Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Expression of CD81, SR‐BI and LDLR in lymphocytes and monocytes from patients with classic and occult hepatitis C virus infection

CD81, the scavenger receptor‐BI (SR‐BI) and the low‐density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) are involved in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) hepatitis C virus (HCV) entry. To investigate if these molecules are altered by HCV, 20 controls and 66 patients: 37 untreated and 29 sustained virological responders, were studied. CD81 and LDLR expression, measured the percentage of cells expressing the HCV‐receptors and their mean fluorescence intensity (MFI), was analyzed on lymphocytes and monocytes, as well as SR‐BI on monocytes by flow cytometry. RNA was extracted from PBMCs and detection of the HCV‐RNA positive and negative strands was performed by strand‐specific RT‐PCR. A statistically significant increase of CD81 expression was observed on lymphocytes, a higher percentage of LDLR on lymphocytes and monocytes, as well as SR‐BI on monocytes was found in the patients as compared to the controls (P < 0.05 in all cases). Untreated patients showed a higher percentage of LDLR+ lymphocytes than sustained virological responders (P = 0.025). Nineteen sustained virological responders bore the HCV‐RNA positive strand in PBMCs; nine of them the negative strand too. Sustained virological responders with occult infection and viral replication, showed a higher expression of LDLR on lymphocytes (P < 0.05) and a higher LDLR MFI on monocytes (P = 0.011) than those without viral replication. In conclusion, HCV exposure modifies expression levels of the receptors studied, being LDLR related with HCV replication, not only in the classic but also in the occult infection. J. Med. Virol. 84:1727–1736, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Forecasting Exchange Rates Using General Regression Neural Networks

Predicting currency movements has always been a problematic task as most conventional econometric models are not able to forecast exchange rates with significantly higher accuracy than a naive random walk model. For large multinational firms which conduct substantial currency transfers in the course of business, being able to accurately forecast the movements of exchange rates can result in considerable improvement in the overall profitability of the firm. In this study, we apply the General Regression Neural Network (GRNN) to predict the monthly exchange rates of three currencies, British pound, Canadian dollar, and Japanese yen. Our empirical experiment shows that the performance of GRNN is better than other neural network and econometric techniques included in this study. The results demonstrate the predictive strength of GRNN and its potential for solving financial forecasting problems.
Simple Organics and Biomonomers Identified in HCN Polymers: An Overview

Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) is a ubiquitous molecule in the Universe. It is a compound that is easily produced in significant yields in prebiotic simulation experiments using a reducing atmosphere. HCN can spontaneously polymerise under a wide set of experimental conditions. It has even been proposed that HCN polymers could be present in objects such as asteroids, moons, planets and, in particular, comets. Moreover, it has been suggested that these polymers could play an important role in the origin of life. In this review, the simple organics and biomonomers that have been detected in HCN polymers, the analytical techniques and procedures that have been used to detect and characterise these molecules and an exhaustive classification of the experimental/environmental conditions that favour the formation of HCN polymers are summarised. Nucleobases, amino acids, carboxylic acids, cofactor derivatives and other compounds have been identified in HCN polymers. The great molecular diversity found in HCN polymers encourages their placement at the central core of a plausible protobiological system.
Políticas públicas del audiovisual y la desregulación de la televisión local por ondas en España (1980-2004)

Desde que la television local comienza a manifestarse como fenomeno del sistema audiovisual espanol, en los primeros anos 80, hasta hoy, las politicas publicas en torno a este sector han vivido tres etapas: una primera de ausencia de regulacion, una segunda con la aparicion de la ley 41/1995 y, por ultimo, una etapa fuertemente desregulatoria originada a partir de la desactivacion de la actividad sancionadora de la administracion en materia de ocupacion del espectro. Este trabajo repasa estas tres etapas y trata de establecer las bases para comprender como se ha producido un proceso fuertemente desregulatorio en la television local por ondas en Espana.
Relative nutritional availability to rats of selenium in Finnish spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) fertilized or sprayed with sodium selenate and in an American winter bread wheat naturally high in Se

