Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The control of lipid-induced inflammation by macrophages.

DOI:10.1097/MOL.0000000000000030 Type 2 diabetes (T2M) arises when insulin resistance and b cell dysfunction develop in the context of overnutrition and weight gain [1]. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the evolution towards diabetes, including oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, lipotoxicity, and glucotoxicity [2]. Although individual studies pinpoint the importance of each of these factors in the pathogenesis of diabetes in rodents, progression towards T2M in humans is polyfactorial. Inflammation in the hypothalamus, liver, adipose tissue, and the pancreas arises now as a potential link between these conditions. Two recent studies shed important information on how macrophages control lipidinduced inflammation. Macrophages have been the first immune cells identified in mouse [3] and human [4] adipose tissue. An increase in the number of macrophages has also been demonstrated in pancreatic islets of T2M patients, as well as in diet-induced animal models of obesity [5 & ]. Macrophages infiltrating visceral adipose tissue belong to the M1 proinflammatory myeloid subtype, whereas those infiltrating subcutaneous adipose tissue are predominantly of the anti-inflammatory M2 subtype [6 & ]. This observation might in part explain the reason why some obese individuals remain metabolically healthy, whereas others develop diabetes and cardiovascular disease. What dictates the differentiation of macrophages into the M1 or M2 subtypes was poorly understood. A study published by the laboratory of Shizuo Akira has now characterized Trib1, an adaptor protein of the pseudokinase tribble family involved in protein degradation, as a critical factor for macrophage differentiation into the M2 subtype [7 && ]. Trib1-deficient mice showed a defect in M2-like macrophage generation (as well as eosinophil differentiation). These mice had a diminished adipose tissue mass but augmented lipolysis, and this was accompanied by decreased glucose tolerance. Reconstitution of the Trib1-deficient mice with Trib1þ/þ M2 macrophages abrogated these defects. This indicates that lipodystrophy and glucose intolerance in the Trib1 knock-out mice were the
A zero voltage and zero current soft switching PWM dc-dc converter with secondary-side phase-shifting active rectifier

A new prototype of a secondary-side phase shifted (SPS) zero voltage and zero current soft switching PWM dc-dc converter with active rectifier is presented in this paper. The proposed dc-dc converter has no circulating current in the full-bridge circuits both of the primary and secondary sides, so that the related idling power can be minimized. Beside that, a wide-range soft switching can be attained from full load to no load by utilizing parasitic inductances of the high frequency (HF) transformer. The essential performance of a 1kW-50kHz prototype of the proposed dc-dc converter is originally demonstrated in experiments, and its effectiveness is discussed from the practical point of view.
Semantic Annotation of Satellite Images

We describe here a method to annotate satellite images with semantic concepts. The concepts used for the annotation are defined by the user. For each concept, the user provides a set of example images which will be used for learning. The method uses a first step of image processing which computes SIFT descriptors in the image. These feature vectors are quantized using an information theoretic criterion to define the optimal number of clusters. Then, a probabilistic modelization of the generation of this discrete collection of low-level features is set up. Each concept is associated to a mixture of models whoses parameters are learned by an Expectation-Maximization algorithm. The optimal complexity of the mixture is computed using a Minimum Description Length criterion. Finally, given a new image, a greedy algorithm is used to provide a segmentation whose regions are annotated with a concept. The performances of the system are evaluated on Quickbird images at 70cm resolution for a set of high-level concepts.
Pelvic inflammatory disease.

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection of the female reproductive organs (upper genital tract and the surrounding structures including the endometrium, ovaries, and fallopian tubes) [1]. PID occurs when bacteria move from the vagina and cervix upward into the uterus, ovaries, or fallopian tubes. The bacteria can lead to an abscess in a fallopian tube or ovary. Long-term problems can occur if PID is not treated promptly [1, 2].
[Frequency and severity of throat complaints following general anesthesia with the insertion of various endotracheal tubes].

