Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In vivo monitoring of microwave ablation in a porcine model using ultrasonic differential attenuation coefficient intercept imaging

Abstract In this study, the feasibility of using ultrasonic differential attenuation coefficient intercept (Δα0) imaging to evaluate thermal lesions induced by microwave ablation (MWA) was explored using an in vivo porcine model. The attenuation coefficient intercept (Δα0 is estimated by subtracting an initial value of Δα0 images. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and the area under ROC curve (AUC) were employed to statistically assess the predictability of ultrasonic imaging. Ultrasonic Δα0 values were approximately 0.13 dB/cm and 0.16 dB/cm in a normal liver and kidney, respectively, increasing to 2.9 dB/cm and 2.55 dB/cm in ablated regions after MWA. The CNR values of the ultrasonic Δα0 images (0.9 dB and 0.6 dB in the liver and kidney, respectively) were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than the values of B-mode images (0.6 dB and 0.3 dB). The AUC value of the ultrasonic Δα0 image was higher than the B-mode image value, 0.95 compared with 0.88. This in vivo study suggests that ultrasonic Δα0 imaging has the potential to evaluate thermal lesions with high accuracy and better image contrast for monitoring MWA.
Normal liver regeneration and liver cell apoptosis after partial hepatectomy in tumor necrosis factor‐α‐deficient mice

Abstract: Aims/Background: Tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) is known as a proinflammatory cytokine that has been implicated as a contributing factor in a number of disease processes. TNF‐α also influences liver repair following hepatotoxic damage, and regeneration following partial hepatectomy (PH). The aim of this study was to assess the mechanism by which TNF‐α influences liver cell apoptosis and regeneration following PH in TNF‐α‐deficient (TNF‐α−/−) mice.
The propagation of hamster‐adapted scrapie PrPSc can be enhanced by reduced pyridine nucleotide in vitro

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), or prion diseases, are fatal neurodegenerative disorders caused by an infectious agent termed a prion, which can convert normal cellular prion protein (PrPC) into a pathologically misfolded isoform (PrPSc). Taking advantage of protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA), a series of experiments was conducted to investigate the possible influences of pyridine nucleotides on the propagation activities of hamster‐adapted scrapie agents 263K and 139A in vitro using normal hamster brain homogenates and recombinant hamster PrP as the substrates. The results showed that PrPSc from both scrapie agent 263K‐ and 139A‐infected brains propagated more efficiently in PMCA with the addition of reduced NADPH, showing an obvious dose‐dependent enhancement. Reduced NADH also prompted PrPSc propagation, whereas NADP, NAD and vitamin C failed. Moreover, following incubation with NADPH, recombinant hamster PrP could be efficiently converted into the proteinase K‐resistant form when exposed to the trace of PrPSc from infected hamsters. Our data provide evidence that the reduced pyridine nucleotide plays an important role in the propagation of prion and this process seems to target PrPC molecules.
Estrogen and NGF synergistically protect terminally differentiated, ERα‐transfected PC12 cells from apoptosis

