Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Una oportunidad para las empresas de software libre: mercado emergente en los países en vías de desarrollo

Durante los ultimos anos el negocio del software ha cambiado en muchos aspectos. Las companias de software han evolucionado desde producir aplicaciones software y vender su codigo propietario, a proporcionar aplicaciones de codigo abierto y centrar su negocio en ofrecer servicios relativos a su adaptacion, instalacion, mantenimiento y formacion de usuarios. Las companias de software libre emplean un modelo de negocio que proporciona nuevas oportunidades en mercados donde el software privativo es inviable. En este articulo describimos una interesante oportunidad de negocio que esta surgiendo para estas companias: las necesidades de software de los paises en vias de desarrollo. Estos paises estan creando un mercado emergente para el desarrollo de software especialmente interesante porque si sus necesidades y limitaciones especiales son tenidas en cuenta son un escenario perfecto para el enfoque del software libre. Finalmente, sera tambien discutida la influencia de algunos catalizadores que estan realmente actuando en este mercado objetivo.
Concomitant Reconstitution of TraI-catalyzed DNA Transesterase and DNA Helicase Activity in Vitro*

TraI protein of plasmid R1 possesses two activities, a DNA transesterase and a highly processive 5′-3′ DNA helicase, which are essential for bacterial conjugation. Regulation of the functional domains of the enzyme is poorly understood. TraI cleaves supercoiled oriT DNA with site and strand specificity in vitro but fails to initiate unwinding from this site (nic). The helicase requires an extended region of adjacent single-stranded DNA to enter the duplex, yet interaction of purified TraI with oriT DNA alone or as an integral part of the IncF relaxosome does not melt sufficient duplex to load the helicase. This study aims to gain insights into the controlled initiation of both TraI-catalyzed activities. Linear double-stranded DNA substrates with a central region of sequence heterogeneity were used to trap defined lengths of R1 oriT sequence in unwound conformation. Concomitant reconstitution of TraI DNA transesterase and helicase activities was observed. Efficient helicase activity was measured on substrates containing 60 bases of open duplex but not on substrates containing ≤30 bases in open conformation. The additional presence of auxiliary DNA-binding proteins TraY and Escherichia coli integration host factor did not stimulate TraI activities on these substrates. This model system offers a novel approach to investigate factors controlling helicase loading and the directionality of DNA unwinding from nic.
Phase I study of recombinant tumor necrosis factor in cancer patients.

Tumor necrosis factor is a cytokine derived from activated macrophages. This agent is cytostatic and cytolytic against transformed human cell lines in vitro and has in vivo activity against a variety of murine tumors. We report a clinical study of the pharmacokinetics, toxicity, and biological activity of i.v. and i.m. administered recombinant human tumor necrosis factor (rTNF). Twenty patients with metastatic cancer were given rTNF in doses ranging from 1 to 200 micrograms/m2 by alternating i.m. and i.v. bolus injections with a minimal intervening period of 72 h. Each patient received a maximum of eight treatments given twice weekly over a 4-week period. With i.v. bolus administration, serum concentrations of rTNF were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at doses of 25 micrograms/m2 or greater. The clearance of rTNF in the serum was described by a monoexponential equation with a half-life calculated to be 14-18 min. After i.m. administration, serum concentrations of rTNF were consistently detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at doses of 150 micrograms/m2 or greater. Peak concentrations were observed within 2 h and rTNF was occasionally detected, at the lower limit of sensitivity of the assay, at 24 h postinjection. rTNF was well tolerated clinically in this dose range, and there was evidence of antitumor effect.
A semi-physical simulator of an airborne UWB SAR

This paper presents a semi-physical simulator of an airborne UWB SAR. The semi-physical system includes two parts: the software part and the hardware part. A flight track generator, a SAR echo simulator and a navigation information generator compose the software part of the system and the hardware part of the system contains a main control board, an echo playback recorder, a data acquisition board and a real-time imaging processor. The real-time imaging and motion compensation results of simulated point targets are presented and the result validates the feasibility of the semi-physical system.
The effect of vitamin D supplementation on peripheral regulatory T cells and β cell function in healthy humans: a randomized controlled trial

