Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intramolecular T cell spreading in unprimed MRL/lpr mice: importance of the U1-70k protein sequence 131-151.

OBJECTIVE To analyze spontaneous T cell spreading against determinants of the U1-70K protein in young autoimmune MRL/lpr lupus mice, in comparison with the T cell spreading occurring in normal BALB/c mice immunized with peptide 131-151 of this protein. METHODS Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) from both unprimed MRL/lpr mice and immunized BALB/c mice were tested for their ability to proliferate ex vivo in response to 18 overlapping peptides of the U1-70K spliceosomal protein, using assays for lymphocyte proliferation and secretion of interleukin-2. RESULTS The proliferative response to peptides of the U1-70K protein evolved rapidly in MRL/lpr mice tested at different ages. At least 5 peptides were recognized by PBLs from 8-week-old autoimmune mice, whereas a different peptide was recognized by PBLs from MRL/lpr mice at 12 weeks of age. At 15 weeks, the proliferative response was weak or negative when assessed with any of the test peptides. At least 2 major peptides recognized by MRL/lpr PBLs were also recognized by PBLs generated in the BALB/c mice primed with peptide 131-151. We further demonstrated that, in preautoimmune MRL/lpr mice, repeated administration of phosphorylated peptide 131-151 (called P140), which was shown previously to be protective, transiently abolished T cell intramolecular spreading to other regions of the 70K protein. CONCLUSION This is the first study to demonstrate that intramolecular T cell spreading effectively occurs in MRL/lpr mice with lupus, and that region 131-151 is important in the cascade of events observed in the murine lupus response. This sequence might originate a mechanism of tolerance spreading that leads to the beneficial effect observed in MRL/lpr mice after treatment with the phosphorylated peptide 131-151.
An Empirical Analysis of the Complexity of Model-Based Diagnosis

We empirically study the computational complexity of diagnosing systems with real-world structure. We adopt the structure specified by a small-world network, which is a graphical structure that is common to a wide variety of naturally-occurring systems, ranging from biological systems, the WWW, to human-designed mechanical systems. We randomly generate a suite of digital circuit models with small-world network structure, and show that diagnosing these models is computationally hard.
Genetic Structure and Population Demographic History of a Widespread Mangrove Plant Xylocarpus granatum J. Koenig across the Indo-West Pacific Region

Xylocarpus granatum J. Koenig is one of the most widespread core component species of mangrove forests in the Indo-West Pacific (IWP) region, and as such is suitable for examining how genetic structure is generated across spatiotemporal scales. We evaluated the genetic structure of this species using maternally inherited chloroplast (cp) and bi-parentally inherited nuclear DNA markers, with samples collected across the species range. Both cp and nuclear DNA showed generally similar patterns, revealing three genetic groups in the Indian Ocean, South China Sea (with Palau), and Oceania, respectively. The genetic diversity of the Oceania group was significantly lower, and the level of population differentiation within the Oceania group was significantly higher, than in the South China Sea group. These results revealed that in addition to the Malay Peninsula—a common land barrier for mangroves—there is a genetic barrier in an oceanic region of the West Pacific that prevents gene flow among populations. Moreover, demographic inference suggested that these patterns were generated in relation to sea level changes during the last glacial period and the emergence of Sahul Shelf which lied northwest of Australia. We propose that the three genetic groups should be considered independent conservation units, and that the Oceania group has a higher conservation priority.
Negotiating Multiple Rationalities in the Process of Integrating the Information Systems of Disease‐Specific Health Programmes

