Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The role of nNOS and PGC-1&agr; in skeletal muscle cells

ABSTRACT Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor &ggr; co-activator 1&agr; (PGC-1&agr;) are two fundamental factors involved in the regulation of skeletal muscle cell metabolism. nNOS exists as several alternatively spliced variants, each having a specific pattern of subcellular localisation. Nitric oxide (NO) functions as a second messenger in signal transduction pathways that lead to the expression of metabolic genes involved in oxidative metabolism, vasodilatation and skeletal muscle contraction. PGC-1&agr; is a transcriptional coactivator and represents a master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis by promoting the transcription of mitochondrial genes. PGC-1&agr; can be induced during physical exercise, and it plays a key role in coordinating the oxidation of intracellular fatty acids with mitochondrial remodelling. Several lines of evidence demonstrate that NO could act as a key regulator of PGC-1&agr; expression; however, the link between nNOS and PGC-1&agr; in skeletal muscle remains only poorly understood. In this Commentary, we review important metabolic pathways that are governed by nNOS and PGC-1&agr;, and aim to highlight how they might intersect and cooperatively regulate skeletal muscle mitochondrial and lipid energetic metabolism and contraction.
Prenatal Maternal Stress and the Risk of Asthma in Children

Emerging evidence indicate that maternal prenatal stress (MPS) can result in a range of long-term adverse effects in the offspring. The underlying mechanism of MPS is not fully understood. However, its complexity is emphasized by the number of purportedly involved pathways namely, placental deregulated metabolism of maternal steroids, impaired maturation of fetal HPA axis, imbalanced efflux of commensal bacteria across the placenta, and skewed immune development toward Th2. Fetal programming probably exerts a pivotal role in the end result of the above pathways through the modulation of gene expression. In this review, we highlight the current knowledge from epidemiological and experimental studies regarding the effects of MPS on asthma development in the offspring.
Transfert de marché de cotation : Motivations et Conséquences

Cette etude empirique a pour objet d'analyser les effets d'un changement de marche de cotation sur la rentabilite, la liquidite et le risque systematique. Elle porte sur des societes qui ont transfere le marche de cotation de leurs titres d'un compartiment non reglemente a un compartiment reglemente du marche francais (Euronext Paris) entre 1995 et 2005. Globalement, les resultats montrent une reaction positive du marche a l'annonce du transfert et une amelioration du niveau de liquidite. Cette reaction est d'autant plus forte que les titres de la societe etaient moins liquides avant l'annonce du transfert. Par ailleurs, les differents tests sur le changement du niveau de liquidite ont montre une augmentation statistiquement significative du ratio d'Amihud pour les titres les moins liquides. Par contre, concernant les titres a liquidite elevee, nous n'avons observe des preuves d'amelioration qu'apres l'introduction sur le nouveau compartiment et non juste apres l'annonce. Enfin, notre etude met en evidence que le transfert reduit la volatilite, mais n'a pas d'effet significatif sur le risque systematique.
Induction of Immune Responses in Mice after Intragastric Administration of Lactobacillus casei Producing Porcine Parvovirus VP2 Protein

ABSTRACT Lactobacillus casei ATCC 393 was selected as an antigen delivery vehicle for mucosal immunization against porcine parvovirus (PPV) infection. A 64-kDa fragment of PPV major protective antigen VP2 protein was used as the parvovirus antigen model. A recombinant Lactobacillus expressing VP2 protein was constructed with plasmid pPG611.1, where expression and localization of the VP2 protein from recombinant Lc393-rPPV-VP2 was detected via sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, Western blotting, and immunofluorescence. Both local mucosal and systemic immune responses against PPV were induced in BALB/c mice immunized orally with the recombinant Lactobacillus expressing VP2 protein. The induced antibodies demonstrated neutralizing effects on PPV infection. These data indicated that the use of recombinant lactobacilli could be a valuable strategy for future vaccine development of PPV.
Quality of service management in service-oriented grids

