Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Role of Complement-Binding CD21/CD19/CD81 in Enhancing Human B Cell Protection from Fas-Mediated Apoptosis 1

Defective expression of Fas leads to B cell autoimmunity, indicating the importance of this apoptotic pathway in eliminating autoreactive B cells. However, B cells with anti-self specificities occasionally escape such regulation in individuals with intact Fas, suggesting ways of precluding this apoptosis. Here, we examine whether coligation of the B cell Ag receptor (BCR) with the complement (C3)-binding CD21/CD19/CD81 costimulatory complex can enhance the escape of human B cells from Fas-induced death. This was warranted given that BCR-initiated signals induce resistance to Fas apoptosis, some (albeit not all) BCR-triggered events are amplified by coligation of BCR and the co-stimulatory complex, and several self Ags targeted in autoimmune diseases effectively activate complement. Using a set of affinity-diverse surrogate Ags (receptor-specific mAb:dextran conjugates) with varying capacity to engage CD21, it was established that BCR:CD21 coligation lowers the BCR engagement necessary for inducing protection from Fas apoptosis. Enhanced protection was associated with altered expression of several molecules known to regulate Fas apoptosis, suggesting a unique molecular model for how BCR:CD21 coligation augments protection. BCR:CD21 coligation impairs the generation of active fragments of caspase-8 via dampened expression of membrane Fas and augmented expression of FLIPL. This, in turn, diminishes the generation of cells that would be directly triggered to apoptosis via caspase-8 cleavage of caspase 3 (type I cells). Any attempt to use the mitochondrial apoptotic protease-activating factor 1 (Apaf-1)-dependent pathway for apoptosis (as type II cells) is further blocked because BCR:CD21 coligation promotes up-regulation of the mitochondrial antiapoptotic molecule, Bcl-2.
Imipramine and Amitriptyline Plasma Concentrations and Clinical Response in Major Depression

Plasma drug concentrations and clinical response were measured in two groups of hospitalised depressed patients, who received amitriptyline or Imipramine double-blind, in a dosage of 250 mg for four weeks. Virtually no significant linear or curvilinear relationships were found between any plasma measure and any measure of clinical response. Modest but significant direct relationships were found between age and concentration of parent drugs but not demethylated metabolites. Blood drug level measurement therefore appears to be of little value in monitoring drug treatment of depressed in-patients.
Tolerancia a sequía y calor en arroz (Oryza sativa)

El objetivo fue determinar la respuesta de genotipos de arroz (Oryza sativa) a la sequia. Se evaluo la tem- peratura del dosel vegetal (Tc) en emergencia de panicula (EP), oracion (F) y en el llenado del grano (PLG), ademas del efecto de la Tc en el rendimiento de grano (RG) y sus componentes bajo riego (R) y sequia (S). El experimento se realizo en el Campo Experimental Zacatepec del Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agricolas y Pecuarias. Se evaluaron ocho lineas F6 del Fondo Latinoamericano para Arroz de Riego (FLAR) y la variedad nacional El Silverio, bajo un diseno de bloques completos con tres repeticiones en riego y sequia. La siembra se realizo a densidad de 100 kg ha−1 con dosis de fertilizacion de 180-40-40 de N, P, K, respecitvamente. La Tc en S fue mayor que en R, tambien se relaciono de forma negativa con el indice de productividad media (IPM) y el indice de tolerancia a sequia (ITS); las lineas con baja Tc tienen mayor productividad y tolerancia a la sequia. La Tc redujo el RG, biomasa, paniculas m 2 , granos m 2 , granos/panicula y peso de mil granos en un 25, 12, 13, 15, 9.6 y 7% por cada 1 ◦C de incremento en la Tc en R y S. La sequia aumento la Tc y disminuyo el rendimiento y sus componentes; las lineas con baja Tc redujeron menos su rendimiento y fueron mas productivas, y tolerantes a la sequia.
Microbial community of the deep-sea brine Lake Kryos seawater-brine interface is active below the chaotropicity limit of life as revealed by recovery of mRNA.

