Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Soluble Secreted Glycoprotein (eCLCA1) is Overexpressed Due to Goblet Cell Hyperplasia and Metaplasia in Horses with Recurrent Airway Obstruction

The equine putative chloride channel protein eCLCA1 is thought to be critically involved in the pathogenesis of recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) via modulation of the hydration of airway mucins. A recent study revealed a strong increase of eCLCA1 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) in the lungs of horses with RAO. In this study, eCLCA1 protein and mRNA expression were quantified in airway goblet cells of 9 horses affected with RAO and 9 control horses by using immunohistochemistry and laser microdissection followed by real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Horses affected by RAO had strong goblet cell metaplasia in bronchioles and goblet cell hyperplasia in bronchi and the trachea. Expression of the eCLCA1 protein was tightly linked to all airway goblet cells in both groups. No differences were detected in the ratio of eCLCA1 mRNA copy numbers to the mRNA copy numbers of the housekeeping gene EF-1a per goblet cell between horses affected with RAO and unaffected horses, suggesting that the increase in eCLCA1 expression is because of increased numbers of goblet cells and not transcriptional upregulation of the eCLCA1 gene. In addition, biochemical analyses of the eCLCA1 protein after in vitro translation and heterologous expression in cultured cells revealed that eCLCA1 is a secreted glycoprotein and not an integral membrane protein. Taken together, the results suggest that eCLCA1 mediates its effect as a soluble constituent of airway mucins that is overexpressed in RAO airways because of goblet cell hyperplasia and metaplasia, not transcriptional upregulation.
Infections caused by clostridium difficile in kidney or liver graft recipients.

OBJECTIVES Antibiotic-associated diarrhea is defined as otherwise unexplained diarrhea which occurs in association with the administration of antibiotics. The incidence of this diagnosis increases worldwide due to augmentative usage of broad spectrum antibiotics. Clostridium difficile is the most common identifiable pathogen, leading to antibiotic-associated diarrhea. The aim of the article was to describe our own experience in diagnostics and treatment of infections caused by C. difficile in solid organs recipients. METHODS In the article, retrospective analysis of infections caused by C. difficile that occurred during first six months of 2003 in the Department of Immunology, Transplant Medicine and Internal Diseases of the Medical University of Warsaw was performed. RESULTS In this period 18 infections in 16 kidney or/and liver graft recipients were diagnosed. Risk factors are considered and clinical manifestation is described. CONCLUSIONS Proper diagnostics and therapy in this population of patients are proposed and preventive procedures are discussed.
MEMS variable capacitor versus MOS variable capacitor for a 5GHz voltage controlled oscillator

MEMS variable capacitors (varicaps) are an alternative to MOS and PN junction varicaps as a tuning element in voltage controlled oscillators. There is however no comparative data available on oscillators with a MEMS and a MOS varicap. Therefore we did a design experiment with two 5GHz oscillators in 0. 35µm CMOS. The worst case phase noise over the tuning range improves by 5dB when changing a MOS to a MEMS varicap while keeping power consumption and tuning range almost constant. There are however some requirements that need to be fulfilled before MEMS varicaps can be used in mainstream applications: the required tuning voltage should be obtainable in standard CMOS and accidental pull-in of the capacitor has to be avoided.
Joint precoding and transmit antenna selection with power allocation in multiuser MIMO systems under limited feedback

This paper considers a joint quantized precoding and transmit antenna selection with power allocation problem in the downlink of multiuser multi-input multi-output (MIMO) systems with limited feedback. Our objective is to maximize the capacity, which leads to a mixed integer programming (MIP) problem. To resolve this complicated MIP problem with reasonable cost, we propose a new heterogeneous genetic algorithm (HGA), where each chromosome is divided into a bit string for precoding vector selection, an integer string for transmit antenna selection, and a real number string for power allocation. In addition, new crossover and mutation operations are employed to accommodate these new chromosomes. Conducted simulations show that the proposed HGA provides superior performance compared with previous works.
Cryptocurrencies: A Crash Course in Digital Monetary Economics

This paper reviews what cryptocurrencies are, and it frames them within the context of historical monetary experiences and contemporary monetary economics. The paper argues that, as pure duciary private money, cryptocurrencies are a bubble without a fundamental value and that they will not provide, in general, optimal amounts of money or deliver price stability. Nevertheless, cryptocurrencies can play a role in improving the current means of payments and in disciplining central banks into providing better government-run duciary monies.
Renal masses: quantitative assessment of enhancement with dynamic MR imaging.