Laryngeal and pharyngeal complaints following general anaesthesia are well-known problems. The frequency, extent, and intensity reported in several studies are at variance. Such transient postoperative problems should not be considered equivalent to traumatic airway injuries caused by endotracheal intubation. A decrease in the incidence of slight airway complications was to be expected with the introduction of low-pressure-cuff tubes, however a few studies have reported just the opposite result. This study was designed to investigate the incidence, intensity, and duration of postoperative airway symptoms with special emphasis on cuff construction (low-pressure-high-volume cuff (LPC) vs high-pressure-low-volume cuff (HPC)). Our double-blind study included 500 patients. The acceptance criteria were: operation outside the head and neck region, no throat pack or gastric tube. The subjects were divided randomly into five groups, each group consisting of 100 patients: Group A: red rubber tubes (HPC); Group B: latex-spiral tubes (HPC); Group C: PVC tubes (LPC); Group D: PVC tubes with rediffusion system (LPC); Group E: face mask. The patients of groups A-D underwent oral intubation using lidocaine gel 2%; adequate cuff inflation was determined just after intubation. The patients were questioned every 24 h for 2 days postoperatively using an analogue scale and "open" and "closed" questions. The single groups were comparable in age, sex, height, weight, number of smokers, duration of operation (only groups A-D), and preoperative diseases of the upper airways. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Plasma Progesterone Analysis by a Time-Resolved Fluorescent Antibody Test to Monitor Estrous Cycles in Goats

The objective of the current study was to evaluate whether blood plasma progesterone (P4) measurements with a time-resolved fluorescent antibody test (TR-FAT) kit designed for humans was applicable for goats. The first experiment was designed to verify whether the concentrations of P4 measured by TR-FAT can be used to monitor the estrous and ovarian activity in goats (n = 14). Blood samples (322) were collected, and the ovaries were scanned using ultrasonography. The second experiment was carried out on 4 goats (60 samples) and designed to compare the TR-FAT with radioimmunoassay (RIA). The time interval between the lowest concentrations of P4 assayed by TR-FAT was 21 ± 0.3 days and did not differ significantly from the length of the interestrous interval. The highest concentrations of P4 were confirmed by detection of corpus luteum. During estrus, the mean concentration did not differ significantly between both methods. Significant differences were present during the luteal phases; however, the profiles of P4 assayed by both methods followed a similar pattern. Regression analysis showed a correlation between the 2 methods (r = 0.98; r 2 = 0.96; P < 0.0001). The Bland-Altman plot showed that all averages were within the 95% limits of agreement; however, the differences between both methods tend to be greater as the average increases. The results demonstrated that the TR-FAT method can be applied to monitor estrous cycles in goats through measurements of plasma P4 concentrations. Moreover, not only does the TR-FAT meet the requirements for safety, but it is also a method of high throughput, rapidity, and simplicity.
Arachidonic Acid Activates Kir2.3 Channels by Enhancing Channel-Phosphatidyl-inositol 4,5-bisphosphate Interactions

Kir2.0 channels play a significant role in setting the resting membrane potential, modulating action potential wave form, and buffering extracellular potassium. One member of this family, Kir2.3, is highly expressed in the heart and brain and is modulated by a variety of factors, including arachidonic acid (AA). Using two-electrode voltage clamp and inside-out patch clamp recordings from Xenopus laevis oocytes expressing Kir2.3 channels, we found that AA selectively activated Kir2.3 channels with an EC50 of 0.59 μM and that this activation required phosphatidyl inositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2). We found that AA activated Kir2.3 by enhancing channel-PIP2 interactions as demonstrated by a shift in PIP2 activation curve. EC50 for channel activation by PIP2 were 36 and 12 μM in the absence and presence of AA, respectively. A single point mutation on the channel C terminus that enhanced basal channel-PIP2 interactions reduced the sensitivity of the channel to AA. Effects of AA are mediated through cytoplasmic sites on the channel by increasing the open probability, mainly due to more frequent bursts of opening in the presence of PIP2. Therefore, enhanced interaction with PIP2 is the molecular mechanism for Kir2.3 channel activation by AA.
Genetic relatedness of a rarely isolated Salmonella: Salmonella enterica serotype Niakhar from NARMS animal isolates.

