Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
FoxP3 T cells and the pathophysiologic effects of brain death and warm ischemia in donor kidneys.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Forkhead box P3 regulatory T cells control inflammatory responses, but it remains unclear whether they inhibit brain death-initiated inflammation and tissue injury in deceased kidney donors. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, MEASUREMENT: To study the actions of regulatory T cells at various stages of the donation and transplantation procedure, forkhead box P3, regulatory and inflammatory cytokine expression, and tissue injury markers were determined in time 0 kidney biopsies from deceased and living donors. Additionally, the interaction between forkhead box P3+ T cells and kidney injury molecule-1 by activated primary tubular epithelial cells was studied. RESULTS After cold storage, the deceased donor kidneys expressed the higher mRNA levels of kidney injury molecule-1 and CD3ε. In these samples, the inflammatory cytokines IL-8 and IFN-γ and markers associated with regulation (forkhead box P3, TGF-β, and IL-10) were highly expressed compared with living donor kidneys. Correlations were found between mRNA expression levels of forkhead box P3 and kidney injury molecule-1 and forkhead box P3 and IFN-γ. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed the presence of forkhead box P3+ T cells in donor kidneys. Renal function (analyzed by serum creatinine levels) at the first week posttransplantation correlated with kidney injury molecule-1 and forkhead box P3 mRNA levels. In vitro studies showed that kidney injury molecule-1 expression by primary tubular epithelial cells was 63% (mean) lower when cocultured with regulatory T cells compared with control T cells. CONCLUSIONS These results show that donor forkhead box P3+ T cells infiltrate the deceased donor kidney, where they may control inflammatory and injury responses.
Enhanced gain, low voltage, rail-to-rail buffer amplifier suitable for energy harvesting

A CMOS subthreshold rail-to-rail input-output buffer amplifier suitable for energy harvesting applications is presented, having high gain (AV) of ∼ 130dB, consuming ultra low currents (IDD) of ∼ 150nA, and operating with low power supply voltage (VDD) > ∼ 0.8v. Contributions of this work are the synthesis of the following attributes: First, using a single transistor, the amplifier input stage's tail current is steered between the two PMOSFET input pairs, while one of the PMOSFET pairs is level shifted by a pair of NMOSFET source followers, which keeps the amplifier's input stage transconductance (gm) roughly constant while the inputs span rail-to-rail. Second, to boost folded cascode transconductance amplifier's (FCTA) AV, the proposed plurality of regulated cascode (RGC) current mirrors (CM) utilize a small size auxiliary amplifier, containing the same type and un-scaled FETs as that of the cascoded CMs employed within the FCTA. As such, the boosting of AV is less impeded by the otherwise higher impedance and high capacitance associated with scaled FETs, utilized in most prior art, in the RGC's auxiliary amplifier's signal path. Moreover, the RGC-CM utilizing the same FET, as that of the FCTA's CM, provides more consistency in FCTA's DC, AC, and dynamic response over process and operating condition variations. Third, a buffer driver containing a Minimum Current Selector (MCS) and an inverting current mirror amplifier (ICMA) controls the quiescent current of the inactive output transistors (FETs), while a complementary noninverting current mirror (CNICM) curbs the current waste attributed to monitoring the FET's (external load) currents. The output buffer driver is inherently fast and can work at low VDD, since it operates mainly in current mode. Montecarlo (MC) and worst case (WC) simulations indicate the following specifications are achievable: input voltage range rail to rail; output voltage range ∼ 10mV from the rails; resistive load (RL) 5K ohms capability; unity gain frequency (fu) ∼ 200KHz and phase margin (PM) ∼ 40 degrees; power supply rejection ratio (PSRR) ∼ −90dB; common mode rejection ratio (CMRR) ∼ −110dB; slew rate (SR) ∼ 3V/ 10uS; settling time (ts) ∼ 15uS; size ∼130um/side.
Overview of the New User Centred Mobile Applications

New mobile applications and services are of paramount importance for users and developers due to their availability everywhere and the easy access. This is one of the most negative points in the design for mobile services, because most of the time doesn't fulfil the user experience over a PC platform and a browser. All the key players are working hard to change this fact. In this article we will analyze this situation from several points of view both coming from the terminals and the backend, and the advantages and developments on both sides.
Accuracy of MR imaging-estimated proton density fat fraction for classification of dichotomized histologic steatosis grades in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

