Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Copresentation of Intact and Processed MHC Alloantigen by Recipient Dendritic Cells Enables Delivery of Linked Help to Alloreactive CD8 T Cells by Indirect-Pathway CD4 T Cells

In transplantation, direct-pathway CD8 T cells that recognize alloantigen on donor cells require CD4 help for activation and cytolytic function. The ability of indirect-pathway CD4 T cells to provide this help remains unexplained, because a fundamental requirement for epitope linkage is seemingly broken. The simultaneous presentation, by host dendritic cells (DCs), of both intact MHC class I alloantigen and processed alloantigen would deliver linked help, but has not been demonstrated definitively. In this study, we report that following in vitro coculture with BALB/c DCs, small numbers (∼1.5%) of C57BL/6 (B6) DCs presented acquired H-2d alloantigen both as processed allopeptide and as unprocessed Ag. This represented class I alloantigen provides a conformational epitope for direct-pathway allorecognition, because B6 DCs isolated from cocultures and transferred to naive B6 mice provoked cytotoxic CD8 T cell alloimmunity. Crucially, this response was dependent upon simultaneous presentation of class II–restricted allopeptide, because despite acquiring similar amounts of H-2d alloantigen upon coculture, MHC class II–deficient B6 DCs failed to elicit cytotoxic alloimmunity. The relevance of this pathway to solid-organ transplantation was then confirmed by the demonstration that CD8 T cell cytotoxicity was provoked in secondary recipients by transfer of DCs purified from wild-type, but not from MHC class II–deficient, C57BL/6 recipients of BALB/c heart transplants. These experiments demonstrate that representation of conformationally intact MHC alloantigen by recipient APC can induce cytotoxic alloimmunity, but simultaneous copresentation of processed allopeptide is essential, presumably because this facilitates linked recognition by indirect-pathway CD4 Th cells.
Rice SNP-seek database update: new SNPs, indels, and queries

We describe updates to the Rice SNP-Seek Database since its first release. We ran a new SNP-calling pipeline followed by filtering that resulted in complete, base, filtered and core SNP datasets. Besides the Nipponbare reference genome, the pipeline was run on genome assemblies of IR 64, 93-11, DJ 123 and Kasalath. New genotype query and display features are added for reference assemblies, SNP datasets and indels. JBrowse now displays BAM, VCF and other annotation tracks, the additional genome assemblies and an embedded VISTA genome comparison viewer. Middleware is redesigned for improved performance by using a hybrid of HDF5 and RDMS for genotype storage. Query modules for genotypes, varieties and genes are improved to handle various constraints. An integrated list manager allows the user to pass query parameters for further analysis. The SNP Annotator adds traits, ontology terms, effects and interactions to markers in a list. Web-service calls were implemented to access most data. These features enable seamless querying of SNP-Seek across various biological entities, a step toward semi-automated gene-trait association discovery. URL: http://snp-seek.irri. org.
Random Neural Network Based Cognitive-eNodeB Deployment in LTE Uplink

Artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML) based cognitive solutions have widely been applied to deal with downlink inter-cell interference coordination (ICIC) in long-term evolution (LTE) systems. This paper presents a random neural network (RNN) based novel framework to improve ICIC and radio resource management (RRM) in LTE-Uplink system. The RNN based cognitive engine (CE) is embedded within the eNodeB which allocates optimal radio parameters to attached users and also suggests acceptable transmit power to users served by adjacent cells, in order to reduce inter-cell interference (ICI). The proposed CE concurrently achieves long-term learning, fast decision making, and less computational complexity. These three CE design features are essential for the development and practical deployment of any real-time cognitive communication system and most of the existing AI/ML based cognitive solutions in literature lack them. The performance of RNN based optimization framework is compared with artificial neural network (ANN) and state-of-the-art fractional power control (FPC) scheme. In six different test-cases, simulation results have shown an improvement of 53.88%-87.53% in decision making accuracy and a decrease of 44.22% in scheduling delay as compared to ANN. In addition, throughput gain of 16.13% and 18.62% has been achieved as compared to ANN and FPC schemes respectively.
A novel i-vector framework using multiple features and PCA for speaker recognition in short speech condition

Speaker recognition in short speech condition is a difficult topic because the length of training and test speech is very short. One of the main disadvantage of the existing methods for speaker recognition is that they need very sufficient data and it's usually impossible in reality applications. In our experiments, the conventional methods with single feature don't make good performance in short speech. We propose a novel i-vector framework using multiple features and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) in short speech condition to overcome this difficulty, as multiple features combination can represent more aspects of a speaker. PCA is used to map the multiple features to an uncorrelated and orthogonal basis set to meet the requirements of Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) with diagonal covariance matrices and i-vector. Improvement from the proposed approach compared to a state-of-the-art system are of roughly 50% relative at equal error rate when evaluated on the telephone conditions from the 2010 NIST speaker recognition evaluation (SRE).
Beta and Angiotensin Blockades Are Associated With Improved 10‐Year Survival in Renal Transplant Recipients