BACKGROUND In the United States, Salmonella enterica serotype Niakhar is infrequently isolated. Between 1997 and 2000, the animal arm of the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System-Enteric Bacteria (NARMS) assayed a total of 22,383 Salmonella isolates from various animal sources (swine, cattle, chickens, turkeys, cats, horses, exotics and dogs) for antimicrobial susceptibility. Isolates originated from diagnostic and non-diagnostic submissions. OBJECTIVES To study the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of Salmonella Niakhar. METHODS AND RESULTS Only five (0.02%) of the 22,383 isolates were identified as Salmonella Niakhar. Antimicrobial resistance testing indicated that three isolates were pan-susceptible, one isolate was resistant to ampicillin and one isolate was resistant to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, kanamycin, nalidixic acid, streptomycin, sulfamethoxazole, tetracycline and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. RAPD-PCR analysis, PFGE and ribotyping indicated that two pan-susceptible isolates were genetically similar, whereas the three remaining isolates were genetically different. The one Salmonella Niakhar isolate that was multiresistant harboured a class I integron, intI1 and two large plasmids. CONCLUSIONS This study represents the first report of a ciprofloxacin-resistant Salmonella isolate from the animal arm of NARMS.
Use of laryngeal mask airway in a patient with a large tongue cyst : A case report

Patients with intra-oral lesions undergoing surgery often pose airway challenges to the anaesthetist. Successful airway management in such patients requires recognition of a potential airway problem. Intubation is often described in patients with large oral lesions undergoing surgery, but there is little mention on the use of supraglottic airway devices. Most of the reports are also in the paediatric population where intra oral lesions are most commonly encountered. Here we describe our experience with the use of a Laryngeal Mask Airway (LMA) in a 75-year-old woman with a large anterior tongue cyst undergoing wide excision of a malignant melanoma on her forearm with a split skin graft creation. Correspondence to: Monica Tan, Resident, Department of Anaesthesiology, Singapore General Hospital, 63 Sunset Way #04-09, Singapore 597088, Tel: +65 98369174; E-mail: monica.tan@mohh.com. sg
Multiparametric ultrasound in the diagnosis of prostate cancer

Purpose of review A summary and analysis of the current evidence on the role of multiparametric ultrasound in the diagnosis of clinically significant prostate cancer. Recent findings Earlier work on brightness-mode or Doppler ultrasound did not reveal an adequate diagnostic performance but the addition of contrast-enhanced ultrasound and elastography shows greater promise. There has been an increase in trials on contrast-enhanced ultrasound of late, with and without the use of quantification, such as parametric mapping of contrast uptake. Shear wave elastography offers quantification for this modality also and early work is available on the kilopascal thresholds that may be significant for malignancy. Perhaps the most promising avenue is the combination of the above modalities but to date only one study has considered this. Summary Although there is a paucity of high-quality studies at present, particularly those that combine all the available ultrasound modalities, the performance of ultrasound is seen to approach that of multiparametric MRI in some cases. More work is needed to define a role, if any, for ultrasound in the diagnosis of prostate cancer.
Successful transfer to the real world of skills practised in a virtual environment by students with severe learning difficulties

Nineteen students with severe learning difficulties aged between 14 and 19 years completed a shopping task in a real supermarket before 9 students, the experimental group, had twice-weekly sessions carrying out a similar task in a virtual supermarket. The remaining 10 students formed the control group, matched with the experimental group for ability, age and sex. They had the same number of sessions using other virtual environments. Although there was no difference between the two groups at baseline, on repeating the task in the real supermarket the experimental group were significantly faster and more accurate than the control group.
Nouvelles méthodes pour l'évaluation, l'évolution et l'interrogation des bases du Web des données. (New methods to evaluate, check and query the Web of data)

