Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Human sebocytes express prostaglandin E2 receptors EP2 and EP4 but treatment with prostaglandin E2 does not affect testosterone production

Background Prostaglandins (PG) play an important role in cutaneous homeostasis. Among other skin cells, human sebocytes express cyclooxygenases and can produce PGE2. Various prostanoid receptors have been demonstrated in epidermis and hair follicles, while limited data are available regarding their expression in sebaceous glands. In addition, the interaction between PGE2 and androgenesis remains largely unclear.
Notice of RetractionA model of corporate lifespan based on the factor analysis

The survival and death of firms have been the focus of research in academic circles around the world. This paper reviews some articles about the life-span of enterprise and gets a clear understanding of the studies on life-span of enterprise. Based on the factor analysis, the paper builds a model of corporate lifespan in the view of systematic theory.
Design of a Hybrid Memory System for General-Purpose Graphics Processing Units

Addressing a limited power budget is a prerequisite for maintaining the growth of computer system performance into and beyond the exascale. Two technologies with the potential to help solve this problem include general-purpose programming on graphics processors and fast non-volatile memories. Combining these technologies could yield devices capable of extreme-scale computation at lower power. The goal of this project is to design a simulator supporting a hybrid memory system, containing both dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) and phase-change random-access memory (PCRAM), to replace the graphics global memory. Because of the proprietary nature of graphics hardware and the relative immaturity of phase-change memory, it is necessary to develop an appropriate simulation framework to conduct further research. In this work, GPGPU-Sim and a modified version of DRAMSim2 are combined in the design of a hybrid simulator named GPUHM-Sim. The design, implementation and validation of GPUHM-Sim are the primary contributions of this work.
Impacts of introduced rangifer on ecosystem processes of maritime tundra on subarctic islands

Author(s): Ricca, MA; Miles, AK; Van Vuren, DH; Eviner, VT | Abstract: © 2016 Ricca et al. Introductions of mammalian herbivores to remote islands without predators provide a natural experiment to ask how temporal and spatial variation in herbivory intensity alter feedbacks between plant and soil processes. We investigated ecosystem effects resulting from introductions of Rangifer tarandus (hereafter "Rangifer") to native mammalian predator- and herbivore-free islands in the Aleutian archipelago of Alaska. We hypothesized that the maritime tundra of these islands would experience either: (1) accelerated ecosystem processes mediated by positive feedbacks between increased graminoid production and rapid nitrogen cycling; or (2) decelerated processes mediated by herbivory that stimulated shrub domination and lowered soil fertility We measured summer plant and soil properties across three islands representing a chronosequence of elapsed time post-Rangifer introduction (Atka: ∼100 yr; Adak: ∼50; Kagalaska: ∼0), with distinct stages of irruptive population dynamics of Rangifer nested within each island (Atka: irruption, K-overshoot, decline, K-re-equilibration; Adak: irruption, K-overshoot; Kagalaska: initial introduction). We also measured Rangifer spatial use within islands (indexed by pellet group counts) to determine how ecosystem processes responded to spatial variation in herbivory. Vegetation community response to herbivory varied with temporal and spatial scale. When comparing temporal effects using the island chronosequence, increased time since herbivore introduction led to more graminoids and fewer dwarf-shrubs, lichens, and mosses. Slow-growing Cladonia lichens that are highly preferred winter forage were decimated on both long-term Rangifer-occupied islands. In addition, linear relations between more concentrated Rangifer spatial use and reductions in graminoid and forb biomass within islands added spatial heterogeneity to long-term patterns identified by the chronosequence. These results support, in part, the hypothesis that Rangifer population persistence on islands is facilitated by successful exploitation of graminoid biomass as winter forage after palatable lichens are decimated. However, the shift from shrubs to graminoids was expected to enhance rates of nitrogen cycling yet rates of net N-mineralization, NH+4 pools, and soil δ15N declined markedly along the chronosequence and were weakly associated with spatial use within islands. Overall plant and soil patterns were disrupted but responded differently to intermediate (50 yr) and long-term (100 yr) herbivory, and were correlated with distinct stages of irruptive population dynamics. Copyright:
Cognitive Predictors of Obsessive–Compulsive Symptoms in Adolescence: A Preliminary Investigation

