Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The role of small airways in monitoring the response to asthma treatment: what is beyond FEV1?

The definition of asthma has evolved from that of an episodic disease characterized by reversible airways constriction to a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways, with at least partially reversible airway constriction. Increasing evidence supports the notion that small and large airways play a central role in asthma pathophysiology with regard to inflammation, remodeling and symptoms. The contribution of the distal airways to the asthma phenotype carries implications for the delivery of inhaled medications to the appropriate areas of the lung and for the monitoring of the response to asthma treatment. Asthma control is evaluated on the basis of symptoms, lung function and exacerbations. However, evidence suggests that dissociation between lung function and respiratory symptoms, quality of life and airway inflammation exists. In this study, common spirometric parameters offer limited information with regard to the peripheral airways, and it is therefore necessary to move beyond FEV1. Several functional parameters and inflammatory markers, which are discussed in the present study, can be employed to evaluate distal lung function. In this study, extrafine formulations deliver inhaled drugs throughout the bronchial tree (both large and small airways) and are effective on parameters that directly or indirectly measure air trapping/airway closure.
Owl's eye sign

A 22-year-old man presented with gradually progressive asymmetric bilateral upper extremity atrophy and weakness (proximal > distal and right > left) of 2 years' duration. He had fasciculations in both upper limbs and on electrophysiologic study there were active and chronic denervation changes. Cervical spine MRI showed linear T2 intramedullary hyperintensity (C2 to C8 in sagittal section), representing atrophy and gliosis of the anterior horn cells (figure, A and B), with the owl's eye sign in transverse section (figure, C). Flail arm syndrome (FAS) is a variant of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) with an incidence of 10% of ALS cases.1 FAS is a disease of male predominance (9:1). Median survival in FAS and ALS is 57 months and 39 months, respectively.1
Cortical Interneurons Join the Mix in Absence Seizures

Commentary Absence seizures and other types of generalized seizures are characteristic of a number of classic epilepsy syndromes, such as childhood absence epilepsy and juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. Major advances in understanding the underlying neuroanatomy, pathophysiology, and molecular genetics of absence epilepsies have been made through decades of extensive clinical and basic research. However, significant unknowns and controversies about the pathogenesis of generalized seizures still exist, especially regarding the mechanisms of initiation of the seizures. A variety of rational candidates and hypotheses have been advanced in identifying the primary anatomic site, cell populations, and molecular mediators responsible for generating these seizures, but a unifying mechanism has not been established. The principal neuroanatomical networks mediating absence seizures are thought to involve reciprocal circuits between the thalamus and cortex. However, where within these circuits absence seizures are initially generated has been extensively debated, with different theories vacillating over time between cortex and thalamus (1). Early ideas, dating back to Penfield and Jasper in the mid-1900s, promoted the “centrencephalic” hypothesis that the thalamus could drive widespread cortical spike and wave discharges. The primary role of the thalamus was later supported by a variety of experimental studies implicating specific thalamic nuclei in generating both normal physiological rhythms, such as sleep spindles, and pathological oscillations of absence seizures (2). In contrast, other experimental evidence suggested that the cortex can be the primary initiator of generalized spikes and absence seizures. Combined cortical and subcortical depth electrode recordings indicated an earlier onset of spikes within the cortex in primate models of generalized epilepsy (1). More detailed quantitative analysis of cortical and thalamic recordings in a rodent genetic model of absence seizures has identified a focal region of somatosensory cortex as being the apparent trigger of generalized spike and wave activity (3). Finally, the “corticoreticular” concept of absence seizures incorporated aspects of both cortical and thalamic mechanisms with recurrent oscillations between these two regions, collectively forming the basis of absence seizures but with possible initiation in cortex. In dissecting the critical thalamocortical networks in more detail, the role of specific cell types, neurotransmitter CaV 2.1 Ablation in Cortical Interneurons Selectively Impairs Fast-Spiking Basket Cells and Causes Generalized Seizures.
Evaluating Online Shopping Service Quality—SERVEGAL in Taiwan Tourism Industry

