Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor Decreases Regenerative Angiogenesis in Axolotls

Angiogenesis is crucial for tissue growth and repair in mammals, and is chiefly regulated by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling. We evaluated the effect of chemical inhibition of VEGF receptor signaling in animals with superior regenerative ability, axolotl salamanders, to determine the impact on vascularization and regenerative outgrowth. Following tail amputation, treated animals (100 nM PTK787) and controls were examined microscopically and measured over the month‐long period of regeneration. Treatment with VEGFR inhibitor decreased regenerative angiogenesis; drug‐treated animals had lower vascular densities in the regenerating tail than untreated animals. This decrease in neovascularization, however, was not associated with a decrease in regenerative outgrowth or with morphological abnormalities in the regrown tail. Avascular but otherwise anatomically normal regenerative outgrowth over 1 mm beyond the amputation plane was observed. The results suggest that in this highly regenerative species, significant early tissue regeneration is possible in the absence of a well‐developed vasculature. This research sets the groundwork for establishing a system for the chemical manipulation of angiogenesis within the highly regenerative axolotl model, contributing to a better understanding of the role of the microvasculature within strongly proliferative yet well‐regulated environments. Anat Rec, 300:2273–2280, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Expression of p53 in leukoplakia and squamous cell carcinoma of the oral mucosa: correlation with expression of Ki67

Aim—To study p53 expression in relation to proliferative status in normal and nondysplastic, dysplastic and malignant lesions of the oral mucosa. Method—The standard avidin-biotin complex (ABC) immunohistochemical staining method was used to study the expression of p53 and Ki67 on frozen sections of oral leukoplakias and carcinomas. Results—Of the leukoplakia and carcinoma samples, 70% expressed p53 in over 5% of cells. In normal mucosa less than 5% of cells expressed p53. The proliferation index, as assessed by expression of Ki67, was highest in the malignant lesions (43%) and lowest in normal mucosa (11%). Statistical analysis revealed that expression of both p53 and Ki67 was correlated significantly with the histopathological stage of the tumour. However, expression of p53 was not correlated with that of Ki67. In leukoplakia lesions with proliferative features p53 immunostaining was less intense than in non-proliferative lesions; this difference was statistically significant. Conclusions—These results emphasise the potential of Ki67 and p53 as biomarkers of carcinogenesis in oral cancer and may also serve as intermediate points for cancer prevention programmes, such as the oral chemopreventive trials. Factors other than p53 may have a more important role in the deregulation of proliferation in pre-malignant oral lesions.
FAMouS - Framework for Architecting Modular Services

The principle of modularity has been increasingly applied to services in recent years as service providers seek to reduce time and cost of delivering customized services. Numerous methods have been proposed and applied to services to design modular service architectures. However, these methods are insufficient for specific requirements of service modularization, such as the gradual refinement of the underlying complex service system or the integration of experts from different domains. Therefore, this research work proposes a framework for service modularization that covers the phases of analysis, module and architecture design, implementation, and monitoring of a modular service architecture. This framework builds on a series of demonstrations in a complex service system and allows for a systematization of the required tasks, the refinement of gathered data, a structured exchange of information between all phases by the help of the Multiple Domain Matrix Method, and the integration of experts from different domains.
Cardiac T‐Type Calcium Current:

Modulation of T‐Type Calcium Channels. A low threshold, voltage‐gated calcium current is reported in most cardiac tissues but rarely in ventricular cells. This article reports some recently described characteristics and discusses their possible pathophysiologic implications. It also reviews the alterations induced in this current by a variety of chemical agents including several neuromediators in cardiac and other tissues.
Assessment of clinical characteristics, management practices, and activities of geriatric horses.

