Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Differential expression of transcripts encoding retinoid binding proteins and retinoic acid receptors during placentation of the mouse

We report the distribution of transcripts from genes encoding the retinol binding protein (RBP), the cellular retinol binding proteins (CRBP I, II) and retinoic acid binding proteins (CRABP I, II), the retinaldehyde dehydrogenase type 2 (RALDH‐2), the retinoic acid receptors (RARs), and the retinoid X receptors (RXRs) in mouse placental tissues from 6.5 to 19.5 days postcoitum (dpc). During early placentation, RBP and RALDH‐2 gene expression are restricted to the endoderm of the visceral yolk sac and the outer uterine epithelium, respectively, whereas CRBP I transcripts are detected in the visceral yolk sac and in the presumptive chorioallantoic placenta. By 15.5 dpc, CRBP I expression is down‐regulated in the yolk sac where CRBP II becomes strongly expressed. Expression of CRBP II is also detected in the trophoblastic giant cells. Throughout placentation, the expression patterns of the CRABP I and II genes partly overlap in the decidual tissue and the vacuolar zones of the decidua, suggesting a role for these binding proteins in sequestering free retinoic acid from maternal blood, thus regulating its availability to the embryo. RARα is ubiquitously expressed in all placental tissues, except in trophoblastic giant cells, at all stages studied. During early placentation, RARβ and RARγ are co‐expressed in the decidua but differentially expressed in the chorionic region (RARβ, 10.5 to 12.5 dpc) and the presumptive labyrinth (RARγ, 7.5 to 12.5 dpc). During the same stages, RXRα is strongly expressed in the presumptive placenta. RARγ remains weakly expressed in the labyrinth until 15.5 dpc, whereas RXRα exhibits a strong expression in this zone until birth, suggesting a role for these receptors in the development and function of the definitive placenta. Dev. Dyn. 208:199–210, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
CD69 is a stimulatory receptor for natural killer cell and its cytotoxic effect is blocked by CD94 inhibitory receptor

CD69 is a differentiation antigen expressed shortly after activation on T lymphocytes and other cells of haematopoietic origin, including natural killer (NK) cells. The function of CD69 on T lymphocytes acting as a costimulatory molecule in proliferation and lymphokine secretion is well established. NK cells express CD69 after activation by different stimuli such as phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate (PMA), interleukin (IL)‐2, IL‐12, interferon‐α (IFN‐α) or anti‐CD16 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). However, although it has been shown that CD69 triggers NK‐cell‐mediated cytolytic activity, its effect on other NK‐cell functions has not been studied. Furthermore, the possible interaction of CD69 triggering with other C‐lectin type inhibitory receptors is not known. Thus, the objective of this work is to determine whether CD69‐mediated NK cytotoxicity can be regulated by CD94 inhibitory receptor and the role of CD69 on other NK‐cell functions different of cytotoxicity. The results show that CD69‐mediated NK cytotoxicity can be abrogated by CD94 stimulation in NK cells expressing the CD94 inhibitory form of the receptor, indicating that CD94 regulates the cytotoxic events initiated by a wide variety of NK activatory receptors. We also show that anti‐CD69 mAbs, not only triggered NK cytotoxicity, but also induce NK‐cell proliferation, CD25 and intracellular adhesion molecule‐1 (ICAM‐1) expression, TNF‐α production and Ca2+ mobilization in preactivated NK cells. These results suggest that CD69 plays a crucial role in NK‐cell function contributing to sustain NK‐cell activation, as it has been previously demonstrated in T cells.
Treatment of segmental bone and soft-tissue defects of the forearm with the free osteocutaneous lateral arm flap.

