Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of surface hydrophilicity and microtopography on early stages of soft and hard tissue integration at non-submerged titanium implants: an immunohistochemical study in dogs.

BACKGROUND The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of surface hydrophilicity and microtopography on soft and hard tissue integration at non-submerged titanium implants. METHODS Implantation of conventional sand-blasted large grit and acid-etched (SLA) and chemically modified SLA (modSLA) titanium implants with differently structured transmucosal surfaces (SLA implants: machined [M-SLA] or SLA [SLA-SLA]; modSLA implants: mod acid-etched [modA] [modA-modSLA] or modSLA [modSLA-modSLA]) was performed bilaterally in the upper and lower jaws of 15 beagle dogs. The animals were sacrificed after 1, 4, 7, 14, or 28 days. Tissue reactions were assessed histomorphometrically and immunohistochemically using monoclonal antibodies to transglutaminase II (angiogenesis) and osteocalcin. RESULTS Although the junctional epithelium commonly was separated from M-SLA and SLA-SLA implants by a gap, the epithelial cells appeared to be in close contact with modA-modSLA surfaces after 14 days of healing. Moreover, modA-modSLA and modSLA-modSLA groups showed a well-vascularized subepithelial connective tissue exhibiting collagen fibers that started to extend and attach partially perpendicular to the implant surface. The highest and statistically significant mean bone-to-implant contact areas were observed in the modA-modSLA and modSLA-modSLA groups at days 7, 14, and 28. CONCLUSION Within the limits of this study, it may be concluded that soft and hard tissue integration was influenced mainly by surface hydrophilicity rather than by microtopography.
The triterpenoid cucurbitacin B augments the antiproliferative activity of chemotherapy in human breast cancer

Despite recent advances in therapy, breast cancer remains the second most common cause of death from malignancy in women. Chemotherapy plays a major role in breast cancer management, and combining chemotherapeutic agents with nonchemotherapeutic agents is of considerable clinical interest. Cucurbitacins are triterpenes compounds found in plants of the Cucurbitaceae family, reported to have anticancer and anti‐inflammatory activities. Previously, we have shown antiproliferative activity of cucurbitacin B (CuB) in breast cancer, and we hypothesized that combining CuB with chemotherapeutic agents can augment their antitumor effect. Here, we show that a combination of CuB with either docetaxel (DOC) or gemcitabine (GEM) synergistically inhibited the proliferation of MDA‐MB‐231 breast cancer cells in vitro. This antiproliferative effect was accompanied by an increase in apoptosis rates. Furthermore, in vivo treatment of human breast cancer orthotopic xenografts in immunodeficient mice with CuB at either low (0.5 mg/kg) or high (1 mg/kg) doses in combination with either DOC (20 mg/kg) or GEM (12.5mg/kg) significantly reduced tumor volume as compared with monotherapy of each drug. Importantly, no significant toxicity was noted with low‐dose CuB in combination with either DOC or GEM. In conclusion, combination of CuB at a relatively low concentration with either of the chemotherapeutic agents, DOC or GEM, shows prominent antiproliferative activity against breast cancer cells without increased toxicity. This promising combination should be examined in therapeutic trials of breast cancer.
Characterization of Human Herpesvirus 8 ORF59 Protein (PF-8) and Mapping of the Processivity and Viral DNA Polymerase-Interacting Domains

ABSTRACT Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) or Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) ORF59 protein (PF-8) is a processivity factor for HHV-8 DNA polymerase (Pol-8) and is homologous to processivity factors expressed by other herpesviruses, such as herpes simplex virus type 1 UL42 and Epstein-Barr virus BMRF1. The interaction of UL42 and BMRF1 with their corresponding DNA polymerases is essential for viral DNA replication and the subsequent production of infectious virus. Using HHV-8-specific monoclonal antibody 11D1, we have previously identified the cDNA encoding PF-8 and showed that it is an early-late gene product localized to HHV-8-infected cell nuclei (S. R. Chan, C. Bloomer, and B. Chandran, Virology 240:118–126, 1998). Here, we have further characterized PF-8. This viral protein was phosphorylated both in vitro and in vivo. PF-8 bound double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) and single-stranded DNA independent of DNA sequence; however, the affinity for dsDNA was approximately fivefold higher. In coimmunoprecipitation reactions, PF-8 also interacted with Pol-8. In in vitro processivity assays with excess poly(dA):oligo(dT) as a template, PF-8 stimulated the production of elongated DNA products by Pol-8 in a dose-dependent manner. Functional domains of PF-8 were determined using PF-8 truncation mutants. The carboxyl-terminal 95 amino acids (aa) of PF-8 were dispensable for all three functions of PF-8: enhancing processivity of Pol-8, binding dsDNA, and binding Pol-8. Residues 10 to 27 and 279 to 301 were identified as regions critical for the processivity function of PF-8. Interestingly, aa 10 to 27 were also essential for binding Pol-8, whereas aa 1 to 62 and aa 279 to 301 were involved in binding dsDNA, suggesting that the processivity function of PF-8 is correlated with both the Pol-8-binding and the dsDNA-binding activities of PF-8.
Spontaneous and stimulated emissions of a preformed quantum free-electron wave function