This study examined relations among responsibility attitudes, metacognitive beliefs, and obsessive–compulsive (O–C) symptoms in youth. One hundred sixty-six nonclinical youth (ages 13 to 17 years) completed the following: Responsibility Attitude Scale (RAS; Salkovskis et al., 2000); Meta-Cognitions Questionnaire–Adolescent Version (MCQ–A; Cartwright-Hatton et al., 2004); Children's Depression Inventory–Short Form (CDI–S; Kovacs, 1985); Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS; Reynolds & Richmond, 1978); the Leyton Obsessional Inventory–Child Version Survey Form (LOI–CVS; Berg, Whitaker, Davies, Flament, & Rapoport, 1988). Participants endorsed a range of responsibility and metacognitive beliefs, and both responsibility and metacognition were positively correlated with O–C symptoms. However, when age, sex, and depression were controlled, only metacognition was a predictor of O–C symptoms. The findings suggest metacognition and responsibility may be important correlates of O–C symptoms in youth.
Site-Specific Proteolytic Cleavage of the Amino Terminus of Herpes Simplex Virus Glycoprotein K on Virion Particles Inhibits Virus Entry

ABSTRACT Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) glycoprotein K (gK) is expressed on virions and functions in entry, inasmuch as HSV-1(KOS) virions devoid of gK enter cells substantially slower than is the case for the parental KOS virus (T. P. Foster, G. V. Rybachuk, and K. G. Kousoulas, J. Virol. 75:12431–12438, 2001). Deletion of the amino-terminal 68-amino-acid (aa) portion of gK caused a reduction in efficiency and kinetics of virus entry similar to that of the gK-null virus in comparison to the HSV-1(F) parental virus. The UL20 membrane protein and gK were readily detected on double-gradient-purified virion preparations. Immuno-electron microscopy confirmed the presence of gK and UL20 on purified virions. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments using purified virions revealed that gK interacted with UL20, as has been shown in virus-infected cells (T. P. Foster, V. N. Chouljenko, and K. G. Kousoulas, J. Virol. 82:6310–6323, 2008). Scanning of the HSV-1(F) viral genome revealed the presence of a single putative tobacco etch virus (TEV) protease site within gD, while additional TEV predicted sites were found within the UL5 (helicase-primase helicase subunit), UL23 (thymidine kinase), UL25 (DNA packaging tegument protein), and UL52 (helicase-primase primase subunit) proteins. The recombinant virus gDΔTEV was engineered to eliminate the single predicted gD TEV protease site without appreciably affecting its replication characteristics. The mutant virus gK-V5-TEV was subsequently constructed by insertion of a gene sequence encoding a V5 epitope tag in frame with the TEV protease site immediately after gK amino acid 68. The gK-V5-TEV, R-gK-V5-TEV (revertant virus), and gDΔTEV viruses exhibited similar plaque morphologies and replication characteristics. Treatment of the gK-V5-TEV virions with TEV protease caused approximately 32 to 34% reduction of virus entry, while treatment of gDΔTEV virions caused slightly increased virus entry. These results provide direct evidence that the gK and UL20 proteins, which are genetically and functionally linked to gB-mediated virus-induced cell fusion, are structural components of virions and function in virus entry. Site-specific cleavage of viral glycoproteins on mature and fully infectious virions utilizing unique protease sites may serve as a generalizable method of uncoupling the roles of viral glycoproteins in virus entry and virion assembly.
Photomechanical effect on Type I collagen using pulsed diode laser.

