Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Translational Control of Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase by IL-13 and Arginine Availability in Inflammatory Macrophages 1

Inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and its generation of NO from l-arginine are subject to transcriptional as well as posttranscriptional control by cytokines. In this study, we describe a novel, translational mechanism of iNOS regulation by arginine availability. Using mouse inflammatory peritoneal macrophages stimulated with IFN-γ plus LPS, we demonstrate that the suppression of iNOS protein, which is observed after a 16-h (but not after a 6-h) pretreatment with IL-13, despite an unaltered iNOS mRNA level, results from arginine depletion by arginase. The addition of arginase inhibitors (in the pretreatment phase) or of arginine (in the stimulation phase) completely blocked the down-regulation of iNOS protein by IL-13. The rescuing effect of arginine supplementation was not due to a positive feedback regulation of iNOS expression via enhanced production of NO. A striking suppression of iNOS protein (but not of iNOS mRNA) was also seen, when IL-13 was replaced by purified arginase or when macrophages were stimulated with IFN-γ/LPS in arginine-free medium. Arginine deficiency specifically impaired the de novo synthesis and the stability of iNOS protein, but did not affect the production of TNF and the overall protein synthesis of the macrophages. From these results, we conclude that arginine not only functions as a substrate for iNOS, but is also critical for maintaining normal levels of iNOS protein in cytokine-stimulated macrophages.
Diagnostic significance of circulating multiple miRNAs in breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIMS To determine whether circulating multiple miRNAs can be used as novel biomarkers for the diagnosis in breast cancer, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis. MATERIALS & METHODS After searching the databases of PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science, we used the bivariate meta-analysis model to summarize the diagnostic indices and plot the summary receiver operator characteristic curve. RESULTS The summary estimates revealed that the pooled sensitivity was 88% (95% CI: 82-93%); specificity was 84% (95% CI: 74-91%); positive likelihood ratio was 4.69 (95% CI: 2.93-7.51); negative likelihood ratio was 0.15 (95% CI: 0.09-0.25); diagnostic odds ratio was 38.21 (95% CI: 13.41-108.85); and the area under the curve was 0.93 (95% CI: 0.90-0.95). CONCLUSION These results suggested that circulating multiple miRNAs might serve as novel biomarkers for breast cancer, with a relatively high level of accuracy.
Effect of race/ethnicity on participation in HIV vaccine trials and comparison to other trials of biomedical prevention

Introduction Racial/ethnic minorities are underrepresented in actual HIV vaccine trials in North America, and willingness to participate (WTP) and retention in an HIV vaccine trial may differ from that in Whites. Methods In this review, the authors identified HIV vaccine preparedness studies (VPS) in North America in high-risk populations that examined the relationship between race/ethnicity and WTP in a preventive phase 3 HIV vaccine trial, and the relationship to retention. Studies were categorized by risk group, and comparison group (Whites vs. non-Whites). Other types of trials of biomedical prevention were also identified, and WTP and retention rates were compared and contrasted to actual HIV vaccine trials. Results In the studies identified, WTP in a hypothetical trial HIV vaccine trial did not differ by race/ethnicity. In contrast, actual HIV vaccine trials, an HIV acquisition trial, and a phase 2B preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) trial have enrolled a large percentage of White men. Human papilloma virus (HPV) privately-funded trials have also enrolled a large number of Whites, due to convenience sampling. Retention in the HIV acquisition trial was lower in African-Americans compared with Whites. Conclusion Strategies to increase WTP and enhanced retention (ER) strategies may help in recruiting and retaining minority participants in actual HIV vaccine trials and other trials of biomedical prevention.
A robust reconfiguration protocol for the dynamic update of component‐based software systems