PURPOSE To evaluate the diagnostic performance of previously proposed high-specificity magnetic resonance (MR) imaging-estimated proton density fat fraction (PDFF) thresholds for diagnosis of steatosis grade 1 or higher (PDFF threshold of 6.4%), grade 2 or higher (PDFF threshold of 17.4%), and grade 3 (PDFF threshold of 22.1%) by using histologic findings as a reference in an independent cohort of adults known to have or suspected of having nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). MATERIALS AND METHODS This prospective, cross-sectional, institutional review board-approved, HIPAA-compliant single-center study was conducted in an independent cohort of 89 adults known to have or suspected of having NAFLD who underwent contemporaneous liver biopsy. MR imaging PDFF was estimated at 3 T by using magnitude-based low-flip-angle multiecho gradient-recalled-echo imaging with T2* correction and multipeak modeling. Steatosis was graded histologically (grades 0, 1, 2, and 3, according to the Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Clinical Research Network scoring system). Sensitivity, specificity, and binomial confidence intervals were calculated for the proposed MR imaging PDFF thresholds. RESULTS The proposed MR imaging PDFF threshold of 6.4% to diagnose grade 1 or higher steatosis had 86% sensitivity (71 of 83 patients; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 76, 92) and 83% specificity (five of six patients; 95% CI: 36, 100). The threshold of 17.4% to diagnose grade 2 or higher steatosis had 64% sensitivity (28 of 44 patients; 95% CI: 48, 78) and 96% specificity (43 of 45 patients; 95% CI: 85, 100). The threshold of 22.1% to diagnose grade 3 steatosis had 71% sensitivity (10 of 14 patients; 95% CI: 42, 92) and 92% specificity (69 of 75 patients; 95% CI: 83, 97). CONCLUSION In an independent cohort of adults known to have or suspected of having NAFLD, the previously proposed MR imaging PDFF thresholds provided moderate to high sensitivity and high specificity for diagnosis of grade 1 or higher, grade 2 or higher, and grade 3 steatosis. Prospective multicenter studies are now needed to further validate these high-specificity thresholds.
Role of nitric oxide and cAMP in beta-adrenoceptor-induced pial artery vasodilation.

The present study was designed to investigate the role of nitric oxide (NO), guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP), and adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) in the vasodilator response to beta-adrenoceptor agonists in newborn pigs equipped with a closed cranial window. Dobutamine (10(-8) and 10(-6) M), a beta 1-agonist, produced pial artery dilation that was blunted by NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA; 10(-6) M), a NO synthase inhibitor (12 +/- 1 vs. 0 +/- 2% and 24 +/- 3 vs. 4 +/- 1% for 10(-8) and 10(-6) M dobutamine, respectively). Dobutamine-induced vasodilation was associated with increased cortical periarachnoid cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cGMP, and these changes in CSF cGMP were blocked by L-NNA (391 +/- 10 and 675 +/- 36 fmol/ml vs. 307 +/- 3 and 346 +/- 37 fmol/ml for control and 10(-6) M dobutamine before and after L-NNA, respectively). In contrast, dobutamine-associated changes in CSF cAMP were unchanged by L-NNA (1,108 +/- 56 and 2,623 +/- 139 fmol/ml vs. 1,059 +/- 24 and 2,500 +/- 61 fmol/ml for control and 10(-6) M dobutamine before and after L-NNA, respectively). Salbutamol, a beta 2-agonist, and isoproterenol, a nonselective beta-agonist, elicited similar changes in pial diameter and cyclic nucleotides; vasodilation and changes in CSF cGMP also were similarly inhibited by L-NNA. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Ephrin reverse signaling controls palate fusion via a PI3 kinase‐dependent mechanism

