Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterisation of a Peripheral Neuropathic Component of the Rat Monoiodoacetate Model of Osteoarthritis

Joint degeneration observed in the rat monoiodoacetate (MIA) model of osteoarthritis shares many histological features with the clinical condition. The accompanying pain phenotype has seen the model widely used to investigate the pathophysiology of osteoarthritis pain, and for preclinical screening of analgesic compounds. We have investigated the pathophysiological sequellae of MIA used at low (1 mg) or high (2 mg) dose. Intra-articular 2 mg MIA induced expression of ATF-3, a sensitive marker for peripheral neuron stress/injury, in small and large diameter DRG cell profiles principally at levels L4 and 5 (levels predominated by neurones innervating the hindpaw) rather than L3. At the 7 day timepoint, ATF-3 signal was significantly smaller in 1 mg MIA treated animals than in the 2 mg treated group. 2 mg, but not 1 mg, intra-articular MIA was also associated with a significant reduction in intra-epidermal nerve fibre density in plantar hindpaw skin, and produced spinal cord dorsal and ventral horn microgliosis. The 2 mg treatment evoked mechanical pain-related hypersensitivity of the hindpaw that was significantly greater than the 1 mg treatment. MIA treatment produced weight bearing asymmetry and cold hypersensitivity which was similar at both doses. Additionally, while pregabalin significantly reduced deep dorsal horn evoked neuronal responses in animals treated with 2 mg MIA, this effect was much reduced or absent in the 1 mg or sham treated groups. These data demonstrate that intra-articular 2 mg MIA not only produces joint degeneration, but also evokes significant axonal injury to DRG cells including those innervating targets outside of the knee joint such as hindpaw skin. This significant neuropathic component needs to be taken into account when interpreting studies using this model, particularly at doses greater than 1 mg MIA.
Competing ν = 5/2 fractional quantum Hall states in confined geometry

Significance The 5/2 fractional quantum Hall state has captured the fascination of the scientific and nonscientific community, because of proposals to use it for quantum computation. These proposals have been based on the premise that the quasiparticles in this state have non-Abelian statistics. Experiments supporting both Abelian 5/2 state and non-Abelian 5/2 state have been reported, and no consensus has been reached. Using measurements of tunneling between edge states, we suggest that both the Abelian and non-Abelian states can be stable in the same device but under different conditions. Our discovery resolves the inconsistencies between existing experiments. More importantly, the knowledge of the competition between ground states is important for maintaining non-Abelian statistics in application to topological quantum computation. Some theories predict that the filling factor 5/2 fractional quantum Hall state can exhibit non-Abelian statistics, which makes it a candidate for fault-tolerant topological quantum computation. Although the non-Abelian Pfaffian state and its particle-hole conjugate, the anti-Pfaffian state, are the most plausible wave functions for the 5/2 state, there are a number of alternatives with either Abelian or non-Abelian statistics. Recent experiments suggest that the tunneling exponents are more consistent with an Abelian state rather than a non-Abelian state. Here, we present edge-current–tunneling experiments in geometrically confined quantum point contacts, which indicate that Abelian and non-Abelian states compete at filling factor 5/2. Our results are consistent with a transition from an Abelian state to a non-Abelian state in a single quantum point contact when the confinement is tuned. Our observation suggests that there is an intrinsic non-Abelian 5/2 ground state but that the appropriate confinement is necessary to maintain it. This observation is important not only for understanding the physics of the 5/2 state but also for the design of future topological quantum computation devices.
Endothelial Progenitor Cell Mobilization in Preterm Infants With Sepsis Is Associated With Improved Survival