The topic of this paper is the integration of different information systems, and in our case study we analyse information systems in the Mozambican health care sector. The context is a health care sector reform that involves the integration of separate, stand‐alone, or so‐called vertical health programmes. These programmes are usually disease‐specific, i.e. targeted towards malaria, HIV/AIDS, or other major diseases. The reporting and monitoring systems for the activities within these programmes are organised differently, in terms of which data elements are collected, to whom and how frequently they are reported etc., but in general they are all paper‐based, at least at the peripheral level. The multitude of different systems places an unnecessary high workload on the health care personnel who do the initial data collection. However, the practical challenges related to the integration of the diverse information systems have not yet been the focus for the decision makers. Our aim with this paper is to describe some of the differences between the systems. Our claim is that these differences are not arbitrary. On the contrary, they may be significant indicators of different realities and different interests. Integration of these systems will thus not be a purely technical or practical issue, but will entail a political negotiation of interests. We employ the notions of multiple rationalities as a theoretical tool to discuss this issue. In particular we find tensions between rationalities ‘on the ground’, i.e. in the health care facilities, and ‘on the top’, among the policy makers, the government and the donor organisations.
Gastric intestinal metaplasia type III cases are classified as low‐grade dysplasia on the basis of morphometry

The aim of this study was to try to place gastric intestinal metaplasia, type III (type III IM) in the stepwise chain of events from atrophic gastritis to cancer. A number of dysplastic, periulcer regenerative, and type III IM lesions were qualitatively diagnosed (and graded) blindly and independently by several pathologists. These lesions were further analysed by means of quantitative parameters, with the aim of differentiating dysplastic from regenerative changes. Inconsistencies between the qualitative and quantitative classification (about 7 per cent of cases) were eliminated and homogeneous groups (low‐grade dysplasia, high‐grade dysplasia, regenerative changes) were obtained. These cases were taken as the gold standard against which type III IM was compared. The results indicate that the great majority (91·4 per cent) of cases of type III IM fulfil the nuclear and architectural criteria for low‐grade dysplasia.
Correlation of MRI Grading of Bone Stress Injuries With Clinical Risk Factors and Return to Play

Background: Bone stress injuries are common in track and field athletes. Knowledge of risk factors and correlation of these to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) grading could be helpful in determining recovery time. Purpose: To examine the relationships between MRI grading of bone stress injuries with clinical risk factors and time to return to sport in collegiate track and field athletes. Study Design: Cohort study (prognosis); Level of evidence, 2. Methods: A total of 211 male and female collegiate track and field and cross-country athletes were followed prospectively through their competitive seasons. All athletes had preparticipation history, physical examination, and anthropometric measurements obtained annually. An additional questionnaire was completed regarding nutritional behaviors, menstrual patterns, and prior injuries, as well as a 3-day diet record. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was performed at baseline and each year of participation in the study. Athletes with clinical evidence of bone stress injuries had plain radiographs. If radiograph findings were negative, MRI was performed. Bone stress injuries were evaluated by 2 independent radiologists utilizing an MRI grading system. The MRI grading and risk factors were evaluated to identify predictors of time to return to sport. Results: Thirty-four of the athletes (12 men, 22 women) sustained 61 bone stress injuries during the 5-year study period. The mean prospective assessment for participants was 2.7 years. In the multiple regression model, MRI grade and total-body bone mineral density (BMD) emerged as significant and independent predictors of time to return to sport. Specifically, the higher the MRI grade (P = .004) and lower the BMD (P = .030), the longer the recovery time. Location of the bone injury at predominantly trabecular sites of the femoral neck, pubic bone, and sacrum was also associated with a prolonged time to return to sport. Female athletes with oligomenorrhea and amenorrhea had bone stress injuries of higher MRI grades compared with eumenorrheic athletes (P = .009). Conclusion: Higher MRI grade, lower BMD, and skeletal sites of predominant trabecular bone structures were associated with a delayed recovery of bone stress injuries in track and field athletes. Knowledge of these risk factors, as well as nutritional and menstrual factors, can be clinically useful in determining injury severity and time to return to sport.
Improving latency and reliability in 5G Internet-of-Things networks