PURPOSE To establish a quantitative magnetic resonance (MR) imaging contrast enhancement criterion for distinguishing cysts from solid renal lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS Regions of interest were measured in 74 patients with renal lesions evaluated by means of dynamic contrast material-enhanced MR imaging with serial breath-hold spoiled gradient-echo acquisitions. Sensitivity for renal tumors and specificity for renal cysts were established by using percentage of enhancement thresholds that varied between 5% and 35%. RESULTS The mean percentage of enhancement at MR imaging for the 50 renal cysts was less than 5%; for the 50 renal tumors, it was 97% or higher. With use of a threshold percentage of enhancement of 15% and results obtained between 2 and 4 minutes after administration of contrast material, all malignancies (sensitivity for tumor, 100%) were diagnosed, and there were 6% or fewer false-positive tumor diagnoses. Lower thresholds resulted in unacceptably high false-positive rates (ie, cysts that appeared to enhance-pseudoenhancement), whereas higher threshold values (>20%) resulted in an unacceptably lower sensitivity for tumors. CONCLUSION The optimal percentage of enhancement threshold for distinguishing cysts from malignancies with the imaging technique prescribed was 15%, and the optimal timing for measurement was 2-4 minutes after administration of contrast material.
The Effects of Serum Potassium and Magnesium Levels in a Patient with Gitelman's Syndrome on the Timing of Ventricular Wall Motion and the Pattern of Ventricular Strain and Torsion

Gitelman's syndrome is a primary renal tubular hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis. Hypokalemia and hypomagnesemia can cause cardiac tissue excitability and conduction. Global ventricular mechanical function is directly related to the contractile properties of cardiac myocytes, which are largely dependent on the flow of ions such as potassium and magnesium. Here, we show that increased levels of potassium, in addition to magnesium, in a patient with Gitelman's syndrome significantly impacts the timing of ventricular wall motion and the pattern of ventricular strain and torsion. Two‐dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography was used for evaluation of the hypokalemic–hypomagnesemic period (first day) and third day after potassium chloride and magnesium replacement therapy. The transthoracic echocardiography showed that the percent ejection fraction was similar in hypokalemic–hypomagnesemic (63%) and normokalemic–normomagnesemic (after potassium and magnesium therapy, 67%) hearts. However, decreased left ventricular apical 4‐chamber peak systolic longitudinal strain, left ventricle global peak systolic strain, and global torsion values increased after potassium chloride and magnesium replacement therapy.
Replicative capacity, cytopathic effect and cell tropism of HIV

Naturally occurring HIV variants show distinct biologic features that correspond to the severity of HIV infection. Virus from asymptomatic HIV carriers or individuals with mild disease replicates slowly and inefficiently in the patients' peripheral blood mononuclear cell cultures. Attempts to passage these viruses in CD4-positive cell lines usually fail or result in transient replication only. In contrast, viruses from patients with severe immunodeficiency replicate rapidly and efficiently in peripheral blood mononuclear cell cultures as well as cell lines: hence the designation slow/low and rapid/high, respectively. These two groups of viruses can also be distinguished by the type of cytopathogenicity exerted in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Rapid/high viruses are characterized by extensive syncytia formation, whereas syncytia are rarely seen with slow/low viruses. Instead cultures infected with slow/low viruses show signs of cell death or no cytopathic changes at all. It has also been observed that shift from the slow/low type of virus to rapid/high may occur in the same individual over time. Whether this change signals the emergence of HIV variants with increased virulence or reflects the damage to the immune system that can no longer control virus replication remains to be seen. Rapid/high and slow/low viruses can also be distinguished by cell tropism when tested in a model system on indicator cell lines of T-lymphoid or monocytoid origin. Infection by rapid/high viruses activates chloramphenicol acetyl transferase in both T-lymphoid and monocytoid indicator cells, whereas slow/low viruses activate chloramphenicol acetyl transferase only in monocytoid cell lines. A difference between slow/low and rapid/high viruses cannot be demonstrated in fresh normal macrophage cultures, since most isolates can be successfully passaged in macrophages. Whether the viruses that infect macrophages are truly macrophage-tropic or dual-tropic, and infect macrophages and lymphocytes with equal efficiency, remains to be studied.
A Novel Double Heme Substitution Produces a Functional bo3 Variant of the Quinol Oxidase aa3 of Bacillus cereus

