Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Correlation of Pulsed-Laser Energy and Heavy-Ion LET by Matching Analog SET Ensemble Signatures and Digital SET Thresholds

The quantitative correlation between the incident energy of a laser pulse and the Linear Energy Transfer (LET) of a heavy-ion beam is verified up to very high energy levels, by comparing the scatter plots of amplitude vs. duration of ensembles of Analog Single Event Transients (ASETs) generated with both methods in a complex CMOS RadHard Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC). The same energy correlation is then confirmed in a more traditional way, by matching the onset energy thresholds of Digital SETs (DSETs) of a comparator-based voltage supervisor circuit. The observed dependency of the upset threshold on the circuit response time leads to a more general discussion of the influence that laser pulse-widths have on the SET sensitivity of mixed-signal circuits. Preliminary to this study, the energy of the laser apparatus at the Aeroflex facility was aligned to that of the NRL laser by comparing the transient shapes produced when a p-n photodiode, previously used for similar comparison purposes, was irradiated.
Strategic down-regulation of DNA polymerase beta by antisense RNA sensitizes mammalian cells to specific DNA damaging agents.

Previously, mouse NIH 3T3 cells were stably transfected with human DNA polymerase beta (beta-pol) cDNA in the antisense orientation and under the control of a metallothionein promoter [Zmudzka, B.Z. and Wilson, S.H. (1990) Som. Cell Mol. Gen., 16, 311-320]. To assess the feasibility of enhancing the efficacy of chemotherapy by an antisense approach and to confirm a role for beta-pol in cellular DNA repair, we looked for increased sensitivity to DNA damaging agents under conditions where beta-pol is down-regulated in the antisense cell line. Such a sensitization is anticipated only where beta-pol is rate-limiting in a DNA repair pathway. A number of agents were tested: cis-diamminedichloroplatinum II (cisplatin); 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1- nitrosourea (BCNU); ionizing radiation and the radio-mimetic drug bleomycin; the bifunctional alkylating agents nitrogen mustard and L-phenylalanine mustard (melphalan); the monofunctional alkylating agent methyl methane sulfonate (MMS) and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. In the cases of cisplatin and UV radiation, a significant enhancement of cytotoxicity was observed. Damage as a result of both of these agents is thought to be repaired by the nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway. The results suggest that, in this cell line, beta-pol is involved in and is rate-limiting in NER. We propose that down-regulation of beta-pol by antisense approaches might be used to enhance the cytotoxic effects of cisplatin and other DNA damaging chemotherapeutic agents.
In Vitro Inhibition of Insulin Release by Blood Mononuclear Cells from Insulin-Dependent Diabetic and Healthy Subjects: Synergistic Action of IL-1 and TNF

Previous studies have demonstrated that peripheral blood mononuclear cells (BMC) from type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients inhibit insulin release (IR) from rat or mouse islet cells in vitro. This phenomenon is of great interest as a model for islet graft rejection. We found that lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated BMC of healthy donors and type 1 diabetic patients suppress both basal and stimulated insulin secretion. To study whether this inhibition was due to soluble mediators we added supernatants of LPS-stimulated BMC or recombinant human interleukin-1β (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF) at concentrations comparable to those found in the supernatants to rat islet cells. The inhibitory effect of BMC on islet cells could be transferred by supernatants of LPS-stimulated BMC. We found that neither IL-1 nor TNF alone inhibit IR from dispersed adult rat islet cells. However, the combination of IL-1 and TNF was highly effective. Ultrafiltration of supernatants of LPS-stimulated BMC through a PM-10 membrane (10 kDa cutoff) deprived the supernatants of the inhibitory activity indicating that only intact IL-1 and TNF (m.w. about 17 kDa), but not smaller IL-1 and TNF fragments, were responsible for the effects on islet cells. These data suggest that activation of BMC and cytokine release at islet graft site may result in an early loss of graft function. Islet transplantation using microcapsules not permeable for molecules with m.w. > 10 kDa would be preferable.
NEmu : un outil de virtualisation de réseaux à la demande pour l'enseignement

NEmu (Network Emulator for mobile universes) est un environnement permettant d'instancier des reseaux virtuels statiques, dynamiques ou mobiles avec un controle accru sur les proprietes de la topologie ainsi que sur la configuration des nœuds et des inter-connexions. Cet outil trouve son utilite dans les enseignements mais peut aussi etre utilise comme plate-forme de tests ou bien encore comme outil d'aide a la recherche. NEmu permet de creer des reseaux virtuels a la volee, distribues sur plusieurs hotes et sans droits particuliers sur l'infrastructure physique sous-jacente. Notre outil repose sur plusieurs caracteristiques fondamentales heritees d'un concept appele NVE (Network Virtualization Environment) lui conferant une flexibilite importante dans le but de repondre aux besoins les plus specifiques en matiere de creation de reseaux virtuels.
Cognitive dysfunction 1–2 years after non‐cardiac surgery in the elderly

Background: Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a well‐recognised complication of cardiac surgery, but evidence of POCD after general surgery has been lacking. We recently showed that POCD was present in 9.9% of elderly patients 3 months after major non‐cardiac surgery. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether POCD persists for 1–2 years after operation.
Arthroscopic Bankart repair for traumatic anterior shoulder instability with the use of suture anchors.

