Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multiple Sclerosis as a Disease of Immune Regulation

Conclusions Most available evidence suggests that infection with enveloped viruses of the myxo-, paramyxo-, herpes-, and poxvirus families may occasionally induce immunization to neural antigens, myelin antigens in particular, and a consequent encephalomyelitis localized to the white matter. In individuals with a genetically determined abnormality of immune regulation, this process may not be suppressed and may give rise to the recurrent or long-lasting periods of new lesion formation which we call multiple sclerosis. Exacerbations may be provoked by further virus infections or by childbirth. The responsible white matter antigen(s) have not been firmly identified and the immunoregu-latory abnormality is unknown. The character of the lesions appears to be determined by multiple simultaneous immune responses to different antigens and multiple superimposed immunopathologic effects. Much of what is presented in the present review may require revision as the further application of monoclonal antibody techniques (127) and the new techniques of cloning, fusing, or otherwise immortalizing T cells (128) reveals previously unsuspected neural or viral antigens in white matter and effector molecules and/or cells reactive with these antigens. Thus, in mouse experiments Reovirus strains infecting the pituitary and pancreas have been shown to produce intense immunization to a variety of autoantigens in these organs (M. Haspel, in (4)). The range of actual responses was uncovered only by carrying out fusions with infected animals' spleen cells and studying the hybrids thus obtained. Similarly continuous “monoclonal” lines of T cells specific for a single myelin antigen are being studied for their ability to produce EAE (129). At least seven laboratories in the United States and several abroad are hybridizing B cells and cloning the two principal classes of T cells, helper/inducer and cytotoxic/suppressor, from MS patients' blood and CSF, and the clones are being examined for reactivity with neural and viral antigens.
Interruption technologies for HVDC transmission: State-of-art and outlook

Research on direct current (dc) interruption has grown in recent years, driven by increased interest in using high voltage direct current (HVDC) for large power transmission and future grids. In fact, dc interruption poses particular challenges to protection devices and circuit breakers and new technologies are needed to meet the requirements of future HVDC grids. In this paper we review some of the traditional and innovative dc interruption technologies for HVDC applications. The discussion addresses aspects such as speed of operation, voltage scalability and readiness level and includes mechanical and hybrid (combination of mechanical and solid state switch es) concepts. Examples of test results from lab demonstrators and prototypes are shown, together with an outline of the main development needs.
Implementation of an 8-bit ADC using successive subtraction technique

In this article, an 8-bit ADC circuit is proposed, using op amps in successive subtraction method. This circuit does not require any clock signal, internal DAC or decoder, etc. because it performs the conversion process completely in the analog domain. Applying a supply voltage of ±6 V, it consumes 242 mW power and the settling time is measured as 156 μs.
Determination of Fusarium toxins in functional vegetable milks applying salting-out-assisted liquid–liquid extraction combined with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

ABSTRACT Vegetable milks are considered as functional foods due to their physiological benefits. Although the consumption of these products has significantly increased, they have received little attention in legislation with regard to contaminants. However, they may contain mycotoxins resulting from the use of contaminated raw materials. In this work, ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry has been proposed for the determination of the most relevant Fusarium toxins (fumonisin B1 and B2, HT-2 and T-2 toxins, zearalenone, deoxynivalenol and fusarenon-X) in different functional beverages based on cereals, legumes and seeds. Sample treatment consisted of a simple salting-out-assisted liquid–liquid extraction with no further clean-up. The method provided limits of quantification between 3.2 and 57.7 µg L−1, recoveries above 80% and precision with RSD lower than 12%. The method was also applied for studying the occurrence of these mycotoxins in market samples of vegetable functional beverages and deoxynivalenol was found in three oat-based commercial drinks. Graphical Abstract
Runway operations planning and control sequencing and scheduling

