Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Protein kinase C and meiotic regulation in isolated mouse oocytes

In this study, the possible role of protein kinase C (PKC) in mediating both positive and negative actions on meiotic maturation in isolated mouse oocytes has been examined. When cumulus cell–enclosed oocytes (CEO) were cultured for 17–18 hr in a medium containing 4 mM hypoxanthine (HX) to maintain meiotic arrest, each of the five different activators and five different antagonists of PKC stimulated germinal vesicle breakdown (GVB) in a dose‐dependent fashion. One of the activators, phorbol‐12‐myristate 13‐acetate (PMA), also triggered GVB in CEO arrested with isobutylmethylxanthine or guanosine, but not in those arrested with dibutyryl cyclic AMP. When denuded oocytes (DO) were cultured for 3 hr in inhibitor‐free medium, all PKC activators suppressed maturation (< 10% GVB compared to 94% in controls), while the effect of PKC antagonists was negligible. Four of the five antagonists reversed the meiosis‐arresting action of HX in DO. PMA transiently arrested the spontaneous maturation of both CEO and DO, with greater potency in DO. The stimulatory action of PMA in HX‐arrested oocytes was dependent on cumulus cells, because meiotic induction occurred in CEO but not DO. PKC activators also preferentially stimulated cumulus expansion when compared to antagonists. A cell–cell coupling assay determined that the action of PMA on oocyte maturation was not due to a loss of metabolic coupling between the oocyte and cumulus oophorus. Finally, Western analysis demonstrated the presence of PKCs α, β1, δ, and ζ in both cumulus cells and oocytes, but only PKC ϵ was detected in the cumulus cells. It is concluded that direct activation of PKC in the oocyte suppresses maturation, while stimulation within cumulus cells generates a positive trigger that leads to meiotic resumption. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 58:101–115, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Streptococcus gordonii utilizes several distinct gene functions to recruit Porphyromonas gingivalis into a mixed community

Dental plaque biofilm formation proceeds through a developmental pathway initiated by the attachment of pioneer organisms, such as Streptococcus gordonii, to tooth surfaces. Through a variety of synergistic interactions, pioneer organisms facilitate the colonization of later arrivals including Porphyromonas gingivalis, a potential periodontal pathogen. We have investigated genes of S. gordonii required to support a heterotypic biofilm community with P. gingivalis. By screening a plasmid integration library of S. gordonii, genes were identified that are crucial for the accumulation of planktonic P. gingivalis cells into a multispecies biofilm. These genes were further investigated by specific mutation and complementation analyses. The biofilm‐associated genes can be grouped into broad categories based on putative function as follows: (i) intercellular or intracellular signalling (cbe and spxB), (ii) cell wall integrity and maintenance of adhesive proteins (murE, msrA and atf), (iii) extracellular capsule biosynthesis (pgsA and atf), and (iv) physiology (gdhA, ccmA and ntpB). In addition, a gene for a hypothetical protein was identified. Biofilm visualization and quantification by confocal microscopy confirmed the role of these genes in the maturation of the multispecies community, including biofilm architectural development. The results suggest that S. gordonii governs the development of heterotypic oral biofilms through multiple genetic pathways.
The coupling of nicotine and stimulant craving during treatment for stimulant dependence.