Increasing evidence supports the role of vitamin D (vitD) in modifying the risk to develop type 1 diabetes (T1D) and other autoimmune diseases. VitD3 might stimulate regulatory T cells (Tregs), a central player in the maintenance of self‐tolerance. In addition, direct effects of vitD on β‐cell function are postulated. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of a high dose vitD supplementation on Tregs frequency (%Tregs) and β‐cell function assessed by a mixed meal tolerance test (MMTT) in healthy humans.
LYK4, a Lysin Motif Receptor-Like Kinase, Is Important for Chitin Signaling and Plant Innate Immunity in Arabidopsis1[C][W][OA]

Chitin is commonly found in fungal cell walls and is one of the well-studied microbe/pathogen-associated molecular patterns. Previous studies showed that lysin motif (LysM)-containing proteins are essential for plant recognition of chitin, leading to the activation of plant innate immunity. In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), the LYK1/CERK1 (for LysM-containing receptor-like kinase1/chitin elicitor receptor kinase1) was shown to be essential for chitin recognition, whereas in rice (Oryza sativa), the LysM-containing protein, CEBiP (for chitin elicitor-binding protein), was shown to be involved in chitin recognition. Unlike LYK1/CERK1, CEBiP lacks an intracellular kinase domain. Arabidopsis possesses three CEBiP-like genes. Our data show that mutations in these genes, either singly or in combination, did not compromise the response to chitin treatment. Arabidopsis also contains five LYK genes. Analysis of mutations in LYK2, -3, -4, or -5 showed that LYK4 is also involved in chitin signaling. The lyk4 mutants showed reduced induction of chitin-responsive genes and diminished chitin-induced cytosolic calcium elevation as well as enhanced susceptibility to both the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato DC3000 and the fungal pathogen Alternaria brassicicola, although these phenotypes were not as dramatic as that seen in the lyk1/cerk1 mutants. Similar to LYK1/CERK1, the LYK4 protein was also localized to the plasma membrane. Therefore, LYK4 may play a role in the chitin recognition receptor complex to assist chitin signal transduction and plant innate immunity.
Increased Levels of Modified Advanced Oxidation Protein Products Are Associated with Central and Peripheral Blood Pressure in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients

♦ Background and aims: Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Central blood pressure (BP) is thought to be more relevant than peripheral BP for the pathogenesis of CVD. Advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) are markers of oxidative stress. This study investigated the relationship between AOPP and central BP in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. ♦ Methods: In a cross-sectional study of 75 PD patients (67% men), we analyzed two oxidative stress markers, AOPP (modified assay, mAOPP, correcting for the impact of triglycerides) and pentosidine, three inflammation markers, interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). All patients underwent measurement of central systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) by applanation tonometry. ♦ Results: Patients with mAOPP levels above the median had a higher central SBP and DBP than those below the median values. In univariate analysis, the levels of mAOPP associated with central SBP and central DBP. Multiple regression analysis, adjusting for age, gender, diabetes, CVD, protein-energy wasting (PEW), hs-CRP and extracellular water by multi-frequency bioimpedance or N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), confirmed independent associations between mAOPP and central SBP and central DBP respectively. ♦ Conclusions: The mAOPP level is independently associated with the central SBP and DBP in PD patients. This finding suggests that oxidative stress may be involved in the pathogenesis of hypertension or that hypertension itself or factors associated with hypertension such as fluid overload may have an additional effect on oxidative stress in PD patients.
Dose Rates from a Cobalt-60 Pool Irradiator Measured with Fricke Dosimeters