1. A Finnish national programme to fertilize crops with sodium selenate led us to compare the nutritional availability to rats of selenium in two Finnish spring wheats (Triticum aestivum L.), either fertilized or sprayed with sodium selenate, with that in an American winter bread wheat naturally high in Se. 2. Weanling male rats were given a Se-deficient Torula yeast diet for 4 weeks followed by either continued depletion or repletion for 4 weeks with graded levels of Se as sodium selenite (standard) or wheat (test food). Plasma and liver Se levels and plasma and liver glutathione peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.9; GSH-Px) activities were used as criteria of body Se status. 3. The availability of Se under these conditions was calculated with the point-slope technique at two dietary levels of Se (Expt 1) and with the slope-ratio method (Expt 2). 4. In the point-slope assay, the level of dietary Se fed had a considerable effect on the apparent availability values obtained which made interpretation of the results difficult. In the slope-ratio assay, no difference in the availability of Se from the various wheats was observed when plasma or liver Se levels were used as the response criteria. 5. The Se in the fertilized wheat was somewhat more available than that in the sprayed wheat when plasma or liver GSH-Px activities were the response criteria. Overall, availability values (% ) derived by averaging all four response criteria were 86, 77 and 73 for the fertilized and sprayed Finnish wheats and the American wheat respectively (sodium selenite 100). 6. These results show that wheat is a relatively available source of Se to rats regardless of whether its Se content is naturally high or is increased by fertilization or spraying.
Phase I Clinical Trial of a Recombinant Blood Stage Vaccine Candidate for Plasmodium falciparum Malaria Based on MSP1 and EBA175

Background A phase I randomised, controlled, single blind, dose escalation trial was conducted to evaluate safety and immunogenicity of JAIVAC-1, a recombinant blood stage vaccine candidate against Plasmodium falciparum malaria, composed of a physical mixture of two recombinant proteins, PfMSP-119, the 19 kD conserved, C-terminal region of PfMSP-1 and PfF2 the receptor-binding F2 domain of EBA175. Method Healthy malaria naïve Indian male subjects aged 18–45 years were recruited from the volunteer database of study site. Fifteen subjects in each cohort, randomised in a ratio of 2:1 and meeting the protocol specific eligibility criteria, were vaccinated either with three doses (10μg, 25μg and 50μg of each antigen) of JAIVAC-1 formulated with adjuvant Montanide ISA 720 or with standard dosage of Hepatitis B vaccine. Each subject received the assigned vaccine in the deltoid muscle of the upper arms on Day 0, Day 28 and Day 180. Results JAIVAC-1 was well tolerated and no serious adverse event was observed. All JAIVAC-1 subjects sero-converted for PfF2 but elicited poor immune response to PfMSP-119. Dose-response relationship was observed between vaccine dose of PfF2 and antibody response. The antibodies against PfF2 were predominantly of IgG1 and IgG3 isotype. Sera from JAIVAC-1 subjects reacted with late schizonts in a punctate pattern in immunofluorescence assays. Purified IgG from JAIVAC-1 sera displayed significant growth inhibitory activity against Plasmodium falciparum CAMP strain. Conclusion Antigen PfF2 should be retained as a component of a recombinant malaria vaccine but PfMSP-119 construct needs to be optimised to improve its immunogenicity. Trial Registration Clinical Trial Registry, India CTRI/2010/091/000301
An adaptive current tomograph using voltage sources

An adaptive electric current tomography system that contains a novel front-end analog architecture was developed. Programmable voltage sources were used to deliver currents into the study object and to avoid the difficulties of obtaining high-quality current sources. Through inverting an admittance matrix, the system is capable of achieving a desired current drive pattern by applying a computed voltage pattern. The tomograph, operating at 9.6 kHz, comprises 32 driving electrodes and 32 voltage measurement electrodes. The study of system noise performance shows high SNR in the data acquisition which is enhanced by a digital demodulation scheme. In vitro reconstruction images have been obtained with the data collected by the tomograph. <<ETX>>
User Tolerance and Self-Regulation in Congestion Control