Background Mortality in allograft kidney transplant recipients is high, and cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in these patients. They have heightened activity of sympathetic and renin–angiotensin systems. We tested the hypothesis that blockade of sympathetic and renin–angiotensin systems in these patients may offer a survival benefit using a large cohort of patients with long‐term follow up. Methods and Results Medical records of 321 consecutive patients from our institution who had received renal transplantation between 1995 and 2003 were abstracted. Survival was analyzed as a function of pharmacological therapies adjusted for age, sex, and comorbidities. The characteristics of the 321 patients were as follows: age at transplant, 44±13 years; 40% male; 89% with hypertension; 36% with diabetes, and mean left ventricular ejection fraction of 60%. Over a follow‐up of 10±4 years, there were 119 deaths. Adjusted for age, sex, diabetes, and coronary artery disease, use of a beta‐blocker therapy (P=0.04) and angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitor or receptor blocker (P=0.03) was associated with better survival. This treatment effect was seen across all major clinical subgroups and was supported by propensity score analysis. The propensity score–adjusted 10‐year survival was 95% in those taking both groups of medications, 72% in those taking either of them, and 64% in those taking neither (P=0.004). Conclusions Use of beta‐blocker and angiotensin blocking therapies is associated with higher survival after renal transplantation, indicating their potential protective role in this high‐risk population.
Natural American Spirit Brand Marketing Casts Health Halo Around Smoking

The article discusses how the Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Co. uses health-oriented marketing terms on the packaging of the firm's Natural American Spirit tobacco products, and it mentions tobacco products-related advertising. According to the article, the Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Co. is owned by Reynolds American Inc. which is the second largest tobacco company in the U.S. Risk perceptions are examined, along with a smoking-related health halo involving organic labeling.
Second order difference based detection and directional weighted median filter for removal of random valued impulsive noise

The proposed approach of removal of random valued impulsive noise from images works in two phases. The first phase detects contaminated pixels and the second phase filters only those pixels keeping others intact. The detection scheme utilizes second order difference of pixels in a test window and the filtering scheme is a variation median filter based on the edge information. The proposed scheme is simulated extensively on standard images and comparison with existing schemes reveal that our scheme outperforms them in terms of Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR), number of false detection and miss detection. The proposed scheme is also good at preserving finer details. Further, the computational complexity and number of iterations needed by the proposed scheme is less than the existing counterparts.
Increased Prevalence of Bisphosphonate-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw with Vitamin D Deficiency in Rats

Necrotic bone exposure in the oral cavity has recently been reported in patients treated with nitrogen‐containing bisphosphonates as part of their therapeutic regimen for multiple myeloma or metastatic cancers to bone. It has been postulated that systemic conditions associated with cancer patients combined with tooth extraction may increase the risk of osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ). The objective of this study was to establish an animal model of bisphosphonate‐related ONJ by testing the combination of these risk factors. The generation of ONJ lesions in rats resembling human disease was achieved under the confluence of intravenous injection of zoledronate (ZOL; 35 µg/kg every 2 weeks), maxillary molar extraction, and vitamin D deficiency [VitD(−)]. The prevalence of ONJ in the VitD(−)/ZOL group was 66.7%, which was significantly higher (p < .05, Fisher exact test) than the control (0%), VitD(−) (0%), and ZOL alone (14.3%) groups. Similar to human patients, rat ONJ lesions prolonged the oral exposure of necrotic bone sequestra and were uniquely associated with pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia. The number of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase–mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate–biotin nick‐end label–positive (TUNEL+) osteoclasts significantly increased on the surface of post–tooth extraction alveolar bone of the VitD(−)/ZOL group, where sustained inflammation was depicted by [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose micro‐positron emission tomography (µPET). ONJ lesions were found to be associated with dense accumulation of mixed inflammatory/immune cells. These cells, composed of neutrophils and lymphocytes, appeared to juxtapose apoptotic osteoclasts. It is suggested that the pathophysiologic mechanism(s) underpinning ONJ may involve the interaction between bisphosphonates and compromised vitamin D functions in the realm of skeletal homeostasis and innate immunity. © 2010 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research
Ventral Striatum Activity in Response to Reward: Differences Between Bipolar I and II Disorders

