Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Elevated CD40 Ligand Expressing Blood T‐Cell Levels in Multiple Sclerosis Are Reversed by Interferon‐Beta Treatment

Myelin protein reactive CD4+ T cells are considered to be involved in the proposed immunopathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). One particularly important molecule for T‐cell activation is the CD40L (gp39) that is expressed on the surface of T cells. This study focuses on the CD40 and the CD40L expression on mononuclear cells prepared from blood from patients with MS, other neurological diseases (OND) and healthy subjects. Immunostaining followed by a three channel flow cytometry was adopted. Patients with MS had higher levels of CD3+CD40L+, CD4+CD40L+ and CD8+CD40L+ T cells compared to patients with OND and healthy subjects. Cross‐sectional comparisons revealed that the elevation of CD40L+ T cell subtypes was confined to the patients with untreated MS and not observed in the patients with MS treated with interferon‐β (IFN‐β). Follow up studies showed that levels of CD3+CD40L+ and CD4+CD40L+ T cells decreased in individual patients after the initiation of the IFN‐β treatment. The enhanced expression of CD40L on CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in patients with MS may implicate a role for this molecule in disease immunopathogenesis.
Optimal placement of distributed generation in micro-grids with binary and integer-encoding evolutionary algorithms

This paper discuses the performance of two different Evolutionary Algorithms (EAs) in a problem of Optimal Placement of Distributed Power Generation (OPDPG) in Micro-Grids (MGs). Specifically, the problem consists of choosing the node/nodes to locate a number of different distributed generators with different technologies (such as micro wind turbines, photovoltaic panels, etc.), in such a way that the electrical power losses along a given time period (T) in the MG are minimized. We consider a situation where the network topology is already defined and where each node can have a load with different profiles allocated. The consumption profiles are real measurements of different types (residential, industrial, etc.) and will be hourly evaluated. The generations profiles are also real measurement data from different generation technologies. We consider two different encodings the EAs: first a binary-encoding approach, where each wind generator is represented by 2 bits and each solar generator by N bits, where N is the number of nodes that form the MG; and second, an integer-encoding approach, where both wind and PV generators are represented by 1 and 4 integer elements, respectively. Experiments are performed by considering three different MG topologies, with different number of nodes, in order to test the behavior of the algorithms with search spaces of increasing size. In these experimental scenarios we show how the binary approach attains better solutions than the integer-encoding approach, tough the computational time of the former is higher.
Feto-placental communication system with the myometrium inpregnancy and parturition: The role of hormones, neurohormones, inflammatory mediators, and locally active factors

Pregnancy is a unique condition in which the conceptus is allowed to implant, survive, develop, and reach a considerable organ growth and maturation within the maternal body despite the fact that it is half genetically different from the mother. Moreover, it deeply influences the overall endocrine, metabolic, and immunological functions of the recipient mother. These objectives are accomplished through the establishment of several communication systems in which a large array of substances produced by the feto-placental unit reach specific maternal target organs and/or systems and modulate their function. The myometrium is a fundamental reproductive tissue involved in pregnancy maintenance as well as in labor onset and progression and is a potential target organ for such a communication system. An appropriate regulation of myometrial function is a key condition required for pregnancy to develop physiologically until full term is reached and for labor to start. Emerging experimental and clinical evidence suggests that a very complex feto-placental biomolecular communication system exists with the myometrium and is actively operative in the control of myometrial contractility in pregnancy and parturition through the production of a continuously increasing number of substances with endocrine, paracrine, and immunoregulatory actions.
Classifying the Perceptual Interpretations of a Bistable Image Using EEG and Artificial Neural Networks

In order to classify different human brain states related to visual perception of ambiguous images, we use an artificial neural network (ANN) to analyze multichannel EEG. The classifier built on the basis of a multilayer perceptron achieves up to 95% accuracy in classifying EEG patterns corresponding to two different interpretations of the Necker cube. The important feature of our classifier is that trained on one subject it can be used for the classification of EEG traces of other subjects. This result suggests the existence of common features in the EEG structure associated with distinct interpretations of bistable objects. We firmly believe that the significance of our results is not limited to visual perception of the Necker cube images; the proposed experimental approach and developed computational technique based on ANN can also be applied to study and classify different brain states using neurophysiological data recordings. This may give new directions for future research in the field of cognitive and pathological brain activity, and for the development of brain-computer interfaces.
Is There a Difference? The Performance Characteristics of SRI Equity Indices