This project used Fricke dosimeters to determine the dose rates at multiple locations in a 60Co pool irradiator. Fricke dosimetry is widely accepted as a chemical dosimetry method to measure radiation absorbed dose due to its simple recipe, linear response, wide dose range, good reproducibility, ease of measurements, and low operational cost. Calibration measurements were used to determine a molar extinction coefficient of 2,185 ± 14 L mol−1 cm−1 at 303 nm and 25°C; the molar extinction coefficient is comparable to values from the published literature. The Fricke dosimeters measured the dose rate of a National Institute of Standards and Technology-traceable calibrated gamma radiation field to within 1.2% of the calibrated value. The pool irradiator had the largest dose rates near the middle of the torpedo, with dose rate decreasing as one moved towards the bottom or top of the torpedo. The dose rate across the torpedo is not uniform at each level, because of the non-uniform distribution of source activity around the irradiator. Relative error in the Fricke dosimeter dose rate measurements ranged from 1–2%. The dose rates mapped in this project can be used to plan bulk sample irradiation, although dosimetry measurements should still be obtained to confirm delivered dose.
A qualitative study of medication-taking behaviour in primary care.

BACKGROUND Prescribed medication is a mainstay of primary care but it is clear that a large proportion of treatment is not taken correctly. Such 'non-compliance' is considered to be a major problem, but research to date has provided few solutions. There have been increasing calls for a change in approach in order to gain a deeper understanding of why the problem remains and new ways of addressing it. OBJECTIVES We aimed to investigate how adult primary care patients perceived medication-taking using a Grounded Theory methodology. METHOD Fifty general practice patients without major current mental health or recreational drug abuse problems were interviewed at home using a flexible interview schedule. Subjects' accounts of taking prescribed treatments were verified where possible by tablet counts or case-record review, six interviews being excluded as unreliable. Medication use was discussed for 159 prescribed treatments of which 34 were reportedly not taken as directed. RESULTS The analysis is presented as a model of decision making which suggests that: (i) knowledge (about disease and treatment) combined with faith in the doctor produces the motivation to start using medicines; (ii) most patients test a medicine before accepting it fully; (iii) three types of medicine user exist: those who (a) passively accept treatment advice, i.e. try to take the medicine as they perceive the doctor wants them to, (b) actively use medicines, i.e. take it as they decide they want to, and (c) reject medication altogether; (iv) the process of accepting a treatment is closely linked to accepting the illness; and (v) practical problems are a late obstacle which only play a small part in the process. CONCLUSIONS These concepts have been organized within a comprehensive model of the decision-making process, which is discussed with reference to other current theories of medication use. Researchers and clinicians must move beyond compliance when assessing or trying to improve medication use. Making the medication-testing process explicit is proposed as one way of assisting patients to use treatments better.
Thyroid carcinoma and Graves' disease.

OBJECTIVE To describe an unusual patient with thyroid carcinoma who had metastatic pulmonary nodules that regressed transiently during the active phase of Graves' disease. METHODS The clinical, pathologic, and laboratory findings in a female patient with thyroid carcinoma, pulmonary lesions, and Graves' ophthalmopathy are presented. In addition, the patient's clinical course and results of serial studies are reviewed. RESULTS A 62-year-old woman underwent excision of a follicular carcinoma of the thyroid and then total thyroidectomy in 1984. Two years later, chest radiography disclosed multiple pulmonary lesions; open-lung biopsy revealed follicular carcinoma. Thyroglobulin determinations continued to increase, and computed tomography of the chest showed an increase in the size and number of pulmonary nodules. Clinically, the patient remained unchanged until 4 years postoperatively, when she noted rapid onset of diplopia, proptosis, and diminished visual acuity. During this time, a thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulin assay was strongly positive, thyroglobulin levels were decreased, and computed tomography and radiography of the chest showed evidence of tumor regression. Orbital decompression partially restored vision, and the inflammatory signs decreased gradually. Concurrently, the thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulin level declined, the thyroglobulin level increased, and the pulmonary lesions increased in size and number. The patient ultimately died of metastatic disease. CONCLUSION The reduction in size of the pulmonary nodules and decrease in thyroglobulin levels when the thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulin level was high and the regrowth of lesions when it declined suggest a causal relationship. The hypothesis of an operative autoimmune factor cannot be substantiated without serologic evidence in this case but should prompt physicians to search for other such occurrences.
Assessment of Switched Communication Network Availability for State Estimation of Distribution Networks With Generation

