Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Different Effects of CSA and CSB Deficiency on Sensitivity to Oxidative DNA Damage

ABSTRACT Mutations in the CSA and CSB genes cause Cockayne syndrome, a rare inherited disorder characterized by UV sensitivity, severe neurological abnormalities, and progeriod symptoms. Both gene products function in the transcription-coupled repair (TCR) subpathway of nucleotide excision repair (NER), providing the cell with a mechanism to remove transcription-blocking lesions from the transcribed strands of actively transcribed genes. Besides a function in TCR of NER lesions, a role of CSB in (transcription-coupled) repair of oxidative DNA damage has been suggested. In this study we used mouse models to compare the effect of a CSA or a CSB defect on oxidative DNA damage sensitivity at the levels of the cell and the intact organism. In contrast to CSB −/− mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), CSA −/− MEFs are not hypersensitive to gamma-ray or paraquat treatment. Similar results were obtained for keratinocytes. In contrast, both CSB −/− and CSA −/− embryonic stem cells show slight gamma-ray sensitivity. Finally, CSB −/− but not CSA −/− mice fed with food containing di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (causing elevated levels of oxidative DNA damage in the liver) show weight reduction. These findings not only uncover a clear difference in oxidative DNA damage sensitivity between CSA- and CSB-deficient cell lines and mice but also show that sensitivity to oxidative DNA damage is not a uniform characteristic of Cockayne syndrome. This difference in the DNA damage response between CSA- and CSB-deficient cells is unexpected, since until now no consistent differences between CSA and CSB patients have been reported. We suggest that the CSA and CSB proteins in part perform separate roles in different DNA damage response pathways.
PET/CT Based In Vivo Evaluation of 64Cu Labelled Nanodiscs in Tumor Bearing Mice

64Cu radiolabelled nanodiscs based on the 11 α-helix MSP1E3D1 protein and 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine lipids were, for the first time, followed in vivo by positron emission tomography for evaluating the biodistribution of nanodiscs. A cancer tumor bearing mouse model was used for the investigations, and it was found that the approximately 13 nm nanodiscs, due to their size, permeate deeply into cancer tissue. This makes them promising candidates for both drug delivery purposes and as advanced imaging agents. For the radiolabelling, a simple approach for 64Cu radiolabelling of proteins via a chelating agent, DOTA, was developed. The reaction was performed at sufficiently mild conditions to be compatible with labelling of the protein part of a lipid-protein particle while fully conserving the particle structure including the amphipathic protein fold.
A scalable wide-issue clustered VLIW with a reconfigurable interconnect

Clustered VLIW architectures have been widely adopted in modern embedded multimedia applications for their ability to exploit high degrees of ILP with reasonable trade-off in complexity and silicon costs. Studies have however shown limited performance scaling for wide-issue machines. In this paper we describe the architecture of a clustered VLIW with a runtime reconfigurable inter-cluster bus suitable to address such scalability problem. The architecture is aimed at kernel loops acceleration through a coprocessor approach and allows a customization of the interconnect between neighboring register files before each loop execution. We have adopted an inter-cluster communication mechanism based on a constant-complexity interconnect. The complexity and latency independent of the number of clusters preserve the scalability on issue-width. To handle the limited connectivity, the interconnection resources in the inter-cluster bus are exposed to the compiler, and scheduled like other resources with an adapted version of modulo scheduling. Other relevant features include the capability to define shifting queues in the register files, for a more effective software pipelining support. The addition of a limited amount of reconfigurability to the well established VLIW programming model results in low-overhead inter-cluster communications and a scalable ILP architecture. Simulation results show that we can achieve near linear scalability for certain classes of kernel loops.
Acetabular Reconstruction with Human and Bovine Freeze- Dried Bone Grafts and a Reinforcement Device

