Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interaction between the Pentose Phosphate Pathway and Gluconeogenesis from Glycerol in the Liver*

Background: Hepatic pentose phosphate pathway activity is difficult to monitor in vivo. Results: Hepatic pentose phosphate pathway results in different ratios of doubly labeled glucose isotopomers after administration of [U-13C3]glycerol. Conclusion: [1,2-13C2]glucose produced by the hepatic pentose phosphate pathway is quantified. Significance: A simple method is presented to detect the activity of hepatic pentose phosphate pathway in vivo from analysis of plasma glucose. After exposure to [U-13C3]glycerol, the liver produces primarily [1,2,3-13C3]- and [4,5,6-13C3]glucose in equal proportions through gluconeogenesis from the level of trioses. Other 13C-labeling patterns occur as a consequence of alternative pathways for glucose production. The pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), metabolism in the citric acid cycle, incomplete equilibration by triose phosphate isomerase, or the transaldolase reaction all interact to produce complex 13C-labeling patterns in exported glucose. Here, we investigated 13C labeling in plasma glucose in rats given [U-13C3]glycerol under various nutritional conditions. Blood was drawn at multiple time points to extract glucose for NMR analysis. Because the transaldolase reaction and incomplete equilibrium by triose phosphate isomerase cannot break a 13C-13C bond within the trioses contributing to glucose, the appearance of [1,2-13C2]-, [2,3-13C2]-, [5,6-13C2]-, and [4,5-13C2]glucose provides direct evidence for metabolism of glycerol in the citric acid cycle or the PPP but not an influence of either triose phosphate isomerase or the transaldolase reaction. In all animals, [1,2-13C2]glucose/[2,3-13C2]glucose was significantly greater than [5,6-13C2]glucose/[4,5-13C2]glucose, a relationship that can only arise from gluconeogenesis followed by passage of substrates through the PPP. In summary, the hepatic PPP in vivo can be detected by 13C distribution in blood glucose after [U-13C3]glycerol administration.
Factors Affecting Fusion Rate in Adult Spondylolisthesis

The authors examined factors affecting fusion rate in the surgical treatment of 89 consecutive adult patients with spondylolisthesis. Two factors significantly improved fusion rate: combined anterior and posterior fusion and rigid postoperative immobilization in the cast. In 65 patients with isthmic spondylolisthesis, the fusion rate was raised from 70% when posterior fusion alone was used to 88% when combined anterior and posterior fusion was used. In 20 patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis, frequent use of combined anterior and posterior fusion contributed to a high overall fusion rate of 95%. Among patients with isthmic spondylolisthesis, postoperative cast immobilization resulted in a higher fusion rate of 90% compared with a fusion rate of 63% obtained after brace immobilization.
La gestion durable de l'eau en zone aride : le cas de la ville de Djibouti

La question de l’acces a l’eau potable se pose avec acuite pour les pays de la regionsubsaharienne ou un individu sur trois n’a pas acces a une source d’eau amelioree.L’objectif de cette these vise a definir les conditions d’une gestion durable de l'eau pourla ville de Djibouti. Dans ce contexte, la question de l'approvisionnement en eau estenvisagee dans une perspective patrimoniale afin de tenir compte des particularites dela ressource en zone aride et des usages specifiques qui lui sont associes dans unenvironnement marque par la pauvrete. Un apport majeur de la these reside d'une partdans l’analyse du contenu d’une politique durable de l'eau a Djibouti en presenced’inadequation entre l’offre et la demande de l’eau et, d'autre part, des implications decette politique en termes de tarification de la ressource selon les usages mais aussi enterme de repartition plus equitable de l'eau au sein de la population. La premiere partiede la these s’interesse a l’etude de la disponibilite de cette ressource rare a travers sonmode de gestion ainsi qu’a sa mesure a l’aide d’indicateurs. Elle propose egalement uncadre d’analyse de la ressource en resituant les principaux concepts utiles a ladefinition d’une gestion durable de l’eau. La seconde partie met l’accent sur l’analysedes determinants de la demande en eau et des choix en matiere d’approvisionnementpour Djibouti-ville. Pour ce faire, elle s’appuie sur une etude econometrique realisee apartir d’enquetes aupres d’un echantillon de 400 menages. L’estimation d’un modeleprobit multivarie permet de considerer que le choix d’etre raccorde a un branchement adomicile depend des caracteristiques socio-economiques du menage. Cette theseapporte des resultats originaux sur l’acces a l’eau des menages et montre en particulierle role joue par des facteurs tels que le revenu, la taille de la famille ou le niveaud’education du chef de famille dans les choix operes par les menages.
Transmembrane Sequences Are Determinants of Immunoreceptor Signaling 1

