Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Endometrial CD 16 + Natural killer Cells and Sub-endometrial Doppler in Unexplained Infertility

This prospective case-control study was conducted to investigate the relation between endometrial natural killer CD16+ cells and unexplained infertility. 45 women with unexplained infertility and another 45 fertile women as their controls were recruited in the study. Transvaginal sonography and endometrial sampling were performed 5-9 days after ovulation (implantation window). Endometrial thickness and sub-endometrial blood flow indices were assessed, endometrial CD16+ were assessed using immunohistochemical staining. A significant higher incidence of CD16+ positive endometrium was found in infertile women than controls, as well as a highly significant difference between the 2 groups regarding endometrial thickness (being thinner in the infertility group) and both sub-endometrial Doppler parameters (RI and PI) (P<0.001). A positive correlation was found between endometrial positive CD16+ and both endometrial thickness and sub-endometrial RI (P=0.035 and P=0.011 respectively). This study suggests a significant association between endometrial CD16+ NK cells and unexplained infertility.
Defense Teclhnical Information Center Compilation Part Notice ADPO 10671 TITLE : Detection of Malicious Code in COTS Software via Certifying

Exploiting COTS software through integration poses a distinct dilemma. On one hand, COTS software is very Information technology is more and more a vitally imporattractive; its use promises to reduce development time tant underpinning to our economy and to our society. It is and costs. On the other hand, it introduces new risks into embedded in everyday applications and animates a wide military information systems: hidden functionalities, trap class of systems that range from small to large and from doors, private control codes giving enhanced privileges, simple to extremely sophisticated. Among the probable logical or temporal bombs [6], etc. threats for military information systems, the presence of A feasibility study completed in 1998 indicates that a malicious code within COTS applications has been identivariety of software analysis techniques can be applied to fled as a major risk that has not received a lot of attention. the management of the risk associated with COTS softLike a virus that has infiltrated an information system durware in military information systems. Among them, the ing an electronic information exchange, malicious code exploitation of certifying compilers appears to be a very integrated into a commercial application could remain unpowerful technology for the efficient yet exhaustive verifidetected andpresent a major riskfor the safety of informacation of software with minimal human supervision. This tion within a military system. In this paper, techniques to paper summarises the lessons learned in the MaliCOTS detect malicious code within commercial applications are project, carried out jointly by DREV and Laval Univerreviewed. Emphasis Is placed upon the certifying cornsity. The proposed strategy will, after successful implepiler which enforces a formal security specification while mentation, ensure the safe integration of previously uncompiling the source code. This emerging technology oftrusted software in military information systems via certifers the most comprehensive and sustainable approach.for fying compilers. large applications and for the periodic certification of upgrades.
A Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Trial of Vitamin C in the Management of Hypertension and Lipids

The effect of vitamin C on blood pressure is not well established. This is a randomized, double-blind control trial. Eligible patients were followed for 8 months. Patients were randomized to 500, 1000, or 2000 mg vitamin C. During each visit, a history including medication change was obtained and standardized blood pressure measurements were performed. A 1-week dietary diary was filled out before each visit. Multiple regression analysis and subsequent multiple comparisons were used for data analysis. Fifty-four patients satisfied our criteria and agreed to participate. Thirty-one patients (mean age, 62 ± 2 years; 52% men, 90% whites) were randomized to the three doses of vitamin C. Overall compliance was 48 ± 2%. Both mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) decreased during the vitamin C supplementation phase [mean SBP dropped by 4.5 ± 1.8 mm Hg (P < .05) and DBP by 2.8 ± 1.2 mm Hg (P < .05)]. There was no difference between the three vitamin C groups (P = .48). This effect was significant for only 1 month of supplementation, but the trend persisted. There was no reported intolerance to vitamin C. There was no change in lipid levels after 6 months of treatment. Vitamin C supplementation lowers blood pressure in mildly hypertensive patients. There is no additional benefit for a higher dose than 500 mg daily. The effect of vitamin C is most likely to be only short term.
The Implications of Embodiment for Mathematics and Computing Education