Le Web des donnees offre un environnement de partage et de diffusion des donnees, selon un cadre particulier qui permet une exploitation des donnees tant par l’humain que par la machine. Pour cela, le framework RDF propose de formater les donnees en phrases elementaires de la forme (sujet, relation, objet) , appelees triplets. Les bases du Web des donnees, dites bases RDF, sont des ensembles de triplets. Dans une base RDF, l’ontologie – donnees structurelles – organise la description des donnees factuelles. Le nombre et la taille des bases du Web des donnees n’a pas cesse de croitre depuis sa creation en 2001. Cette croissance s’est meme acceleree depuis l’apparition du mouvement du Linked Data en 2008 qui encourage le partage et l’interconnexion de bases publiquement accessibles sur Internet. Ces bases couvrent des domaines varies tels que les donnees encyclopediques (e.g. Wikipedia), gouvernementales ou bibliographiques. L’utilisation et la mise a jour des donnees dans ces bases sont faits par des communautes d’utilisateurs lies par un domaine d’interet commun. Cette exploitation communautaire se fait avec le soutien d’outils insuffisamment matures pour diagnostiquer le contenu d’une base ou pour interroger ensemble les bases du Web des donnees. Notre these propose trois methodes pour encadrer le developpement, tant factuel qu’ontologique, et pour ameliorer l’interrogation des bases du Web des donnees. Nous proposons d’abord une methode pour evaluer la qualite des modifications des donnees factuelles lors d’une mise a jour par un contributeur. Nous proposons ensuite une methode pour faciliter l’examen de la base par la mise en evidence de groupes de donnees factuelles en conflit avec l’ontologie. L’expert qui guide l’evolution de cette base peut ainsi modifier l’ontologie ou les donnees. Nous proposons enfin une methode d’interrogation dans un environnement distribue qui interroge uniquement les bases susceptibles de fournir une reponse.
[A series of 618 cases of monoclonal gammopathies of undetermined significance: predictive factors of disappearance of monoclonal component or evolution to malignant gammopathies].

INTRODUCTION How to identify monoclonal gammopathies of undeterminated significance (MGUS) at risk for progression has been studied for the last years. AIMS To study the incidence of MGUS in a region with 300,000 inhabitants and factors which associate with a) monoclonal gammopathy disappearance (transient MGUS) b) evolution to malignant gammopathy. METHODS Study of 618 MGUS. RESULTS Incidence: 30/40 new cases a year with increase to 70 cases a years in the latest years of study. Age and gender: 71,4 y (32-100), male/female ratio 1.4. Associated pathology: infection 328, heart diseases 249, rheumatic diseases 211, liver diseases 108, cancer 80, neuropathy 43. Monoclonal proteins: IgG 407, IgM 78, IgD 2, biclonal 16, triclonal 1; no heavy chain 21, light chain Kappa 389. Variables (mean): monoclonal component: 14 g/l, ESR 32,5, bone marrow: 5,9% plasma cells beta2-microglobulin: 2,59 mg/l, albumin: 3,1g/l, bone survey: normal 39,5%. Evolution: transient MGUS 20 cases. Time to disappearance 2,6 months (1,4-4,6). Evolution to malignant gammopathy 24 cases, time to progression 3 years (IC 1,82-4,3). RESULTS Several factors were associatedç with malignant transformation: heavy chain IgA (p < 0,002), ESR (p < 0,001), age < 70 (p < 0,05), bone marrow percentage of plasma cells (p < 0,002) y ostheoporosis (p < 0,005). A MGUS follow up model is suggested.
Validation of a physiological modeling framework for simulating the toxicokinetics of chemicals in mixtures.

The objective of this study was to investigate the usefulness of a physiologically based toxicokinetic (PBTK) modeling framework for simulating the kinetics of chemicals in mixtures of varying complexities and composition. The approach involved the simulation of the kinetics of components in two situations: (i) when one of the mixture components was substituted with another (i.e., benzene in the benzene (B)-toluene (T)-ethyl benzene (E)-m-xylene (X) mixture was substituted with dichloromethane (D)), and (ii) when another chemical was added to the existing four-chemical mixture model (i.e., when D was added to the existing BTEX mixture model). In both cases, differing compositions of mixtures were used to obtain simulations and to generate experimental data on kinetics for validation purposes. Since the quantitative and qualitative mechanisms of interaction among B, T, E, and X have already been established, the mechanisms of binary interactions between D and the BTEX components (e.g., competitive, noncompetitive, or uncompetitive metabolic inhibition) were investigated in the present study. The analysis of rat blood kinetic data (4-h inhalation exposures, 50-200 ppm each) to all binary combinations (D-B, D-T, D-E, and D-X) investigated in the present study was suggestive of competitive metabolic inhibition as the plausible interaction mechanism. By incorporating the newly estimated values of metabolic inhibition constant (K(i)) for each of these binary combinations within the five-chemical PBTK model (i.e., for the DBTEX mixture), the model adequately predicted the venous blood kinetics of chemicals in rats following a 4-h inhalation exposure to various mixtures (mixture 1:100 ppm of D and 50 ppm each of T, E, and X; mixture 2: 100 ppm each of D, T, E, and X; mixture 3: 100 ppm of D and 50 ppm each of B, T, E, and X; mixture 4: 100 ppm each of D, B, T, E, and X). The results of the present study suggest that the PBTK model framework is useful for conducting extrapolations of the kinetics of chemicals from one mixture to another differing in complexity and composition, based on mechanistic considerations of interactions elucidated at the binary level.
Fatigue in Patients With Breast Cancer Receiving Adjuvant Chemotherapy: A Review of the Literature