Microvascular dysfunction plays a key role in the pathology of sepsis, leading to multi‐organ failure, and death. Circulating endothelial progenitor cells (cEPCs) are critically involved in the maintenance of the vascular homeostasis in both physiological and pathological contexts. In this study, concentration of cEPCs in preterm infants with sepsis was determined to recognize whether the EPC mobilization would affect the clinical outcome of infantile sepsis. One hundred and thirty‐three preterm infants (81 with sepsis and 52 without sepsis) were enrolled in this study. The release of EPCs in circulation was first quantified. Thereafter, these cells were cultivated and biological features of these cells such as, proliferation and colony forming efficiency were analyzed. The levels of chemoattractant cytokines were also measured in infants. In mouse models of sepsis, effects of VEGF and SDF‐1 as well as anti‐VEGF and anti‐SDF‐1 were evaluated in order to shed light upon the role which the EPC mobilization plays in the overall survival of septic animals. Circulating EPCs were significantly higher in preterm infants with sepsis than in the non‐sepsis group. Serum levels of VEGF, SDF‐1, and Angiopoietin‐2 were also higher in preterm infants with sepsis than in control non‐sepsis. In the animal experiments, injection of VEGF and SDF‐1 prompted the mobilization of EPCs, leading to an improvement in survival whereas injection of anti‐VEGF and anti‐SDF‐1 was associated with significant deterioration of survival. Overall, our results demonstrated the beneficial effects of EPC release in preterm infants with sepsis, with increased mobilization of these cells was associated with improved survival. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 3299–3307, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Narrative Discourse in Young and Older Adults: Behavioral and NIRS Analyses

Discourse comprehension is at the core of communication capabilities, making it an important component of elderly populations’ quality of life. The aim of this study is to evaluate changes in discourse comprehension and the underlying brain activity. Thirty-six participants read short stories and answered related probes in three conditions: micropropositions, macropropositions and situation models. Using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), the variation in oxyhemoglobin (HbO2) and deoxyhemoglobin (HbR) concentrations was assessed throughout the task. The results revealed that the older adults performed with equivalent accuracy to the young ones at the macroproposition level of discourse comprehension, but were less accurate at the microproposition and situation model levels. Similar to what is described in the compensation-related utilization of neural circuits hypothesis (CRUNCH) model, older participants tended to have greater activation in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex while reading in all conditions. Although it did not enable them to perform similarly to younger participants in all conditions, this over-activation could be interpreted as a compensation mechanism.
Characterization of Calcium Carbonate Produced by ureolytic bacteria ( Sporocarcina pasteurii ATCC 6453 and Bacillus aerius U 2 ) and Effect of Environmental Conditions on Production of Calcium Carbonate

Microbial carbonate precipitation (MCP) occurs as a byproduct of common microbial metabolic processes by ureolytic bacteria. In this study, the effects of different growth parameters such as urea concentration, temperature, pH and CaCl2 concentration were examined on calcium carbonate mineralization by Bacillus aerius U2 and Sporosarcina pasteurii ATCC 6453. Mineralogical and textural data show that U2 gave rise to CaCO3 precipitations as amorphous extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) and calcite and vaterite crystals, whereas ATCC 6453 produced EPS and vaterite. For B. aerius U2, the initial and final pH levels are 5.5 and 9.28, respectively. The highest CaCO3 mineralization was observed at 20 o C and 300 mM urea for U2 strain, whereas at 30 C and 333 mM urea for ATCC 6453. Our results indicate that CaCl2 caused enhanced CaCO3 mineralization. 1000 mM CaCl2 was the most efficient concentration at CaCO3 mineralization in B. aerius U2 and S. pasteurii ATCC 6453. The obtained data indicate that CaCl2 (1000 mM concentration) caused enrichment for CaCO3 mineralization for B. aerius U2 and S. pasteurii ATCC 6453. The microbial calcium carbonate precipitation by U2 at lower temperature (<30 o C) conditions is made possible the method to employ in wider climate zones for geotechnical applications.
Three-Dimensional Modeling of the Magnetization of Superconducting Rectangular-Based Bulks and Tape Stacks

