Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pluripotent human stem cells for the treatment of retinal disease

Despite advancements made in our understanding of ocular biology, therapeutic options for many debilitating retinal diseases remain limited. Stem cell‐based therapies are a potential avenue for treatment of retinal disease, and this mini‐review will focus on current research in this area. Cellular therapies to replace retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) and/or photoreceptors to treat age‐related macular degeneration (AMD), Stargardt's macular dystrophy, and retinitis pigmentosa are currently being developed. Over the past decade, significant advancements have been made using different types of human stem cells with varying capacities to differentiate into these target retinal cell types. We review and evaluate pluripotent stem cells, both human embryonic stem cells and human induced pluripotent stem cells, as well as protocols for differentiation of ocular cells, and culture and transplant techniques that might be used to deliver cells to patients. J. Cell. Physiol. 227: 457–466, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Prediction of Software defects in SDLC using BN

This project reviews the use of Bays Networks (BNs) in software defects Prediction. The idea allows us to incorporate causal process factors. It does the combination of qualitative and quantitative software measures. It stops to play some well-known traditional software metrics methods limitations. Decision support tools for this have been built using causal models represented by Bays Networks (BNs), incorporate empirical data and judgment of experts. Previously, this required a custom BN for each development lifecycle phase. We described a more general idea that allows causal models to be applied to any lifecycle phases. The approach is evolved through collaborative projects and captures significant commercial input. For software projects within the range of the models, accuracy of defect predictions are very good. The main functions provided to the end-user is observations and can be entered using a questionnaire interface, where questions are concerned to Bays Network variables. The model predicts the defects likely to be left in software after testing. The model uses the results of statistical analysis on the Previous software projects. It can be combined with other defect prediction models to predict the number of residual defects of different categories. The Bayesian network structure is, here, a set of project domain conditional independence relation. BN learning structure which represents a domain. This domain can light on its underlying causal structure. This results in significantly improved accuracy for defects and reliability prediction type models.
A conserved genetic module that encodes the major virion components in both the coliphage T4 and the marine cyanophage S-PM2

Sequence analysis of a 10-kb region of the genome of the marine cyanomyovirus S-PM2 reveals a homology to coliphage T4 that extends as a contiguous block from gene (g)18 to g23. The order of the S-PM2 genes in this region is similar to that of T4, but there are insertions and deletions of small ORFs of unknown function. In T4, g18 codes for the tail sheath, g19, the tail tube, g20, the head portal protein, g21, the prohead core protein, g22, a scaffolding protein, and g23, the major capsid protein. Thus, the entire module that determines the structural components of the phage head and contractile tail is conserved between T4 and this cyanophage. The significant differences in the morphology of these phages must reflect the considerable divergence of the amino acid sequence of their homologous virion proteins, which uniformly exceeds 50%. We suggest that their enormous diversity in the sea could be a result of genetic shuffling between disparate phages mediated by such commonly shared modules. These conserved sequences could facilitate genetic exchange by providing partially homologous substrates for recombination between otherwise divergent phage genomes. Such a mechanism would thus expand the pool of phage genes accessible by recombination to all those phages that share common modules.
Controlling contractile instabilities in the actomyosin cortex

The actomyosin cell cortex is an active contractile material for driving cell- and tissue morphogenesis. The cortex has a tendency to form a pattern of myosin foci, which is a signature of potentially unstable behavior. How a system that is prone to such instabilities can rveliably drive morphogenesis remains an outstanding question. Here, we report that in the Caenorhabditis elegans zygote, feedback between active RhoA and myosin induces a contractile instability in the cortex. We discover that an independent RhoA pacemaking oscillator controls this instability, generating a pulsatory pattern of myosin foci and preventing the collapse of cortical material into a few dynamic contracting regions. Our work reveals how contractile instabilities that are natural to occur in mechanically active media can be biochemically controlled to robustly drive morphogenetic events. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.19595. 001
Identification of the Full-length AE2 (AE2a) Isoform as the Golgi-associated Anion Exchanger in Fibroblasts