OBJECTIVE To describe the demographic and clinical characteristics, management practices, and owner perception of a population of geriatric horses, and to compare these data with findings in a group of younger horses. DESIGN Original study. ANIMALS 218 horses. PROCEDURE Data were collected via a survey tool from owners of 165 horses that were > or = 20 years of age and 53 horses that were < 20 years of age. RESULTS Compared with young horses, the geriatric group included a significantly greater number of ponies; geriatric horses were also more likely to have a history of colic, dental disease, tumors, lameness, and pituitary disease, but not laminitis, diarrhea, allergies, respiratory tract disease, thyroid disease, or fractures. Horses that had participated in Western equestrian disciplines were more likely to have a history of lameness. Among old horses, those with pituitary dysfunction were more likely to have a history of laminitis than those without pituitary dysfunction. Geriatric horses were more likely to have long hair and shedding abnormalities than were younger horses. Owners perceived their horses as old at approximately 22 years of age. In horses older than 16.5 years of age, age was a negative factor in the purchase of horses. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Geriatric and young horses share some similar health problems, but old horses have distinct health problems and veterinary medical requirements. The management and athletic history of horses may influence health as they age.
Contribution of the P2Y12 receptor‐mediated pathway to platelet hyperreactivity in hypercholesterolemia

Summary. Background: In hypercholesterolemia, platelets demonstrate increased reactivity and promote the development of cardiovascular disease. Objective: This study was carried out to investigate the contribution of the ADP receptor P2Y12‐mediated pathway to platelet hyperreactivity due to hypercholesterolemia. Methods: Low‐density lipoprotein receptor‐deficient mice and C57Bl/6 wild‐type mice were fed on normal chow and high‐fat (Western or Paigen) diets for 8 weeks to generate differently elevated cholesterol levels. P2Y12 receptor‐induced functional responses via Gi signaling were studied ex vivo when washed murine platelets were activated by 2MeSADP and PAR4 agonist AYPGKF in the presence and absence of indomethacin. Platelet aggregation and secretion, αIIbβ3 receptor activation and the phosphorylation of extracellular signal‐regulated protein kinase (ERK) and Akt were analyzed. Results: Plasma cholesterol levels ranged from 69 ± 10 to 1011 ± 185 mg dL−1 depending on diet in mice with different genotypes. Agonist‐dependent aggregation, dense and α‐granule secretion and JON/A binding were gradually and significantly (P < 0.05) augmented at low agonist concentration in correlation with the increasing plasma cholesterol levels, even if elevated thromboxane generation was blocked. These functional responses were induced via increased levels of Gi‐mediated ERK and Akt phosphorylation in hypercholesterolemic mice vs. normocholesterolemic animals. In addition, blocking of the P2Y12 receptor by AR‐C69931MX (Cangrelor) resulted in strongly reduced platelet aggregation in mice with elevated cholesterol levels compared with normocholesterolemic controls. Conclusions: These data revealed that the P2Y12 receptor pathway was substantially involved in platelet hyperreactivity associated with mild and severe hypercholesterolemia.
Transient stability analysis with phase plane of high-order derivatives of angle dynamics

Transient stability is of essential concern in power systems. This paper provides a graphical method with high-order derivatives of voltage phase angle dynamics for transient stability analysis. Using a Single Machine Infinite Bus system, criteria are defined for determining unstable equilibrium points using the first, second, and third order derivatives of phase angle difference. To intuitively show stability characteristics, a new phase plane is defined with the first and second order derivatives. With measurement data from phasor measurement units, bus voltage phase angle and frequency dynamics are used for field application. Applications of the proposed method for transient stability evaluation and prediction are discussed. Simulations show that the proposed method provides an intuitive approach for transient stability analysis and is useful in field applications.
Outbreak of chikungunya on Reunion Island: early clinical and laboratory features in 157 adult patients.