Three-dimensional (3D) numerical models of the electromagnetic behavior of superconductors have been developed, but they are not routinely used yet. This work aims at providing a comparison and validation of three different approaches: the minimum electro-magnetic entropy production method, the $H$ -formulation of Maxwell's equations, and the volume integral equation method for 3-D eddy currents computation. The investigated problem is that of a high-temperature superconductor (HTS) parallelepiped bulk with the magnetic field parallel to two of its faces and making an angle with the other one, without and with a further constraint on the possible directions of the current. The latter constraint allows simulating a stack of thin superconducting tapes, which are electrically insulated in one direction. The results in terms of current density profiles and energy dissipation are compared, and the differences in the two situations of unconstrained and constrained current flow are pointed out. This paper constitutes a concrete result of the collaborative effort taking place within the HTS numerical modeling community and will hopefully serve as a stepping stone for future joint investigations.
Application of liquisolid technology for enhancing solubility and dissolution of rosuvastatin.

PURPOSE Rosuvastatin is a poorly water soluble drug and the rate of its oral absorption is often controlled by the dissolution rate in the gastrointestinal tract. Hence it is necessary to increase the solubility of the Rosuvastatin. METHODS Several liquisolid tablets formulations containing various drug concentrations in liquid medication (ranging from 15% to 25% w/w) were prepared. The ratio of Avicel PH 102 (carrier) to Aerosil 200 (coating powder material) was kept 10, 20, 30. The prepared liquisolid systems were evaluated for their flow properties and possible drug-excipient interactions by Infrared spectra (IR) analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X- ray powder diffraction (XRPD). RESULTS The liquisolid system showed acceptable flow properties. The IR and DSC studies demonstrated that there is no significant interaction between the drug and excipients. The XRPD analysis confirmed formation of a solid solution inside the compact matrix. The tabletting properties of the liquisolid compacts were within the acceptable limits. Liquisolid compacts demonstrated significantly higher drug release rates than those of conventional and marketed tablet due to increasing wetting properties and surface area of the drug. CONCLUSION This study shows that liquisolid technique is a promising alternative for improvement of the dissolution rate of water insoluble drug.
Merging Multiple Formations: A Meta-Formation Prospective

This paper considers the problem of merging of more than two (minimally) rigid formations which do not have any common agent to obtain a single (minimally) rigid formation in Rfr2 and Rfr3. Following previously developed strategies for sequential merging of two rigid formations, a new set of enhanced merging operations is developed. They can be performed in a formalized meta-formation framework, where the individual rigid formations are considered as meta-vertices and they can be merged into a meta-formation. These operations for growing meta-formations offer a level of control to the merging quality and optimality, in the sense of minimizing the number of meta-edges (that is, edges between different meta-vertices) required. It is also proved that all minimally rigid meta-formations in Rfr2 can be obtained by successively merging two or more meta-vertices using the proposed set of meta-operations
Measuring personality functioning in older adults: construct validity of the Severity Indices of Personality Functioning – Short Form (SIPP-SF)

ABSTRACT Objective: The dimensional personality disorders model in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM)-5 section III conceptually differentiates impaired personality functioning (criterion A) from the presence of pathological traits (criterion B). This study is the first to specifically address the measurement of criterion A in older adults. Moreover, the convergent/divergent validity of criterion A and criterion B will be compared in younger and older age groups. Method: The Severity Indices of Personality Functioning – Short Form (SIPP-SF) was administered in older (N = 171) and younger adults (N = 210). The factorial structure was analyzed with exploratory structural equation modeling. Differences in convergent/divergent validity between personality functioning (SIPP-SF) and pathological traits (Personality Inventory for DSM-5; Dimensional Assessment of Personality Pathology-Basic Questionnaire) were examined across age groups. Results: Identity Integration, Relational Capacities, Responsibility, Self-Control, and Social Concordance were corroborated as higher order domains. Although the SIPP-SF domains measured unique variation, some high correlations with pathological traits referred to overlapping constructs. Moreover, in older adults, personality functioning was more strongly related to Psychoticism, Disinhibition, Antagonism and Dissocial Behavior compared to younger adults. Discussion: The SIPP-SF construct validity was demonstrated in terms of a structure of five higher order domains of personality functioning. The instrument is promising as a possible measure of impaired personality functioning in older adults. As such, it is a useful clinical tool to follow up effects of therapy on levels of personality functioning. Moreover, traits were associated with different degrees of personality functioning across age groups.
Clinically distinct trajectories of fatigue and their longitudinal relationship with the disturbance of personal goals following a cancer diagnosis.

