Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CD226 Protein Is Involved in Immune Synapse Formation and Triggers Natural Killer (NK) Cell Activation via Its First Extracellular Domain*

Background: CD226 is an activating receptor on NK cells that mediates NK cell cytotoxicity. Results: The first extracellular domain of CD226 (CD226-ECD1) mediates NK cell recognition, adhesion, immune synapse formation, and cytotoxicity against target cells. Conclusion: CD226-ECD1 retains almost all functions of the full-length CD226 protein. Significance: The conclusion is helpful to understand the mechanism by which CD226 recognizes its ligands. CD226, an activating receptor that interacts with the ligands CD155 and CD112, activates natural killer (NK) cells via its immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activatory motif (ITAM). There are two extracellular domains of CD226; however, the comparative functional relevance of these domains remains unknown. In this study, two different deletion mutants, rCD226-ECD1 (the first extracellular domain) and rCD226-ECD (full extracellular domains), were recombinantly expressed. We observed that rCD226-ECD1, similar to rCD226-ECD, specifically bound to ligand-positive cell lines and that this interaction could be competitively blocked by an anti-CD226 mAb. In addition, rCD226-ECD1 was able to block the binding of CD112 mAb to tumor cells in a competitive binding assay. Importantly, based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR), we determined that rCD226-ECD1, similar to rCD226-ECD, directly bound to its ligand CD155 on a protein chip. Functionally, NK cell cytotoxicity against K562 or HeLa cells was blocked by rCD226-ECD1 by reducing the expression of CD69 and granzyme B, indicating the critical role of ECD1 in NK cell activation. We also examined the role of rCD226-ECD1 in effector/target interactions by using rCD226-ECD to block these interactions. Using flow cytometry, we found that the number of conjugates between IL-2-dependent NKL cells and HeLa cells was reduced and observed that the formation of immune synapses was also decreased under confocal microscopy. In addition, we prepared two anti-rCD226-ECD1 agonistic antibodies, 2E6 and 3B9. Both 2E6 and 3B9 antibodies could induce the phosphorylation of ERK in NK-92 cells. Taken together, our results show that CD226 functions via its first extracellular domain.
CD21-Mediated Entry and Stable Infection by Epstein-Barr Virus in Canine and Rat Cells

ABSTRACT We developed an adenovirus vector for transduction of the human CD21 gene (Adv-CD21), the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-specific receptor on human B lymphocytes, to overcome the initial barrier of EBV infection in nonprimate mammalian cells. Inoculation of Adv-CD21 followed by exposure to recombinant EBV carrying a selectable marker resulted in the successful entry of EBV into three of seven nonprimate mammalian cell lines as evidenced by expression of EBV-determined nuclear antigen (EBNA). The EBV-susceptible cell lines included rat glioma-derived 9L, rat mammary carcinoma-derived c-SST-2, and canine kidney-derived MDCK. Subsequent selection culture with G418 yielded drug-resistant cell clones. In these cell clones, EBV existed as an episomal form, as evidenced through the Gardella gel technique. Among the known EBV latency-associated gene products, EBV-encoded small RNAs, EBNA1 and transcripts from the BamHI-A rightward reading frame (BARF0), and latent membrane protein 2A were expressed in all EBV-infected cell clones. The viral lytic events could be induced in these cell clones by simultaneous treatment with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate andn-butyric acid, but they were abortive, and infectious virus was not produced. These results indicate that once the initial barrier for attachment is overcome artificially, EBV can establish a stable infection in some nonprimate mammalian cells, and they raise the possibility that transgenic animals with the human CD21 gene could provide an animal model for EBV infection.
Assessing Recovery and Establishing Prognosis Following Total Knee Arthroplasty

Background and Purpose: Information about expected rate of change after arthroplasty is critical for making prognostic decisions related to rehabilitation. The goals of this study were: (1) to describe the pattern of change in lower-extremity functional status of patients over a 1-year period after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and (2) to describe the effect of preoperative functional status on change over time. Subjects: Eighty-four patients (44 female, 40 male) with osteoarthritis, mean age of 66 years (SD=9), participated. Methods: Repeated measurements for the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) and the Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) were taken over a 1-year period. Data were plotted to examine the pattern of change over time. Different models of recovery were explored using nonlinear mixed-effects modeling that accounted for preoperative status and gender. Results: Growth curves were generated that depict the rate and amount of change in LEFS scores and 6MWT distances up to 1 year following TKA. The curves account for preoperative status and gender differences across participants. Discussion and Conclusion: The greatest improvement occurred in the first 12 weeks after TKA. Slower improvement continued to occur from 12 weeks to 26 weeks after TKA, and little improvement occurred beyond 26 weeks after TKA. The findings can be used by physical therapists to make prognostic judgments related to the expected rate of improvement following TKA and the total amount of improvement that may be expected.
miR‐709 up‐regulated in hepatocellular carcinoma, promotes proliferation and invasion by targeting GPC5

