Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tissue transglutaminase is an important player at the surface of human endothelial cells: evidence for its externalization and its colocalization with the beta(1) integrin.

We recently reported [J. Cell Sci. 110, 2461-2472 (1997)] that reduced expression of tissue transglutaminase (tTgase, type II) in human endothelial cell line ECV304 led to impaired cell spreading and adhesion; however, there is no immunocytochemical evidence for its presence and specific location at the surface of these cells. In this report we have stably transfected the same cell line with the cDNA for human tTgase which has been tagged at the C-terminus of the encoded protein with a 12-amino-acid peptide from protein kinase C epsilon. Using antibodies directed against this epitope tag peptide we show for the first time using immunogold electron microscopy and fluorescent immunocytochemistry the presence of cell surface-related tTgase. In cells undergoing attachment and cell spreading the enzyme appears to be concentrated at cell adhesion points which are rich in beta(1) integrin, suggesting that these areas may be the initial focal points for enzyme externalization. In more spread and confluent cells the enzyme appears more diffusely distributed along the basal membrane, with increased concentrations found at areas of cell-cell and cell-substratum contact. These findings strengthen the argument for the enzyme's role in cell-matrix interactions.
Cascaded Channel Model, Analysis, and Hybrid Decoding for Spin-Torque Transfer Magnetic Random Access Memory

Spin-torque transfer magnetic random access memory (STT-MRAM) is a promising non-volatile memory technology widely considered to replace dynamic random access memory (DRAM). However, there still exist critical technical challenges to be tackled. For example, process variation and thermal fluctuation may lead to both write errors and read errors, severely affecting the reliability of the memory array. In this paper, we first propose a novel cascaded channel model for STT-MRAM that facilitates fast error rate simulations and more importantly the theoretical design and analysis of memory sensing and channel coding schemes. We analyze the raw bit error rate and probabilities of dominant error events, and derive the maximum likelihood decision criterion and the log-likelihood ratio of the cascaded channel. Based on these works, we further propose a two-stage hybrid decoding algorithm for extended Hamming codes for STT-MRAM. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed hybrid decoding algorithm for improving the reliability of STT-MRAM in the presence of both write errors and read errors and supporting its potential applications, such as replacing DRAM.
Ym1 and Ym2 expression in a mouse model exposed to diesel exhaust particles

Background: Chitinase may play a role in regulating allergic diseases. Objective: We studied the role of chitinase in a mouse model exposed to diesel exhaust particles (DEP). Mice were exposed to intranasal DEP (0.6 mg/mL) for 5 days and challenged with aerosolized DEP (6 mg/m3) on days 6–8. Enhanced pause (Penh), as an airway obstruction marker, was measured on day 9, and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and lung tissues were collected on day 10. The expression of Ym1 and Ym2 mRNA was assessed in lung tissue extracts by reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction. Results: DEP induced significant increases in methacholine‐induced Penh and IL‐4 levels in BAL fluid relative to the control group. Peribronchial and perivascular inflammatory cell infiltrates were prominent in the DEP group. DEP induced Ym1 and Ym2 mRNA expression in lung tissue extracts relative to the control group. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that DEP induced airway hyperresponsiveness and Ym mRNA expression via a Th2 cell‐biased response, suggesting that chitinase may play an important role in airway inflammation and responsiveness upon exposure to DEP in a mouse model, and may therefore be involved in regulating allergic diseases. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2008.
Measurement of Human Intercellular Adhesion Molecule 1 in the Blood Is Useful for Predicting the Occurrence of Hepatocellular Carcinomas from Chronic Hepatitis C and Liver Cirrhosis