BACKGROUND This is a cohort trial (1997–2005) of 49 patients submitted to an acetabular component revision of a total hip arthroplasty, using impacted human and bovine freeze-dried cancellous bone grafts (H&FDBG) and a reinforcement device. OBJECTIVE To compare clinical/radiographic graft incorporation capability between cancellous bone grafts. PATIENTS/METHODS There were two groups: I (n=26) receiving human grafts and II (n=25) receiving bovine grafts. The average follow-up times were 55 and 49 months, respectively. Clinical analysis was based on the Merle d’Aubigné and Postel score, and the radiographic analysis involved an established score based on Conn’s et al. criteria for radiographic bone incorporation. RESULTS No clinical/radiographic differences were found between the groups and both showed an overall rate of 88.5% and 76% of graft incorporation (p=0.424). CONCLUSION The results presented here are comparable to those in the literature with the use of deep-FG. Therefore, cancellous bone grafts can be safely and adequately used in acetabular component revision in total hip arthroplasty.
Dietary Curcumin Attenuates Glioma Growth in a Syngeneic Mouse Model by Inhibition of the JAK1,2/STAT3 Signaling Pathway

Purpose: Glioblastomas are the most common and most deadly primary brain tumors. Here, we evaluated the chemotherapeutic effect of the natural polyphenol curcumin on glioma cells in vitro and in vivo using an immunocompetent orthotopic mouse model. Experimental Design: Curcumin's effects on proliferation, cell cycle, migration, invasion, JAK/STAT3 signaling, STAT3 target gene expression, and STAT3C rescue experiments were determined in murine glioma cell lines in vitro. Therapeutic effects of curcumin in vivo were evaluated in tumor-bearing mice fed a Western-type diet fortified with curcumin (0.05%, w/w) and in control animals. Tumor growth patterns and survival were evaluated by immunohistochemistry, morphometric analyses, and Kaplan–Meier plots. Results: In vitro, curcumin inhibited JAK1,2/STAT3 tyrosine-phosphorylation in a dose-dependent fashion in murine glioma cell lines. Real-time RT-PCR revealed that curcumin downregulated transcription of the STAT3 target genes c-Myc, MMP-9, Snail, and Twist, and of the proliferation marker Ki67. Curcumin dose-dependently suppressed cell proliferation by inducing a G2/M phase arrest. In wound healing and Matrigel invasion assays, curcumin treatment resulted in a dose-dependent attenuation of the glioma cells' migratory and invasive behavior, which could be rescued by constitutively active STAT3C. In vivo, curcumin intake reduced the growth and midline crossing of intracranially implanted tumors and proliferation of tumor cells ensuing in significant long-term survival compared with control diet. Conclusion: This preclinical study shows that curcumin is capable of suppressing malignant glioma growth in vitro and in vivo. Our data suggest that the pharmacologically safe agent curcumin holds promise for clinical application in glioma therapy. Clin Cancer Res; 16(23); 5781–95. ©2010 AACR.
Transgenic Common Carp Do Not Have the Ability to Expand Populations

The ecological safety of transgenic organisms is an important issue of international public and political concern. The assessment of ecological risks is also crucial for realizing the beneficial industrial application of transgenic organisms. In this study, reproduction of common carp (Cyprinus carpio, CC) in isolated natural aquatic environments was analyzed. Using the method of paternity testing, a comparative analysis was conducted on the structure of an offspring population of “all-fish” growth hormone gene-transgenic common carp (afgh-CC) and of wild CC to evaluate their fertility and juvenile viability. Experimental results showed that in a natural aquatic environment, the ratio of comparative advantage in mating ability of afgh-CC over wild CC was 1∶1, showing nearly identical mating competitiveness. Juvenile viability of afgh-CC was low, and the average daily survival rate was less than 98.00%. After a possible accidental escape or release of transgenic CC into natural aquatic environments they are unable to monopolize resources from eggs of natural CC populations, leading to the extinction of transgenic CC. Transgenic CC are also unlikely to form dominant populations in natural aquatic environments due to their low juvenile viability. Thus, it is expected that the proportion of afgh-CC in the natural environment would remain low or gradually decline, and ultimately disappear.
An Optical Precursor to the Recent X-Ray Outburst of the Black Hole Binary GRO J1655–40