In response to poor quality of service (QoS), users self-regulate, i.e. they immediately release bandwidth and abandon network. However, there are studies that show users are willing to tolerate poor QoS for some time to evaluate if network performance will improve before abandoning the network. In this paper, we investigate how users willingness to wait for improved QoS may influence network activities, such as network pricing, bandwidth allocation, network revenue, and performance. We develop and employ a self-regulation model that includes user evaluation of QoS before deciding to abandon or stay in the network. This model considers these two factors: user tolerance of low QoS and the price per unit a user is willing to pay. Our investigation uncovers a double edged problem network may be populated with lower paying users, who are also dissatisfied. These lower paying users drive the price higher than the price produced by conventional solution for network congestion. This leads to our proposal for a market informed congestion control scheme, where network resolves congestion based on user profile that is defined by their ability to pay and demand for bandwidth.
Mesenchymal Stem Cells Inhibit Generation and Function of Both CD34+-Derived and Monocyte-Derived Dendritic Cells1

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are not only able to evade the immune system, but they have also been demonstrated to exert profound immunosuppressive properties on T cell proliferation. However, their effect on the initiators of the immune response, the dendritic cells (DCs), are relatively unknown. In the present study, the effects of human MSCs on the differentiation and function of both CD34+-derived DCs and monocyte-derived DCs were investigated. The presence of MSCs during differentiation blocked the differentiation of CD14+CD1a− precursors into dermal/interstitial DCs, without affecting the generation of CD1a+ Langerhans cells. In line with these observations, MSCs also completely prevented the generation of immature DCs from monocytes. The inhibitory effect of MSCs on DC differentiation was dose dependent and resulted in both phenotypical and functional modifications, as demonstrated by a reduced expression of costimulatory molecules and hampered capacity to stimulate naive T cell proliferation. The inhibitory effect of MSCs was mediated via soluble factors. Taken together, these data demonstrate that MSCs, next to the antiproliferative effect on T cells, have a profound inhibitory effect on the generation and function of both CD34+-derived and monocyte-derived DCs, indicating that MSCs are able to modulate immune responses at multiple levels.
Oral Reasons for Bowel symptoms Initial Barium enema Haematology Bacteriology age / sex clindamycin antibiotic proctoscopy therapy Dose Days ( mg / day ) 1 600 6 Post-operative Diarrhoea + Ulcerations and Severe and total Platelets : normal Normal faecal

An increasing number of cases have been recently reported of colitis in patients treated with the antibiotic clindamycin. The clinical, radiological, and endoscopic features of clindamycin-associated colitis are now well documented (Shimkin and Link, 1973; Viteri et al., 1974; Le Frock et al., 1975). Biopsy may show one of two histological patterns: a typical pseudomembranous colitis or a non-specific colitis. In clindamycin-associated colitis, the pseudomembranous type has received more attention, probably because of its more dramatic pathological and clinical complications. Various attempts have been made to identify a specific cause for pseudomembranous colitis associated with clindamycin therapy. One of the problems is that pseudomembranous colitis has been described after treatment with a variety of antibiotics other than clindamycin, such as tetracycline, chloramphenicol, ampicillin, penicillin, and cephalosporin. Furthermore, with lesions involving large and small bowel, pseudomembranous enterocolitis is also known to occur as a complication of the postoperative state, bowel obstruction, reticuloses, chronic renal and cardiac diseases, staphylococcal overgrowth, and heavy metal poisoning. Ten years ago, pseudomembranous enterocolitis (Goulston and McGovern, 1965) and ischaemic enterocolitis (McGovern and Goulston, 1965; Marston et al., 1966) were looked upon as two different pathological entities. Later, it was suggested that pseudomembranous enterocolitis was also and primarily of ischaemic nature, with or without superimposed secondary bacterial infection (Morson and Dawson, 1972; Morson, 1974). A theory thus emerged that both these conditions represented
MATE CHOICE FOR NONADDITIVE GENETIC BENEFITS CORRELATE WITH MHC DISSIMILARITY IN THE ROSE BITTERLING (RHODEUS OCELLATUS)