Objective: We measured the concentrations of serum intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (sICAM-1) in patients with C-viral chronic liver diseases and started prospective studies immediately thereafter, in order to determine whether the concentration of sICAM-1 is useful for predicting the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) following C-viral chronic hepatitis (CH) and liver cirrhosis (LC). Methods: We studied 74 patients with CH, 18 with LC, and 28 patients with HCC who visited our institute from 1993 through 1996. All were positive for hepatitis C virus RNA in the blood. The concentrations of sICAM-1 were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. The expression of ICAM-1 in the liver was detected by indirect immunoperoxidase staining. Results: The concentrations of sICAM-1 were significantly higher in patients with LC and HCC than in patients with CH. The sICAM-1 concentrations were high in patients whose platelet counts were low. ICAM-1 in the liver was localized to the endoplasmic reticulum or the membrane of cancer cells. The cumulative rate of occurrence of HCC from CH or LC was significantly higher in the high-sICAM-1 group (>400 ng/ml) than in the low-sICAM-1 group. Multivariate analysis revealed that elevation of the sICAM-1 concentration is a significant risk factor for the occurrence of HCC. Conclusion: Evaluation of the sICAM-1 concentration is useful for prediction of the occurrence of HCC in patients with C-viral CH or LC.
Blockade of the RAS increases plasma adiponectin in subjects with metabolic syndrome and enhances differentiation and adiponectin expression of human preadipocytes.

AIMS This observational study aimed to investigate the effects of renin-angiotensin system (RAS) blockers on plasma adiponectin in subjects with metabolic syndrome (Mets) and differentiation, adiponectin expression of human omental (OM) and subcutaneous (SC) preadipocytes. METHODS Fifty-three patients with Mets were treated with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition (ACEI), angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) or nothing, lipid profile and adiponetin were measured. OM and SC preadipocytes were obtained from sixteen normal non-menopausal women undergoing elective abdominal surgery and subsequently differentiated in the presence of ACE, ARB or thiazolidinedione (TZD). Differentiation was assessed using a number of biochemical and function parameters. RESULTS Plasma adiponectin was increased dramatically as a result of ACEI and ARB treatment. Most of the metabolic and differentiating parameters were improved significantly by RAS blockers or TZD. Compared with TZD, RAS blockers have stronger effects on omental preadipocytes in differentiation and insulin sensitivity. The improvement of adiponectin mRNA expression was significantly greater in ARB-treated omental preadipocytes compared with TZD-treated ones. CONCLUSION These results suggest that adiponectin may serve as potential therapeutic targets of ACEI and ARB for treating the Mets and its related complications. It also suggests a potential benefit of RAS blockers on Mets with characteristic visceral obesity.
Towards a process theory of entrepreneurial ecosystems

Research Summary: Entrepreneurial ecosystems have recently emerged as a popular concept within entrepreneurship policy and practitioner communities. Specifically, they are seen as a regional economic development strategy that is based around creating supportive environments that foster innovative start-ups. However, existing research on entrepreneurial ecosystems has been largely typological and atheoretical and has not yet explored how they influence the entrepreneurship process. This article critically examines the relationships between ecosystems and other existing literatures such as clusters and regional innovation systems. Drawing on this background, the article suggests that a process-based view of ecosystems provides a better framework to understand their role in supporting new venture creation. This framework is used to explain the evolution and transformation of entrepreneurial ecosystems and to create a typology of different ecosystem structures. Managerial Summary: Entrepreneurial ecosystems are a new buzzword within research and managerial circles. They represent the types of cultural, social, economic, and political environments within a region that support high-growth entrepreneurship. But current research does little more than look at successful ecosystems to identify best practices. This article examines what we know about entrepreneurial ecosystems and links them with existing theories like clusters and regional innovation systems. We argue that successful and unsuccessful entrepreneurship within an ecosystem generates critical entrepreneurial resources like investment capital, skilled workers, and entrepreneurial knowledge. This, in turn, supports future high-growth venture creation. The types of resources available in an ecosystem and the ability of these resources to flow through social networks helps separate strong, well-functioning ecosystems from weak, poorly functioning ones.
Partizipation von Kindern in biographischer Perspektive

