Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Improvement of glycemic state among responders to Sofosbuvir‐based treatment regimens: Single center experience

Chronic HCV infection has emerged as a complex multifaceted disease with manifestations extending beyond the liver. HCV plays a direct role in glucose metabolism leading to both insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. To evaluate the changes in the glycemic state following Sofosbuvir‐based treatment regimens in diabetic HCV patients. Four hundred chronic hepatitis C patients who underwent Sofosbuvir‐based treatment regimens were retrospectively screened. Sixty‐five diabetic HCV patients only enrolled in our analysis. Baseline demographic and laboratory data were recorded. Pretreatment Transient elastography was performed. At 24‐week post EOT (SVR24), Fasting Plasma glucose, and Hemoglobin A1c were re‐evaluated and compared with baseline. All enrolled diabetic patients were responders. They showed statistically significant decline in Fasting Plasma glucose and Hemoglobin A1c values at SVR24. Whatever the degree of hepatic fibrosis, the level of Fasting Plasma glucose and Hemoglobin A1c decreased at SVR24 in comparison to baseline level. Fifty‐one patients showed improvement in their Hemoglobin A1c values at SVR24 and this improvement was more likely to occur among patients with low Body mass index. The reduction in Fasting Plasma glucose >20 mg/dL (>1.1 mmol/L) and Hemoglobin A1c ≥0.5% was not associated with age, gender or hepatic fibrosis stage. Sofosbuvir‐based regimens are a highly efficient antiviral therapy for diabetic chronic HCV patients resulted in improvement in Fasting Plasma glucose and Hemoglobin A1c.
Noise, unattended speech and short-term memory.

Studies of ‘noise pollution’ have typically used unpatterned white noise. The present study compares the effect of noise with that of unattended speech. Three experiments required the immediate serial recall of sequences of nine visually presented digits accompanied by silence, noise or unattended speech in an unfamiliar language. Experiments 1 and 2 showed a clear effect of unattended speech at both 75dB(A) and 95dB(A), while unattended noise had no effect in either study. Experiment 3 used a separate groups design combining 95 dB(A) noise and quiet with instructions either to remain silent or to rehearse overtly. Overt rehearsal enhanced recall, while unattended noise again had no effect. It is suggested that noise does not interfere with short-term memory but that unattended speech does impair performance by disrupting the articulatory loop component of working memory. Implications for studies of ‘noise pollution’ are discussed.
Research methods journal club: a gentle introduction to imputation of missing values

Missing values are a common problem for researchers to deal with. A range of approaches can be used for this—from ignoring them and analysing “complete data” to imputing them through a model involving the observed (non-missing) data. The review by Donders et al 1 introduces the subject by presenting how missing data arise, describing the choices available for dealing with missing data, …
Expression of CD30 ligand (CD153) on murine activated T cells.

CD30, a member of the TNF receptor family, has been implicated in the activation of T cells and B cells. In the present study, we characterized the expression and function of murine CD30 ligand (mCD153) by utilizing mCD153 transfectants and a novel mAb against mCD153 (RM153), which can inhibit the binding of murine CD30 to mCD153. The mCD153 transfectants did not co-stimulate the proliferation of anti-CD3-stimulated naive T cells but enhanced the proliferation of anti-CD28-co-stimulated T cells. The mCD153 transfectants exhibited a potent co-stimulatory activity for proliferation of pre-activated T cells that expressed CD30 after anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 stimulation. In contrast to the CD30 expression on naive T cells that required anti-CD28 co-stimulation, mCD153 expression was observed on anti-CD3-stimulated T cells without the anti-CD28 co-stimulation, predominantly on CD4(+) T cells with a transient kinetics which peaked at 24 h but disappeared at 48 h. In contrast to the preferential expression of CD30 on Th2 cells, mCD153 was expressed on both Th1 and Th2 cells after anti-CD3 stimulation. These results indicated a differential regulation of CD30 and CD153 expression in T cells, which may be relevant to immuno-regulatory role of the CD30-CD153 interaction.
Parasites as causative agents of human affective disorders? The impact of anti-psychotic, mood-stabilizer and anti-parasite medication on Toxoplasma gondii's ability to alter host behaviour