BACKGROUND Chikungunya is a reemerging disease. In 2005-2006, a severe outbreak occurred on Reunion Island in the southwestern part of the Indian Ocean. Other islands in this area were affected during the same period. METHODS Adult patients with acute chikungunya (defined as onset of fever and/or polyarthralgia in the 5 days preceding consultation) and laboratory-confirmed chikungunya who were referred to Groupe Hospitalier Sud Reunion during the period from March 2005 through April 2006 were included in this retrospective study. Their clinical and laboratory features are reported. RESULTS Laboratory-confirmed acute chikungunya was documented in 157 patients. The mean age of patients was 57.9 years, and the ratio of male to female patients was 1.24 : 1. Sixty percent of patients had at least 1 comorbidity. Ninety-seven patients (61.8%) were hospitalized, and 60 (38.2%) were treated as outpatients. Five fatalities were reported. One hundred fifty-one patients (96.1%) experienced polyarthralgia, and 129 (89%) experienced fever. Gastrointestinal symptoms were reported by 74 patients (47.1%), and skin rash was reported by 63 (40.1%). Hemorrhagic signs were rare. Lymphopenia and hypocalcemia were the prominent laboratory findings. Severe thrombocytopenia was rarely observed. CONCLUSIONS Chikungunya virus can be responsible for explosive outbreaks of disease. Polyarthralgia and fever are the 2 main clinical features. In this era of travel and globalization, chikungunya should be considered in the differential diagnosis of febrile polyarthralgia with an abrupt onset.
A Comparison of Aortic Baroreceptor Discharge in Normotensive and Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

ElectrophysiologicaJ characteristics of individual aortic baroreceptors from normotensive rats (NTR) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were compared. Impulse activity of afferent fibers was examined following the application of pressure steps to an in vitro aortic arch-aortic nerve preparation. Thirty-one fibers including seven unmyelinated fibers were studied completely over the range of 0-260 mm Hg, using steps 1-30 seconds in duration. The pressure threshold for peak transient discharge of baroreceptors of SHR's wu 88.4 ± 10.1 (mean ± se) mm Hg, whereas for baroreceptors of NTR's it was 77.5 ± 93 mm Hg. The pressure threshold for steady state discharge was 137.3 ± 5.2 mm Hg for SHR baroreceptors and 103.5 ± 7.1 for NTR baroreceptors. These values compare favorably to measurements in vivo in the rat. The relationship between peak transient impulse frequency and pressure was linear, whereas the relationship between steady state impulse frequency and pressure was hyperbolic. The curvature of the steady state frequency-pressure curves was significantly reduced for baroreceptors of SHR's. The steady state pressure-tolume curves of the aortas of SHR's and NTR's were similar, so that a reduction in distensibility could not account for the larger, significant differences in threshold and sensitivity. Therefore resetting cannot be attributed simply to reduced vascular compliance.
Ultrafast Electron and Molecular Dynamics in Photoinduced and Electric-Field-Induced Neutral–Ionic Transitions

Mixed-stacked organic molecular compounds near the neutral–ionic phase boundary, represented by tetrathiafulvalene-p-chloranil (TTF-CA), show a unique phase transition from a paraelectric neutral (N) phase to a ferroelectric ionic (I) phase when subjected to decreasing temperature or applied pressure, which is called an NI transition. This NI transition can also be induced by photoirradiation, in which case it is known as a prototypical ‘photoinduced phase transition’. In this paper, we focus on the ultrafast electron and molecular dynamics in the transition between the N and I states induced by irradiation by a femtosecond laser pulse and a terahertz electric-field pulse in TTF-CA. In the first half of the paper, we review the photoinduced N-to-I transition in TTF-CA studied by femtosecond-pump-probe reflection spectroscopy. We show that in the early stage of the transition, collective charge transfers occur within 20 fs after the photoirradiation, and microscopic one-dimensional (1D) I domains are produced. These ultrafast I-domain formations are followed by molecular deformations and displacements, which play important roles in the stabilization of photogenerated I domains. In the photoinduced I-to-N transition, microscopic 1D N domains are also produced and stabilized by molecular deformations and displacements. However, the time characteristics of the photoinduced N-to-I and I-to-N transitions in the picosecond time domain are considerably different from each other. In the second half of this paper, we review two phenomena induced by a strong terahertz electric-field pulse in TTF-CA: the modulation of a ferroelectric polarization in the I phase and the generation of a large macroscopic polarization in the N phase.
A 4-Element Ultra-wideband Tapered-Slot-Fed Antenna Array

A 4-element tapered-slot-fed antenna array is proposed for directional UWB applications. The performance of the antenna array and important parameters are investigated both numerically and experimentally. Results show that the array gain and radiation patterns are heavily dependent on the separation between the two adjacent elements. A gain of 13 dBi is obtained when the element separation is properly selected. It was shown experimentally that the proposed antenna array is very suitable for directional UWB systems
An overview of third-generation wireless personal communications: a European perspective