Grid computing provides a robust paradigm for aggregating disparate resources in a secure and controlled environment. The emerging grid infrastructure gives rise to a class of scientific applications and services in support of collaborative and distributed resource-sharing requirements, as part of teleimmersion, visualization and simulation services. Because such applications operate in a collaborative mode, data must be stored, processed and delivered in a timely manner. Such classes of applications have collaborative and distributed resource-sharing requirements, and have stringent real-time constraints and quality-of-service (QoS) requirements. A QoS management approach is therefore essential to orchestrate and guarantee the interaction among such applications in a distributed computing environment. Grid architectures require an underpinning of QoS support to manage complex computation-intensive and data-intensive applications, as current grid middleware solutions lack QoS provision. QoS guarantees in the grid context have, however, not been given the importance they merit. To enhance its functionality, a computational grid must be overlaid with an advanced QoS architecture to best execute those applications with real-time constraints. This thesis reports on the design and implementation of a software framework, called Grid QoS Management (G-QoSm). G-QoSm incorporates a new QoS management model and provides a service-oriented QoS management approach that supports the Open Grid Service Architecture. Its novel features include grid-service discovery based on QoS attributes, immediate and advance resource reservation, service execution with QoS constraints, and techniques for QoS adaptation to compensate for resource degradation, and to optimise resource allocation while maintaining a service level agreement. The benefits of G-QoSm are demonstrated by prototype test-beds that integrate scientific grid applications and simulate grid data-transfer applications. Results show that the grid application and the data-transfer simulation have better performance when used with the proposed QoS approach. QoS abstractions are presented for building QoS-aware applications, in the context of service-oriented grids. These abstractions are application programming interfaces to facilitate application developers utilising the proposed QoS management solution.
CDKN2A as a uveal and cutaneous melanoma susceptibility gene

A few families have been described whose members are affected by either cutaneous melanoma (CM) or uveal melanoma (UM), suggesting that a common susceptibility could exist. Although CDKN2A is the main CM predisposing gene, thus far no germline CDKN2A mutations have been described in families with both CM and UM. We report a Gly67Ser missense CDKN2A germline mutation in a melanoma‐prone family, where one carrier was affected by UM and the other by a CM. Immunohistochemistry performed on the UM tissue block revealed loss of CDKN2A protein staining in tumor cells. These observations demonstrate that CDKN2A is also a UM susceptibility gene. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Baseline Susceptibility and Cross-Resistance in Adult and Larval Alphitobius diaperinus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) Collected from Poultry Farms in Arkansas

ABSTRACT Insecticide resistance in the lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), can pose a serious threat to their successful management in broiler chicken farms in Arkansas. Resistance and cross-resistance were determined in lesser mealworm populations collected from two broiler farms in Arkansas, with different insecticide application histories. Farm M was treated with insecticides over the past 10 yr, whereas Farm S had no insecticidal usage history. Concentration—mortality bioassays using selected insecticides were conducted on adults and seventh-instar larval beetles. A probit analysis suggested the M population to be resistant to cyfluthrin and tetrachlorvinphos, while the S population was susceptible to both compounds. The M population showed no crossresistance to imidacloprid, spinosad, or chlorfenapyr. TheMand S populations were similar in their susceptibility to imidacloprid, spinosad, and chlorfenapyr. The suitability of imidacloprid and spinosad, and further testing of chlorfenapyr as a potential candidate for lesser mealworm control is discussed.
Response of Alveolar Type II Epithelial Cells to Mechanical Stretch and Lipopolysaccharide