The potential cytoprotective effects of the gonadal steroid estrogen, acting via its receptor (ER) on target neurons, are of considerable interest in aging, disease, and trauma. In this study, we examined the effects of estrogen on a prototypical neuronal‐like cell, namely, nerve growth factor (NGF) differentiated PC12 cells when these cells are placed into an apoptosis‐inducing environment. A clonal line of PC12 cells stably transfected to express full‐length rat ERα mRNA and protein (PCER cells), as well as control cells (vector DNA transfected: PCCON cells), were differentiated into neurite bearing cells by 14 days of NGF treatment. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) and immunocytochemistry for ERα revealed that terminally differentiated PCER cells continue to show robust ER mRNA and protein expression after differentiation. PCCON cells do not express ERα either before or after NGF‐induced differentiation. After differentiation, serum and NGF withdrawal from wild type PC12 cells is well known to induce cell death via apoptotic mechanisms. We challenged differentiated PCER and PCCON cells with serum‐free media and assessed the effects of various treatments on cell survival and apoptosis using trypan blue staining and quantitative TUNEL staining. When differentiated PCER cells were treated with 17β‐estradiol (E2) plus NGF during a 2‐day serum‐free media challenge, cell survival was significantly greater, and the apoptotic index was significantly lower, than when PCER cells were treated with NGF only during the challenge. No additional improvement in cell survival, and no further reduction in apoptosis, was observed in non‐ER expressing cells (PCCON) by E2 plus NGF treatment over that obtained by NGF alone. The effects of E2 on the expression of several apoptosis‐related genes in this system were also examined. We found that E2 treatment of differentiated PCER cells in serum‐free media increased the levels of Bcl‐XL mRNA and reduced the levels of BAD mRNA relative to those in vehicle‐treated PCER cells, and also relative to those in PCCON cells. Thus, estrogen's protective effects on PCER cells appear to, at least partly, involve a modulation of apoptosis‐regulating genes. J. Neurosci. Res. 56:471–481, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Research of Administrative Permit Business Collaborative Service Platform Based on SOA

in the construction of government organization information system, Services-Oriented Architecture can combine web services through the interfaces between them effectively. Services-Oriented Architecture can solve problems in the business information sharing, correspondence and service collaboration. This article made further research on administrative permit business system intensively, proposed one kind of administrative permit business collaborative service architecture based on Services-Oriented Architecture and realized cooperative management based on the intelligent agent. The platform can coordinate business process conveniently and promote efficiency of business services.
Compressed sensing of respiratory signals promoting joint-sparsity

Telemonitoring is a potential solution for management of patients suffering from chronic respiratory diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), respiratory failure, and obstructive sleep apnea. However, the compression is a prime concern for designing telemonitoring systems via Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs). In this regard, Compressed Sensing (CS) is a promising tool of compression. This paper proposes a mixed norm-based CS technique to compress/recover respiratory signals in WBAN systems. To enhance the recovery performance, the overall problem is framed in Multiple Measurement Vector (MMV) model exploiting the joint-sparsity. First, the raw respiratory data is compressed employing a sparse binary sensing matrix with a few nonzero entries at the sensor (transmitter) side. Then at the server (receiver) side, the original signal is recovered using the proposed algorithm. The experimental results using the Physiobank respiratory database shows promising achievement obtained by the proposed method in terms of CPU computation time as well as reconstruction quality.
Molecular targeting in the treatment of either advanced or metastatic bladder cancer or both according to the signalling pathways

Purpose of review An estimated 300 000 new cases of bladder cancer worldwide are diagnosed annually. Although new cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents for either advanced or metastatic bladder cancer or both are used, no improvement in survival has been observed. Indeed, the 5-year survival rate of metastatic bladder cancer is very low (6%). The target-directed approach is an attractive challenge for treating specific genetic alterations involved in progression and metastasis development. This article aims to describe the new targeted therapies available to cure advanced cancer or metastatic bladder cancer or both according to the signalling pathways potentially involved. Recent findings The rapidly expanding understanding of the pathogenesis of bladder cancer at the molecular level has led to the identification of signalling pathways involved in this disease and provided molecular targets for new biological agents directed against tumorigenesis and progression. The recent results of clinical trials have not only highlighted the need to select patients who could benefit from such a therapy but also the fact that oncology has completely entered into a new era. Summary Toxic chemotherapeutic agents are slowly being supplemented by a new generation of drugs that recognize specific targets in or on cancer cells. Recent technological advances in pharmacogenomics and proteomics have led to an improvement in identifying biomarkers predictive of response and thereby to identify patients who would be more likely to respond to such a therapy. There is a real hope to improve both the efficiency and the tolerability of bladder cancer treatment.
Informalidad empresarial en Colombia