To investigate structural features critical for signal initiation by Ag-stimulated immunoreceptors, we constructed a series of single-chain chimeric receptors that incorporate extracellular human FcεRIα for IgE binding, a variable transmembrane (TM) segment, and the ITAM-containing cytoplasmic tail of the TCR ζ-chain. We find that functional responses mediated by these receptors are strongly dependent on their TM sequences, and these responses are highly correlated to cross-link-dependent association with detergent-resistant lipid rafts. For one chimera designated αFζ, mutation of a TM cysteine abolishes robust signaling and lipid raft association. In addition, TM disulfide-mediated oligomerization of another chimeric receptor, αζζ, enhances signaling. These results demonstrate an important role for TM segments in immunoreceptor signaling and a strong correspondence between strength of signaling and cross-link-dependent partitioning into ordered membrane domains.
Understanding Global Interdependencies: The Contribution of Economic Models

The global financial crisis and the great recession dramatically illustrated how integrated the world economy is and how economic interdependencies have become more complex than previously understood or recognized . The crisis also made clear that these interdependencies and associated spillover effects demand ever greater attention to the design of domestic policy with international implications in mind . Indeed, one of the pressing global governance issues is the need to further develop a consensus on the nature of global interdependencies .
Rap1 Regulates E-cadherin-mediated Cell-Cell Adhesion*

The small GTPase Rap is best characterized as a critical regulator of integrin-mediated cell adhesion, although its mechanism of action is not understood. Rap also influences the properties of other cell-surface receptors and biological processes, although whether these are a consequence of effects on integrins is not clear. We show here that Rap also plays an important role in the regulation of cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion in epithelial cells. Expression of constitutively active Rap1A restored cadherin-mediated cell-cell contacts in mesenchymal Ras-transformed Madin-Darby canine kidney cells, resulting in reversion to an epithelial phenotype. Activation of endogenous Rap via the Rap exchange factor Epac1 also antagonized hepatocyte growth factor-induced disruption of adherens junctions. Inhibition of Rap signaling resulted in disruption of epithelial cell-cell contacts. Rap activity was required for adhesion of cells to recombinant E-cadherin extracellular domains, i.e. in the absence of integrin-mediated adhesion. These findings suggest that Rap signaling positively contributes to cadherin-mediated adhesion and that this occurs independently of effects on integrin-mediated adhesion. Our results imply that Rap may function in a broader manner to regulate the function of cell-surface adhesion receptors.
Patient Participation in the Patient-Provider Interaction: The Effects of Patient Question Asking on the Quality of Interaction, Satisfaction and Compliance*

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness, dynamics, and consequences of a health education intervention designed to increase patient question asking during the patient's medical visit. Data were collected at a Baltimore family and community health center which provides outpatient services to a low income, predominantly black and female population. The majority of the study participants were, in addition, elderly and chronically ill. A total of 294 patients and 3 providers took part in the study. The study design included random assignment of patients to experimental and placebo groups with two non-equivalent (non-randomized) control groups. Findings included: (1) The experimental group patients asked more direct questions and fewer indirect questions than did placebo group patients. (2) The experimental group patient-provider interaction was characterized by negative affect, anxiety, and anger, while the placebo group patient-provider interaction was characterized as mutually sympathetic. (3) The experimental group patients were less satisifed with care received in the clinic on the day of their visit than were placebo patients. (4) The experimental group patients demonstrated higher appointment-keeping ratios (an average number of appointments kept divided by an average number of appointments made) during a four-month prospective monitoring period.
Performance Optimization by Dynamically Altering Cache Replacement Algorithm in CPU-GPU Heterogeneous Multi-core Architecture