This symposium is a venue for discussing the implications of embodied cognition research for mathematics and computing education. Our goal is to bring five themes together that we think are complementary in understanding what embodiment holds for math and computing education: (1) Empirical studies: Behavioral, neuroscience, and neuropsychological work on sensorimotor groundings of higher-cognition, (2) The impact of perspectives in embodied cognition on a philosophy of mathematics, (3) Embodied interaction & ubiquitous computing: Recent trends in human-computer interaction that propose physical and social embedding in the world as basis for interaction, (4) Embodied interaction and the arts: Trends in aesthetic computing that result in crafting artistically-derived notations and representations of mathematics and computing, and (5) Embodied learning: Wide range of approaches in education that view bodily involvement as a crucial aspect of the learning process. By accounting for work in these five areas we will bridge empirical and philosophical studies on embodiment with learning and communication design work. Our goal is to present a comprehensive story of embodiment of mathematical cognition by covering and relating multiple levels, from sensorimotor neural circuits that support mathematical cognition to technological external representations that facilitate learning of mathematical concepts and ideas.
Cardiac structural remodelling after treatment of spontaneously hypertensive rats with nifedipine or nisoldipine.

OBJECTIVE The aim was to determine if long term treatment with nifedipine or nisoldipine affects structural remodelling of cardiac myocytes and is effective in attenuating or preventing reparative and reactive myocardial fibrosis in essential hypertension. METHODS Five and a half month old male spontaneously hypertensive rats and Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats received either 1000 ppm nifedipine or nisoldipine or no treatment (controls) for 22 weeks. Haemodynamic variables were measured and hearts recovered from animals of each group. Cardiac myocytes were isolated by retrograde coronary perfusion with collagenase. Cell volume was determined by Coulter analysis, cell length by direct measurement, and cross sectional area by volume/length. Cardiac myocyte number was calculated for both ventricles. Tissue sections from perfusion fixed hearts were stained with picrosirius red and myocardial collagen was analysed. Reparative fibrosis was assessed by the presence of microscopic scarring and reactive (interstitial and perivascular) fibrosis was quantified. RESULTS Nifedipine and nisoldipine significantly decreased systolic and diastolic blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats, although normotensive pressures did not result. Left ventricular weight relative to body weight was significantly decreased in nifedipine and nisoldipine treated compared with untreated spontaneously hypertensive rats, although values remained significantly greater than WKY controls. Cardiac myocyte volume was slightly decreased with attenuation of blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats, but no significant differences were found. Cardiac myocyte number for each ventricle was similar between groups. Microscopic scarring was significantly decreased in nifedipine and nisoldipine treated compared with untreated spontaneously hypertensive rats and interstitial and perivascular fibrosis were substantially reduced. CONCLUSIONS Nifedipine and nisoldipine: (a) attenuate hypertension and decrease left ventricular mass in spontaneously hypertensive rats, but the associated decrease in myocyte size was not significant; (b) are cardioprotective as indicated by a significant decrease in the incidence of microscopic scarring; and (c) decrease the extent of reactive, both interstitial and perivascular, fibrosis normally found in untreated spontaneously hypertensive rats. Nifedipine and nisoldipine have the potential to positively alter myocardial pathology in essential hypertension.
Impaired circulating myeloid DCs from myeloma patients.

