Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MHC Class I Antigen Processing of an Adenovirus CTL Epitope Is Linked to the Levels of Immunoproteasomes in Infected Cells1

Proteasomes are the major source for the generation of peptides bound by MHC class I molecules. To study the functional relevance of the IFN-γ-inducible proteasome subunits low molecular mass protein 2 (LMP2), LMP7, and mouse embryonal cell (MEC) ligand 1 in Ag processing and concomitantly that of immunoproteasomes, we established the tetracycline-regulated mouse cell line MEC217, allowing the titrable formation of immunoproteasomes. Infection of MEC217 cells with Adenovirus type 5 (Ad5) and analysis of Ag presentation with Ad5-specific CTL showed that cells containing immunoproteasomes processed the viral early 1B protein (E1B)-derived epitope E1B192–200 with increased efficiency, thus allowing a faster detection of viral entry in induced cells. Importantly, optimal CTL activation was already achieved at submaximal immunosubunit expression. In contrast, digestion of E1B-polypeptide with purified proteasomes in vitro yielded E1B192–200 at quantities that were proportional to the relative contents of immunosubunits. Our data provide evidence that the IFN-γ-inducible proteasome subunits, when present at relatively low levels as at initial stages of infection, already increase the efficiency of antigenic peptide generation and thereby enhance MHC class I Ag processing in infected cells.
Produtividade em colônias de Polistes (Aphanilopterus) versicolor Olivier, 1791 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae, Polistinae)

No periodo de agosto de 2000 a dezembro de 2003, 185 colonias de Polistes versicolor foram observadas no Bioterio do Instituto de Biologia, UNESP, Campus de Rio Claro, SP. Em 14 4 (7 7,84%) nao emergiram adultos e das 41 (22,1 6%) colonias restantes, em 16 nao foi possivel obter o total de meconios, pois foram atacadas, em intensidades diversas, por inimigos naturais como formigas, passaros e vespas parasiticas. A determinacao da produtividade colonial foi obtida atraves da contagem do numero de meconios encontrados em celulas de 25 colonias, com variacao de 1 ate 6 meconios por celula.
A study of placenta and its blood vessels in high risk pregnancies by Colour Doppler USG and its correlation with maternal and neonatal outcome

Objective-To study the placenta and its blood vessels by colour flow Doppler ultrasonography and its histological correlation with neonatal and maternal outcome. Methods- A prospective comparative study was conducted in 60 antenatal women >28 weeks gestation. Out of these, 30 cases of high risk pregnancies and other 30 normal antenatal cases were taken as controls. All the women were subjected to colour Doppler study and study of placental anatomy and histology done and results were correlated to perinatal and maternal outcome. Results- It was found that colour Doppler was abnormal in 63.3% cases of high risk groups and abnormal histopathological changes were found in 100% cases of high risk group while 33.3% cases of control group where colour Doppler was normal. And it was seen that perinatal outcome was poor in the group with abnormal pulsatility index and it was correlated with abnormal histology of placenta. Rate of caesarean section was also higher in high risk groups. Conclusion- By doing colour Doppler we can detect placental pathologies at their earliest so that the pathological process can be checked at an early stage thus leading to favourable maternal and fetal outcomes.
GaN-Based Planar p-i-n Photodetectors With the Be-Implanted Isolation Ring

The authors report the fabrication of GaN-based planar p-i-n photodetectors (PDs) with and without the Be-implanted isolation ring. With the isolation ring, we achieved a much smaller leakage current below 10 pA. It was also found that the responsivity for the PD with the Be-implanted isolation ring was almost independent of the applied reverse bias. Furthermore, it was found that we could achieve a bias independent and much larger ultraviolet-to-visible rejection ratio to three orders of magnitude. Furthermore, smaller noise-equivalent-power value 8.18 × 10-16 W and larger detectivity 3.2 × 1013 cm·Hz0.5 · W-1 from the PD with the Be-implanted isolation ring.
Solvent-Free Addition of Indole to Aldehydes: Unexpected Synthesis of Novel 1-[1-(1H-Indol-3-yl) Alkyl]-1H-Indoles and Preliminary Evaluation of Their Cytotoxicity in Hepatocarcinoma Cells