This paper focuses on the dynamic reconfiguration of component‐based software systems. From a structural point of view, such systems are made of components linked together through their provided and required services, the code of components being defined by modules (e.g., jar files). Today, the ability to reconfigure component‐based systems at runtime faces limitations. Some component frameworks allow to dynamically reconfigure components – starting or stopping them, or changing how they are wired together for instance – but forbid any dynamic evolution of the modules defining their code. Other frameworks allow to dynamically update modules but at the cost of loosing control on component wires, preventing software architects or tools alike to decide how components are wired together. In this paper, we propose a component framework that addresses these limitations through a unified approach for the management of components and modules. Our approach uniquely enables to reconfigure both components and modules at runtime, without restrictions. We prototyped the proposed framework in Java and exercised various dynamic reconfigurations of component‐based systems. Furthermore, we formalized this framework and proved the correctness of its reconfiguration protocol with the Coq proof assistant. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sp 1 , a New Biomarker That Identifies a Subset of Aggressive Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Sp1 is a sequence-specific DNA binding protein that is important in the transcription of a number of regulatory genes involved in cancer cell growth, differentiation, and metastasis. In this study, we investigated Sp1 expression in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and its association with clinical outcome. We studied 42 patients with primary pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The expression of Sp1 in pancreatic adenocarcinoma was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining. All 42 patients had clinical follow-up information and were evaluated for survival. Sp1 protein was aberrantly overexpressed in a subset of primary pancreatic adenocarcinoma. These tumors all developed metastasis, whereas none of the primary tumors without lymph node metastasis showed Sp1 overexpression. Statistically, Sp1 overexpression was associated with higher stage, higher grade, and lymph node metastasis (P < 0.001, P = 0.036, and P < 0.0001, respectively). Additionally, patients of this subset had a much shorter overall survival than patients without Sp1 overexpression, as evidenced by Kaplan-Meier plots and the log-rank test (P = 0.002). The 5-year overall survival rate was 19% in patients with Sp1 overexpression, compared with 55% in patients without Sp1 overexpression. The median survival was only 13 months for patients with Sp1 overexpression, compared with 65 months for patients without Sp1 overexpression. In conclusion, Sp1 is a new biomarker that identifies a subset of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma with aggressive clinical behavior. It can be used at initial diagnosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma to identify patients with an increased probability of cancer metastasis and much shortened overall survival. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(7):1648–52)
Isoflurane Pretreatment Inhibits Cytokine-induced Cell Death in Cultured Rat Smooth Muscle Cells and Human Endothelial Cells

Background Anesthetics are protective during ischemic–reperfusion injury and associated inflammation; therefore, the authors hypothesized that anesthetic pretreatment may provide protection in culture from cytokine-induced cell death. Methods Rat vascular smooth muscle (VSM) cell and human umbilical vascular endothelial cell (HUVEC) cultures were used to determine whether pretreatment with 30 min of isoflurane decreases cell death from tumor necrosis factor &agr; (TNF-&agr;), interleukin 1 (IL-1&bgr;), and interferon (IFN-&ggr;) alone or in combination. Cell survival and viability were determined by trypan blue staining and cell proliferation assay, as well as by DNA fragmentation assays. The roles of protein kinase C (PKC) and adenosine triphosphate–sensitive potassium (KATP) channels in mediating isoflurane (and halothane) protection were evaluated with the antagonists staurosporine or glibenclamide in cytokine- and also hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)–induced cell death. Results Pretreatment with 1.5% isoflurane immediately prior to cytokine exposure increased cell survival and viability from cytokines by 10–60% for 24, 48, 72, and 96 h in VSMs and up to 72 h in HUVECs. DNA fragmentation (TUNEL) was also attenuated by isoflurane. Isoflurane was equally effective in VSMs at 0.75, 1.5, and 2.5%, whereas in HUVECs, 1.5 and 2.5% were more effective than 0.75%. In VSMs, isoflurane administered 1 h prior to or simultaneously with cytokines was also effective, whereas isoflurane 2 h prior to cytokines was less effective, and either 4 h prior to or 30 min after cytokines was not effective. In both cytokine- and H2O2-induced cell death, isoflurane and halothane pretreatment were equally protective, and staurosporine and glibenclamide attenuated the protective effect. Conclusions Thirty minutes of isoflurane attenuates cytokine-induced cell death and increases cell viability in VSMs for 96 h and in HUVECs for 72 h. Isoflurane must be administered less than 2 h prior to or simultaneously with the cytokines to be protective. These initial inhibitor studies suggest involvement of PKC and KATP channels in isoflurane and halothane protection against both cytokine- and H2O2-induced cell death of VSMs and HUVECs.
Stent-Associated Flow Remodeling Causes Further Occlusion of Incompletely Coiled Aneurysms