While SERVQUAL is the most extensively used measurements of service quality among industries nowadays and its five-dimension measured factors are investigated with respect to the customers’ reaction, E-SERVQUAL thus is developed amid traditional service industries to cope with the internet markets. Both two models use measured data based upon after purchased instead of pre- purchased which is considered as the main concern for service quality. Taking Magal’s instrument into account, which indicates three dimensions that possess the function of customers’ comments, customers’ demand and service planning to measure the service quality, we propose the SERVEGAL model to include customers’ recognition on service quality pre-purchasing. And a case study in tourism industry is applied to verify our proposal. The result of this study shows that SERVEGAL is not merely a service planning provider, but also a tool to accommodate with the customers’ expectation for service quality.
Increased Prevalence of Circulating Novel IL-17 Secreting Foxp3 Expressing CD4+ T Cells and Defective Suppressive Function of Circulating Foxp3+ Regulatory Cells Support Plasticity Between Th17 and Regulatory T Cells in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients

Background:IL-17 and Foxp3 double-expressing (DE) CD4+ T lymphocytes are novel crossover immune cell population, but the presence and role of these cells in human intestinal inflammation is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the circulating IL-17 and Foxp3 DE CD4+ T lymphocytes in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods:The entire cohort consisted of 79 subjects: 31 patients with Crohn's disease, 28 patients with ulcerative colitis, and 20 healthy control subjects (HC). IBD patients with evidence of active disease at endoscopy were entered into the study. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were used for ex vivo and in vitro studies to assess the characteristics and generation of these novel cells and the function of circulating Foxp3+ CD4+ regulatory T lymphocytes (Treg) in patients with IBD compared with HC. Results:Patients with IBD had significantly higher prevalence of IL-17 and Foxp3 DE CD4+ T lymphocytes compared with age- and gender-matched HC. These cells expressed ROR&ggr;t. The ability of Treg cells to suppress autologous T-cell proliferation was reduced by approximately 60% in patients with IBD compared with HC. Increased generation of these DE cells was demonstrated by the modulation of cytokine environment of CD4+ lymphocytes in vitro in patients with Crohn's disease. Conclusions:Prevalence of circulating IL-17 and Foxp3 DE CD4+ T cells is increased in patients with IBD. Coexpression of ROR&ggr;t and Foxp3 in these cells implies conversion from Treg cells to Th17 cells. This is associated with a decreased suppressive function of Foxp3+ CD4+ T lymphocytes in patients with IBD.
A SENSITIVE METHOD FOR THE ASSAY OF 5‐HYDROXYTRYPTAMINE

The movements of a strip of fundus from a rat stomach, suspended in a 5 ml. bath at 37°, are recorded by a spring‐loaded lever. The muscle is stretched for 15 to 30 sec. between contractions. 1 ng. 5‐Hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT), 10 ng. acetylcholine or 2 to 10 μg. of histamine all produce contractions, giving tracings about 4 cm. high. In the presence of hyoscine (10−7) low concentrations of 5‐HT can be assayed directly from mixtures of the three substances. Sympathomimetic amines interfere with the assay, but this can be overcome. The preparation is robust, potentially suitable for use with an automatic assay apparatus and 10 to 100 times more sensitive than the rat uterus.
Interleukin‐17 and ‐23 levels in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

