Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
New insights into the development of retinopathy of prematurity – importance of early weight gain

Evidence is accumulating that one of the strongest predictors of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), in addition to low gestational age, is poor weight gain during the first weeks of life. In infants born preterm, the retina is not fully vascularised. The more premature the child, the larger is the avascular area. In response to hypoxia, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is secreted. For appropriate VEGF‐induced vessel growth, sufficient levels of insulin‐like growth factor I (IGF‐I) in serum are necessary. IGF‐I is a peptide, related to nutrition supply, which is essential for both pre‐ and post‐natal general growth as well as for growth of the retinal vasculature. In prematurely born infants, serum levels are closely related to gestational age and are lower in more prematurely born infants. At preterm birth the placental supply of nutrients is lost, growth factors are suddenly reduced and general as well as vascular growth slows down or ceases. In addition, the relative hyperoxia of the extra‐uterine milieu, together with supplemental oxygen, causes a regression of already developed retinal vessels. Postnatal growth retardation is a major problem in very preterm infants. Both poor early weight gain and low serum levels of IGF‐I during the first weeks/months of life have been found to be correlated with severity of ROP.
Francisella tularensis Selectively Induces Proinflammatory Changes in Endothelial Cells 1

Naturally acquired infections with Francisella tularensis, the bacterial agent of tularemia, occur infrequently in humans. However, the high infectivity and lethality of the organism in humans raise concerns that it might be exploited as a weapon of bioterrorism. Despite this potential for illicit use, the pathogenesis of tularemia is not well understood. To examine how F. tularensis interacts with cells of its mammalian hosts, we tested the ability of a live vaccine strain (LVS) to induce proinflammatory changes in cultured HUVEC. Living F. tularensis LVS induced HUVEC to express the adhesion molecules VCAM-1 and ICAM-1, but not E-selectin, and to secrete the chemokine CXCL8, but not CCL2. Stimulation of HUVEC by the living bacteria was partially suppressed by polymyxin B, an inhibitor of LPS, but did not require serum, suggesting that F. tularensis LVS does not stimulate endothelium through the serum-dependent pathway that is typically used by LPS from enteric bacteria. In contrast to the living organisms, suspensions of killed F. tularensis LVS acquired the ability to increase endothelial expression of both E-selectin and CCL2. Up-regulation of E-selectin and CCL2 by the killed bacteria was not inhibited by polymyxin B. Exposure of HUVEC to either live or killed F. tularensis LVS for 24 h promoted the transendothelial migration of subsequently added neutrophils. These data indicate that multiple components of F. tularensis LVS induce proinflammatory changes in endothelial cells in an atypical manner that may contribute to the exceptional infectivity and virulence of this pathogen.
Essential role of the VirB machinery in the maturation of the Brucella abortus‐containing vacuole

In epithelial cells, the intracellular pathogen Brucella abortus escapes from the endocytic pathway, exploits the autophagic machinery of the host cell and establishes a unique replication niche in the endoplasmic reticulum. The molecular mechanisms underlying these processes are still poorly understood. Recently, a B. abortus type IV‐related secretion system encoded by the virB operon has been described as being involved in the intracellular trafficking of the bacteria. In this study, we have analysed the intracellular pathway of B. abortus virB10 mutant strains by confocal microscopy. We demonstrate that a functional virB operon is essential for the biogenesis of the Brucella‐containing vacuole. Polar mutation preventing the transcription of virB10 and downstream sequences did not allow Brucella to bypass the endocytic pathway. Consequently, polar mutant‐containing vacuoles fused with lysosomes in which bacteria underwent a degradation process. In contrast, virB10 non‐polar mutants were capable of avoiding interactions with the endocytic pathway but, diverging to wild‐type Brucella, were unable to reach the endoplasmic reticulum to establish their intracellular replication niche and seemed to be recycled to the cell surface. Based on the two particular phenotypes described in this work, a model of maturation of the Brucella‐containing vacuole is proposed.
Microallelotyping Defines the Monoclonal or the Polyclonal Origin of Mixed and Collision Endocrine-Exocrine Tumors of the Gut