BACKGROUND:Incomplete coil occlusion is associated with increased risk of aneurysm recurrence. We hypothesize that intracranial stents can cause flow remodeling, which promotes further occlusion of an incompletely coiled aneurysm. OBJECTIVE:To study our hypothesis by comparing the follow-up angiographic outcomes of stented and nonstented incompletely coiled aneurysms. METHODS:From January 2006 through December 2009, the senior author performed 324 initial coilings of previously untreated aneurysms, 145 of which were Raymond classification 2 and 3. Follow-up angiographic studies were available for 109 of these aneurysms (75%). Angiographic outcomes for stented vs nonstented incompletely coiled aneurysms were compared. A multivariate analysis was performed to identify factors related to the progression of occlusion at follow-up, with adjustment for aneurysm location, size, neck size, Hunt-Hess grade, stent use, initial Raymond score, packing density, age, sex, and medical comorbidities. RESULTS:Of the 109 aneurysms, 37 were stented and 72 were not stented. With a median follow-up time of 15.4 months, 33 stented aneurysms (89%) progressed to complete occlusion compared with 29 nonstented aneurysms (40%). Recanalization rates were lower in the stented group (8.1%) compared with the nonstented group (37.5%; P < .001). On multivariate analysis, stent use (odds ratio, 18.5; 95% confidence interval, 4.3-76.9) and packing density (odds ratio, 1.093; 95% confidence interval, 1.021-1.170) were significant predictors of the progression of occlusion. Aneurysm size was negatively correlated with the progression of occlusion (odds ratio, 0.844; 95% confidence interval, 0.724-0.983). CONCLUSION:Stent-assisted coiling causes progression of occlusion, possibly by a flow remodeling effect. The odds of progression of occlusion of stent-coiled aneurysms were 18.5 times that of nonstented aneurysms.
The Role of Lung Ultrasound in Diagnosis of Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Newborn Infants

Background: Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is one of the most common causes of neonatal respiratory failure and mortality. The risk of developing RDS decreases with both increasing gestational age and birth weight. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of lung ultrasound in the diagnosis of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in newborn infants. Materials and Methods: From March 2012 to May 2013, 100 newborn infants were divided into two groups: RDS group (50 cases) and control group (50 cases). According to the findings of chest x-ray, there were 10 cases of grade II RDS, 15 grade III cases, and 25 grade IV cases in RDS group. Lung ultrasound was performed at bedside by a single expert. The ultrasound indexes observed in this study included pleural line, A-line, B-line, lung consolidation, air bronchograms, bilateral white lung, interstitial syndrome, lung sliding, lung pulse etc. Results: In all of the infants with RDS, lung ultrasound consistently showed generalized consolidation with air bronchograms, bilateral white lung or alveolar-interstitial syndrome, pleural line abnormalities, A-line disappearance, pleural effusion, lung pulse, etc. The simultaneous demonstration of lung consolidation, pleural line abnormalities and bilateral white lung, or lung consolidation, pleural line abnormalities and A-line disappearance co-exists with a sensitivity and specificity of 100%. Besides, the sensitivity was 80% and specificity 100% of lung pulse for the diagnosis of neonatal RDS. Conclusions: This study indicates that using an ultrasound to diagnose neonatal RDS is accurate and reliable too. A lung ultrasound has many advantages over other techniques. Ultrasound is non-ionizing, low-cost, easy to operate, and can be performed at bedside, making this technique ideal for use in NICU.
Adiponectin is present in cord blood but is unrelated to birth weight.