Recently, the commercial aviation community has experienced a significant increase in demand for air transportation. Despite the advent of new air traffic control (ATC) technologies, this demand increase has not yet been followed by a matching increase in capacity. The capacity/demand mismatch affects ATC airspace and ground operations and results in significant delays during departure operations at major European and US airports. The associated environmental impact and economic inefficiencies generate a growing need for the reduction of such delays. This paper presents ongoing research efforts at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the German Aerospace Research Establishment (DLR) to develop automated decision-aiding systems to assist air traffic controllers in handling departure traffic and in mitigating the adverse effects of ground congestion and delays. A possible formulation of the runway operations planning problem is presented with objectives and constraints. Also, a framework for future research work is provided.
The effects of travel barriers and age on the utilization of alcoholism treatment aftercare.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this research was to ascertain whether geographical accessibility (in conjunction with other patient characteristics) reduced the probability of participating in alcoholism aftercare treatment. METHODS A sample of 4,621 United States male veterans discharged with an outpatient appointment from one of 33 Department of Veterans Affairs inpatient Alcohol Dependency Treatment Programs was identified. The outpatient records of each patient were obtained to determine whether aftercare services were utilized following discharge. Binary choice analysis was used to model the decision to enter aftercare treatment as a function of travel distance, age, marital status, ethnicity, severity of illness, and urbanization. RESULTS Travel barriers significantly reduced aftercare participation, especially for elderly and rural veterans. Both younger and older veterans were less likely to keep their aftercare appointment than middle-aged veterans. Married patients were more likely to utilize outpatient services than unmarried patients. Ethnic status, severity of illness, and urban size all negatively affected the likelihood of appointment attendance. CONCLUSIONS The results obtained from this analysis can be effectively used to identify which patients are not likely to enter aftercare alcoholism treatment. The discharge plans of patients at risk for appointment noncompliance should be given special attention since aftercare has been shown to improve treatment outcome. Moreover, because alcoholism treatment reduces the utilization of other medical services, promoting continuity of care should help lower the overall costs of providing health care to alcoholic patients.
Social thermodynamics: Modelling communication dynamics in social network

Thermodynamics, a concept thought of two centuries ago, refurbished and elaborated since, assimilated and transposed to distinctive disciplines stretching from neuroscience to economics but still lacks in-depth exploration of its impact on social networks. The aim is to model thermodynamic principles after social networks, to understand how different variables of the system such as entropy, temperature, energy and pressure steers the communication between agents at a broader sense. These innate synthetic variables of social thermodynamics can expose; varied and difficult to analyze dynamics in a network with higher order of approximation. Quantifying these variables in this context has promising applications in business intelligence, information diffusion and network analysis. This paper casts light on distinct attempts to measure social entropy and other social thermodynamic variables, while presenting methods to construct various thermodynamic processes to study these variables in a restricted environment. We further discuss our observations, findings and challenges in modeling social network as a thermal gaseous system. The paper focus on how these variables behave and what the standard relations signify in social context, more detailed analysis of Isochoric and Adiabatic process equivalents are studied while addressing roadblocks encountered by theorists in the past. Our models are experimented with sample sets collected over a period of 6 months from an enterprise social network for 250K users with over 860M connections. We aim to extend the scope of social interaction analysis beyond today's limitation, thus benefiting from many wide-established principles in thermodynamics.
Comparison of the Portal Vein and Kidney Subcapsule as Sites for Primate Islet Autotransplantation

To date, the portal vein has been the primary site for clinical islet transplantation. Despite success, potential complications such as portal vein thrombosis still exist. The kidney subcapsule has been used successfully in rodent models of islet transplantation. We hypothesized that the kidney subcapsule as a site for islet transplantation in the nonhuman primate model would be as effective as the portal vein. Diabetes was induced in the primate Macaca fascicularis via a total pancreatectomy. Animals were kept under anesthesia during the isolation procedure. Islet isolation was performed using intraductal infusion with Liberase™ HI and mechanical digestion in the Ricordi chamber, and were purified using a continuous Ficoll gradient. Purified islets were autotransplanted either into the portal vein (n = 6) or the left kidney subcapsule (n = 5) of pancreatectomized animals. Intravenous glucose tolerance tests were performed prior to pancreatectomy and 10 days following transplantation. Three animals underwent pancreatectomy and served as diabetic controls. Of the six animals receiving islets in the portal vein, one developed portal vein thrombosis. All remaining autotransplanted animals in this group remained normoglycemic with glucose-induced insulin secretion that was not different from that prior to pancreatectomy. Of the five animals undergoing transplantation into the kidney subcapsule, only one maintained normoglycemia and elicited insulin secretion in response to glucose stimulation. The other four animals remained hyperglycemic. We conclude that the portal vein is superior to the kidney subcapsule as a site for islet transplantation in nonhuman primates 10 days posttransplantation.
Structural studies on the authentic mumps virus nucleocapsid showing uncoiling by the phosphoprotein