BACKGROUND As the most abundant protein in human tissues, the use of collagen is essential in the fields of biological science and medicine. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to investigate the mechanical effect of pulsed laser irradiation on collagen tissue. METHODS With various laser parameters such as peak power, pulse width, and repetition rate, the induced stresses on samples were measured and analyzed. Monte Carlo simulation was performed to investigate the effect of laser parameters on the collagen sample. RESULTS The results indicated that the magnitude of mechanical stress could be controlled by various laser parameters. CONCLUSIONS This study can be used in biostimulation for therapy and mechanoreceptor stimulation for tactile application.
Study of a flyback-based stage as grid interface topology for micro-generation applications

Nowadays, different power generation strategies for grid-connected systems can be found, ranging from single high power plants (tens and hundreds of MW), to thousands of small wattage (below 1 kW) micro-generators. This paper studies a new power topology for the latter, based on a bidirectional Flyback converter. The comparison with the standard topology for this kind of converters is carried out, and the constraints for the control scheme are also studied.
Warming up at the poles Workshop on Centrosomes and Spindle Pole Bodies

Introduction This series of meetings (Palazzo, 2002; Stearns & Winey, 1997) began as a joint ASCB/EMBO venture in 1997 with a meeting that was a landmark event, not only because a minor field had grown to fill an entire meeting, but also because key presentations defined the course of the field for years to come. The first biochemical mass spectrometric analysis of the budding yeast spindle pole body (SPB) by John Kilmartin and Matthias Mann marked the dawn of a new era in centrosome and SPB studies (Wigge et al, 1998). Similarly, Jeff Salisbury’s clear demonstration of centrosome amplification in tumour samples, coupled with the work of Bill Brinkley, Stephen Doxsey and others, was part of a resurrection of Theodor Boveri’s turn-of-the-century hypothesis that centrosome amplification could lead to genetic instability and cancer (Brinkley, 2001). However, all was not harmonious, as elegant work describing spindle assembly in centrosome-free Xenopus extracts (Heald et al, 1996), coupled with studies showing Drosophila development in the absence of functional centrosomes, sparked a key debate at the 1997 meeting that persists to this day. The root of this controversy lies in the ability of spindles to form and apparently function without centrosomes. Mass spectrometry continued to set the pace at the second meeting in 2002, as Erich Nigg and Mann’s groups defined a set of centrosome components that have become the staple diet for the community ever since (Andersen et al, 2003). However, more contention arose at the second meeting as a result of the stunning laser ablation studies by Alexy Khodjakov that challenged another of Boveri’s hypotheses—that centrioles can only be made in the presence of an existing centriole template. After a three-year wait, eager ‘pole-heads’ returned to Heidelberg in September 2005, to be swept into another deluge of information and insights provided by a third fast-paced and exciting meeting.
[Advantages of biplane transesophageal echocardiography].

Biplane transesophageal echocardiography (BTEE) was intraoperatively performed on 27 patients; ten patients with coronary artery bypass graft surgery, ten with aortic valve replacement, five with mitral valve replacement, one with reconstruction of complete AV-canal, and one with surgical repair of dissecting aortic aneurysm. Compared with the transverse views of the monoplane TEE, BTEE permits the following additional images of the heart: 1) Longitudinal "two-chamber-view" for assessment of left ventricular (LV) anterior, apical, and posterior wall motion, and for assessment of mitral valve anatomy and function (e.g., grading of color flow regurgitation). 2) Imaging of the right-ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) for evaluation of RVOT obstruction, including a crosswise imaging of aortic valve. 3) Proximal two-thirds of the aorta ascendens for the diagnosis of dissecting aortic aneurysm (de Bakey Types I and II). 4) Imaging of the superior vena cava, helpful for detecting transposition of pulmonary veins. 5) Apex of left ventricle, advantageous for detecting thrombus. 6) Longitudinal view of the descending aorta: from the origin of the left subclavian artery down to the origin of the coeliac artery (origins of both vessels, inclusively). We prepared post mortem sections of the heart corresponding to the longitudinal echocardiographic views and documented them by photography. In conclusion, the second plane provides an important improvement in semi-invasive imaging of the heart.
Despair of Treatment: A Qualitative Study of Cirrhotic Patients' Perception of Treatment

