Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Visualization of Cranial Motor Neurons in Live Transgenic Zebrafish Expressing Green Fluorescent Protein Under the Control of the Islet-1 Promoter/Enhancer

We generated germ line-transmitting transgenic zebrafish that express green fluorescent protein (GFP) in the cranial motor neurons. This was accomplished by fusing GFP sequences to Islet-1promoter/enhancer sequences that were sufficient for neural-specific expression. The expression of GFP by the motor neurons in the transgenic fish enabled visualization of the cell bodies, main axons, and the peripheral branches within the muscles. GFP-labeled motor neurons could be followed at high resolution for at least up to day four, when most larval neural circuits become functional, and larvae begin to swim and capture prey. Using this line, we analyzed axonal outgrowth by the cranial motor neurons. Furthermore, by selective application of DiI to specific GFP-positive nerve branches, we showed that the two clusters of trigeminal motor neurons in rhombomeres 2 and 3 innervate different peripheral targets. This finding suggests that the trigeminal motor neurons in the two clusters adopt distinct fates. In future experiments, this transgenic line of zebrafish will allow for a genetic analysis of cranial motor neuron development.
Procesamiento analógico a partir de elementos altamente resistivos

This work proposes a technique for design of CMOS analog integrated circuits such as offset compensated amplifiers, low-frequency filters, programmable current mirrors and membership function generators, based on high-value (quasi-infinite) resistors. The proposed technique incorporates transistors operating in weak-inversion mode in order to reduce the area requirements and minimize the DC- offset. In addition, improvement on both, noise performance and linearity, are achieved along with an enhanced speed-accuracy-power tradeoff. Those features make easier the processing of low-frequency signals and allow the design of systems with multi- decade tunability of gain and frequency. The presented circuits are attractive for implementation of high- accuracy processors for signal conditioning as well as architectures usually reserved to digital approaches, for instance neural networks, adaptive filters, and neuro- fuzzy systems, to mention a few. Characterization through computer simulations, statistical analysis and experimental measurements of prototypes in a double- poly, three metal layers, 0. 5μm CMOS technology are reported. The attained results follow the course anticipated in the design of the circuits.
Antimicrobial activity of tigecycline and comparative agents against clinical isolates of staphylococci and enterococci from ICUs and general hospital wards at three Swedish university hospitals

The activities of tigecycline and comparative agents on staphylococci and enterococci isolated from patients at general hospital wards (GHWs) and intensive care units (ICUs) at 3 university hospitals in Sweden were investigated. Oxacillin disc diffusion and minimal inhibitory concentration with E-test were used. The presence of mecA, vanA or vanB genes was determined with PCR. Statistically significant higher incidence of clindamycin, fusidic acid, rifampicin and multidrug-resistant CoNS was found at ICUs compared to GHWs. Resistance rates were low among S. aureus. Tigecycline, linezolid and vancomycin were the only agents with high activity against methicillin-resistant S. aureus and multidrug-resistant CoNS. Resistance rates were low among E. faecalis, except for high-level gentamicin-resistant (HLGR) E. faecalis. E. faecium showed high resistance rates to ampicillin, piperacillin/tazobactam and imipenem. The HLGR rates among E. faecium were lower than the rates for E. faecalis. Tigecycline and linezolid were the only drugs with high activity against all enterococci including vancomycin-resistant enterococci. No statistically significant differences in susceptibility rates were found between the ward levels for S. aureus and enterococcal isolates and no statistically significant differences were found between the hospitals.
[TOTAL ELBOW REPLACEMENT AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO SEVERELY COMMINUTED FRACTURES AROUND THE ELBOW].

BACKGROUND Intra-articular elbow fractures are considered to be one of the most complex injuries in orthopedic trauma. Some are too comminuted for open reduction and internal fixation. Recently, total elbow replacement (TER) has gained popularity for the treatment of comminuted elbow trauma when other treatment options are not possible. METHODS Since 2007-2013 we treated 18 patients with TER due to comminuted distal humeral fractures. We used the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand scoring system (DASH) to evaluate the patient's satisfaction. In addition we evaluated the elbow range of motion and collateral stability. CONCLUSIONS Functional range of motion was achieved with high patient satisfaction. Based on the results we conclude that TER is a reasonable option for complex elbow fractures when open reduction and internal fixation is not suitable.
Mammalian DNA Is an Endogenous Danger Signal That Stimulates Local Synthesis and Release of Complement Factor B