Secondary palate fusion requires adhesion and epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) of the epithelial layers on opposing palatal shelves. This EMT requires transforming growth factor β3 (TGFβ3), and its failure results in cleft palate. Ephrins, and their receptors, the Ephs, are responsible for migration, adhesion, and midline closure events throughout development. Ephrins can also act as signal‐transducing receptors in these processes, with the Ephs serving as ligands (termed “reverse” signaling). We found that activation of ephrin reverse signaling in chicken palates induced fusion in the absence of TGFβ3, and that PI3K inhibition abrogated this effect. Further, blockage of reverse signaling inhibited TGFβ3‐induced fusion in the chicken and natural fusion in the mouse. Thus, ephrin reverse signaling is necessary and sufficient to induce palate fusion independent of TGFβ3. These data describe both a novel role for ephrins in palate morphogenesis, and a previously unknown mechanism of ephrin signaling. Developmental Dynamics 240:357–364, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A two-stage control scheme for a dual-bridge series resonant converter

High frequency (HF) isolated dual-bridge converters are featured with high power density, high efficiency for bidirectional applications, such as distributed generation systems. In this paper a high-frequency isolated dual-bridge series resonant converter (DBSRC) with a novel two-stage control scheme is proposed for an application with a wide variation of voltage gain. The dual-phase-shift control is adopted for the DBSRC. The steady-state analysis of the DBSRC is performed by means of the fundamental harmonics approximation. A novel control scheme is presented for the converter with a 40% variation in converter gain. It can be seen that zero-voltage switching is kept for all switches on the low-voltage side and half of switches on the HV side. Also, there is no circulation energy on the LV side for full load operation. Verification of the analysis and design are performed through simulation and experimental test at last.
Tuberculosis associated with infliximab, a tumor necrosis factor alpha-neutralizing agent.

BACKGROUND Infliximab is a humanized antibody against tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) that is used in the treatment of Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Approximately 147,000 patients throughout the world have received infliximab. Excess TNF-alpha in association with tuberculosis may cause weight loss and night sweats, yet in animal models it has a protective role in the host response to tuberculosis. There is no direct evidence of a protective role of TNF-alpha in patients with tuberculosis. METHODS We analyzed all reports of tuberculosis after infliximab therapy that had been received as of May 29, 2001, through the MedWatch spontaneous reporting system of the Food and Drug Administration. RESULTS There were 70 reported cases of tuberculosis after treatment with infliximab, for a median of 12 weeks. In 48 patients, tuberculosis developed after three or fewer infusions. Forty of the patients had extrapulmonary disease (17 had disseminated disease, 11 lymph node disease, 4 peritoneal disease, 2 pleural disease, and 1 each meningeal, enteric, paravertebral, bone, genital, and bladder disease). The diagnosis was confirmed by a biopsy in 33 patients. Of the 70 reports, 64 were from countries with a low incidence of tuberculosis. The reported frequency of tuberculosis in association with infliximab therapy was much higher than the reported frequency of other opportunistic infections associated with this drug. In addition, the rate of reported cases of tuberculosis among patients treated with infliximab was higher than the available background rates. CONCLUSIONS Active tuberculosis may develop soon after the initiation of treatment with infliximab. Before prescribing the drug, physicians should screen patients for latent tuberculosis infection or disease.
Treatment of colorectal peritoneal carcinomatosis with systemic chemotherapy: a pooled analysis of north central cancer treatment group phase III trials N9741 and N9841.

PURPOSE Symptoms and complications of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) differ by metastatic sites. There is a paucity of prospective survival data for patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis colorectal cancer (pcCRC). We characterized outcomes of patients with pcCRC enrolled onto two prospective randomized trials of chemotherapy and contrasted that with other manifestations of mCRC (non-pcCRC). METHODS A total of 2,095 patients enrolled onto two prospective randomized trials were evaluated for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). A Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess the adjusted associations. RESULTS The characteristics of the pcCRC group (n = 364) were similar to those of the non-pcCRC patients in median age (63 v 61 years, P = .23), sex (57% males v 61%, P = .23), and performance status (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0 or 1 94% v 96%, P = .06), but differed in frequency of liver (63% v 82%, P < .001) and lung metastases (27% v 34%, P = .01). Median OS (12.7 v 17.6 months, hazard ratio [HR] = 1.3; 95% CI, 1.2 to 1.5; P < .001) and PFS (5.8 v 7.2 months, HR = 1.2; 95% CI, 1.1 to 1.3; P = .001) were shorter for pcCRC versus non-pcCRC. The unfavorable prognostic influence of pcCRC remained after adjusting for age, PS, liver metastases, and other factors (OS: HR = 1.3, P < .001; PFS: HR = 1.1, P = .02). Infusional fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin was superior to irinotecan, leucovorin, and fluorouracil as a first-line treatment among pcCRC (HR for OS = 0.62, P = .005) and non-pcCRC patients (HR = 0.66, P < .001). CONCLUSION pcCRC is associated with a significantly shorter OS and PFS as compared with other manifestations of mCRC. Future trials for mCRC should consider stratifying on the basis of pcCRC status.
A New Bandgap Reference for High-Resolution Data Converters

