Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
B Cells Are Essential for Vaccination-Induced Resistance to Virulent Toxoplasma gondii

ABSTRACT T lymphocytes and gamma interferon (IFN-γ) are known mediators of immune resistance to Toxoplasma gondii infection, but whether B cells also play an important role is not clear. We have investigated this issue using B-cell-deficient (μMT) mice. If vaccinated with attenuated T. gondii tachyzoites, μMT mice are susceptible to a challenge intraperitoneal infection with highly virulent tachyzoites that similarly vaccinated B-cell-sufficient mice resist. Susceptibility is evidenced by increased numbers of parasites at the challenge infection site and by extensive mortality. The susceptibility of B-cell-deficient mice does not appear to be caused by deficient T-cell functions or diminished capacity of vaccinated and challenged B-cell-deficient mice to produce IFN-γ. Administration of Toxoplasma-immune serum, but not nonimmune serum, to vaccinated B-cell-deficient mice significantly prolongs their survival after challenge with virulent tachyzoites. Vaccinated mice lacking Fc receptors or the fifth component of complement resist a challenge infection, suggesting that neither Fc-receptor-dependent phagocytosis of antibody-coated tachyzoites nor antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity nor antibody-and-complement-dependent lysis of tachyzoites is a crucial mechanism of resistance. However, Toxoplasma-immune serum effectively inhibits the infection of host cells by tachyzoites in vitro. Together, the results support the hypothesis that B cells are required for vaccination-induced resistance to virulent tachyzoites in order to produce antibodies and that antibodies may function protectively in vivo by blocking infection of host cells by tachyzoites.
Route recommendation method for car navigation system based on estimation of driver's intent

Nowadays, car navigation systems are widely used in cars to aid drivers by providing directions to a destination. However, these systems do not always recommend a route that perfectly matches the driver's intent. Even when drivers intentionally select a route that is different from the recommended one, the system leads them back to the original route. Such recommendations do not adequately reflect the driver's intent. This study proposes a route recommendation method for a car navigation system that estimates the driver's intent and rerecommends a route that matches this intent when the driver deviates from the originally recommended route. We developed a simulator based on the proposed method and used it to experimentally verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Medication Safety in Primary Care Practice

Reducing medication errors is a fundamental patient safety goal; however, few improvement interventions have been evaluated in primary care settings. The Medication Safety in Primary Care Practice project was designed to test the impact of a multimethod quality improvement intervention on 5 categories of preventable prescribing and monitoring errors in 20 Practice Partner Research Network (PPRNet) practices. PPRNet is a primary care practice–based research network among users of a common electronic health record (EHR). The intervention was associated with significant improvements in avoidance of potentially inappropriate therapy, potential drug-disease interactions, and monitoring of potential adverse events over 2 years. Avoidance of potentially inappropriate dosages and drug-drug interactions did not change over time. Practices implemented a variety of medication safety strategies that may be relevant to other primary care audiences, including use of EHR-based audit and feedback reports, medication reconciliation, decision-support tools, and refill protocols.
Chemical Computing for Distributed Systems: Algorithms and Implementation