With increasing pressure to understand transmissible agents, renewed recognition of infectious causation of both acute and chronic diseases is occurring. Epidemiological and neuropathological studies indicate that some cases of schizophrenia may be associated with environmental factors, such as exposure to the ubiquitous protozoan Toxoplasma gondii. Reasons for this include T. gondii's ability to establish persistent infection within the central nervous system, its ability to manipulate intermediate host behaviour, the occurrence of neurological and psychiatric symptoms in some infected individuals, and an association between infection with increased incidence of schizophrenia. Moreover, several of the medications used to treat schizophrenia and other psychiatric disease have recently been demonstrated in vitro to possess anti-parasitic, and in particular anti-T. gondii, properties. Our aim here was thus to test the hypothesis that the anti-psychotic and mood stabilizing activity of some medications may be achieved, or at least augmented, through their in vivo inhibition of T. gondii replication and invasion in infected individuals. In particular we predicted, using the epidemiologically and clinically applicable rat-T. gondii model system, and following a previously described and neurologically characterized ‘feline attraction’ protocol that haloperidol (an anti-psychotic used in the treatment of mental illnesses including schizophrenia) and/or valproic acid (a mood stabilizer used in the treatment of mental illnesses including schizophrenia), would be, at least, as effective in preventing the development of T. gondii-associated behavioural and cognitive alterations as the standard anti-T. gondii chemotherapeutics pyrimethamine with Dapsone. We demonstrate that, while T. gondii appears to alter the rats’ perception of predation risk turning their innate aversion into a ‘suicidal’ feline attraction, anti-psychotic drugs prove as efficient as anti-T. gondii drugs in preventing such behavioural alterations. Our results have important implications regarding the aetiology and treatment of such disorders.
Haploinsufficiency of an RB-E2F1-Condensin II complex leads to aberrant replication and aneuploidy.

UNLABELLED Genome instability is a characteristic of malignant cells; however, evidence for its contribution to tumorigenesis has been enigmatic. In this study, we demonstrate that the retinoblastoma protein, E2F1, and Condensin II localize to discrete genomic locations including major satellite repeats at pericentromeres. In the absence of this complex, aberrant replication ensues followed by defective chromosome segregation in mitosis. Surprisingly, loss of even one copy of the retinoblastoma gene reduced recruitment of Condensin II to pericentromeres and caused this phenotype. Using cancer genome data and gene-targeted mice, we demonstrate that mutation of one copy of RB1 is associated with chromosome copy-number variation in cancer. Our study connects DNA replication and chromosome structure defects with aneuploidy through a dosage-sensitive complex at pericentromeric repeats. SIGNIFICANCE Genome instability is inherent to most cancers and is the basis for selective killing of cancer cells by genotoxic therapeutics. In this report, we demonstrate that instability can be caused by loss of a single allele of the retinoblastoma gene that prevents proper replication and condensation of pericentromeric chromosomal regions, leading to elevated levels of aneuploidy in cancer.
Mouse Profilin 2 Regulates Endocytosis and Competes with SH3 Ligand Binding to Dynamin 1*

Mammalian profilins are abundantly expressed actin monomer-binding proteins, highly conserved with respect to their affinities for G-actin, poly-l-proline, and phosphoinositides. Profilins associate with a large number of proline-rich proteins; the physiological significance and regulation of which is poorly understood. Here we show that profilin 2 associates with dynamin 1 via the C-terminal proline-rich domain of dynamin and thereby competes with the binding of SH3 ligands such as endophilin, amphiphysin, and Grb2, thus interfering with the assembly of the endocytic machinery. We also present a novel role for the brain-specific mouse profilin 2 as a regulator of membrane trafficking. Overexpression of profilin 2 inhibits endocytosis, whereas lack of profilin 2 in neurons results in an increase in endocytosis and membrane recycling. Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate releases profilin 2 from the profilin 2-dynamin 1 complex as well as from the profilin 2-actin complex, suggesting that profilin 2 is diverging the phosphoinositide signaling pathway to actin polymerization as well as endocytosis.
Paralelización del corpus sensem: español-catalán