Cirrhotic patients are exposed to illness progression and life-threatening side effects. The nature of the disease, its incurability, limitations of liver transplantation, and the intensity of threatening conditions lead to psychological distress for the patients and change in their perception of the treatment. To provide holistic care, it is necessary to clarify the patient's perception of the treatment. The aim of this study was to clarify cirrhotic patients' perception of their treatment. This qualitative study was carried out through a content analysis approach. The participants were 15 cirrhotic patients. Data were collected via semistructured, in-depth interviews and analyzed on the basis of the Granheme and Landman method. Despair of treatment was revealed through four categories: (1) disease perception (quiet start and quiet death, living in an aggravating limitation, intensifying threatening conditions), (2) self-perception (living in the shadow of death, loss of self, preferring family to oneself), (3) perception of treatment (difficulty of treatment compliance, believed to be incurable, treatment conditioned to die, treatment limitation), and (4) spirituality-religion (destiny and divine test, asking God instead of doctors). The study shows that despair of treatment is considered as one of the main concerns of cirrhotic patients. Nurses should program their surveillance to support patients effectively based on the study findings.
Claudin-based barrier differentiation in the colonic epithelial crypt niche involves Hopx/Klf4 and Tcf7l2/Hnf4-α cascades

ABSTRACT Colonic enterocytes form a rapidly renewing epithelium and barrier to luminal antigens. During renewal, coordinated expression of the claudin family of genes is vital to maintain the epithelial barrier. Disruption of this process contributes to barrier compromise and mucosal inflammatory diseases. However, little is known about the regulation of this critical aspect of epithelial cell differentiation. In order to identify claudin regulatory factors we utilized high-throughput gene microarrays and correlation analyses. We identified complex expression gradients for the transcription factors Hopx, Hnf4a, Klf4 and Tcf7l2, as well as 12 claudins, during differentiation. In vitro confirmatory methods identified 2 pathways that stimulate claudin expression; Hopx/Klf4 activation of Cldn4, 7 and 15, and Tcf7l2/Hnf4a up-regulation of Cldn23. Chromatin immunoprecipitation confirmed a Tcf7l2/Hnf4a/Claudin23 cascade. Furthermore, Hnf4a conditional knockout mice fail to induce Cldn23 during colonocyte differentiation. In conclusion, we report a comprehensive screen of colonic claudin gene expression and discover spatiotemporal Hopx/Klf4 and Tcf7l2/Hnf4a signaling as stimulators of colonic epithelial barrier differentiation.
Bulk metamaterials: Design, fabrication and characterization

Bulk metamaterials claim a lot of attention worldwide. We report about our activity and advances in design, fabrication and characterization of metal-dielectric composites with three-dimensional lattices. The nomenclature of designs exhibiting negative index behaviour in the near infrared includes the generic family of so-called nested structures. Such designs allow keeping the cubic symmetry of the unit cell along with the electric and magnetic responses showed by different parts in separate. For extraction of effective parameters we employ homemade wave propagation retrieving method free from ambiguity generic to the standard S-parameters retrieval method. Accurateness of the method is highlighted by a set of numerical checks. To fabricate smooth metal three-dimensional structures we develop an electroless chemical technique. We present the results of silver deposition on the surface of a 30-layers-thick polymer woodpile photonic crystal. Characterization of such samples before and after metal deposition in the 700 nm – 1700 nm range exposes some unpredictable features like an enhanced broadband transmission, which still waits to be explained.
Effect of femoral head diameter and operative approach on risk of dislocation after primary total hip arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND It has been postulated that use of a larger femoral head could reduce the risk of dislocation after total hip arthroplasty, but only limited clinical data have been presented as proof of this hypothesis. METHODS From 1969 to 1999, 21,047 primary total hip arthroplasties with varying femoral head sizes were performed at one institution. Patients routinely were followed at defined intervals and were specifically queried about dislocation. The operative approach was anterolateral in 9155 arthroplasties, posterolateral in 3646, and transtrochanteric in 8246. The femoral head diameter was 22 mm in 8691 of the procedures, 28 mm in 8797, and 32 mm in 3559. RESULTS One or more dislocations occurred in 868 of the 21,047 hips. The cumulative risk of first-time dislocation was 2.2% at one year, 3.0% at five years, 3.8% at ten years, and 6.0% at twenty years. The cumulative ten-year rate of dislocation was 3.1% following anterolateral approaches, 3.4% following transtrochanteric approaches, and 6.9% following posterolateral approaches. The cumulative ten-year rate of dislocation was 3.8% for 22-mm-diameter femoral heads, 3.0% for 28-mm heads, and 2.4% for 32-mm heads in hips treated with an anterolateral approach; 3.5% for 22-mm heads, 3.5% for 28-mm heads, and 2.8% for 32-mm heads in hips treated with a transtrochanteric approach; and 12.1% for 22-mm heads, 6.9% for 28-mm heads, and 3.8% for 32-mm heads in hips treated with a posterolateral approach. Multivariate analysis showed the relative risk of dislocation to be 1.7 for 22-mm compared with 32-mm heads and 1.3 for 28-mm compared with 32-mm heads. CONCLUSIONS In total hip arthroplasty, a larger femoral head diameter was associated with a lower long-term cumulative risk of dislocation. The femoral head diameter had an effect in association with all operative approaches, but the effect was greatest in association with the posterolateral approach.
Percutaneous mitral valve repair: A feasibility study in an ovine model of acute ischemic mitral regurgitation