SUMMARY Na+-independent Cl−/HCO3 − exchangers (AE1, AE2, AE3) are generally known as ubiquitous, multispanning plasma membrane proteins that regulate intracellular pH and transepithelial acid–base balance in animal tissues. However, previous immunological evidence has suggested that anion exchanger (AE) proteins may also be present in intracellular membranes, including membranes of the Golgi complex and mitochondria. Here we provide several lines of evidence to show that an AE protein is indeed a resident of the Golgi membranes and that this protein corresponds to the full-length AE2a isoform in fibroblasts. First, both the N- and C-terminal antibodies to AE2 (but not to AE1) detected an AE protein in the Golgi membranes. Golgi localization of this AE2 antigen was evident also in cycloheximide-treated cells, indicating that it is a true Golgi-resident protein. Second, our Northern blotting and RT-PCR analyses demonstrated the presence of only the full-length AE2a mRNA in cells that show prominent Golgi staining with antibodies to AE2. Third, antisense oligonucleotides directed against the translational initiation site of the AE2a mRNA markedly inhibited the expression of the endogenous AE2 protein in the Golgi. Finally, transient expression of the GFP-tagged full-length AE2a protein resulted in predominant accumulation of the fusion protein in the Golgi membranes in COS-7 and CHO-K1 cells. Golgi localization of the AE2a probably involves its oligomerization and/or association with the recently identified Golgi membrane skeleton, because a substantial portion of both the endogenous AE2a and the GFP-tagged fusion protein resisted detergent extraction in cold. (J Histochem Cytochem 49:259–269, 2001)
Dressed qubits.

Inherent gate errors can arise in quantum computation when the actual system Hamiltonian or Hilbert space deviates from the desired one. Two important examples we address are spin-coupled quantum dots in the presence of spin-orbit perturbations to the Heisenberg exchange interaction, and off-resonant transitions of a qubit embedded in a multilevel Hilbert space. We propose a "dressed qubit" transformation for dealing with such inherent errors. Unlike quantum error correction, the dressed qubit method does not require additional operations or encoding redundancy, is insensitive to error magnitude, and imposes no new experimental constraints.
Heterozygous carrier of G20210A prothrombin mutation used oral contraceptive treatment for 23 years without thrombotic events, and developed cerebral venous thrombosis 1 month after resumption of the medication at the age of 50.

The presence of the G20210A mutation in the prothrombin gene has recently been proposed to be a risk factor of venous thromboembolism, probably mediated through increased prothrombin levels [1,2]. However, data are still equivocal since several homozygous patients with this polymorphism have been reported to remain asymptomatic, sometimes even in the presence of associated risk factors [3±5]. This mutant allele is found in approximately 1±4% of healthy subjects [6]. At the present time, the role of this mutation in patients with ischemic stroke is still unde®ned [7±10]; on the other hand, recent studies have indicated that the prothrombin mutation seems to be associated with an increased risk of cerebral vein thrombosis (CVT), an infrequent disorder that can be caused by several conditions such as infections, surgery, pregnancy puerperium, or tumors [11±13]. In this paper, we present the case of one heterozygous woman with this defect who took oral contraceptive treatment (OCT) for 23 years without any complication and then, at the age of 50, developed a CVT only 1 month after resuming OCT. The proband is a 50-year-old female presenting with a ®rst episode of CVT. At the age of 14, she had a brain trauma and then suffered from epileptic attacks since she was 19 years old. Thereafter, she used anti-epileptic therapy until the ®rst pregnancy when she was 25 years old. At the age of 37, she had her second pregnancy that was complicated by the loss of one of the two fetuses (it was a twin pregnancy) during the second month of gestation. The pregnancies were not accompanied by thrombotic phenomena. Three months after the second delivery, she had another epileptic attack and, from that time, she has remained costantly under antiepileptic therapy. At the age of 35, she used a plaster cast for a fracture of the left leg for 30 days. No anticoagulant prophylaxis was given during this risk period, and the patient had no thrombotic complications. She had no spontaneous thrombotic events. The patient, furthermore, used the pill [Diane (cyproteron acetate, 2 mg; ethinylestradiol, 0.035 mg), Schering, Milan, Italy; and Milvane (gestoden: beige tablets, 0.05 mg; brown tablets, 0.07 mg; white tablets, 0.1 mg; ethinylestradiol: beige tablets,
Phosphoarginine‐Adenosine Triphosphate Exchange Detected in Vivo in a Microscopic Nematode Parasite by Flow 31P FT‐NMR Spectroscopy