An overview of third-generation wireless personal communications is presented, and the challenges to meet its demands are examined. At the ITU level, the third generation is known as IMT-2000. In Europe, the third generation of wireless personal communications is known as UMTS. Special attention has been paid in giving a brief description of the research and development, standardization, and regulatory activities. The UMTS terrestrial radio access (UTRA) concept is presented. The different ACTS projects involved in making UMTS a success are introduced.
Weights of placentae from small-for-gestational age infants revisited.

The objective of the study was to investigate the association between placental weight and birthweight in appropriate (AGA) and small for gestational age (SGA) infants. Placental weight, birthweight and their ratio in chromosomally normal singleton pregnancies with SGA (n=1569) and AGA (n=15 047) infants were compared, and their determinants were studied by logistic regression. SGA infants had 24 per cent smaller placentae than AGA infants when gestational age was used as a covariate. Placental actual weight was also lower in SGA infants than in AGA infants of the same birthweight (P< 0.001). SGA infants had smaller placentae than the controls, suggesting that fetal growth depends on the actual weight of the placenta. Future studies should evaluate whether growth restriction could be reversed by therapeutic approaches increasing placental weight.
Assistive technology for children with autism - lessons for interaction design

This paper describes our experiences from developing assistive tools for children with autism. We describe two applications - AutVisComm, an assistive communication system developed on ubiquitous tablets, and Autinect, a set of activities to teach social skills to children with autism that use Microsoft Kinect™ as a controller. Both these systems were developed in close collaboration with teachers and parents of children with autism. We present here our approach to the design and evaluation of the system that incorporated the cognitive profiles of children with autism and the needs of their caregivers. We also present a summary of the key lessons learnt from these experiences.
CD4+ T Cells Engrafted with a Recombinant Immunoreceptor Efficiently Lyse Target Cells in a MHC Antigen- and Fas-Independent Fashion1

T cells engrafted by a recombinant immunoreceptor with predefined Ag specificity can efficiently lyse Ag-positive target cells in a MHC Ag-independent manner. It is yet unresolved how receptor-grafted CD4+ T cells contribute to MHC Ag-independent target cell lysis. To address this issue, we grafted isolated CD8+ and CD4+ T cells from the peripheral blood with recombinant anti-carcinoembryonic Ag and anti-CD30 receptors, respectively. Cytotoxicity analyses revealed that grafted CD4+ T cells exert cytolysis of Ag-positive target cells with an efficiency similar to that of grafted CD8+ T cells. Lysis by receptor-grafted CD4+ T cells is Ag specific and is inhibited by blocking the target Ag or the Ag binding site of the recombinant receptor. Both Fas-sensitive and Fas-resistant target cells are lysed with equal efficiency, and lysis of Fas-sensitive target cells is not blocked by an anti-Fas ligand Ab, indicating that cytolysis by receptor-grafted CD4+ T cells is independent of the Fas pathway. We conclude that cytolysis by CD4+ T cells equipped with a recombinant immunoreceptor is MHC Ag and Fas independent and likely to be mediated by perforin present in receptor-grafted CD4+ T cells.
Functional modification by cholera-toxin-catalyzed ADP-ribosylation of a guanine-nucleotide-binding regulatory protein serving as the substrate of pertussis toxin.