Significance In this paper, we reveal several insights into how mumps virus (MuV) replicates its RNA genome. The MuV genomic RNA is packaged by the nucleocapsid protein (N), forming a helical structure called the nucleocapsid. The nucleocapsid is the template for RNA synthesis. MuV genomes cannot be copied unless the viral polymerase (vRdRp) can read the sequestered RNA. The MuV phosphoprotein (P) appears to play a central role in this process. In this paper, we provide the first evidence, to our knowledge, of P inducing the nucleocapsid to uncoil. MuV P uses two separate domains to promote viral RNA synthesis. One domain attaches to the nucleocapsid while the other domain relaxes the helical structure to allow vRdRp to easily read the viral genome. Mumps virus (MuV) is a highly contagious pathogen, and despite extensive vaccination campaigns, outbreaks continue to occur worldwide. The virus has a negative-sense, single-stranded RNA genome that is encapsidated by the nucleocapsid protein (N) to form the nucleocapsid (NC). NC serves as the template for both transcription and replication. In this paper we solved an 18-Å–resolution structure of the authentic MuV NC using cryo-electron microscopy. We also observed the effects of phosphoprotein (P) binding on the MuV NC structure. The N-terminal domain of P (PNTD) has been shown to bind NC and appeared to induce uncoiling of the helical NC. Additionally, we solved a 25-Å–resolution structure of the authentic MuV NC bound with the C-terminal domain of P (PCTD). The location of the encapsidated viral genomic RNA was defined by modeling crystal structures of homologous negative strand RNA virus Ns in NC. Both the N-terminal and C-terminal domains of MuV P bind NC to participate in access to the genomic RNA by the viral RNA-dependent-RNA polymerase. These results provide critical insights on the structure-function of the MuV NC and the structural alterations that occur through its interactions with P.
Exchange of macromolecules between plasma and peritoneal cavity in ascites tumor-bearing, normal, and serotonin-injected mice.

Fluorescein-labeled dextrans (FITC-D) from 3 to 5000 kDa (Stokes' radii from 1 to 40 nm) were used to study influx from the plasma into the peritoneum and efflux from the peritoneal cavity into the plasma in normal and ascites tumor-bearing mice and in mice whose peritoneal vessels had been rendered hyperpermeable by serotonin. Two syngeneic transplantable murine ascites tumors were studied: mouse ovarian tumor and the TA3/St breast adenocarcinoma. To control for effects of peritoneal fluid volume, influx and efflux were also analyzed in mice that had received 5 ml of 5% bovine serum albumin i.p. as "artificial ascites. " Following i.v. or i.p. injection, levels of FITC-D in the plasma and peritoneal fluid were quantitated by fluorimetry at successive time intervals from 5 to 360 min posttracer injection. Influx and efflux data were analyzed with a model consisting of three compartments (plasma, peritoneal cavity, and the extravascular space of all other organs) to yield kinetic parameters that characterized macromolecular transport. Depending on the size of the FITC-D tracer, from 3- to 50-fold more FITC-D accumulated in mouse ovarian tumor or TA3/St tumor ascites fluid, and 3- to 10-fold more FITC-D accumulated in the peritoneum of serotonin-treated than normal mice, all of it intact by gel exclusion chromatography. Influx of the FITC-D from plasma into the peritoneum, as characterized by the rate constant k1, was 2- to 40-fold greater in ascites tumor-bearing animals and 2- to 10-fold greater in serotonin-treated animals than in controls. Control animals with artificial ascites showed at most a 4-fold increase in the value of k1. As judged by fluorescence microscopy, the permeability of peritoneal-lining vessels in ascites tumor-bearing animals was greatly increased to FITC-D of 70 to 5000 kDa. Efflux of FITC-D, characterized by the rate constant k2, was reduced from 5- to 50-fold in ascites tumor-bearing animals but was unchanged or actually somewhat enhanced following serotonin treatment. Efflux in animals that had received artificial ascites was reduced 2.5- to 12.5-fold, correlating increased peritoneal fluid volume with decreased efflux. We conclude that tracer accumulation in malignant ascites fluid results from both increased influx as well as impaired efflux. Influx, and to a lesser extent efflux, were significantly affected by tracer size. However, within the range of FITC-D tested, we found no absolute size barrier to macromolecular transport from plasma to the peritoneal cavity, or vice versa. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Healthcare Financing: How Does Turkey Compare?