In this paper, a CMOS bandgap reference (BGR) for high-resolution data-converters is proposed and analyzed. The proposed BGR circuit is derived and modified from a recently developed low-voltage BGR. It combines two different branches of conventional BGR into one PMOS transistor, avoiding the matching requirement of the current mirror. The low temperature-susceptible current is used to generate high and low references for data-converters. This modified architecture is verified by a 0.35-um CMOS BGR circuit. In the demo design, the 2.7 V and 0.6 V voltage and 12 uA current references for a sigma-delta analog-to-digital modulator all obtain a temperature coefficient (TC) of about 20 ppm/K. With a tiny adjustment, the proposed BGR also has the potential to work at low supply-voltage.
Low noise voltage reference for MEMS acceleration sensor readout circuit

A low noise voltage reference is designed in this paper. The voltage reference structure is realized by using a low noise bandgap reference and a low pass filter. A +/− 3.7V voltage reference chip with low noise has been fabricated in a standard CMOS 0. 5µm technology. By selecting suitable feedback resistance of the amplifier, the two measured results show that the noise of voltage reference VRP is reduced from 82. 16µV to 8. 58µV and the noise of voltage reference VRN is reduced from 146. 12µV to 9. 1µV.
Understanding the International Mobility of Chinese Temporary Workers

Using unique panel data on the temporary movement of Chinese workers to 191 economies during 1992–2015, I investigate the patterns and determinants of labour mobility in the services trade. I estimate a gravity model of labour mobility in two categories, namely overseas labour services and overseas contracted projects. I find that distance (proxy for migration costs) and income are not the most important determinants of the latter. For overseas contracted projects, the dispatch of workers is not driven by their pure economic aims but by the Chinese government's policies and strategies such as its overseas project promotion policy. Furthermore, I employ the difference‐in‐differences estimation method to investigate the impact of this policy upon labour mobility. The results show that the policy of promoting overseas contracted projects has causal and positive effects on labour mobility in construction‐related sectors.
Maternal serum ADAM12 in Chinese women undergoing screening for aneuploidy in the first trimester

Objective. To evaluate the potential of maternal serum using a disintegrin and metalloprotease 12 (ADAM12) as a marker for Trisomy 21 in Chinese pregnant women. Methods. Serum samples were collected and stored from women having a viable singleton pregnancy undergoing first trimester screening for Trisomy 21 between 2006 and 2007. Serum concentration of ADAM12 was measured using an automated time-solved immuno-fluorometric assay from 608 stored serum samples (601 Euploidy and 7 Trisomy 21). Regression analysis was used to determine the expected median in Euploidy pregnancies after adjusting for pregnancy characteristics. The level of ADAM12 MoM was compared between Trisomy 21 and Euploidy pregnancies. Expected median levels in Chinese were compared to that published for Caucasians and Afro-Caribbeans. Results. In Euploidy pregnancies, the concentration of ADAM12 increased with CRL and decreased with maternal weight. The expected median level of ADAM12 in Chinese was significantly lower than Caucasian and Afro-Caribbeans (F = 14.2, p < 0.0001). There was a significant correlation between log10ADAM12 MoM both log10 pregnancy-associated plasma protein A MoMs (r = 0.46; p < 0.001) and log10free βhCG MoMs (r = 0.08; p = 0.048). The median ADAM12 MoM in Trisomy 21 pregnancies was not significantly different from that in Euploidy pregnancies (z = 0.18; p = 0.88). Conclusion. ADAM12 concentrations in Chinese are lower than those of Caucasians and Afro-Carribeans; that ADAM12 MoM levels in Euploidy and Trisomy 21 pregnancies were not statistically different.
Motor evoked potentials in clinically isolated syndrome suggestive of multiple sclerosis