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers and is a significant leading cause of cancer‐related deaths worldwide. Emerging evidence has shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) are associated with cancer development and progression. However, up to now little has been known concerning the role of miR‐709 in HCC.
Parallel battery configuration for coin cell operated wireless sensor networks

Coin cell batteries have been used in low current application in the past. Due to their low cost and small size, they are an attractive option for use in wireless sensor networks. The rated capacity of a coin cell batter is not achievable. In fact, the achievable life time could be significantly shorter mainly due to characteristics of the draw currents in wireless applications. Measurements have revealed the dependence of coin cell battery capacity on characteristics of the current draw. Here we model lithium CR2032 coin cell battery capacity. It is shown that significant battery life time overestimation could result, if the capacity dependencies are ignored. Parallel coin cell battery configuration is proposed as a simple alternative to single battery case. It is demonstrated that parallel coin cell battery configuration results in longer battery life compared to the single battery case. The battery life improvement factor is shown to be a function of both the current draw and the functional end point voltage. The number of batteries in the parallel configurations influences the results and performance saturation occurs when the number of parallel batteries exceeds three. Based on our estimates, battery improvement factors of up to 600% are obtained.
Large-scale reduction of the Bacillus subtilis genome: consequences for the transcriptional network, resource allocation, and metabolism

Understanding cellular life requires a comprehensive knowledge of the essential cellular functions, the components involved, and their interactions. Minimized genomes are an important tool to gain this knowledge. We have constructed strains of the model bacterium, Bacillus subtilis, whose genomes have been reduced by ∼36%. These strains are fully viable, and their growth rates in complex medium are comparable to those of wild type strains. An in-depth multi-omics analysis of the genome reduced strains revealed how the deletions affect the transcription regulatory network of the cell, translation resource allocation, and metabolism. A comparison of gene counts and resource allocation demonstrates drastic differences in the two parameters, with 50% of the genes using as little as 10% of translation capacity, whereas the 6% essential genes require 57% of the translation resources. Taken together, the results are a valuable resource on gene dispensability in B. subtilis, and they suggest the roads to further genome reduction to approach the final aim of a minimal cell in which all functions are understood.
Mechanisms by which chronic ethanol feeding limits the ability of dendritic cells to stimulate T-cell proliferation.

BACKGROUND As initiators of immune responses, dendritic cells (DCs) are required for antigen (Ag)-specific activation of naïve T cells in the defense against infectious agents. The increased susceptibility to and severity of infection seen in chronic alcoholics could be because of impaired DCs initiation of naïve T-cell responses. Specifically, these DCs may not provide adequate Signals 1 (Ag presentation), 2 (costimulation), or 3 (cytokine production) to these T cells. METHODS Using the Meadows-Cook murine model of chronic alcohol abuse, the ability of ethanol (EtOH)-exposed DCs to stimulate T-cell proliferation, acquire and process Ag, express costimulatory molecules, and produce inflammatory cytokines was assessed. RESULTS Normal naïve T cells primed by EtOH-exposed DCs showed decreased proliferation in vitro and in vivo, compared to water-fed control mice. These EtOH-exposed DCs, after activation by CpG or tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), were less able to upregulate costimulatory molecules CD40, CD80, or CD86, and produced less IL-12 p40, TNFα, and IFNα than DCs from water-fed mice. TLR9 and TNF receptor expression were also reduced in/on EtOH-exposed DCs. No evidence of defective Ag acquisition or processing as a result of EtOH feeding was identified. CONCLUSIONS Inadequate proliferation of normal T cells following stimulation by EtOH-exposed DCs is likely a result of diminished Signal 2 and Signal 3. Lack of adequate inflammatory stimulation of EtOH-exposed DCs because of diminished receptors for inflammatory mediators appears to be at least partially responsible for their dysfunction. These findings provide a mechanism to explain increased morbidity and mortality from infectious diseases in alcoholics and suggest targets for therapeutic intervention.
Characterization of monoclonal antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus type 2 envelope glycoproteins.