Avec l'emergence de plates-formes distribuees tres heterogenes, dynamiques et a large echelle, la necessite d'un moyen de les programmer efficacement et de les gerer est apparu. Le concept de l'informatique autonomique propose de creer des systemes auto-geres c'est-a-dire des systemes qui sont conscients de leurs composants et de leur environnement, et peuvent se configurer, s'optimiser, se reparer et se proteger. Dans le cadre de la realisation de tels systemes, la programmation declarative, dont l'objectif est de faciliter la tâche du programmeur en separant le controle de la logique du calcul, a retrouve beaucoup d'interet ces derniers temps. En particulier, la programmation a base de des regles est consideree comme un modele prometteur dans cette quete d'abstractions de programmation adequates pour ces plates-formes. Cependant, bien que ces modeles gagnent beaucoup d'attention, ils creent une demande pour des outils generiques capables de les executer a large echelle. Le modele de programmation chimique, qui a ete concu suivant la metaphore chimique, est un modele de programmation a bas de regles et d'ordre superieur, avec une execution non-deterministe, ou les regles sont appliquees de facon concurrente sur un multi ensemble de donnees. Dans cette these, nous proposons la conception, le developpement et l'experimentation d'un intergiciel distribue pour l'execution de programmes chimique sur des plates-formes a large echelle et generiques. L'architecture proposee combine une couche de communication pair-a-pair avec un protocole de capture atomique d'objets sur lesquels les regles doivent etre appliquees, et un systeme efficace de detection de terminaison. Nous decrivons le prototype d'intergiciel mettant en oeuvre cette architecture. En s'appuyant sur son deploiement sur une plate-forme experimentale a large echelle, nous presentons les resultats de performance, qui confirment les complexites analytiques obtenues et montrons experimentalement la viabilite d'un tel modele de programmation.
Nonfasting Plasma Glucose is a Better Marker of Diabetic Control Than Fasting Plasma Glucose in Type 2 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the relative value of plasma glucose (PG) at different time points in assessing glucose control of type 2 diabetic patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Glycemic profiles, i.e., PG at prebreakfast (8:00 A.M.), prelunch (11:00 A.M.), postlunch (2:00 P.M.), and extended postlunch (5:00 P.M.) times over the same day, were obtained in 66 type 2 diabetic patients on an ambulatory basis. The different time points of PG were compared with a measurement of HbA1c made in a reference laboratory. RESULTS Extended postlunch PG was lower than prebreakfast PG (104 ± 21 vs. 133 ± 35 mg/dl, P < 0.02) in patients demonstrating good diabetic control (HbA1c ≤ 7.0%), was not different from prebreakfast PG (149 ± 47 vs. 166 ± 26 mg/dl, NS) in patients demonstrating fair diabetic control (7.0% < HbA1c ≤ 8.5%), and was higher than prebreakfast PG (221 ± 62 vs. 199 ± 49 mg/dl, P ≤ 0.01) in those demonstrating poor diabetic control (HbA1c ≤ 8.5%). Prebreakfast, prelunch, postlunch, and extended postlunch PG values were all significantly correlated with HbA1c. Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated that postlunch PG and extended postlunch PG correlated significantly and independently with HbA1c, but that prebreakfast PG and prelunch PG did not. Moreover, postlunch PG and extended postlunch PG demonstrated better sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value in predicting poor glycemic control than did prebreakfast PG or prelunch PG. CONCLUSIONS In type 2 diabetes, postlunch PG and extended postlunch PG are better predictors of glycemic control than fasting plasma glucose (FPG). We therefore suggest that they be more widely used to supplement, or substitute for, FPG in evaluating the metabolic control of type 2 diabetic patients.
Decisiones de consumo y portafolio con Utilidad Diferencial Recursiva Estocastica (UDRE): Modelos alternativos

La elasticidad de sustitucion intertemporal y el coeficiente de aversion al riesgo se obtienen regularmente de modelos de valuacion de activos basados en el consumo como en Merton (1973), Lucas (1978), Breeden (1979) y Maenhout (2004). Sin embargo, esta vision es criticada por dos razones: la primera relacionada con el aspecto empirico, ya que en diversas investigaciones practicas, los modelos no se ajustan a los datos, y la segunda es que no distinguen entre la elasticidad de sustitucion intertemporal y el coeficiente de aversion al riesgo debido a la forma funcional de la utilidad que suponen estos enfoques. Evidentemente, estos dos conceptos son de gran utilidad para la teoria economica, ya que se refieren a aspectos diferentes y relevantes sobre las preferencias de los consumidores. Esta investigacion se concentra en el segundo problema, siendo el objetivo utilizar el concepto de Utilidad Diferencial Recursiva Estocastica (UDRE) para obtener los parametros en cuestion de manera separada, pero dentro de un mismo modelo. Bajo este marco se desarrollan varios modelos de decision de un consumidor racional con acceso a diferentes activos; esto permite obtener una mejor interpretacion y explicacion de los mencionados parametros. Por ultimo, se realizan ejercicios de estatica comparativa para explicar la dinamica de las variables de decision ante cambios en las variables independientes con datos de la economia mexicana.
Mutations in hpyAVIBM, C5 cytosine DNA methyltransferase from Helicobacter pylori result in relaxed specificity