Investments in socially responsible investments (SRI) are still a small, but growing segment of international capital markets. This study analyses whether a SRI screening process applied to equities results in a different performance outcome compared to relevant conventional benchmark indexes. In contrast to other studies, the analysis concentrates on SRI indexes and not on investment funds. This has several advantages, which include that the transaction costs of funds, the timing activities and the skill of the fund management do not have to be considered. This leads to a relatively direct measure of the performance effects of SRI screens. The 29 SRI stock indexes are analysed by single-factor models with benchmarks that closely approximate the investment universe of the SRI stock indexes and by multi-equation systems that also exploit the information in the cross-section. The results show that SRI stock indexes do not exhibit a different risk-adjusted return than conventional benchmarks. But many SRI indexes have a higher risk relative to the benchmarks. These findings are robust to the use of different sets of benchmark indexes and apply to all common types of SRI screening.
CLASSIFICATION OF ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA IN BLOOD MICROSCOPIC IMAGES USING SVM

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia(ALL) is a fast growing leukemia among others. Now a days the leukemia disease can be identified by automatic specific test such as cytogenetics and immune phenotyping and morphological cell classification made by an is a subtype of acute leukemia, which is prevalent among adults. The average age of person experienced operators observing blood or marrow microscopic images. these methods are not included into large screening programs and are applied only when typical symptoms in normal blood. Its drawback :slowness and it presents a not standardized accuracy. since it depends on operators capabilities. conversely,the morphological analysis just requires and image not a blood sample and hence is suitable for lowcost and remote diagnostic system. The presented paper shows the effectiveness of an automatic morphological method to identify the acute lymphoblastic leukemia by peripheral blood microscope images, In this paper ,an advanced and almost simple technique have been proposed. automatic detection and segmentation of ALL in blood smear is presented. The simplicity of advanced approach to local directional pattern and SVM method for classification purpose is implemented and use of algorithm will detect the nucleated blood images. This is time-consuming, and its accuracy depends on the operator’s ability comparing the results of some of the existing systems with the proposed system. Eighty microscopic blood images were tested, and the proposed framework managed to obtain 98% accuracy for the localization of the lymphoblastcells and to separate it from the subimages and complete images.
On the roles of multilayered metal catalysts in the synthesis of high-quality single-walled carbon nanotubes

In this paper, high quality single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) were synthesized by multilayered metal catalysts on silicon or silicon oxide substrate using thermal chemical vapor deposition method. The roles of multilayered metal catalyst were investigated by systematically varying the combinations of multilayered structure. Scanning electron microscopy, Atomic force microscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to examine the evolution of the morphology and the oxidation state of each constituent of the multilayered structure in the thermal processes and their roles in controlling the formation of SWNTs.
Ein Zitationsindex elektronischer Dokumente ininstitutionellen Repositorien

Ausgehend von der Entstehungsgeschichte von Repositorien elektronischer Dokumente wird die Frage der Qualitatskontrolle im Open-Access-Bereich diskutiert sowie der Mehrwert von Zitationsindizes fur Nutzer als Leser und Autoren wissenschaftlicher Dokumente. Details eines moglichen Zitationsindex von Open-Access-Dokumenten in Repositorien deutscher wissenschaftlicher Institutionen werden geschildert. Qualitatskontrolle von Open-Access-Dokumenten
Ubiquitäre Sicherheit für dynamische, mobile Systeme. Eine Herausforderung für die IT-Sicherheit

ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Aktuelle Entwicklungen in der IuK-Technik verändern unser alltägliches Arbeits- und Privatleben. Diese Entwicklungen schlagen sich insbesondere in der großen Vielfalt der Endgeräte sowie deren zunehmender Mobilität und dynamischer Vernetzung nieder. Geräte mit sehr unterschiedlichen Ressourcenausstattungen und Fähigkeiten (Mobiltelefone, PDAs, Laptops, Appliances, Mainframes, Edutainment-Geräte, elektronisch gesteuerte Herzschrittmacher etc.) sind bereits heute im Einsatz. Im Bereich der Kommunikationsnetze ist die Entwicklung geprägt durch den Schritt hin zu ubiquitären Netzen. Dieser Technologiewandel erschließt uns neue Anwendungen und auch neue Anwendungsbereiche, stellt aber gleichzeitig die Forschung im Bereich der IT-Sicherheit vor neue Herausforderungen. Die im Titel des Beitrags gestellte Forderung nach ubiquitärer und damit nach allgegenwärtiger, durchgehender Sicherheit für dynamische, mobile Systeme fasst diese Herausforderungen zusammen. Der Beitrag zeigt auf, dass ein Paradigmenwechsel im Bereich IT-Sicherheit notwendig ist, um die Vision der allgegenwärtigen Sicherheit als selbstverständlichem Qualitätsmerkmal zukünftiger Systeme zu verwirklichen.
Evaluation of aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 promoter polymorphisms identified in human populations.

BACKGROUND Cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenase, or ALDH1A1, functions in ethanol detoxification, metabolism of neurotransmitters, and synthesis of retinoic acid. Because the promoter region of a gene can influence gene expression, the ALDH1A1 promoter regions were studied to identify polymorphism, to assess their functional significance, and to determine whether they were associated with a risk for developing alcoholism. METHODS Sequence analysis was performed in the promoter region by using Asian, Caucasian, and African American subjects. The resulting polymorphisms were assessed for frequency in Asian, Caucasian, Jewish, and African American populations and tested for associations with alcohol dependence in Asian and African American populations of alcoholics and controls. The functional significance of each polymorphism was determined through in vitro expression analysis by using HeLa and HepG2 cells. RESULTS Two polymorphisms, a 17 base pair (bp) deletion (-416/-432) and a 3 bp insertion (-524), were discovered in the ALDH1A1 promoter region: ALDH1A1*2 and ALDH1A1*3, respectively. ALDH1A1*2 was observed at frequencies of 0.035, 0.023, 0.023, and 0.012 in the Asian, Caucasian, Jewish, and African American populations, respectively. ALDH1A1*3 was observed only in the African American population, at a frequency of 0.029. By using HeLa and HepG2 cells for in vitro expression, the activity of the luciferase reporter gene was significantly decreased after transient transfection of ALDH1A1*3-luciferase compared with the wild-type construct ALDH1A1*1-luciferase. In an African American population, a trend for higher frequencies of the ALDH1A1*2 and ALDH1A1*3 alleles was observed in a population of alcoholics (p = 0.03 and f = 0.12, respectively) compared with the control population. CONCLUSIONS ALDH1A1*2 and ALDH1A1*3 may influence ALDH1A1 gene expression. Both ALDH1A1*2 and ALDH1A1*3 produce a trend in an African American population that may be indicative of an association with alcoholism; however, more samples are required to validate this observation. The underlying mechanisms contributing to these trends are still unknown.
Oliver Niebuhr / Tina John: (K)eine Spur von Missverständnissen – Suprasegmentalia und die Disambiguierung reduzierter Wörter im Standarddeutschen

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Macular thickness measurements in healthy eyes using six different optical coherence tomography instruments.