OBJECTIVE In adults, adiponectin is reduced in association with excess adiposity, type 2 diabetes, and hyperinsulinemia. We assessed whether adiponectin was 1) present in the fetal circulation, 2) altered in the fetal circulation in the presence of maternal diabetes, and 3) had relations to fetal cord blood insulin or adiposity. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We assessed adiponectin in cord blood in a large cohort of singleton offspring of diabetic mothers (ODM; n = 134) and control mothers (n = 45). RESULTS Adiponectin was present in cord blood and, in ODM, was higher in those delivered at later gestational ages (Spearman r = 0.18, P = 0.03). Adiponectin was slightly lower in ODM than control subjects (ODM 19.7 +/- 6.1 vs. control 21.8 +/- 5.3 micro g/ml; P = 0.04), although this difference could potentially reflect different gestational ages in the two groups (ODM 37.6 +/- 1.5 and control 40.1 +/- 1.1 weeks). In contrast to adults, adiponectin levels in the fetus were unrelated to the degree of adiposity, blood insulin, or leptin in either control subjects or ODM. CONCLUSIONS Adiponectin is present in cord blood but does not show expected physiological relations with adiposity as observed in adults.
Duplicate Hepatitis C Antibody Testing in New York City, 2006–2010

Repeating a hepatitis C virus antibody test for a person who previously tested positive provides no new information, wastes resources, and may reflect poor coordination of medical care. Using public health surveillance data collected by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, we evaluated the magnitude of duplicate antibody testing and assessed patient-level and facility-level risk factors for duplicate testing. From 2006 to 2010, 70,257 duplicate tests were performed for 58,886 individuals in New York City, costing an estimated $1.4 million. Analyses using a polytomous logistic regression model indicated that individuals in correctional and substance abuse treatment facilities were more likely to undergo duplicate testing. Future efforts should focus on coordinating medical information and care for hepatitis C antibody-positive individuals to ensure that the recommended diagnostic follow-up and treatment services are provided.
238 x 238 micromechanical optical cross connect

This letter describes a 238/spl times/238 beam-steering optical cross connect constructed using surface micromachined mirrors. Its innovative optical configuration resulted in superior optical performance, achieving a mean fiber-to-fiber insertion loss of 1.33 dB and a maximum insertion loss for all 56 644 connections of 2 dB.
Induction of dendritic cell migration upon Toxoplasma gondii infection potentiates parasite dissemination

The processes leading to systemic dissemination of the obligate intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii remain unelucidated. In vitro studies on human and murine dendritic cells (DC) revealed that active invasion of DC by Toxoplasma induces a state of hypermotility in DC, enabling transmigration of infected DC across endothelial cell monolayers in the absence of chemotactic stimuli. Infected DC exhibited upregulation of maturation markers and co‐stimulatory molecules. While modulation of cell adhesion molecules CD11/CD18 was similar for Toxoplasma‐infected DC and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐matured DC, Toxoplasma‐infected DC did not exhibit upregulation of CD54/ICAM‐1. Induction of host cell migration in vitro required live intracellular parasite(s) and was inhibited by uncoupling the Gi‐protein signalling pathway with pertussis toxin, but did not depend on CCR5, CCR7 or Toll/interleukin‐1 receptor signalling. When migration of Toxoplasma‐infected DC was compared with migration of LPS‐stimulated DC in vivo, similar or higher numbers of Toxoplasma‐infected DC reached the mesenteric lymph nodes and spleen respectively. Adoptive transfer of Toxoplasma‐infected DC resulted in more rapid dissemination of parasites to distant organs and in exacerbation of infection compared with inoculation with free parasites. Altogether, these findings show that Toxoplasma is able to subvert the regulation of host cell motility and likely exploits the host’s natural pathways of cellular migration for parasite dissemination.
A proper approach to characterize retention-after-cycling in 3D-Flash devices

We propose a procedure to evaluate retention-after-cycling in 3D-Flash devices. Proper comparison of retention transients requires the initial charging level to be as close as possible, but P/E cycling results in serious ID-VG degradation, preventing a consistent extraction of the threshold voltage. We introduce a test where a relaxation phase is added after cycling, consisting in baking samples for 24 hours at 200°C. This relaxation appears to anneal interface traps and to remove locally accumulated charge, restoring similar shape of ID-VG curves before and after cycling, hence allowing a proper comparison of retention of fresh and stressed devices.
Studies on trypsin inhibitor in barley. I. Purification and some properties.