BACKGROUND Complex defects of the forearm often require microvascular reconstruction with osteocutaneous free flaps to salvage the limb. In this review, we report our experience with the use of the free osteocutaneous lateral arm flap to reconstruct such defects in four patients. METHODS Three male patients with osseous defects of the ulna and one defect of the radius with associated soft-tissue defects were treated with a free osteocutaneous lateral arm flap between 2004 and 2007. The indications for the procedure included posttraumatic osteitis (3) and bone with soft-tissue defects after trauma (1). We evaluated the patients with respect to postoperative results by evaluating the range of motion, pain, strength, and score on the disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand questionnaire. Donor-site morbidity was also documented. RESULTS The average length of segmental bone defects was 5.75 cm. The average dimension of the skin paddle was 99.5 cm. The average duration of follow-up was 43.3 months. All bone flaps healed without nonunion; the fasciocutaneous flaps healed without complications. No problems related to microanastomoses were found. Functional results were very satisfactory; disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand questionnaire scores showed a median of 5.8 (0-10.8). All patients had returned to their preinjury occupations. CONCLUSION This analysis demonstrates that the free osteocutaneous lateral arm flap is an effective treatment for combined segmental osseous and soft-tissue defects of the forearm that are caused by osteitis and trauma.
Modèle à Composant pour Plate-forme Autonomique

Ces dernieres decennies, les environnements informatiques sont devenus de plus en plus complexes, parsemes de dispositifs miniatures et sophistiques gerant la mobilite et communiquant sans fil. L'informatique ubiquitaire, telle qu'imaginee par Mark Weiser en 1991, favorise l'integration transparente de ces environnements avec le monde reel pour offrir de nouveaux types d'applications. La conception de programmes pour environnements ubiquitaires souleve cependant de nombreux defis, en particulier le probleme de rendre une application auto-adaptable dans un contexte en constante evolution. Parallelement, alors que la taille et la complexite de systemes plus classiques ont explose, IBM a propose le concept d'informatique autonomique afin de reduire le fardeau de l'administration de systemes imposants et largement dissemines. Cette these se base sur une approche ou les applications sont concues sous la forme de composants utilisant et fournissant des services. Un modele de developpement fonde sur une architecture de reference pour la conception d'applications ubiquitaires est proposee, fortement inspire des recherches dans le domaine de l'informatique autonomique. Dans ce modele, les applications sont prises en charge par une hierarchie de gestionnaires autonomiques, qui appuient leurs decisions sur une representation centrale du systeme. La mise en œuvre de cette contribution requiert de rendre la couche d'execution sous-jacente plus reflexive, en vue de supporter de nouveaux types d'adaptations a l'execution. Nous proposons egalement un modele qui decrit le systeme a l'execution et reflete sa dynamique de maniere uniforme, suivant les principes du style d'architecture REST. Les applications reposant sur ce cette couche d'execution reflexive et representees par ce modele sont qualifiees d'Autonomic-Ready. L'implantation de nos propositions ont ete integrees dans le modele a composant oriente service Apache Felix iPOJO. Le modele de representation du systeme, nomme Everest, est publie en tant que sous-projet d'OW2 Chameleon. Ces propositions ont ete evaluees et validees par la conception et l'execution d'une application ubiquitaire sur iCASA, un environnement de developpement et de simulation.
Expression of Dp71 in Müller glial cells: a comparison with utrophin- and dystrophin-associated proteins.

PURPOSE The abnormal retinal electrophysiology observed in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) has been attributed to an altered expression of C-terminal products of the dystrophin gene. It has been shown that Dp260 is expressed by photoreceptor cells, whereas Dp71 is present in glial cells. The present study was intended to identify all known members of the dystrophin superfamily and their associated proteins expressed in Müller glial cells (MGC). METHODS The expression of the proteins and of their messengers was studied in MGC cultures from 2-week-old rats, by polymerase chain reaction amplification, Western blot analysis, and immunocytochemistry. An immunocytochemical localization of the proteins was also performed on enzymatically dissociated Müller cells from adult rat retinas. RESULTS MGCs expressed a spliced isoform of Dp71 called Dp71f, as well as utrophin, beta-dystroglycan, delta and gamma-sarcoglycans, and alpha1-syntrophin. In morphologically preserved differentiated Müller cells, Dp71f was localized in clusters, utrophin was diffusely distributed in the cytoplasm, and dystrophin-associated proteins (DAPs) were membrane-bound. Most of these proteins were preferentially expressed in the vitread portion of the cells. Dp71f and utrophin expression was restricted to MGCs, whereas all DAPs were also present in other retinal cell types. CONCLUSIONS The exclusive localization of Dp71f and utrophin in MGCs suggests that these proteins, together with DAPs, play a specific role in these cells. Further knowledge of possible interactions of these proteins within a functional complex may provide new insights into the molecular basis of the electroretinogram phenotype in DMD.
How to Build National Brand - The Case of Taiwan from Culture Perspective