Within the complex of deep, hypersaline anoxic lakes (DHALs) of the Mediterranean Ridge, we identified a new, unexplored DHAL and named it 'Lake Kryos' after a nearby depression. This lake is filled with magnesium chloride (MgCl2 )-rich, athalassohaline brine (salinity > 470 practical salinity units), presumably formed by the dissolution of Messinian bischofite. Compared with the DHAL Discovery, it contains elevated concentrations of kosmotropic sodium and sulfate ions, which are capable of reducing the net chaotropicily of MgCl2 -rich solutions. The brine of Lake Kryos may therefore be biologically permissive at MgCl2 concentrations previously considered incompatible with life. We characterized the microbiology of the seawater-Kryos brine interface and managed to recover mRNA from the 2.27-3.03 M MgCl2 layer (equivalent to 0.747-0.631 water activity), thereby expanding the established chaotropicity window-for-life. The primary bacterial taxa present there were Kebrit Deep Bacteria 1 candidate division and DHAL-specific group of organisms, distantly related to Desulfohalobium. Two euryarchaeal candidate divisions, Mediterranean Sea Brine Lakes group 1 and halophilic cluster 1, accounted for > 85% of the rRNA-containing archaeal clones derived from the 2.27-3.03 M MgCl2 layer, but were minority community-members in the overlying interface-layers. These findings shed light on the plausibility of life in highly chaotropic environments, geochemical windows for microbial extremophiles, and have implications for habitability elsewhere in the Solar System.
On the Origin of Races

This paper examines the controversy surrounding anthropologist Carleton S. Coon’s 1962 book, The Origin of Races. Coon maintained that the human sspecies was divided into five races before it had evolved into Homo sapiens and that the races evolved into sapiens at different times. Coon’s thesis was used by segregationists in the United States as proof that African Americans were “junior” to white Americans and hence unfit for full participation in American society. The paper examines the interactions among Coon, segregationist Carleton Putnam, geneticist Theodosius Dobzhansky, and anthropologist Sherwood Washburn. The paper concludes that Coon actively aided the segregationist cause in violation of his own standards for scientific objectivity.
Web Services Based Bio-signal System Leveraging Support Vector Machines

Bio-signal analysis is one of the most important approaches to biomedical engineering. The health information such as ECG, PCG, EMG and EEG are often recorded in digital format to be analyzed. In this paper, a bio-signal analyzing web service system using Support Vector Machines (SVM) classifier technique is proposed. The bio-signals are recorded in digital format as the input of the system. In addition, based on the concept of Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA), the system under web services . NET is designed. The system provides features including heterogeneous platform, protocols, as well as applications. The system has been designed with the purpose of seamless integration into the Health Information System.
La educación en paisaje en el Grado de Maestro de Educación Primaria: una propuesta de modelo didáctico

El presente trabajo de investigacion parte del concepto de paisaje que adopta el Convenio Europeo del Paisaje (CEP), aprobado por el Consejo de Europa en 2000 y que entro en vigor en 2004, y de la necesidad que el mismo plantea acerca de la educacion, con el fin de contribuir a la formacion de una sociedad que valore y demande paisajes de calidad, pues estos desempenan un importante papel de interes general en los campos cultural, ecologico, medioambiental y social. Por ello, el paisaje ha pasado a formar parte de los contenidos curriculares de las diferentes etapas educativas, incluida la Educacion Primaria. Por lo tanto, es necesario formar a los futuros maestros en cuestiones de paisaje, en primer lugar para que ellos se sensibilicen y desarrollen aptitudes de respeto y valoracion. En segundo lugar, para dotarles de las herramientas y conocimientos necesarios para llevar a cabo la educacion en paisaje de sus futuros alumnos, pues entendemos este proceso como la primera actuacion a emprender para alcanzar los objetivos planteados por el CEP. La investigacion comenzo por determinar cuales eran los conocimientos y sentimientos que sobre el paisaje portaban los alumnos antes de cursar las asignaturas de Geografia del Grado de Formacion de Maestros de Educacion Primaria de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid y cuales al finalizar estas. Los datos obtenidos reflejaron la necesidad de un cambio en el modelo a traves del cual impartiamos las clases de didactica de la Geografia. Ante esta realidad planteamos un modelo didactico cuyo objetivo es alcanzar tanto la sensibilizacion como la formacion en materia de paisaje. El modelo que proponemos supone una transposicion didactica de los metodos cientificos de analisis e interpretacion de los paisajes, desarrollado en base a unos contenidos procedimentales geograficos y a la realizacion de actividades a partir de diversos recursos. Como resultado, el modelo permite deducir tanto una diagnosis como una prognosis, cuya finalidad es plantear acciones para la conservacion y/o mejora del paisaje. Los resultados obtenidos, tras tres anos de implementacion del modelo en las asignaturas de Fundamentos y Didactica de la Geografia y Geografia de Espana y su Didactica, han sido sumamente positivos. Los trabajos realizados por los alumnos en torno al paisaje han demostrado que estos adquieren una vision holistica del, entendiendo sus componentes antropicos y fisicos en su contexto de relaciones, desarrollando ademas destrezas en el manejo de las herramientas propias de la ciencia geografica como la cartografia y, por ultimo, una sensibilizacion acerca del valor que suponen los paisajes para la sociedad, entendiendo que tan solo son depositarios de ese valor, por lo que es tarea de todos legarlos de la mejor manera posible a las generaciones que estan por venir.
Stressed speech analysis using sparse representation over temporal information based dictionary