Active management of complex distribution networks with distributed generation requires state estimation. As complete supervisory control and data acquisition systems are seldom available on 11-kV or lower voltage distribution networks, real-time measurements at remote points on 11-kV distribution networks are expensive. Therefore, the economical selection of a communication system for active management of distribution networks with distributed generation becomes an important issue. This paper presents the investigations into a leased communication system made of public-switched communication network channels for a distribution network state estimation application. It analyzes the effects of a different number of primary channels for real-time measurements on the distribution network state estimation accuracy. The leased communication system availability performance has also been analyzed and used to identify a number of reserve channels required to improve the leased system availability. The overall cost for improving the leased communication system availability has been calculated and compared with both a fiber-optic communication system and a power-line carrier communication system. The results show that the leased communication system is able to provide the lowest overall cost performance for the distribution network state estimation application.
Increased susceptibility for intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy and contraceptive-induced cholestasis in carriers of the 1331T>C polymorphism in the bile salt export pump.

AIM To study the association of three common ABCB11 and ABCC2 polymorphisms (ABCB11: 1331T>C --> V444A; ABCC2: 3563T>A --> V1188E and 4544G>A --> C1515Y) with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) and contraceptive-induced cholestasis (CIC). METHODS ABCB11 and ABCC2 genotyping data were available from four CIC patients and from 42 and 33 ICP patients, respectively. Allele-frequencies of the studied polymorphisms were compared with those in healthy pregnant controls and Caucasian individuals. Furthermore, serum bile acid levels were correlated with the presence or absence of the 1331 C allele. RESULTS The ABCB11 1331T>C polymorphism was significantly more frequent in cholestatic patients than in pregnant controls: C allele 76.2% (CI, 58.0-94.4) vs 51.3% (CI 35.8-66.7), respectively (P = 0.0007); and CC allele 57.1% (CI 36.0-78.3) vs 20% (CI 7.6-32.4), respectively (P = 0.0065). All four CIC patients were homozygous carriers of the C allele. In contrast, none of the studied ABCC2 polymorphism was overrepresented in ICP or CIC patients. Higher serum bile acid levels were found in carriers of the 1331CC genotype compared to carriers of the TT genotype. CONCLUSION Our data support a role for the ABCB11 1331T>C polymorphism as a susceptibility factor for the development of estrogen-induced cholestasis, whereas no such association was found for ABCC2. Serum bile acid and gamma-glutamyl transferase levels might help to distinguish ABCB4- and ABCB11-related forms of ICP and CIC.
Estrogen Induces the Akt-dependent Activation of Endothelial Nitric-oxide Synthase in Vascular Endothelial Cells*

Although estrogen is known to activate endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in the vascular endothelium, the molecular mechanism responsible for this effect remains to be elucidated. In studies of both human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and simian virus 40-transformed rat lung vascular endothelial cells (TRLECs), 17β-estradiol (E2), but not 17α-E2, caused acute activation of eNOS that was unaffected by actinomycin D and was specifically blocked by the pure estrogen receptor antagonist ICI-182,780. Treatment of both TRLECs and HUVECs with 17β-E2 stimulated the activation of Akt, and the PI3K inhibitor wortmannin blocked the 17β-E2-induced activation of Akt. 17β-E2-induced Akt activation was also inhibited by ICI-182,780, but not by actinomycin D. Either treatment with wortmannin or exogenous expression of a dominant negative Akt in TRLECs decreased the 17β-E2-induced eNOS activation. Moreover, 17β-E2-induced Akt activation actually enhances the phosphorylation of eNOS. 17β-E2-induced Akt activation was dependent on both extracellular and intracellular Ca2+. We further examined the 17β-E2-induced Akt activity in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells transiently transfected with cDNAs for estrogen receptor α (ERα) or estrogen receptor β (ERβ). 17β-E2 stimulated the activation of Akt in CHO cells expressing ERα but not in CHO cells expressing ERβ. Our findings suggest that 17β-E2 induced eNOS activation through an Akt-dependent mechanism, which is mediated by ERα via a nongenomic mechanism.
Hepatocytes Contribute to Soluble CD14 Production, and CD14 Expression Is Differentially Regulated in Hepatocytes and Monocytes*