Twelve murine monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (isolate ROD) envelope glycoproteins have been generated and characterized. Nine MAbs were specific to the external gp125 and three reacted with the transmembrane gp36. A large majority of MAbs displayed a significant affinity for the native gp140 precursor and were shown to bind to viral antigens on the surface of fixed HIV-2-infected cells. In Western blot analysis, the 12 MAbs showed varying profiles of cross-reactivity, but none of the MAbs cross-reacted with the HIV-1LAI envelope. Six MAbs reacted exclusively with the homologous HIV-2ROD isolate whereas only two MAbs displayed cross-reactivity with HIV-2ROD, HIV-2EHO, and SIVmac251. The four other MAbs cross-reacted with either HIV-2EHO or SIVmac251. Results of competitive binding assays indicated that the three anti-gp36 MAbs shared the same competition group, whereas at least eight competition groups were defined with the nine anti-gp125 MAbs. The epitopes of the three anti-gp36 and four anti-gp125 MAbs have been delineated using synthetic peptides or by immunological screening of an SIVmac251 peptide library expressed in yeast. The anti-gp36 MAbs are directed against the same domain of the transmembrane gp36 corresponding to the major antigenic determinant of HIV-2 and HIV-1. The four anti-gp125 MAbs recognize four distinct epitopes localized in the V2, V3, and C1 domains. None of the 12 MAbs displayed neutralizing activity against HIV-2ROD, including the 2 MAbs directed against the V2 and V3 domains. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
How well do vital signs identify children with serious infections in paediatric emergency care?

Objectives: To determine whether vital signs identify children with serious infections, and to compare their diagnostic value with that of the Manchester triage score (MTS) and National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) traffic light system of clinical risk factors. Design: Prospective cohort of children presenting with suspected acute infection. We recorded vital signs, level of consciousness, activity level, respiratory distress, hydration and MTS category. Setting: Paediatric assessment unit at a teaching hospital in England. Participants: 700 children (median age 3 years), of whom 357 (51.0%) were referred from primary care, 198 (28.3%) self-referrals and 116 (16.6%) emergency ambulance transfers. Just over half (383 or 54.7%) were admitted. Main outcome measures: Severity of infection categorised as serious, intermediate, minor or not infection. Results: Children with serious or intermediate infections (n = 313) were significantly more likely than those with minor or no infection (n = 387) to have a temperature ⩾39°C, tachycardia, saturations ⩽94% or capillary refill time (CRT) >2 seconds. Having one or more of temperature ⩾39°C, saturations ⩽94%, tachycardia and tachypnoea was 80% (95% CI 75% to 85%) sensitive and 39% (95% CI 34% to 44%) specific for serious or intermediate infection. This was comparable to the MTS score (84% sensitive, 38% specific), and the NICE traffic light system (85% sensitive, 29% specific). Conclusions: A combination of vital signs can be used to differentiate children with serious infections from those with less serious infections in a paediatric assessment unit and has comparable sensitivity to more complicated triage systems. The diagnostic value of combined vital signs and the NICE traffic light system remains to be determined in populations where the prevalence of severe illness is much lower.
Spatio-Temporal Series Remote Sensing Image Prediction Based on Multi-Dictionary Bayesian Fusion

Contradictions in spatial resolution and temporal coverage emerge from earth observation remote sensing images due to limitations in technology and cost. Therefore, how to combine remote sensing images with low spatial yet high temporal resolution as well as those with high spatial yet low temporal resolution to construct images with both high spatial resolution and high temporal coverage has become an important problem called spatio-temporal fusion problem in both research and practice. A Multi-Dictionary Bayesian Spatio-Temporal Reflectance Fusion Model (MDBFM) has been proposed in this paper. First, multiple dictionaries from regions of different classes are trained. Second, a Bayesian framework is constructed to solve the dictionary selection problem. A pixel-dictionary likehood function and a dictionary-dictionary prior function are constructed under the Bayesian framework. Third, remote sensing images before and after the middle moment are combined to predict images at the middle moment. Diverse shapes and textures information is learned from different landscapes in multi-dictionary learning to help dictionaries capture the distinctions between regions. The Bayesian framework makes full use of the priori information while the input image is classified. The experiments with one simulated dataset and two satellite datasets validate that the MDBFM is highly effective in both subjective and objective evaluation indexes. The results of MDBFM show more precise details and have a higher similarity with real images when dealing with both type changes and phenology changes.
Integrating manual calibration and auto-calibration of SWAT model in Muar Watershed, Johor

The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is a freely accessible hydrological modeling tool designed to simulate the impact of land-cover changes on hydrological processes over a continuous period. To test its performance in tropical climate conditions, the hydrological processes of the upper Muar watershed (UMW), Malaysia was modeled for land cover data in the year 1984. The SWAT model was run using 42 years of daily climate data from 1970 to 2011, with a six-year warm-up period (1970 to 1975). Manual calibration and auto-calibration using Sequential Uncertainty Fitting (SUFI-2) were coupled to optimize the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) and coefficient of determination (R2) value. Parameter CN2, CANMX, SOLAWC, GWREVAP and GWQMN are five of the most sensitive parameters for UMW. Meanwhile, EPCO, GWDELAY and CHN(2), found as less sensitive parameters to be adjusted. The value of NSEcalibration-validation = 0.71 & 0.62, and R2calibration-validation = 0.74 & 0.68 indicate of satisfied results obtained. The P-factor and R-factor for calibration was 0.92 and 1.77 respectively and P-factor=0.94, R-factor = 2.04 during validation period. This study therefore suggests that manual and auto-calibration approaches are suitable to be integrated to optimize NSE and R2 values. These goodness-of-fit statistics, supported by graphical representations, showed that the SWAT model could simulate a tropical watershed with reasonable accuracy.
[Oral itraconazole for treatment of a candida parapsilosis endophthalmitis case].