OBJECTIVES Most studies on fatigue in patients with cancer aggregate its prevalence and severity on a group level, ignoring the possibility that subgroups of patients may differ widely in their development of fatigue. This study aimed to identify subgroups of patients with clinically distinct trajectories of fatigue from diagnosis to 18 months post-diagnosis. As fatigue might trigger goal disturbance, the study also identified trajectories of concrete and abstract goal disturbance and longitudinally examined their co-occurrence with fatigue. DESIGN Prospective design with quantitative and qualitative method of data collection. METHODS Patients with colorectal cancer (n = 183) reported on their levels of fatigue and goal disturbance shortly after diagnosis (T1 ) and at 7 months (T2 ) and 18 months (T3 ) post-diagnosis. Growth mixture model analyses were performed to identify trajectories of fatigue and goal disturbance. Guidelines for the clinical relevance of fatigue were applied. RESULTS Four clinically distinct trajectories of fatigue were identified as follows: (1) persistent severe fatigue (25.4%), (2) moderate fatigue (56.1%), (3) no fatigue (13.8%), and (4) rapidly improving fatigue (4.7%). The majority of patients with cancer reported high disturbance of their concrete goals, while high disturbance of abstract goals was less evident. Fatigue and concrete goal disturbance co-occurred longitudinally. CONCLUSIONS The fatigue and goal disturbance experienced from diagnosis to 18 months post-diagnosis differ considerably for subgroups of patients with cancer. Fatigue and concrete goal disturbance are persistent burdens in the majority of patients. Investigating symptom burden beyond average trends can guide clinicians to identify patients most in need for treatment. Targeting goal disturbance might benefit the psychological well-being in patients suffering from persistent symptoms. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Fatigue is a common and distressing symptom at all stages of the cancer experience. Earlier studies suggest that many patients recover from fatigue after treatment completion. Patients with cancer experience disturbance in their personal goals, which is related to poor psychological well-being. What does this study add? Developments of fatigue and goal disturbance differ between subgroups of patients with cancer but co-occur within these subgroups. About 30% of the patients experience severe fatigue after diagnosis, of which only few patients recover within 18 months post-diagnosis. Targeting goal disturbance might benefit patients with severe and ongoing symptoms.
Soft mold NanoImprint Lithography: a versatile tool for sub-wavelength grating applications

Due to its independency to the substrate used, Soft mold NanoImprint Lithography (S-NIL) is a technique of great interest in particular for the fabrication of optical devices. We demonstrate a mature pathway for the fabrication of optical filters from the conception to the optical characterization. Those filters can be fabricated on large surfaces (up to 6″ diameter wafers) with high conformity on various substrates. Quality of the transfer will be discussed throughout the process and optical performances compared to those obtained with classical techniques. In this paper we fabricated tunable spectral filters with a grating periodicity down to 260 nm and imprint surfaces up to 6″. Physical conformity of the gratings will be discussed in terms of long-range stitching obtained on 6″ Si hard mold, dimensional shrinkage during thermal NanoImprint on Zeonor® soft mold and conformity towards patterned hard mold throughout the process.
First genealogy for a wild marine fish population reveals multigenerational philopatry