BACKGROUND In clinical trials, cancer patients have received immunotherapy based on DCs generated from leukapheresed blood. It would therefore be an advantage to be able to measure blood levels and estimate the phenotype of DC before leukapheresis, to estimate the yield required for preparation of vaccines, or ex vivo stimulation of T cells for adoptive immunotherapy. METHODS Recently, circulating lineage negative (Lin-) myeloid DC cells and their precursors have been identified by flow cytometry. We apply this strategy to the screening of blood samples from patients with multiple myeloma, in an attempt to characterize and quantitate the subset. By a direct flow cytometry approach, the blood levels of circulating lineage (CD3, CD19, CD14) negative, CD33++, HLA-DR+ cells were estimated before and following ex vivo cell differentiation, and phenotyped by MAbs with specificity against HLA-DR, HLA-ABC, CD1a, CD11c, CD33, CD40, CD49d, CD49e, CD54, CD80, CD83, and CD86. RESULTS This study demonstrated that multiple myeloma patients have a 50% reduced blood level of Lin-, CD33++, HLA-DR+ myeloid DC, but a DC-precursor level within normal range. Furthermore, GM-CSF and IL-4 ex vivo stimulated DCs demonstrated an impaired up-regulation of the co-stimulatory molecule CD80 and the adhesion molecule CD54. DISCUSSION These results may have clinical implications as a predictor for yield and functionality of the harvested DCs to be used in vaccination of myeloma patients.
Chronic bone marrow failure due to persistent B19 parvovirus infection.

The B19 parvovirus, which was serendipitously discovered in serum from blood-bank donors in 1975,1 has been associated with several human illnesses. B19 is the etiologic agent of the common childhood exanthem called fifth disease.2 Adults with fifth disease more commonly present with polyarthralgia than skin eruption, and B19 infection has frequently been detected in patients presenting with acute joint symptoms.3 , 4 In patients with underlying hemolysis, B19 infection is the cause of transient aplastic crisis, in which cessation of erythropoiesis leads to absolute reticulocytopenia and abrupt worsening of anemia.5 , 6 In utero infection with B19 has been associated with spontaneous abortion.7 8 9 Laboratory .
Unbounded Anonymous Hierarchical Identity-Based Encryption in the Standard Model

In this work, we present a new anonymous HIBE scheme which is unbounded in the sense that the public parameters do not impose additional limitations on the functionality of the systems. In most of previous constructions of anonymous HIBE in the standard model, a maximum hierarchy depth had to be fixed at setup. Our constructions avoid these limitations. We use a nested dual system encryption argument to prove full security for our anonymous HIBE scheme, in the standard model and relying on static assumptions.
Electroanalysis of trace manganese via cathodic stripping voltammetry: Exploration of edge plane pyrolytic graphite electrodes for environmental analysis

The determination of trace levels of manganese via cathodic stripping voltammetry at an edge plane pyrolytic graphite electrode (eppge) was evaluated for use in environmental analysis. The response of the eppge is compared with boron-doped diamond electrodes under quiescent conditions where the former is observed to have a three times higher sensitivity. Using this protocol with a stirred accumulation period, a detection limit of 14.2 nmol dm(-3) and a sensitivity of 14.2 Tool dm(-3) A(-1) is achieved with linearity from 25 to 250 nmol dm(-3), based on a 120 seconds accumulation period. The response at a carbon paste electrode is also compared under the same conditions with the eppge found to be superior in terms of sensitivity, detection limits and reproducibility. The efficacy of the protocol utilising the eppge was assessed in the determination of manganese in a certified seawater reference material, NASS-5, from the National Research Council Canada, which was found to be in excellent agreement with the independently verified sample.
Phylogenetic characterization of the epibiotic bacteria associated with the hydrothermal vent polychaete Alvinella pompejana

Alvinella pompejana is a polychaetous annelid that inhabits active deep-sea hydrothermal vent sites along the East Pacific Rise, where it colonizes the walls of actively venting high-temperature chimneys. An abundant, morphologically diverse epibiotic microflora is associated with the worm's dorsal integument, with a highly integrated filamentous morphotype clearly dominating the microbial biomass. It has been suggested that this bacterial population participates in either the nutrition of the worm or in detoxification of the worm's immediate environment. The primary goal of this study was to phylogenetically characterize selected epibionts through the analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences. Nucleic acids were extracted from bacteria collected from the dorsal surface of A. pompejana. 16S rRNA genes were amplified with universal bacterial primers by the PCR. These genes were subsequently cloned, and the resulting clone library was screened by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis to identify distinct clone types. The restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis identified 32 different clone families in the library. Four of these families were clearly dominant, representing more than 65% of the library. Representatives from the four most abundant clone families were chosen for complete 16S rRNA gene sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. These gene sequences were analyzed by a variety of phylogenetic inference methods and found to be related to the newly established epsilon subdivision of the division Proteobacteria. Secondary structural model comparisons and comparisons of established signature base positions in the 16S rRNA confirmed the placement of the Alvinella clones in the epsilon subdivision of the Proteobacteria.
Glycoengineered cell models for the characterization of cancer O-glycoproteome: an innovative strategy for biomarker discovery