Mixed endocrine-exocrine tumors of the gut are a heterogeneous group of neoplasms with uncertain histogenesis showing different morphologic and clinical features. The aim of this work is to clarify the histogenesis of these tumors by studying the genetic profile of both the endocrine and exocrine components. We performed an allelotyping analysis of five mixed endocrine-exocrine tumors (two gastric and three colonic) and one rectal collision tumor, using 35 polymorphic microsatellite markers covering a total of six chromosomes, including 3, 5q, 6, 11, 17, and 18. The loss of heterozygosity (LOH) analysis showed concurrent losses of the same allele in both the endocrine and exocrine components in all of the five mixed tumors composed by a poorly differentiated endocrine carcinoma or a well differentiated endocrine carcinoma associated with adenocarcinoma or adenoma. Among these tumors an identical LOH pattern was frequently found on chromosomes 17p, 18q, and 5q. Additional allelic losses restricted to the poorly differentiated endocrine carcinoma were often observed. On the contrary, in the only collision tumor composed by a well differentiated endocrine carcinoma associated with adenocarcinoma, completely different allelotypes between the two components were detected. These findings confirm a close genetic relationship between the two distinct histologic components within mixed endocrine-exocrine tumors, supporting the hypothesis that a monoclonal mechanism of tumorigenesis is the most frequent genetic event in mixed exocrine-endocrine tumors. The clonal divergence observed in the only collision tumor, composed by a well differentiated endocrine carcinoma associated with an adenocarcinoma, confirms the existence of double tumors growing next to each other coincidentally but showing different histogenesis and different tumorigenetic pathways.
Impact potentiel de l’utilisation de l’eau de pluie dans le bâtiment sur les consommations d’eau potable à l’échelle urbaine : le cas de l’agglomération parisienne

Ce travail de recherche vise a apprehender les effets engendres a terme sur la gestion urbaine de l'eau par le developpement progressif de la pratique de recuperation et d'utilisation de l'eau de pluie (RUEP), et plus particulierement sur l'alimentation en eau potable. Il est realise de maniere prospective a l'echelle de l'agglomeration parisienne. Plus largement, cette recherche constitue une contribution au debat ouvert depuis quelques annees relatif a la remise en question progressive du modele centralise de gestion de l'eau en milieu urbain. Apres une description de la pratique urbaine de REUP, ce travail etablit un etat de l'art des outils et des methodes scientifiques s'y rapportant, et suggere de se focaliser sur le developpement d'une approche de changement d'echelles. L'objectif est de produire, a une echelle urbaine, une estimation significative des economies d'eau potable realisables en substituant a celle-ci de l'eau de pluie recuperee pour des usages ne requerant pas une qualite d'eau alimentaire. Pour ce faire, nous proposons une approche basee sur l'evaluation sequentielle a l'aide d'une echelle intermediaire (la commune), d'une logique de regroupement de bâtiments aux caracteristiques comparables au regard de la RUEP et de quatre principes (distinction, agregation, majoration, hierarchisation). Sur l'agglomeration de Paris, la methodologie mise en œuvre montre que l'eau de pluie recuperee est susceptible de representer un potentiel equivalent a 65% des besoins en eau non potable et a 11% du volume d'eau potable distribue. Le travail met egalement en evidence que le secteur residentiel constitue le gisement principal de ce potentiel, car il detient 2/3 du potentiel global de l'agglomeration. Une premiere analyse du systeme d'acteurs impliques dans la RUEP en milieu urbain complete ce travail. Cette analyse permet de degager un sous ensemble particulier d'acteurs qui ont la capacite d'effectuer une action « levier » sur la diffusion de cette pratique sur une echelle urbaine, soit directement en raison de leur capacite d'action collective (un ensemble de bâtiments par exemple), soit indirectement au travers de leur capacite d'influencer sur les proprietaires des bâtiments (mecanismes d'incitation notamment). Au final, ce travail permet de situer la RUEP en milieu urbain au sein du debat general portant sur les mutations que connait la ville d'aujourd'hui
Back to the Market: Yet More Reform of the National Health Service