Good genes models of mate choice predict additive genetic benefits of choice whereas the compatibility hypothesis predicts nonadditive fitness benefits. Here the Chinese rose bitterling, Rhodeus ocellatus, a freshwater fish with a resource‐based mating system, was used to separate additive and nonadditive genetic benefits of female mate choice. A sequential blocked mating design was used to test female mate preferences, and a cross‐classified breeding design coupled with in vitro fertilizations for fitness benefits of mate choice. In addition, the offspring produced by the pairing of preferred and nonpreferred males were reared to maturity and their fitness traits were compared. Finally, the MHC DAB1 gene was typed and male MHC genotypes were correlated with female mate choice. Females showed significant mate preferences but preferences were not congruent among females. There was a significant interaction of male and female genotype on offspring survival, rate of development, growth rate, and body size. No significant male additive effects on offspring fitness were observed. Female mate preferences corresponded with male genetic compatibility, which correlated with MHC dissimilarity. It is proposed that in the rose bitterling genetic compatibility is the mechanism by which females obtain a fitness benefit through mate choice and that male MHC dissimilarity, likely mediated by odor cues, indicates genetic compatibility.
Overview of Determinants of Food Choice and Dietary Change : Implications for Nutrition Education

You have known a person like Alicia: she knows a lot about nutrition, and, in particular, she knows that she should eat more fruits and vegetables. She just can’t seem to do it. Or Ray, who wants to lose weight and knows what he is supposed to do, but just can’t seem to get to it. Or maybe it is yourself—there is some eating habit you want to change but don’t. Nutrition education often is seen as the process of translating the findings of nutrition science to various audiences using methods from the fields of education and communication. If only the public knew all that we did, nutrition educators think, surely they would eat better. Thus, nutrition educators believe that their task is to provide the public with information to eat well. They plan sessions on MyPyramid and food label reading. They provide lists of high-fat or high-fiber foods, or food sources of nutrients such as calcium or vitamins. They discuss ChaptEr
Estimation and comparison of salivary nitric oxide levels in smokers and nonsmokers with chronic periodontitis

Background: Chronic periodontitis is the most frequently occurring form of periodontitis. Risk factors for periodontitis can be systemic or local. Nitric oxide (NO) is involved in pathogenesis of periodontitis. Smoking is a major risk factor in periodontal diseases. The aim of present study was to determine and compare the salivary levels of NO in healthy controls, smokers and nonsmokers with chronic periodontitis. Method: A total of 120 subjects were involved in the present study and divided into 3 equal groups of 40 control patients, 40 nonsmokers with chronic periodontitis and 40 smokers with chronic periodontitis. Periodontal disease status was determined by recording the plaque index(PI) by Silness and Loe, gingival index(GI), Mean probing pocket depth(PPD) and Mean clinical attachment level(CAL). Saliva was collected from patients by spit method. Nitric oxide activity was estimated by Griess colorimetric reaction. Results: The data was analyzed using statistical software package SPSS 16.0 for Windows version. The full mouth clinical indices values were analyzed by mean and standard deviation, one way ANOVA test. The comparison of the three groups and each parameter was carried out by post hoc (Tukey) test. Analysis of salivary nitric oxide levels in various study groups showed statistically significant difference (P value <0.001) between the control and non smokers with chronic periodontitis. Further, increased NO levels were noted in smokers with chronic periodontitis compared to nonsmokers. Conclusions: This study indicated that salivary NO is increased in patients with chronic periodontitis, which may have a role in disease progression. Additionally increased salivary NO levels in smokers with chronic periodontitis may further contribute to periodontal breakdown. Thus, estimation of salivary NO levels in smokers as well as non smokers with chronic periodontitis may be useful for the progression of periodontal disease.
Metabolic, Phylogenetic, and Ecological Diversity of the Methanogenic Archaea

Although of limited metabolic diversity, methanogenic archaea or methanogens possess great phylogenetic and ecological diversity. Only three types of methanogenic pathways are known: CO2‐reduction, methyl‐group reduction, and the aceticlastic reaction. Cultured methanogens are grouped into five orders based upon their phylogeny and phenotypic properties. In addition, uncultured methanogens that may represent new orders are present in many environments. The ecology of methanogens highlights their complex interactions with other anaerobes and the physical and chemical factors controlling their function.
Gestational Protein Restriction Reduces Expression of Hsd17b2 in Rat Placental Labyrinth1