Cache memory helps in expediting the speed of data retrieval time in processors in heterogeneous multi-core architecture, which is the main factor that affects system performance and power consumption. The implementation algorithm of cache replacement in current heterogeneous multi-core environment is thread-blinded, leading to a lower utilization of the cache. In fact, each of the CPU and GPU applications has its own characteristics, where CPU is responsible for the implementation of tasks and serial logic control, while GPU has a great advantage in parallel computing, which causes the need of cache blocks for CPU more sensitive than those for GPU. With that in mind, this research gives full consideration to the increment of thread priority in the cache replacement algorithm and takes a novel strategy to improve the work efficiency of last-level-cache (LLC), where the CPU and GPU applications share LLC dynamically and not in an absolutely fair status. Furthermore, our methodology switches policies between the LRU (Least Recently Used) and LFU (Least Frequently Used) effectively by comparing the number of cache misses on the LLC, which takes both the time and frequency of the accessing cache block into consideration. The experimental results indicate that this optimization method can effectively improve system performance.
Visual prognosis and vitreous cytokine levels after arteriovenous sheathotomy in branch retinal vein occlusion associated with macular oedema

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between vitreous levels of cytokines, including interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and visual prognosis after pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) with arteriovenous sheathotomy in patients with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) associated with macular oedema.
Class Correlation affects Single Object Localization using Pre-trained ConvNets

The problem of object localization has become one of the mainstream problems of vision. Most of the algorithms proposed involve the design for the model to be specifically for localizing objects. In this paper, we explore whether a pre-trained canonical ConvNet (without fine-tuning) trained purely for object classification on one dataset with global image level labels can be used to localize objects in images containing a single instance on a separate dataset while generalizing to novel classes. We propose a simple algorithm involving cropping and blackening out regions in the image space called Explicit Image Space based Search (EISS) for locating the most responsive regions in an image in the context of object localization. EISS brings to light the interesting phenomenon of a ConvNets responding more to features within objects as opposed to object level descriptors, as the classes in the training data get more correlated (visually/semantically similar).
HER-3 status by immunohistochemistry in HER-2-positive metastatic breast cancer patients treated with trastuzumab: correlation with clinical outcome.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND HER-3 signaling might contribute to resistance to trastuzumab. To clarify the role of HER-3 in HER-2-positive breast cancer, it is important to evaluate the level of HER-3 and its correlations with clinical outcome in metastatic breast cancer patients treated with trastuzumab. METHODS HER-3 status by immunohistochemistry was evaluated in HER-2-positive metastatic breast cancer patients treated with trastuzumab-based therapy at our institution. Two scorings were utilized for interpreting staining for HER-3, and the correlation between HER-3 status and clinical outcome was evaluated. RESULTS We evaluated HER-3 status in 61 of 76 HER-2-positive metastatic breast cancers treated with trastuzumab-based therapy at our institution from 4/1999 to 3/2006. We observed 55.2% objective responses; median time to progression and overall survival from start of trastuzumab therapy were 9.6 months (0.921-78.87) and 29.1 months (1.4-129.5+), respectively. With a cutoff of 50% staining tumor cells, we found 30 HER-3-negative and 31 HER-3-positive tumors. HER-3 status was not significantly associated with clinical outcome, but a shorter time to progression and overall survival were observed in patients with HER-3-positive tumors. CONCLUSIONS HER-3 status by immunohistochemistry was not significantly associated with clinical outcome in HER-2-positive metastatic breast cancer patients. Further studies are necessary to evaluate the prognostic and predictive role of HER-3.
GABBR2 mutations determine phenotype in rett syndrome and epileptic encephalopathy

Rett syndrome (RTT) and epileptic encephalopathy (EE) are devastating neurodevelopmental disorders with distinct diagnostic criteria. However, highly heterogeneous and overlapping clinical features often allocate patients into the boundary of the two conditions, complicating accurate diagnosis and appropriate medical interventions. Therefore, we investigated the specific molecular mechanism that allows an understanding of the pathogenesis and relationship of these two conditions.
Classification, presentation, and initial treatment of Wegener's granulomatosis in childhood.