Yet more reform of the National Health Service in England has been announced by the Department of Health. In opposition, the Labour Party criticized the creation of an “internal market” for health care by the Conservative government, but five years into the Blair administration, market incentives are to be reinvigorated and the private sector is to be embraced in ways not seen hitherto. New guidance signals the introduction of competitive contracting using cost-per-case currencies, more choice for patients in where they will receive hospital treatment, and the freeing of NHS care providers from the direct political control of ministers. It is intended that the monopolistic features of the NHS in England should give way to greater pluralism, in particular through contracts with privately owned health care organizations. However, there is little evidence to suggest that these policies will be effective, and a number of practical problems may obstruct implementation.
Adenovirus-mediated gene therapy using human p21WAF-1/Cip-1 to prevent wound healing in a rabbit model of glaucoma filtration surgery.

OBJECTIVE To determine if adenovirus-mediated p21(WAF-1/Cip-1) (p21) gene therapy can prevent fibroproliferation and wound healing in a rabbit model of glaucoma filtration surgery. METHODS In vitro studies were performed using rabbit Tenon fibroblasts harvested from fresh tissue. In vivo studies were conducted in New Zealand white rabbits. A full-thickness sclerotomy was performed under a limbal-based conjunctival flap. Reagents tested included a replication-deficient recombinant adenovirus containing the human p21 gene (rAd.p21); the nonspecific marker gene for green fluorescent protein or beta-galactosidase; mitomycin, 0.5 mg/mL; and balanced saline solution. Each treatment was applied episclerally for 5 minutes before the sclerotomy using a soaked cellulose sponge placed under the surgically created conjunctival flap. Independent experiments were conducted to (1) monitor changes in intraocular pressure during a 30-day period after treatment and examine surgical site histological features, (2) examine changes in bleb morphologic features over 30 days, (3) determine outflow facility 14 days after treatment, and (4) examine the localization and persistence of rAd.p21 expression between 3 and 60 days after treatment. RESULTS Treatment of Tenon fibroblasts with rAd.p21 resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of DNA synthesis and cell growth in vitro. In vivo, rAd.p21 inhibited wound healing and fibroproliferation after filtration surgery, comparably to mitomycin. Mitomycin caused notable thinning of the bleb wall. In addition, 2 of the 5 mitomycin-treated eyes exhibited an abscess with hypopyon and hyalitis 30 days after surgery, which was not observed in any of the rAd.p21-treated eyes. None of the treatments resulted in a significantly sustained decrease in intraocular pressure during the 30-day period, although mitomycin treatment resulted in a significant (P =.02) increase in outflow facility 2 weeks after surgery in separate animals. Mitomycin- and rAd.p21-treated eyes had functioning blebs at the end of the experiment based on slitlamp examination. CONCLUSIONS Mitomycin and rAd.p21 were effective in preventing fibroproliferation and wound healing in a rabbit model of glaucoma surgery. Mitomycin treatment increased outflow facility in normal-pressure eyes. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Gene therapy with rAd.p21 may provide an effective antiproliferative for glaucoma filtration surgery, without the complications associated with mitomycin.
In vivo modulation of androgen receptor by androgens.

AIM To study the effect of androgen and antiandrogen on the level of androgen receptor (AR) mRNA. METHODS The total RNA was extracted from the prostate and analyzed by slot blot analysis. The blots were hybridized with AR cDNA probe and 1A probe (internal control) and autoradiography was performed. The intensity of signal was measured with a densitometer and the ratio of AR RNA and 1A RNA was calculated. RESULTS Androgenic deprivation produced by castration decreased the weight of the prostate and increased the levels of AR mRNA. Treatment of the castrated rats with testostrone increased the weight of prostate and decreased the levels of AR mRNA. Treatment of normal rats with flutamide decreased the weight of the gland and increased the levels of AR mRNA. CONCLUSION Androgens produce proliferative effect on the prostate and negatively regulate the AR transcription.
Software Beamforming: Comparison between a Phased Array and Synthetic Transmit Aperture

