Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modulation of the IL‐1 cytokine network in keratinocytes by intracellular IL‐1α and IL‐1 receptor antagonist

The IL‐1 cytokine network in epidermal cells was studied in vitro, using the spontaneously transformed HaCAT human keratinocyte line. Intracellular (ic) IL‐1α and IL‐1 receptor antagonist protein (IL‐1Ra) following cell lysis were readily identified assayed using a capture ELISA; whereas in culture supernatants IL‐1Ra was not detected, and IL‐1α was present at only very low levels. Confluent cultures of HaCAT cells were shown to provide optimal conditions for the study, since confluence increased the icIL‐1Ra: IL‐1α ratio to a level as seen in vivo, which was independent of Ca2+ concentration in the culture medium. The IL‐1Ra extracted from HaCAT cell lysates was functionally active, as demonstrated in the mouse thymocyte co‐proliferation assay which could be blocked using a rabbit anti‐IL‐1Ra antibody. Transforming growth factor‐beta (TGF‐α) stimulated a dose‐dependent increase in HaCAT cell 1L‐1α without changing IL‐1Ra concentration, with a resultant reduction in the iclL‐1Ra: IL‐1α ratio from 320:1 to 100:1. Similarly, TGF‐α, interferon‐gamma (IFN‐γ), IL‐6, and tumour necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) substantially increased HaCAT cell IL‐1α, but had no effect on the IL‐1Ra. with a concomitant reduction in the icIL‐1Ra: IL‐1α ratio. In contrast to their effects on monocytes, IL‐4and IL‐10 at biologically active levels had no effect on IL‐1α, IL‐1Ra or the icIL‐1Ra: IL‐1a ratio in confluent HaCAT cells. Hydrocortisone reduced IL‐1α to below the limit of sensitivity of the ELISA, and induced a small increase in IL‐1Ra of questionable biological significance. Thus, regulation of the IL‐1 cytokine network in keratinocytes involves modulation of icIL 1α rather than of icIL‐1Ra levels, and is markedly different from that noted in monocytes.
Angiogenic signaling in Alzheimer's disease

Genome-wide expression profiling has identified significant alterations in the abundance of specific mRNA populations in Alzheimer's disease brain when compared to age-matched controls. Increases in the expression of certain brain genes are in contrast to the majority of expressed RNAs (55–67%), which are down-regulated. The data presented here shows, that at the level of mRNA abundance, there is marked up-regulation in a family of stress-related genes that have significant potential to promote angiogenesis. This supports the hypothesis of an advancement in angiogenic signaling in Alzheimer's disease brain. Angiogenesis, perhaps as the result of dysfunctional cerebral vasculature, may be both a consequence and a contributory factor to the etiopathology of the Alzheimer's disease process.
Gauss–Seidel Iterative Solution of Electromagnetic Pulse Coupling to Three-Conductor Transmission Lines

This paper proposes a distributed analytical representation and Gauss-Seidel iterative technique (Seidel-DARIT-field), which has a faster convergence rate than the Jacobi-DARIT-field method in the simulation of electromagnetic pulse (EMP) radiated field coupling to multiconductor transmission lines (MTLs) and is more valid and accurate. The process of the first iteration in this method is similar to that in the Jacobi-DARIT-field method. At the second iteration and after, every line will be updated based on the present iteration state of other lines.
An Efficient Operator for the Change Point Estimation in Partial Spline Model

In bioinformatics application, the estimation of the starting and ending points of drop-down in the longitudinal data is important. One possible approach to estimate such change times is to use the partial spline model with change points. In order to use estimate change time, the minimum operator in terms of a smoothing parameter has been widely used, but we showed that the minimum operator causes large MSE of change point estimates. In this paper, we proposed the summation operator in terms of a smoothing parameter, and our simulation study showed that the summation operator gives smaller MSE for estimated change points than the minimum one. We also applied the proposed approach to the experiment data, blood flow during photodynamic cancer therapy.
MMC Capacitor Voltage Decoupling and Balancing Controls