Complement factor B plays a critical role in ischemic tissue injury and autoimmunity. Factor B is dynamically synthesized and released by cells outside of the liver, but the molecules that trigger local factor B synthesis and release during endogenous tissue injury have not been identified. We determined that factor B is upregulated early after cold ischemia-reperfusion in mice, using a heterotopic heart transplant model. These data suggested upregulation of factor B by damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), but multiple common DAMPs did not induce factor B in RAW264.7 mouse macrophages. However, exogenous DNA induced factor B mRNA and protein expression in RAW cells in vitro, as well as in peritoneal and alveolar macrophages in vivo. To determine the cellular mechanisms involved in DNA-induced factor B upregulation we then investigated the role of multiple known DNA receptors or binding partners. We stimulated peritoneal macrophages from wild-type (WT), toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9)-deficient, receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE)-/- and myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88)-/- mice, or mouse macrophages deficient in high-mobility group box proteins (HMGBs), DNA-dependent activator of interferon-regulatory factors (DAI) or absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2), with DNA in the presence or absence of lipofection reagent. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting and immunocytochemical analysis were employed for analysis. Synthesis of factor B was independent of TLR9, RAGE, DAI and AIM2, but was dependent on HMGBs, MyD88, p38 and NF-κB. Our data therefore show that mammalian DNA is an endogenous molecule that stimulates factor B synthesis and release from macrophages via HMGBs, MyD88, p38 and NF-κB signaling. This activation of the immune system likely contributes to damage following sterile injury such as hemorrhagic shock and ischemia-reperfusion.
Furunculosis and other diseases caused by Aeromonas salmonicida

Abstract : Furunculosis is a generalized internal infection prevalent in trout and salmon. The disease was first described in Germany in 1894 and was named for the large raised lesion called a furuncle (Fig. 1) seen in the chronic disease. The bacterium causing the disease is Aeromonas salmonicida. For many years it was believed that A. salmonicida infected only salmon and trout, but variants of the bacterium have now been found to cause goldfish ulcer disease, carp erythrodermatitis, and infections in some marine fishes.
The Procyclin Repertoire of Trypanosoma brucei

The surface of the insect stages of the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei is covered by abundant glycosyl phosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored glycoproteins known as procyclins. One type of procyclin, the EP isoform, is predicted to have 22–30 Glu-Pro (EP) repeats in its C-terminal domain and is encoded by multiple genes. Because of the similarity of the EP isoform sequences and the heterogeneity of their GPI anchors, it has been impossible to separate and characterize these polypeptides by standard protein fractionation techniques. To facilitate their structural and functional characterization, we used a combination of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization and electrospray mass spectrometry to analyze the entire procyclin repertoire expressed on the trypanosome cell. This analysis, which required removal of the GPI anchors by aqueous hydrofluoric acid treatment and cleavage at aspartate-proline bonds by mild acid hydrolysis, provided precise information about the glycosylation state and the number of Glu-Pro repeats in these proteins. Using this methodology we detected in a T. bruceiclone the glycosylated products of the EP3 gene and two different products of the EP1 gene (EP1-1 and EP1-2). Furthermore, only low amounts of the nonglycosylated products of theGPEET and EP2 genes were detected. Because all procyclin genes are transcribed polycistronically, the latter finding indicates that the expression of the GPEET andEP2 genes is post-transcriptionaly regulated. This is the first time that the whole procyclin repertoire from procyclic trypanosomes has been characterized at the protein level.
Response to temperature stress of reactive oxygen species scavenging enzymes in the cross-tolerance of barley seed germination

A number of studies have shown the existence of cross-tolerance in plants, but the physiological mechanism is poorly understood. In this study, we used the germination of barley seeds as a system to investigate the cross-tolerance of low-temperature pretreatment to high-temperature stress and the possible involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging enzymes in the cross-tolerance. After pretreatment at 0 °C for different periods of time, barley seeds were germinated at 35 °C, and the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and the activities of ROS scavenging enzymes were measured by a spectrophotometer analysis. The results showed that barley seed germinated very poorly at 35 °C, and this inhibitive effect could be overcome by pretreatment at 0 °C. The MDA content varied, depending on the temperature at which seeds germinated, while barley seeds pretreated at 0 °C did not change the MDA content. Compared with seeds germinated directly at 35 °C, the seeds pretreated first at 0 °C and then germinated at 35 °C had markedly increased activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), catalase (CAT), and glutathione reductase (GR). The SOD and APX activities of seeds germinated at 35 °C after 0 °C-pretreatment were even substantially higher than those at 25 °C, and GR activity was similar to that at 25 °C, at which the highest germination performance of barley seeds was achieved. These results indicate that low-temperature pretreatment can markedly increase the tolerance of barley seed to high temperature during germination, this being related to the increase in ROS scavenging enzyme activity. This may provide a new method for increasing seed germination under stress environments, and may be an excellent model system for the study of cross-tolerance.
Stratified Strategy Selection for Unit Control in Real-Time Strategy Games

In this paper we introduce Stratified Strategy Selection (SSS), a novel search algorithm for micromanaging units in real-time strategy (RTS) games. SSS uses a type system to partition the player’s units into types and assumes that units of the same type must follow the same strategy. SSS searches in the state space induced by the type system to select, from a pool of options, a strategy for each unit. Empirical results on a simulator of an RTS game shows that SSS employing either fixed or adaptive type systems is able to substantially outperform stateof-the-art search-based algorithms in combat scenarios with up to 100 units.
Transmission of a chronic lymphoproliferative syndrome in ferrets.