The aim of this literature review was to evaluate the prevalence and course of fatigue in patients with breast cancer undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy and to examine factors relating to fatigue. Fatigue is one of the most common side effects of chemotherapy. High and fluctuating prevalence rates of fatigue have been found not only during but also after adjuvant chemotherapy. The intensity of fatigue seems to be stable throughout the treatment cycles, despite the common perception that more chemotherapy treatments lead to greater fatigue. The first two days after a chemotherapy treatment seem to be the worst period. The influence of factors such as pain, impaired quality of sleep, and depression are be highly consistent across several studies, although it is often not clear whether it is the symptoms that cause the fatigue or vice versa. The outcomes of the studies indicate that several symptoms are interrelated in a network of symptoms. Factors such as changes in weight, menopausal symptoms, coping, social support, and biochemical changes have been mentioned in the literature as potentially contributing to fatigue. Results have been conflicting and need further study.
Vertebral Artery Dissection with a Normal-Appearing Lumen at Multisection CT Angiography: The Importance of Identifying Wall Hematoma

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: CT angiography (CTA) is widely used and may be the only vascular imaging technique ordered for emergent evaluation of neurovascular disease. With thin-section multisection CTA, the resolution of vessel wall imaging has improved. We describe cases of acute vertebral artery dissection (VAD) in which the only abnormality on CTA was a characteristic thickening of the wall of the V3 portion of the vertebral artery (VA). The arterial lumen at the dissection site was normal in caliber. This type of dissection is easily overlooked if only lumen-opacifying studies such as contrast MR angiography (MRA) or conventional angiography are performed. We highlight the importance of recognizing this finding, the “suboccipital rind” sign, in the V3 portion, a segment commonly affected in VAD. The purpose of our study was to review the CTA imaging characteristics of patients with VAD in the V3 portion compared with normal controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our imaging data base was reviewed for cases of acute VAD and the presence of a “suboccipital rind” sign. A control group of 50 patients was randomly recruited from a group of patients undergoing CTA. The VA luminal diameter, the wall thickness (total diameter−luminal diameter), and the ratio of luminal diameter/total diameter were measured along 5 adjacent V3 segments and were compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: There was no evidence of luminal tapering or narrowing in the dissected VAs compared with controls (P = .1). The average wall thickness of the dissection group was 2.96 mm greater than that for the control group (P < .001; 95% confidence interval, 2.6–3.3). There was a significant difference in the ratio of lumen diameter/lumen+wall diameter in dissected segments compared with controls (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Cross-sectional vascular imaging is often performed with multisection helical CTA for a variety of concerns, some without neurologic symptoms. Our study confirms that in cases of the “suboccipital rind” sign, the lumen appears normal in caliber, with wall thickening as the only imaging sign of VAD. In our center, this clinically occult VAD would influence management, with patients usually treated with antiplatelet agents. We caution against using only luminal-opacifying techniques such as contrast-enhanced MRA or conventional angiography to exclude VAD because they are limited in the evaluation of mural hematoma.
CD34 expression on platelets

Flow cytometric analysis of human platelets from healthy volunteers by high-resolution immunophenotyping accomplished with enzymatic amplification staining revealed the expression of CD34. Assessment of the platelets with five different monoclonal antibodies to the three different classes of CD34 epitopes suggested that platelets express a unique glycoform of the molecule. Expression of CD34 was verified by immunoblotting. Platelet activation resulted in a marked decrease in surface CD34. CD34 expression has significant implications for the function of platelets as well as for the determination of hematopoietic progenitor cells.