En ese trabajo presentamos un corpus paralelo para las lenguas espanola y catalana, SenSem. Se trata de un corpus paralelo anotado a distintos niveles linguisticos (morfologico, sintactico y semantico) y que abarca distintas unidades de informacion (palabra, sintagma y oracion). Uno de los valores principales de este recurso es que ha supuesto la creacion del primer corpus del catalan con informacion relativa a aspectos de la semantica oracional, como la aspectualidad y la modalidad. El recurso se ha creado traduciendo al catalan el corpus ya creado para el espanol en un proyecto anterior y manteniendo los vinculos entre ambas lenguas entre las distintas unidades de informacion mencionadas. Ademas, se ha heredado la anotacion que se llevo a cabo para el espanol, corrigiendo cuando ha sido necesario la informacion para el catalan.
A preliminary investigation of the deconvolution of auditory evoked potentials using a session jittering paradigm

Objective. In the high stimulus rate studies of auditory evoked potentials (AEPs), deconvolution techniques have been developed to unwrap the overlapped responses based on the jittering strategy of stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs). This study investigates an alternative deconvolution method (multi-rate steady-state averaging deconvolution, MSAD) using a session-jittering strategy where steady-state responses recorded at different SOAs can be adequate to derive the transient-AEP. Approach. A linear transform model was developed to solve the deconvolution problem, and the mathematical properties of the transform matrix were explored by singular value decomposition, which indicates the need for regularization techniques to solve the ill-conditioning of the matrix. Main results. The performance evaluated by both synthetic and experimental data is satisfactory compared with the classic SOA-jittering method commonly known as the continuous loop averaging deconvolution. Significance. Our initial investigations suggest that the MSAD method is promising in terms of SOA insensitivity, sequence robustness and recording flexibility. However, more evaluation is needed to make the method suitable for a general application of the high stimulus rate paradigm.
Message activity of influenza viral RNA

The message activity of influenza virion RNA in the wheat germ cell-free protein-synthesizing system was investigated. RNA extracted from purified virions was found to direct the synthesis of a polypeptide that had the mobility of viral nucleocapsid protein on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels. Further characterization of the protein indicated it was not the nucleocapsid protein. No other polypeptides were detected. We conclude that influenza virion RNA is inactive as a template for the synthesis of virus-specific proteins.
The 39 steps: evading error and deciphering the secrets for accurate dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI

Dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) MRI is the most commonly used MRI method to assess cerebral perfusion and other related haemodynamic parameters. Although the technique is well established and used routinely in clinical centres, there are still many problems that impede accurate perfusion quantification. In this review article, we present 39 steps which guide the reader through the theoretical principles, practical decisions, potential problems, current limitations and latest advances in DSC‐MRI. The 39 steps span the collection, analysis and interpretation of DSC‐MRI data, expounding issues and possibilities relating to the contrast agent, the acquisition of DSC‐MRI data, data pre‐processing, the contrast concentration–time course, the arterial input function, deconvolution, common perfusion parameters, post‐processing possibilities, patient studies, absolute versus relative quantification and automated analysis methods. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Up-Regulation of the Gap Junction Intercellular Communication by Tea Polyphenol in the Human Metastatie Lung Carcinoma Cell Line

Our previous study has proven that tea polyphenol has a role in lung neoplasms. The present communication was to investage the anti-proliferation effect of tea polyphenol on the PG cells, which was a high metastatic human lung carcinoma cell line, by 3-(4,5)-dimethylthiahiazo(-z-y1)-3,5-diphenytetrazoliumromide (MTT) cell viability assay, and to study the change of intracellular calcium concentration, connexin43 (Cx43) expression, gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) and cell cycle distribution after the tea polyphenol treatment by laser scanning confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. The results showed that 1) tea polyphenol could kill the PG cells in a dose-depent manner via inhibiting the PG cell proliferation and blocking the PG cell cycle progression staying in G0/G1 phase and not transfering in S and G2/M phases to reduce the PG cell proliferation index; 2) the increases of intracellular calcium concentration, GJIC and Cx43 expression were related with the tea polyphenol doses. The data suggested that tea polyphenol could inhibit the growth of PG cells, which mechanism was associated with the up-regulation of GJIC.
Detection of Epstein‐Barr Virus in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma by In Situ Hybridization and Polymerase Chain Reaction