BACKGROUND Lymphomas and leukemias are caused by transmissible viruses in a wide variety of species, including humans, cattle, and cats. Features of lymphoma in ferrets suggest that it, too, may have an infectious etiology. No agent has been identified. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Cells or cell-free inocula from a ferret with spontaneous malignant lymphoma were administered i.p. to six recipient ferrets. Two ferrets received fresh cells, two received frozen cells, and two received cell-free culture supernatant. The recipients were monitored routinely clinically and hematologically, and lymphoma was confirmed histologically. The lymphomas were characterized using cytology, cytochemistry, immunophenotyping, and histology. Cultivated cells from the donor and recipients were examined using reverse transcriptase assay, microscopy, and electron microscopy. RESULTS All of the six recipient ferrets developed mild sustained lymphocytosis within 6 weeks of the inoculation. Two of six were euthanized 14 to 18 months after inoculation. Lymphoma was later diagnosed in three of the four remaining ferrets at 24 to 36 months after inoculation. All developed a chronic indolent syndrome featuring profound splenomegaly, lymphocytosis with atypia, and histologically polymorphous lymphoma. Two of the three who developed lymphoma had received fresh donor lymphoma cells, and the third had received supernatant from donor cell cultures with elevated reverse transcriptase activity. Cultivated cells from the affected ferrets demonstrated reverse transcriptase activity and retrovirus-like particles. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates horizontal transmission of malignant lymphoma in ferrets using cell or cell-free inocula. Clinical and pathologic features of this syndrome in ferrets resembled virally induced lymphomas in other species.
Real‐world health care costs of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma during the era of novel cancer agents

What is known and objective: High costs of novel agents increasingly put pressure on limited healthcare budgets. Demonstration of their real‐world costs and cost‐effectiveness is often required for reimbursement. However, few published economic evaluations of novel agents for multiple myeloma exist. Moreover, existing cost analyses were heavily based on conventionally treated patients. We investigated real‐world health care costs of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma in Dutch daily practice.
A Dataset for Sanskrit Word Segmentation

The last decade saw a surge in digitisation efforts for ancient manuscripts in Sanskrit. Due to various linguistic peculiarities inherent to the language, even the preliminary tasks such as word segmentation are non-trivial in Sanskrit. Elegant models for Word Segmentation in Sanskrit are indispensable for further syntactic and semantic processing of the manuscripts. Current works in word segmentation for Sanskrit, though commendable in their novelty, often have variations in their objective and evaluation criteria. In this work, we set the record straight. We formally define the objectives and the requirements for the word segmentation task. In order to encourage research in the field and to alleviate the time and effort required in pre-processing, we release a dataset of 115,000 sentences for word segmentation. For each sentence in the dataset we include the input character sequence, ground truth segmentation, and additionally lexical and morphological information about all the phonetically possible segments for the given sentence. In this work, we also discuss the linguistic considerations made while generating the candidate space of the possible segments.
Cytoskeletons in the Closet—Subversion in Alphaherpesvirus Infections

Actin filaments, microtubules and intermediate filaments form the cytoskeleton of vertebrate cells. Involved in maintaining cell integrity and structure, facilitating cargo and vesicle transport, remodelling surface structures and motility, the cytoskeleton is necessary for the successful life of a cell. Because of the broad range of functions these filaments are involved in, they are common targets for viral pathogens, including the alphaherpesviruses. Human-tropic alphaherpesviruses are prevalent pathogens carried by more than half of the world’s population; comprising herpes simplex virus (types 1 and 2) and varicella-zoster virus, these viruses are characterised by their ability to establish latency in sensory neurons. This review will discuss the known mechanisms involved in subversion of and transport via the cytoskeleton during alphaherpesvirus infections, focusing on protein-protein interactions and pathways that have recently been identified. Studies on related alphaherpesviruses whose primary host is not human, along with comparisons to more distantly related beta and gammaherpesviruses, are also presented in this review. The need to decipher as-yet-unknown mechanisms exploited by viruses to hijack cytoskeletal components—to reveal the hidden cytoskeletons in the closet—will also be addressed.
On the Topology Effects in Wireless Sensor Networks Based Prognostics and Health Management

