Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
I mmune Mechanisms in Non-alcoholic S teatohepatitis ( NASH )

Non-alcoholic fatty liver had been believed to be a non-progressive benign disease. However, Ludwig et al. described some patients who exhibited progressive steatohepatitis without habitual alcohol drinking (Ludwig et al., 1980) and referred to this disease as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Later, NASH and non-progressive simple steatosis patients were included in the single disease entity of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Recently, non-progressive simple fatty liver has been renamed as nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL). The differential diagnosis of NAFL and NASH requires liver biopsy interpretation, and it is often difficult to clearly distinguish these two disease. NASH is regarded as a more severe form of NAFLD and is broadly defined by the presence of steatosis with inflammation and progressive fibrosis (Matteoni et al., 1999; Brunt et al., 2009), ultimately leading to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (Yatsuji et al., 2009; Hatanaka et al., 2007; Fassio et al., 2004; Ono & Saibara, 2006). The mechanisms through which the subset of NAFLD patients develops NASH are poorly understood. The development of NASH is generally thought of as a “two hit” process (Day & James, 1998). The first hit is the development of hepatic steatosis due to overeating, lack of exercise, or drug use. The second hit includes hepatic damage inducing cellular stresses such as oxidative stress, apoptosis, and gut-derived signals such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS). However, recently uncovered liver fat deposition and pro-inflammatory
An Experimental Analysis of the Identification of Categories and Choices from Specifications

The category-partition method and classificationtree method both help construct test cases from specifications. To achieve this end, a set of categories and the associated choices (also known as classifications and the associated classes) have to be identified. However, the identification process is often done in an ad hoc manner. We have conducted a case study to examine the common mistakes made by software testers during this process. The result of our study will facilitate researchers and practitioners in the development of systematic identification methods. ∗ c © 2002 SNPD. This material is presented to ensure timely dissemination of scholarly and technical work. Personal use of this material is permitted. Copyright and all rights therein are retained by authors or by other copyright holders. All persons copying this information are expected to adhere to the terms and constraints invoked by each author’s copyright. In most cases, these works may not be reposted without the explicit permission of the copyright holder. Permission to reprint/republish this material for advertising or promotional purposes or for creating new collective works for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or to reuse any copyrighted component of this work in other works must be obtained from SNPD 2002. This work is supported in part by grants of the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong (Project Nos. CityU 1048/01E and HKU 7029/01E) and a research and conference grant of The University of Hong Kong. Contact author.
Towards Epistemic Planning Agents

We propose an approach for single-agent epistemic planning in domains with incomplete knowledge. We argue that on the one hand the integration of epistemic reasoning into planning is useful because it makes the use of sensors more flexible. On the other hand, defining an epistemic problem description is an error prone task as the epistemic effects of actions are more complex than their usual physical effects. We apply the axioms of the Discrete Event Calculus Knowledge Theory (DECKT) as rules to compile simple non-epistemic planning problem descriptions into complex epistemic descriptions. We show how the resulting planning problems are solved by our implemented prototype which is based on Answer Set Programming (ASP).
Comparison of Reflux Frequency During Prolonged Multichannel Intraluminal Impedance and pH Monitoring On and Off Acid Suppression Therapy

Background The aim of this study was to assess and compare reflux frequency during prolonged multichannel intraluminal impedance and pH monitoring with special attention to the 2-hour postprandial interval after the major meal in patients on or off proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy. Materials and Methods We retrospectively analyzed multichannel intraluminal impedance and pH studies performed in 110 patients monitored on (n=70) or off PPI (n=40) to assess number of acid and nonacid reflux episodes per hour (RE/h). Results Patients on PPI had significantly higher mean number of nonacid than acid RE/h during the total monitoring and 2-hour postprandially (pp). The mean number of nonacid RE/h was significantly higher during 2-hour pp than the total monitoring period (4.5 vs. 1.7). Patients off PPI had significantly higher mean number of acid than nonacid RE/h only during the total monitoring. The total number of RE/h was significantly higher during 2-hour pp than the total monitoring (5.1 vs. 2.3). Patients on PPI had significantly higher mean number of nonacid RE/h whereas patients off PPI had significantly higher mean number of acid RE/h throughout total monitoring and 2-hour pp. Number of RE/h was numerically (2.3 vs. 1.7) but not statistically greater off PPI than on PPI during total monitoring. Conclusions The total number of reflux episodes increases during the postprandial period irrespective of PPI therapy. Maximal rate of reflux episodes occurs during the postprandial period and is the same whether taking PPI or not.
Long‐term outcome of pediatric renal transplantation: A single center study in Japan