OBJECTIVE To compare the criteria for Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) with those of the European League Against Rheumatism/Pediatric Rheumatology European Society (EULAR/PRES) in a cohort of children with WG and other antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitides (AAVs), and to describe the interval to diagnosis, presenting features, and initial treatment for WG. METHODS Eligible patients had been diagnosed by site rheumatologists (termed the "MD diagnosis") since 2004. This diagnosis was used as a reference standard for sensitivity and specificity testing of the 2 WG classification criteria. Descriptive analyses were confined to ACR-classified WG patients. RESULTS MD diagnoses of 117 patients (82 of whom were female) were WG (n = 76), microscopic polyangiitis (n = 17), ANCA-positive pauci-immune glomerulonephritis (n = 5), Churg-Strauss syndrome (n = 2), and unclassified vasculitis (n = 17). The sensitivities of the ACR and EULAR/PRES classification criteria for WG among the spectrum of AAVs were 68.4% and 73.6%, respectively, and the specificities were 68.3% and 73.2%, respectively. Two more children were identified as having WG by the EULAR/PRES criteria than by the ACR criteria. For the 65 ACR-classified WG patients, the median age at diagnosis was 14.2 years (range 4-17 years), and the median interval from symptom onset to diagnosis was 2.7 months (range 0-49 months). The most frequent presenting features by organ system were constitutional (89.2%), pulmonary (80.0%), ear, nose, and throat (80.0%), and renal (75.4%). Fifty-four patients (83.1%) commenced treatment with the combination of corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide, with widely varying regimens; the remainder received methotrexate alone (n = 1), corticosteroids alone (n = 4), or a combination (n = 6). CONCLUSION The EULAR/PRES criteria minimally improved diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for WG among a narrow spectrum of children with AAVs. Diagnostic delays may result from poor characterization of childhood WG. Initial therapy varied considerably among participating centers.
HER2 Status in Gastroesophageal Adenocarcinomas: Correlation Between Immunohistochemistry and Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization Methodologies

Semiquantitative immunohistochemistry (IHC) is commonly used in combination with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to detect HER2 amplification in gastroesophageal adenocarcinomas. Most laboratories apply these tests in a sequential algorithm, using IHC as a frontline test and reserving FISH for IHC-equivocal cases. To gain a better understanding of the concordance of IHC and FISH results at our institution, we identified all gastroesophageal adenocarcinomas at our institution tested for HER2 (n=125). Matched IHC and FISH were available for 116 cases (94%). Cases consisted of adenocarcinoma of the distal esophagus (22%), gastroesophageal junction (24%), stomach (43%), and metastatic sites (12%). A total of 88 cases (70%) were biopsies, whereas 37 cases (30%) were resections. Overall, 15 cases (13%) were HER2 positive (IHC 3+ and/or FISH amplified). A total of 60 cases (52%) were IHC score 0; none of these were HER2 amplified by FISH. A total of 30 cases (26%) were IHC 1+; 5 (17%) of these cases were HER2 amplified by FISH. A total of 20 cases (17%) were IHC 2+; 4 (20%) of these cases were HER2 amplified by FISH. A total of 6 cases were IHC score 3+; all of these were HER2 amplified by FISH. Although there was a high overall concordance between IHC and FISH results (96%), a subset (17%) of IHC-negative cases (score 1+) were HER2 amplified as evaluated by FISH, representing 33% of all HER2 amplified cases. This suggests that the common practice of limited FISH testing to IHC 2+ cases will miss a significant number of HER2 amplified cases.
Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of oral L-citrulline and L-arginine: impact on nitric oxide metabolism.