Background: Although many therapeutic strategies have been developed clinically, the mortality associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome remains very high. Objectives: In this research, we used a cytomechanical method to elucidate the reason for this. Methods: A549 cells were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 1 or 100 ng/ml) and/or mechanical stretch (5, 15, 30%) in varying frequency (0.2, 0.5, 1 Hz) at indicated time (1, 2, 4 h). Real time PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used to measure mRNA and protein levels of IL-8. Results: In the presence of mechanical stretch, 100 ng/ml LPS significantly increased IL-8 production after 4 h of 5% stretch (p < 0.05). In the presence of LPS, stretch enhanced LPS-induced IL-8 protein production in a force-, time- and frequency-dependent manner. At both the 1- and 4-hour time points, mechanical stretch and LPS increased IL-8 mRNA levels, respectively, and stretch enhanced LPS-induced IL-8 mRNA levels (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Using cytomechanic methods, we found a synergistic effect of LPS and mechanical stretch on IL-8 production. The response of alveolar type II cells to mechanical stretch depends on their different pathologic states and the applied mechanical stretch, which may reversely influence the outcome of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Protective Effect of Nardostachys jatamansi Against Radiation-induced Damage at Biochemical and Chromosomal Levels in Swiss Albino Mice

The effect of 100 mg of ethanol extract of Nardostachys jatamansi was studied on the mice exposed to 6 Gy electron beam radiation. Treatment of mice with 100 mg of Nardostachys jatamansi extract for 15 days before irradiation reduced the symptoms of radiation sickness when compared with the nondrug treated irradiated groups. The irradiation of animals resulted in an elevation in lipid peroxidation and reduction in glutathione, total antioxidants and antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase and catalase activities. Irradiated group had shown micronucleus in the bone marrow cells. Treatment of mice with Nardostachys jatamansi extract before irradiation caused a significant depletion in lipid peroxidation followed by significant elevation in reduced glutathione, total antioxidants, glutathione peroxidase and catalase activity. It also showed a reduction in the micronucleus formation in the bone marrow cells. Our results indicate that the radioprotective activity of Nardostachys jatamansi extract may be due to free radical scavenging and increased antioxidant level in mice.
The proportion of ovarian follicles in different stages of development in rats and monkeys.

The active mammalian ovary contains follicles in all stages of development. Oocytes surrounded by an incomplete cellular cover or by a single layer of cells generally make up 90 % or more of the total present, while the frequency with which larger follicles occur decreases inversely and exponentially with size. Desaive (1940, 1947, 1948), who has made an intensive study of the ovary of the rabbit, classifies ovarian follicles in nine stages of development, which he defines in terms of size and histological characteristics. He states that the proportion of follicles, out of the total present in the ovary, which is to be found in each of the nine stages of development does not vary, and largely on the basis of this belief he has derived certain precise laws of follicular growth, of which the following three are representative:
Individual expression of influenza virus PA protein induces degradation of coexpressed proteins

In the process of in vivo reconstitution of influenza virus transcriptase-replicase complex, an inhibitory effect was observed when the level of PA protein expression was increased. This inhibition was paralleled by a decrease in the accumulation of the other influenza virus core proteins. The sole expression of PA protein was sufficient to reduce the accumulation level of the proteins encoded by the coexpressed genes. The PA effect was observed upon influenza virus and non-influenza virus proteins and independently of the expression system chosen and the origin of cell line used. The expression of PA protein did not induce variations in the translation of the target proteins but did induce variations on their half-lives, which were clearly reduced. A functional PA subunit seems to be necessary to induce this negative effect, because an inactive point mutant was unable to decrease the steady-state levels or the half-lives of the reporter proteins. The PA effect was observed as early as 5 h after its expression, and continuous synthesis of proteins was not required for performance of its biological activity. The results presented represent the first biological activity of individually expressed PA polymerase subunit.
Determination of melanin types and relative concentrations: an observational study using a non‐invasive inverse skin reflectance analysis