The data-transfer and computation requirements are compared between software-based beamforming using a phased array (PA) and a synthetic transmit aperture (STA). The advantages of a software-based architecture are reduced system complexity and lower hardware cost. Although this architecture can be implemented using commercial CPUs or GPUs, the high computation and data-transfer requirements limit its real-time beamforming performance. In particular, transferring the raw rf data from the front-end subsystem to the software back-end remains challenging with current state-of-the-art electronics technologies, which offset the cost advantage of the software back end. This study investigated the tradeoff between the data-transfer and computation requirements. Two beamforming methods based on a PA and STA, respectively, were used: the former requires a higher data transfer rate and the latter requires more memory operations. The beamformers were implemented in an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260 GPU and an Intel core i7 920 CPU. The frame rate of PA beamforming was 42 fps with a 128-element array transducer, with 2048 samples per firing and 189 beams per image (with a 95 MB/frame data-transfer requirement). The frame rate of STA beamforming was 40 fps with 16 firings per image (with an 8 MB/frame data-transfer requirement). Both approaches achieved real-time beamforming performance but each had its own bottleneck. On the one hand, the required data-transfer speed was considerably reduced in STA beamforming, whereas this required more memory operations, which limited the overall computation time. The advantages of the GPU approach over the CPU approach were clearly demonstrated.
Therapeutic Zygapophyseal Joint Injections for Headaches Emanating from the C2-3 Joint

Slipman CW, Lipetz JS, Plastaras CT, Jackson HB, Yang ST, Meyer AM: Therapeutic zygapophyseal joint injections for headaches emanating from the C2-3 joint. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2001;80:182–188. ObjectiveTo report our experience using fluoroscopically guided therapeutic intra-articular C2-3 zygapophyseal joint injections in patients with chronic headaches after a whiplash event. DesignRestrospective study (n = 18 patients) with independent clinical review. Each patient experienced persistent daily headache symptoms which failed to improve after at least 3 mo of physical therapy, activity restriction, and the use of oral analgesics. Each patient demonstrated initially a positive response to a diagnostic intra-articular C2-3 joint injection. Data collection and analysis were performed by an independent clinical reviewer. Outcome measures included headache frequency, medication usage, symptom response to medication, and employment status. ResultsPatients’ symptom duration before diagnostic injection averaged 34 mo. Follow-up data collection transpired at an average of 19 mo after the final therapeutic injection. In 61% of patients, fewer than three headaches were experienced each week; these headaches were relieved with the use of oral analgesics. ConclusionsAlthough the inherent limitations of this study preclude a definitive statement regarding the efficacy of C2-3 injections, these initial findings suggest that therapeutic intra-articular zygapophyseal joint injections are effective in the treatment of headaches emanating from the C2-3 joint after a whiplash event. Future controlled, prospective studies are necessary to clarify the role of such injections in this challenging patient population.
Noninvasive fecal monitoring of glucocorticoids in spotted hyenas, Crocuta crocuta.

The aim of this study was to validate a method for measuring glucocorticoids noninvasively in feces of spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta). Three established enzyme immunoassays (EIA) for cortisol, corticosterone, and 11-oxoetiocholanolone were tested, but proved unsatisfactory. A new EIA using another corticosterone antibody was established and was used for all subsequent analyses; this EIA was validated by demonstrating parallelism between serial dilutions of spotted hyena fecal extracts and dilutions of standard corticosterone and by the recovery of corticosterone added to fecal extracts. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fractions analyzed by EIA showed various immunoreactive substances with polarities of unconjugated steroids. The physiological relevance of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites was further validated by demonstrating that (1) injection of exogenous ACTH to four males and two females led to a significant increase in fecal glucocorticoid metabolites within 24-50 h, (2) the translocation of a male spotted hyena to a new enclosure resulted in a fivefold increase compared to baseline concentrations, and (3) agonistic social interactions and physical conflict resulted in large increases of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites in both protagonists. Fecal steroid assessment is therefore of use in monitoring adrenal activity in spotted hyenas.
SDHD mutations in head and neck paragangliomas result in destabilization of complex II in the mitochondrial respiratory chain with loss of enzymatic activity and abnormal mitochondrial morphology