AIMS Oral L-arginine supplementation has been used in several studies to improve endothelium-dependent, nitric oxide (NO)-mediated vasodilation. L-Arginine treatment is hampered by extensive presystemic elimination due to intestinal arginase activity. In contrast, L-citrulline is readily absorbed and at least in part converted to L-arginine. The aim of our study was to assess this metabolic conversion and its subsequent pharmacodynamic effects. METHODS In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled cross-over study, 20 healthy volunteers received six different dosing regimes of placebo, citrulline, and arginine. Pharmacokinetic parameters (C(max), T(max), C(min), AUC) were calculated after 1 week of oral supplementation. The ratio of plasma L-arginine over asymmetric dimethylarginine, an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (arginine/ADMA ratio), urinary cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) and nitrate excretion rates, and flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) was measured to assess pharmacodynamic effects. RESULTS L-Citrulline dose-dependently increased AUC and C(max) of plasma L-arginine concentration more effectively than L-arginine (P < 0.01). The highest dose of citrulline (3 g bid) increased the C(min) of plasma L-arginine and improved the L-arginine/ADMA ratio from 186 +/- 8 (baseline) to 278 +/- 14 [P < 0.01, 95% confidence interval (CI) 66, 121]. Moreover, urinary nitrate and cGMP were increased from 92 +/- 10 to 125 +/- 15 micromol mmol(-1) creatinine (P = 0.01, 95% CI 8, 58) and from 38 +/- 3.3 to 50 +/- 6.7 nmol mmol(-1) creatinine (P = 0.04, 95% CI 0.4, 24), respectively. No treatment improved FMD over baseline. However, pooled analysis of all FMD data revealed a correlation between the increase of arginine/ADMA ratio and improvement of FMD. CONCLUSION Our data show for the first time that oral L-citrulline supplementation raises plasma L-arginine concentration and augments NO-dependent signalling in a dose-dependent manner.
Developing a new usability testing method for mobile devices

Even though effective user interfaces and applications are designed and developed for mobile devices, we do not yet know all that we need to know about how users use them efficiently. Usability testing refers to a process that employs participants or users who are representative of the target population to evaluate the degree to which a product meets specific usability criteria. In this paper, first, we introduce a general theoretical background for the usability testing, describe several evaluation methods, and show how they fit with the product being designed. We discuss the consideration of usability factors when starting to make mobile devices; and finally, we propose a new usability testing method for developing mobile devices' interfaces and applications.
Evolution Process and Effect Analysis on China’s Industry Income Gap

In this article, it analyzes evolution process of China’s industry income gap by utilizing macro statistic data, and further verifies regional synchrony and convergence of industry income gap. The research shows that evolution of industry income gap can be divided into three stages-continuously shrunken stage, shock expansion stage and gentle fluctuation stage with high income since reform and opening-up policy; the changing of industry income gap shows relatively strong regional synchrony; industry income gap also presents absolute β-convergence around China and club convergence in central and western regions. Evolution Process of Industry Income Gap As seen from Figure 1 showing annual dynamic change trend of China’s industry income gap from 1978 to 2013, China’s industry income gap has presented continuously expanding trend on the whole since reform and opening-up policy. However, the changing of industry income gap in different stages varies. Therefore, three stages can be divided for changing trend of China’s industry income gap. Figure 1. Dynamic changing trend of industry income gap since reform and opening-up policy. Continuously Shrunken Stage of Industry Income Gap (1978-1988) In 1978, the average salary of China’s all industries was 615 yuan. Among this, the highest income existed in relatively strong monopoly industries such as electricity, gas, water production and supply, with average salary 850 yuan. While the lowest income existed in social service industry, with average salary 392 yuan. Extreme ratio of these industrial wages was 2.17. By 1988, China’s average worker salary increased to 1747 yuan, two times than that in 1978. The average salaries in highest income industries like geological exploration and water conservancy management, and lowest income industries such as agriculture, forestry, husbandry and fishery were 2025 and 1280 yuan respectively, the salary extreme ratio decreased from 2.17 to 1.58. It is observed that all levels of industry salary were improving as a whole with the rapid development of economy. Meanwhile, the industry income gap presented continuously shrunken trend in this stage.