In this paper, a novel sparse representation over learned and exemplar dictionaries is explored to estimate the speech information of stressed speech. Stressed speech contains speech and stress informations. The acoustic variabilities are induced due to presence of stress information, which results in degradation of the performance of speech recognition system. In this work, the acoustic variabilities are reduced by representing both neutral and stressed speech in sparse domain with respect to the dictionaries, which contain speech information. K-SVD algorithm is used to learn the redundant dictionary using neutral speech. Exemplar dictionaries consist of mean vectors of GMM and mean vectors of Gaussian mixture density in each state of HMM, which are used to model the neutral speech. All the experiments in this work are done by parametrizing neutral and stressed speech as nonlinear (TEO-CB-Auto-Env) features. Experimental results indicate that speech information under stress conditions can be estimated efficiently when sparse representations of neutral and stressed speech are done over exemplar dictionaries, which is estimated using mean vectors of Gaussian mixture densities in each state of HMM i.e. time dependent features of neutral speech. A relative improvement in the percentage of word accuracy of 8.51% (62.14% to 67.43%) is achieved for speech under angry condition.
A switched-capacitor filter with a slew rate enhancement technique

In this paper, a switched-capacitor filter with a slew rate enhancement circuit for wireless communication applications is designed. The type of the filter is chosen the 5th-order Elliptic lowpass filter to implement over 43dB of stopband attenuation at the 1.4 times frequency of passband. For direct conversion transceiver applications, the DC offset canceling circuit and programmable gain amplifier are included. The filter is fabricated in a 0.35-μm CMOS 2P4M technology. The power dissipation is 14.7mW for a single supply voltage of 3 V.
Downregulation of SAFB Sustains the NF-κB Pathway by Targeting TAK1 during the Progression of Colorectal Cancer

Purpose: To investigate the role and the underlying mechanism of scaffold attachment factor B (SAFB) in the progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). Experimental Design: SAFB expression was analyzed in the Cancer Outlier Profile Analysis of Oncomine and in 175 paraffin-embedded archived CRC tissues. Gene Ontology analyses were performed to explore the mechanism of SAFB in CRC progression. Western blot, RT-PCR, luciferase assay, and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) were used to detect the regulation of transforming growth factor-β–activated kinase 1 (TAK1) and NF-κB signaling by SAFB. The role of SAFB in invasion, metastasis, and angiogenesis was investigated using in vitro and in vivo assays. The relationship between SAFB and TAK1 was analyzed in CRC tissues. Results: SAFB was downregulated in CRC tissues, and low expression of SAFB was significantly associated with an aggressive phenotype and poorer survival of CRC patients. The downregulation of SAFB activated NF-κB signaling by targeting the TAK1 promoter. Ectopic expression of SAFB inhibited the development of aggressive features and metastasis of CRC cells both in vitro and in vivo. The overexpression of TAK1 could rescue the aggressive features in SAFB-overexpressed cells. Furthermore, the expression of SAFB in CRC tissues was negatively correlated with the expression of TAK1- and NF-κB–related genes. Conclusions: Our results show that SAFB regulated the activity of NF-κB signaling in CRC by targeting TAK1. This novel mechanism provides a comprehensive understanding of both SAFB and the NF-κB signaling pathway in the progression of CRC and indicates that the SAFB–TAK1–NF-κB axis is a potential target for early therapeutic intervention in CRC progression. Clin Cancer Res; 23(22); 7108–18. ©2017 AACR.
Extracolonic findings identified in asymptomatic adults at screening CT colonography.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the wide variety of extracolonic findings that may be encountered at screening CT colonography (CTC) in asymptomatic adults as well as to discuss the pertinent issues regarding the detection of potential abnormalities in a healthy population. CONCLUSION Regardless of whether extracolonic evaluation resulting from CTC screening is viewed as a net benefit or liability, it is an unavoidable responsibility that must be handled with care by the interpreting radiologist. Although many potential abnormalities may be questioned, the pretest probability of clinically relevant disease is quite low in average-risk asymptomatic adults, which may influence subsequent management decisions.
Phytochemical Regulation of UDP-Glucuronosyltransferases: Implications for Cancer Prevention