Zusammenfassung Obwohl Fragen der Partizipation von Kindern und Jugendlichen in den letzten Jahren umfassend erforscht wurden, wird bislang kaum gefragt, welche sozialen und biographischen Erfahrungen für die Möglichkeit der Teilhabe und Mitbestimmung relevant sind. Auf der Grundlage einer qualitativen Befragung von Kindern, die über ihre Erfahrungen und Einschätzungen in Hinblick auf Mitbestimmung in verschiedenen Lebensbereichen berichten, werden im vorliegenden Beitrag die Perspektiven von Kindern genauer in den Blick genommen. Deutlich wird dabei, dass Erwachsene in Bezug auf Fragen kindlicher Teilhabe und Mitbestimmung von zentraler Bedeutung sind: In vielfältiger Weise werden Erwachsene von den Kindern als strukturierend und bestimmend skizziert, was sie in den meisten Fällen als hilfreich bzw. normal schildern. Anhand zweier Fälle, in denen die Entscheidungsmacht Erwachsener problematisiert wird, werden biographische Hintergründe solch kritischer Sichtweisen deutlich, die entweder zu einer kämpferischen oder zu einer resignativen Haltung in Bezug auf die eigenen Möglichkeiten der Teilhabe und Mitbestimmung beitragen können.
Empathic Mixed Reality: Sharing What You Feel and Interacting with What You See

Empathic Computing is a research field that aims to use technology to create deeper shared understanding or empathy between people. At the same time, Mixed Reality (MR) technology provides an immersive experience that can make an ideal interface for collaboration. In this paper, we present some of our research into how MR technology can be applied to creating Empathic Computing experiences. This includes exploring how to share gaze in a remote collaboration between Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) environments, using physiological signals to enhance collaborative VR, and supporting interaction through eye-gaze in VR. Early outcomes indicate that as we design collaborative interfaces to enhance empathy between people, this could also benefit the personal experience of the individual interacting with the interface.
A magnetic field projector for deep brain modulation

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an established surgical therapy for treatment of a number of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders based on the deep brain neural network modulation. However, the delicate surgical operation and high cost impede its wide applications. For non-invasive brain stimulation, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) have been applied in various therapeutic applications with little success due to the in-principle very limited field penetration depth and unable to be point focused. In this paper a novel magnetic field projector (MFP) capable of magnetically inducing deep brain modulation of neuronal firing is presented. The MFP allows the magnetic field to project to deep brain regions while suppressing the field strength on the scalp. The field penetration depth can be adjusted by configuring the structure parameters of the device as well as the excitation pulse current amplitude. A MFP prototype has been developed and tested on rats to modulate the firing rate of the brain sleep promoting site ventrolateral preoptic nucleus (VLPO). Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals recorded on scalp showed that sleep spindles can be induced by a train of 9 Hz magnetic stimulation pulses within 10 seconds.
Measures of Arthritis Activity Associated With Patient‐Reported Improvement in Rheumatoid Arthritis When Assessed Prospectively Versus Retrospectively

The patient global assessment (PGA) is intended to provide an integrated summary of all symptoms of arthritis, but it is not clear which disease features most impact patients' assessments of changes in their overall status. We investigated what aspects of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) activity correlated best with prospectively measured changes in the PGA and with patients’ retrospective judgments of improvement.
Adequacy of a New Chlorhexidine-Bearing Polyurethane Central Venous Catheter for Administration of 82 Selected Parenteral Drugs

OBJECTIVE: To screen 82 commonly used parenteral medications for compatibility with a new chlorhexidine-bearing central venous catheter, the ARROWg+ard Blue Plus. Evaluations were performed for completeness of drug delivery and impact, if any, of the drugs on the amount of chlorhexidine removed from the internal lumens. DESIGN: Drug solutions were prepared in dextrose 5% injection or NaCl 0.9% at common concentrations. Three 10-mL aliquots of each drug solution were delivered over 10 minutes, one aliquot through each lumen of the triple-lumen catheter. The initial drug concentrations of the admixtures and the effluent samples were analyzed by HPLC for chlorhexidine content and for the amount of drug delivered relative to its initial concentration. RESULTS: The delivery of the infusion solutions alone through sample catheters resulted in no more than trace amounts of chlorhexidine in the solution. Background amounts ranged from <2.5 to 6.1 μg/mL in the first 10 mL of solution. Administration of none of the drugs tested resulted in a substantial increase in chlorhexidine delivery. Furthermore, delivery of most of the drugs was at least 95% and usually was in excess of 97% of the initial concentration. Concentrations of five drugs, amikacin sulfate, cefoperazone sodium, cefotaxime sodium, cefepime HCl, and netilmicin sulfate were somewhat lower than the initial concentration (range 91–95%), but were still considered acceptable. CONCLUSIONS: The ARROWg+ard Blue Plus central venous catheter can be recommended for use with all of the 82 parenteral drugs tested.
Single-subunit oligosaccharyltransferases of Trypanosoma brucei display different and predictable peptide acceptor specificities