CLINICAL CASE A case of exogenous Candida parapsilosis endophthalmitis was treated first with oral fluconazol and later with intravenous Anfotericin without success. A subsequent therapy using topical fluconazole and oral itraconazole appeared to be effective in controlled the infection. DISCUSSION Current elective treatment for fungal endophthalmitis is Anfotericine B i.v. An alternative therapy are the azoles. In the reported case itraconazole was used, although its intraocular penetration and effectiveness have not yet been satisfactorily demonstrated. The clinical response in this case leads to the possibility that intraocular oral itraconazole penetration can be sufficient to control infection in cases where the causal fungi is sensitive.
Climate change and adaptive water management: innovative solutions from the global South

Climate change is one of the most pressing threats to sustainable development across the globe. The Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2014) notes that 93% of the impacts associated with climate change will be felt in the water sector. Climate change is already altering precipitation patterns and snowmelt, impacting the frequency and magnitude of floods and droughts, and contributing to more extreme weather events and wildfires globally. Availability of renewable surface and groundwater resources is likely to decrease significantly in most arid and semi-arid subtropical regions, exacerbating competition for water between agriculture, ecosystems, industry and settlements (IPCC, 2014). Climate change is projected to lower raw and drinking water quality, due to interacting factors including increased sediment and pollutant loads due to heavy rainfall and breakdown of water treatment infrastructure during floods and extreme weather events, with flood hazards projected to increase across half the globe (IPCC, 2014). The populations of developing countries, primarily in the global South, are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change on water availability due to high levels of exposure to water-related risks, limited coping capacity, and limited ability to recover from loss, often arising from non-climatic factors. The impacts of climate change are exacerbated by rapid population growth, rapid urbanization and chaotic economic development, particularly where water demands already exceed limited supplies. Climate change impacts destabilize development by affecting food security, health, infrastructure development and sustainable economic growth in developing countries. Simply put, climate change is not only a critical environmental concern but arguably the most urgent development challenge for the global South. Moreover, the voices of developing-country scientists – best placed to conduct research and present feasible local adaptation plans – are often silent in international public debate. The International Development Research Centre is a Canadian Crown corporation, established by an act of parliament in 1970 with a mandate ‘to initiate, encourage, support, and conduct research into the problems of the developing regions of the world and into the means for applying and adapting scientific, technical, and other knowledge to the economic and social advancement of those regions’ (IDRC, 1970). This special issue of Water International represents a sample of IDRC-supported projects on water
On cooperation between a fuel constrained UAV and a refueling UGV for large scale mapping applications

Aerial surveillance and mapping is a primary application area for small Unamnned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Large areas may need to be mapped, leading to long missions. However, mission duration is restricted by the fuel capacity of the UAV. This necessitates refueling the UAV for successful mission completion. All points of interest may not be reachable from a single refueling station and hence multiple refueling stations are required. Further, the refueling stations cannot be placed anywhere in the region, due to terrain restrictions. On the other hand, based on the placement of refueling stations, UAV routes must be designed. Therefore, UAV route planning and placement of refueling stations are coupled problems and obtaining optimal solutions is difficult. In this paper, we develop a greedy strategy for coordination between the mobile refueling UGV and the UAV for successful mission accomplishment. We built a simulation platform in Matlab to test and validate the strategy. Field experiments are also conducted using a quad-rotor to test the proposed strategy.
Micro sensors and actuators for minimally invasive medical devices and bionic humanoid

Minimally invasive inspections and therapies using catheter and endoscope has been widely performed without large incisions and physical burden on the patient, required smallness and particular shape restrict their functions and preciseness of the tools. Micro sensors and actuators using micro electrical mechanical systems (hereinafter called “MEMS”) fabrication technique have been developed for future of minimally invasive medicine which has multi-functions and high performance. Developed MEMS sensors can be utilized not only for medical devices, but also for bionic humanoid systems. The developing bionic humanoid has any lesion models of human organs, tissues, and blood vessel which have extremely similar characteristics of humans. By assembling the MEMS sensors to the models, this elaborate bionic humanoid can be utilized for a surgery practice, an examination, and an evaluation of new developed medical devices. In this paper, ultra-thin pressure sensor using optical fiber, ultrasonic sensor for forward looking intra vascular ultrasonic (hereinafter called “FL-IVUS”), and active binding catheter using micro actuator has been developed and reported.