A modular multilevel converter control system, based on converter energy storage, is proposed in this paper for two different control modes: active power and dc voltage. The proposed control system decouples the submodule (SM) capacitor voltages from the dc bus voltage. One of the practical applications is the management of active redundant SMs. A practical HVDC system with 401-level MMCs, including 10% redundancy in MMC SMs, is used for validating and demonstrating the advantages of the proposed control system. This paper also presents a novel capacitor voltage balancing control based on max-min functions. It is used to drastically reduce the number of switchings for each SM and enhances computational efficiency.
Ongoing Cell Death and Immune Influences on Regeneration in the Vestibular Sensory Organs

Abstract: Hair cells in the vestibular organs of birds have a relatively short life span. Mature hair cells appear to die spontaneously and are then quickly replaced by new hair cells that arise from the division of epithelial supporting cells. A similar regenerative mechanism also results in hair cell replacement after ototoxic damage. The cellular basis of hair cell turnover in the avian ear is not understood. We are investigating the signaling pathways that lead to hair cell death and the relationship between ongoing cell death and cell production. In addition, work from our lab and others has demonstrated that the avian inner ear contains a resident population of macrophages and that enhanced numbers of macrophages are recruited to sites of hair cells lesions. 1–3 Those observations suggest that macrophages and their secretory products (cytokines) may be involved in hair cell regeneration. Consistent with that suggestion, we have found that treatment with the anti‐inflammatory drug dexamethasone reduces regenerative cell proliferation in the avian ear, and that certain macrophage‐secreted cytokines can influence the proliferation of vestibular supporting cells 2 and the survival of statoacoustic neurons. 4 Those results suggest a role for the immune system in the process of sensory regeneration in the inner ear. (For full refs. 1–4 , see reference list to main paper.)
A BIST Technique for Configurable Nanofabric Arrays

This work proposes a built-in self test (BIST) approach to test crossbars for a defined set of faults. The BIST can classify the different programmable elements in the crossbars as non-defective or defective with a certain fault type. The logic synthesis can then configure the crossbar by avoiding these defective elements.
Why do you NOT use the Enterprise Social Network? Analyzing Non-Users' reasons through the lens of Affordances

Enterprise Social Networks (ESNs) are increasingly implemented, as they promise to offer enormous potentials to enhance organizational collaboration, innovation, and performance. Nevertheless, many companies fail to encourage their employees to actively engage in ESNs. In order to understand the reasons for the lack of participation, we qualitatively surveyed 553 non-users of a multinational knowledge-intensive company. Using the concept of affordances as theoretical framework, we found our categories to be rooted in six affordances: visibility, persistence, editability, association, accessibility, and practicability. Furthermore, we provide empirical support for three propositions on non-usage: (1) Non-users do not actualize an affordance, because they are not aware of the affordance existence, (2) Non-users do not actualize the affordance owing to their subjective action goals, and (3) Non-users do not actualize the affordance due to negative effects created by the affordance. Our findings yield important practical implications on how to encourage non-users to participate in ESNs. the interplay affordances and non-usage. our case our mode of data collection our process. our empirical findings and outline how the 17 categories emerged and are in the affordances of ESNs. we our results and propositions by assigning our identified categories and affordances to our three propositions. After presenting important theoretical and practical contributions of our research, we conclude by to the limitations and highlight directions for future work.
Effect of ligand binding on human D‐amino acid oxidase: Implications for the development of new drugs for schizophrenia treatment