Trypanosoma brucei causes African trypanosomiasis and contains three full-length oligosaccharyltransferase (OST) genes; two of which, TbSTT3A and TbSTT3B, are expressed in the bloodstream form of the parasite. These OSTs have different peptide acceptor and lipid-linked oligosaccharide donor specificities, and trypanosomes do not follow many of the canonical rules developed for other eukaryotic N-glycosylation pathways, raising questions as to the basic architecture and detailed function of trypanosome OSTs. Here, we show by blue-native gel electrophoresis and stable isotope labeling in cell culture proteomics that the TbSTT3A and TbSTT3B proteins associate with each other in large complexes that contain no other detectable protein subunits. We probed the peptide acceptor specificities of the OSTs in vivo using a transgenic glycoprotein reporter system and performed glycoproteomics on endogenous parasite glycoproteins using sequential endoglycosidase H and peptide:N-glycosidase-F digestions. This allowed us to assess the relative occupancies of numerous N-glycosylation sites by endoglycosidase H-resistant N-glycans originating from Man5GlcNAc2-PP-dolichol transferred by TbSTT3A, and endoglycosidase H-sensitive N-glycans originating from Man9GlcNAc2-PP-dolichol transferred by TbSTT3B. Using machine learning, we assessed the features that best define TbSTT3A and TbSTT3B substrates in vivo and built an algorithm to predict the types of N-glycan most likely to predominate at all the putative N-glycosylation sites in the parasite proteome. Finally, molecular modeling was used to suggest why TbSTT3A has a distinct preference for sequons containing and/or flanked by acidic amino acid residues. Together, these studies provide insights into how a highly divergent eukaryote has re-wired protein N-glycosylation to provide protein sequence-specific N-glycan modifications. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifiers PXD007236, PXD007267, and PXD007268.
Filgrastim treatment of three patients with clozapine-induced agranulocytosis.

BACKGROUND Agranulocytosis is the most serious side effect of clozapine therapy, occurring in approximately 1% of all treated patients. Despite careful blood monitoring, a significant number of cases of agranulocytosis and resulting fatalities have occurred. Strategies are needed to manage clozapine-induced agranulocytosis more safely. METHOD This report describes the management of three state hospital inpatients who developed clozapine-induced agranulocytosis. All patients were diagnosed as having chronic paranoid schizophrenia according to DSM-III-R criteria and had previously failed to respond to treatment with standard antipsychotic medications. After onset of agranulocytosis, all patients were transferred to a medical service in a university hospital and treated with recombinant granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (filgrastim). RESULTS White blood count and absolute neutrophil count returned to within normal limits in each patient after 5 to 8 days of treatment with filgrastim 300 micrograms/day subcutaneously. No side effects were observed during filgrastim treatment. CONCLUSION Treatment with filgrastim appears to be safe and effective in decreasing the duration of clozapine-induced agranulocytosis. While further studies are necessary to establish the safety and effectiveness of this treatment, filgrastim should presently be considered a treatment of choice for clozapine-induced agranulocytosis.
Prevention of Virus-Induced Type 1 Diabetes with Antibiotic Therapy

Microbes were hypothesized to play a key role in the progression of type 1 diabetes (T1D). We used the LEW1.WR1 rat model of Kilham rat virus (KRV)-induced T1D to test the hypothesis that the intestinal microbiota is involved in the mechanism leading to islet destruction. Treating LEW1.WR1 rats with KRV and a combination of trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole (Sulfatrim) beginning on the day of infection protected the rats from insulitis and T1D. Pyrosequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA and quantitative RT-PCR indicated that KRV infection resulted in a transient increase in the abundance of Bifidobacterium spp. and Clostridium spp. in fecal samples from day 5- but not day 12-infected versus uninfected animals. Similar alterations in the gut microbiome were observed in the jejunum of infected animals on day 5. Treatment with Sulfatrim restored the level of intestinal Bifidobacterium spp. and Clostridium spp. We also observed that virus infection induced the expression of KRV transcripts and the rapid upregulation of innate immune responses in Peyer’s patches and pancreatic lymph nodes. However, antibiotic therapy reduced the virus-induced inflammation as reflected by the presence of lower amounts of proinflammatory molecules in both the Peyer’s patches and pancreatic lymph nodes. Finally, Sulfatrim treatment reduced the number of B cells in Peyer’s patches and downmodulated adaptive immune responses to KRV, but did not interfere with antiviral Ab responses or viral clearance from the spleen, pancreatic lymph nodes, and serum. The data suggest that gut microbiota may be involved in promoting virus-induced T1D in the LEW1.WR1 rat model.
The cardiorespiratory and anesthetic effects of clinical and supraclinical doses of alfaxalone in cats.

