Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interferon-gamma inhibits collagen phagocytosis in human fibroblasts by inducing subcortical actin assembly and reducing ability of beta1 integrin to bind to collagen.

OBJECTIVE We investigated the possible roles of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) in modulation of extracellular and intracellular routes of collagen digestion by human fibroblasts. METHODS Human gingival fibroblasts were treated with IFN-gamma, after which matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) activation was determined. Following the IFN-gamma treatment, cells were further incubated with either activating antibody for beta1 integrin or actin monomer-sequestering agent latrunculin B before incubation with collagen-coated fluorescent beads. Thereafter, the binding and internalization of the beads were assessed. RESULTS IFN-gamma had no significant effect on MMP-1 activation, however, it reduced the binding of collagen-coated beads in the minimum affinity range and, subsequently, internalization of the beads. The inhibitory effects of IFN-gamma were partially reversed by adding either the beta1 integrin activating antibody or latrunculin B. CONCLUSIONS Although IFN-gamma does not appreciably moderate the extracellular route of collagen digestion by human fibroblasts, the reduced level of collagen phagocytosis by IFN-gamma in the cells may contribute to fibrosis in inflamed connective tissues. Further, IFN-gamma may decrease the binding of collagen and following phagocytosis in cells by inducing a subcortical actin assembly and reducing the ability of beta1 integrin to bind to collagen.
Using aggregated pharmacy claims to identify primary nonadherence.

OBJECTIVES Aggregate pharmacy claims available within an electronic health record (EHR) provide an opportunity to understand primary nonadherence in real time. The objective of this study was to use pharmacy claims data available within the EHR to identify the prevalence and predictors of primary nonadherence to antihypertensive drug therapy in a multi-payer primary care network. STUDY DESIGN We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients prescribed a new antihypertensive medication in a large primary care practice network between January 2011 and September 2012. METHODS We matched prescriptions for the new antihypertensive to pharmacy claims listed in the EHR. The primary outcome was the presence of a fill for the new medication within 30 days of the prescription. RESULTS Of 791 patients in our study cohort, two-thirds (522; 66%) filled their prescription within 30 days. The majority (409; 78.4%) of that group filled the prescription on the day it was issued. Lower diastolic blood pressure and Medicare coverage increased the probability of nonadherence. CONCLUSIONS Medication fill data within the provider EHR can identify primary nonadherence in clinical practice. As adoption of this technology increases, it provides an opportunity to identify nonadherence, allowing for the effective design of interventions to improve adherence to therapy.
Leptin Elongates Hypothalamic Neuronal Cilia via Transcriptional Regulation and Actin Destabilization*

Background: The primary cilia in hypothalamic neurons are important for sensing metabolic signals. Results: Leptin promotes cilium growth in the hypothalamic neuronal cells by increasing intraflagellar transport gene transcription and F-actin rearrangement. Conclusion: Leptin is an important regulator of ciliary length in hypothalamic neurons. Significance: Dynamic regulation of hypothalamic neuron ciliary lengths represents a novel strategy by which leptin regulates energy balance. Terminally differentiated neurons have a single, primary cilium. The primary cilia of hypothalamic neurons play a critical role in sensing metabolic signals. We recently showed that mice with leptin deficiency or resistance have shorter cilia in the hypothalamic neurons, and leptin treatment elongates cilia in hypothalamic neurons. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanisms by which leptin controls ciliary length in hypothalamic neurons. In N1 hypothalamic neuronal cells, leptin treatment increased the expression of intraflagellar transport proteins. These effects occurred via phosphatase and tensin homolog/glycogen synthase kinase-3β-mediated inhibition of the transcriptional factor RFX1. Actin filament dynamics were also involved in leptin-promoted ciliary elongation. Both leptin and cytochalasin-D treatment induced F-actin disruption and cilium elongation in hypothalamic neurons that was completely abrogated by co-treatment with the F-actin polymerizer phalloidin. Our findings suggest that leptin elongates hypothalamic neuronal cilia by stimulating the production of intraflagellar transport proteins and destabilizing actin filaments.
Variates of survival in metastatic uveal melanoma.