New 1-[1-(1H-indol-3-yl) alkyl]-1H-indoles, surprisingly, have been obtained from the addition of indole to a variety of aldehydes under neat conditions. CaO, present in excess, was fundamental for carrying out the reaction with paraformaldehyde. Under the same reaction conditions, aromatic and heteroaromatic aldehydes afforded only classical bis (indolyl) aryl indoles. In this paper, the role of CaO, together with the regiochemistry and the mechanism of the reaction, are discussed in detail. The effect of some selected 3,3′- and 1,3′-diindolyl methane derivatives on cell proliferation of the hepatoma cell line FaO was also evaluated.
Linear regression approach to study amino acid digestibility in broiler chickens

1. An experiment was conducted to investigate whether a linear regression approach is a suitable tool for determining the amino acid (AA) digestibility up to the terminal ileum of broiler chickens. Solvent-extracted rapeseed meal (RSM) was used as the model ingredient. 2. Ten diets with 5 different inclusion rates of RSM (60, 120, 180, 240 and 300 g/kg, corresponding to crude protein concentrations from 170 to 250 g/kg in the diet), each without or with a supplementation of phytase (500 U/kg), were fed ad libitum to broiler chickens between 14 and 21 d of age. Seven pens of 12 chickens were allocated to each treatment. Digesta were sampled on a pen basis from the section of the gastrointestinal tract between Meckel's diverticulum and 2 cm anterior to the ileo-caeco-colonic junction. Titanium dioxide was included as an indigestible marker. 3. The amounts of crude protein and AAs digested up to the terminal ileum constantly increased with increasing AA intake over the entire range of intakes. When the amount of an AA digested at the terminal ileum is linearly regressed against its intake, the deviation of the slope from 1 is caused by both the unabsorbed AA from RSM and from specific endogenous losses related to RSM. These slopes varied between 0·68 and 0·88 for individual AAs, and the slopes were unaffected by phytase supplementation. 4. It is suggested that a linear regression approach be adopted to study the AA digestibility of raw materials in chickens. Digestibility determined this way does not need any correction for basal endogenous loss.
Homocysteine, folate and pregnancy outcomes

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between maternal and/or cord blood folate/homocysteine concentrations and adverse pregnancy outcomes. The study population included a random sample of singleton pregnant women in whom we measured total homocysteine and folic acid in maternal or cord blood at deliveries. A total of 227 pregnant women were enrolled. The concentration of folate in maternal blood tended to be significantly lower in pre-term birth than in full-term delivery group (median (95% CI), 14.4 (3.6–73) vs 25 (7.3–105.5) p < 0.01). The total homocysteine in maternal and cord blood was significantly higher in the pre-eclampsia than in the normotensive group (7.9 (1.7–28.2) vs 5.9 (1.8–14.6) μmol/ml, p < 0.05; and 5.8 (2.6–14.4) vs 4.2 (0.7–7.9) ng/ml, p < 0.05, respectively). Lower maternal serum folate concentration is associated with pre-term delivery and higher maternal plasma homocysteine concentration with pre-eclampsia.
Context Model of User Aspect in Context-Awareness

It is very important to model the acquired context to store and manage for context-awareness. Diverse modeling method has been studied and used. But there are several problems. Most models are represented by relational property and modeled with object-centered. It also needs other model to use in other field. Aspect of context-awareness can be changed according as the nucleus is an object or user. In this paper, we interpret with user aspect and propose the context model to resolve the problems. We defined appropriate context that fit to user-centered context model through diverse definition of context.
Changes in adjacent-level disc pressure and facet joint force after cervical arthroplasty compared with cervical discectomy and fusion.