Do the wavepacket-size of free-electron wavefunction and its history have physical effect in its interaction with light? Here we answer this problem by analyzing a QED model, considering both spontaneous and stimulated emission of quantized radiation field. For coherent radiation (Glauber state), we confirm that stimulated emission/absorption of photons has a dependence on wavepacket size that decays when it exceeds the interacting radiation wavelength, consistently and complementarily with Schrodinger equation analysis of wavepacket acceleration in classical electromagnetic field. Furthermore, the stimulated emission of modulated electron wavepacket with coherently-bunched profiles has characteristic harmonic emission spectrum that is also wavepacket size dependent but beyond the frequency cut-off. In either case, there is no wavepacket dependent emission of Fock state radiation, and particularly the vacuum state spontaneous emission is wavepacket-independent. The transition of radiation emission from the classical point-particle limit to the quantum electron wavefunction limit is demonstrated in electron wavepacket representation. It indicates a way for measuring the wavepacket size of single electron wavefunction, and suggests a new direction for exploring light-matter interaction fundamentally.
Use of recombinant hirudin as antithrombotic treatment in patients with heparin‐induced thrombocytopenia

Heparin‐induced thrombocytopenia is a rare but severe complication of heparin therapy that can result in severe venous or arterial thromboembolic events and whose treatment remains partially unanswered. Recombinant hirudin is potentially effective as an antithrombotic treatment in the management of heparin‐induced thrombocytopenia, given its potent antithrombin effects without known interaction with platelets. We report the results obtained with intravenous recombinant hirudin (HBW 023) administered on a compassionate basis to patients suffering from heparin‐induced thrombocytopenia.
A new parallelogram linkage configuration for gravity compensation using torsional springs

All articulated robots suffer from the adverse effects of gravity loading, namely, increased actuator size and degraded performance. It is pointed out that parallelogram linkage manipulators are uniquely suited for counterbalancing technique due to the decoupled nature of gravity terms in their dynamic equations. The authors present a novel parallelogram linkage configuration where the two actuated degrees-of-freedom in the vertical plane are gravity compensated using torsional springs. They show that the robot design is thus improved in two ways: the peak torques required to be output by the actuators are reduced, thereby allowing smaller motors to be selected; and by ensuring that the equilibrium position for all robot joints assumes a safe configuration on power-off, i.e. a position where the robot links do not collide with one another or with other objects, the need for fail-safe brakes is eliminated. A three-degree-of-freedom direct drive robot using the proposed configuration is under development at the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics to demonstrate the feasibility of these concepts. <<ETX>>
PHYLOGENY AND THE REVERSIBILITY OF PARASITISM

rosta solidaginis (Diptera: Tephritidae). Evolution 44:1648-1655. WASSERMAN, S. S. , AND D. J. FUTUYMA. 198 I. Evolution of host plant utilization in laboratory populations ofthe southern cowpea weevil, Callosobruchus maculatus. Evolution 35:605-617. WIKLUND, C. 1975. The evolutionary relationship between adult oviposition preferences and larval host plant range in Papilio machaon L. Oecologia (Berlin) 18:185-197. ---. 198 I. Generalist vs. specialist oviposition behaviour in Papilio machaon (Lepidoptera) and
Does Give-and-Take Really Matter? Dynamics of Social Interactions in Facebook

Despite the increasing attention paid to the social interaction in online social networks, it is still not clear how social media users interact with each other, consume different content, and expand their social network. This study conceptualizes two types of user engagement (internal and external) and empirically examines the dynamics between user’s engagement, friends’ engagement, and network size. Using detailed social media activity data collected from over 20,000 Facebook users for three years, we find that when people externally engage in their friends’ social space rather than one’s own space, they can make more friends and also receive friends’ engagement in one’s own social space. However, when people receive more friends’ engagement in their social space and make more friends, they are likely to reduce their engagement in social media (both externally as well as internally). Our findings can provide useful insights for the literature on social ties, user-generated content, and online peer influence.
Strong trans activation of the human cytomegalovirus major immediate-early enhancer by p40tax of human T-cell leukemia virus type I via two repetitive tax-responsive sequence elements