The All-Sky Monitor on the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer detected an X-ray (2-12 keV) outburst from the black hole binary GRO J1655-40 beginning near 1996 April 25. Optical photometry obtained on 1996 April 20-24 shows a steady brightening of the source in B, V, R, and I beginning about 6 days before the start of the X-ray outburst. The onset of the optical brightening was earliest in I and latest in B. However, the rate of the optical brightening was fastest in B and slowest in I. The order of the increases in the different optical filters suggests that the event was an “outside-in” disturbance of the accretion disk. The substantial delay between the optical rise and the rise of the X-rays may provide indirect support for the advection-dominated accretion flow model of the inner regions of the accretion disk.
Dysfunctional Integration of Frontal and Posterior Brain Regions among Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Quantitative EEG Analysis

Autism Spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with deficits in executive function, language, emotions and social communication (Coben et al, 2008). In this current investigation, the main purpose was to analyse the brain electrically activity frequency in children with ASD and normal individual (without evident neurological disorders) and compare the recurring patterns in ASD and normal individuals. The specific objective is to investigate the difference in quantitative EEG findings in ten individual diagnosed with ASD and ten normal individuals. Robert Coben and his colleagues have been able to distinguish autistic children from neurotypical children by looking at the quantitative electroencephalogram (qEEG) alone, with a success rate of 88%. 4 (Rondeau, 2005-2010). Through qEEG, or brain mapping, we are able to measure (quantify) the electrical activity summation in a given region of the brain to localize the area of dysfunction.
Microlensing towards the LMC revisited by adopting a non-Gaussian velocity distribution for the sources

Aims. We discuss whether the Gaussian is a reasonable approximation of the velocity distribution of stellar systems that are not spherically distributed. Methods. By using a non-Gaussian velocity distribution to describe the sources in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), we reinvestigate the expected microlensing parameters of a lens population isotropically distributed either in the Milky Way halo or in the LMC (self lensing). We compare our estimates with the experimental results of the MACHO collaboration. Results. An interesting result that emerges from our analysis is that, moving from the Gaussian to the non-Gaussian case, we do not observe any change in the form of the distribution curves describing the rate of microlensing events for lenses in the Galactic halo. The corresponding expected timescales and number of expected events also do not vary. Conversely, with respect to the self-lensing case, we observe a moderate increase in the rate and number of expected events. We conclude that the error in the estimate of the most likely value for the MACHO mass and the Galactic halo fraction in form of MACHOs, calculated with a Gaussian velocity distribution for the LMC sources, is not higher than 2%.
Relative Group Cohomology and The Orbit Category

Let G be a finite group and ℱ be a family of subgroups of G closed under conjugation and taking subgroups. We consider the question whether there exists a periodic relative ℱ-projective resolution for ℤ when ℱ is the family of all subgroups H ≤ G with rk H ≤ rkG − 1. We answer this question negatively by calculating the relative group cohomology ℱH*(G, 𝔽2) where G = ℤ/2 × ℤ/2 and ℱ is the family of cyclic subgroups of G. To do this calculation we first observe that the relative group cohomology ℱH*(G, M) can be calculated using the ext-groups over the orbit category of G restricted to the family ℱ. In second part of the paper, we discuss the construction of a spectral sequence that converges to the cohomology of a group G and whose horizontal line at E 2 page is isomorphic to the relative group cohomology of G.
Star Counts Redivivus. IV. Density Laws through Photometric Parallaxes