OBJECTIVE To determine the cardiorespiratory and anesthetic effects of 0, 5, 15, and 50 mg kg(-1) intravenous (IV) alfaxalone in hydroxypropyl beta cyclodextrin (Alfaxan; Jurox Pty Ltd, Rutherford, NSW, Australia) in cats. STUDY DESIGN Four treatments of alfaxalone were administered in sequential order. ANIMALS Eight healthy adult cats (four male; four female) weighing between 3.71 and 5.91 kg. METHODS Cats were instrumented for hemodynamic measurements. Four (0, 5, 15, and 50 mg kg(-1)) IV doses of alfaxalone were administered over one minute, with a 3-hour washout period between doses 0, 5, and 15 mg kg(-1) on Day 0. The 50 mg kg(-1) treatment was administered 24 hours later. Measurements of heart rate, aortic systolic, mean, and diastolic blood pressures, pulmonary arterial and right atrial mean pressures, cardiac output, respiratory rate, tidal and minute volumes, and arterial blood pH and blood gases (PaO(2), PaCO(2)) were performed at pre-determined intervals. Systemic vascular resistance and rate pressure product were calculated. The quality of induction, maintenance, and recovery from anesthesia and the response to noxious stimulation were categorically scored. RESULTS Alfaxalone administration resulted in dose-dependent cardiorespiratory depression. Decreases in arterial blood pressure and increases in heart rate occurred at higher doses. Most variables returned to baseline by 15-30 minutes. Respiratory rate, minute volume, and PaO(2) decreased. Apnea was the most common side effect. Induction and maintenance quality were judged to be good to excellent at all doses and quality of recovery good to excellent at all but the 50 mg kg(-1) dose. The duration of anesthesia and unresponsiveness to noxious stimulation increased with dose. The administration of the 50 mg kg(-1) dose produced marked cardiorespiratory depression and apnea. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Alfaxalone produced dose-dependent anesthesia, cardiorespiratory depression and unresponsiveness to noxious stimulation in unpremedicated cats. Hypoventilation and apnea were the most common side effects.
Whiteflies interfere with indirect plant defense against spider mites in Lima bean

Plants under herbivore attack are able to initiate indirect defense by synthesizing and releasing complex blends of volatiles that attract natural enemies of the herbivore. However, little is known about how plants respond to infestation by multiple herbivores, particularly if these belong to different feeding guilds. Here, we report the interference by a phloem-feeding insect, the whitefly Bemisia tabaci, with indirect plant defenses induced by spider mites (Tetranychus urticae) in Lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus) plants. Additional whitefly infestation of spider-mite infested plants resulted in a reduced attraction of predatory mites (Phytoseiulus persimilis) compared to attraction to plants infested by spider mites only. This interference is shown to result from the reduction in (E)-β-ocimene emission from plants infested by both spider mites and whiteflies. When using exogenous salicylic acid (SA) application to mimic B. tabaci infestation, we observed similar results in behavioral and chemical analyses. Phytohormone and gene-expression analyses revealed that B. tabaci infestation, as well as SA application, inhibited spider mite-induced jasmonic acid (JA) production and reduced the expression of two JA-regulated genes, one of which encodes for the P. lunatus enzyme β-ocimene synthase that catalyzes the synthesis of (E)-β-ocimene. Remarkably, B. tabaci infestation concurrently inhibited SA production induced by spider mites. We therefore conclude that in dual-infested Lima bean plants the suppression of the JA signaling pathway by whitefly feeding is not due to enhanced SA levels.