The immediate-early 1 and 2 gene locus of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) that encodes trans-activator proteins with effects on both homologous and heterologous promoters is expressed under control of a complex enhancer/promoter regulatory region. This enhancer contains four types of repetitive sequence elements with 17, 18, 19, and 21 bp that bind cellular transcription factors. Although the HCMV enhancer acts as a powerful stimulator of transcription in most cell types examined, human T cells do not support strong activity. The present study demonstrates that the tax gene product of human T-cell leukemia virus type I trans activates the major enhancer of HCMV more than 60-fold in the T-cell line Jurkat. When a series of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase expression plasmids containing synthetic oligonucleotides with the 17-, 18-, 19-, or 21-bp motif upstream of a minimal immediate-early 1 and 2 gene promoter was tested, two of the four repeat motifs could be identified as Tax-responsive elements. Both the 18- and the 19-bp motifs were able to act as strong Tax-responsive elements even when they were present as single copies. Thus, in addition to interacting with human immunodeficiency virus, HCMV is able to interact with a second retrovirus of clinical importance.
PROPERTIES OF THE UPTAKE AND RELEASE OF GLUTAMIC ACID BY SYNAPTOSOMES FROM RAT CEREBRAL CORTEX

Abstract– (1) The uptake and release of glutamic acid by guinea‐pig cerebral cortex slices and rat synaptosomal fractions were studied, comparing the naturally occurring l‐ and non‐natural d‐isomers. Negligible metabolism of d‐glutamic acid was observed in the slices. (2) Whereas in the cerebral slices the accumulation of glutamic acid was almost the same for the two isomers, d‐glutamic acid was accumulated into the synaptosomal fraction at a markedly lower rate than was the L‐isomer. (3) The uptake systems for d‐isomer into the slices and synaptosomal fraction were found to be of single component, in contrast with the two component systems, high and low affinity components, for the uptake of l‐glutamic acid. The apparent Km values for the uptake of d‐glutamic acid into the slices and synaptosomal fraction were comparable with those reported for the low affinity components for l‐isomer. The uptake systems for d‐glutamic acid were dependent on the presence of Na+ ions in the medium, like those for l‐glutamic acid and GABA. (4) The evoked release of radioactive preloaded d‐glutamic acid was observed both from the slices and synaptosomal fraction following stimulation by high K+ ions in the medium. From these observations, it is evident that the evoked release of an amino acid by depolarization in vitro is not necessarily accompanied by a high affinity uptake process. (5) The uptake of l‐glutamic acid, expecially into the synaptosomal fraction, was highly resistant to ouabain. On the other hand, the uptake rate of d‐glutamic acid and GABA into the synaptosomal fraction was inhibited by varying concentrations of ouabain in accordance with the inhibition for brain Na‐K ATPase. (6) The uptake of l‐glutamic acid into subfractions of the P2 fraction was studied in relation to the distribution of the ‘synaptosomal marker enzymes’. An attempt to correlate the activities of enzymes of glutamic acid metabolism with the uptake of l‐glutamic acid into the synaptosomal fraction from various parts of brain was unsuccessful. The high affinity uptake of l‐glutamic acid was found to be very active in the synaptosomal fraction from any part of brain examined.
Management Information Systems in Higher Education - Key Factors of User Acceptance

The pan-European management of higher education has resulted in management information systems being developed by the universities to administer courses and examinations more effectively and more efficiently. Management information systems in universities have to meet particular requirements, as they not only have to ensure that large volumes of data are managed smoothly; they also have to take account of complex decision-making structures. Object of research of the present study is the most widely distributed university management information system in Austria. The aim is to analyse user acceptance of students based on the following key factors identified: usefulness, ease of use, trust, registration/cancellation methods and mandatory use. Drawing on statistical data of more than 1,100 questionnaires the survey focuses on the critical success factors and provides recommendations for measures to encourage acceptance of management information systems.
Optimum strategies in artificial insemination, with emphasis on the timing relative to ovulation and the role of the bear

Optimised insemination strategies on pig farms aim at reducing the number of inseminations, without reducing reproductive performance. At the moment, one insemination with good quality semen can result in good fertilisation results when insemination takes place in a 24 h period before ovulation. However, knowledge of this optimal period is not sufficient to limit the number of inseminations to only one in all sows, because the time of ovulation of sows can not be predicted within a 24 h range. Therefore, to optimise insemination strategies on farms, either the period during which one insemination leads to optimal fertilisation results must be increased and/or the prediction of ovulation time needs to be improved. Much work concerning the timing of insemination -relative to oestrus characteristics-and reproductive performance (litter size, farrowing rate) has been performed in the sixties and seventies. Since the early nineties, ultrasound has allowed assessment of the timing of ovulation in spontaneously ovulating sows. Since then, experiments have increased our knowledge on the timing of ovulation in sows relative to behavioural and physiological changes and on effects of insemination strategies on fertilisation. Besides the timing of insemination, also the circumstances around insemination are important for fertilisation chances. In this overview, also recent data on the role of boar presence on uterine motility are presented (Langendijk, 2001).
Year : 2009 Virtual reality and the role of the prefrontal cortex in adults and children