Nation branding has received a significant amount of attention. As Nation branding has become increasingly important every country has to make more of an effort to create a Nation Brand. Culture has been noted as the key to sustainable development of a Nation Brand which has become one of the major vectors of a nation image. In this study, DEMATEL, MMDE and ANP are adopted to analyze the criteria that influence Nation Brand. Combined DEMATEL and ANP found that "movie" and "popular music" are the most relevant and the highest weighted criteria. Therefore, Taiwan’s government should build Taiwan’s Nation Brand from "Film" and "Music".
Biological Effects and Metabolic Rates of Glucagonlike Peptide-1 7–36 Amide and Glucagonlike Peptide-1 7–37 in Healthy Subjects Are Indistinguishable

The biological effects and the metabolism of the intestinal hormone glucagonlike peptide-1 7–36 amide and glucagonlike peptide-1 7–37 were studied in normal healthy subjects. GLP-1 7–36 amide and GLP-1 7–37 equipotently stimulated insulin secretion (integrated hormone response 0–60 min, 631 ± 211 vs. 483 ± 177 pmol/h × L−1) and C-peptide secretion (integrated hormone response 9064 ± 1804 vs. 9954 ± 2031 pmol/h × L−1) and equipotently lowered plasma glucose (integrated decrease 48.3 ± 5.7 vs. 46.2 ± 8.4 mmol/h × L-1) and plasma glucagon (integrated decrease 80.4 ± 24.3 vs. 156.0 ± 34.6 pmol/h × L−1). Both GLP-1 7–36 amide and GLP-1 7–37 lowered the plasma concentration of free fatty acids significantly. The plasma half-lives of GLP-1 7–36 amide and GLP-1 7–37 were 5.3 ± 0.4 vs. 6.1 ± 0.8 min, and the metabolic clearance rates of the two peptides also were similar (14.6 ± 2.4 vs. 12.2 ± 1.0 pmol/kg × min). In conclusion, COOH-terminal amidation is neither important for the metabolism of GLP-1 nor for its effects on the endocrine pancreas.
Acuity recovery and cone pigment regeneration after a bleach in patients with retinitis pigmentosa and rhodopsin mutations.

PURPOSE To assess visual acuity recovery times and cone photopigment regeneration kinetics after a bleach in the fovea of patients with dominant retinitis pigmentosa due to rhodopsin mutations. METHODS The authors measured acuity recovery times by computerized photostress testing in 13 patients with dominant retinitis pigmentosa and one of eight rhodopsin mutations. The authors also measured their time constants of cone photopigment regeneration with a video imaging fundus reflectometer to determine whether acuity recovery time depended on pigment regeneration kinetics. These values were compared with those of normal subjects, by the Mann-Whitney U test. The relationship between acuity recovery time and the time constant of cone photopigment regeneration among the patients was quantified by the Spearman rank correlation. RESULTS The visual acuity recovery times, which averaged 22.0 seconds for the patients with retinitis pigmentosa and 11.2 seconds for the normal subjects, were significantly slower for the patient group (P < 0.001). The time constants of cone pigment regeneration, which averaged 172 seconds for the patients with retinitis pigmentosa and 118 seconds for the normal subjects, also were significantly slower for the patient group (P = 0.043). The authors also found a significant, positive correlation between the visual acuity recovery time and the time constant of pigment regeneration for the patients with retinitis pigmentosa (r = 0.65, P = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS A slowing of foveal visual acuity recovery and cone pigment regeneration, which are related to each other, can occur in patients with retinitis pigmentosa, due to a rod-specific gene defect.
Different strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae differ in their effects on ruminal bacterial numbers in vitro and in sheep.