The transmission from the IoT terminals to a cellular base station (BS) about the state of critical infrastructure such as Smart Grid requires high reliability and low latency. The combination of massive multiple-input-multiple-output (M-MIMO) and spatial modulation (SM) systems, referred to as massive SMMIMO systems, has been proposed in 5G cellular networks to support these transmissions. Building a practical massive SMMIMO system is very challenging due to the complexity and latency of BS detection schemes, often ignored in theoretical studies. In this paper we develop low-complexity low-latency massive SM-MIMO detection schemes that are validated in real wireless environment by using software defined radio (SDR) platforms. Our experiments indicate significant out-performances in term of latency and signal-interference-plus-noise ratio with respect to other schemes in the literature.
Bio-MEMS based sensor for acute and chronic pain management: An online measurement strategy for using biomedicai MEMS sensor in the assessment of pain intensity and study of inflammation

In this paper, we have proposed the use of BIO-MEMS based sensor for cost-effective, online assessment of pain intensity and study of inflammation through the levels of inflammation regulatory mediators such as prostaglandin E2, Cycle Oxygenase (COX-1 and COX-2), Leukotriene (LTA4 and LTB4) and Trponin - C. A microcantilever based biosensor is used, the surface of which is separated into various channels on which the antigens for the respective enzymes are coated as an immobilized layer. These enzymes found in the blood stream of the human body reacts with these antigens producing a biochemical reaction, thereby straining the micro-cantilever beam whose strain can be measured either by means of an on-chip potentiometric circuit fabricated in SOC and CMOS technology to follow the voltage changes in the MOSFET or optically by the wavelength shift of a transmitted laser from a laser source after reflection from the microcantilever beam, sensed suitable by a photodetector. The intensity of acute or chronic pain can thus be inferred, which helps the anaesthesiologists and Intensivists for accurate diagnosis and related treatment for complete relief from pain.
Using adaptive traits to consider potential consequences of temporal variation in selection: male guppy colour through time and space

Temporal variation in selection is typically evaluated by estimating and comparing selection coefficients in natural populations. Meta-analyses of these coefficients have yielded important insights, but selection coefficients are limited in several respects, including low statistical power, imperfect fitness surrogates, and uncertainty regarding consequences for trait change. A complementary approach without these limitations is to examine temporal variation in adaptive traits themselves, which is mechanistically easier and more directly relevant to evolutionary consequences. We illustrate this approach by analyzing the colour patterns of male guppies, Poecilia reticulata, from each of six sites in Trinidad in each of 6 years. This system is particularly appropriate for our study because key aspects of colour variation are genetically-based and responsive to selection. However, although spatial patterns of colour variation have been extensively considered in this system, no study has yet formally assessed annual temporal variation in non-manipulated populations. Matching previous conclusions for the guppy system, we find that guppies from different sites manifest different colour patterns in association with different predation regimes. We here add the new finding that, although some temporal variation is present, spatial patterns of colour variation are generally consistent across years. These results suggest that, when considering adaptive traits, spatial variation is more important than temporal variation, although our study system might be exceptional in this regard. Additional studies examining spatiotemporal variation in adaptive traits could help to improve our understanding of the role that spatiotemporal variation in selection plays in the evolutionary process. © 2014 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2014, 112, 108–122.
Abelson, enabled, and p120catenin exert distinct effects on dendritic morphogenesis in Drosophila

Neurons exhibit diverse dendritic branching patterns that are important for their function. However, the signaling pathways that control the formation of different dendritic structures remain largely unknown. To address this issue in vivo, we use the peripheral nervous system (PNS) of Drosophila as a model system. Through both loss‐of‐function and gain‐of‐function analyses in vivo, we show here that the nonreceptor tyrosine kinase Abelson (Abl), an important regulator of cytoskeleton dynamics, inhibits dendritic branching of dendritic arborization (DA) sensory neurons in Drosophila. Enabled (Ena), a substrate for Abl, promotes the formation of both dendritic branches and actin‐rich spine‐like protrusions of DA neurons, an effect opposite to that of Abl. In contrast, p120catenin (p120ctn) primarily enhances the development of spine‐like protrusions. These results suggest that Ena is a key regulator of dendritic branching and that different regulators of the actin cytoskeleton exert distinct effects on dendritic morphogenesis. Developmental Dynamics 234:512–522, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Functional Recovery in Patients With and Without Intensive Care Unit–Acquired Weakness