In vivo flow 31P NMR spectroscopy of a microscopic nematode, Steinernema carpocapsae, is described. Long‐term viability was maintained during analysis by continuous circulation of an oxygenated suspension of the parasite through an NMR spectrometer. Saturation transfer and inversion recovery were employed under flowing conditions to investigate the kinetics of phosphoarginine ⇌ adenosine triphosphate exchange. The kinetic constants for the forward and reverse reactions were 0.37/s and 1.45/s, respectively. This report is the first to demonstrate a functional phosphagen kinase in the metabolism of a parasitic helminth. © 1992 Academic Press,Inc.
Airway Inflammation and Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Activity in Asthmatic Adults with Depression

Objective. To investigate the features of airway inflammation and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) activity in patients with asthma accompanied by depression. Methods. Adult asthmatics were recruited and enrolled into one of the two groups based on scores on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD): asthmatics with depression (HAMD score ≥8, n = 23), and asthmatics without depression (HAMD score <8, n = 41). In addition, 27 healthy individuals and 21 adults with depression only were enrolled as controls. Induced sputum and blood samples were collected for measurement of cytokines and other inflammatory factors. The diurnal rhythm profiles of salivary cortisol and other hormones were obtained for assessment of the HPAA activity. Results. For the group of asthmatics with depression, the mean HAMD score was 19.0, and for the group of asthmatics without depression, the HAMD score averaged 4.9(p < .001). Serum and sputum tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were significantly higher in asthmatics with depression than those in the other groups (p < .05) while serum interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) was lower in asthmatics with depression than that in the other groups (p < .05). Twenty-four-hour urinary cortisol, salivary cortisol at 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. were lower in asthmatics with depression compared to other groups (p < .05). Conclusions. As compared to healthy individuals and those with asthma or depression alone, individuals with comorbid depression and asthma showed the highest level of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the lowest level of anti-inflammatory cytokines and cortisol. These observations may serve as a valuable reference for diagnosis and clinic therapies of depression in asthmatics.
Sodium Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors in the Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus: Cardiovascular and Kidney Effects, Potential Mechanisms, and Clinical Applications.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, including empagliflozin, dapagliflozin, and canagliflozin, are now widely approved antihyperglycemic therapies. Because of their unique glycosuric mechanism, SGLT2 inhibitors also reduce weight. Perhaps more important are the osmotic diuretic and natriuretic effects contributing to plasma volume contraction, and decreases in systolic and diastolic blood pressures by 4 to 6 and 1 to 2 mm Hg, respectively, which may underlie cardiovascular and kidney benefits. SGLT2 inhibition also is associated with an acute, dose-dependent reduction in estimated glomerular filtration rate by ≈5 mL·min(-1)·1.73 m(-2) and ≈30% to 40% reduction in albuminuria. These effects mirror preclinical observations suggesting that proximal tubular natriuresis activates renal tubuloglomerular feedback through increased macula densa sodium and chloride delivery, leading to afferent vasoconstriction. On the basis of reduced glomerular filtration, glycosuric and weight loss effects are attenuated in patients with chronic kidney disease (estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL·min(-1)·1.73 m(-2)). In contrast, blood pressure lowering, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and albuminuric effects are preserved, and perhaps exaggerated in chronic kidney disease. With regard to long-term clinical outcomes, the EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial (Empagliflozin, Cardiovascular Outcomes, and Mortality in Type 2 Diabetes) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and established cardiovascular disease randomly assigned to empagliflozin versus placebo reported a 14% reduction in the primary composite outcome of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, and >30% reductions in cardiovascular mortality, overall mortality, and heart failure hospitalizations associated with empagliflozin, even though, by design, the hemoglobin A1c difference between the randomized groups was marginal. Aside from an increased risk of mycotic genital infections, empagliflozin-treated patients had fewer serious adverse events, including a lower risk of acute kidney injury. In light of the EMPA-REG OUTCOME results, some diabetes clinical practice guidelines now recommend that SGLT2 inhibitors with proven cardiovascular benefit be prioritized in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who have not achieved glycemic targets and who have prevalent atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. With additional cardiorenal protection trials underway, sodium-related physiological effects of SGLT2 inhibitors and clinical correlates of natriuresis, such as the impact on blood pressure, heart failure, kidney protection, and mortality, will be a major management focus.
Potential of cassava and sweetpotato leaves to contribute to the Vitamin A requirements