Existen pocas fuentes para estimar la informalidad empresarial en Colombia, pero a partir de la Encuesta de Hogares es posible afirmar que constituye cerca del 60% de las firmas, el 37% de los trabajadores y el 33% del valor agregado, en las areas urbanas. Esta gran prevalencia de la informalidad contrasta con los beneficios de la formalidad en terminos de bienestar laboral, productividad y cumplimiento futuro de la normativa tributaria, sanitaria, ambiental y de calidad. La respuesta a esta paradoja puede encontrarse en los diferenciales de ganancias despues de impuestos entre firmas formales e informales. En efecto, los beneficios economicos de la formalizacion exceden sus costos unicamente en las firmas de mayor productividad relativa. En estas firmas existe un circulo virtuoso entre formalidad y productividad que contrasta con el circulo vicioso al que se enfrentan las firmas de menor productividad relativa. Este analisis tambien permite adaptar una version simplificada del modelo y la taxonomia de la informalidad de Ulyssea (2017) al caso colombiano e identificar algunas recomendaciones para su implementacion, y en particular: 1) las politicas de reduccion de costos de entrada a la formalidad focalizadas en firmas de muy baja productividad pueden tener poco exito si se aplican sobre la informalidad de subsistencia y de manera aislada a otras politicas; 2) Las politicas de monitoreo y control deben estar focalizadas en firmas de mayor productividad relativa. Su aplicacion sobre firmas de muy baja productividad, aunque reduciria la informalidad, podria ocasionar un problema de bienestar.
Corneal function during normal and high serum glucose levels in diabetes.

PURPOSE To assess corneal structure and the effects of acute hyperglycemia on corneal function in subjects with type 1 diabetes. METHODS Twenty-one diabetic and 21 nondiabetic volunteers of similar age were recruited. Baseline measurements of intraocular pressure (IOP), corneal thickness (CT), corneal autofluorescence (CAF), corneal sensitivity (CST), central and temporal endothelial cell density (DenC and DenT), and coefficient of variation in cell area (CVC and CVT) were taken. Corneal edema was induced, and the percent recovery per hour (PRPH) from hypoxic edema and endothelial permeability to fluorescein were determined. These procedures were done twice in the diabetic subjects under controlled euglycemic (EG) and hyperglycemic (HG) conditions, and once in control subjects while they were fasting. RESULTS Substantial differences in baseline measurements were found for IOP, CT, CAF, CST, DenC, and CVT. The mean +/- SE corneal swelling in the HG diabetic subjects (51.6 +/- 2.3 microm) was less when compared to the swelling in the EG diabetic subjects (56.2 +/- 1.87 microm, P = 0.05) and the control subjects (58.9 +/- 1.56 microm, P = 0.011). During euglycemia, the mean +/- SE PRPH was less in diabetic subjects than in control subjects (65.0 +/- 3.20 versus 73.8 +/- 1.81%/hour, P = 0.02) but did not differ in diabetic subjects under EG and HG conditions (65.0 +/- 3.20 versus 67.7 +/- 3.1%/hour, P = 0.56). No significant differences were noted between groups in endothelial permeability. CONCLUSIONS In addition to differences in baseline corneal structure, diabetic subjects showed less corneal swelling and reduced corneal recovery from hypoxia than did control subjects. During acute hyperglycemia, corneal swelling was less than during euglycemia in diabetic subjects, which suggests that hyperglycemia affected corneal hydration control.
Upgraded living think-IoT and big data

In day to day life, everything has been digitized. Digitization is something greater than invention because digitization leads to change. In this, every hardware is connected to the network and our smart mobile phones act as the remote to control and monitor the devices. This can be achieved by digitizing and automating the home appliances. In real-time certain home devices need to be digitized and those include water heaters, a system to monitor water overflow in water tanks, a mechanism to convey the user with the nearby available parking slots and to inform the user about the quality of air around him. Thus, In this paper the study of technical details and methodologies to digitize the above ideas are discussed. In case of storage, huge amount of data will be produced by continuously monitoring the devices. Internet of things(IoT) is used to enable hardware devices with internet and bigdata is used store and monitor the large amount of data produced.
Polymorphonuclear cell function in the various polar types of leprosy and erythema nodosum leprosum