We read an interesting recent article regarding interleukin (IL)-17 and IL-23 levels in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) by Rentzos et al. (1). IL-17 and IL-23 levels were measured in sera and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of ALS patients and controls. Results showed increased serum and CSF levels of IL-17 and IL-23 in ALS patients compared to controls. They conclude that IL-17 and IL-23 are involved in neurodegeneration. We agree with their conclusion and also would like to address several other unresolved issues. Rentzos et al. (1) suggested no significant correlation between clinical parameters of ALS and IL-17 and IL-23 levels. IL-17 plays a role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (2). Microglia releases IL-17 in the presence of IL-23. Inflammatory proteins, axonal proteins and growth factors are known to decrease IL-10 levels. Insulin-like growth factor-I has a potential for ALS biomarkers (3). We would like to know whether alterations of these molecules are specific in ALS. IL-23 promotes IL-17 release and can maintain the levels of Th-17. Inflammatory cytokines could contribute to the pathogenesis of ALS. Further studies is needed whether elevation of IL-17 and IL-23 levels are caused by primary or the secondary phenomenon in ALS patients. A novel therapeutic potential reducing IL levels in ALS should be explored.
Expression of interferon‐γ in decidual natural killer cells from women with hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy

Hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy (HDCP) is one of the most frequent and serious pregnancy‐related diseases, which is closely related to disorders of the maternal immune system, especially the local immune microenvironment of the maternal–fetal interface. Uterine decidual natural killer (dNK) cells are the major immune cells in the maternal–fetal interface and they play an important role in establishing and maintaining a normal pregnancy. The aim of this study was to investigate the phenotype and function of dNK cells from women with HDCP.
A Framework for Semantic Similarity Measures to enhance Knowledge Graph Quality

Precisely determining similarity values among real-world entities becomes a building block for data driven tasks, e.g., ranking, relation discovery or integration. Semantic Web and Linked Data initiatives have promoted the publication of large semi-structured datasets in form of knowledge graphs. Knowledge graphs encode semantics that describes resources in terms of several aspects or resource characteristics, e.g., neighbors, class hierarchies or attributes. Existing similarity measures take into account these aspects in isolation, which may prevent them from delivering accurate similarity values. In this thesis, the relevant resource characteristics to determine accurately similarity values are identified and considered in a cumulative way in a framework of four similarity measures. Additionally, the impact of considering these resource characteristics during the computation of similarity values is analyzed in three data-driven tasks for the enhancement of knowledge graph quality. First, according to the identified resource characteristics, new similarity measures able to combine two or more of them are described. In total four similarity measures are presented in an evolutionary order. While the first three similarity measures, OnSim, IC-OnSim and GADES, combine the resource characteristics according to a human defined aggregation function, the last one, GARUM, makes use of a machine learning regression approach to determine the relevance of each resource characteristic during the computation of the similarity. Second, the suitability of each measure for real-time applications is studied by means of a theoretical and an empirical comparison. The theoretical comparison consists on a study of the worst case computational complexity of each similarity measure. The empirical comparison is based on the execution times of the different similarity measures in two third-party benchmarks involving the comparison of semantically annotated entities. Ultimately, the impact of the described similarity measures is shown in three data-driven tasks for the enhancement of knowledge graph quality: relation discovery, dataset integration and evolution analysis of annotation datasets. Empirical results show that relation discovery and dataset integration tasks obtain better results when considering semantics encoded in semantic similarity measures. Further, using semantic similarity measures in the evolution analysis tasks allows for defining new informative metrics able to give an overview of the evolution of the whole annotation set, instead of the individual annotations like state-of-the-art evolution analysis frameworks.
Routing metric selection and design for multi-purpose WSN

The wide deployment of Wireless Sensor Networks along with the proliferation of applications that use WSN-generated data has led to the design of WSN architectures and systems that support multiple applications over the same WSN infrastructure. Different Quality of Service requirements imposed by different applications impose the use of appropriate routing metrics to decide the data path. Although this task seems straightforward, the theoretical framework of the routing algebra (established by Sobrinho et al.) proves that routing protocol convergence to optimal, loop-free paths necessitates for protocol-dependent routing properties satisfaction. This paper takes into consideration the routing algebra formalism, as well as the wide literature on routing metric definition to reach its goal which is to provide a routing metrics selection and composition framework. Based on this framework, prospective WSN system designers and users may choose the routing metric best-fitted to the needs of application(s) at hand and guarantees convergence, optimality, loop-freeness and efficiency for any type of routing protocol used in multi-hop wireless network deployment.
Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen 3C is a powerful repressor of transcription when tethered to DNA