OBJECTIVE Smoking prevalence is high among substance abusers, making it important to understand when nicotine abstinence will aid, impair, or not affect abstinence from other substances. This study tested novel hypotheses about the coupling of nicotine and stimulant craving over time during stimulant dependence treatment. METHOD Adults (N = 538) with cocaine and/or methamphetamine dependence completed a 10-week randomized controlled trial of substance use treatment with or without smoking cessation treatment. Participants reported nicotine and stimulant craving weekly and use twice per week. RESULTS Latent change score modeling tested the association between weekly increases in nicotine craving and subsequent weekly changes in stimulant craving. Interestingly, results revealed a "substitution" effect: increases in nicotine craving predicted subsequent decreases in stimulant craving, γ = -. 37, p = . 001. Additionally, increases in nicotine craving predicted subsequent increases in nicotine use, γ = 1.26, p = . 04, and decreases in stimulant use, γ = -. 07, p = . 03. As expected, the substitution effect between nicotine and stimulant craving was stronger when stimulants were administered through the same route as nicotine (i.e., smoking), γ = -. 56, p = . 005, versus other routes, γ = -. 32, p = . 06. Finally, smoking cessation treatment eliminated the coupling between nicotine craving and stimulant craving, γ = -. 07, p = . 39. CONCLUSIONS Contrary to concerns about nicotine abstinence during substance dependence treatment, increases in nicotine craving may be associated with later reductions in stimulant craving and use, and unrelated when smoking cessation treatment is introduced. Weekly changes in nicotine craving convey information that can help clinicians to predict and understand shifts in stimulant craving and use during substance use disorder treatment.
An off-line method for human signature verification

This paper presents an off-line human signature verification system. The following information was used to characterize a static signature for verification purpose: the slant directions of the signature strokes and those of the envelopes of the dilated signature images. The system employing a linear classifier provides an equal error rate of 14.6% for skilled forgeries, and 3.0% for simple forgeries.
Thymus Exosomes-Like Particles Induce Regulatory T Cells1

Exosomes released from different types of cells have been proposed to contribute to intercellular communication. We report that thymic exosome-like particles (ELPs) released from cells of the thymus can induce the development of Foxp3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells in the lung and liver. Thymic ELPs also induce the conversion of thymic CD4+CD25− T cells into Tregs. Tregs induced by thymic ELPs suppress the proliferation of CD4+CD25− T cells in vitro and in vivo. We further show that neutralization of TGF-β in ELPs partially reverses thymic ELP-mediated induction of CD4+Foxp3+ T cells in the lung and liver. This study demonstrates that thymic ELPs participate in the induction of Foxp3+ Tregs. Also, TGF-β of thymic ELPs might be required for the generation of Tregs in the peripheral tissues.
Operational teledermatology in Broken Hill, rural Australia

From January 2001 to January 2002, Broken Hill, New South Wales, served as a trial site for teledermatology as one method of access to dermatologists. Fourteen participating general practitioners referred 46 patients making up 48 teledermatology cases. The mean diagnostic agreement between general practitioners and dermatologists was 35% and 50% for primary and differential diagnoses, respectively. Teledermatology patients formed 12% of the collectively referred dermatology patients (outpatients and teledermatology). In this project, high patient and general practitioner acceptability and positive medical outcomes confirm the value of rural teledermatology. However, this project also revealed unexpected barriers and pitfalls in the effective operation of rural teledermatology. Lack of education of participants, inertia among potential users and patient inconvenience are issues that may adversely affect the effective implementation of rural teledermatology.
Regional cerebral blood flow and glucose metabolism following transient forebrain ischemia

Progressive brain damage after transient cerebral ischemia may be related to changes in postischemic cerebral blood flow and metabolism. Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and cerebral glucose utilization (rCGU) were measured in adult rats prior to, during (only rCBF), and serially after transient forebrain ischemia. Animals were subjected to 30 minutes of forebrain ischemia by occluding both common carotid arteries 24 hours after cauterizing the vertebral arteries. Regional CBF was measured by the indicator‐fractionation technique using 4‐iodo‐[14C]‐antipyrine. Regional CGU was measured by the 2‐[14C]deoxyglucose method. The results were correlated with the distribution and progression of ischemic neuronal damage in animals subjected to an identical ischemic insult. Cerebral blood flow to forebrain after 30 minutes of moderate to severe ischemia ( < 10% control CBF) was characterized by 5 to 15 minutes of hyperemia; rCBF then fell below normal and remained low for as long as 24 hours. Postischemic glucose utilization in the forebrain, except in the hippocampus, was depressed below control values at 1 hour and either remained low (neocortex, striatum) or gradually rose to normal (white matter) by 48 hours. In the hippocampus, glucose utilization equaled the control value at 1 hour and fell below control between 24 and 48 hours. The appearance of moderate to severe morphological damage in striatum and hippocampus coincided with a late rise of rCBF above normal and with a fall of rCGU; the late depression of rCGU was usually preceded by a period during which metabolism was increased relative to adjacent tissue. Further refinement of these studies may help identify salvageable brain after ischemia and define ways to manipulate CBF and metabolism in the treatment of stroke.
Multiple access interference and multipath interference analysis of orthogonal complementary code‐based ultra‐wideband systems over multipath channels