The genome of Helicobacter pylori is rich in restriction–modification (RM) systems. Approximately 4% of the genome codes for components of RM systems. hpyAVIBM, which codes for a phase‐variable C5 cytosine methyltransferase (MTase) from H. pylori, lacks a cognate restriction enzyme. Over‐expression of M.HpyAVIB in Escherichia coli enhances the rate of mutations. However, when the catalytically inactive F9N or C82W mutants of M.HpyAVIB were expressed in E. coli, mutations were not observed. The M.HpyAVIB gene itself was mutated to give rise to different variants of the MTase. M.HpyAVIB variants were purified and differences in kinetic properties and specificity were observed. Intriguingly, purified MTase variants showed relaxed substrate specificity. Homologues of hpyAVIBM homologues amplified and sequenced from different clinical isolates showed similar variations in sequence. Thus, hpyAVIBM presents an interesting example of allelic variations in H. pylori where changes in the nucleotide sequence result in proteins with new properties.
Decreased expression of long non-coding RNA LOC728290 in human hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-associated mortality worldwide. Despite progress in the diagnosis and treatment of HCC, prognosis remains unfavorable. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as important factors in tumorigenesis and cancer progression; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms and clinical significance of lncRNAs in HCC remain largely unknown. The present study examined the expression pattern and clinical significance of a novel lncRNA, LOC728290, in HCC. Expression of LOC728290 was markedly decreased in HCC tissues compared with adjacent non-tumor liver tissues, as detected using the reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for LOC728290 was 0.728. The expression of LOC728290 was associated with the level of α-fetoprotein and microvascular invasion. Furthermore, patients with low LOC728290 expression exhibited decreased recurrence-free survival times (P<0.05) compared with those with high LOC728290 expression. The results of the present study indicated that downregulation of LOC728290 in patients with HCC may be a powerful tumor biomarker, with potential clinical applications in prognosis as well as a therapeutic target.
A highly parallel 4K real-time HEVC fractional motion estimation architecture for FPGA implementation

HEVC is the newest standard developed by the Joint Collaborative Team on Video Coding (JCT-VC), mainly characterized by improving the encoding performance and efficiency in almost 50% of its predecessor, H.264/AVC for the same video quality. HEVC is also characterized for targeting Ultra High Definition (UHD) video streams e.g. 4k and 8k resolutions. These improvements resulted from the enhance of encoding processes complexity, which also brings the necessity of more computational resources for its implementation. One of the hot spots in HEVC Encoding is the Fractional Motion Estimation (FME) process, which significantly improves the video compression efficiency at the expense of 40–60% of encoding time in the ITU-T standard coding software. In order to optimize this processing time and make it suitable for Real-Time UHD Video applications, this work proposes a highly parallel Half and Quarter-Pixel Accurate FME architecture targeting FPGA devices. The architecture was described using VHDL and synthesized for the Altera Cyclone IV, V and Arria II FPGA families. The results established a maximum frequency of 298 MHz being able to process 4K (3840×2160) Video Streaming @38fps.
Bacterial hydrophobicity, an overall parameter for the measurement of adhesion potential to soil particles

The adhesion of Salmonella typhimurium to the mineral particles quartz, albite, feldspar, and magnetite was shown to correlate with the hydrophobicity of the cell surface as measured by hydrophobic interaction chromatography. The same effects were also seen for seven other selected test strains, including Streptococcus faecalis, Streptococcus faecium, Escherichia coli, Citrobacter freundii, Shigella sonnei, and Shigella boydii. When the test strain of Salmonella typhimurium, was repeatedly cultivated in Luria broth, thus selecting for different degrees of fimbriation and roughness of the cell surface, varied cell hydrophobicity but constant negative and positive charge values were obtained. High hydrophobicity values always coincided with enhanced adhesion to the mineral particles. The negative charge of the bacterial surface as measured by electrostatic interaction chromatography appeared to play no role in the adhesion event. However, the positive charges on the cell surface contributed to the adhesion process. This was especially evident for cells exhibiting a high degree of hydrophobicity. Alteration of the pH between 4 and 9 did not significantly affect the adhesion process.
Diagnosis and assessment of food allergy in children and young people in primary care and community settings: NICE clinical guideline.