The association of Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has been shown by various methods. The purpose of this study is to identify the most useful method to detect EBV in NPC. Both polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for EBV‐DNA and in situ hybridization for EBV‐encoded small RNAs(EBERs) were examined in formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded NPC specimens. In situ hybridization was performed in 56 cases, and PCR for EBV‐DNA was performed in 42 cases. EBV‐DNA was detected in 0 of 3 keratinizing squamous cell carcinomas(KSCC), 22 of 24 nonkeratinizing carcinomas (NKC), all 13 undifferentiated carcinomas (UNPC), and 0 of 2 adenocarcinomas (AC). EBERs were detected in 0 of 5 KSCC, 30 of 32 NKC, 16 of 17 UNPC, and 0 of 2 AC. Among them, EBERs was detected in 35 of 42 cases in which PCR was also performed, 0 of 3 KSCC, 22 of 24 NKC, all 13 UNPC, and 0 of 2 AC, respectively. Both results were consistent in 40 of 42 cases. We conclude that both PCR and in situ hybridization are useful to detect EBV in NPC. In situ hybridization has a particular advantage because it can demonstrate the localization of EBV in neoplastic cells. In addition, close association of NKC and UNPC but not KSCC and AC with EBV is suggested.
A New Cellular Automata-Based Mixed Cellular Ant Algorithm for Solving Continuous System Optimization Programs

Ant colony algorithm is a kind of bionic algorithm which sources from the behaviors of the ant colony. Based on the idea of ant algorithm and the principle of cellular automata, this paper develops a new mixed cellular ant algorithm and its mathematical description that can be used for solving the optimization programs of continuous systems. By using the method, the ideal searching direction of global optimal solution could be found as soon as possible. The algorithm is coded in MATLAB, and is tested through series of typical optimization problem instances. The experiment indicates that the improved and mixed cellular ant algorithm improves the efficiency of searching and veracity of result.
PARASYMPATHETIC NERVOUS CONTROL OF AIRWAY SMOOTH MUSCLE *

Airway smooth muscle responses to many inhaled substances have been shown to involve the parasympathetic nervous system. The purpose of this communication is to discuss this nervous regulation of airways, particularly as it relates to inhaled materials. Both parasympathetic and sympathetic nerves innervate the airways, but only the parasympathetic system will be dealt with in the present discussion. The parasympathetic efferent nerve supply to the airways is via the vagus nerves. Vagal preganglionic fibers enter the lungs and terminate in ganglia located within the airways themselves. ' Studies with acetylcholinesterase stains indicate a dense cholinergic innervation of bronchi in all species studied.2 The airways of dogs,3 cats,4 rabbits,6 and healthy humans are tonically constricted, and this tone is maintained by vagal efferent nervous activity. Thus, cutting the vagus nerves in animals or administration of atropine sulphate (a drug which blocks postganglionic cholinergic pathways) in healthy subjects results in dilation of the airways. When the vagus nerves are stimulated, constriction occurs from the trachea to large bronchioles; maximum constriction occurs in bronchi of intermediate size. ' Since these airways are the sites of most of the resistance to airflow,* reflex bronchoconstriction causes marked changes in airflow resistance. @ Terminal bronchioles and alveolar ducts are unaffected by reflex bronchoconstriction,J. so lung compliance is usually unchanged unless bronchoconstriction is severe. @ These findings are confirmed by histochemical studies which demonstrate the presence of acetylcholinesterase in bronchi and bronchioles but not in alveolar ducts or alveoli. When one lung is removed from a dog and reimplanted, it is completely denervated and the airway smooth muscle does not respond to vagal stimulation.lo However, vagal reinnervation of bronchial smooth muscle occurs within three months. This rapid reinnervation can be explained by the fact that parasympathetic ganglia are located within the airways themselves. Thus, within the reimplanted lung, preganglionic fibers degenerate, but ganglia and undivided postganglionic fibers do not. Thus, regenerating preganglionic axons must reach ganglia that are located only a few centimeters from the line of division, so reinnervation occurs rapidly. This rapid reinnervation is one reason why surgical pulmonary vagal denervation is not likely to be an effective procedure. airway irritation,"-13 and histamine 1 ' 9 l5 constrict the airways reflexly by stimulating Various stimuli including hypercapnia, hypoxemia, hyp~tension,~.
Are the “Addiction‐related” Problems of Substance Abusers Really Related?

