Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interleukin‐1 in multiple myeloma: producer cells and their role in the control of IL‐6 production

We studied the role of interleukin (IL)‐1β in patients with multiple myeloma. By in situ hybridization and immunochemistry, myeloid and megakaryocytic cells expressed high levels of the IL‐1β gene and produced IL‐1β. Myeloma cells less potently expressed the IL‐1β gene and IL‐1β protein. IL‐1β gene expression was not constitutive since it was detected in the bone marrow myeloma cells of two patients, unlike circulating tumoural cells. In addition, nine myeloma cell lines failed to express the IL‐1β gene and this expression could not be induced by 12 different cytokines. We demonstrated that IL‐1 was mainly responsible for IL‐6 production in the tumoural environment through a PGE2 loop. In fact, an IL‐1 receptor antagonist (IL‐1RA) blocked PGE2 synthesis and IL‐6 production by 80%; this blockage could be reversed by adding synthetic PGE2. Similar findings were found with indomethacin, an inhibitor of cyclooxygenase that blocks PGE2 synthesis. Taken together, these data emphasize the possibility of blocking IL‐1 by using IL‐1RA or other antagonists in order to block IL‐6 production, which is a major tumoural survival and proliferation factor.
Use of gel chromatography for the determination of the Stokes radii of proteins in the presence and absence of detergents. A reexamination.

In the course of a routine investigation of the complex between the erythrocyte membrane protein spectrin and sodium dodecyl sulfate, we observed a large discrepancy between the true Stokes radius (178 A, measured by hydrodynamic methods) and the apparent value derived from gel chromatography (107 A). In attempting to resolve this discrepancy, we have experiments that indicate that all large asymmetric particles may be subject to a similar discrepancy; e.g., native fibrinogne has a true Strokes radius of 108 A, whereas the value derived by column chromatography after calibration with globular proteins is only 71 A. The simplest interpretation is that end-on insertion of asymmetric particles into the gel pores contributes to their retardation. The phenomenon clearly limits the usefulness of gel chromatography as a quantitative measure of the hydrodynamic Stokes radius. Incidental data obtained in the course of this work indicate that spherical viruses may have weak chemical affinity for the porous gel. Chromatography of large proteins in the presence of detergents produced no effects ascribable to absorption of the detergents, but the results suggest a need for further study of possible interaction between detergents and small gel pores.
A common polymorphism of uncoupling protein 2 gene is associated with hypertension

Objectives The genes responsible for obesity are also candidate genes for obesity-related conditions, such as hypertension and type 2 diabetes. A functional polymorphism in the uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) promoter has been reported to be associated with obesity in Caucasians. To clarify the contribution of this polymorphism to obesity and related conditions, we studied the association of the −866 G/A polymorphism of the UCP2 gene with obesity, hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods A total of 632 unrelated Japanese subjects were studied: 342 type 2 diabetic patients (among them, 158 patients complicated with hypertension), 156 hypertensive patients without diabetes mellitus and 134 control subjects. The −866 G/A polymorphism of UCP2 was determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). Results The frequency of the minor A allele was significantly higher in Japanese than in Caucasians (48.9 versus 37.2%, P = 0.01). In contrast to the significant association with obesity in Caucasians, the polymorphism was not associated with obesity in Japanese. The polymorphism, however, was significantly associated with hypertension in Japanese (frequency of A allele: 51.8% in hypertensives versus 46.6% in normotensives, P < 0.05). No significant difference was observed in body mass index (BMI), fasting insulin level or HOMA-R between patients with different genotypes. Conclusion These data indicate that the polymorphism of the UCP2 gene is associated with hypertension, and suggest the possibility of UCP2 as a target molecule for studies on the etiology and treatment of hypertension.
Corporate Governance in the Courtroom: An Empirical Analysis