The aim of the present study was to determine the sensitivity and the profile of motor evoked potentials (MEP) in patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) suggestive of multiple sclerosis (MS). We measured the central motor conduction time (CMCT), amplitude ratio (AR), and surface ratio (SR) in tibialis anterior and first dorsal interosseous muscles in 22 patients with CIS. In 12 patients, the triple stimulation technique (TST) was also performed. AR was abnormal in 50% of patients, CMCT in 18% of patients, and TST in 25% of patients. AR had the highest sub-clinical sensitivity and the best positive predictive value. In the absence of clinical pyramidal signs, an early AR decrease seems to result from demyelination inducing excessive temporal dispersion of the MEP, while in territories with clinical pyramidal signs, it seems to result from conduction failure, which suggests that clinical pyramidal signs may be attributable to conduction failure. This study demonstrates that MEP, especially the AR, is sensitive to motor pathway dysfunction right from the early stages of MS.
Pathways for Potentiation of Immunogenicity during Adjuvant-Assisted Immunizations with Plasmodium falciparumMajor Merozoite Surface Protein 1

ABSTRACT Vaccine adjuvants exert critical and unique influences on the quality of immune responses induced during active immunizations. We investigated the mechanisms of action of immunological adjuvants in terms of their requirements for cytokine-mediated pathways for adjuvanticity. Antibody responses potentiated by several adjuvants to a Plasmodium falciparum MSP1-19 (C-terminal 19-kDa processing fragment of MSP1) vaccine were studied in gamma interferon (IFN-γ) or interleukin (IL-4) knockout mice. The levels of anti-MSP1-19 antibodies and the induction of Th1- and Th2-type antibodies were analyzed. Results revealed a spectrum of requirements for cytokine-mediated pathways in the potentiation of immunogenicity, and such requirements were influenced by interactions among individual components of the adjuvant formulations. One adjuvant strictly depended on IFN-γ to induce appreciable levels of anti-MSP1-19 antibodies, while some formulations required IFN-γ only for the induction of Th1-type antibodies. Other formulations induced exclusively Th2-type antibodies and were not affected by IFN-γ knockout. There were three patterns of requirements for IL-4 by various adjuvants in the induction of Th2-type anti-MSP1-19 antibodies. Moreover, the induction of Th1-type anti-MSP1-19 antibodies by adjuvants showed two distinct patterns of regulation by IL-4. The utilization of an IL-4 regulated pathway(s) for the induction of Th2-type antibodies by the same adjuvant differed between mouse strains, suggesting that animal species variability in responses to vaccine adjuvants may be due, at least in part, to differences in the utilization of immune system pathways by an adjuvant among animal hosts.
Categorization of eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis

Purpose of reviewThe presence of eosinophilia histopathologically in sinusitis is frequently associated with greater disease objectively and a decreased likelihood of surgical success. Eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis encompasses a wide variety of etiologies and associations that can be grouped under this umbrella term. In addition, this term can be further divided into those patients with no polyps and those with polyps. The purpose of this review is to detail the epidemiology of eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis, to define known and potential subcategories, and to discuss targeted therapeutic interventions. Eosinophilia is frequently, but not exclusively, caused by IgE-mediated hypersensitivity and is dominated by the associated cytokine milieu of Th2 inflammation. Thus, allergic rhinitis or allergy is a subcategory and not synonymous with eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis. Recent findingsRecent findings supporting mechanisms that promote eosinophilic infiltration are discussed and include the following subcategories: super antigen-induced eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis, allergic fungal sinusitis, nonallergic fungal eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis, and aspirin-exacerbated eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis. Undoubtedly there are other mechanisms and categorizations of eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis as yet unknown. It is possible, and in fact probable, that some patients may have overlapping mechanisms for eosinophilia. Corticosteroid therapy is an important treatment across all eosinophilic disorders and a profoundly potent but nonspecific antiinflammatory agent. Within each subcategory a specific antibacterial, antifungal, or immune modulation may be indicated. SummaryThe subcategories of eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis are discussed in light of recent findings and treatment recommendations.