PURPOSE To compare central retinal thickness (CRT) measurements in healthy eyes by different commercially available OCT instruments and to compare the intersession reproducibility of such measurements. METHODS Six different OCT instruments (Stratus OCT [Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc. Dublin, CA], SOCT Copernicus [Reichert/Optopol Technology, Inc., Depew, NY], Spectral OCT/SLO [Opko/OTI, Inc., Miami, FL], RTVue-100 [Optovue Corp., Fremont, CA], Spectralis HRA+OCT [Heidelberg Engineering, Inc., Heidelberg, Germany], and Cirrus HD-OCT [Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc.]) were used to assess CRT in both eyes of healthy subjects. Measurements were performed in two different sessions on the same day with each of the systems. From these measurements, the mean CRT was calculated. For the assessment of the intersession reproducibility of the instruments, we calculated the coefficient of the variation of test-retest variation. RESULTS Twenty healthy subjects were included in the study. Compared with the Stratus OCT all spectral OCT instruments showed significantly higher CRTs. The Spectralis HRA+OCT and Cirrus HD-OCT showed similar CRT values but significantly higher values than did all other instruments. The coefficients of variation for repeated measurements was 3.33% for the Stratus OCT, 0.46% for the Spectralis HRA+OCT, 3.09% for the Cirrus HD-OCT, 2.23% for the OCT/SLO, 2.77% for the RTVue-100 OCT, and for the SOCT 3.5%, respectively. discussion. The six OCT systems provided different results for CRT. The measurements with the Stratus OCT showed the lowest thicknesses, whereas those with the Cirrus HD-OCT and Spectralis HRA+OCT yielded the highest ones. These discrepancies can be explained by the differences in the retinal segmentation algorithms used by the various OCT systems. Whereas the Spectralis HRA+OCT and Cirrus HD-OCT include the RPE layer in the retinal segmentation, the other instruments do not. The data imply that the different OCT systems cannot be used interchangeably for the measurement of macular thickness.
Perturbations vasculaires dans la neuropathie optique glaucomateuse : apport de l'IRM de flux

Le glaucome est une neuropathie optique dans laquelle des facteurs vasculaires semblent intervenir. L'imagerie par resonance magnetique (IRM) de flux est une imagerie fonctionnelle capable de quantifier les debits sanguins au cours du cycle cardiaque. Le but de ce travail etait de mesurer en IRM de flux les debits de l'artere ophtalmique et de la veine ophtalmique superieure chez les patients atteints de glaucome et des temoins. Materiels et Methodes : Une IRM de flux a ete realisee sur 6 patients et 3 temoins. Des sequences morphologiques etaient acquises afin de positionner un plan de coupe pour l'acquisition des images en contraste de phase. Ces images etaient analysees pour calculer le debit moyen, systolique et diastolique de l'artere ophtalmique et le debit moyen de la veine ophtalmique superieure. Resultats : Le debit arteriel moyen etait plus eleve chez les patients que chez les temoins (23 ± 13 et 19 ± 9 mL/min respectivement, p=0.59), de meme que le debit systolique (48 ± 25 et 29 ± 11 mL/min respectivement, p=0.20) et la variation de debit au cours du cycle cardiaque (37 ± 21 et 18 ± 4 mL/min respectivement, p=0.06). Le debit veineux moyen semblait au contraire diminue chez les patients (7 ± 4 contre 11 ± 8 pour les temoins, p=0.46). Discussion : Contrairement aux vitesses systoliques et diastoliques mesurees en echo-Doppler, les debits arteriels, moyen et systolique semblent augmentes chez les patients glaucomateux tandis que les debits veineux seraient diminues. Conclusion : De nombreux facteurs seraient en jeu dans le glaucome, dont la pression de perfusion oculaire et le gradient de pression translaminaire.
Infrared photoactivation reduces peptide folding and hydrogen-atom migration following ETD tandem mass spectrometry.

Electron capture dissociation (ECD)[1] results from the mutual storage of thermal electrons with multiply protonated peptide cations – an experiment generally performed within the high magnetic field of a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (FT-ICR-MS). The technique is particularly useful as it generates random backbone cleavage with little regard to the presence of post-translational modifications (PTMs), amino acid composition, or peptide length. Electron transfer dissociation (ETD),[2] the ion-ion analogue of ECD, is conducted in radio frequency (RF) quadrupole ion trap devices where radical anions serve as electron donors. Because it can be implemented on virtually any mass spectrometer with an RF ion transfer or storage device, ETD has become an increasingly widespread dissociation method.
Mutations in the myocilin gene in families with primary open-angle glaucoma and juvenile open-angle glaucoma.