Abstract The authors provide an overview of Turkey's healthcare financing. After comparing financing data on Turkey and other Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries, they examine Turkey's performance on a wide range of healthcare input and outcome indicators using descriptive data drawn from the World Health Organization, World Bank, OECD, and Turkish Statistical Institute. The data analysis shows that Turkey ranks low by a number of key healthcare indicators across the OECD countries. Empirical analysis suggests that although many factors are associated with improvements in healthcare outcomes, a significant part of changes in life expectancy at birth are associated with higher spending on healthcare.
Chloroplast lipid droplet type II NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase is essential for prenylquinone metabolism and vitamin K1 accumulation

Lipid droplets are ubiquitous cellular structures in eukaryotes and are required for lipid metabolism. Little is currently known about plant lipid droplets other than oil bodies. Here, we define dual roles for chloroplast lipid droplets (plastoglobules) in energy and prenylquinone metabolism. The prenylquinones—plastoquinone, plastochromanol-8, phylloquinone (vitamin K1), and tocopherol (vitamin E)—are partly stored in plastoglobules. This work shows that NAD(P)H dehydrogenase C1 (NDC1) (At5g08740), a type II NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase, associates with plastoglobules. NDC1 reduces a plastoquinone analog in vitro and affects the overall redox state of the total plastoquinone pool in vivo by reducing the plastoquinone reservoir of plastoglobules. Finally, NDC1 is required for normal plastochromanol-8 accumulation and is essential for vitamin K1 production.
Heat stress attenuates skeletal muscle atrophy in hindlimb-unweighted rats.

This study tested the hypothesis that elevation of heat stress proteins by whole body hyperthermia is associated with a decrease in skeletal muscle atrophy induced by reduced contractile activity (i.e. , hindlimb unweighting). Female adult rats (6 mo old) were assigned to one of four experimental groups (n = 10/group): 1) sedentary control (Con), 2) heat stress (Heat), 3) hindlimb unweighting (HLU), or 4) heat stress before hindlimb unweighting (Heat+HLU). Animals in the Heat and Heat+HLU groups were exposed to 60 min of hyperthermia (colonic temperature approximately 41.6 degrees C). Six hours after heat stress, both the HLU and Heat+HLU groups were subjected to hindlimb unweighting for 8 days. After hindlimb unweighting, the animals were anesthetized, and the soleus muscles were removed, weighed, and analyzed for protein content and the relative levels of heat shock protein 72 (HSP72). Compared with control and HLU animals, the relative content of HSP72 in the soleus muscle was significantly elevated (P < 0.05) in both the Heat and Heat+HLU animals. Although hindlimb unweighting resulted in muscle atrophy in both the HLU and Heat+HLU animals, the loss of muscle weight and protein content was significantly less (P < 0.05) in the Heat+HLU animals. These data demonstrate that heat stress before hindlimb unweighting can reduce the rate of disuse muscle atrophy. We postulate that HSP70 and/or other stress proteins play a role in the control of muscle atrophy induced by reduced contractile activity.
A high linearity LNA with modified resistor biasing