OBJECT The authors of previous in vitro investigations have reported an increase in adjacent-level intradiscal pressures (IDPs) and facet joint stresses following cervical spine fusion. This study was performed to compare adjacent-level IDPs and facet force following arthroplasty with the fusion model. METHODS Eighteen human cadaveric cervical spines were tested in the intact state for different modes of motion (extension, flexion, bending, and rotation) up to 2 Nm. The specimens were then divided into three groups: those involving the ProDisc-C cervical artificial disc, Prestige cervical artificial disc, and cervical fusion. They were load tested after application of instrumentation or surgery at the C6-7 level. During the test, IDPs and facet forces were measured at adjacent levels. RESULTS In arthroplasty-treated specimens, the IDP showed little difference from that of the intact spine at both proximal and distal levels. In fusion-treated specimens, the IDP increased at the posterior anulus fibrosus on extension and at the anterior anulus fibrosus on flexion at the proximal level. At the distal level, the IDP change was not significant. The facet force changes were minimal in flexion, bending, and rotation modes in both arthroplasty- and fusion-treated spines. Significant changes were noted in the extension mode only. In extension, arthroplasty models exhibited significant increases of facet force at the treated level. In the fusion model the facet forces decreased at the treated segment and increased at the adjacent segment. CONCLUSIONS The two artificial discs of the semiconstrained systems maintain adjacent-level IDPs near the preoperative values in all modes of motion, but with respect to facet force pressure tended to increase after arthroplasty.
Biomechanics of Physiological and Pathological Bone Structures

In 1995 Kuttner and Goldberg defined osteoarthritis as a group of distinct simultaneous diseases, which may have different etiologies but have similar biologic, morphologic, and clinical outcomes. The disease processes does not only affect the articular cartilage, but involve the entire joint, including the subchondral bone, ligaments, capsule, synovial membrane, and periarticular muscles. Ultimately, the articular cartilage degenerates with fibrillation, fissures, ulceration, and full thickness loss of the joint surface (Kuttner & Golderg, 1995). Osteoarthritis (OA) is also characterised by chronic degradation of articular cartilage and hypertrophy of bone tissue in joint region. OA results from both biological and mechanical causes which lead to instability of bone degradation and remodeling processes of entire joint organ, including the chrondocytes, subchondral bone and synovium articular (Grynpas et al., 1991). Precise classification of joint degeneration is difficult. For example, American College of Rheumatology (ACR) classifies osteoarthritis as non inflammatory condition despite the fact, that clinical observation show frequent inflammatory reaction (Pelletier et al., 1999; Wang et al., 2002; Malcolm, 2002) although the latter may actually be a manifestation of a superimposed crystalline arthritis. To evaluate degradation of joint cartilage two methods are the most frequently used: Altman scale (Altman et al., 1986) and Kellegren-Lawrence scale. First method differentiates between primary and secondary effects of degradation without taking into account etiological factors which precise identification allows to prevent development of OA. Kellegen-Lawrence defined a five level scale that is used to evaluate changes in tissue structure based on its images. Unfortunately, if computer tomography images are used then only advanced stages of OA disease can be detected. Origins of OA are not well known but several hypothesis on its etiology were proposed. Hypothesis focus on changes in biochemical composition and physical properties of synovial fluid that debilitates cartilage nutrition, increased friction of joint surface, impaired blood supply as well as increased number of micro–cracks, especially in subchondral bone. When OA affects hip joint then those changes apply to the femoral head and acetabulum. Two, seemingly equivalent hypotheses about the origins and progress of osteoarthritis are presented in the literature (Radin, 1995). According to the first one changes in the articular cartilage cause
Down's syndrome and its association with Alzheimer's disease

ABSTRACT— The purpose of this study was to ascertain the frequency of Alzheimer's dementia in the relatives of Down's probands and to establish whether these two disorders cluster together. Out of 128 families of Down's probands, only 67 responded to the questionnaire. Twelve cases of Alzheimer's dementia were found in the eight families of 67 probands. There was a significant increase in the frequency of presenile dementia, but no significant increase in senile dementia among the first and second degree relatives of these probands. The methodological problems were discussed and future directions suggested.
Increased levels of PD‐1 expression on CD8 T cells in patients post‐renal transplant irrespective of chronic high EBV viral load