PURPOSE The course and outcome of metastatic uveal melanoma are not well described. We evaluated the survival of our patients with metastatic uveal melanoma, described factors that correlated with survival, and evaluated the influence of screening tests on time of detection and survival. PATIENTS AND METHODS All patients with metastatic uveal melanoma seen at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center between 1994 and 2004 were identified from our database. We recorded date of initial diagnosis, date of metastatic disease, date of last follow-up, site of the first metastasis, how the first metastasis was discovered, treatment, and outcome of therapy. RESULTS The estimated median survival of the 119 patients analyzed was 12.5 months; 22% of patients were alive at 4 years. Five variates correlated independently with prolonged survival: Lung/soft tissue as only site of first metastasis, treatment with surgery or intrahepatic therapy, female sex, age younger than 60, and a longer interval from initial diagnosis to metastatic disease. Discovering metastatic disease in asymptomatic patients did not correlate with overall survival; 89% of patients had a single organ as the site of first metastasis. Although liver was the most common site, 39.5% of patients had nonliver sites, most commonly lung, as the first site of metastasis. CONCLUSION A substantial subset of patients with metastatic uveal melanoma survive more than 4 years with metastatic disease. Data on variates of survival and site of first metastasis may guide strategies for screening patients, although our data failed to show a survival advantage in discovering asymptomatic metastatic disease.
Upper Perturbation Bounds of Weighted Projections, Weighted and Constrained Least Squares Problems

At each iteration step for solving mathematical programming and constrained optimization problems by using interior-point methods, one often needs to solve the weighted least squares (WLS) problem $\min_{x \in R^n}\| W^{1 \over 2}(Ax-b)\|$, or the weighted and constrained least squares (WLSE) problem $\min_{ x \in R^n}\|W^{1\over 2}(Kx-g)\|$ subject to Lx=h, where W= diag(w1, . . . , wl)>0 in which some $w_i\rightarrow +\infty $ and some $w_i\rightarrow 0$. \par In this paper we will derive upper perturbation bounds of weighted projections associated with the WLS and WLSE problems when W ranges over the set $\cal D$ of positive diagonal matrices. We then apply these bounds to deduce upper perturbation bounds of solutions of WLS and WLSE problems when W ranges over $\cal D$. We also extend the estimates to the cases when W ranges over a subset of real symmetric positive semidefinite matrices.
A Software-Defined Flexible Inter-Domain Interconnect Using ONOS

This paper describes the architecture, use-case, and evaluation of a software-defined interconnect. Interconnects at Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) today comprise a layer-2 data-plane and BGP control-plane. We architect, implement, and deploy an SDN-based IXP using ONOS that provides equivalent functionality, while additionally supporting better ARP hygiene and enhanced traffic telemetry. Our system also provides private Internet peering, such as between an enterprise and a cloud provider. We demonstrate a novel use-case enabled by our system, wherein an enterprise can dynamically and transparently switch between public and private peering to access cloud services at appropriate quality and cost points. Evaluation of our solution with real traffic demonstrates that it enables enterprises to manage cloud connect costs flexibly without compromising quality, opening the door to innovative solutions not possible before.
Evolutionary computation for feature manipulation: Key challenges and future directions

In machine learning and data mining, feature manipulation is a data pre-processing step to increase the quality of a feature space, which can significantly improve the performance of a learning algorithm in terms of the accuracy, the learning speed, and the complexity and the interpretability of the learnt models. However, feature manipulation is a difficult task and facing more challenges along with the trend that more and more data is collected in many domains. Evolutionary computation (EC) techniques have recently attracted much attention for dealing with complex feature manipulation problems. Current work has demonstrated some strengths of EC for feature manipulation, but also shown some limitations and issues that need to be addressed. More importantly, there are some highly interesting research topics in the EC for feature manipulation area, which could potentially result in promising approaches to data analysis in a variety of real-world applications. This position paper describes and discusses the main issues and key challenges of feature manipulation, and also provides a number of directions for further consideration in future research.
Polymorphisms in the P-selectin (CD62P) and P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1) genes and coronary heart disease