In order to alleviate multiple access interference and multipath interference of ultra‐wideband (UWB) system, we propose the orthogonal complementary code (OCC)‐based direct‐sequence UWB system and offset‐stacking (OS)‐UWB system. OCC has perfect partial autocorrelation and cross‐correlation characteristics. With the application of OCC in UWB system, we can obtain better performance in multiple access interference and multipath interference. The proposed OS‐UWB structure can also achieve variable data rate transmission because of its innovative OS spreading technique. Theoretical analysis and simulation results show that the proposed UWB system can achieve excellent performance and outperform the unitary code‐based direct‐sequence UWB system. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Modulation of cell adhesion during induction, histogenesis, and perinatal development of the nervous system.

Proprietes physicochimiques des molecules CAM (N-CAM, L-CAM, Ng-CAM) intervenant dans l'adhesion cellulaire au cours du developpement embryonnaire. Relations entre molecules CAMs, SAMs, et CJMs. Role de ces molecules dans l'induction nerveuse et la neurulation
A VM-HDL Co-Simulation Framework for Systems with PCIe-Connected FPGAs

PCIe-connected FPGAs are gaining popularity as an accelerator technology in data centers. However, it is challenging to jointly develop and debug host software and FPGA hardware. Changes to the hardware design require a time-consuming FPGA synthesis process, and modification to the software, especially the operating system and device drivers, can frequently cause the system to hang, without providing enough information for debugging. The combination of these problems results in long debug iterations and a slow development process. To overcome these problems, we designed a VM-HDL co-simulation framework, which is capable of running the same software, operating system, and hardware designs as the target physical system, while providing full visibility and significantly shorter debug iterations.
In vitro and in vivo optimization of infrared laser treatment for injured peripheral nerves

Repair of peripheral nerve injuries remains a major challenge in restorative medicine. Effective therapies that can be used in conjunction with surgical nerve repair to improve nerve regeneration and functional recovery are being actively investigated. It has been demonstrated by a number of peer reviewed publications that photobiomodulation (PBM) supports nerve regeneration, reinnervation of the denervated muscle, and functional recovery after peripheral nerve injury. However, a key issue in the use of PBM as a treatment for peripheral nerve injury is the lack of parameter optimization for any given wavelength. The objective of this study was to demonstrate that for a selected wavelength effective in vitro dosing parameters could be translated to effective in vivo parameters.
Dynamics of the manipulator with closed chains

The concept of dynamic equilibrium is used to derive a relation with which the actuator forces of a manipulator with a closed kinematic chain can be calculated in the same way as those of a manipulator with an open chain. Although the result is equivalent to that of J.Y. S. Luh and Y.F. Zheng (1985) the method provides physical insight into the dynamics of manipulators with closed kinematic chains. This relation also leads to the dynamic equations of motion with a minimal dimension for a closed kinematic chain. The semi-direct-drive robot is taken as an illustrative example. The numerical results verify the theory. The computational complexity of the inverse dynamics of this robot is also discussed. >
Can Puncture Increase the Risk of Intra-Articular Adhesion in the Temporomandibular Joint?