CD14 presents as a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-linked membrane protein on the surface of monocytes/macrophages and as a soluble protein in the serum. Our previous studies have shown that an 80-kilobase pair (kb) genomic DNA fragment containing the human CD14 gene is sufficient to direct CD14 expression in a monocyte-specific manner in transgenic mice. In addition, we discovered that human CD14 is highly expressed in hepatocytes. Here, we report the generation of transgenic mice with either a 24- or 33-kb human CD14 genomic DNA fragment. Data from multiple transgenic lines show that neither the 24- nor the 33-kb transgenic mice express human CD14 in monocytes/macrophages. However, human CD14 is highly expressed in the liver of the 33-kb transgenic mice. These results demonstrate that human CD14 expression is regulated differently in monocytes and hepatocytes. Furthermore, we identified an upstream regulatory element beyond the 24-kb region, but within the 33-kb region of the human CD14 gene, which is critical for CD14 expression in hepatocytes, but not in monocytes/macrophages. Most importantly, the data demonstrate that the liver is one of the major organs for the production of soluble CD14. These transgenic mice provide an excellent system to further explore the functions of soluble CD14.
Unintended consequences of health information technology: evidence from veterans affairs colorectal cancer oncology watch intervention.

PURPOSE We evaluated the Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Oncology Watch intervention, a clinical reminder implemented in Veterans Integrated Service Network 7 (including eight hospitals) to improve CRC screening rates in 2008. PATIENTS AND METHODS Veterans Affairs (VA) administrative data were used to construct four cross-sectional groups of veterans at average risk, age 50 to 64 years; one group was created for each of the following years: 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2010. We applied hospital fixed effects for estimation, using a difference-in-differences model in which the eight hospitals served as the intervention sites, and the other 121 hospitals served as controls, with 2006 to 2007 as the preintervention period and 2009 to 2010 as the postintervention period. RESULTS The sample included 4,352,082 veteran-years in the 4 years. The adherence rates were 37.6%, 31.6%, 34.4%, and 33.2% in the intervention sites in 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2010, respectively, and the corresponding rates in the controls were 31.0%, 30.3%, 32.3%, and 30.9%. Regression analysis showed that among those eligible for screening, the intervention was associated with a 2.2-percentage point decrease in likelihood of adherence (P < .001). Additional analyses showed that the intervention was associated with a 5.6-percentage point decrease in likelihood of screening colonoscopy among the adherent, but with increased total colonoscopies (all indicators) of 3.6 per 100 veterans age 50 to 64 years. CONCLUSION The intervention had little impact on CRC screening rates for the studied population. This absence of favorable impact may have been caused by an unintentional shift of limited VA colonoscopy capacity from average-risk screening to higher-risk screening and to CRC surveillance, or by physician fatigue resulting from the large number of clinical reminders implemented in the VA.
Electronic steering antenna onboard for satellite communications in X band

The antenna presented in this article will be developed for satellite communications onboard systems based on the recommendations ITU-R S.580-6 [1] and ITU-R S.465-5 [2]. The antenna consists of printed elements grouped in an array, this terminal works in a frequency band from 7.25 up to 8.4 GHz (14.7% of bandwidth), where both bands, reception (7.25 – 7.75 GHz) and transmission (7.9 – 8.4 GHz), are included simultaneously. The antenna reaches a gain about 31 dBi, and it has a radiation pattern with a beamwidth smaller than 10° and a dual circular polarization. The antenna has the capability to steer in elevation from 90° to 40° electronically and 360° in azimuth with a motorized junction.