OBJECTIVES To investigate the prevalence of myocilin (MYOC) mutations in Italian families with glaucoma and to determine the relationship of these mutations to primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), juvenile open-angle glaucoma (JOAG), and pigmentary dispersion glaucoma. METHODS Twenty-six patients with POAG were selected based on a positive family history of glaucoma. All patients and 210 relatives had an accurate clinical characterization. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Each index patient was screened by single-stranded conformational polymorphism analysis for mutations in the MYOC gene. RESULTS A MYOC gene mutation was found in 2 families. In one family, a previously reported p.K423E mutation was transmitted from the index patient with POAG to the 2 sons with JOAG. In the second family, a p.C25R change, affecting the signal peptide, was transmitted from the index patient with POAG to the son with JOAG, but not to the son with pigmentary dispersion glaucoma. CONCLUSIONS Clinical characterization of 2 families with MYOC gene mutations indicates that POAG and JOAG are the 2 sides of a continuum phenotypical spectrum due to a common molecular defect. On the other hand, our results confirm the different origin of pigmentary dispersion glaucoma. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Because MYOC gene mutations may be responsible for a fraction (2 [8%] of 26) of families with POAG/JOAG, a molecular genetic diagnosis should be included in the management of patients with glaucoma.
Vitamin E Prevents Increase in Oxidative Damage to Lipids and DNA in Liver of ODS Rats Given Total Body X-ray Irradiation

We examined the effects of dietary vitamin E (VE) on oxidative damage to DNA and lipids in the liver a few days after total body irradiation (TBI). ODS rats, which lack vitamin C synthesis, were fed either a low VE diet (4.3 u mg u VE/kg) or a basal VE diet (75.6 u mg u VE/kg) for 5 weeks while vitamin C was supplied in the drinking water. The VE level in the liver of the low VE group was lower and the levels of lipid peroxides were higher compared to those of the basal VE group: the relative levels in the two groups were 1:30 for VE, 18:1 for 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE), and 10:1 for hexanal (HA). The level of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8OHdG), a marker of oxidative DNA damage, did not differ between the low VE and the basal VE groups. When the rats received TBI at the dose of 3 u Gy and were killed on day 6, the levels of HNE, HA and 8OHdG increased by 2.2-, 2-, and 1.5-times, respectively, in the low VE group, but TBI did not cause such increases in the basal VE group. Changes in antioxidative enzymes (glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and Cu/Zn-SOD) in the liver could not explain the different responses of the two diet groups to TBI-induced oxidative damage. The concentrations of vitamin C and glutathione in the liver did not differ between the two groups. These results suggest that dietary VE can prevent the oxidative damage to DNA and lipids in the liver which appear a few days after TBI at dose of 3 u Gy.
Predicting the Long‐Term Effects of Hunting on Plant Species Composition and Diversity in Tropical Forests

Hunting can change abundances of vertebrate seed predators and seed dispersers, causing species‐specific changes in seed dispersal and seed predation and altering seedling communities. What are the consequences of these changes for the adult plant community in the next generation and beyond? Here, I derive equations showing how reduced seed dispersal reduces plant reproduction by intensifying kin competition, increasing vulnerability to natural enemies, and reducing the proportion of seeds passing through disperser guts. I parameterize these equations with available empirical data to estimate the likely effects on next‐generation abundances. I then consider the indirect effects and longer‐term feedbacks of changed seed or adult abundances on reproductive rates due to density‐dependent interactions with natural enemies and mutualists, as well as niche differentiation with competitors, and discuss their likely qualitative effects. The factors limiting seed disperser and seed predator populations in natural and hunted forests emerge as critical for determining the long‐term effects of hunting on rates of seed dispersal and seed predation. For example, where seed dispersers are held to a constant abundance by hunters, decreases in the availability of their preferred food plants are expected to lead to increased per‐seed dispersal probabilities, potentially to the point of compensating for the initial disperser decline. I close by discussing the likely reversibility of hunting‐induced changes in tropical forests and key questions and directions for future research.