The alpha subunits of Gi (Gi alpha) and Gs (guanine-nucleotide-binding proteins involved in adenylate cyclase inhibition and stimulation, respectively) was ADP-ribosylated by cholera toxin in differentiated HL-60 cell membranes upon stimulation of chemotactic receptors by fMLF (fM, N-formylmethionine). The ADP-ribosylation site of Gi alpha modified by cholera toxin appeared to be different from that modified by pertussis toxin [Iiri, T. , Tohkin, M. , Morishima, N. , Ohoka, Y. , Ui, M. & Katada, T. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 21,394-21,400]. This allowed us to investigate how the two types of ADP-ribosylation influence the function of the signal-coupling protein. The major findings observed in HL-60 cell membranes, where the same Gi alpha molecule was ADP-ribosylated by treatment of the membranes with either toxin, are summarized as follows. (a) More fMLF bound with a high affinity to cholera-toxin-treated membranes than to the control membranes. The high-affinity binding was, however, not observed in pertussis-toxin-treated membranes. (b) Although fMLF stimulated guanine nucleotide binding and GTPase activity in control membranes, stimulation was almost completely abolished in pertussis-toxin-treated membranes. In contrast, fMLF-dependent stimulation of GTPase activity, but not that of guanine nucleotide binding was attenuated in cholera-toxin-treated membranes. (c) Gi alpha, once modified by cholera toxin, still served as a substrate of pertussis-toxin-catalyzed ADP-ribosylation; however, the ADP-ribosylation rate of modified Gi was much lower than that of intact Gi. These results suggested that Gi ADP-ribosylated by cholera toxin was effectively capable of coupling with fMLF receptors, resulting in formation of high-affinity fMLF receptors, and that hydrolysis of GTP bound to the alpha subunit was selectively impaired by its ADP-ribosylation by cholera toxin. Thus, unlike the ADP-ribosylation of Gi by pertussis toxin, cholera-toxin-induced modification would be of great advantage to the interaction of Gi with receptors and effectors that are regulated by the signal-coupling protein. This type of modification might also be a candidate for unidentified G proteins which were less sensitive to pertussis toxin and appeared to be involved in some signal-transduction systems.
Design of a Novel Search Engine for Prospective Question Answering

Question answering offers a more intuitive approach to information processing. A number of approaches have been used for answering questions. In this paper, we propose a questionansweringsystem that uses blogs as its source of information. The system deals with crawling blog pages, summarizing them, indexing and then ranking the summarized content. The user asks a question and gets answer(s) in response. The answer(s) obtained are better as compared to those provided by the existing QA systems that use the general web pages for the purpose of answering. The experimental results show that the proposed system has shown promising results and the responses given by the system are better than those given by the existing QA systems.
Un abordaje al problema de completitud en requisitos de software

La completitud es uno de los temas imposibles o casi imposibles de ponderar en la Ingenieria de Software en general y en la Ingenieria de Requisitos en particular. Se han hecho algunos intentos de estimar la completitud en los casos de prueba en inspecciones de sistemas mediante el uso de tecnicas predictivas. Estas tecnicas permiten estimar el grado de completitud alcanzado. Entre ellas se encuentra Detection Profile Method, que fue con anterioridad aplicada a un modelo de requisitos escrito en lenguaje natural. Los resultados fueron muy promisorios, pese a basarse solo en aspectos formales y cuantitativos del modelo. Una revision ulterior de estos resultados ha permitido detectar que existen factores cualitativos, como distintas personas observan distintos problemas o partes del mismo problema, que podrian haber distorsionado los resultados alcanzados. En el presente articulo, se reportan los resultados de reanalizar el problema incorporando algunos elementos semanticos a las estrategias involucradas.
Immunohistochemical identification of HTLV‐III antigen in brains of patients with AIDS

Human T‐cell lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV‐III) has been isolated from neural tissues and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with neurological syndromes associated with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and the virus may be directly involved in the pathogenesis of the syndromes. To detect HTLV‐III antigen in neural tissues from patients with AIDS, immunoperoxidase studies using a goat anti‐HTLV‐III serum were performed on frozen tissue sections of brain, spinal cord, and nerve from 13 patients with AIDS or HTLV‐III–related neurological syndromes. HTLV‐III was cultured from neural tissues or CSF in 11 of 13 of these patients. HTLV‐III antigen was detected in the brains of 5 patients with AIDS and in none of the 13 non‐AIDS control subjects. Rare positively stained cells were seen, frequently associated with capiilaries and often located near microglial nodules. Morphologically, the cells resembled monocyte/macrophages and were found most frequently in the cortex of the frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes. These results provide further evidence that the subacute encephalitis of AIDS is associated with central nervous system infection by HTLV‐III and that monocyte/macrophages are among the infected cell populations.