PurposeThis study aims to compare the incidence and severity of intra-articular adhesion under arthroscopy between patients with and without a history of joint puncture. Patients and MethodsEighty-nine patients with internal derangements of TMJ who underwent arthroscopic disc repositioning and suturing surgery from February 2008 to September 2008 were included in this study. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on whether the patient had undergone joint puncture before surgery or not. The diagnosis of intra-articular adhesion was made according to the manifestation under arthroscopy. Incidence and severity of intra-articular adhesion between these 2 groups was compared. ResultsThe incidence of intra-articular adhesion in the patients with a history of puncture was 69.23%, which was higher than that in the patients without a history of puncture (24.36%). The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The incidence of severe adhesions in patients with a history of joint puncture was also higher than that in patients without a history of puncture (26.09% vs. 2.56%, P < 0.01). ConclusionsPuncture may increase the risk of intra-articular adhesion in patients with internal derangement.
Chebyshev series approximation for solving differential–algebraic equations (DAEs)

The numerical solution of differential–algebraic equations (DAEs) using the Chebyshev series approximation is considered in this article. Two different problems are solved using the Chebyshev series approximation and the solutions are compared with the exact solutions. First, we calculate the power series of a given equation system and then transform it into Chebyshev series form, which gives an arbitrary order for solving the DAE numerically.
Precios, espíritu de beneficios y sistemas de costes

Actualmente se considera que fueron condiciones de gran competencia las que propiciaron la aparicion de los primeros sistemas de costes; su objetivo seria mejorar la eficiencia mediante la reduccion de costes. Este articulo presenta evidencia original relativa a las Reales Almonas de Sevilla (1525-1692), una empresa que operaba en regimen de monopolio, que cuestiona estas hipotesis. Asi, la dura competencia no fue condicion para la aparicion de los primeros sistemas de costes; en empresas monopolisticas, el objetivo del sistema seria la determinacion de precios y no la mejora de la eficiencia. Por ultimo, se sostiene que los primeros sistemas de costes tuvieron un papel importante en la difusion del espiritu capitalista.
Information Systems Maintenance: A key driver of Business Process Innovation

This paper proposes a conceptual model to investigate the relationship between information systems maintenance and process innovation. A comprehensive review of information systems innovation and business process innovation literature is presented and proposed research model is discussed. The model highlights four innovation enabling factors of process innovation and its relationship with information systems maintenance. Research contribution and implications for practitioners and researchers are also highlighted.
Tuck Jump Assessment for Reducing Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Risk.

FEMALE ATHLETES demonstrate a 4 to 6 times higher incidence of non-contact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury than male athletes participating in the same landing and pivoting sports.1-3 This greater risk of ACL injury, coupled with a dramatic increase in participation (doubling each decade), has led to a significant rise in the number of ACL injuries in female athletes. This gender disparity in non-contact ACL injury risk, combined with evidence that the primary cause may be neuromuscular in nature, have lead to the development of neuromuscular interventions designed to prevent injury.4-9 Initial interventions aimed at reducing the incidence of ACL injuries in female athletes were developed based on empirical evidence from coaching and training female athletes and from performance enhancement research.4,10 More current techniques, developed from identified injury mechanism (dynamic knee valgus11) and objective analysis of training methods,12-19 may further reduce traumatic ACL injuries in female athletes.5-7 The programs that have demonstrated ACL injury reduction are comprehensive, and include multiple training components that may induce the neuromuscular changes. The purpose of this report is to discuss the current evidence related to modifiable ACL injury mechanisms during landing and to present a novel “clinician-friendly” assessment and training technique that can be used to identify these mechanisms in high-risk female athletes. Key Points Use of the tuck jump assessment to identify neuromuscular imbalances may provide direction for targeted treatment for those at high risk for ACL injury. Improvement in neuromuscular techniques may be assessed and continually monitored with repeated measurement using the tuck jump assessment. Multiple factors may underlie the differences in ACL injury risk in male and females, neuromuscular control may be the most important and modifiable factor that can be addressed with plyometric training.
Direct and inverse scattering of moving cylinders at relativistic and non relativistic velocities