In human brain the flavoprotein D‐amino acid oxidase (hDAAO) is responsible for the degradation of the neuromodulator D‐serine, an important effector of NMDA‐receptor mediated neurotransmission. Experimental evidence supports the concept that D‐serine concentration increase by hDAAO inhibition may represent a valuable therapeutic approach to improve the symptoms in schizophrenia patients. This study investigated the effects on hDAAO conformation and stability of the substrate D‐serine (or of the pseudo‐substrate trifluoro‐D‐alanine), the FAD cofactor, and two inhibitors (benzoate, a classical substrate‐competitive inhibitor and the drug chlorpromazine (CPZ), which competes with the cofactor). We demonstrated that all these compounds do not alter the interaction of hDAAO with its physiological partner pLG72. The ligands used affect the tertiary structure of hDAAO differently: benzoate or trifluoro‐D‐alanine binding increases the amount of the holoenzyme form in solution and stabilizes the flavoprotein, while CPZ binding favors a protein conformation resembling that of the apoprotein, which is more sensitive to degradation. Interestingly, the apoprotein form of hDAAO binds the substrate D‐serine: this interaction increases FAD binding thus increasing the amount of active holoenzyme in solution. Benzoate and CPZ similarly modify the short‐term cellular D‐serine concentration but affect the cellular concentration of hDAAO differently. In conclusion, the different alteration of hDAAO conformation and stability by the ligands used represents a further parameter to take into consideration during the development of new drugs to cope schizophrenia.
Reef restoration and rehabilitation on a Maldivian high-class tourist resort

Korallenriffe sind hochproduktive Okosysteme und versorgen uns nicht nur mit wertvollen Gutern, sondern haben auch einen sehr hohen Erholungswert. Ein kunstliches Riff wurde um den 'Unterwasser Spa' des Luxusresorts 'Huvafen Fushi' gebaut, um den Hotelgasten eine interessante Sicht in die Insellagune zu bieten. Da das inseleigene Hausriff sehr unter der Korallenmortalitat im Jahre 1998 und dem Druck der Touristen gelitten hatte, wurde eine Korallenfarm errichtet, um das zerstorte Riff zu rehabilitieren. Die vorliegende Studie richtet ihren Schwerpunkt auf verschiedene methodische Ansatze, die fur Riffmanager, besonders auf Ferienanlagen, interessant sein konnte. Das Uberleben und Wachstum der Korallentransplantate wurde mit einer Kontrollgruppe von am Hausriff befindlichen ungestorten Kolonien verglichen. Es wurde kein Unterschied im Wachstum fur Acroporidae festgestellt, wahrend Pocilloporidae am Hausriff schneller zu wachsen schienen. Bereits innerhalb eines Jahres diente das kunstliche Riff, welches biogenem Gestein und Beton aufwuchs, einer Diversitat von Fischen und benthischen Organismen. In der Korallenfarm betrug das Uberleben der Stecklinge nach neun Monaten 90,1% - wobei die hochste Mortalitat in den ersten beiden Wochen nach Beginn des Projektes zu verzeichnen war. Huvafen Fushi entschied sich auch dafur, eine Meeresbiologin auf der Insel anzustellen, was sich in Bezug auf die Einnahmen aus den Schnorcheltouren als Erfolg herausstellte (60.000 USD in 2007/08, verglichen mit nur 42.000 in 2006/07). Wahrend die Mehrheit der Gaste vor Beginn des Projektes nicht wusste, was eine Koralle denn wirklich sei, konnen wir davon ausgehen, dass nach einem Jahr 900 Touristen die Insel mit einem Wissen uber Korallenriffe, und uber richtiges Verhalten in diesen, verlassen haben. Somit vereint diese Arbeit Meeresbiologie mit Tourismus und versucht, Richtlinien fur ein nachhaltiges Management auf einer maledivischen Touristeninsel zu geben.
Suivi de l'émergence des pousses de ligneux en vue d'une restauration passive des rives du ruisseau de la Vallée-Aux-Berges (Basse Normandie)

Les ecosystemes ripariens sont des milieux complexes et fragiles. La restauration de ces ecotones peut notamment passer par le reboisement qui previent des risques d'erosion. Cette etude sur le ruisseau de la Vallee-Aux-Berges a pour but d'etudier le reboisement naturel des berges suivant une methode de restauration passive. On observe un fort recrutement d'individus la premiere annee, qui se stabilise l'annee suivante. Un accroissement de la diversite specifique ainsi que de l'heterogeneite de la distribution des especes est observe sur l'ensemble de la zone. Il apparait que les prairies situees en aval de la zone d'etude sont plus diversifiees que celles situees en amont. Cette etude met en evidence l'efficacite de la restauration passive ou tout au moins un potentiel sur le reboisement des berges.
Pulmonary arterial hypertension: many years' experience and modern approach to a malignant disease in a pulmonary hypertension centre.