Conventional wisdom is that shareholder derivative suits are dead. Yet this death knell is decidedly premature. The current conception of shareholder derivative suits is based on an empirical record limited to suits filed in Delaware or on behalf of Delaware corporations, leaving suits outside this sphere in the shadows of corporate law scholarship. This Article aims to fill this gap by presenting the first empirical examination of shareholder derivative suits in the federal courts. Using an original, hand-collected data set, my study reveals that shareholder derivative suits are far from dead. Shareholders file more shareholder derivative suits than securities class actions, the area of corporate litigation that has received nearly all of the scholarly attention. By writing off shareholder derivative suits, scholars have missed the distinct role that these suits play in corporate law, particularly in the area of corporate governance. Unlike traditional litigation, remarkably few of the suits in my study ended with monetary payments. Instead, these suits more commonly ended with corporations agreeing to reform their own corporate governance practices, from the number of independent directors on their boards to the method by which they compensate their top executives. These settlements reflect the rise of a new type of shareholder activism, one that has gone undocumented in the legal literature. Corporate governance has moved into the courtroom, and this development has important, and potentially troubling, implications for corporate law.
Agitation in cognitive disorders: International Psychogeriatric Association provisional consensus clinical and research definition

ABSTRACT Background: Agitation is common across neuropsychiatric disorders and contributes to disability, institutionalization, and diminished quality of life for patients and their caregivers. There is no consensus definition of agitation and no widespread agreement on what elements should be included in the syndrome. The International Psychogeriatric Association formed an Agitation Definition Work Group (ADWG) to develop a provisional consensus definition of agitation in patients with cognitive disorders that can be applied in epidemiologic, non-interventional clinical, pharmacologic, non-pharmacologic interventional, and neurobiological studies. A consensus definition will facilitate communication and cross-study comparison and may have regulatory applications in drug development programs. Methods: The ADWG developed a transparent process using a combination of electronic, face-to-face, and survey-based strategies to develop a consensus based on agreement of a majority of participants. Nine-hundred twenty-eight respondents participated in the different phases of the process. Results: Agitation was defined broadly as: (1) occurring in patients with a cognitive impairment or dementia syndrome; (2) exhibiting behavior consistent with emotional distress; (3) manifesting excessive motor activity, verbal aggression, or physical aggression; and (4) evidencing behaviors that cause excess disability and are not solely attributable to another disorder (psychiatric, medical, or substance-related). A majority of the respondents rated all surveyed elements of the definition as “strongly agree” or “somewhat agree” (68–88% across elements). A majority of the respondents agreed that the definition is appropriate for clinical and research applications. Conclusions: A provisional consensus definition of agitation has been developed. This definition can be used to advance interventional and non-interventional research of agitation in patients with cognitive impairment.
Instantaneous and steady-state pressure-flow relations of the coronary system in the canine beating heart.

Steady-state and instantaneous pressure-flow relations were both obtained from the pump-perfused left coronary bed of the beating heart in seven mongrel dogs. The steady-state pressure-flow relation was obtained by changing flow, and measuring pressure after it reached a steady level; it showed a sigmoid shape, with flow-regulation around 70 ml . min-1 . 100 g-1, and it had an average zero-flow pressure intercept of 1.9 kPa (14 mmHg). This curve was represented by an equation, using four parameters. The quality of regulation of the coronary bed could be quantified with this equation by determining the pressure range, when flow was changed from 25% below to 25% above control level. We found this pressure range to be 8.7 +/- 2.4 kPa (65 +/- 18 mmHg) on the average. The tangent at each point of steady-state pressure-flow relation was called differential resistance. Instantaneous pressure-flow relations were obtained by superimposing stepwise changes of flow of different amplitude, at several steady-state levels of flow. Pressure followed these steps with a time-constant of 0.3 +/- 0.1 s, due to capacitive effects, then remained constant during 3 to 4 s, and thereafter changed due to regulation. Pressure was measured during the plateau, assuming it to be a regulation-free period. The instantaneous pressure-flow relations were found to be linear, and the slope was called instantaneous resistance. In the physiological range of flows, instantaneous resistance increased with flow. The ratio between instantaneous and differential resistance, the regulatory index, is suggested to quantify regulation at each point of the steady-state curve. This index was between one and zero up to the upper limit of the regulatory range; at higher flows it was negative. In the maximally vasodilated bed the instantaneous pressure-flow relations fell along the steady-state relation, and the regulatory index was thus equal to zero at all flow-levels.
Effect of Pamidronate Treatment on Vertebral Deformity in Children with Primary Osteoporosis