Melanin is a major skin colour pigment that made up of eumelanin (the dark brown–black colour) and pheomelanin (the light red–yellow colour) pigments. Skin‐whitening products typically contain depigmentation agents that reduce the level of pigmentation by changing the pheomelanin–eumelanin production. Similarly, in skin pigment treatment of skin disorders, the melanin production is managed accordingly. To assess and improve treatment efficacy, it is important to have a measurement tool that is capable of determining the melanin types objectively. So far, the efficacy assessment is subjective. In this study, an inverse skin reflectance pigmentation analysis system that determines eumelanin and pheomelanin content is developed and evaluated in an observational study involving 36 participants with skin photo type IV.
Subspace detection based on the combination of nonlinear feature extraction and feature selection

In this study, a subspace detection technique is developed using a hybrid approach which combines both feature extraction and feature selection for the task of hyperspectral image classification. The proposed approach applies Kernel Principal Component Analysis (KPCA) at the first step, then feature selection from the KPCA images is accomplished by combining the KPCA score with a Jeffries-Matusita (JM) distance based ranking score. Experimental analysis is carried out on a hyperspectral image acquired by the AVIRIS sensor and the results show the advantage of the proposed approach in terms of classification accuracy in the tested cases.
Development of Rat Tibia Innervation: Colocalization of Autonomic Nerve Fiber Markers with Growth-Associated Protein 43

Development of autonomic innervation of the tibia was investigated in rat fetuses on gestational days (GD) 17–21 and in juvenile animals on postnatal days (PD) 1–28. Double immunofluorescence combined with confocal microscopy was applied to study colocalization of neuronal growth- associated protein 43 (GAP-43) and panneuronal marker protein gene product 9.5 (PGP) with markers of the autonomic nervous system: neuropeptide Y (NPY) and dopamine β-hydroxylase (DβH) for adrenergic, as well as vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) and vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) for cholinergic fibers. The first GAP-43-immunoreactive (GAP-IR) nerve fibers were seen on GD17 in the perichondrium of the proximal epiphysis. Further GAP- and PGP-IR innervation appeared in the perichondrium/periosteum of the diaphysis and in the distal epiphysis (GD19), then in the bone marrow and in the intercondylar eminence (GD21). On PD1, NPY-IR and DβH-IR fibers appeared within the diaphyseal periosteum and on PD4 within the bone marrow. From PD14, GAP-43 immunoreactivity of NPY-positive fibers decreased. From PD7 on, NPY-IR fibers were observed in cartilage canals of both epiphyses and in the intercondylar eminence. In secondary ossification centers, NPY-IR fibers were seen from PD10, and in the bone marrow of the epiphyses from PD14. First VIP-IR and VAChT-IR fibers were observed on PD4 within the periosteum, bone marrow and patellar ligament. From PD10 on, VIP-positive fibers were seen in the intercondylar eminence, and from PD14 in secondary ossification centers. GAP-43 proved to be superior to PGP 9.5 as marker of growing nerve fibers, mostly due to its earlier appearance. The presence of specific nerve fibers may suggest possible involvement of autonomic innervation in regulation of bone development.
A Rationale for p-Refinement with the Vector Helmholtz Equation and Two Dimensional Vector Finite Elements

Abstract : A preliminary study of p-refinement with vector finite elements is reported. Results suggest that improved accuracy can be obtained from representations employing a mixture of polynomial orders instead of a uniform polynomial order. Results also suggest that it might be possible to jump directly from the local error in a p=0 expansion to a final representation employing 5 or more polynomial orders. In addition, a new set of hierarchical curl-conforming vector basis functions is proposed.
Longitudinal Relationships between Social Support and Posttraumatic Growth among Adolescent Survivors of the Wenchuan Earthquake

This study aimed to explore the longitudinal relationships between social support and posttraumatic growth (PTG) among adolescent survivors of the Wenchuan earthquake. Follow-up assessments were conducted with 452 participants at 12, 18, and 24 months after the earthquake. The results showed that the level of social support at 12 and 18 months following the earthquake predicted subsequent PTG, but not vice versa. In addition, multi-group analyses of gender showed no gender differences between social support and PTG in the cross-lagged model. Thus, psychological interventions and care for survivors should focus on improving adolescent perceptions of social support when responding to stressful experiences.
Femtosecond assisted intrastromal corneal ring (ISCR) implantation for the treatment of corneal ectasia.