INTRODUCTION The arthroscopic method offers a less invasive technique of Bankart repair for traumatic anterior shoulder instability. The results continue to improve with the advancements made in instrumentation and technique. This study aims to evaluate the outcome of arthroscopic Bankart repair with the use of suture anchors for cases that were followed-up for at least two years from the date of surgery. METHODS This was a consecutive series of 40 shoulders in 37 patients who underwent arthroscopic Bankart repair with suture anchor. The mean age at the time of operation was 26.3 years. The patients were assessed with two different outcome measurement tools (the University of California at Los Angeles [UCLA] shoulder rating scale and simple shoulder test [SST] score). The mean duration of follow-up was 30.2 months. The recurrence rate, range of motion, and postoperative function were evaluated. RESULTS The two shoulder scores significantly improved after surgery (p-value is less than 0.05). According to the UCLA scale, 37 shoulders (92.5 percent) had excellent or good scores, one shoulder (2.5 percent) had a fair score, and two (five percent) had poor scores. All 12 components of SST showed improvement, which was statistically significant. Overall, the rate of postoperative recurrence was 7.5 percent (three shoulders). All patients either maintained or demonstrated improvement of range of motion. There was no loss of external rotation range of motion postoperatively. CONCLUSION Arthroscopic Bankart repair with the use of suture anchors is a reliable treatment method that can provide a good clinical outcome with excellent postoperative shoulder motion and low recurrence rate.
Hyperpolarized (13)C-pyruvate magnetic resonance imaging in cancer diagnostics.

INTRODUCTION The use of hyperpolarized molecules allows one to obtain information about metabolism in both cells and animals; such a task represents a tremendous advancement with respect to the results achieved so far with in vivo NMR techniques. Pyruvate appears an excellent tumor biomarker as it allows the attainment of early diagnosis, stadiation and monitoring of response to therapy. AREAS COVERED As pyruvate conversion to lactate in the glycolytic pathway is highly enhanced in tumor cells, the 1-(13)C-lactate levels after administration of hyperpolarized 1-(13)C-pyruvate are markedly higher in tumor tissues and depend on the type and grade of the tumor. This review covers the most recent research results (both in vitro and in vivo) about the use of hyperpolarized 1-(13)C-pyruvate for tumor localization, stadiation and for monitoring the response to therapy. The technique may find application in clinics, especially when other imaging modalities are of difficult applicability. EXPERT OPINION While (13)C-pyruvate has been shown to be the candidate of choice for metabolic imaging, high expectations are present in the scientific community to see if other hyperpolarized substrates could provide more specific and sensitive biomarkers. The use of hyperpolarized molecules will have a tremendous impact in the armory of diagnostic tools.
Determinant Factors of Tourist Expenses

The objective of this article is to analyze travel expenses across and within types. The empirical application examines the determinant factors of total expenses, controlling for potential endogeneity, and relies on quantile regression to analyze the effects of information search behavior on the distribution of total expenses as well as accommodation, shopping, food and beverages, and local transportation expenses. The role of information sources in predicting travel spending behaviors is a new dimension in the literature on expenses, and a sample of 48,113 travelers has led to the detection of effects of variables with relevant managerial implications (e.g., while official information centers show positive impacts at the upper levels of accommodation expenses, they present null effects at the highest levels of shopping expenses) as well as theoretical implications (special attention should be drawn to the variable length of stay, which, after being controlled by endogeneity, completely loses its significance).
Cannabinoids concentration variability in cannabis olive oil galenic preparations

Knowledge of the exact concentration of active compounds in galenic preparations is crucial to be able to ensure their quality and to properly administer the prescribed dose. Currently, the need for titration of extracts is still debated. Considering this, together with the absence of a standard preparation method, the aim of this study was to evaluate cannabinoids concentrations variability in galenic olive oil extracts, to evaluate the interlot and interlaboratory variability in the extraction yield and in the preparation composition.
Lipopolysaccharide-induced Methylation of HuR, an mRNA-stabilizing Protein, by CARM1*