Little is known about the risk factors for long‐term poor outcome in pediatric renal transplantation. Between 1973 and 2010, 111 renal transplants (92 living donations) were performed in 104 children (56 males, mean age, 12.5 yr) at the Social Insurance Chukyo Hospital, and followed‐up for a mean period of 13.6 yr. The patient survival at 1, 5, 10, 15, 20 (living‐ and deceased‐donor transplants), and 30 yr (living‐donor transplants only) was 98.1%, 92.8%, 87.8%, 84.9%, 82.6%, and 79.3%. The graft survival at 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 yr was 92.0%, 77.3%, 58.4%, 50.8%, 38.5%, and 33.3%. The most common cause of graft loss was CAI, AR, death with functioning, recurrent primary disease, ATN, and malignancy. Donor gender, ATN, malignancy/cardiovascular events, and eras affected patient survival. AR and CAI were the risk factors for graft loss. The evolved immunosuppression protocols improved the outcome by reducing AR episodes and ATN but not CAI, suggesting CAI as the major risk factor for graft loss. CAI was correlated with AR episodes, CMV infection, and post‐transplant hypertension. Strategies for preventing the risk factors for malignancy/cardiovascular events and CAI, including hypertension/infection, are crucial for better outcomes.
Disco edits and their discontents: The persistence of the analog in a digital era

This article foregrounds the distinction between two compositional forms and creative strategies in dance music — edits and remixes — as a way to gain a better understanding of the relationship between media use and media content, between producers and users, artifacts and events. It considers how the earliest disco edits in the 1970s were shaped by listeners (DJs and dancers) working in tandem with the material qualities and functional properties of vinyl records and other analog technologies and argues that while contemporary edits are made with digital tools, they continue to be in debt to their analog antecedents. In doing so this article critiques the enthusiastic adoption of ‘remix’ as a metaphor to describe digital culture and questions whether this rhetorical usage overshadows the aesthetic priorities and political implications of a variety of creative strategies that involve media use and re-use.
Enhanced inhibition of Aspergillus niger on sedge (Lepironia articulata) treated with heat‐cured lime oil

This study aimed to examine heat curing effect (30–100°C) on antifungal activities of lime oil and its components (limonene, p‐cymene, β‐pinene and α‐pinene) at concentrations ranging from 100 to 300 μl ml−1 against Aspergillus niger in microbiological medium and to optimize heat curing of lime oil for efficient mould control on sedge (Lepironia articulata).
Effect of helix turn angle on the performance of a half wavelength quadrifilar antenna

The impedance and radiation pattern parameters of a /spl lambda//2 quadrifilar helix antenna (QHA) with turn angles in the range 0/spl deg/ to 235/spl deg/ are analyzed. It is shown that by selecting the helix turn angle to satisfy the minimum bandwidth and beamwidth requirements, an improved electrical performance and a reduction in the physical size of the antenna is obtained. This is demonstrated by comparing the performance of a conventional half turn QHA with structures having a smaller pitch length. The computed results are validated by experimental data at L-band.
A Design and Implementation of the Contents Sharing Service on the Peer-to-Peer based Virtual Home Platform