INTRODUCTION The aim of this study was to record the results from a modern diagnostic and therapeutic approach to patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension. METHODS We studied the clinical characteristics and the treatment of 69 patients (50 women, 72.5%), aged 44 +/- 17 years, who were diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension (World Health Organisation categories I, IV and V). The patients' outcomes were recorded over 14 years' operation of our Pulmonary Hypertension Unit. RESULTS Twenty-seven patients (39.1%) suffered from idiopathic pulmonary hypertension, 12 (17.4%) from thromboembolic obstructive disease, 14 (20.3%) from congenital heart diseases, 11 (15.9%) from connective tissue diseases, 3 (4.3%) from portal hypertension, 2 (2.9%) from sarcoidosis, and 1 (1.4%) from pulmonary veno-occlusive disease. Six patients (8.7%) were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class I, 28 (40.6%) were in class II, 30 (43.5%) were in class III, and 5 (7.2%) were in class IV. Thirty-four patients completed a 6-minute walk test and covered a mean distance of 352 +/- 137 m. N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels were measured in 18 patients, with a mean value of 1665 +/- 1935 pg/ml. A vasoreactivity test in 41 patients had a positive response in 10 (24.4%). Twenty-six patients (37.7%) were treated with combination therapy, whereas 16 (23.2%) either did not comply with or were not given specific medication. The mortality over a mean follow-up period of 5 +/- 4 years was 26%, significantly lower than that reported before the introduction of new drugs. An advanced NYHA class was an independent predictor of mortality (p=0.004), while elevated NT-proBNP levels were also associated with poor survival (p=0.013). CONCLUSIONS Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a severe disease that leads to right heart failure and death. Despite the latest advances, vigilance and continuous investigation are needed in order to achieve a prompt diagnosis and the most suitable treatment.
Mitral valve repair for traumatic mitral regurgitation

Mitral valve injury after blunt chest trauma is a rare clinical condition. We describe a case of mitral valve repair for severe mitral regurgitation due to blunt chest trauma 5 years previously. A 22-year-old man was referred to our hospital for surgical correction of severe mitral regurgitation. Echocardiography demonstrated a partial tear of the anterolateral papillary muscle which lacerated to the apex. The entire anterolateral part of the mitral valve including the anterior commissure and posterior leaflets had prolapsed. Reimplantation of the papillary muscle to the posterior left ventricular wall and ring annuloplasty were successfully performed without residual regurgitation.
Verification and Convergence Properties of a Particle-In-Cell Code

Particle-in-cell methods have been widely throughout plasma physics over 50 years. However, there is confusion about the mathematical model used for particle-in-cell (PIC) codes and whether PIC converges or not. Our hypothesis is Klimontovich equation with finite-size particle is the model described by PIC codes. We perform numerical study to compare PIC codes and gridless codes to solve these issues.
Case-Control Pilot Study of Soft Contact Lens Wearers With Corneal Infiltrative Events and Healthy Controls.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to assess risk factors associated with soft contact lens (SCL)-related corneal infiltrative events (CIEs). METHODS This was a single-visit, case-control study conducted at five academic centers in North America. Cases were defined as current SCL wearers with a symptomatic CIE. For each case, three age- and sex-matched controls were enrolled. Subjects completed the Contact Lens Risk Survey (CLRS), a standardized scripted medical interview, supplied a recent health history, and underwent an ocular examination. Microbial culturing of the ocular surface, SCL, and lens storage case was conducted for all cases and one of the three matched controls. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression modeling were used to assess the risk of developing a CIE. RESULTS Thirty cases and 90 controls 13 to 31 years of age completed the study. Corneal infiltrative event diagnosis included contact lens-associated red eye, infiltrative keratitis, and contact lens peripheral ulcer. Subjects with symptomatic CIEs were more likely to harbor substantial levels of gram-negative bioburden on the ocular surface and contact lens. Significant risk factors for developing a CIE were overnight wear of SCLs, use of multipurpose solution, rinsing SCLs with water, lens storage case older than 6 months, previous "red eye" event, use of ocular drops in the past week, and illness during the past week. CONCLUSIONS This pilot study demonstrated feasibility of enrolling a representative pool of SCL wearers with an untreated, symptomatic CIE and assessing CIE risk factors by using standardized methods. A larger sample size is needed to determine relationships between patient-reported behaviors and exposures, microbial bioburden, and CIE development.
Entrainment between Heart Rate and Weak Noninvasive Forcing

