecraft will be made. Then different dielectric charging modes will be presented for ground testing and for in-space configurations. Electrostatic discharge phenomena will then be presented, illustrated with some spacecraft failures related to Electrostatic Discharge (ESD).
AMP-Activated Protein Kinase in Metabolic Control and Insulin Signaling

The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) system acts as a sensor of cellular energy status that is conserved in all eukaryotic cells. It is activated by increases in the cellular AMP:ATP ratio caused by metabolic stresses that either interfere with ATP production (eg, deprivation for glucose or oxygen) or that accelerate ATP consumption (eg, muscle contraction). Activation in response to increases in AMP involves phosphorylation by an upstream kinase, the tumor suppressor LKB1. In certain cells (eg, neurones, endothelial cells, and lymphocytes), AMPK can also be activated by a Ca2+-dependent and AMP-independent process involving phosphorylation by an alternate upstream kinase, CaMKK&bgr;. Once activated, AMPK switches on catabolic pathways that generate ATP, while switching off ATP-consuming processes such as biosynthesis and cell growth and proliferation. The AMPK complex contains 3 subunits, with the &agr; subunit being catalytic, the &bgr; subunit containing a glycogen-sensing domain, and the &ggr; subunits containing 2 regulatory sites that bind the activating and inhibitory nucleotides AMP and ATP. Although it may have evolved to respond to metabolic stress at the cellular level, hormones and cytokines such as insulin, leptin, and adiponectin can interact with the system, and it now appears to play a key role in maintaining energy balance at the whole body level. The AMPK system may be partly responsible for the health benefits of exercise and is the target for the antidiabetic drug metformin. It is a key player in the development of new treatments for obesity, type 2 diabetes, and the metabolic syndrome.
Price Discontinuities in an online used Car Market

We examine empirically whether individuals evaluating used cars efficiently aggregate all relevant information on its constituent characteristics. Based on detailed field data on more than 80,000 used car offers in a large online marketplace, we provide evidence for biased information processing. While the precise date of first registration, i.e., its "age", is publicly and prominently stated for each car, we identify an amplified value adjustment for otherwise identical cars at year-count changes. These discontinuities indicate that individuals over-react to the figure displayed in the latter, while underrating the finer information on a car's age as conveyed through the month of first registration. Moreover, we are able to replicate the findings from Lacetera et al (2009) and find discontinuous drops in prices at 10,000km odometer thresholds. While the latter finding, as suggested by Lacetera et al (2009), is consistent with a left-digit bias in the processing of numerical information, the first finding cannot be explained by this. Our findings underline that information-processing heuristics matter also in markets with large stakes and easily observed information
Architectural Design for Flexibility and Buildability to Facilitate Evolution

Business information systems need to evolve continuously in order to keep pace with changing requirements and preserve an organization’s competitiveness. We have identified flexibility and buildability as key qualities facilitating evolution. Flexibility and buildability requirements should be addressed as soon as possible during architectural design to enable them to be satisfied efficiently and effectively. However, today many organizations do not sufficiently address flexibility and buildability, especially not in combination, either because they are not fully aware of their importance or because methodological support regarding design for flexibility and buildability is often not appropriate (if available at all). In this paper, we introduce an approach aimed at design for flexibility and buildability to facilitate the evolution of software.
Meeting recognition with asynchronous distributed microphone array

Recently, recognition of conversational speech such as meetings has widely been studied. However, most existing approaches rely on using a single close talking microphone or a distant microphone array where all the microphones are synchronous. In contrast, this paper tackles a recognition task of conversational speech recorded with asynchronous distributed microphones, to which conventional array processing is not directly applicable. We demonstrate that we can significantly improve recognition performance even when microphones are asynchronous by combining blind synchronization and state-of-the-art microphone array speech enhancement techniques such as independent vector analysis (IVA) and a time-frequency mask based minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) beamformer. Using such a front-end, we could reduce the word error rate from 42.2 % to 29.9 % for real meeting recordings.
What Drives Conspiratorial Beliefs? The Role of Informational Cues and Predispositions

Why do people believe in conspiracy theories? This study breaks from much previous research and attempts to explain conspiratorial beliefs with traditional theories of opinion formation. Specifically, we focus on the reception of informational cues given a set of predispositions (political and conspiratorial). We begin with observational survey data to show that there exists a unique predisposition that drives individuals to one degree or another to believe in conspiracy theories. This predisposition appears orthogonal to partisanship and predicts political behaviors including voter participation. Then a national survey experiment is used to test the effect of an informational cue on belief in a conspiracy theory while accounting for both conspiratorial predispositions and partisanship. Our results provide an explanation for individual-level heterogeneity in the holding of conspiratorial beliefs and also indicate the conditions under which information can drive conspiratorial beliefs.