Cooked green leafy vegetables constitute a regular relish in most households of Tanzania, usually served as a side dish for the starchy based staples. Provitamin A carotenoids from these vegetables are major dietary sources of vitamin A in Tanzania. Cassava and sweetpotato are widely grown in Tanzania including the semi-arid areas due to their tolerance to harsh weather conditions. Besides caloric density provided by these tubers to the diet, their leaves also contribute to the vitamin A requirements of populations in production areas. In this study five sundried green leafy vegetables including leaves of cassava and sweetpotato were cooked without oil, with sunflower oil or with red palm oil. The total amount and in vitro accessibility of α-carotene and β-carotene from a portion (100g) of vegetable relish was determined. The in vitro method used simulated the digestion process in the gastrointestinal tract. Carotenoids released after digestion were quantified using high performance liquid chromatography. The total amount of β-carotene varied between 1211 and 3659 mg/100g among the five vegetable sources studied. From green leaves cooked without oil, 8-29% of the β-carotene content became accessible after in vitro digestion and 39-94% from leaves cooked with sunflower or red palm oil. Adding red palm oil instead of sunflower oil resulted in about twice as much accessible β-carotene, due to high accessibility of its β-carotene content. The red palm oil contributed also a considerable amount of α-carotene. The results showed that by eating vegetable relishes with added oil daily, it should be possible to provide the recommended intake amount of vitamin A.
Bounds for the $m$-Eternal Domination Number of a Graph

Mobile guards on the vertices of a graph are used to defend the graph against an infinite sequence of attacks on vertices. A guard must move from a neighboring vertex to an attacked vertex (we assume attacks happen only at vertices containing no guard and that each vertex contains at most one guard). More than one guard is allowed to move in response to an attack. The $m$-eternaldomination number, $\edom(G)$, of a graph $G$ is the minimum number of guards needed to defend $G$ against any such sequence. We show that if $G$ is a connected graph with minimum degree at least~$2$ and of order~$n \ge 5$, then $\edom(G) \le \left\lfloor \frac{n-1}{2} \right\rfloor$, and this bound is tight. We also prove that if $G$ is a cubic bipartite graph of order~$n$, then $\edom(G) \le \frac{7n}{16}$.
Overview of work disability in rheumatoid arthritis patients as observed in cross-sectional and longitudinal surveys.

Introduction Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disabling condition with, among other things, negative social and economic consequences for both the individual patient and society. Striking economic consequences are the diminished ability to perform the current job (i.e., the same occupation or the same number of hours) or even work disability. Costs directly ensuing from work disability account for a large part of the total RA-related costs (1). Over the past decades, a number of studies have been published reporting on work disability. In general, the percentage of patients that becomes work disabled during the course of the disease is high, although rates between studies differ. This may be attributable to differences in definition of work disability, study design, population, mean disease duration or length of followup, flexibility of labor market at the time of study, and maybe most importantly, differences in social security systems across the different countries. Regardless of the variability in study designs, it is of interest to identify the risk factors found in the studies. Potentially modifiable risk factors might be influenced early in the course of disease. This overview has 3 purposes: 1) to summarize percentages of work disability in patients with RA, as measured cross-sectionally or longitudinally, 2) to see which sociodemographic characteristics, clinical variables, or workrelated factors are associated with work disability or are predictors of work disability; and 3) to compare rates of work disability in groups of RA patients with the countryspecific rates of the general population.
Low-volume Interscalene Brachial Plexus Block for Perioperative Shoulder Pain