In an effort to more precisely define the spatial distribution of Galactic field stars, we present an analysis of the photometric parallaxes of stars in seven Kapteyn selected areas. Our photometry database covers ~14.9 deg2 and contains over 130,000 stars, of which approximately 70,000 are in a color range (0.4 ≤ R-I ≤ 1.5) for which relatively unambiguous photometric parallaxes can be derived. We discuss our photometry pipeline, our method of determining photometric parallaxes, and our analysis efforts. We also address the affects of Malmquist bias, subgiant/giant contamination, metallicity, and binary stars upon the derived density laws. The affect of binary stars is the most significant of these biases—a binary star fraction of 50% could result in derived scale heights that are 80% of the actual values. We find that while the disklike populations of the Milky Way are easily constrained in a simultaneous analysis of all seven fields, no good simultaneous solution for the halo is found. We have applied halo density laws taken from other studies and find that the Besançon flattened power-law halo model (c/a = 0.6,ρ ∝ r-2.75) produces the best fit to our data. With this halo, the thick disk has a scale height of 750 pc with an 8.5% normalization to the old disk. The old-disk scale height is ~280-300 pc for our early-type (5.8 ≤ MR < 6.8) dwarfs and rises to ~ 350 pc for our late-type (8.8 ≤ MR ≤ 10.2) dwarf stars. Corrected for a binary fraction of 50%, these scale heights are 940 and 350-375 pc, respectively. Even with this model, there are systematic discrepancies between the observed and predicted density distributions—discrepancies apparent only at the faint magnitudes reached by our survey. Specifically, our model produces density overpredictions in the inner Galaxy and density underpredictions in the outer Galaxy. A possible escape from this dilemma is offered by modeling the stellar halo as a two-component system, as favored by studies of blue horizontal branch/RR Lyrae stars and recent analyses of the kinematics of metal-poor stars. In this paradigm, the halo has a flattened inner distribution and a roughly spherical but substructured outer distribution. Further reconciliation could be provided by a flared thick disk, a structure consistent with a merger origin for that population.
The Threshold of Admission Glycemia as a Predictor of Adverse Events in Diabetic and Non-Diabetic Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome

Recent studies indicated a high prevalence of hyperglycemia in non-diabetic patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, the threshold of admission glucose (AG) as a predictor of adverse events in ACS is unclear. Objective The aim of this study was to assess the threshold of admission glucose (AG) as a predictor of adverse events including Major Acute Cardiac Events (MACE) and mortality, during the first week of admitting patients presenting with ACS. Material and Methods The data of 551 patients with ACS were extracted and evaluated. Patients were stratified according to their blood glucose on admission into three groups: group 1: <7 mmol/L (n = 200, 36.3%) and group 2: >7 mmol/L and <15 mmol/L (n = 178, 32.3%) and group 3: ≥15 mmol/L (n = 173, 31.4%). Stress hyperglycemia was arbitrarily defined as AG levels > 7 mmol/L (group 2 and 3). Patients with ACS were sub-divided into two groups: patients with unstable angina (UA, n = 285) and those with ST segment elevation myocardial Infarction (STEMI, n = 266) and data were analyzed separately using multiple regression analysis. Results The mean age of patients was 59.7 ± 14.8 years and 63% were males. The overall mortality in the population was 8.5% (5.4% in STEMI and 3.1% in UA) patients. In STEMI patients, the odds ratio of stress hyperglycemia as predictor of mortality in group 3 compared with group 1 was 3.3 (CI 0.99-10.98, P < 0.05), while in group 2 compared with group 1 was 2.4 (CI: 0.75-8.07, P = 0.065) after adjustment for age and sex. Similarly, in UA patients, the odds ratio of stress hyperglycemia in group 3 compared with group 1 was 2.7 (CI 0.37-18.98, P < 0.05), while in group 2 compared with group 1 was 2.4 (CI: 0.4-15.2, P = 0.344) after adjustment for age and sex. The incidence of more than 2 MACE in both STEMI and UA patients was higher in group 3 compared with the other two groups. Regression analysis showed that history of DM, high level of LDL cholesterol, high level of HbA1c, and anterior infarction were significant predictors of adverse events while other risk factors such as BMI, history of hypertension and smoking were of no significance. Conclusion This study indicates that the stress hyperglycemia on admission is a powerful predictor of increased major adverse events and hospital mortality in patients with acute coronary syndrome.
[Satisfaction, health and work-related stress of the university professorship according to their contractual status].