Food allergy is recognised as a major paediatric health problem in western countries. The true prevalence is unknown but Europe and the US report ranges from 6% to 8% in children aged up to 3 years. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has developed a guideline on the symptoms that should prompt consideration of food allergy when a child or young person presents in primary or community care.1 Food allergy is an adverse immune response to food allergens. Reactions can be classified into those that are immunoglobulin E (IgE) mediated or non-IgE mediated. Some children may have both IgE and non-IgE mediated reactions to food; in this guideline, these are referred to as mixed reactions. In both IgE and non-IgE reactions, there is a response by the immune system to a protein within food. IgE mediated reactions are immediate type 1 hypersensitivity reactions while non-IgE mediated reactions usually occur several hours after allergen exposure. The exact mechanism is not clearly understood but, in both reactions, elimination of the allergenic food protein is required to prevent symptoms. The correct diagnosis of food allergy should decrease the incidence of adverse food reactions that are a result of true food allergies; and help prevent the unnecessary exclusion of foods that are safe and that should be eaten as part of a normal, healthy diet. This guideline does not cover children and young people with food intolerances (such as intolerance to lactose), reactions to pharmacological agents (such as salicylates), or reactions to those substances that naturally occur in foods (such as benzoic acid). When to suspect food allergy Food allergy should be suspected when the following are present: persistent eczema, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and bowel symptoms, including constipation, that do not respond to normal …
Regulations and Functions of ICK/MAK/MOK - A Novel MAPK-Related Kinase Family Linked to Human Diseases

The RCK (the tyrosine kinase gene v-ros cross-hybridizing kinase) family within the CMGC (CDK/MAPK/GSK3/CLK) group of the human kinome consists of ICK/MRK (Intestinal cell kinase/MAK-related kinase) (Abe, Yagi et al. 1995; Togawa, Yan et al. 2000), MAK (male germ cell-associated kinase) (Matsushime, Jinno et al. 1990), and MOK (MAPK/MAK/MRKoverlapping kinase) (Miyata, Akashi et al. 1999) (Fig. 1). In the N-terminal catalytic domain, they all share significant sequence homology with MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) and contain a MAPK-like TXY motif in the activation T-loop. However, they display significant divergence in the composition of their C-terminal non-catalytic domains which may determine their functional specificity and confer distinct regulatory mechanisms.
Glioma-Propagating Cells as an In Vitro Screening Platform

Gliomas are the most devastating of primary adult malignant brain tumors. These tumors are highly infiltrative and can arise from cells with extensive self-renewal capability and chemoresistance, frequently termed glioma-propagating cells (GPCs). GPCs are thus the plausible culprits of tumor recurrence. Treatment strategies that eradicate GPCs will greatly improve disease outcome. Such findings support the use of GPCs as in vitro cellular systems for small-molecule screening. However, the nuances in using GPCs as a cellular screening platform are not trivial. These slow-growing cells are typically cultured as suspension, spheroid structures in serum-free condition supplemented with growth factors. Consequently, replenishment of growth factors throughout the screening period must occur to maintain cells in their undifferentiated state, as the more lineage-committed, differentiated cells are less tumorigenic. We present a case study of a small-molecule screen conducted with GPCs and explain how unique sphere activity assays were implemented to distinguish drug efficacies against the long-term, self-renewing fraction, as opposed to transient-amplifying progenitors, the latter of which are detected in conventional viability assays. We identified Polo-like kinase 1 as a regulator of GPC survival. Finally, we leveraged on public glioma databases to illustrate GPC contribution to disease progression and patient survival outcome.
Ultradian Oscillation of Growth Reveals Regulatory Mechanism in the Straightening Movement of Wheat Coleoptile