A novel bo3-type quinol oxidase was highly purified from Bacillus cereus PYM1, a spontaneous mutant unable to synthesize heme A and therefore spectroscopically detectable cytochromes aa3 and caa3. The purified enzyme contained 12.4 nmol of heme O and 11.5 nmol of heme B mg–1 protein. The enzyme was composed of two subunits with an Mr of 51,000 and 30,000, respectively. Both subunits were immunoreactive to antibodies raised against the B cereus aa3 oxidase. Moreover, amino-terminal sequence analysis of the 30-kDa subunit revealed that the first 19 residues were identical to those from the 30-kDa subunit of the B. cereus aa3 oxidase. The purified bo3 oxidase failed to oxidize ferrrocytochrome c (neither yeast nor horse) but oxidized tetrachlorohydroquinol with an apparent Km of 498 μm, a Vmax of 21 μmol of O2 min–1mg–1, and a calculated turnover of 55 s–1. The quinol oxidase activity with tetrachlorohydroquinol was inhibited by potassium cyanide and 2-n-heptyl 4-hydroxyquinoline-N-oxide with an I50 of 24 and 300 μm, respectively. Our results demonstrate that the bo3 oxidase of this mutant is not the product of a new operon but instead is a cytochrome aa3 apoprotein encoded by the qox operon of the aa3 oxidase of B. cereus wild type promiscuously assembled with hemes B and O replacing heme A, producing a novel bo3 cytochrome. This is the first reported example of an enzymatically active promiscuous oxidase resulting from the simultaneous substitution of its original hemes in the high and low spin sites.
Comparison of Degradation Rates of Individual Modules Held at Maximum Power

In this paper, we present a comparison of maximum power degradation rates of individual modules under outdoor conditions in Golden, Colorado. Test modules include single- and polycrystalline-Si (x-Si, poly-Si), amorphous Si (a-Si, single, dual, and triple junction), CdTe, Cu-In-Ga-Se-S (CIS), and c-Si/a-Si heterostructure, from nine difference manufacturers. From monthly blocks of output power data, ratings were determined using multiple regressions to Performance Test Conditions (PTC). Plotting the power ratings versus time allowed degradation rates to be calculated from linear regressions. We also include a summary of module degradation rates obtained from the open literature over the past five years. Compared with the common rule-of-thumb value of 1% per year, many modules are seen to have significantly smaller degradation rates. A few modules, however, degrade significantly faster
An analysis of the public–private wage differential in the Palestinian labour market

Abstract This paper measures and analyzes the dynamics of the public–private wage differential in the West Bank and Gaza for the period before and during the ‘second Intifada’ using data from the Palestinian Labour Force Survey (PLFS) of the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS). Because the distribution of workers’ individual characteristics, such as skills, and the ‘returns’ to these characteristics may differ across workers, the wage differential is decomposed into two components: an ‘endowment’ effect and a ‘returns’ effect. The results show that in the pre-Intifada period, the wage gap between the public and private sectors narrowed in both the West Bank and Gaza. However, a sharp increase is seen after the outbreak of the Intifada. Moreover, most of this increase comes from an increase in ‘returns’ to skills composition in the public sector, (unexplained effect), rather than a change in the skills composition of public sector workers, (explained effect). Using recent econometric quantile regression techniques, the analysis of the public–private sector wage gap from 1998 to 2006, at various points along the wage distribution, shows that the wage premium, (penalty), for the public sector varies across the distribution, being higher, (lower), at the lowest end of the wage distribution and decreasing (increasing) along the wage distribution; it becomes negative in the top percentiles.
Optimizing a Query by Transformation and Expansion