Glycosylation is one of the most abundant forms of protein posttranslational modification. O-glycosylation is a major type of protein glycosylation, comprising different types and structures expressed in several physiologic and pathologic conditions. The understanding of protein attachment site and glycan structure is of the utmost importance for the clarification of the role glycosylation plays in normal cells and in pathological conditions. Neoplastic transformation frequently shows the expression of immature truncated O-glycans. These aberrantly expressed O-glycans have been shown to induce oncogenic properties and can be detected in premalignant lesions, meaning that they are an important source of biomarkers. This article addresses the recent application of genetically engineered cancer cell models to produce simplified homogenous O-glycans allowing the characterization of cancer cells O-glycoproteomes, using advanced mass spectrometry methods and the identification of potential cancer-specific O-glycosylation sites. This article will also discuss possible applications of these biomarkers in the cancer field.
Drosophila MCM 8 , Drives Formation of Meiotic Crossovers

Crossovers ensure the accurate segregation of homologous chromosomes from one another during meiosis. Here, we describe the identity and function of the Drosophila melanogaster gene recombination defective (rec), which is required for most meiotic crossing over. We show that rec encodes a member of the mini-chromosome maintenance (MCM) protein family. Six MCM proteins (MCM2–7) are essential for DNA replication and are found in all eukaryotes. REC is the Drosophila ortholog of the recently identified seventh member of this family, MCM8. Our phylogenetic analysis reveals the existence of yet another family member, MCM9, and shows that MCM8 and MCM9 arose early in eukaryotic evolution, though one or both have been lost in multiple eukaryotic lineages. Drosophila has lost MCM9 but retained MCM8, represented by REC. We used genetic and molecular methods to study the function of REC in meiotic recombination. Epistasis experiments suggest that REC acts after the Rad51 ortholog SPN-A but before the endonuclease MEI-9. Although crossovers are reduced by 95% in rec mutants, the frequency of noncrossover gene conversion is significantly increased. Interestingly, gene conversion tracts in rec mutants are about half the length of tracts in wild-type flies. To account for these phenotypes, we propose that REC facilitates repair synthesis during meiotic recombination. In the absence of REC, synthesis does not proceed far enough to allow formation of an intermediate that can give rise to crossovers, and recombination proceeds via synthesis-dependent strand annealing to generate only noncrossover products.
Gradient, high‐resolution, magic‐angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of human adipocyte tissue

The recently developed technique of gradient, high‐resolution magic‐angle spinning NMR (g‐hr‐MAS‐NMR) spectroscopy was applied to the study of ex vivo human lipoma and liposarcoma tissue. Compared with conventional 1H‐NMR, the g‐hr‐MAS method yielded a large improvement in spectral resolution and permitted the detection of metabolite resonance's in a well‐differentiated liposarcoma that was not observed in spectra of similar samples obtained using nonspinning NMR methods. These findings suggest that g‐hr‐MAS‐NMR spectroscopy provides a key improvement in spectral quality for ex vivo lipoma and liposarcoma tissue thereby permitting a more precise determination of tissue metabolite composition than conventional nonspinning NMR methods. Key words: magic‐angle spinning; nuclear magnetic resonance; magnetic field gradients; sarcoma.
Immunohistochemical analysis of bcl-2, bax, bcl-X, and mcl-1 expression in prostate cancers.