To the Ed ito r: Most textbooks of regional anesthesia recom mend volumcs of 40 to 50 ml of local anesthetic sol ution whe n inrerscalene brachial plexus block is used '0 produce ope rative regional anesth esia. \Vc wish to describe a technique of treating periopera tive shoulder pain wit h 5 mL of local anes thet lc so lution. used when general an es thesia is admini stered for the operative procedure. The shou lder region is in nerva ted by C3-C 6 nerve roots. which contribute to the cervical and brachial plexuses , For a traditional intcrscalene block. Raj an d Pai ( I) suggest that when using the nerve stimu lato r. one sho uld disregard twitching or the biceps mu scle and instead search o ut paresthes ia of the thumb or movement in the wrist O ( fingers . Thei r reason is to ensu re needle ' ip placement within the brachia l plexu s. For treating sho ulder pain. we believ e that twitch ing o f the biceps is the best evidence tha t our nee dle tip is suffi cien tly close to the the upper trunk of the brachial plexus (C5 and C6) . By injecting at this location. we obtain a C3-C6 block. Shoulder monon. which GIn be produced by stimulation o f the nerv es to the periscapu lar mu scles. is not used as an endpoint . Thes e nerves an: located posterior and superior 10 the brachial plexus. The main advantage of using les s local anesthet ic so lution is decreased invo lvement ul the lower aspens of the brachial plexus . when some hand sensa tion and sensa tion over the ulnar aspen ol the elbow arc present. we believ e it is safer to send the patient horne wilh a sling. appropriate padding. and instruction. Other advantages arc les s likelihoo d o( local anes th etic toxicity and potentially les s phrenic ne rve pares is. The very close prox imity or the ph ren ic nerve 10 'he brachial plexus make-s some involvement of this nerve likely even wh en small volumes are used. The use of small vol umes (or intersca lene blocks has beco me standard (or managing perioperat lve sho ulder pain in our clinical practice. we arc current ly pursuing a study co mparing the duration and degree o ( analges ic effect of thes e smaller vo lum e interscalene blocks for sho ulder surgery.
Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms in the KCNN3 Gene Associate With Preterm Birth

The objectives were to determine whether single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in KCNN3 (encodes the small conductance calcium-activated potassium channel subfamily N, member 3), associate with preterm birth (PTB). In all, 602 preterm families with at least 1 preterm (<37 weeks gestation) infant were studied: DNA from the infant and one or both parents were genotyped for 16 SNPs in KCNN3. A region of interest within KCNN3 was sequenced in 512 Caucasian non-Hispanic mothers (412 with preterm deliveries;100 who delivered at term). Family-based association testing was used for genotyping analysis; Fisher exact test was used for sequencing analysis. Six SNPs (rs1218585, rs4845396, rs12058931, rs1218568, rs6426985, and rs4845394) were associated with PTB (all Ps < .05). These variations were all located within the intronic region between exons 1 and 2. Maternal sequencing revealed an association of 3 SNPs with spontaneous PTB; rs1218585 (P = .007), rs1218584 (P = .05), and a novel SNP at chromosome1:153099353 (P = .02). Polymorphisms in KCNN3 are associated with PTB and investigation into the functional significance of these allelic changes is warranted.
Detection of Viable Listeria monocytogenes in Dairy Products By Real Time Reverse-Transcription PCR

Listeria monocytogenes is a food-borne pathogen which can cause zoonosis. A detection method based on real time reverse-transcription PCR amplification of mRNA was established in the study. This method can overcome false-positive result caused by amplification of nonviable L.monocytogenes. Sensitivity and specificity of the method were studied, as well as artificially contaminated dairy products by L.monocytogenes, dairy products from market and L.monocytogenes biofilm. For contaminated milk, detection sensitivity was 17CFU/ml after 6h enrichment. Detection limit in biofilm was 2×10 2 CFU/cm 2 after 7h enrichment. The results indicate that the method can satisfy detection of L.monocytogenes in dairy products and biofilm. Key words-real time RT-PCR; Listeria monocytogenes; biofilm