Objective: Bisphosphonates are effectively used in treatment for primary osteoporosis in children. In the present study, we quantitatively evaluated the effect of pamidronate treatment on lumbar vertebrae in children with primary osteoporosis using radiographic morphometry. Methods: Paired lateral radiographs of the lumbar spine were obtained before and after pamidronate treatment in 5 children with primary osteoporosis. To characterize vertebral deformities, specific morphometrical ratios were calculated for vertebral bodies L1–L4. Results: Significant reshape of lumbar vertebrae was observed: the concavity index (middle-anterior ratio) decreased from 55 to 36% (p = 0.006), and the anterior-posterior ratio (used as a surrogate of wedge deformity) decreased from 25 to 11% (p = 0.001). Conclusions: Pamidronate treatment significantly influences the restoration of vertebral fractures in children with primary osteoporosis. The present study demonstrates that radiographic morphometry is a suitable tool for quantitative assessment of the vertebral deformities in childhood.
The ancestral gene repertoire of animal stem cells

Significance This work reveals the deeply conserved gene repertoire of animal stem cells, from sponges to mammals. This repertoire mostly contains ancient (premetazoan) genes and few novel (metazoan-specific) genes, but the latter point to the importance of genome protection in the origin of stem cells. Additionally, regulators of DNA transcription are only marginally represented among conserved stem-cell genes, whereas genes directly acting upon RNA predominate, including orthologues of RNA-binding proteins that control mammalian embryonic stem cells. Thus posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression has been crucial in animal stem-cell biology across hundreds of millions of years of animal evolution. Stem cells are pivotal for development and tissue homeostasis of multicellular animals, and the quest for a gene toolkit associated with the emergence of stem cells in a common ancestor of all metazoans remains a major challenge for evolutionary biology. We reconstructed the conserved gene repertoire of animal stem cells by transcriptomic profiling of totipotent archeocytes in the demosponge Ephydatia fluviatilis and by tracing shared molecular signatures with flatworm and Hydra stem cells. Phylostratigraphy analyses indicated that most of these stem-cell genes predate animal origin, with only few metazoan innovations, notably including several partners of the Piwi machinery known to promote genome stability. The ancestral stem-cell transcriptome is strikingly poor in transcription factors. Instead, it is rich in RNA regulatory actors, including components of the “germ-line multipotency program” and many RNA-binding proteins known as critical regulators of mammalian embryonic stem cells.
The Double Crisis of Representation and Participation in Brazil

ABSTRACT The Brazilian political system is a mix of representation and participation and innovation and political continuity. It introduced several new form of direct participation but also kept the proportional system with a strong president. The design of the Brazilian system divided political scientists, a few of them arguing the system could not possibly produce governability (Ames, B. 2001. The Deadlock of Democracy in Brazil: Interests, Identities, and Institutions in Comparative Politics. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press) whereas others argued that the system could produce good governance and executive branch legislative success (Figueiredo, A. C., & Limongi, F. 2010. Presidential power, legislative organization, and party behavior in Brazil. Comparative Politics, 32 (2), 151–170). In addition to that, the Brazilian institutional design strengthened the Supreme Court and the judicial system as a whole, an act that opened a judicial venue in the process of citizens representation in the process of expansion of rights. In this article, we are going to assume an intermediate position in the debate between Ames and Limongi. We will argue that the system of representation in Brazil was built upon several design problems but could work well as long as it interacted with a system of participation that help to give it legitimacy. In addition to that the political system lost influence to the judicial system in the representation of citizenship. The political arrangement based on the integration of representation and participation was provisional and collapsed after the June 2013 demonstrations opening the way for different attacks on representation and participation by both social actors and the judicial system. Video abstract Read the transcript Watch the video on Vimeo
A high PSRR Class-D audio amplifier IC based on a self-adjusting voltage reference