Proteins encoded by bcl-2 family genes are important regulators of programmed cell death and apoptosis. Alterations in the expression of these apoptosis-regulating genes can contribute to the origins of cancer, as well as adversely influence tumor responses to chemo- and radiotherapy. Using antibodies specific for the Bcl-2, Bax, Bcl-X, and Mcl-1 proteins in combination with immunohistochemical methods, we examined for the first time the expression of these bcl-2 family genes in 64 cases of adenocarcinoma of the prostate, including 10 Gleason grade 2 to 4 tumors, 21 grade 5 to 7 tumors, 17 grade 8 to 10 tumors, 8 lymph node metastases, and 8 bone metastases. In addition, 24 cases of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) or PIN coexisting with carcinoma were also evaluated. All immunostaining results were scored with regard to approximate percentage of positive tumor cells and relative immunostaining intensity. Expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 was present in 16 of 64 (25%) adenocarcinomas and tended to be more frequent in high grade tumors (Gleason grade 8 to 10; 41%) and nodal metastases (38%) than in lower grade (Gleason 2 to 7) primary tumors (16%; P < 0.05). Bcl-X was expressed in all 64 (100%) tumors evaluated. Bcl-X immunointensity was generally stronger in high grade primary tumors (grade 8 to 10) and metastases compared with PIN and low grade neoplasms (P < 0.0001). In addition, the proportion of specimens with > 50% Bcl-X-immunopositive tumor cells also was higher in advanced grade primary tumors (Gleason 8 to 10) and metastases than in PIN and low grade tumors (Gleason 2 to 7; P < 0.005). The anti-apoptotic protein Mcl-1 was expressed in 52 of 64 (81%) tumors, compared with only 9 of 24 (38%) cases of PIN (P < 0.001). In addition, the percentage of Mcl-1-positive cells was typically higher in Gleason grade 8 to 10 tumors and metastases than in PIN or lower grade tumors (P = 0.025). In contrast, the pro-apoptotic protein Bax was expressed in all prostate cancers evaluated, with high percentages of immunopositive cells and strong immunointensity typically occurring regardless of tumor grade. The findings suggest that expression of several anti-apoptotic members of the bcl-2 gene family, including bcl-2, bcl-X, and mcl-1 increases during progression of prostate cancers, a finding that may be relevant to the hormone-insensitive, metastatic phenotype of most advanced adenocarcinomas of the prostate.
Visualization of wounding-induced root-to-shoot communication in arabidopsis

It is known that wounding systemically activates the expression of various defense-related genes in plants. However, most studies of wound-induced systemic response are concerned with a leaf-to-leaf response. We have recently reported that the long distance signaling was also observed in the shoots of Arabidopsis seedling with wounded roots. We identified early and late root-to-shoot responsive (RtS) genes that were up-regulated in the shoots of root-wounded seedlings at 30 min and 6 h post-injury, respectively. It is likely that the primary signals were rapidly transfered from injured roots to shoots, and then these signals were converted into chemical signals. In fact, increase of JA and OPDA content activated the expression of early and late RtS genes in shoots, respectively. In addition, we visualized wound-induced root-to-shoot response by using RtS promoter-luciferase (Luc) transgenic plants. Analysis of the AtERF13 promoter::Luc transgenic plants clearly shows that the wound-induced root-to-shoot signaling was rapidly activated via the vascular systems.
Web-based topic language modeling for audio indexing

We describe the implementation of a scalable architecture for audio indexing, in which topic-dependent language models (LMs) were trained on web pages categorized in a portal web directory and stored on distributed servers. Input speech was decoded in parallel on servers that each had an individual topic LM. From the decoders' outputs, an optimal hypothesis was chosen for each utterance by a topic-selection criterion minimizing an energy function with three terms: likelihood scores for the utterances; keyword co-occurrence statistics to measure the long-distance correlation; and web-based hypothesis verification scores, which penalize misrecognized trigrams through web search results. Experimental results showed that the proposed approach outperformed the baseline topic-independent system by 6.0% absolutely (20.0% relatively) in character accuracy.