This paper shows a design and implementation case of the contents sharing service application which is executed on the peer-to-peer based virtual home platform middleware. The virtual home platform provides an upper layer application with the peer-to-peer network configuration mechanism such as peer discovery, peer grouping, pipe binding and etc. An application based on virtual home platform implemented using U-Share application architecture. In this architecture, an U-Share application is implemented by two layers. U-Share management and primitive service layer provide U-Share application layer with P2P functions which can be generally reused to implement various P2P applications. And the U-Share applications which are implemented on top layer include GUI and service dependent functions. In this work, we are following the U-Share application architecture to implement contents sharing application. We use U-Share management services to discover other peers and groups and to manage buddy list. We also use U-Share file transfer and message transfer primitive services to exchange messages and files between peers. U-Share contents sharing application search not only files but also service enabled peers which share contents. And application provides GUI by which the user can explore peers, groups and contents files on each peers. We also present an application level message routing method using hypercube graph to reduce the P2P message traffic.
Immunological Alterations Occurring during the Induction of Oral Tolerance in Patients with Food Allergies

Food allergy is a potentially life-threatening condition with no approved therapies, beyond avoidance. The offending food intake develops skin, respiratory and gastrointestinal manifestations and anaphylactic reactions in the severe forms. Food allergy is established by the loss of tolerance to food proteins, and is characterized by an altered balance of regulatory T (Treg) cells and the shift to Th2 type cytokines in the intestinal lamina propria. Oral immunotherapy (OIT) is an experimental treatment in which food-allergic patients consume gradually increased doses of food to raise their threshold for allergic reaction. The ability of OIT to desensitize patients to a particular food is well-documented, although the ability to induce perpetual tolerance has not been established. At present, OIT experience with several foods offer promising results. OIT is safe producing low adverse reactions, and is effective in inducing desensitization in most subjects with food allergy. This review focuses on recent studies about modifications that OIT causes on the immune system of allergic patients, and that culminates in its desensitization of involved foods.
Video Synthesis From Still Images Using 3-D Flow Models

In this letter, we present a new approach to synthesize video from still images. The method first models 3-D flows, and then it proposes image modulation. Finally, the 3-D flow models are projected onto image planes to produce the final video. We use some results of computational flow dynamics to model the flows and propose image matting and inpainting methods that are more appropriate to our animation. Our algorithm can effectively handle still images that have flows. Experiments demonstrate that our synthesis method can produce good-looking videos.
Energy dispersion of the electrosubbands in parabolic confining quantum wires: interplay of Rashba, Dresselhaus, lateral spin–orbit interaction and the Zeeman effect

We have made a thorough theoretical investigation of the interplay of spin–orbit interactions (SOIs) resulting from Rashba, Dresselhaus and the lateral parabolic confining potential on the energy dispersion relation of the spin subbands in a parabolic quantum wire. The influence of an applied external magnetic field is also discussed. We show the interplay of different types of SOI, as well as the Zeeman effect, leads to rather complex and intriguing electrosubbands for different spin branches. The effect of different coupling strengths and different magnetic field strengths is also investigated.
Changes in Cerebral Hemodynamics After a Single Dose of Clonidine in Severely Head-Injured Patients

alpha2-Adrenergic agonists induce cerebral vasoconstriction, reduce intracranial pressure (ICP) in experimental animals and may be useful in the hemodynamic management of head-injured patients. We studied the effects of the alpha2 agonist clonidine on the cerebral circulation in 12 head-injured patients (Glasgow Coma Scale score < 8). Middle cerebral artery flow velocity (MCAV), ICP, mean arterial pressure (MAP), and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP), were continuously recorded before (T0), at the end (T1), and 30 min after (T2) a 10-min intravenous (IV) infusion of 2.5 micro g/kg clonidine. The cerebral arteriovenous oxygen content difference (AVDO2) and PaCO2 were sequentially obtained. ICP, PaCO2, AVDO2, and MCAV did not change after clonidine administration. In contrast, MAP and CPP decreased (P < 0.05 and P < 0.05, respectively, at T1 and T2). Three subjects displayed a transient increase in ICP (>10 mm Hg) at T1; this increase was concomitant with the decrease in MAP. Clonidine administered as an IV infusion may induce a critical but transient increase in ICP in some severely head-injured patients. This effect may result from cerebral autoregulatory vasodilation and increased cerebral blood volume as a response to the hypotensive effects of clonidine. (Anesth Analg 1997;84:127-32)
IL23R and IL12B polymorphisms in spanish IBD patients: No evidence of interaction