The RNA-binding protein HuR stabilizes labile mRNAs carrying AU-rich instability elements. This mRNA stabilization can be induced by hypoxia, lipopolysaccharide, and UV light. The mechanism by which these stimuli activate HuR is unclear and might be related to post-translational modification of this protein. Here we show that HuR can be methylated on arginine. However, HuR is not a substrate for PRMT1, the most prominent protein-arginine methyltransferase in mammalian cells, which methylates a number of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins. Instead, HuR is specifically methylated by coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (CARM1), a protein-arginine methyltransferase previously shown to serve as a transcriptional coactivator. By analyzing methylation of specific HuR arginine-to-lysine mutants and by sequencing radioactively methylated HuR peptides, Arg217 was identified as the major HuR methylation site. Arg217 is located in the hinge region between the second and third of the three HuR RNA recognition motif domains. Antibodies against a methylated HuR peptide were used to demonstrate in vivo methylation of HuR. HuR methylation increased in cells that overexpressed CARM1. Importantly, lipopolysaccharide stimulation of macrophages, which leads to HuR-mediated stabilization of tumor necrosis factor α mRNA in these cells, caused increased methylation of endogenous HuR. Thus, CARM1, which plays a role in transcriptional activation through histone H3 methylation, may also play a role in post-transcriptional gene regulation by methylating HuR.
Poverty Impact of Food Price Shocks and Policies

In the event of large swings in world food prices, countries often intervene to dampen the impact of international food price spikes on domestic prices and to lessen the burden of adjustment on vulnerable population groups. While individual countries can succeed at insulating their domestic markets from short-term fluctuations in global food prices, the collective intervention of many countries may exacerbate the volatility of world prices. Insulating policies introduced during the 2010-11 food price spike may have accounted for 40 percent of the increase in the world price of wheat and one-quarter of the increase in the world price of maize. Combined with government policy responses, the 2010-11 food price spike tipped 8.3 million people (nearly 1 percent of the world's poor) into poverty.
Increasing the Supply of Providers for the Medically Underserved: Marketing and Public Policy Issues

Lack of access to health care by those medically underserved results from a complex of social and economic factors. Solutions to the problem will require, at a minimum, removal of financial barriers and assurance of availability of qualified providers. The authors examine public policies designed to impact the supply and training of health care providers in terms of their short- and long-term effectiveness in influencing the composition of the health care workforce. They analyze data from a series of qualitative studies with family practice residents, providers, and key personnel from family practice residency programs for insights to help identify candidates who could be successful in needy environments, and in understanding providers’ perceptions of benefits and drawbacks of working with the underserved. The authors recommend a strategy for recruiting candidates better matched to the requirements of practice with the underserved, revising curricula to provide needed training to facilitate providers’ success in underserved settings, and designing practice environments supportive of providers working with underserved populations.
CXCR3 Deficiency Increases Susceptibility to Genital Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Infection: Uncoupling of CD8+ T-Cell Effector Function but Not Migration

ABSTRACT CXCR3 is a G-protein-coupled receptor preferentially expressed by activated T cells, NK cells, and dendritic cells. Signaling through gamma interferon-regulated chemokines CXCL9, CXCL10, CXCL11, and CXCR3 plays a critical role in the immune response of many viral pathogens. However, the relevance of CXCR3 for optimal T-cell activation and the induction of regulatory transcription factors (i.e., T-bet and eomesodermin) relative to host immune defense against genital herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection have been poorly defined. In this study, we evaluated the requirement of CXCR3 expression during genital HSV-2 infection using mice deficient in CXCR3 (CXCR3−/−) along with wild-type (WT) controls, assessing the resistance of mice to viral infection and focusing on the cytokine/chemokine response, phenotypic analysis of recruited leukocytes, and functional analysis of CD8+ T cells. CXCR3−/− mice showed a heightened sensitivity to infection compared to WT animals in terms of the viral burden in infected tissues as well as elevated mortality. The poor response of CXCR3−/− mice to viral infection was associated with reduced cytotoxic T-lymphocyte activity through the impairment of T-bet, perforin, and granzyme B expression by CD8+ T cells. Corresponding with the defective cytolytic activity, a reduction in recruitment of plasmacytoid dendritic cells and CD80 expression in CD11c+ dendritic cells in the draining lymph nodes of CXCR3−/− mice were detected. Collectively, the results provide a new perspective to CXCR3 signaling for the appropriate activation of CD8+ T cells required for host defense against genital HSV-2 infection.
Virtual training for welding

A mixed reality system has been created for simulating gas metal arc welding (GMAW) welding. This simulation system is intended for use in training human welders. The system is comprised of a real welding torch attached to a force feedback device, a head-mounted display, a 6 DOF tracking system for both the torch and the user's head, and external audio speakers. The welding simulation is based on empirical results from detailed analysis of a series of test welds. The simulation runs in real-time, using a neural network to determine the quality and shape of the created weld based on the orientation and speed of the welding torch. The welding process and resulting weld bead are displayed in a virtual environment. Weld quality and recorded process values can be displayed after welding for review.
Membrane Recruitment of Coatomer and Binding to Dilysine Signals Are Separate Events*