Abstract Uridine 5′-diphospho-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) are Phase II biotransformation enzymes that metabolize endogenous and exogenous compounds, some of which have been associated with cancer risk. Many phytochemicals have been shown to induce UGTs in humans, rodents, and cell culture systems. Because UGTs maintain hormone balance and facilitate excretion of potentially carcinogenic compounds, regulation of their expression and activity may affect cancer risk. Phytochemicals regulate transcription factors such as the nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), aryl hydrocarbon, and pregnane X receptors as well as proteins in several signal transduction cascades that converge on Nrf2 to stimulate UGT expression. This induction can be modified by several factors, including phytochemical dose and bioavailability and interindividual variation in enzyme expression. In this review, we summarize the knowledge of dietary modulation of UGTs, particularly by phytochemicals, and discuss the potential mechanisms by which phytochemicals regulate UGT transcription.
Effect of Trace Elements from Consumption of Crops Cultivated on Mine Domes (Spoils): A Case Study of Jos Plateau and Environs, Central Nigeria

The study was conducted on the Jos Plateau metropoly and its environs in Jos North, parts of Jos South and Barkin-Ladi Local Government Areas of Plateau State, Central Nigeria. The studied area covered south eastern part of Naraguta sheet 168 NE, extends down North eastern part of Kurra sheet 189NE bounded by Longitude 8˚50΄E to 9˚00΄E and Latitude 9˚ 26΄N to 9˚43΄N respectively. This area sampled covers a land mass of about 586.25 square kilometer. This study begins from May, 2009 to March, 2016 at the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), Vom. The aim was to investigate the effect of trace elements from consumption of crops cultivated on mine domes (spoils). The results presented in this paper refer to Tomato and Irish-potato, which are the most popular crops planted in that area in 2009-2016 respectively. Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometry(ED-XRFS) method was employed for the analysis of Cu, Fe, Zn, Ni, Pb, Cr and Mn. This study concluded that all those concentrations are well below threshold limit values accepted in Nigeria. No significant differences in Cu, Pb and Cr concentrations between the tested Tomato and Irish-potato were found. Zinc concentration in Potato was significantly lower than in Irish potato. Generally, the study concluded that plant samples were found to have major, minor and mostly trace elements’ concentrations below the safe values. However, Pb that has high concentration above the safe value (threshold limit) in Potato is advised not to be cultivated around mine domes, because of its health adverse effects on the inhabitants.
Structuring F0 prominences (melisms): an analysis of the statistical concordances between four French speakers

F0 prominences having the reputation deserved to vary in great proportion, most of the studies until now avoided this problem, restricting their analysis to the use of extrema (minimum / maximum), and/or the F0 range. This work presented here tried to exceed these limits: this paper aims indeed at presenting the statistical results describing the F0 prominences structuration over a corpus of 4 French female speakers. More precisely the first part proposes a new perspective on the inner struture of the F0 prominences, and the second part focusses on the statistical results which are in concordance within the 4 speakers.
Subarachnoid haemorrhage in patients ⩾75 years: clinical course, treatment and outcome

In most Western societies, the percentage of patients ⩾60 years has been increasing over the past century. This has become a challenge both economically and socially. Medical science, which initially increased life expectancy, now faces the task of predicting outcome early in an unexpected disease such as subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). This is difficult, particularly in the geriatric population ⩾75 years. The study by Nieuwkamp et al (see p 933 ) 1 deals with this important issue in a cohort of 170 patients from two different institutions, who were studied retrospectively. Overall favourable outcome was seen in 15% of patients in the …
Exploring Driver behaviour under conditions of darkness: shedding light on the night time traffic death toll

