Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Protein kinases A and C positively regulate G protein‐dependent activation of phosphatidylinositol‐specific phospholipase C by tumor necrosis factor‐alpha in MC3T3‐E1 osteoblasts

The role(s) of protein kinases in the regulation of G protein‐dependent activation of phosphatidylinositol‐specific phospholipase C by tumor necrosis factor‐alpha was investigated in the osteoblast cell line MC3T3‐E1. We have previously reported the stimulatory effects of tumor necrosis factor‐alpha and A1F4−, an activator of G proteins, on this phospholipase pathway documented by a decrease in mass of PI and release of diacylglycerol. In this study, we further explored the mechanism(s) by which the tumor necrosis factor or A1F4− ‐promoted breakdown of phosphatidylinositol and the polyphosphoinositides by phospholipase C is regulated. Tumor necrosis factor‐alpha was found to elicit a 4–5‐fold increase in the formation of [3H]inositol‐1,4‐phosphate and [3H]inositol‐1,4,5‐phosphate; and a 36% increase in [3H]inositol‐1‐phosphate within 5 min in prelabeled cells. [3H]inositol‐4‐phosphate, a metabolite of [3H]inositol‐1,4‐phosphate and [3H]inositol‐1,4,5‐phosphate, was found to be the predominant phosphoinositol product of tumor necrosis factor‐alpha and A1F4− ‐activated phospholipase C hydrolysis after 30 min. In addition, the preincubation of cells with pertussis toxin decreased the tumor necrosis factor‐induced release of inositol phosphates by 53%. Inhibitors of protein kinase C, including Et‐18‐OMe and H‐7, dramatically decreased the formation of [3H]inositol phosphates stimulated by either tumor necrosis factor‐alpha or A1F4− by 90–100% but did not affect basal formation. The activation of cAMP‐dependent protein kinase, or protein kinase A, by the treatment of cells with forskolin or 8‐BrcAMP augmented basal, tumor necrosis factor‐alpha and A1F4−‐induced [3H]inositol phosphate formation. Therefore, we report that protein kinases can regulate tumor necrosis factor‐alpha‐initiated signalling at the cell surface in osteoblasts through effects on the coupling between receptor, G‐protein and phosphatidylinositol‐specific phospholipase C. J. Cell. Biochem. 65:198–208. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Plutonium in the environment--a review.

The plutonium that will be produced in the nuclear fuel cycle is a matter of extreme importance to regulators and to members of the public concerned with the environment. At the present time there is plutonium present in the environment on a global scale from weapons testing and from a satellite failure and on a local scale from nuclear operations and from the loss of nuclear weapons. The sensitivity of plutonium measurement has allowed us to study the present environmental levels of plutonium in the atmosphere, on the ground, in the oceans and in the pathways leading to man. This information, in turn, may allow us to predict the probable distribution of this material from any future contamination. Since the present levels from even local contamination are low, it is desirable to be able to distinguish among the various sources, particularly distinguishing local sources from global fallout. When plutonium-238 is involved, alpha spectrometry can provide the contribution from this source. When the question involves the 239/240 ratio, mass spectrometry is necessary and only very high quality mass spectrometry is adequate for environmental levels of plutonium. This paper will review our present knowledge of environmental plutonium and give some examples of problems where it has been necessary to distinguish among the various plutonium isotopes.
Molecular Mechanisms of Sympathetic Remodeling and Arrhythmias.