In this work, we consider the usage of wireless sensor networks (WSN) to monitor an area of interest, in order to diagnose on real time its state. Each sensor node forwards information about relevant features towards the sink where the data is processed. Nevertheless, energy conservation is a key issue in the design of such networks and once a sensor exhausts its resources, it will be dropped from the network. This will lead to broken links and data loss. It is therefore important to keep the network running for as long as possible by preserving the energy held by the nodes. Indeed, saving the quality of service (QoS) of a wireless sensor network for a long period is very important in order to ensure accurate data. Then, the area diagnosing will be more accurate. From another side, packet transmission is the phase that consumes the highest amount of energy comparing to other activities in the network. Therefore, we can see that the network topology has an important impact on energy efficiency, and thus on data and diagnosis accuracies. In this paper, we study and compare four network topologies: distributed, hierarchical, centralized, and decentralized topology and show their impact on the resulting estimation of diagnostics. We have used six diagnostic algorithms, to evaluate both prognostic and health management with the variation of type of topology in WSN.
Retinal Stem Cells and Regeneration of Vision System

The vertebrate retina is a well‐characterized model for studying neurogenesis. Retinal neurons and glia are generated in a conserved order from a pool of mutlipotent progenitor cells. During retinal development, retinal stem/progenitor cells (RPC) change their competency over time under the influence of intrinsic (such as transcriptional factors) and extrinsic factors (such as growth factors). In this review, we summarize the roles of these factors, together with the understanding of the signaling pathways that regulate eye development. The information about the interactions between intrinsic and extrinsic factors for retinal cell fate specification is useful to regenerate specific retinal neurons from RPCs. Recent studies have identified RPCs in the retina, which may have important implications in health and disease. Despite the recent advances in stem cell biology, our understanding of many aspects of RPCs in the eye remains limited. PRCs are present in the developing eye of all vertebrates and remain active in lower vertebrates throughout life. In mammals, however, PRCs are quiescent and exhibit very little activity and thus have low capacity for retinal regeneration. A number of different cellular sources of RPCs have been identified in the vertebrate retina. These include PRCs at the retinal margin, pigmented cells in the ciliary body, iris, and retinal pigment epithelium, and Müller cells within the retina. Because PRCs can be isolated and expanded from immature and mature eyes, it is possible now to study these cells in culture and after transplantation in the degenerated retinal tissue. We also examine current knowledge of intrinsic RPCs, and human embryonic stems and induced pluripotent stem cells as potential sources for cell transplant therapy to regenerate the diseased retina. Anat Rec, 297:137–160. 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Disparities and trends in sentinel lymph node biopsy among early-stage breast cancer patients (1998-2005).

BACKGROUND Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), an acceptable alternative to axillary lymph node dissection for staging patients with breast cancer, was introduced to clinical practice in the late 1990s. We assessed demographic, clinical, and facility-related factors associated with SLNB in women with early-stage breast cancer and evaluated trends in these factors over time. METHODS Data on early-stage breast cancers (T1a, T1b, T1c, and T2N0) diagnosed between January 1, 1998, and December 31, 2005, were extracted from the National Cancer Database, a hospital-based registry. Patient demographics, tumor stage, type of lymph node surgery, type of breast cancer surgery, health insurance, treatment facility type, and area-level education and income variables were collected. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to assess predictive factors associated with SLNB, temporal differences in factors associated with SLNB, and differences in rates of SLNB by facility type, race/ethnicity, and type of health insurance over time. RESULTS The total analytic study population included 490,899 women. The use of SLNB increased from 26.8% in 1998 to 65.5% in 2005. Factors associated with lower likelihood of SLNB over the study period included being older (odds ratio [OR] = 0.80, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.78 to 0.92 for those aged 72 or older compared with those aged 51 or younger), being of racial/ethnic minority (OR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.74 to 0.78 for African Americans compared with whites), having no health insurance (OR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.73 to 0.80 for uninsured compared with having private insurance), having certain government insurance plans (for Medicaid, OR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.78 to 0.84, and for Medicare at age <65 years, OR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.80 to 0.87, both compared with private insurance), residing in zip codes with lower proportion of high school graduates (OR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.86 to 0.89) or with lower median income (OR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.77 to 0.81), and receiving treatment in facility types other than a teaching or research hospital (for community hospital, OR = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.82 to 0.86; for community cancer center, OR = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.84 to 0.87). The associations with insurance status and sociodemographic characteristics were more pronounced in 2005 than in 1998. For example, the adjusted annual rates of SLNB in 1998 were 0.29 in whites, 0.26 in African Americans, and 0.35 in Hispanics; in 2005 the respective rates were 0.70, 0.64, and 0.67. CONCLUSIONS Although use of SLNB increased from 1998 to 2005, disparities persisted in receipt of SLNB that are based on nonclinical factors, including sociodemographic characteristics and insurance status.
Intermediate filaments: a chemically heterogeneous, developmentally regulated class of proteins.

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