In this paper the capabilities of some direct and inverse scattering procedures to solve electromagnetic problems involving axially moving cylinders are investigated. No limitations are imposed on the number of cylinders, nor are posed on their profiles of relative dielectric permittivity and axial velocity. As for inverse problems, when the maximum magnitude of the axial speed is limited to one hundredth of the speed of light in vacuum, it has been shown that it could be convenient to split the inverse problem into two parts. The first one related to the reconstruction of the geometrical and dielectric unknowns while the second part has to deal with the determination of the velocity profile. As first preliminary examples, we have considered the scattering of plane waves by pneumatic pipes and the reconstruction of a velocity profile in a circular pipe and in multilayer elliptic cylinders.
Antimicrobial Resistance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Emerging Ciprofloxacin Resistance in The Netherlands, 1991 to 1998

ABSTRACT Surveillance of antibiotic resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae showed a decrease in the percentage of β-lactamase-producing isolates but an increase in intermediately penicillin-resistant strains and strains resistant to a high level of tetracycline. MICs for the ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates that emerged increased, and these isolates had mutations in gyrAand parC similar to those observed in the Far East.
Théorie de la consommation et pensée pratique chez Carl Menger

Cet article, centre sur la theorie mengerienne de la consommation, etudie la profondeur de l’aristotelisme suppose de Menger au prisme de la pensee pratique, a l’interieur de laquelle seulement l’economie d’Aristote prend toute sa signification. L’article montre que la theorie mengerienne de la consommation est adossee a la vie concue comme manque, l’aspirant dans une problematique de la production et reproduction des conditions d’existence, caracteristique d’un raisonnement poietique. L’etude du contexte institutionnel de la consommation chez Menger montre ensuite que la dimension pratique est manquee. L’hypothese est faite en conclusion que la theorie de Menger s’inscrit dans un cadre pragmatique.
Use of natural antimicrobials for the control of Listeria monocytogenes in foods

C. A. Campos, M.P. Castro, M.F. Gliemmo and L.I. Schelegueda Departamento de Industrias, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Intendente Guiraldes 2160, Ciudad Universitaria, Capital Federal, 1428, Argentina 2 Member of Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas de la Republica Argentina 3 Universidad Nacional del Chaco Austral. Cte. Fernandez 755, (3700) P.R. Saenz Pena, Chaco. Argentina Research fellow from Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas de la Republica Argentina
A Novel Imaging Method for Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus—Comparison of SPECT-CT With MRI

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the current standard in noninvasive diagnostics of osteochondral lesions (OCLs) of the talus. Single-photon emission computed tomography–computed tomography (SPECT-CT) is a new technique that displays different imaging qualities. The influence of the aforementioned diagnostic information on treatment decision making in talar OCLs is not known. Purpose: The aim of the study was to evaluate SPECT-CT in comparison with MRI for image interpretation and decision making in OCLs of the talus. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: Magnetic resonance imaging and SPECT-CT of 25 patients (average age, 32 years; range, 18-69 years) were analyzed by 3 independent orthopaedic surgeons blinded to the study. Raters had to analyze images for predefined criteria of cartilage, subchondral bone plate, and subchondral bone, including bone marrow edema on MRI and scintigraphic activity on SPECT-CT. For MRI alone, SPECT-CT alone, and their combination, the treatment decision had to be defined. Results: In comparison with MRI alone, treatment decision making changed in 48% of the cases with SPECT-CT alone and 52% with SPECT-CT and MRI combined. While cartilage showed good correlation for interpretation between MRI and SPECT-CT, the subchondral bone plate and subchondral bone showed substantial differences. Poor intrarater correlation highlighted the different information provided by the 2 imaging techniques. Poor interrater correlation showed a high heterogeneity in the treatment decision making of OCLs. Conclusion: Compared with MRI, SPECT-CT provides additional information and influences the decision making of OCL treatment. For thorough diagnostic evaluation in OCLs, performing both MRI and SPECT-CT is recommended. Further clinical investigation is needed to see if SPECT-CT in addition to MRI results in improved treatment outcomes.