A variety of pathological conditions can increase risk for development of ventricular arrhythmias in humans including diabetes mellitus, obesity, myocardial infarction (MI), and heart failure. Many of these diseases involve global disruption of the autonomic nervous system, including increased sympathetic drive and parasympathetic withdrawal, but another common factor among these disorders is sympathetic dysfunction within the heart. Treatments that target cardiac sympathetic transmission, including β-blockers and ganglionectomy, prolong life and decrease arrhythmias.1–5 Sympathetic control of the heart under normal conditions occurs primarily via norepinephrine acting on β adrenergic receptors (β-AR) to stimulate increases in heart rate (chronotropy), conduction velocity (dromotropy), and contractility (inotropy). These positive effects of sympathetic stimulation allow myocytes to meet increased cardiac demands during stress or exercise, serving to maintain homeostasis. The nervous system adapts to changing conditions, however, and sympathetic neurons undergo structural and functional alterations in response to injury and disease. There are at least 4 types of sympathetic remodeling that occur during conditions of increased arrhythmia susceptibility: hyperinnervation (increased nerve density), denervation (decreased nerve density), altered neurotransmitter or neuropeptide production and increased neuronal excitability. Rubart and Zipes6 proposed a model to explain how these diverse changes in sympathetic transmission might contribute to arrhythmia generation, suggesting that inappropriate heterogeneity of norepinephrine release within the heart leads to differential electric remodeling of cardiac myocytes and predisposes the heart to electric instability. Many studies now support the hypothesis that heterogeneity of noradrenergic transmission increases the risk of arrhythmia and have identified some of the mechanisms that underlie neuronal remodeling. This review will examine the mechanisms of sympathetic remodeling and will connect neural changes to increased arrhythmia susceptibility. We will focus on ventricular arrhythmias because atrial arrhythmias were reviewed recently.7 Regional hyperinnervation was the first type of neural remodeling linked to arrhythmia generation …
Future of the multimedia home PC

The evolution of the computer from data processor to entertainment source and communications hub will have dramatic implications for both computer architectures, and for the markets they address. New "natural" data types will drive new computer architectures, both evolutions of existing designs, and the opportunity for significant new developments. All will be aimed at meeting the performance requirements of digital entertainment at the price point dictated by consumers.
Entgrenzung der Arbeit und der Arbeitszeit

Der Beitrag behandelt die Frage, ob sich in Bezug auf den Wandel der Beschaftigungsformen und der Arbeitszeiten Tendenzen der „Entgrenzung“ von Normalarbeit beobachten lassen. Die Autorin zeigt anhand empirischer Fakten, dass sich Veranderungen derzeit eher am oberen und unteren Rand des Beschaftigungssystems ausmachen lassen, wahrend der Kernbereich der Normalarbeit zumindest bisher von diesem Wandel bestenfalls tangiert wird. Eine Analyse der Triebkrafte des Wandels legt eine Interpretation als Nebeneinander von Be- und Entgrenzungen bzw. einer Polarisierung von Beschaftigungsstrukturen nahe. Anhand internationaler Vergleiche wird gezeigt, dass Politik und Regulierung einen starken Einfluss auf den Wandel der Beschaftigungsstrukturen haben. Die Autorin begrundet ihre Auffassung, wonach der Begriff der Entgrenzung am treffendsten dort anzuwenden ist, wo sich derzeit eine Veranderung des Arbeitsvertrags vollzieht.
Exercise-induced asthma: is there space for late-phase reactions?

Exercise challenge provokes bronchoconstriction in the majority of asthmatics. The reaction is particularly frequent in childhood, with an estimated prevalence of 70– 90% in asthmatic children, because of the high level of physical activity in this age group [1, 2]. Bronchoconstriction is maximal 5–10 min after the challenge and tends to a complete recovery within 30–90 min, depending on the degree of the initial response. Although the topic has been extensively published, there are still diverse opinions about the existence of an exercise-induced late asthmatic response.
Control of reactive power of autonomous wind-diesel hybrid power systems

This paper presents the automatic reactive power control of an autonomous wind-diesel hybrid power system having an induction generator (IG) for a wind energy conversion system (WECS) and a synchronous generator (SG) for a diesel generator (DG) set. To minimize the gap between reactive power generation and demand, a variable source of reactive power is used such as static synchronous compensator (STATCOM). The mathematical model of the system based on reactive power flow equations is developed. Three examples of the wind-diesel hybrid power system are considered with different wind power generation capacities to study the effect of the wind power generation on the system performance. The study is based on small signal analysis by considering IEEE type-1 excitation system for the synchronous generator. The paper also shows the dynamic performance of the hybrid system for variable slip condition and 1% step change in reactive power load.
Elevated Warfarin Metabolism in Warfarin-Resistant Roof Rats (Rattus rattus) in Tokyo