ABSTRACT Accumulating evidence strongly supports the premise that testosterone may be a key player in fetal programming on hypertension. Studies have shown that gestational protein restriction doubles the plasma testosterone levels in pregnant rats. In this study, we hypothesized that elevated testosterone levels in response to gestational protein restriction were caused by enhanced expression of steroidogenic enzymes or impaired expression of Hsd17b2, a known testosterone inactivator that converts testosterone to androstenedione in placenta. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were fed normal (20% protein, control; n = 10) or a low-protein diet (6% protein, PR; n = 10) from Day 1 of pregnancy until killed at Days 14, 18, or 21. Junctional (JZ) and labyrinth (LZ) zones of placenta were collected for expression assay on steroidogenic genes (Cyp11a1, Hsd3b1, Cyp17a1, Hsd17b2, and Srd5a1) by real-time PCR. The main findings include the following: 1) expressions of Cyp11a1, Hsd3b1, and Cyp17a1 in JZ were not affected by diet but were affected by day of pregnancy; 2) expression of Hsd17b2 in both female and male JZs was remarkably increased by PR at Days 18 and 21 of pregnancy; 3) expressions of Hsd17b2 were reduced by PR in both female and male LZ at Day 18 of pregnancy and in female LZ at Day 21 of pregnancy; and 4) expression of Srd5a1in LZ was not affected by day of pregnancy, gender, or diet. These results indicate that in response to gestational protein restriction, Hsd17b2 may be a key regulator of testosterone levels and associated activities in placental zones, apparently in a paradoxical manner.
Is the colonic reparative cell lineage yet to be discovered?

The gastrointestinal mucosa displays a number of different cell lineages in response to injury. The presence of such phenomena has been known for a number of years but their significance is only now being realised.1-3 A number of these are thought to be reparative mechanisms, such as the ulcer associated cell lineage (UACL) at the edge of small bowel ulcers (see fig 1). 4 Other examples include spasmolytic polypeptide expressing metaplasia5 and pseudopyloric metaplasia in the stomach. Other metaplastic cell lineages, such as intestinal metaplasia in the stomach and the glandular metaplasia of Barrett's oesophagus, have a neoplastic potential but are also a response to an initial mucosal injury. In an animal model of duodenal content …
Sonic band structure in fluids with periodic density variations

In direct analogy to the electronic band structure found in semiconductors and the photonic bands for light in a medium with a periodic dielectric constant, a periodic density variation in a fluid can give rise to sonic frequency passbands and band gaps. Hence, a fluid medium can be constructed that prohibits sound propagation at certain frequencies while allowing practically free propagation at others. The effect of a sonic band medium on a monopole acoustic source is discussed in a simple one‐dimensional model. In particular, the complete quenching of radiated power is seen for a harmonic radiator at a frequency that corresponds to a band gap—in analogy with a similar effect that is predicted for the atomic emission of electromagnetic waves in a photonic band structure. The ability to construct a medium that selectively prohibits sound propagation and emission in a certain range of frequencies, while allowing transmission and enhanced radiation rates at others, could have interesting practical applications.
Power-Aware Wireless Virtualized Resource Allocation with D2D Communication Underlaying LTE Network

To meet the increasing mobile data services de- mand, several solutions have been proposed such as wireless resource virtualization and device-to-device (D2D) communica- tion. Virtualization allows for more efficient utilization of the spectrum, reduces expenditures, and can support higher peak rates. D2D communication can achieve higher data rates due to the proximity of devices while controlling the interference it causes to cellular communication. However, the increase in data rate multimedia demand has led to an increase in global energy consumption. Thus, it is crucial to employ more energy- aware schemes as this would provide both environmental and financial gains for service providers. In this paper, we extend our work in [1] by formulating the problem of power-aware wireless resource virtualization with D2D communication underlaying the LTE network. Since the problem is a mixed integer non-linear programming problem (MINLP), it is divided into four smaller linear programs, each of which is solved to optimality. Two lower complexity heuristic algorithms to solve the power allocation problems are introduced. Results show significant savings at both eNodeB and D2D devices.