Abstract P-selectin and its ligand, PSGL-1, are cell adhesion molecules that facilitate interaction of platelets, leukocytes and endothelial cells. Polymorphisms of these genes have been reported to be associated with coronary heart disease (CHD). In the present study, we characterized the entire coding regions of P-selectin and PSGL-1 genes in CHD patients and healthy controls. The 17 exons of the P-selectin gene and exon 2 of the PSGL-1 gene were screened for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) by exon re-sequencing in 88 CHD patients and 96 controls. For rapid genotyping of the SNPs we developed PCR techniques with sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP). By using PCR-SSPs we genotyped 261 CHD patients and 214 controls for 5 SNPs in P-selectin and 2 SNPs in PSGL-1. In addition to the already described SNPs in P-selectin (S290N, N562D, V599L and T715P), we identified a novel SNP in exon 5 (V168M). The P-selectin 715P allele was more frequent among CHD patients with hypercholesterolemia compared to patients with normal cholesterol levels. A SNP (M62I) in the PSGL-1 gene was found close to the P-selectin binding site and the 62I allele revealed a higher prevalence in the control group indicating a protective effect of the mutation. The molecular characterization of P-selectin and PSGL-1 in a case-control study including CHD patients and healthy controls revealed evidence for association of the genes with development of the disease. However, the functional role of the gene variants should be elucidated by further experimental data.
Avicenna's (Ibn Sina) the Canon of Medicine and Saffron (Crocus sativus): A Review

In this review, we introduce the traditional uses of saffron and its pharmacological activities as described by either Avicenna in Book II, Canon of Medicine (al‐Qanun fi al‐tib) or from recent scientific studies. Modern pharmacological findings on saffron are compared with those mentioned in Avicenna's monograph. A computerized search of published articles was performed using MEDLINE, Scopus and Web of Science databases as well as local references. The search terms used were saffron, Crocus sativus, crocin, crocetin, safranal, picrocrocin, Avicenna and ‘Ibn Sina’. Avicenna described various uses of saffron, including its use as an antidepressant, hypnotic, anti‐inflammatory, hepatoprotective, bronchodilatory, aphrodisiac, inducer of labour, emmenagogue and others. Most of these effects have been studied in modern pharmacology and are well documented. The pharmacological data on saffron and its constituents, including crocin, crocetin and safranal, are similar to those found in Avicenna's monograph. This review indicates that the evaluation of plants based on ethnobotanical information and ancient books may be a valuable approach to finding new biological activities and compounds. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Internet of Things-Aided Smart Grid: Technologies, Architectures, Applications, Prototypes, and Future Research Directions

Traditional power grids are being transformed into smart grids (SGs) to address the issues in the existing power system due to uni-directional information flow, energy wastage, growing energy demand, reliability, and security. SGs offer bi-directional energy flow between service providers and consumers, involving power generation, transmission, distribution, and utilization systems. SGs employ various devices for the monitoring, analysis, and control of the grid, deployed at power plants, distribution centers, and in consumers’ premises in a very large number. Hence, an SG requires connectivity, automation, and the tracking of such devices. This is achieved with the help of the Internet of Things (IoT). The IoT helps SG systems to support various network functions throughout the generation, transmission, distribution, and consumption of energy by incorporating the IoT devices (such as sensors, actuators, and smart meters), as well as by providing the connectivity, automation, and tracking for such devices. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive survey on the IoT-aided SG systems, which includes the existing architectures, applications, and prototypes of the IoT-aided SG systems. This survey also highlights the open issues, challenges, and future research directions for the IoT-aided SG systems.
Proximal Biceps Tendon: Injuries and Management

The long head of the biceps tendon is a known pain generator of the shoulder. There are numerous pathologic entities that may affect this tendon, including tendonitis, partial tearing, and subluxation. These conditions are often associated with rotator cuff tears, especially those involving the subscapularis. Operative interventions include tenotomy and tenodesis. Tenodesis can be preformed in a proximal or distal location. Subpectoral tenodesis may have a lower recurrence rate than proximal-based techniques.
Evaluation of neutrophil apoptosis in horses with acute abdominal disease.