In the biomedical sector not only the amount of information produced and uploaded into the web is enormous, but also the number of sources where these data can be found. Clinicians and researchers spend huge amounts of time on trying to access this information and to filter the most important answers to a given question. As the formulation of these queries is crucial, automated query expansion is an effective tool to optimize a query and receive the best possible results. In this paper we introduce the concept of a workflow for an optimization of queries in the medical and biological sector by using a series of tools for expansion and transformation of the query. After the definition of attributes by the user, the query string is compared to previous queries in order to add semantic co-occurring terms to the query. Additionally, the query is enlarged by an inclusion of synonyms. The translation into database specific ontologies ensures the optimal query formulation for the chosen database(s). As this process can be performed in various databases at once, the results are ranked and normalized in order to achieve a comparable list of answers for a question.
Treatment of Bipolar Depression, a Review of the Literature and a Suggestion for an Algorithm

A review of the methodology and results of 9 controlled studies on the acute treatment of bipolar depression and the risk of switches into (hypo)mania is presented. There are indications but no proof for efficacy of mood stabilizers such as lithium, carbamazepine and valproate. Only lamotrigine has been shown to be effective, with a relative low risk of switching. Several antidepressants appear effective as well, but again there is no (placebo-controlled) proof of their efficacy. The only exception is tranylcypromine which has been found to be more effective than imipramine. The switch ratio into (hypo)mania by tricyclic antidepressants seems to be higher than by several other antidepressants, especially the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. In the acute treatment of bipolar depression, it is recommended to start with a mood stabilizer, and to add an antidepressant after 4–6 weeks in case of nonresponse. In severer cases, one might consider to start earlier with the combination of a mood stabilizer and an antidepressant, and in refractory patients, there is a place for tranylcypromine. In the maintenance treatment, there are indications that the combined treatment of a mood stabilizer (mostly lithium) and an antidepressant (TCA) is associated with an increased risk of switches into (hypo)mania, when compared to a mood stabilizer alone. Therefore, it is recommended to try whether a monotherapy with a mood stabilizer is effective, before combining it with an antidepressant.
Domain 2 of the Urokinase Receptor Contains an Integrin-interacting Epitope with Intrinsic Signaling Activity

We investigated the interaction between the urokinase receptor (uPAR) and the integrin αvβ3. Vitronectin (VN) induces cell migration by binding to αvβ3, but expression of the uPAR boosts its efficacy. Thus, uPAR may regulate VN-induced cell migration by interacting laterally with αvβ3. In contrast, cells expressing a uPAR mutant lacking domain 2 do not migrate in response to VN. This effect is overcome by D2A, a synthetic peptide derived from the sequence of domain 2. In addition, D2A has chemotactic activity that requires αvβ3 and activates αvβ3-dependent signaling pathways such as the Janus kinase/Stat pathway. Moreover, D2A disrupts uPAR-αvβ3 and uPAR-α5β1 co-immunoprecipitation, indicating that it can bind both of these integrins. We also identify the chemotactically active epitope harbored by peptide D2A. Mutating two glutamic acids into two alanines generates peptide D2A-Ala, which lacks chemotactic activity but inhibits VN-, FN-, and collagen-dependent cell migration. In fact, the GEEG peptide has potent chemotactic activity, and the GAAG sequence has inhibitory capacities. In summary, we have identified an integrin-interacting sequence located in domain 2 of uPAR, which is also a new chemotactic epitope that can activate αvβ3-dependent signaling pathways and stimulate cell migration. This sequence thus plays a pivotal role in the regulation of uPAR-integrin interactions. Moreover, we describe a novel, very potent inhibitor of integrin-dependent cell migration.
Altered Th1/Th2 cytokine profiles in the intestinal mucosa of patients with inflammatory bowel disease as assessed by quantitative reversed transcribed polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR)