Significance Evidence for natal philopatry, the return of individuals to their natal location for reproduction, is scarce in marine fish populations despite being common in anadromous fishes. The proportion of individuals returning to natal sites is an important metric for estimating the effects of inbreeding and the potential for local adaptation to generate resilience to climate change. Here, we present the first multigenerational pedigree for a wild marine fish. We resolved the genealogical tree of families of orange clownfish Amphiprion percula spanning up to five generations, using data from a 10-year genetic survey of a population at Kimbe Island, Papua New Guinea. We found that longitudinal philopatry plays a significant role in driving population renewal of the orange clownfish. Natal philopatry, the return of individuals to their natal area for reproduction, has advantages and disadvantages for animal populations. Natal philopatry may generate local genetic adaptation, but it may also increase the probability of inbreeding that can compromise persistence. Although natal philopatry is well documented in anadromous fishes, marine fish may also return to their birth site to spawn. How philopatry shapes wild fish populations is, however, unclear because it requires constructing multigenerational pedigrees that are currently lacking for marine fishes. Here we present the first multigenerational pedigree for a marine fish population by repeatedly genotyping all individuals in a population of the orange clownfish (Amphiprion percula) at Kimbe Island (Papua New Guinea) during a 10-y period. Based on 2927 individuals, our pedigree analysis revealed that longitudinal philopatry was recurrent over five generations. Progeny tended to settle close to their parents, with related individuals often sharing the same colony. However, successful inbreeding was rare, and genetic diversity remained high, suggesting occasional inbreeding does not impair local population persistence. Local reproductive success was dependent on the habitat larvae settled into, rather than the habitat they came from. Our study suggests that longitudinal philopatry can influence both population replenishment and local adaptation of marine fishes. Resolving multigenerational pedigrees during a relatively short period, as we present here, provides a framework for assessing the ability of marine populations to persist and adapt to accelerating climate change.
Evidence for Novel Hepaciviruses in Rodents

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is among the most relevant causes of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Research is complicated by a lack of accessible small animal models. The systematic investigation of viruses of small mammals could guide efforts to establish such models, while providing insight into viral evolutionary biology. We have assembled the so-far largest collection of small-mammal samples from around the world, qualified to be screened for bloodborne viruses, including sera and organs from 4,770 rodents (41 species); and sera from 2,939 bats (51 species). Three highly divergent rodent hepacivirus clades were detected in 27 (1.8%) of 1,465 European bank voles (Myodes glareolus) and 10 (1.9%) of 518 South African four-striped mice (Rhabdomys pumilio). Bats showed anti-HCV immunoblot reactivities but no virus detection, although the genetic relatedness suggested by the serologic results should have enabled RNA detection using the broadly reactive PCR assays developed for this study. 210 horses and 858 cats and dogs were tested, yielding further horse-associated hepaciviruses but none in dogs or cats. The rodent viruses were equidistant to HCV, exceeding by far the diversity of HCV and the canine/equine hepaciviruses taken together. Five full genomes were sequenced, representing all viral lineages. Salient genome features and distance criteria supported classification of all viruses as hepaciviruses. Quantitative RT-PCR, RNA in-situ hybridisation, and histopathology suggested hepatic tropism with liver inflammation resembling hepatitis C. Recombinant serology for two distinct hepacivirus lineages in 97 bank voles identified seroprevalence rates of 8.3 and 12.4%, respectively. Antibodies in bank vole sera neither cross-reacted with HCV, nor the heterologous bank vole hepacivirus. Co-occurrence of RNA and antibodies was found in 3 of 57 PCR-positive bank vole sera (5.3%). Our data enable new hypotheses regarding HCV evolution and encourage efforts to develop rodent surrogate models for HCV.
The Evolution of Clutch Size in Hosts of Avian Brood Parasites

Coevolution with avian brood parasites shapes a range of traits in their hosts, including morphology, behavior, and breeding systems. Here we explore whether brood parasitism is also associated with the evolution of host clutch size. Several studies have proposed that hosts of highly virulent parasites could decrease the costs of parasitism by evolving a smaller clutch size, because hosts with smaller clutches will lose fewer progeny when their clutch is parasitized. We describe a model of the evolution of clutch size, which challenges this logic and shows instead that an increase in clutch size (or no change) should evolve in hosts. We test this prediction using a broad-scale comparative analysis to ask whether there are differences in clutch size within hosts and between hosts and nonhosts. Consistent with our model, this analysis revealed that host species do not have smaller clutches and that hosts that incur larger costs from raising a parasite lay larger clutches. We suggest that brood parasitism might be an influential factor in clutch-size evolution and could potentially select for the evolution of larger clutches in host species.