The “addiction-related” medical, social, and psychological problems of substance abusers are often considered by-products of prolonged alcohol or drug abuse which will be generally improved following achievement of abstinence. As a test of this view, measures of problem severity in six areas commonly related to addiction were intercorrelated in 460 alcoholic and 282 drug addicted male veterans. Both before and after treatment, the low intercorrelations in each sample indicated little relation between the severity of alcohol or drug use and the severity of the other problem areas. Intercorrelations among residualized admission to follow-up change scores were similarly low, also showing the lack of a general relationship between improvement in substance abuse and improvement in other areas. However, there was one exception: improvement in psychological function was clearly related to general improvement in most other areas, including chemical abuse, indicating the potential importance of psychologically oriented therapy in substance abuse treatment. Most of the evidence suggests that addiction may be a common pathway for a variety of specific disorders, rather than a general, progressive disease.
A Low Power Radio Telemetry Achieving Very High Data Rates at Biocompatible Frequencies

This papers reports a solution for a low power, high data rate telemetry, intended to be used in capsule endoscopy. The system is taking advantage of the small absorption of radio waves of low frequencies, around 120 MHz, to allow a telemetry up to a million bit per second of raw data, while keeping the power consumption to 6 mW. The system does not need the design of a dedicated ASIC and therefore reduces the costs of prototyping. The dimensions of the transmitter can be kept small enough to be implantable, and an implementation on a flexible substrate has been performed.
Evaluating an Authenticated Trust based Adhoc on demand Distance Vector for Malicious Nodes Isolation in MANET

MANET networks are defined as the wireless self configuring networks that are capable of operating without the support of any fixed infrastructure and a central coordinator which makes the routing a complicated task. For detecting misbehaving and selfish nodes between the intermediate nodes it is essential to evaluate the Intermediate Trust Value (ITV) for each node in the network, so that malicious node is isolated. A threshold value is maintained and if the ITV of a node falls below the threshold value, then it is considered as a misbehaving node and are avoided for data communication in a MANET network. Simulation results are evaluated under blackhole attack which also proves that the proposed Authenticated Trust based AODV protocol (AT-AODV) eliminates blackhole attacks and performs well in malicious nodes isolation which increases the packet delivery ratio.
B cell depletion therapy exacerbates murine primary biliary cirrhosis

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is considered a model autoimmune disease due to the clinical homogeneity of patients and the classic hallmark of antimitochondrial antibodies (AMAs). Indeed, the presence of AMAs represents the most highly directed and specific autoantibody in autoimmune diseases. However, the contribution of B cells to the pathogenesis of PBC is unclear. Therefore, although AMAs appear to interact with the biliary cell apotope and contribute to biliary pathology, there is no correlation of disease severity and titer of AMAs. The recent development of well‐characterized monoclonal antibodies specific for the B cell populations, anti‐CD20 and anti‐CD79, and the development of a well‐defined xenobiotic‐induced model of autoimmune cholangitis prompted us to use these reagents and the model to address the contribution of B cells in the pathogenesis of murine PBC. Prior to the induction of autoimmune cholangitis, mice were treated with either anti‐CD20, anti‐CD79, or isotype‐matched control monoclonal antibody and followed for B cell development, the appearance of AMAs, liver pathology, and cytokine production. Results of the studies reported herein show that the in vivo depletion of B cells using either anti‐CD20 or anti‐CD79 led to the development of a more severe form of cholangitis than observed in control mice, which is in contrast with results from several other autoimmune models that have documented an important therapeutic role of B cell–specific depletion. Anti‐CD20/CD79–treated mice had increased liver T cell infiltrates and higher levels of proinflammatory cytokines. Conclusion: Our results reflect a novel disease‐protective role of B cells in PBC and suggest that B cell depletion therapy in humans with PBC should be approached with caution (HEPATOLOGY 2011:53:527‐535)