Studies have identified solid organ transplant recipients who remain asymptomatic despite maintaining CHL. Factors which determine the CHL state remain poorly understood but are likely to involve immunological control of the viral infection. We monitored expression of PD‐1, a marker of T‐cell exhaustion and viral persistence, on CD8 T cells in patients who resolved EBV infection as determined by undetectable EBV DNA (REI) and CHL patients. PD‐1 expression on CD8 T cells was increased in the first year post‐transplant irrespective of EBV outcome, and most CD8 T cells continued to express PD‐1 for up to three yr post‐transplant. Although all patient groups showed similar frequencies of EBV‐specific CD8+ T cells, PD‐1 expression on these cells increased in the post‐transplant groups compared with the pretransplant patients. Functional studies of EBV‐specific CD8+ T cells stimulated with BZLF or LMP2 peptide pools revealed monofunctional IFN‐γ responses. Our results indicate that PD‐1 expression on CD8 T cells post‐transplant may result from factors other than antigenic stimulation.
Diffuse and strong cyclin D1 immunoreactivity in clear cell sarcoma of the kidney

Distinguishing clear cell sarcoma of the kidney (CCSK) from other paediatric malignancies, particularly blastema‐rich Wilms tumour (WT) and congenital mesoblastic nephroma (CMN), is challenging. Specific immunohistochemistry for CCSK does not exist, and diagnosis rests upon histopa thology. Recently, the YWHAE–FAM22 rearrange ment, identical to that in endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS), has been identified in CCSKs. As this fusion results in overexpression of cyclin D1 in ESS, we postulated that overexpression would also occur in CCSK; cyclin D1 immunohistochemistry could then be used to differentiate CCSK from other tumours. The goal of this study was therefore to evaluate the utility of cyclin D1 immunohistochemistry in identifying CCSK and helping to differentiate it from its mimics.
Professor: saberes e fazeres para além do pedagógico

O artigo é resultante de uma investigação realizada com professores que participaram de cursos de formação, tanto na extensão como na pós-graduação. Foram analisados relatos orais e escritos de professores: sondagens, memoriais, textos, trabalhos temáticos, estudos e debates, roda de conversa e explanações, pesquisas, investigações sobre grupos, entre outros procedimentos e recursos. A investigação foi realizada no período de 2003 a 2004, com professores que participaram de cursos de extensão e pós-graduação. Um universo de 120 professores, em cursos de formação docente. Os dados foram organizados em categorias: como melhorar a prática; relato de experiências; dificuldades na docência; expectativa do curso de formação; modelo de professor que gostaria ser; a prática docente. Assim, a análise seguiu um modelo de classificação, assinalando a predominância das respostas, Além disso, fizemos registros em agendas, cadernos, folhas avulsas, etc. Dependendo da circunstância, nós registrávamos. Isto posto, esclareço que o texto ora apresentado sintetiza o referido estudo. É simples, despretensioso, mas foi tecido com zelo, por fios entrelaçados pela curiosidade sobre a prática docente. Na medida em que costurávamos as idéias desenvolvidas pelos protagonistas de tantas cenas no dia-a-dia da sala de aula, fomos aprendendo e analisando as diferentes práticas acadêmicas, coloridas pela multiplicidade de situações.
Time Since Menopause Influences the Acute and Chronic Effect of Estrogens on Endothelial Function