Objective The aim of this work was to compare the patient-reported functional health status with regard to physical, psychological, and social functioning of intensive care unit (ICU) survivors with and without ICU-acquired weakness (ICU-AW). Design Single-center prospective study in ICU patients who were mechanically ventilated for more than 2 days and who survived to ICU discharge. Functional health status was assessed at 3, 6, and 12 months after ICU discharge, using the Sickness Impact Profile 68 (SIP68). The independent effect of ICU-AW on impaired functional status (SIP68 scores > 20) was analyzed using a multivariable logistic regression model. Results A total of 133 patients were included, 60 with ICU-AW. Intensive care unit–acquired weakness was an independent predictor for impaired functional health status at 3 months after ICU discharge (odds ratio, 0.27; 95% confidence interval, 0.08–0.94; P = 0.04) but not at 6 and 12 months. Physical functioning was significantly more impaired in patients with ICU-AW at 3 and 12 months. Psychological functioning and social functioning were comparable between the groups, with little restrictions in psychological functioning, and severe long-lasting restrictions in social functioning. Conclusions The findings of this study urge the need to develop interdisciplinary rehabilitation interventions for ICU survivors, which should be continued after hospital discharge.
Projections from the amygdalo‐piriform transition area to the amygdaloid complex: A PHA‐l study in rat

The amygdalo‐piriform transition area is a poorly defined region in the temporal lobe that is heavily connected with the olfactory system. As part of an ongoing project aimed at understanding the neuronal pathways that provide sensory information to the amygdala, we investigated the cytoarchitectonic and chemoarchitectonic features of the amygdalo‐piriform transition area and its connections to the amygdaloid complex in 13 rats by using the anterograde tracer, Phaseolus vulgaris‐leucoagglutinin. Our analysis indicates that the amygdalo‐piriform transition area has medial (rostral and caudal portions) and lateral parts. The rostromedial part projects heavily to the intermediate and lateral divisions of the central nucleus, whereas the caudomedial part projects mainly to the medial division. The lateral part of the amygdalo‐piriform transition area projects heavily to the capsular and lateral divisions of the central nucleus. Electron microscopic analysis revealed that the projection to the lateral division of the central nucleus forms asymmetric contacts with the spines and shafts of postsynaptic neurons and, therefore, is assumed to be excitatory. The amygdalo‐piriform transition area also projects moderately to other amygdaloid nuclei, including the parvicellular division of the basal nucleus, the anterior cortical nucleus, and the nucleus of the lateral olfactory tract. The lateral and medial parts of the amygdalo‐piriform transition area also project to the distal temporal CA1 and distal temporal subiculum, respectively. Unlike the adjacent entorhinal cortex, the amygdalo‐piriform transition area does not project to the dentate gyrus. These data suggest that the amygdalo‐piriform transition area is a region that influences both emotional and memory processing in parallel by means of pathways to the amygdala and the hippocampus, respectively. J. Comp. Neurol. 432:440–465, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The effect of graded steatosis on flow in the hepatic parenchymal microcirculation.