Objective Little is known about the neurobiology of bipolar II disorder. While bipolar I disorder is associated with abnormally elevated activity in response to reward in the ventral striatum, a key component of reward circuitry, no studies have compared reward circuitry function in bipolar I and bipolar II disorders. Furthermore, associations among reward circuitry activity, reward sensitivity, and striatal volume remain underexplored in bipolar and healthy individuals. The authors examined reward activity in the ventral striatum in participants with bipolar I and II disorders and healthy individuals, the relationships between ventral striatal activity and reward sensitivity across all participants, and between-group differences in striatal gray matter volume and relationships with ventral striatal activity across all participants. Method Twenty healthy comparison subjects and 32 euthymic bipolar I (N=17) and bipolar II (N=15) patients underwent a neuroimaging reward paradigm during functional MRI scanning, structural scanning, and completed psychometric and clinical assessments. Results Region-of-interest analyses revealed significant ventral striatal activity in all participants during reward anticipation that was significantly greater in bipolar II patients compared with the other groups. Ventral striatal activity during reward anticipation correlated positively with reward sensitivity and fun seeking across all participants. Bipolar II patients had significantly greater left putamen volume than bipolar I patients, and left putamen volume correlated positively with left ventral striatal activity to reward anticipation in all participants. Conclusions Abnormally elevated ventral striatal activity during reward anticipation may be a potential biomarker of bipolar II disorder. These findings highlight the importance of adopting a dimensional approach in the study of neural mechanisms supporting key pathophysiological processes that may cut across psychiatric disorders.
Affective color transfer based on skin color preservation

As we know, color, one of important features for composing images, can affect people on emotional level. Photographers and designers can enhance desired color in their work to convey feeling, especially in wedding pictures. In this paper, affective color transfer is proposed; we focus on implementing color transfer in wedding pictures to make overall color theme of input image be similar with reference image. The proposed skin color preserving phase prevents skin color from over-modification in original color transfer. Furthermore, we attach importance about the harmony of output image, combing both the opacity of input and output image in color transfer to reduce visual distortion. Another mechanism is affective analysis in images. First, we define affective classes and then extract affective colors in the image to classify the affective class. By using saliency map, we extracted the affective color in the image exactly. Finally, experiment results of affective analysis and affective color transfer have confirmed the effectiveness of our proposed method.
Distinct cell-specific control of autoimmunity and infection by FcγRIIb

FcγRIIb is an inhibitory Fc receptor expressed on B cells and myeloid cells. It is important in controlling responses to infection, and reduced expression or function predisposes to autoimmunity. To determine if increased expression of FcγRIIb can modulate these processes, we created transgenic mice overexpressing FcγRIIb on B cells or macrophages. Overexpression of FcγRIIb on B cells reduced the immunoglobulin G component of T-dependent immune responses, led to early resolution of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), and reduced spontaneous systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In contrast, overexpression on macrophages had no effect on immune responses, CIA, or SLE but increased mortality after Streptococcus pneumoniae infection. These results help define the role of FcγRIIb in immune responses, demonstrate the contrasting roles played by FcγRIIb on B cells and macrophages in the control of infection and autoimmunity, and emphasize the therapeutic potential for modulation of FcγRIIb expression on B cells in inflammatory and autoimmune disease.
STUDIES ON BLINDSIGHT: FUNDAMENTAL CONTRIBUTIONS ON NEUROSCIENCE AND CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS

Resumen Se denomina vision ciega (Blindsight) al fenomeno tradicionalmente estudiado en pacientes con lesiones en su cortex visual primario (V1), quienes logran discriminar estimulos visuales pese a no tener consciencia de haberlos percibido. A partir de una revision de literatura del area se exponen hitos del desarrollo del estudio de Blindsight como paradigma de investigacion en neurociencias, sus aportes fundamentales, y controversias conceptuales y metodologicas. Se exponen ademas datos surgidos de la investigacion reciente en el area, la cual plantea un enfasis en explicar el fenomeno asociado a sus correlatos neuroanatomicos, existiendo hallazgos recurrentes respecto a un rol central del coliculo superior. Se concluye que el estudio del blindsight como paradigma de investigacion se encuentra actualmente en un proceso de replanteamiento tanto de caracter metodologico como conceptual.
Thermostabilization of Ovalbumin by an Alkaline Treatment: Examination for the Possible Implications of an Altered Serpin Loop Structure