Objective—We evaluated whether time since menopause influences the acute and chronic effect of Estradiol (E) on vascular endothelial function. Methods and Results—We studied flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) in 134 postmenopausal women (PMW) before and after acute and chronic E administration. At baseline FMD was inversely associated to time from menopause (r=−0.67, P<0.001) and age (r=−0.43, P<0.05), in exogenous estrogen naïve but not in previous users. Acute and chronic E improved endothelial function in all women. E administration improved FMD more in women within 5 years since menopause than in those with more than 5 years since menopause (76% and 74% versus 45% and 48%, acute and chronic E, respectively; P<0.05). Among women with more than 5 years since menopause acute and chronic E increased FMD more in previous E users than in nonusers (59% and 63% versus 31% and 38%, acute and chronic E, respectively; P<0.01). Multivariate analysis showed that time from menopause was a predictor of impaired FMD and of its improvement after acute and chronic E. Conclusions—Time from menopause influences FMD in PMW. The acute and chronic effect of E on FMD is time dependent and is reduced by a longer time since menopause.
Telephone follow-up for case finding of domestic violence in an emergency department.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether telephone follow-up of selected female patients seen in an urban ED would improve domestic violence (DV) case finding. METHODS A prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted on consecutive female patients between the ages of 16 and 65 years treated in an urban trauma center during July and August 1995. Record review identified those patients with conditions suggesting increased risk for DV: injury; substance abuse; complaints or diagnoses related to stress, anxiety, depression, or panic attack; or complaints of headache, nonspecific abdominal pain, generalized fatigue, or numbness lasting > 1 week. Attempts were made to telephone all patients who had high-risk presentations within 3 days of their emergency visits. Patients were contacted by a trained interviewer regarding the circumstances of their visits. RESULTS There were 142 (9%) high-risk presentations out of 1,500 ED visits by women. Of these high-risk visits, 68 patients denied DV, 19 patients did no speak English, 16 patients gave an incorrect telephone number, 18 patients could not be reached after 3 telephone calls, and 6 patients did not give a telephone number. Of the remaining 15 patients, 5 were diagnosed at the initial visit as having experienced DV, and 10 admitted on the follow-up call that the visit had been related to DV or emotional stress at home. CONCLUSION A structured interview, conducted via telephone in follow-up of released ED patients, identified an additional 10 victims out of 142 high-risk presentations and 1,500 total ED presentations. This approach is labor-intensive, with a relatively low yield. Nonetheless, prospective identification of selective high-risk cases by physicians, coupled with subsequent social service telephone contact, may be a complement in department case finding.
Wireless EEG System Achieving High Throughput and Reduced Energy Consumption Through Lossless and Near-Lossless Compression

This work presents a wireless multichannel electroencephalogram (EEG) recording system featuring lossless and near-lossless compression of the digitized EEG signal. Two novel, low-complexity, efficient compression algorithms were developed and tested in a low-power platform. The algorithms were tested on six public EEG databases comparing favorably with the best compression rates reported up to date in the literature. In its lossless mode, the platform is capable of encoding and transmitting 59-channel EEG signals, sampled at 500 Hz and 16 bits per sample, at a current consumption of 337 $\mu$A per channel; this comes with a guarantee that the decompressed signal is identical to the sampled one. The near-lossless mode allows for significant energy savings and/or higher throughputs in exchange for a small guaranteed maximum per-sample distortion in the recovered signal. Finally, we address the tradeoff between computation cost and transmission savings by evaluating three alternatives: sending raw data, or encoding with one of two compression algorithms that differ in complexity and compression performance. We observe that the higher the throughput (number of channels and sampling rate) the larger the benefits obtained from compression.
Ciliopathies and DNA damage: an emerging nexus

Purpose of reviewIn the past decade a wealth of publications have established the central role of cilia and centrosomes in the pathogenesis of cystic kidney diseases, associated or not with extrarenal symptoms. This review outlines recent findings that have unexpectedly linked ciliary and centrosomal proteins to DNA damage and repair and have opened new perspectives for the comprehension of the pathogenesis of these diseases. Recent findingsSeveral ciliopathy proteins that contribute to the pathogenesis of cystic kidney diseases and ciliopathy-related phenotypes have been recently reported to participate in the elaborated pathways that control DNA replication and repair, suggesting that malfunction of these biological processes may be a common denominator of some ciliopathy-related diseases. SummaryIn this review, the author briefly describes the established connections existing between cilia, centrosome, and cell cycle and provides basic information about DNA damage and repair. The author then examines more closely the single ciliopathy genes that have been associated with DNA repair pathways and their known biological functions.
An Improved Particle Swarm Optimization for SVM Training

Since training a SVM requires solving a constrained quadratic programming problem which becomes difficult for very large datasets, an improved particle swarm optimization algorithm is proposed as an alternative to current numeric SVM training methods. In the improved algorithm, the particles studies not only from itself and the best one but also from the mean value of some other particles. In addition, adaptive mutation was introduced to reduce the rate of premature convergence. The experimental results show that the improved algorithm is feasible and effective for SVM training.