Background: Recent genomic surveys have identified IL23R and IL12B as susceptibility loci for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Our aim in the present study was to ascertain whether the IL23R and IL12B associations with IBD are also observed in our population, and to analyze possible genetic interactions between polymorphisms at IL12B and IL23R, ligand and receptor, respectively. Methods: In all, 707 IBD patients (344 with Crohn's disease and 363 with ulcerative colitis) and 547 healthy controls from the same ethnic origin (Caucasian Spaniards) were included in the present study. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in IL23R (rs7517847 and rs11209026) and 2 in IL12B (rs3212227 and rs6887695) genes were analyzed by TaqMan technology. Genetic frequencies were compared with a chi‐square test. Interaction between genes was analyzed by case‐only comparisons. Results: The data show an association of both IL23R SNPs with overall IBD (statistically stronger, rs7517847; odds ratio [OR] = 0.79, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.67–0.94, minor allele frequencies: 0.355 in IBD patients versus 0.410 in controls; P = 0.005), somewhat stronger in Crohn's disease (OR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.61–0.91) than in ulcerative colitis (OR = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.69–1.03). IL12B rs6887695 showed a weak association with IBD (OR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.04–1.47, minor allele frequencies: 0.375 in IBD patients versus 0.326 in controls, P = 0.012), stronger in UC (OR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.07–1.60, P = 0.007). No statistically significant differences were apparent when patients were stratified according to clinical characteristics. No interaction was observed between any of the polymorphisms studied at IL12B and IL23R. Conclusions: Our study confirms the association of IL23R and IL12B with IBD in the Spanish population, but no interaction between either loci could be detected.
Porcelain materials.

t no time in recent history has the interest in esthetics, biological safety, and the relative cost and Lefficacy of dental care been greater. In view of porcelain's desirable esthetic properties and biocompatibility, it is understandable that the major emphasis in ceramics research has been directed toward an enhancement of the strength, longevity, and esthetic properties of porcelain restorations. The ceramo-metal restoration is still the mainstay of fixed prosthodontics and finds broad application in high-stress areas and for the restoration of multiple units. Research has focused upon minimizing destructive interfacial stresses, improvement in esthetics, and the development of dispersion-strengthened porcelains. Advances in individual porcelain jacket crowns have included the use of higher strength aluminous porcelain, the use of tin-plated platinum foil, bonding porcelain to a swaged gold and palladium foil matrix, and the most recent development — castable glass ceramic materials.
ast 3-D dark-field reflection-mode photoacoustic icroscopy in vivo with a 30-MHz ultrasound inear array

ihong V. Wang ashington University in St. Louis ptical Imaging Laboratory epartment of Biomedical Engineering t. Louis, Missouri 63130 -mail: lhwang@biomed.wustl. edu Abstract. We present an in vivo dark-field reflection-mode photoacoustic microscopy system that performs cross-sectional B-scan imaging at 50 Hz with real-time beamforming and 3-D imaging consisting of 166 B-scan frames at 1 Hz with postbeamforming. To our knowledge, this speed is currently the fastest in photoacoustic imaging. A custom-designed light delivery system is integrated with a 30-MHz ultrasound linear array to realize dark-field reflection-mode imaging. Linear mechanical scanning of the array produces 3-D images. The system has axial, lateral, and elevational resolutions of 25, 70, and 200 m, respectively, and can image 3 mm deep in scattering biological tissues. Volumetric images of subcutaneous vasculature in rats are demonstrated in vivo. Fast 3-D photoacoustic microscopy is anticipated to facilitate applications of photoacoustic imaging in biomedical studies that involve dynamics and clinical procedures that demand immediate diagnosis. © 2008 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. DOI: 10.1117/1.2976141
Simultaneous measurement by flow cytometry of sperm cell viability and mitochondrial membrane potential related to cell motility.