In a wide range of applications, audio amplifiers require a large Power Supply Rejection Ratio (PSRR) that the current Class-D architecture cannot reach. This paper proposes a self-adjusting internal voltage reference scheme that sets the bias voltages of the amplifier without losing on output dynamics. This solution relaxes the constraints on gain and feedback resistors matching that were previously the limiting factor for the PSRR. Theory of operation, design and IC evaluation in a Class-D amplifier in CMOS 0. 25µm will be shown in this paper. The use of this voltage reference increased the amplifier's PSRR by 15dB, with only a 140µA increase in current consumption.
[Acupotomy and acupuncture in the treatment of avascular necrosis of femoral head at the early and middle stages:a clinical randomized controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE To compare the efficacy difference between acupotomy and acupuncture in the treatment of avascular necrosis of femoral head at the early and middle stages. METHODS The randomized controlled prospective study method was adopted. Sixty cases of avascular necrosis of femoral head at Ficat-ArletⅠto Ⅱ stages were randomized into an acupotomy group (32 cases) and an acupuncture group (28 cases) by the third part. In the acupotomy group, the acupotomy was adopted for the loose solution at the treatment sites of hip joint, once every two weeks, totally for 3 times. In the acupuncture group, ashi points around the hip joint were selected and stimulated with warm acupuncture therapy, once every day, for 6 weeks. Harris hip score was observed before and after treatment. The efficacy was evaluated in the two groups. RESULTS Harris hip score was improved significantly after treatment in the two groups (both P<0.05). The result in acupotomy group was better than that in the acupuncture group (P<0.05). The effective rate was 90.6% (29/32) in the acupotomy group, better than 75.0% (21/28) in the acupuncture group after treatment (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Harris hip score and the effective rate in the acupotomy group are better than those in the treatment with routine acupuncture for avascular necrosis of femoral head at the early and middle stages.
The “Silent” Global Burden of Congenital Cytomegalovirus

SUMMARY Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a leading cause of congenital infections worldwide. In the developed world, following the virtual elimination of circulating rubella, it is the commonest nongenetic cause of childhood hearing loss and an important cause of neurodevelopmental delay. The seroprevalence of CMV in adults and the incidence of congenital CMV infection are highest in developing countries (1 to 5% of births) and are most likely driven by nonprimary maternal infections. However, reliable estimates of prevalence and outcome from developing countries are not available. This is largely due to the dogma that maternal preexisting seroimmunity virtually eliminates the risk for sequelae. However, recent data demonstrating similar rates of sequelae, especially hearing loss, following primary and nonprimary maternal infection have underscored the importance of congenital CMV infection in resource-poor settings. Although a significant proportion of congenital CMV infections are attributable to maternal primary infection in well-resourced settings, the absence of specific interventions for seronegative mothers and uncertainty about fetal prognosis have discouraged routine maternal antibody screening. Despite these challenges, encouraging results from prototype vaccines have been reported, and the first randomized phase III trials of prenatal interventions and prolonged postnatal antiviral therapy are under way. Successful implementation of strategies to prevent or reduce the burden of congenital CMV infection will require heightened global awareness among clinicians and the general population. In this review, we highlight the global epidemiology of congenital CMV and the implications of growing knowledge in areas of prevention, diagnosis, prognosis, and management for both low (50 to 70%)- and high (>70%)-seroprevalence settings.
Voice and Facial Expression Based Classification of Emotion Using Linear Support Vector Machine