A 2GHz SiGe:C HBT low noise amplifier (LNA) with improved gain compression and linearity performance is described. A modified resistor bias feed circuit for the LNA transistor improves its intermodulation and compression behavior compared to a conventional resistor bias feed circuit. Linearity enhancement is achieved by a simple feedback between the base of the current mirror transistor and the LNA transistor decreasing the low frequency bias termination. The manufactured LNA shows an IIP3 improvement of more than 6 dB and a P1dB improvement of around 4 dB compared to a conventional resistor bias feed circuit.
Characterization of Mutator Phenotype in Familial Colorectal Cancer Patients Not Fulfilling Amsterdam Criteria

Purpose: Although the mutator phenotype, including genetic and epigenetic alterations of the mismatch repair (MMR) system, seems to be pronounced in familial colorectal cancer, there have been few integrative studies comprising the entire mutator pathway. This study was done to identify the entire mutator pathway determining risk factors in patients with familial colorectal cancer not fulfilling the Amsterdam criteria. Experimental Design: We consecutively recruited 134 colorectal cancer patients with a family history of accompanying cancers. Patients with hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer meeting the Amsterdam criteria, familial adenomatous polyposis, or those receiving preoperative radiotherapy were excluded. Mutator phenotype was assessed by assaying microsatellite instability (MSI) at 24 markers, hMLH1-promoter methylation, mutations at MMR genes (hMLH1, hMSH2, hMSH6, and hPMS2), and immune staining of MMR proteins (hMLH1, hMSH2, hMSH6, hPMS1, and hPMS2). Results: Of the 208 cancers in first-degree and/or second-degree relatives of patients, colorectal and gastric cancers (81%) were most common. Of the 134 proband colorectal cancers, 23 (17%) were MSI in high level, and 32 (24%) were MSI in low level. MMR alterations, including known polymorphism and splicing substitution, were identified in eight patients (6%). Twenty-eight tumors with mutator phenotype were further identified by hMLH1-promoter methylation and/or loss of MMR protein expression. In 51 tumors (38%), mutator phenotype was associated with right-sided colon cancer (P < 0.001) and younger age at onset (P = 0.032), but the number of patients with a mutator phenotype did not differ with respect to inheritance patterns of accompanying cancers, either successive or horizontal transmission (P = 0.815). Familial impact value, which differentially associated the degree of relatives with all accompanying cancers, effectively discriminated MSI in high level from microsatellite stable/MSI in low level tumors. Conclusion: Familial colorectal cancer may be associated with multiple occurrences of colorectal or accompanying cancers inherited by dominant or recessive transmission. MMR gene mutations, however, are less associated with mutator phenotype in familial colorectal cancer.
Three-dimensional reconstruction of a peroxisomal reticulum in regenerating rat liver: evidence of interconnections between heterogeneous segments

The three-dimensional (3-D) form and the interrelationship of peroxisomes (Po) in the model of regenerating rat liver after partial hepatectomy were studied by computer-assisted 3-D reconstruction of serial ultrathin sections. Po were labeled cytochemically for either catalase, which stains them all uniformly, or for D-amino acid oxidase (DAA-OX), which gives a heterogeneous reaction with lightly and darkly stained PO. In regenerating rat liver, Po exhibit marked pleomorphism with some budding forms and dumbbell-shaped ones. The 3-D reconstruction revealed many single spherical Po measuring 0.15-0.8 micron in diameter. In addition, two to five Po were found interconnected with each other via narrow 30-50-nm hourglass-shaped bridges forming a reticulum. Such aggregates of Po measured 1.5-2.5 microns across. Whereas all segments of this reticulum stained homogeneously for catalase, they exhibited a marked difference in the intensity of the DAA-OX reaction. These observations are consistent with the view of peroxisomal proliferation by budding or fragmentation from preexisting ones. Under such conditions of rapid growth as in regenerating liver, Po may be interconnected forming a reticulum. The interconnections between Po with differing DAA-OX activities suggest that they originate from the same parent organelle.