Polymorphonuclear leukocyte motility, both in vivo and in vitro, and reduction of Nitro Blue Tetrazolium was studied in tuberculoid and lepromatous leprosy patients and a group of lepromatous patients with erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL). A profound defect in random migration, chemotaxis, and chemokinesis was found in lepromatous patients with and without complicating ENL, and marked depletion of skin window migration confirmed these in vitro findings. Tuberculoid patients exhibited a mild defect in polymorphonuclear leukocyte motility. Serum inhibitors of normal polymorphonuclear leukocyte chemotaxis were found in all types of leprosy, but sera from lepromatous and ENL patients were most inhibitory. Resting levels of Nitro Blue Tetrazolium reduction were normal in all three groups. Reconstitution of polymorphonuclear leukocyte cells from normal and ENL patients with ENL serum, however, showed increased Nitro Blue Tetrazolium reduction well above the normal range, whereas reconstitution with normal, lepromatous, and tuberculoid sera failed to increase Nitro Blue Tetrazolium reduction above the normal values.
150-kDa Oxygen-regulated Protein (ORP150) Suppresses Hypoxia-induced Apoptotic Cell Death*

To determine the contribution of 150-kDa oxygen-regulated protein (ORP150) to cellular processes underlying adaptation to hypoxia, a cell line stably transfected to overexpress ORP150 antisense RNA was created. In human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells stably overexpressing ORP150 antisense RNA, ORP150 antigen and transcripts were suppressed to low levels in normoxia and hypoxia, whereas wild-type cells showed induction of ORP150 with oxygen deprivation. Inhibition of ORP150 in antisense transfectants was selective, as hypoxia-mediated enhancement of glucose-regulated protein (GRP) 78 and GRP94 was maintained. However, antisense ORP150 transfectants displayed reduced viability when subjected to hypoxia, compared with wild-type and sense-transfected HEK cells. In contrast, diminished levels of ORP150 had no effect on cytotoxicity induced by other stimuli, including oxygen-free radicals and sodium arsenate. Although cellular ATP content was similar in hypoxia, compared with ORP150 antisense transfectants and wild-type HEK cells, suppression of ORP150 expression was associated with accelerated apoptosis. Hypoxia-mediated cell death in antisense HEK transfectants did not cause an increase in caspase activity or in cytoplasmic cytochromec antigen. A well recognized inducer of apoptosis in HEK cells, staurosporine, caused increased caspase activity and cytoplasmic cytochrome c levels in both wild-type and antisense cells. These data indicate that ORP150 has an important cytoprotective role in hypoxia-induced cellular perturbation and that ORP150-associated inhibition of apoptosis may involve mechanisms distinct from those triggered by other apoptotic stimuli.
Recent insights into body weight control: From physiology to pathology

Over the past several years, new modulators of feeding and body weight have been discovered, and our knowledge of the mechanisms and neurohumoral interactions between anorexigenic and orexigenic compounds has increased dramatically. This review aims to summarize the present knowledge of the role of leptin and several hypothalamic neuropeptides, such as neuropeptide Y (NPY), corticotropin‐releasing hormone (CRH) and melanocortins, in the regulation of appetite and body weight. It also presents the progress made in the design of interactions between leptin and hypothalamic peptides in the regulation of feeding. The role of these compounds in the pathogenesis of obesity in animals and humans, and their potential usefulness in the treatment of this disorder, are discussed. Copyright © 2000 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Following, Challenging, or Shaping: Can Third Countries Influence EU Energy Policy?