Plants regulate their shape and movements in accordance with their surrounding environment. This regulation occurs by a curving movement driven by differential growth. Recent studies has unraveled part of the mechanisms leading to differential growth though lateral polar auxin transport. However the real interplay between elongation, curvature variation, and accordingly the regulation process of growth distribution has not been really investigated so far. This issue is addressed in this study through gravitropic experiments on wheat coleoptiles, using a recently published kinematic approach, KimoRod. Here we show that median elongation is not affected by gravitropic perturbation. However kinematics studies reveal temporal oscillation of the median elongation rate. These oscillations propagate from the apex to the base during the movement with a characteristic velocity that is similar to auxin propagation in coleoptiles. The curvature variation exhibits a similar spatiotemporal pattern to the median elongation which reveals a nontrivial link between this two parameters and potential effect on perception and biomechanics of the tissue.
Tabac et médicaments : liaisons dangereuses ?

L'hygiene de vie, les habitudes alimentaires, la consommation de boissons alcoolisees, l'utilisation du tabac, peuvent entrainer des modifications dans l'activite et/ou la toxicite des medicaments. Nous avons degage, a partir d'une analyse de la litterature scientifique recente, un certain nombre de points concernant les interactions entre tabac et medicaments, le mecanisme et les consequences therapeutiques de ces interactions. Pour le tabac, les interactions pharmacodynamiques relevent de la nicotine, alors que les interactions pharmacocinetiques relevent des principaux composes presents dans la fumee. ○ Tabac et interactions pharmacocinetiques: le phenomene principal, source d'interactions medicamenteuses, est l'induction des cytochromes 1A1, 1A2, 2E1 par les hydrocarbures aromatiques polycycliques, avec une variabilite inter-individuelle d'origine genetique. ○ Tabac et interactions pharmacodynamiques: la plupart des interactions objectivees sur le plan biologique n'entrainent pas d'adaptation de la conduite therapeutique. Toutefois, pour certains medicaments, il est necessaire d'adapter les posologies ou les rythmes de prises. C'est le cas de certains antalgiques, anti-ulcereux, anti-arythmiques, anti-diabetiques ou psychotropes. L'influence du tabac sur les proprietes pharmacologiques des medicaments est particulierement difficile a evaluer et beaucoup d'interactions potentielles sont encore meconnues. C'est pourquoi il serait interessant de realiser des etudes lors du developpement d'un nouveau medicament.
Characterisation and quantification of flavonoids in Iris germanica L. and Iris pallida Lam. resinoids from Morocco.

INTRODUCTION Iris resinoid obtained from Iris germanica or Iris pallida rhizomes is widely used in the perfume industry but its chemical composition has not yet been reported. Nevertheless, very active compounds have been identified in iris rhizomes including iridals and isoflavones. OBJECTIVE In this first study concerning iris resinoid composition, flavonoids were qualitatively and quantitatively investigated in I. germanica and I. pallida resinoids. METHODOLOGY Resinoids were first fractionated by reverse-phase flash chromatography in order to obtain fractions containing all isoflavones. These fractions were analysed by HPLC-DAD (diode array detector) and the fractions containing isoflavones were analysed by HPLC-QTOF (quadrupole time of flight)-MS. Then, the main isoflavones were isolated and identified by NMR and high-resolution mass spectroscopy (HRMS). Finally, total and individual isoflavones were quantified by HPLC-DAD at 265 nm using an external calibration method with irigenin as the external standard. RESULTS Eight isoflavones were identified in both resinoids (irigenin, iristectorigenin A, nigricin, nigricanin, irisflorentin, iriskumaonin methyl ether, irilone, iriflogenin), one isoflavone only was identified in I. germanica resinoid (irisolidone), whereas one isoflavone (8-hydroxyirigenin), one isoflavanone (2,3-dihydroirigenin) and one benzophenone (2,6,4'-trihydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone) only were identified in I. pallida resinoid. Isoflavones were quantified in I. germanica and I. pallida resinoids at 180 ± 1.6 mg/g and 120 ± 3.3 mg/g respectively. CONCLUSION The study shows that I. germanica and I. pallida resinoids are rich in flavonoids and that these two Iris species can be distinguished by simply analysing the polyphenol fraction.