Wild roof rats (Rattus rattus) live in proximity to human habitats, and they may carry numerous pathogens of infectious diseases. Pest control is important for public health, and warfarin is a commonly used rodenticide worldwide. However, continual use of warfarin may cause drug resistance in rodents and lead to failure of their control, especially in urbanized areas. In warfarin-resistant rats, the warfarin level in plasma was significantly lower after oral administration than that in the control warfarin-sensitive rats. Warfarin is metabolized by cytochrome P450 (P450), and hydroxylation of warfarin by P450 isoforms was significantly higher in warfarin-resistant rats (2-fold). Western blot analysis indicated that the level of CYP3A2 expression in warfarin-resistant rats was significantly larger than in warfarin-sensitive rats. The NADPH-P450 reductase activities in resistant rats were 8-fold higher than those in sensitive rats. In vivo, the administration of the P450 potent inhibitor proadifen (SKF-525A) increased the mortality of warfarin in the warfarin-resistant roof rats. We concluded that the mechanism of warfarin resistance in Tokyo roof rats is caused by increased clearance of warfarin.
Transactivation of Fra-1 and Consequent Activation of AP-1 Occur Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase Dependently

ABSTRACT Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase, extracellular-signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) play an important role in activating AP-1-dependent transcription. Studies using the JB6 mouse epidermal model and a transgenic mouse model have established a requirement for AP-1-dependent transcription in tumor promotion. Tumor promoters such as 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and epidermal growth factor induce activator protein 1 (AP-1) activity and neoplastic transformation in JB6 transformation-sensitive (P+) cells, but not in transformation-resistant (P−) variants. The resistance in one of the P− variants can be attributed to the low levels of the MAP kinases, ERKs 1 and 2, and consequent nonresponsiveness to AP-1 activation. The resistant variant is not deficient in c-fos transcription. The purpose of these studies was to define the targets of activated ERK that lead to AP-1 transactivation. The results establish that the transactivation domain of Fra-1 can be activated, that activation of Fra-1 is ERK dependent, and that a putative ERK phosphorylation site must be intact for activation to occur. Fra-1 was activated by TPA in ERK-sufficient P+ cells but not in ERK-deficient P− cells. A similar activation pattern was seen for c-Fos but not for Fra-2. Gel shift analysis identified Fra-1 as distinguishing mitogen-activated (P+) from nonactivated (P−) AP-1 complexes. A second AP-1-nonresponsive P− variant that underexpresses Fra-1 gained AP-1 response upon introduction of a Fra-1 expression construct. These observations suggest that ERK-dependent activation of Fra-1 is required for AP-1 transactivation in JB6 cells.
A novel feature transformation for vocal tract length normalization in automatic speech recognition

This paper proposes a method to transform acoustic models that have been trained with a certain group of speakers for use on different speech in hidden Markov model based (HMM-based) automatic speech recognition. Features are transformed on the basis of assumptions regarding the difference in vocal tract length between the groups of speakers. First, the vocal tract length (VTL) of these groups has been estimated based on the average third formant F/sub 3/. Second, the linear acoustic theory of speech production has been applied to warp the spectral characteristics of the existing models so as to match the incoming speech. The mapping is composed of subsequent nonlinear submappings. By locally linearizing it and comparing results in the output, a linear approximation for the exact mapping was obtained which is accurate as long as the warping is reasonably small. The feature vector, which is computed from a speech frame, consists of the mel scale cepstral coefficients (MFCC) along with delta and delta/sup 2/-cepstra as well as delta and delta/sup 2/ energy. The method has been tested for TI digits data base, containing adult and children speech, consisting of isolated digits and digit strings of different length. The word error rate when trained on adults and tested on children with transformed adult models is decreased by more than a factor of two compared to the nontransformed case.
Loss of Regulatory Protein RfaH Attenuates Virulence of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli

ABSTRACT RfaH is a regulatory protein in Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Although it enhances expression of different factors that are proposed to play a role in bacterial virulence, a direct effect of RfaH on virulence has not been investigated so far. We report that inactivation of rfaH dramatically decreases the virulence of uropathogenic E. coli strain 536 in an ascending mouse model of urinary tract infection. The mortality rate caused by the wild-type strain in this assay is 100%, whereas that of its isogenic rfaH mutant does not exceed 18%. In the case of coinfection, the wild-type strain 536 shows higher potential to colonize the urinary tract even when it is outnumbered 100-fold by its rfaH mutant in the inoculum. In contrast to the wild-type strain, serum resistance of strain 536rfaH::cat is fully abolished. Furthermore, we give evidence that, besides a major decrease in the amount of hemin receptor ChuA (G. Nagy, U. Dobrindt, M. Kupfer, L. Emody, H. Karch, and J. Hacker, Infect. Immun. 69:1924-1928, 2001), loss of the RfaH protein results in an altered lipopolysaccharide phenotype as well as decreased expression of K15 capsule and alpha-hemolysin, whereas levels of other pathogenicity factors such as siderophores, flagella, Prf, and S fimbriae appear to be unaltered in strain 536rfaH::cat in comparison to the wild-type strain. trans complementation of the mutant strain with the rfaH gene restores wild-type levels of the affected virulence factors and consequently restitutes virulence in the mouse model of ascending urinary tract infection.
REM sleep and depressive symptoms in a population‐based study of middle‐aged and elderly persons

Alterations in rapid eye movement sleep have been consistently related to depression in clinical studies. So far, there is limited evidence from population‐based studies for this association of rapid eye movement sleep alterations with depressive symptoms. In 489 participants of the Rotterdam Study, we assessed rapid eye movement sleep latency, rapid eye movement sleep duration and rapid eye movement density with ambulant polysomnography, and depressive symptoms with the Center of Epidemiologic Studies‐Depression Scale. A longer rapid eye movement sleep latency (B = 0.002, P = 0.025) and higher rapid eye movement density (B = 0.015, P = 0.046) were related to depressive symptoms after age–sex adjustment. When we excluded persons who used sleep medication or medication for the nervous system (n = 124), only rapid eye movement density remained related to depressive symptoms (B = 0.018, P = 0.027). Our results suggest that rapid eye movement density is a marker of depressive symptoms in the general population, and that associations of rapid eye movement sleep with depressive symptoms are modified by the use of medication.
[Burkitt's lymphoma in children of Madagascar. Anatomo-clinical forms, therapeutic and evolutive aspects].

RATIONALE Burkitt Lymphoma (LB), a very progressive malignant lymphoma, can now be cured by chemotherapy. However, protocols used currently by developed countries are costly and can cause problems of tolerance for underprivileged children. OBJECTIVE To develop a protocol of care for Malagasy children suffering from LB. METHODS A retrospective study of the files of children aged under 15 aged years, hospitalised for LB with anatomo-pathological evidence, in the Antananarivo Oncology Unit from October 1985 to June 2000. Clinical characteristics, (paraclinical) investigations, treatment and responses to treatment were studied. FINDINGS 40 medical records included a LB anatomo-pathological evidence. The mean age of children was 7.5 years, with a sex ratio in favour of males. All children were underweight. Maxillo-facial tumours prevailed. Other locations for tumours had also been observed, both unique or immediately multiple. Patients seem to have arrived at the hospital in the early stages of the disease, but lack of investigation probably introduced biases to the evaluation of these stages. Chemotherapy, even though incomplete due to its cost, remained the main means of treatment. Generally speaking, an immediate, favourable response was obtained, but the toxicity of chemotherapy, especially haematological toxicity, contributed to malnutrition. Overall results indicated an immediate mortality rate of 22.5%, but there was loss of follow-up for many patients. CONCLUSION A specific protocol of LB care in Madagascar appears to be possible. Such a protocol should be based on experience with treatments, and should take into account disease characteristics, the response of Malagasy children to the treatment, as well as the country's economic state.
Patient with syndromic cleft lip-palate , mosaic karyotype and cytogenetically abnormal brother