II OPSOMMING. III ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . IV DEDICATIONS . V LIST OF FIGURES . XIII LIST OF TABLES . XIX CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION . 1 1.1 Background . 1 1.2 Problem statement . 2 1.3 Significance of the study . 4 1.4 Delineations of the study . 4 1.5 Aims and objectives . 5 1.6 Thesis outline . 6 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW . 7 2.
A low-cost closed-loop antenna tuner module for mobile phone single-feed multi-band antennas

Mobile phones operate in many frequency bands, while antenna volume is restricted. In addition, effects of user interaction can change matching between antenna and front-end module drastically. We show a multi-band multi-mode Antenna Tuner Module (ATM) that improves antenna matching automatically. It measures 4 × 4 × 1 mm3 and requires only DC, synchronization inputs by MIPI or GPIO, and a self-learning calibration process. The ATM covers a very broad frequency range of 600 to 2700 MHz and has an insertion loss less than 0.6 dB for a 50 Ω load. The ATM fulfills all challenging requirements for placement in a mobile phone antenna system, such as low distortion products under mismatch conditions, high ruggedness (+34 dBm at a load VSWR circle of 12:1) and an ESD contact discharge level of 8 kV.
A Fully Integrated CMOS LC VCO and Frequency Divider for UHF RFID Reader

This paper presents a 0.18-mum CMOS fully integrated LC VCO, suitable for radio frequency identification (RFID) reader working at 900 MHz. The VCO comprises cross-coupled double core and PMOS tail current source to suppress 1/f noise up conversion. To minimize pulling, the 900 MHz VCO is generated by a 1.8GHz VCO followed by a frequency divider. In addition, current source of this topology was applied bandgap reference to reduce effect of temperature and supply voltage variation, which is caused by unstable oscillation state. The measured result of phase noise is demonstrated with -106 dBc/Hz at 100 kHz offset. The power consumption of the VCO including bandgap reference, frequency divider, and buffer amplifiers is 37.4mW from a 1.8V supply voltage
LEGA: A LEarner-centered GAmification Design Framework

In the recent years, the gamification of learning has emerged to include game-based thinking and game mechanics within the classroom, serving the purpose of motivating and engaging students during the process of learning. Gamifying is not a trivial task for educators. Although gamification frameworks can guide them during the process, they usually do not focus on educational aspects such as intended learning outcomes (ILOs), learning styles (LS), learning activities (LAs) and learning mechanics (LMs), neither take into account the two roles of students - as players and learners. This paper aligns both educational and gamification worlds and proposes a Learner-Centered Framework for the design of gamified learning activities. It provides a guide for teachers that allows them to start with ILOs and LAs, and reach suitable gamified learning mechanics to be implemented in the process of gamification.
Anticancer attributes of desert plants: a review

The ever-increasing emergence of the resistance of mammalian tumor cells to chemotherapy and its severe side effects reduces the clinical efficacy of a large variety of anticancer agents that are currently in use. Thus, despite the significant progress in cancer therapeutics in the last decades, the need to discover and to develop new, alternative, or synergistic anticancer agents remains. Cancer prevention or chemotherapy based on bioactive fractions or pure components derived from desert plants with known cancer-inhibiting properties suggests promising alternatives to current cancer therapy. Plants growing on low nutrient soils and/or under harsh climatic conditions, such as extreme temperatures, intense solar radiation, and water scarcity, are particularly susceptible to attack from reactive oxygen species and have evolved efficient antioxidation defense systems. The many examples of desert plants displaying anticancer effects as presented here indicates that the same defensive secondary metabolites protecting them against the harsh environment may also play a protective or a curative role against cancer, as they also do against diabetes, neurodegenerative, and other acute and chronic diseases. The present review highlights a plethora of studies focused on the antineoplastic properties of desert plants and their prinicipal phytochemicals, such as saponins, flavonoids, tannins, and terpenes. Although many desert plants have been investigated for their antitumor properties, there are many that still remain to be explored – a challenge for the prospective cancer therapy of the future.