The paper provides a novel approach to emotion recognition from facial expression and voice of subjects. The subjects are asked to manifest their emotional exposure in both facial expression and voice, while uttering a given sentence. Facial features including mouth-opening, eye-opening, eyebrow-constriction, and voice features including, first three formants: F1, F2, and F3, and respective powers at those formants, and pitch are extracted for 7 different emotional expressions of each subject. A linear Support Vector Machine classifier is used to classify the extracted feature vectors into different emotion classes. Sensitivity of the classifier to Gaussian noise is studied, and experimental results confirm that the recognition accuracy of emotion up to a level of 95% is maintained, even when the mean and standard deviation of noise are as high as 5% and 20% respectively over the individual features. A further analysis to identify the importance of individual features reveals that mouth-opening and eye-opening are primary features, in absence of which classification accuracy falls off by a large margin of more than 22%.
Monoamine Neurotransmitter Function and Spontaneous Recurrence of Methamphetamine Psychosis

The process that triggered spontaneous recurrence of methamphetamine (MAP)-induced paranoid-hallucinatory psychosis, a phenomenon known as flashbacks, was studied in 41 subjects with flashbacks, along with 84 subjects with a history of previous MAP psychosis but no flashbacks. Plasma levels of norepinephrine (NE), dopamine, and 5-hydroxytryptamine, and their respective metabolites were assayed in 28 of the 41 flashbackers, 16 of the 84 non-flashbackers, 9 subjects with persistent MAP psychosis, and 28 healthy controls comprised of 20 MAP users and 8 non-users. None of the 28 controls had become psychotic. The 41 flashbackers had experienced significantly greater frequencies of threatening events and frightening paranoid-hallucinatory states during previous MAP use than the 84 non-flashbackers. The dominant factor that triggered flashbacks was a mild fear of other persons. The 41 flashbackers may have encoded threatening experiences as frightening images. Repeated MAP use with threatening experiences may induce sensitization to frightening images. Plasma NE levels during flashbacks were significantly higher than the levels during periods of normalcy, and the NE levels in the 20 user and 8 non-user controls. The 9 subjects with persistent MAP psychosis had significant higher levels of NE than the user and non-user controls. The 16 non-flashbackers had significantly higher MHPG levels than the user controls. The findings suggest that MAP use may induce changes at pharmacological levels in the process underlying sensitization to frightening images. We suggested that when the flashbackers experienced a mild fear of other persons, MAP-induced sensitization to frightening images may have been actualized. Thus, the flashbacks may have been caused through increased noradrenergic hyperactivity.
Shared decision making for in‐patients with schizophrenia

Objective: Patients’ participation in treatment planning is being increasingly advocated in mental health. The model of ‘Shared Decision Making’ (SDM) is proposed as a promising method of engaging patients in medical decisions and improving health‐related outcomes. In the present study, the feasibility and effects of SDM for in‐patients with schizophrenia should be evaluated.
Modelo de arquitectura de middleware para un sistema de transporte público de pasajeros en ciudades basado en Smart City

El presente proyecto se encarga de proponer un modelo de arquitectura de Middleware, para apoyar el desarrollo rapido y conveniente de servicios distribuidos y aplicaciones de interoperabilidad entre las tecnologias heterogeneas actualmente usadas para el mensaje y monitoreo. El modelo propuesto permitira la unificacion de la informacion de mensaje y monitoreo recopilada, tanto por las redes implementadas en Bogota, como por aquellas que se han implementado en otros paises y que se espera a futuro sean incluidas en aquellas; asimismo permitira la conformacion de la plataforma subyacente de las aplicaciones y servicios que permitira la agregacion de inteligencia y autonomia en la toma de decisiones de las maquinas que controlaran los sistemas de gestion del transporte urbano de pasajeros.