Department of Human and Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Santariškių 2, LT-08661 Vilnius, Lithuania Objective. Cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CLP) is a common congenital abnormality involving genetic and non-genetic factors in its etiology. Although many studies have been made to find the genetic pattern of this malformation, there is still no precise answer. There have been suggested several models of inheritance where a few major loci are influenced by the number of modifiers. The number of modifiers is still unknown and could be scattered all over the genome. Chromosome rearrangements are one of the tools that can help to trace these genes. Materials and methods. Patient blood samples for cytogenetic analysis were collected. Karyotyping and comparative genomic hybridization analysis was performed according to standard protocols. Results. The karyotype of the patients was found to consist of 4 different cell clones involving rearrangements of chromosome 21. The patient phenotype involved various congenital abnormalities including cleft lip palate. Chromosome 21 abnormality was detected using both methods. The parents’ karyotype was normal, while the brother had karyotype 47, XYY. Conclusions. Altered chromosome region on chromosome 21 is large enough to involve several dozens of genes. We predict that one or even a few of them could be involved in orofacial morphogenesis, at least as modifiers.
[Opinions and behaviors of French adolescents confronted with tobacco in 1995].

BACKGROUND The French Committee for Health Education has observed the adolescent's opinions and behaviours on smoking since 1977. POPULATION AND METHODS The surveys were carried out on a representative sample, made up by quotas method, of the population concerned (12 to 18 years old). The last data (1995) were analyzed in order to evaluate present smoking behaviour and to measure the influence of the social environment. RESULTS In 1995 more than one out of three (35.1%) young people smoked at least once in a while; this smoking prevalence was nearly the same among boys (34.7%) as among girls (35.5%). Since 1977, the long-term trend of the rates showed a decrease and the monitoring of the starting age proved that adolescents began to smoke more and more later. The influence of peer and parents smoking was strong. The socioeconomic status of the family and also the amount of pocket money were other determinants of smoking. The family and school atmosphere played an important role as well. CONCLUSIONS The influence of all these environmental variables on the young person's smoking behaviour underlines the necessity of developing simultaneously campaigns aimed at young people and actions among different populations. The emergence of a positive status for the non-smoker supports the choice of the strategies for the latest campaigns.
Sparse Local Discriminant Projections for Feature Extraction

One of the major disadvantages of the linear dimensionality reduction algorithms, such as Principle Component Analysis (PCA) and Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), are that the projections are linear combination of all the original features or variables and all weights in the linear combination known as loadings are typically non-zero. Thus, they lack physical interpretation in many applications. In this paper, we propose a novel supervised learning method called Sparse Local Discriminant Projections (SLDP) for linear dimensionality reduction. SLDP introduces a sparse constraint into the objective function and obtains a set of sparse projective axes with directly physical interpretation. The sparse projections can be efficiently computed by the Elastic Net combining with spectral analysis. The experimental results show that SLDP give the explicit interpretation on its projections and achieves competitive performance compared with some dimensionality reduction techniques.
Miniaturizing Antennas for Personal Communication Systems (PCSs)

PCS (Personal Communication System) devices have become an important part of everyday life. The pressure to design small, lightweight and user friendly mobile communication design has increased in a similar way, creating the need for optimal antennas for mobile applications. In this paper, we present some basic rules for electrically small antennas, and give clues and guidelines about efficient antenna miniaturization and measurement techniques. Finally, we show some examples of miniature antennas developed at our laboratory for practical applications.
Defibrillation Energy Requirements in an ICD Population Receiving Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy

Objectives: While defibrillation energy requirements (DERs) have been extensively studied in patients receiving conventional defibrillators, the DERs of patients receiving cardiac resynchronization therapy with defibrillation capability (CRT‐D) devices have not been well described. The purpose of this analysis was to characterize DERs (defined as true threshold or the presence of appropriate safety margins) in patients undergoing implant of a CRT‐D and to determine whether DERs in this population were similar to those reported for patients undergoing implantation of conventional defibrillators.