Flow cytometry of sperm cells stained green with rhodamine 123 (Rl23) and red with ethidium bromide (EB) provides a rapid, quanitative analysis of mitochondrial membrane potential (correlated here with cell motility) and cell viability. The staining specificity of R123 for mitochondria was described recently by Johnson et al (5) and quantitated via flow cytometry by Darzynkiewicz et al. (2,3). After stainingwith Rl23, differences in fluorescence intensity between cells are believed due to a variable number of mitochondnia per cell (2) or a difference in mitochondrial membrane potential (1,6), both of which are related to the metabolic processes of the cell. Ethidium bromide is used as a counterstain to determine cell viability, indicated by cxclusion of the dye by living cells. The sperm in suspension, stained with Rl23 and EB, were measured individually in a flow cytometer at rates up to one thousand pen second. Thus statistically significant populations were easily assayed, offering an advantage over the slower, semiquantitative methods used currently for analyses of sperm motility and viability. While the EB dye exclusion technique for assessing cell viability is well-established, we believe this is the first report of a sperm “motility” assay based on measurements of mitochondriab membrane potential. Sperm in suspension, stained with R123! EB as described in the caption to Figure 1 , were observed by ultraviolet and light microscopy using a Leitz Orthopban microscope fitted with epifluorescent illu-
Stability of ten-dimensional Kaluza-Klein supergravity.

The residual supersymmetry and classical stability are investigated for the Kaluza-Klein solutions CP/sup 3/, CP/sup 2/ x S/sup 2/, S/sup 4/ x S/sup 2/, S/sup 2/ x S/sup 2/ x S/sup 2/ of N = 2 ten-dimensional nonchiral supergravity. It is shown that only the CP/sup 3/ solution possesses a residual (N = 6) supersymmetry. The solutions are then examined for scalar modes violating the Breitenlohner-Freedman stability criterion. It is shown that CP/sup 3/, CP/sup 2/ x S/sup 2/, and S/sup 4/ x S/sup 2/ may be stable against such modes.
Something always sticks? how emotional language modulates neural processes involved in face encoding and recognition memory

Abstract Language can serve to constrain cognitive and emotional representations. Here, we investigate to what extent linguistic emotional information alters processing of faces with neutral expressions. Previous studies have shown that cortical processing of emotional faces differs from that of neutral faces. Electroencephalography (EEG) has revealed emotion effects for early and late event-related potentials (ERPs) such as the N1, the Early Posterior Negativity (EPN) and the Late Positive Potential (LPP). In order to study the effect of language information on face processing, 30 negative and 30 neutral descriptive phrases were presented, each followed by a neutral expression face. Participants were instructed to remember the association. We analyzed the immediate effect of information type on face processing during encoding as well as delayed effects during subsequent recognition. During encoding, faces following negative language information elicited a larger left frontal positivity between 500–700 ms after stimulus onset. During recognition, a left centro-parietal LPP was likewise increased for faces previously associated with a negative description. In addition, the parietal old/new effect was significantly increased for faces with negative information compared to new ones, while no significant effect was observed for faces with neutral information. No information effects on early perceptual ERPs (N1, EPN) were found. Reaction times (RTs) for source memory decisions (negative versus neutral) were significantly shorter for faces with negative versus neutral information. In sum, ERP results indicate that emotional significance can be linguistically induced in faces on a cortical level and, at least in an explicit memory task, this information modulates later stages of face processing and memory. Implications for cognitive effects of public media design are discussed.