BACKGROUND Steatosis is a major cause of microcirculatory impairment and graft dysfunction after liver transplantation. The mechanism of this circulatory compromise is unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate in vivo the effect of steatosis on parenchymal microcirculation and on total hepatic blood flow in an animal model. METHODS Four groups of New Zealand White rabbits (n=24) were investigated. Group 1 were fed on normal diet (controls). In groups 2, 3, and 4 graded steatosis was induced by feeding on a high cholesterol diet (1.5%) for 4, 8, and 12 weeks, respectively. After laparotomy and exposure of the liver, total hepatic blood flow (THBF) and the hepatic parenchymal microcirculation (HPM) were measured. These parameters were correlated with the degree of histological fat infiltration classified as mild (<30%), moderate (30-60%), or severe (>60%). RESULTS The 4-, 8-, and 12-week cholesterol diets resulted in mild, moderate, and severe steatosis, respectively. There was an inverse correlation between the degree of fat infiltration and both HPM (Spearman r=-0.967, P<0.0001) and THBF (r=-0.893, P<0.0001). THBF was 137+/-6 ml/min in controls, which reduced to 121+/-3, 99+/-5, and 63+/-5 ml/min in steatotic livers of groups 2, 3, and 4, respectively. HPM was 226+/-5 flux units in the controls and 197+/-7, 119+/-8, and 37+/-9 flux units in steatotic livers of groups 2, 3, and 4 respectively. Comparing with controls using analysis of covariance, the fall in HPM and THBF was found to be significant (P<0.002) in the moderate and severe groups, but not significant (P>0.050) in the mild group. Parenchymal perfusion was reduced to a greater extent than total liver blood flow in moderate and severe grades of steatosis. CONCLUSIONS Fatty infiltration reduces hepatic blood flow and parenchymal microcirculation. The latter is more markedly reduced with severe steatosis. This may explain the development of microcirculatory impairment and graft failure after transplantation of fatty livers despite adequate liver blood flow.
Voice onset time in Indian English-accented speech

The purpose of this study was to determine possible differences in voice onset time (VOT) between speakers of standard American English (AE) and Indian English (IE) in a continuous speech context. The participants were 20 AE speakers, who were native to the Northeastern Pennsylvania region, and 20 IE speakers from the Indian subcontinent who had been residing in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Each subject read a phonetically balanced passage in a comfortable and natural speaking voice, and the recordings were analysed using a combination of waveform and spectrographic analyses. Results indicate that a reduced +VOT appears to characterise IE accent in comparison to AE. In addition, a difference in VOT between genders was observed in AE speakers but not in IE speakers.
Social Contribution in the Design of Adaptive Machines on the Web

The Web has created new opportunities for interactive problem solving and design by large groups. In the context of robotics, we have shown recently that a crowd of non-experts are capable of designing adaptive machines over the Web. However, determining the degree to which collective contribution plays a part in these tasks requires further investigation. We hypothesize that there exist subtle yet measurable social dynamics that occur during the collaborative design of robots on the Web. To test this, we enabled a crowd to rapidly design and train simulated, web-embedded robots. We compared the robots designed by a socially-interacting group of individuals to another group whose members were isolated from one another. We found that there exists a latent quality in the robots designed by the social group that was significantly less prevalent in the robots designed by individuals working alone. Thus, there must exist synergies in the former group that facilitate this design task. We also show that this latent quantity correlates with the desired design outcome, which was fast forward locomotion. However, the quantity when distilled into its component parts is not more prevalent in one group than another. This finding demonstrates that there are indeed traces left behind in the machines designed by the crowd that betray the social dynamics that gave rise to them. Demonstrating the existence of such quantities and the methodology for extracting them presents opportunities for crafting interfaces to magnify these synergies and thus improve collective design of robots over the web in particular, and crowd design activities in general.
Applications of TMR devices in solid state circuits and systems

Spintronic devices have recently attracted significant attentions in solid state circuit society as a promising device in the applications of nonvolatile memory and emerging circuit design, i.e., memristor-based system. In this paper, we introduce Tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) device — a popular spintronic device structure and its applications in 1) multi-level cell memory design; 2) memristive devices (memristor); and 3) a special circuit design example — nondestructive self-reference sensing technology.
Development of Standards for Interconnecting Distributed Generators with Electric Power Systems

The need for interconnecting distributed generators or DG's with electric power systems has raised a number of technical issues that has resulted in the development of new interconnection standards. The paper summarizes the most important requirements and issues as these relate to existing DG interconnection standards and guidelines in a worldwide context. The requirements may be classified as: general specifications and requirements, safety and protection requirements, and power quality requirements. The paper also describes and classifies new standards and guidelines that are currently under development