To clarify the properties and functions of a trypsin inhibitor from Japanese barley in comparison with the inhibitor from Pirkka barley, an inhibitor was isolated from the barley Hordeum distichum L var. emend Lamark by extraction with 1% NaCl, ammonium sulfate fractionation and repeated chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and CM-cellulose. The final purified preparation of the inhibitor was found to be homogeneous by both chromatographic and electrophoretic analysis. The inhibitor was thermostable and was stable over the broad pH range from 2 to 11. No inhibition was observed by heavy metal ions and many reagents at 10(-2) M, except that p-chloromercuribenzoate caused a 69% loss of activity. The inhibitor was subjected to isoelectric focusing at pH 7.51 and its molecular weight was calculated to be 14,200+/-900 by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The apparent dissociation constant for the complex between the inhibitor and trypsin[EC 3.4. 21.4] was 1.64 X 10(-7)M with casein as a substrate. One microgram of purified inhibitor inhibited 1.5 mug of pure trypsin in the hydrolysis of alpha-N-benzoyl-DL-arginine-p-nitroanilide. By chemical modification of arginyl residues in the inhibitor with 1,2-cyclohexanedione, the inhibitor was shown to be an arginine inhibitor. The inhibitor contained relatively many basic amino acids and few half cystines as compared with Pirkka barley trypsin inhibitor.
A transformer neutralization based 60GHz LNA in 65 nm LP CMOS with 22dB gain and 5.5dB NF

A three-stage common-source low noise amplifier (LNA) is designed in a 65 nm LP CMOS process. Basically, at mm-wave frequency the Miller capacitance degrades the amplifier performance dramatically. To address these issues, a transformer based neutralization technique is used. With the proposed technique, simulations show that the circuit achieves a gain of 22 dB along with a 1-dB bandwidth of 4 GHz. The noise figure is 5.5 dB and the IIP3 is -10.7 dBm with a power consumption of 26 mW from a 1.2 V supply.
CONFLICTS AND STRATEGIES FOR CONFLICT MANAGEMENT IN NIGERIA

Conflict is a universal phenomenon and occurs at every level of society. In Nigeria, conflicts have been on for decades and efforts by the government to resolve these have not been a complete success. This work examines the concept of conflict, nature and causes of conflicts in Nigeria and the strategies for effectively managing and resolving conflicts in the country.
Supporting investment decisions using data mining methods

This paper presents an application of k-means clustering in preliminary data analysis which preceded the choice of input variables for the system supporting the decision about stock purchase or sale on capital markets. The model forecasting share prices issued by companies in the food-processing sector quoted at the Warsaw Stock Exchange was created in STATISTICA 7.1. It was based on neural modeling and allowed for the assessment of changes direction in securities values (increase, decrease) and generates the quantitative forecast of their future price.
An Implicit Method for Solving MAXWELL's Equations

A new unconditionally stable implicit computational method for solving the Maxwell's Equations has been developed. A fully implicit solution of the magnetic field is first obtained, and the electric field is then backsolved from the known magnetic field solution. Test calculations using Courant number as high as 140 show excellent comparison with known exact solutions. The implicit method overcomes the Courant time step limitation encountered by the explicit method. It allows computation of the field to be limited by the highest frequency of interest rather than numerical instability, thus lowering computation costs significantly.
A note on the "Approximation of FIR by IIR digital filters: an algorithm based on balanced model reduction" [Comment and reply]

In the present paper Rudko extends the algorithm presented by Beliczynski et al. (see ibid., vol.40, p.532, 1992), based on balanced order reduction, for the conversion of a narrow-band linear phase FIR filter to an almost linear phase IIR filter. It is shown that the algorithm can be used to reduce the order of wideband FIR filters. Beliczynski et al. reply to the Comment. >
Unethical practices: Bane of effective enterprise management.

There is no human endeavour that does not require proper management for its proper functioning. Every organisation whether small, medium or big, requires good corporate governance to function effectively. Furthermore, businesses are guided by rules, regulations and policies that shape and control employees’ behaviour. Once these rules are violated, objectives of the business may be jeopardised and consequent, enterprise collapse in the long run. Ethical conduct of business is non-negotiable if entrepreneurs desire growth and sustainability. It is against this background that this paper attempts to appraise causes of unethical behaviour and its resultant effects on entrepreneurship development. Furthermore, the paper examines the roles of the entrepreneur and the employees, with a view of specifically addressing the strategies and mechanisms that can be put in place to minimise the trend of corrupt practices in the conduct of business.