A ruminal simulation device (Rusitec) was used to compare the effects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains NCYC 240, NCYC 694, NCYC 1026, NCYC 1088, and Yea-Sacc (a commercial product containing S. cerevisiae) on ruminal fermentation. S. cerevisiae NCYC 240, NCYC 1088, NCYC 1026, and NCYC 694 were grown on malt extract at 30 degrees C in aerated fed-batch culture and harvested along with spent growth medium by freeze-drying. Each vessel received daily 20 g of a basal diet consisting of hay, barley, molasses, fishmeal, and a minerals/vitamins mixture at 500, 299.5, 100, 91, and 9.5 g/kg of DM, respectively. Yeast preparations (500 mg/d) were added along with the feed. S. cerevisiae NCYC 240, NCYC 1026, and Yea-Sacc stimulated total and cellulolytic bacterial numbers, whereas S. cerevisiae NCYC 694 and NCYC 1088 had no effect on the numbers of bacteria. The effects of S. cerevisiae NCYC 240, NCYC 1026, and Yea-Sacc on ruminal fermentation were further investigated in vivo using ruminally cannulated sheep fed 1.5 kg/d of the diet used in Rusitec, supplemented with 2 g/d of yeast culture. All treatments tended to stimulate total and cellulolytic bacterial numbers. However, the stimulation was only statistically significant for S. cerevisiae NCYC 1026 with total bacterial numbers and S. cerevisiae NCYC 240 with cellulolytic bacteria (P < .05). Increased bacterial numbers were associated with an increase in the rate of straw degradation in the rumen and a nonsignificant (P > .05) increase in the excretion of purine derivatives in the urine, measured as an index of microbial nitrogen leaving the rumen. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Item response theory analysis of lifetime cannabis-use disorder symptom severity in an American Indian community sample.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to use Item Response Theory to assess Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition, Revised (DSM-III-R), lifetime cannabis-use disorder (CUD) symptom severity and its relationship to first cannabis use before age 15 years, male gender, and childhood conduct disorder in an American Indian community sample. METHOD The Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism was used to determine demographic information, age at first use, and DSM-III-R childhood conduct disorder and lifetime CUD symptoms in a community sample of 349 American Indian participants who had used cannabis at least 21 times in a single year. Two-parameter Item Response Theory models generated marginal maximum likelihood estimates for discrimination (a) and threshold (b) parameters for nine DSM-III-R CUD symptoms along an underlying latent CUD severity continuum. Differential Item Functioning (DIF) analysis was used to assess for differences in symptom severity in groups defined by presence versus absence of age at first use before 15 years, male gender, and childhood conduct disorder. RESULTS CUD symptoms of "use in larger amounts or over longer periods of time," "activities given up," and "role failure" were the most severe symptoms. All CUD symptoms fell on the moderate portion of the severity continuum. "Time spent" was more severe in individuals who first used cannabis after age 15 years, "hazardous use" was more severe in females, and "use in larger amounts or over longer periods of time" was more severe in individuals with co-morbid childhood conduct disorder. CONCLUSIONS Specific risk factors for the development of lifetime CUD are associated with increased severity of several CUD symptoms in this high-risk group.
Capacitated Assortment and Price Optimization under the Multinomial Logit Model

We consider an assortment and price optimization problem where a retailer chooses an assortment of competing products and determines their prices to maximize the total expected profit subject to a capacity constraint. Customers’ purchase behavior follows the multinomial logit choice model with general utility functions. This paper simplifies it to a problem of finding a unique fixed point of a single-dimensional function and visualizes the assortment optimization process. An efficient algorithm to find the optimal assortment and prices is provided.
A PQRM-based PACS System for Advanced Medical Services under Grid Environment