OBJECTIVE To quantify peripheral blood neutrophil apoptosis in equine patients with acute abdominal disease (ie, colic) caused by strangulating or nonstrangulating intestinal lesions and compare these values with values for horses undergoing elective arthroscopic surgery. ANIMALS 20 client-owned adult horses. PROCEDURES Peripheral blood was collected from horses immediately prior to and 24 hours after surgery for treatment of colic (n = 10) or elective arthroscopic surgery (10), and neutrophils were counted. Following isolation by means of a bilayer colloidal silica particle gradient and culture for 24 hours, the proportion of neutrophils in apoptosis was detected by flow cytometric evaluation of cells stained with annexin V and 7-aminoactinomycin D. Values were compared between the colic and arthroscopy groups; among horses with colic, values were further compared between horses with and without strangulating intestinal lesions. RESULTS Percentage recovery of neutrophils was significantly smaller in preoperative samples (median, 32.5%) and in all samples combined (35.5%) for the colic group, compared with the arthroscopy group (median, 66.5% and 58.0%, respectively). No significant differences in the percentages of apoptotic neutrophils were detected between these groups. Among horses with colic, those with strangulating intestinal lesions had a significantly lower proportion of circulating apoptotic neutrophils in postoperative samples (median, 18.0%) than did those with nonstrangulating lesions (66.3%). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE The smaller proportion of apoptotic neutrophils in horses with intestinal strangulation suggested that the inflammatory response could be greater or prolonged, compared with that of horses with nonstrangulating intestinal lesions. Further investigations are needed to better understand the relationship between neutrophil apoptosis and inflammation during intestinal injury.
Neighborhood Dependence in Bayesian Spatial Models

The conditional autoregressive model and the intrinsic autoregressive model are widely used as prior distribution for random spatial effects in Bayesian models. Several authors have pointed out impractical or counterintuitive consequences on the prior covariance matrix or the posterior covariance matrix of the spatial random effects. This article clarifies many of these puzzling results. We show that the neighborhood graph structure, synthesized in eigenvalues and eigenvectors structure of a matrix associated with the adjacency matrix, determines most of the apparently anomalous behavior. We illustrate our conclusions with regular and irregular lattices including lines, grids, and lattices based on real maps.
Getting measures of fiscal stance right for the new SGP

In November 2004, France and Germany obtained from the Council of the Finance Ministers (Ecofin) suspension of the 'excessive deficits procedure' recommended by the European Commission in application of the norms established by the Maastricht Treaty and the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP). The decision was unanimously viewed as the political end of the SGP in its then current form. In March 2005, the Ecofin approved a revision of the rules on the excessive deficit procedure. Was the breakdown of the SGP in 2004 due to brute political pressure applied by the major stakeholders? Was it merely by chance that it occurred after three years of stagnation, if not recession, in the euro area, and that the drive for reform was led by the two early guardians of the SGP orthodoxy? Will the new SGP be more successful in combining 'rigour and flexibility'?
The Effect of the Undigested Fraction of Maize Products on the Activity and Composition of the Microbiota Determined in a Dynamic in Vitro Model of the Human Proximal Large Intestine