It has previously been shown that transport of newly synthesized proteins and the structure of the Golgi complex are affected in the Chinese hamster ovary cell line ldlF, which bears a temperature-sensitive mutation in the Coat protein I (COPI) subunit ε-COP (Guo, Q., Vasile, E., and Krieger, M. (1994)J. Cell Biol. 125, 1213–1224; Hobbie, L. , Fisher, A. S. , Lee, S. , Flint, A. , and Krieger, M. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 20958–20970). Here, we pinpoint the site of the secretory block to an intermediate compartment between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the Golgi complex and show that the distributions of ER-Golgi recycling proteins, such as KDEL receptor and p23, as well as resident Golgi proteins, such as mannosidase II, are accordingly affected. At the nonpermissive temperature, neither the stability of the COPI complex nor its recruitment to donor Golgi membranes is affected. However, the binding of coatomer to the dilysine-based ER-retrieval motif is impaired in the absence of ε-COP, suggesting that dilysine signal binding is not the major means of COPI recruitment. Because expression of the exogenous chimera of ε-COP and green fluorescent protein in ldlF cells at nonpermissive temperature rapidly restores the wild type properties, ε-COP is likely to play an important role in the cargo selection events mediated by COPI.
Impact of HIV on inpatient mortality and complications in stroke in Thailand: a National Database Study

SUMMARY The co-existence of stroke and HIV has increased in recent years, but the impact of HIV on post-stroke outcomes is poorly understood. We examined the impact of HIV on inpatient mortality, length of acute hospital stay and complications (pneumonia, respiratory failure, sepsis and convulsions), in hospitalized strokes in Thailand. All hospitalized strokes between 1 October 2004 and 31 January 2013 were included. Data were obtained from a National Insurance Database. Characteristics and outcomes for non-HIV and HIV patients were compared and multivariate logistic and linear regression models were constructed to assess the above outcomes. Of 610 688 patients (mean age 63·4 years, 45·4% female), 0·14% (866) had HIV infection. HIV patients were younger, a higher proportion were male and had higher prevalence of anaemia (P < 0·001) compared to non-HIV patients. Traditional cardiovascular risk factors, hypertension and diabetes, were more common in the non-HIV group (P < 0·001). After adjusting for age, sex, stroke type and co-morbidities, HIV infection was significantly associated with higher odds of sepsis [odds ratio (OR) 1·75, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·29–2·4], and inpatient mortality (OR 2·15, 95% CI 1·8–2·56) compared to patients without HIV infection. The latter did not attenuate after controlling for complications (OR 2·20, 95% CI 1·83–2·64). HIV infection is associated with increased odds of sepsis and inpatient mortality after acute stroke.
The Relationship of Social Problem-Solving Skills and Dysfunctional Attitudes with Risk of Drug Abuse among Dormitory Students at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences

Background: Dormitory students encounter multiple social factors which cause pressure, such as new social relationships, fear of the future, and separation from family, which could cause serious problems such as tendency toward drug abuse. This research was conducted with the goal to determine social problem-solving skills, dysfunctional attitudes, and risk of drug abuse among dormitory students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive-analytical, correlational, and cross-sectional research. The research sample consisted of 211 students living in dormitories. The participants were selected using randomized quota sampling method. The data collection tools included the Social Problem-Solving Inventory (SPSI), Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS), and Identifying People at Risk of Addiction Questionnaire. Results: The results indicated an inverse relationship between social problem-solving skills and risk of drug abuse (P= 0.0002), a direct relationship between dysfunctional attitude and risk of drug abuse (P= 0.030), and an inverse relationship between social problem-solving skills and dysfunctional attitude among students (P= 0.0004). Conclusions: Social problem-solving skills have a correlation with dysfunctional attitudes. As a result, teaching these skills and the way to create efficient attitudes should be considered in dormitory students.
The Brief Cognitive Assessment Tool (BCAT): A new test emphasizing contextual memory, executive functions, attentional capacity, and the prediction of instrumental activities of daily living

The Brief Cognitive Assessment Tool (BCAT) is a new screening measure for cognitive dysfunction that emphasizes contextual memory and executive control functions. A total of 104 older adults referred for neuropsychological evaluation were recruited from assisted-living facilities. Psychometric analyses confirmed strong evidence for reliability, construct validity, and predictive validity. The BCAT's utility for identifying dementia versus mild cognitive impairment was excellent, with a sensitivity of . 99, a specificity of . 77, and an area under the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve of . 95. Executive control, contextual memory, and attentional capacity items were the best predictors of diagnostic category and of instrumental activities of daily living.