In this review, the neural underpinnings of the experience of presence are outlined. Firstly, it is shown that presence is associated with activation of a distributed network, which includes the dorsal and ventral visual stream, the parietal cortex, the premotor cortex, mesial temporal areas, the brainstem and the thalamus. Secondly, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is identified as a key node of the network as it modulates the activity of the network and the associated experience of presence. Thirdly, children lack the strong modulatory influence of the DLPFC on the network due to their unmatured frontal cortex. Fourthly, it is shown that presence-related measures are influenced by manipulating the activation in the DLPFC using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) while participants are exposed to the virtual roller coaster ride. Finally, the findings are discussed in the context of current models explaining the experience of presence, the rubber hand illusion, and out-of-body experiences.
The regional differences analysis of bank credit support and economic growth —Based on the panel data of HeBei province

In order to avoid the effect of spatial heterogeneity on the relation between bank credit and local economy development, this article have reduced the range of study to HeBei province. This article have set a Variable coefficient individual fixed effect model and used Section weighted estimation based on the panel data from 2000 to 2010 of 11 cities of HeBei province to do the Positive Analysis. The analysis is from two sides: the credit scale and credit quality. The results showed that the different regional credit scale and quality have different contribution to the local economy; credit quality valued more on the contribution to the local economy than credit scale.
Ab initio study of lithium intercalation in metal oxides and metal dichalcogenides

A study of the average voltage to intercalate lithium in various metal oxides is presented. By combining the ab initio pseudopotential method with basic thermodynamics the average intercalation voltage can be predicted without the need for experimental data. This procedure is used to systematically study the effect of metal chemistry, anion chemistry, and structure. It is found that Li is fully ionized in the intercalated compounds with its charge transferred to the anion and to the metal. The substantial charge transfer to the anion is responsible for the large voltage difference between oxides, sulfides, and selenides. Ionic relaxation, as a result of Li intercalation, causes nonrigid-band effects in the density of states of these materials. Suggestions for compounds that may have a substantially larger voltage than currently used materials are also presented. @S0163-1829~97! 01028-X#
Using spatial information to analyze correlations between test structure data

A modeling strategy that captures the dependence of performances on the spatial position of the chips on the wafer is presented. The information from this model can be used to determine whether the variance and correlation of parameters are due to random variation or are a function of wafer position. Simulation or knowledge from process engineers can be used to determine whether the spatial correlation between two parameters is due to a single underlying cause or multiple causes. The spatial correlation can also be used to split the correlation matrix into two parts: the first matrix would contain correlations due to spatially dependent disturbances and the second would contain those due to disturbances not spatially dependent. <<ETX>>
Translation and validation of the Oxford-12 Item Knee Score for use in Sweden

The Oxford-12 Item Knee Score is a recently developed and validated patient-completed outcome measure designed specifically for use with knee arthroplasty in the United Kingdom. We have translated this questionnaire into Swedish and tested the validity and reliability of the translated version in a cross-sectional study by a postal survey to 1200 randomly selected patients from the Swedish Knee Arthroplasty Register. Swedish versions of the WOMAC, Nottingham Health Profile, SF-36, SF-12, and the Sickness Impact Profile were employed in the validation process. We also tested feasibility and patient-burden parameters. The translated version appeared to be linguistically and culturally equivalent to the original version with good validity and reliability. Indirect measures of responsiveness indicated that it is at least as responsive to relevant knee arthroplasty patient states as the previously validated Swedish version of the WOMAC. Application of the translated questionnaire to this population is feasible with minimal imposed patient-burden. The Swedish translation of the Oxford-12 Item Knee Score is a valid and reliable tool for outcome studies on knee arthroplasty patients.
Anti-IL-17 Agents for Psoriasis: A Review of Phase III Data.

BACKGROUND Studies investigating the molecular basis of psoriasis have established the central roles of TNFa, interleukin (IL)-12, IL-22 and IL-23, and now there is increasing evidence that IL-17 plays a vital role in the complex pathophysiology of this disease. Preclinical and phase II studies of medications targeting IL-17 and its receptor have thus far proved to be promising. METHODS We reviewed the results of the phase III clinical trials for the anti-IL-17 agents secukinumab, ixekizumab and brodalumab in order to assess the efficacy and safety profile of each agent. RESULTS By week 12, the proportion of patients reaching a 75% improvement from baseline Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI 75) was comparable between the different agents (secukinumab 83%, ixekizumab 89%, and brodalumab 85%). The safety profiles of the agents were similar with the most frequently reported adverse events of nasopharyngitis, upper respiratory infections, headache, and injection site reaction. CONCLUSION The anti-IL-17 agents demonstrated a rapid and robust clinical improvement accompanied by a favorable short-term safety profile. The results of the phase III trials continue to reinforce the theory that the IL-17 pathway is an essential target in psoriasis treatment.