The expression of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) nuclear antigen 3C (EBNA3C) is essential for the activation and immortalization of human B lymphocytes by EBV. EBNA3C consists of 992 amino acids and includes a potential bZIP motif and regions rich in acidic, proline, and glutamine residues. Thus, EBNA3C resembles several trans regulators of gene expression. It has recently been shown that a fragment of EBNA3C can activate reporter gene expression when fused to the DNA-binding domain of GAL4 (D. Marshall and C. Sample, J. Virol. 69:3624-3630,1995). Although EBNA3C binds DNA, a specific site for EBNA3C binding has not been identified; to test the ability of full-length EBNA3C to regulate transcription, EBNA3C (amino acids 11 to 992) was fused to the DNA-binding domain of GAL4. We show that this fusion protein does not transactivate but rather is a potent repressor of reporter gene expression. Repression is dependent on the dose of GAL4-EBNA3C and on the presence of GAL4-binding sites within reporter plasmids. Repression is not restricted to B cells nor is it species or promoter specific. Repression is independent of the location of the GAL4-binding sites relative to the transcription start site. A fragment of EBNA3C (amino acids 280 to 525) which represses expression in a manner which is nearly identical to that of the full-length protein has been identified; this fragment is rich in acidic and proline residues. A second, less potent repressor region located C terminal to amino acids 280 to 525 has also been identified; this domain is rich in proline and glutamine residues. We also show binding of EBNA3C, in vitro, to the TATA-binding protein component of TFIID, and this suggests a mechanism by which EBNA3C may communicate with the basal transcription complex.
Engineering the Microstructure and Permeability of Thin Multilayer Latex Biocatalytic Coatings Containing E.coli

The microstructure and permeability of rehydrated 20−100 μm thick partially coalesced (vinyl‐actetate acrylic copolymer) SF091 latex coatings and a 118 μm thick model trilayer biocatalytic coating consisting of two sealant SF091 layers containing a middle layer of viable E. coli HB101 + latex were studied as delaminated films in a diffusion apparatus with KNO3 as the diffussant. The permeability of the hydrated coatings is due to diffusive transport through the pore space between the partially coalesced SF091 latex particles. Coating microstructure was visualized by fast freeze cryogenic scanning electron microscopy (cryo‐SEM). The effective diffusion coefficient of SF091 latex coatings (diffusive permeability/film thickness) was determined as the ratio of the effective diffusivity of KNO3 to its diffusivity in water (Deff/D). Polymer particle coalescence was arrested by two methods to increase coating permeability. The first used glycerol with coating drying at 4 °C, near the glass transition temperature (Tg). The second method used sucrose or trehalose as a filler to arrest coalescence; the filler was then dissolved away. Deff/D was measured as a function of film thickness; content of glycerol, sucrose, and trehalose; drying time; and rehydration time. Deff/D varied from 3 × 10−4 for unmodified SF091 coatings to 6.8 × 10−2 for coatings containing sucrose. Deff/D was reduced by the flattening of latex particles against the surface of the solid substrate, as well as by the presence of the colloid stabilizer hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC). When corrected for the flattened particle layer, Deff/D of HEC‐free coatings was as high as 0.20, which agreed with the value prediced from analysis of cryo‐SEM images of the coat surface. Deff/D decreased by one‐half in approximately 5 days in rehydrated SF091 coatings, indicating that significant wet coalescence occurs after glycerol, sucrose, or trehalose are leached from the films. Deff/D of SF091 latex trilayer coatings containing viable E. coliHB101 cells decreased as cell loading was increased from 2.2 × 10−2 for 64 g dry cell weight per liter of coat volume to 5 × 10−3 for 151 g DCW/L of coat volume. The reduction in coating permeability with increasing cell loading is predicted by Maxwell's equation for Deff/D in periodic composites.
Vitamin D receptor gene BsmI polymorphism B allele, but not BB genotype, is associated with systemic lupus erythematosus in a Han Chinese population

The vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene is a candidate gene for susceptibility to autoimmune disorders. Association studies of VDR polymorphisms and risk of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have often produced conflicting results in different ethnic backgrounds. The aim of this study is to test the association between VDR gene BsmI polymorphism and the genetic susceptibility to SLE in a Han Chinese population. Three hundred and thirty-seven patients with SLE and 239 healthy controls were genotyped for the VDR gene BsmI polymorphism (rs1544410) by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis in this study, after which the relationship between BsmI polymorphisms and the mRNA expression of VDR, as well as clinical manifestations in patients with SLE, was evaluated. It was found that the frequency of B allele was significantly increased in SLE relative to the control group (χ2 = 4.681, p = 0.031), although the distribution of VDR BsmI polymorphism genotype frequencies did not differ significantly between patients and controls (χ2 = 4.098, p = 0.129). Moreover, VDR B allele was found to be associated with lupus nephritis (p = 0.027) and also with production of anti-nucleosome antibodies (p = 0.037). The mRNA of VDR was markedly down-regulated in patients with VDR B allele compared with that in patients without B allele (p = 0.016). Our results indicate a possible role of genetic factors (the VDR B allele) in influencing disease susceptibility in Han Chinese patients. Also, VDR B allele is associated with the development of nephritis and the down-regulation of VDR mRNA expression in SLE.
Distress and depression in men who have sex with men: the Urban Men's Health Study.

OBJECTIVE This study estimates the prevalence of depression and describes the correlates and independent associations of distress and depression among U.S. men who have sex with men. METHOD A household-based probability sample of men who have sex with men (N=2,881) was interviewed between 1996 and 1998 in four large American cities. With cutoff points of 15 and 22 for the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, individual correlates and predictors of distress and depression were examined, and multinomial logistic regression was performed. RESULTS The 7-day prevalence of depression in men who have sex with men was 17.2%, higher than in adult U.S. men in general. Both distress and depression were associated with lack of a domestic partner; not identifying as gay, queer, or homosexual; experiencing multiple episodes of antigay violence in the previous 5 years; and very high levels of community alienation. Distress was also associated with being of other than Asian/Pacific Islander ethnicity and experiencing early antigay harassment. Depression was also associated with histories of attempted suicide, child abuse, and recent sexual dysfunction. Being HIV positive was correlated with distress and depression but not significantly when demographic characteristics, developmental history, substance use, sexual behavior, and current social context were controlled by logistic regression. CONCLUSIONS Rates of distress and depression are high in men who have sex with men. These high rates have important public health ramifications. The predictors of distress and depression suggest prevention efforts that might be effective when aimed at men who have sex with men.
Direct Cleavage by the Calcium-activated Protease Calpain Can Lead to Inactivation of Caspases*

Caspases, a unique family of cysteine proteases involved in cytokine activation and in the execution of apoptosis can be sub-grouped according to the length of their prodomain. Long prodomain caspases such as caspase-8 and caspase-9 are believed to act mainly as upstream caspases to cleave downstream short prodomain caspases such as caspases-3 and -7. We report here the identification of caspases as direct substrates of calcium-activated proteases, calpains. Calpains cleave caspase-7 at sites distinct from those of the upstream caspases, generating proteolytically inactive fragments. Caspase-8 and caspase-9 can also be directly cleaved by calpains. Two calpain cleavage sites in caspase-9 have been identified by N-terminal sequencing of the cleaved products. Cleavage of caspase-9 by calpain generates truncated caspase-9 that is unable to activate caspase-3 in cell lysates. Furthermore, direct cleavage of caspase-9 by calpain blocks dATP and cytochrome-c induced caspase-3 activation. Therefore our results suggest that calpains may act as negative regulators of caspase processing and apoptosis by effectively inactivating upstream caspases.