Objective: To investigate the effect of 5 newly developed maize-based fibers on the activity and composition of the microbiota in the colon. The fibers tested were glucose-based and had variable structures, including 2 resistant starch preparations, soluble corn fiber, pullulan, and soluble fiber dextrin. Methods: The fibers were predigested, mono- and disaccharides were removed, and the residual polymer was used to assess the production of microbial metabolites and changes in composition of the microbiota using a dynamic, validated, in vitro model of the large intestine. Results: Microbial metabolite analysis showed an increase in short-chain fatty acids for all fibers, with varying levels of butyrate production for each fiber. The greatest increase of butyrate, both in terms of absolute amounts and as a proportion of total short-chain fatty acids, was observed for pullulan. All fibers also reduced toxic metabolites from protein fermentation compared to the poorly fermentable control (cellulose). Microbial composition was assessed using a micro-array platform. All fibers showed increases of bifidobacteria and some Lactobacillus species, although different species were stimulated by different fibers. Pullulan showed the largest increase of bifidobacteria. Conclusions: All fibers showed prebiotic activity in terms of increases in growth and/or activity of beneficial microbes. In addition, compared to the control, health-promoting metabolites were produced in higher amounts, while putrefactive metabolites were reduced for all fibers. The importance of the findings lies in the fact that the newly developed, maize-based fibers shift the intestinal environment to a healthier milieu, with increased health-promoting metabolites and health-beneficial microbes.
Study of the competitive priority relationship between the global manufacturing based on cross-industry segments

Competitive priority as an important part of manufacturing strategy, the sequencing and relationship between them is an important means to achieve competitive advantage of manufacturing enterprises. This study applied the International Manufacturing Strategy Survey (IMSS) data in 2009 (the IMSS-V data), to conduct empirical analysis of competitive priority of cross-industry manufacturing enterprise, the results show that the cumulative relation of competitive priority between different industry was confirmed, but the degree of importance is different. Through the results of the study, manufacturing enterprises should clear the relationship between competitive priority so as to determine the portfolio strategy and characteristics of competitive priority, in order to make strategy for manufacturing to improve overall advantages.
Application of Silicon on Nothing Structure for Developing a Novel Capacitive Absolute Pressure Sensor

In the field of silicon on nothing (SON) structure , micrometer-thick monocrystalline layers suspended over their parent wafer were produced by high-temperature annealing of specific arrays of trenches. Those trenches reorganize into one single void and leave a thin overlayer on top. Since this method may be an easy way of synchronous fabricating high-quality silicon films and vacuum void, this paper investigates its potential applications for a pressure sensor. A capacitive absolute pressure sensor whose pressure sensitive membrane is formed by the SON structure was fabricated and evaluated. The radius and thickness of the sensitive membrane are 100 and 1.7-μm, respectively. The average sensitivity of the sensor array with 15 diaphragms is 2.88 fF/kPa. This novel fabrication process enables to easily form a high vacuum cavity without hermetical sealing process such as anodic bonding technology, to achieve an excellent long-term stability and reliability, in particular, and to easily integrate detection circuits with the sensor.
CO 2 Laser Surgery for the Excision of Leukoplakia: A Comparison with the Traditional Technique

Purpose: CO2 laser biopsy and photo-thermal ablation has been accepted as a diagnostic/treatment modality for leukoplakia. We hypothesized that CO2 laser would be an excellent tool for diagnosis/treatment of leukoplakia, facilitating improved outcome and patient satisfaction. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was performed comparing CO2 laser to the standard surgical technique, considering the treatment protocol and patient compliance. In toto, 8 patients were diagnosed using the clinical features prominent for leukoplakia. These were further subdivided into two categories. Category A defined patients undergoing bilateral treatment with CO2 laser and the traditional surgical technique. Category B was further divided into two subcategories, in which patients underwent either CO2 laser or the traditional technique. Immediately postoperatively, the samples thus obtained were subjected to histopathological study. After the treatment protocol, the patients were asked to determine pain on the faces scale and numerical rating scale. A follow-up of the patients was done after 7, 14 and 21 days. Results: The study showed improved operating conditions, more rapid healing than for other thermal instruments, minimal tissue handling, and improved patient compliance. Conclusion: Because of its comfort level for the operator and the patient’s benefit, CO2 laser can be recommended in oral therapy. It is a precise means of removing soft tissue lesions in selected patients. Patient postoperative satisfaction after laser excision was greater when compared with those who had conventional excisions. Postoperative pain was less, as was the pain experienced during the first week of recovery.