Annuloplasty is the cornerstone of surgical mitral valve repair. A percutaneous transvenous catheter‐based approach for mitral valve repair was tested by placing a novel annuloplasty device in the coronary sinus of sheep with acute ischemic mitral regurgitation. Mitral regurgitation was reduced from 3–4+ to 0–1+ in all animals (P < 0.03). The annuloplasty functioned by reducing septal‐lateral mitral annular diameter (30 ± 2.1 mm preinsertion vs. 24 ± 1.7 mm postinsertion; P < 0.03). These preliminary experiments demonstrate that percutaneous mitral annuloplasty is feasible. Further study is necessary to demonstrate long‐term safety and efficacy of this novel approach. Catheter Cardiovasc Interv 2003;60:410–416. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Definition and tuning of a PI+CI reset controller

Reset compensation has been used to overcome limitations of LTI compensation. In this work, a new reset compensator, referred to as PI+CI, is introduced. It basically consists of adding a Clegg integrator to a PI compensator, with the goal of improving the closed loop response by using the nonlinear characteristic of this element. It turns out that by resetting a percentage of the integral term of a PI compensator, a significant improvement can be obtained by considerably reducing overshoot percentage and settling time. This work is devoted to the development of tuning rules for two single types of plants: a first order plant, and a first order plus delay plant.
Maple syrup urine disease: Metabolic decompensation monitored by proton magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy

Metabolic decompensation of maple syrup urine disease in a 3.5‐year‐old boy was monitored by means of proton magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy. In the acute stage, imaging showed diffuse cerebral edema. Proton spectra showed an elevation of lactate and a previously unassigned resonance at 1 ppm. This peak disappeared with normalization of branched‐chain amino acids and oxoacids in the plasma and cerebrospinal fluid. In vitro spectroscopy of these metabolites at 1.5 T confirmed the chemical shift position of their methyl resonances at 1 ppm. The duration of lactate elevation correlated with the presence of brain edema and coma. These results demonstrate that magnetic resonance imaging can monitor therapeutic effects, and suggest that proton spectroscopy can detect cerebral accumulation of branched‐chain amino acids and oxoacids in maple syrup urine disease.
Diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections and bacterial vaginosis among HIV-1-infected pregnant women in Nairobi

HIV-infected women with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or bacterial vaginosis (BV) during pregnancy are at increased risk for poor obstetric outcomes. In resource-limited settings, diagnostic testing for STIs and BV is often not available and most pregnant women are managed using syndromic algorithms. As part of a Nairobi perinatal cohort, HIV-1-infected pregnant women were interviewed and samples were collected for STIs and BV testing. Diagnostic accuracy of STIs and BV by syndromic algorithms was evaluated with comparison to the reference standard. Among 441 women, prevalence of BV was 37%, trichomoniasis 16%, chlamydia 4%, syphilis 3% and gonorrhoea 2%. Significantly more women with STIs were aged 21-years-old, had not attended secondary school and had a history of STIs. Syndromic diagnosis of STIs and BV demonstrated a sensitivity of 45% and 57%, and positive predictive value of 30% and 42%, respectively. Among these HIV-infected, pregnant women, STIs and vaginal infections were common and syndromic diagnosis was insensitive, resulting in missed opportunities to intervene and improve infant and maternal health.