We demonstrate that the heart rate of a healthy human can be synchronized by means of weak external noninvasive forcing in the form of a sequence of sound and light pulses, being either periodic or aperiodic, the latter forcing given by interbeat intervals of the heart of another subject. The phenomenon of phase locking of n:m type is observed for both situations in about 90% of our experiments. The plot for the ratio of forcing frequency to the average frequency of response versus detuning possesses a plateau and is in agreement with classical synchronization theory.
Echocardiographic Characterization of the Cardiovascular Phenotype in Rodent Models

Echocardiographic techniques are commonly utilized to describe the rodent cardiovascular phenotype. These approaches are contrasted with other in vivo methods and are positioned in the assay selection process by a review of studies from our laboratory and others. Although not conventionally considered a biomarker, the technique has the potential to be exploited as a marker of intentional or unanticipated toxic biological effects in the preclinical development of drugs and chemicals.
Synthesis of the Compatible Solute Ectoine in Virgibacillus pantothenticus Is Triggered by High Salinity and Low Growth Temperature

ABSTRACT The quantification of the intracellular concentration of ectoine in Virgibacillus pantothenticus revealed that the production of this compatible solute is triggered either by an increase in the external salinity or by a reduction in the growth temperature. This finding reflects increased transcription of the ectoine biosynthetic operon (ectABC) under both environmental conditions.
Multi-Sensors and Multiray Reconstruction for Digital Preservation

The use of multi-sensor systems is demonstrated in this paper. Firstly, the potential of modern smart phones is used to reconstruct 3D shapes for Cultural Heritage applications. Secondly, we let collect the Microsoft Kinect sensor system dense point clouds for 3D indoor modelling. Thirdly, a multi-camera system is mounted onto a rectangular aluminium frame to collect thousands of images of two reliefs, which are processed by refined image matching algorithms. The resulting point clouds are of very dense resolution and high accuracy. The potential of the implemented image matching algorithm seems to be very flexible, fast and lean with regard to storage requirements. Three examples demonstrate the application of the image processing pipeline.
Predictors and Effects of Long-term Dieting on Mental Well-being and Weight Loss in Obese Women

Sixty moderately obese women (mean BMI = 33, mean age = 43), randomized to a lactovegetarian or regular 1300-kcal weight-reducing diet were followed at 3, 8 and 24 months. Weight follow-up was 92%, while 47% complied with the program throughout with no differences between the two diets with respect to compliance rate, weight loss or behavioral test results. Over 24 months compliers lost a mean 3.9 kg compared to a gain of 1.8 kg in the non-compliers. Short-term improvements in mental well-being measured by the Mood Adjective Check List deteriorated after 2 years to lower levels than at entry. Self-assessed motivation to diet was inversely related to mental well-being at two years. Positive long-term changes of functional status (Sickness Impact Profile) were found. Though subjective prediction of success measured after 3 weeks on diet predicted short-term and maximum weight loss, it did not predict ultimate outcome. More difficulties in resisting emotional and social eating cues (high disinhibition score on the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire) before and during the diet predicted weight gain. The more initial health-related dysfunction (SIP) the greater the weight regain. Psychological characteristics at baseline did not predict compliance or overall weight loss. The magnitude of weight loss after 24 months was related to amount and duration of maximum weight loss.