Hereditary head and neck paragangliomas are tumours associated with the autonomic nervous system. Recently, mutations in genes coding for subunits of mitochondrial complex II, succinate‐ubiquinone‐oxidoreductase (SDHB, SDHC, and SDHD), have been identified in the majority of hereditary tumours and a number of isolated cases. In addition, a fourth locus, PGL2, has been mapped to chromosome 11q13 in an isolated family. In order to characterize phenotypic effects of these mutations, the present study investigated the immunohistochemical expression of the catalytic subunits of complex II (flavoprotein and iron protein), SDH enzyme activity, and mitochondrial morphology in a series of 22 head and neck paragangliomas. These included 11 SDHD‐, one SDHB‐, two PGL2‐linked tumours, and eight sporadic tumours. In the majority of the tumours (∼90%), the enzyme‐histochemical SDH reaction was negative and immunohistochemistry of catalytic subunits of complex II showed reduced expression of iron protein and enhanced expression of flavoprotein. Ultrastructural examination revealed elevated numbers of tightly packed mitochondria with abnormal morphology in SDHD‐linked and sporadic tumours. Immuno‐electron microscopy showed localization of the flavoprotein on the remnants of the mitochondrial inner membranes, whereas virtually no signal for the iron protein was detected. These results indicate that the function of mitochondrial complex II is compromised in the majority of head and neck paragangliomas. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Social and familial factors in the development of early childhood asthma

The role of social and familial factors in the development of childhood asthma by age 6 years was studied in a birth cohort of New Zealand children. Rates of asthma varied markedly with the child's sex; boys had twice the rate of asthma as girls. In addition, the factors associated with asthma varied with the child's sex. For boys, wheeze during infancy, early eczema, and parental asthma were all significant risk factors; for girls, the only risk factor was early eczema. Proportional hazards modeling of the data failed to show any significant associations between the development of asthma and a large range of other social and familial factors including breast-feeding, parental smoking habits, pets in the child's family, stress in the family, or family social background. It was concluded that asthma in early childhood appeared to be inherited to some extent, its age of expression was related to the child's sex, and it had a complex interaction with other forms of allergic disease. There was no evidence to suggest that the structure, practices, or dynamics of the child's family played a significant role in the development of asthma for children in this birth cohort.
Grandes vitesses, métropolisation et organisation des territoires : l'apport de l'intermodalité aéro-ferroviaire à grande vitese au rayonnement métropolitain

La mesure de l'apport de l'intermodalite aero-ferroviaire a grande vitesse au rayonnement metropolitain est au cœur de la problematique sur les relations entre les reseaux et les territoires. Dans le contexte de la construction des espaces de cooperations metropolitaines basees sur des reseaux de villes et une organisation polycentrique, la reflexion porte sur la relation entre l'espace metropolitain pris dans sa globalite et le systeme de transport integre. L'hypothese generale decline l'aphorisme suivant : les grandes vitesses creent la metropole mais creent aussi les espaces metropolitains. La these introduit l'idee que pour rendre compte de l'ouverture des espaces metropolitains, un raisonnement multi-echelles et multimodal est necessaire pour interroger le systeme de transport integre des grandes vitesses et inserer une logique intermodale. L'intermodalite aero-ferroviaire a grande vitesse analysee dans une gamme de configurations territoriales a travers la mobilisation d'indicateurs d'accessibilite horaire montre une diffusion des possibilites d'ouverture metropolitaine. Remettant en cause les mesures du rayonnement et du potentiel d'echanges des villes basees sur la seule possession d'une infrastructure aeroportuaire, l'intermodalite propose une nouvelle representation des liens entre grandes vitesses et territoires.
A Scheme of Detecting Cheaters Wholly in Threshold Secret Sharing for Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

Because of the distributed character of Mobile Ad hoc Networks, secret sharing is a ideal scheme for keeping system secret information. However, methods of detecting cheaters wholly in threshold secret sharing are few, so far. If another participant can join the t participants, t+1 participants in total, according to the scheme proposed in this paper, the existence of cheaters can be checked out only calculating equations once, requiring no other information. This scheme is a perfect sharing scheme. Its information rate is 1. The probability of one cheater's success is 0 and it is less than 1/p (where p is a large prime) for two or three cheaters in probability of success.