Ovalbumin, a member of the serpin superfamily, is transformed via an intermediate state into a non-cleaved, thermostabilized form (S-ovalbumin) during either the storage of unfertilized eggs or development of fertilized eggs; essentially the same thermostabilization also occurs upon in vitro incubation of isolated ovalbumin under alkaline conditions. To investigate the implications of a partial insertion of the α-helical serpin loop into β-sheet A that has been proposed as a conformational mechanism for S-ovalbumin production, we examined the thermostabilization process of ovalbumin with different loop structures. When the thermostabilization processes were compared for the intact, P1-P1′-cleaved and P1-P1′/P8-P7-cleaved forms of egg white ovalbumin, both the rates for the conversion from the native to intermediate and from the intermediate to S-ovalbumin were almost indistinguishable among the three protein forms. Furthermore, the fully loop-inserted form of recombinant ovalbumin mutant R339T that had been thermostabilized by P1-P1′ cleavage with Tm values from 72 to 88°C was further thermostabilized by an alkaline treatment, yielding a final product (loop inserted S-ovalbumin) with a Tm value of 93°C. No significant difference was found between native ovalbumin and S-ovalbumin in respect of the rate of proteolytic cleavage of the loop by elastase and subtilisin. These data strongly suggest that S-ovalbumin is produced by a mechanism other than that of the partial loop insertion model.
Comparing and evaluating information retrieval algorithms for news recommendation

In this paper, we argue that the performance of content-based news recommender systems has been hampered by using relatively old and simple matching algorithms. Using more current probabilistic retrieval algorithms results in significant performance boosts. We test our ideas on a test collection that we have made publicly available. We perform both binary and graded evaluation of our algorithms and argue for the need for more graded evaluation of content-based recommender systems.
Isolation and Gene Flow in a Speciation Continuum in Newts

Because reproductive isolation often evolves gradually, differentiating lineages may retain the potential for genetic exchange for prolonged periods, providing an opportunity to quantify and understand the fundamental role of gene flow during speciation. Here we delimit taxa, reconstruct the phylogeny and infer gene flow in newts of the Lissotriton vulgaris species complex based on 74 nuclear markers sampled from 127 localities. We demonstrate that distinct lineages along the speciation continuum in newts exchange nontrivial amounts of genes, affecting their evolutionary trajectories. By integrating a wide array of methods, we delimit nine taxa and show that two principle factors have driven their genetic differentiation: time since the last common ancestor determining levels of shared ancestral polymorphism, and shifts in geographic distributions determining the extent of secondary contact. Post-divergence gene flow, indicative of evolutionary non-independence, has been most extensive between sister and non-sister taxa in Central Europe, while four southern European lineages have acquired the population genetic hallmarks of independent species (L. graecus, L. kosswigi, L. lantzi, L. schmidtleri). We obtained strong statistical support for widespread mtDNA introgression, previously suggested by discordance between mtDNA phylogeny and morphology. Our study suggests that long-term evolution in structured populations that may periodically exchange genes may be common: although some of these populations may become extinct or fuse, others will acquire complete reproductive isolation and will carry signatures of this complex history in their genomes.
Decompressive Craniectomy in Neurocritical Care

Abstract Neurosurgeons increasingly use decompressive craniectomy (DC) in neurocritical care. In this review, the authors summarize the topic of DC for the neurointensivist. Following a brief overview of the procedure, the major indications for the procedure are described. This includes a review of the literature regarding well-established indications, such as infarction and traumatic brain injury, as well as lesser known indications, including intracerebral hemorrhage, ruptured cerebrovascular malformations, sinus thrombosis, and infection. Complications unique to DC, specifically syndrome of the trephined, hygroma, and hydrocephalus, also are reviewed with a discussion of their management, both in the immediate and the postoperative period.
The client-consultant relationship in the implementation of ERP in government: exploring the dynamic between power and knowledge

This article investigates the client-consultant relationship in the implementation of ERP using a case study of the human resources model in the government of Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The implantation of ERP and the client-consultant relationship have been thoroughly discussed for the private sector, but have yet to be well understood in a government context. To understand this dynamic, the theoretical framework of Pozzebon and Pinsonneault has been used, which suggests that knowledge and power are shared and negotiated during the implementation of configurable technologies such as ERP. The findings show a dynamic of cooperation between client and consultant due to mutual necessity, with diverse mechanisms of knowledge and power that influence the relationship. Between them, mechanisms that may be exclusive to the government scenario: the common language, the involvement of an external agent in the project and the external IT team. The study examines the application of the theoretical framework in a public sector context, providing insight concerning the client-consultant relationship in an arena where public expenditure on consultancy and management tends to increase. Owing to the particular nature of government, the study provides insight that can benefit governments and consultants in the implementation of successful ERP.