Cytokines serve a central function as key factors in the regulation of the intestinal immune response and mediation of tissue damage in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Abnormalities in the expression of immunoregulatory cytokines such as IL‐2, IL‐4, IL‐10 and interferon‐gamma (IFN‐γ) may indicate a dysregulation of intestinal immunity probably associated with pathogenic events. Therefore, cytokine mRNA concentrations were determined in the mucosa of patients with IBD at sites of active (n= 13) and inactive (n= 12) ulcerative colitis (UC), active (n= 11) and inactive (n= 11) Crohn's disease (CD) and in control patients (n= 14) using quantitative RT‐PCR. IL‐10 mRNA concentrations were significantly increased in patients with both active UC (P < 0.001) and active CD (P < 0.005) compared with control patients. IFN‐γ mRNA concentrations were also significantly increased both in patients with active UC (P < 0.02) and active CD (P < 0.05) compared with control patients, whereas IL‐2 mRNA levels were significantly (P < 0.02) increased only in active CD. IL‐4 mRNA expression in the intestinal mucosa was frequently below the detection limit. Our results demonstrate that chronic intestinal inflammation in patients with CD is characterized by an increase of Th1‐like cytokines. Furthermore, the increased IL‐10 mRNA expression at sites of active IBD suggests that IL‐10 is an important regulatory component involved in the control of the inflammatory response in inflammatory bowel disease.
Blood pressure changes produced by kidney cross-transplantation between spontaneously hypertensive rats and normotensive rats.

1. From a single strain of Wistar rats two lines of normotensive rats (NR) and two lines of hypertensive rats (SHR) were developed by selective breeding. 2. One line of normotensive rats and one of hypertensive rats were used as recipients and the remaining two were used as donors for cross-transplantation of kidneys from hypertensive to normotensive rats and vice versa. Transplantations between the two hypertensive lines and the two normotensive ones were carried out to provide animals for control studies. 3. Normotensive recipients of kidneys from SHR developed hypertension whereas the recipients of kidneys from NR remained normotensive. The serum urea changes were equal in both groups. 4. Transplantation of normotensive kidneys reduced the blood pressure of hypertensive recipients, but transplantation of hypertensive kidneys did not alter blood pressure. The serum urea concentrations were higher in the recipients of hypertensive kidneys. These results, obtained in 3–4-month-old rats, indicate that the kidneys of adult hypertensive rats are involved in the maintenance of hypertension. 5. To evaluate whether the kidneys from hypertensive rats may also initiate hypertension, young normotensive recipients were given kidneys taken from the NR or SHR strain while the latter were still normotensive. Transplantation of kidneys from these SHR donors resulted in significantly higher blood pressure values and serum urea concentrations than transplantation of kidneys from NR donors.
Importance of primary site in assessing chemotherapy response and 7-year survival data in advanced squamous-cell carcinomas of the head and neck treated with initial combination chemotherapy without cisplatin.

Two hundred eight patients with advanced head and neck squamous-cell carcinomas were treated between 1975 and 1982 with schedule A chemotherapy containing vincristine, bleomycin, methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil, and hydrocortisone administered over 24 hours followed by a folinic acid rescue. Chemotherapy was administered as initial treatment on days 1 and 14 before "curative" local therapy. Toxicity was minimal and patient compliance was 100%. Chemotherapy response was assessed on day 28 in 200 patients: 132 (66%) had an objective response and 68 (34%) were judged to be nonresponders. The complete remission (CR) rate following local therapy was significantly greater in chemotherapy responders (78%) than nonresponders (49%) (P less than .001). Overall median survival figures were 32 months for all patients, 37 months for all chemotherapy responders, and 69 months for all patients achieving CR. Analysis by tumor site showed that oral cavity or nasopharyngeal tumors responded well to initial chemotherapy (P less than .05 and P less than .01) compared with all other sites. This high response rate was not necessarily associated with increased survival, since the median survival of chemotherapy responders for oral cavity lesions was only 22 months, although in nasopharyngeal tumors, median survival figures were 64 months. Furthermore, the longest median survival duration of 69 months was observed in patients with laryngeal tumors, although these had a lower response rate (61%) to initial chemotherapy. Therefore, response to initial chemotherapy is not automatically a favorable prognostic sign. Survival figures appear markedly influenced by tumor site.