Can non-EU member states influence the EU’s energy policy? The Europeanization of energy policy in third countries is often described as a one-directional process in which these countries essentially adopt the EU energy acquis. Our article questions this dominant view by exploring whether and how third countries can influence the formulation and implementation of EU energy policy. We argue that relative differences in third country influence depend on their access to relevant venues and actors of EU policy-making as well as their structural power resources. We develop a typology linking these two factors to the outsider, follower, challenger, or shaper roles that third countries assume in EU energy governance. We empirically probe our argument in three case studies representing different models of EU–third country cooperation. Our cases include a group of nine Southeast and East European countries (Energy Community), Switzerland (bilateral arrangements), and Norway (European Economic Area). The analysis shows that it is access and structural power which together define the extent to which third countries are able to influence the formulation of EU energy policy and customize its implementation to their domestic needs. We find that while the Energy Community members are followers in EU energy governance, Switzerland and Norway are shapers. Strikingly, the influence of these two non-EU members may occasionally even surpass that of smaller EU member states. This highlights that third countries are not merely downloading EU energy regulation but sometimes also succeed in uploading their own preferences. Our contribution has implications for the post-Brexit EU–UK energy relations and qualifies claims about EU regulatory hegemony in the wider region.
A real-time one-step reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction method to quantify c-erbB-2 expression in human breast cancer.

We developed a real-time one-step reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method for the routine quantification of c-erbB-2 oncogene expression in breast cancer, using a 7700 ABI PRISM Sequence Detector System (Perkin Elmer-Applied Biosystems, Courtaboeuf, France). The real-time quantification of the polymerase chain reaction products is based on the TaqMan 5' nuclease assay. The optimal experimental conditions we determined were as follows: 6 mM MgCl2, 200 nM of fluorogenic probe, 200 nM of each primer, and 12.5 units MuLV reverse transcriptase. The GAPDH housekeeping gene was used for normalization of c-erbB-2 expression. In human breast cancer cell lines, the normalized expression of c-erbB-2 ranged from 8 x 10(-6) to 2,600 x 10(-6), the two highest values corresponding to the c-erbB-2 overexpressing cells MDA-MB-453 and SK-BR-3. In a series of 100 breast cancer samples, c-erbB-2 normalized expression was found to range from 0.4 x 10(-6) to 350 x 10(-6). A close correlation was observed between this real-time one-step quantitative RT-PCR method and both semiquantitative conventional RT-PCR (N = 22; r = 0.8543; P < .0001) and c-erbB-2 protein expression (p185) quantified by an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) (N = 27; r = 0.71; P < .0001). The current realtime RT-PCR assay is rapid, sensitive, and reproducible and appears particularly suitable to quantify gene expression in large series of samples.
Effects of microfinance banks and economic growth in Nigeria.

The study seeks to examine the impact of microfinance institution on economic growth of Nigeria, using per capita Income as a measure of Economic Growth. The study is for the period covering 1992-2016. microfinance bank credit growth, deposit growth, investment growth and asset growth were used as predictor variables. The research estimated the specified models using the Cochranorcutt regression model applied on time series annual data from the central bank of Nigeria statistical bulletin and annual reports 2017 edition and World Bank national account data. The study employed both descriptive and inferential statistic data in analyzing the time series data. The results garnered from the data analysis indicated among other things that a very strong but negative relationship was also found between microfinance bank credit growth and per capita income. But for microfinance bank deposit growth and per capita income, it was discovered that it is a positive and significant relationship, investment and per capita income didn’t have any relationship at all. The study found a very strong positive and significant relationship between microfinance bank asset growth and per capita income, we therefore recommend that credits advanced must be granted to productive areas of the economy that will enhance productivity and ultimately lead to increase in income of participants.
The La protein.

Ubiquitous in eukaryotic cells, the La protein associates with the 3' termini of many newly synthesized small RNAs. RNAs bound by the La protein include all nascent transcripts made by RNA polymerase III as well as certain small RNAs synthesized by other RNA polymerases. Recent genetic and biochemical analyses have revealed that binding by the La protein protects the 3' ends of these RNAs from exonucleases. This La-mediated stabilization is required for the normal pathway of pre-tRNA maturation, facilitates assembly of small RNAs into functional RNA-protein complexes, and contributes to nuclear retention of certain small RNAs. Studies of mutant La proteins have given some insights into how the La protein specifically recognizes its RNA targets. However, many questions remain regarding the molecular mechanisms by which La protein binding influences multiple steps in small RNA biogenesis. This review focuses on the roles of the La protein in small RNA biogenesis and also discusses data that implicate the La protein in the translation of specific mRNAs.