PURPOSE To assess the outcomes of intrastromal corneal ring (ISCR) implantation for the treatment of corneal ectasia. METHODS Thirty-five consecutive patients with secondary corneal ectasia treated with keraring intrastromal corneal ring segment implantation aided by intralaser femtosecond technique (K-ICRS-FS) were evaluated. Visual acuity (logMAR), refraction and astigmatism vector analysis were measured preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively using vector analysis as described by some authors. RESULTS Visual acuity improved from 0.40 ± 0.20 to 0.25 ± 0.13 logMAR (p=0.0002), with reduction of the spherical equivalent from -5.41 ± 4.78 D to -2.83 ± 3.29 D (P=0.0002). Mean astigmatism reduction was 3.92 ± 2.52 D. K maximum decreased from 51.65 ± 5.83 D preoperatively to 48.58 ± 5.54 D (p=0.001) 3 months after the surgery and K minimum decreased from 45.92 ± 4.64 D to 43.96 ± 5.06 D (p=0.0041). There were no intraoperative or postoperative complications. CONCLUSION Intrastromal corneal ring implantation with the use of a femtosecond laser was a safe procedure, with low risk of complications and significant improvement on visual acuity and topographic data in this seeting of patients with secondary corneal ectasia.
An exploration of the problems of using function points mark II

Abstract. This paper examines critically the function point analysis mark II (FPA mark II) method of measuring the functionality of information systems. Although the focus of the paper is on FPA mark II as devised by Symons, both this and the Albrecht method, from which the FPA mark II was developed, are briefly discussed. The published attempts to validate FPA mark II are reviewed and then the problems encountered by the author in applying the approach are described. The final part of the paper is concerned with the fit between SSADM and FPA mark II.
Robust Optimal Motion Cueing Algorithm Based on the Linear Quadratic Regulator Method and a Genetic Algorithm

The aim of this paper is to design and develop an optimal motion cueing algorithm (MCA) based on the genetic algorithm (GA) that can generate high-fidelity motions within the motion simulator's physical limitations. Both, angular velocity and linear acceleration are adopted as the inputs to the MCA for producing the higher order optimal washout filter. The linear quadratic regulator (LQR) method is used to constrain the human perception error between the real and simulated driving tasks. To develop the optimal MCA, the latest mathematical models of the vestibular system and simulator motion are taken into account. A reference frame with the center of rotation at the driver's head to eliminate false motion cues caused by rotation of the simulator to the translational motion of the driver's head as well as to reduce the workspace displacement is employed. To improve the developed LQR-based optimal MCA, a new strategy based on optimal control theory and the GA is devised. The objective is to reproduce a signal that can follow closely the reference signal and avoid false motion cues by adjusting the parameters from the obtained LQR-based optimal washout filter. This is achieved by taking a series of factors into account, which include the vestibular sensation error between the real and simulated cases, the main dynamic limitations, the human threshold limiter in tilt coordination, the cross correlation coefficient, and the human sensation error fluctuation. It is worth pointing out that other related investigations in the literature normally do not consider the effects of these factors. The proposed optimized MCA based on the GA is implemented using the MATLAB/Simulink software. The results show the effectiveness of the proposed GA-based method in enhancing human sensation, maximizing the reference shape tracking, and reducing the workspace usage.
A 60GHz wireless transceiver employing hybrid analog/digital beamforming with interference suppression for multiuser gigabit/s radio access

This paper presents a 60GHz analog/digital beamforming transceiver that effectively suppresses interference signals, targeting WiGig/IEEE 802.11ad standard. A prototype has been built with 40nm CMOS analog front-ends as well as offline baseband digital signal processing. Measurement shows 3.1dB EVM advantage over the conventional two-stream diversity during a packet collision situation.