OBJECTIVE There's a lot of literature about teachers' work conditions and the effects of such conditions on them. The goal of this research focuses on the analysis of the effects derived from the type of labour relationship with the University on the psycho-social dimensions of satisfaction, stress and perceived health. METHODS Quasi-experimental study on a sample of 145 university professors from the seven public universities from Catalonia (Spain). The data was obtained in April 2014, by means of ISTAS21 questionnaire, intermediate version, in Spanish. From the 21 subscales in the instrument, only seven were used for data-gathering since they encompassed the dimensions of interest. A series of ANOVA analyses were performed, taking the three psycho-social dimensions as dependent variables and work stability and dedication (e.g. full- vs. partial-time) as independent variables. RESULTS Professors with full-time work and unstable contracts showed worse health (both physical and mental) despite being the youngest, as well as larger symptoms of stress and lower job-satisfaction, compared with full-time professors with stable contracts and even compared part-time-jobs professors. CONCLUSION Job-stability seems to be a central variable in work-quality and health for the professors whose labour situation is unstable, something that influences both their teaching and research quality.
Small-Scale Fading Characteristics in Cellular Networks in Ghana

Fading is the most observed and frustrating problem in transmitting and receiving radio signals. A Study in correlation properties of fading helps to design proper communication systems that are robust to it. In this work, received power signal was obtained by drive-test technique. The analysis was determined using distribution fitting tool in Matlab software 7.5. 0 (R2007b). The following fading distributions were used, Rayleigh, Rician, Nakagami-m, Lognormal and Weibull. Weibull fading distribution was found to give the best description of fading experienced in Ghana.On the other hand, Rician distribution, Nakagami-m distribution and lognormal distribution have less agreement with the measured data while Rayleigh fading distribution has much less agreement with measured data. The obtained mean scale parameter and the mean shape parameter in the Weibull distribution for the environment considered were 133.76 and 15.93, respectively. Furthermore, the path loss exponents in the near and far fields were also calculated; and the standard deviation of shadowing fell in the range of 4.368dB to 6.180dB.
Nucleotide Polymorphism and Linkage Disequilibrium in Wild Populations of the Partial Selfer Caenorhabditis elegans

An understanding of the relative contributions of different evolutionary forces on an organism's genome requires an accurate description of the patterns of genetic variation within and between natural populations. To this end, I report a survey of nucleotide polymorphism in six loci from 118 strains of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. These strains derive from wild populations of several regions within France, Germany, and new localities in Scotland, in addition to stock center isolates. Overall levels of silent-site diversity are low within and between populations of this self-fertile species, averaging 0.2% in European samples and 0.3% worldwide. Population structure is present despite a lack of association of sequences with geography, and migration appears to occur at all geographic scales. Linkage disequilibrium is extensive in the C. elegans genome, extending even between chromosomes. Nevertheless, recombination is clearly present in the pattern of polymorphisms, indicating that outcrossing is an infrequent, but important, feature in this species ancestry. The range of outcrossing rates consistent with the data is inferred from linkage disequilibrium, using “scattered” samples representing the collecting phase of the coalescent process in a subdivided population. I propose that genetic variation in this species is shaped largely by population subdivision due to self-fertilization coupled with long- and short-range migration between subpopulations.
Overestimation of drinking norms and its association with alcohol consumption in apprentices.

AIMS To investigate associations of normative misperceptions and drinking behaviors in apprentices, complementing the previous literature on university students. METHODS A survey in a defined region of northern Germany was carried out among 1124 apprentices attending vocational schools. Using items from the short form of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-C), drinking behaviors and normative perceptions of drinking in the reference group of same-gender apprentices were assessed. Demographic, smoking- and drinking-related predictors for normative misperceptions were explored. RESULTS Personal drinking behavior was positively correlated with perceived norms, both for drinking frequency (males: Kendall's τ = 0.33, P < 0.01; females: τ = 0.22, P < 0.01) and drinking quantity (males: Kendall's τ = 0.39, P < 0.01; females: τ = 0.25, P < 0.01). Alcohol use disorders according to AUDIT-C cut-offs were more prevalent in subjects who overestimated drinking quantity in their reference group than in those who correctly estimated or underestimated drinking quantity (male: P < 0.01; relative risk (RR) 1.78; female: P < 0.01; RR 1.65). Concerning drinking frequency, this difference was only found in males (P < 0.01; RR 1.49). Male gender and higher alcohol use were positively associated with normative misperceptions of both drinking quantity and frequency. CONCLUSION Interventions correcting alcohol use misperceptions might be effective in reducing problem drinking in adolescents with heterogeneous educational levels.