Picture archiving and communications system (PACS) is widely used in hospitals to take medical images, to send images to radiologists or doctors and to store images into storage in a digital manner, that has brought high efficiency in a medical process. Recently, PACS is required to evolve into a more sophisticated system that can communicate with other medical systems. The existing PACS was designed to be used in a Local Area Network (LAN) of a hospital and DICOM, the standard used in PACS, doesn't have any QoS for file transmission or security functions for an open network. Therefore, we propose a PACS system over Policy Quorum based Resource Management (PQRM) system, which manages storage resources and computing resources in Grid environment to provide satisfying advanced medical services with guaranteed QoS. Finally, we test the real situation medical scenario to prove the advanced functions our system provides and do several experiments to show the superiority of our novel system to existing PACS systems. The results indicate that while PQRM-based PACS providing the ability for advanced medical services it guarantees the transmission, provides best resource selection and disaster recovery capability.
ANATOMY OF MELANCHOLIA

Abstract: This article analyses some of the aesthetic and philosophical strands of Lars von Trier's Melancholia, focusing in particular on the film's remarkable Prelude, arguing that it performs a complex ethical critique of rationalist optimism in the guise of a neo-italictic allegory of world-destruction. At the same time, I suggest that Melancholia seeks to “work through” the loss of worlds – cinematic but also cultural and natural – that characterises our historical mood, one that might be described as a deflationary apocalypticism or melancholy modernity. From this perspective, Melancholia belongs to a genealogical lineage that links it with two earlier films important for von Trier: Ingmar Bergman's Shame [Skammen] (1968) and Andrei Tarkovsky's The Sacrifice (1986). All three films share a concern with apocalypticism, world-sacrifice, and historical melancholia; but they also explore different responses to the imagined experience of a catastrophic loss of world. By examining these films in relation to Melancholia we can trace the logic of this loss, culminating in Melancholia's radical gesture of world-sacrifice; this aestheticisation of world-destruction has the paradoxical ethical meaning, I suggest, of preparing for a post-humanist beginning.
Increased Memory Differentiation Is Associated with Decreased Polyfunctionality for HIV but Not for Cytomegalovirus-Specific CD8+ T Cells

The generation of polyfunctional CD8+ T cells, in response to vaccination or natural infection, has been associated with improved protective immunity. However, it is unclear whether the maintenance of polyfunctionality is related to particular cellular phenotypic characteristics. To determine whether the cytokine expression profile is linked to the memory differentiation stage, we analyzed the degree of polyfunctionality of HIV-specific CD8+ T cells within different memory subpopulations in 20 antiretroviral therapy-naive HIV-1–infected individuals at ∼34 wk postinfection. These profiles were compared with CMV-specific CD8+ T cell responses in HIV-uninfected control subjects and in individuals chronically infected with HIV. Our results showed that the polyfunctional abilities of HIV-specific CD8+ T cells differed according to their memory phenotype. Early-differentiated cells (CD45RO+CD27+) exhibited a higher proportion of cells positive for three or four functions (p < 0.001), and a lower proportion of monofunctional cells (p < 0.001) compared with terminally differentiated (TD; CD45RO−CD27−) HIV-specific CD8+ T cells. The majority of TD HIV-specific CD8+ T cells were monofunctional (median 69% [interquartile range: 57–83]), producing predominantly CD107a or MIP1β. Moreover, proportions of HIV-specific monofunctional CD8+ T cells positively associated with proportions of TD HIV-specific CD8+ T cells (p = 0.019, r = 0.54). In contrast, CMV-specific CD8+ T cell polyfunctional capacities were similar across all memory subpopulations, with terminally and early-differentiated cells endowed with comparable polyfunctionality. Overall, these data show that the polyfunctional abilities of HIV-specific CD8+ T cells are influenced by the stage of memory differentiation, which is not the case for CMV-specific responses.
Intérêt du suivi de fréquences pour la détection de sources harmoniques multiples

Dans cet article, nous presentons une nouvelle approche pour la localisation de superposition de sources harmoniques. Notre methode est basee sur le suivi des frequence predominantes du signal afin de former des segments sinusoidaux. Les relations entre les frequences de ces derniers sont ensuite etudiees afin de regrouper les segments sinusoidaux appartenant a une meme source. Les sources etant localisees sur le plan temps-frequence, les zones ou coexistent differentes sources sont finalement extraites. Notre approche a ete testee a la fois sur des contenus de parole et de musique avec des resultats prometteurs.