Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Physiological and Histopathological Investigations on the Effects of α-Lipoic Acid in Rats Exposed to Malathion

The present study was designed to evaluate the influence of α-lipoic acid treatment in rats exposed to malathion. Forty adult male rats were used in this study and distributed into four groups. Animals of group 1 were untreated and served as control. Rats of group 2 were orally given malathion at a dose level of 100 mg/kg body weight (BW) for a period of one month. Experimental animals of group 3 were orally given α-lipoic acid at a dose level of 20 mg/kg BW and after 3 hours exposed to malathion at the same dose given to group 2. Rats of group 4 were supplemented with α-lipoic acid at the same dose given to group 3. The activities of serum glutamic oxaloacetic acid transaminase (GOT), glutamic pyruvic acid transaminase (GPT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and acid phosphatase (ACP), and the values of creatinine, urea, and uric acid were statistically increased, while the values of total protein and total albumin were significantly decreased in rats exposed to malathion. Moreover, administration of malathion for one month resulted in damage of liver and kidney structures. Administration of α-lipoic acid before malathion exposure to rat can prevent severe alterations of hematobiochemical parameters and disruptions of liver and kidney structures. In conclusion, this study obviously demonstrated that pretreatment with α-lipoic acid significantly attenuated the physiological and histopathological alterations induced by malathion. Also, the present study identifies new areas of research for development of better therapeutic agents for liver, kidney, and other organs' dysfunctions and diseases.
Model-Based Estimation of Knee Stiffness

During natural locomotion, the stiffness of the human knee is modulated continuously and subconsciously according to the demands of activity and terrain. Given modern actuator technology, powered transfemoral prostheses could theoretically provide a similar degree of sophistication and function. However, experimentally quantifying knee stiffness modulation during natural gait is challenging. Alternatively, joint stiffness could be estimated in a less disruptive manner using electromyography (EMG) combined with kinetic and kinematic measurements to estimate muscle force, together with models that relate muscle force to stiffness. Here we present the first step in that process, where we develop such an approach and evaluate it in isometric conditions, where experimental measurements are more feasible. Our EMG-guided modeling approach allows us to consider conditions with antagonistic muscle activation, a phenomenon commonly observed in physiological gait. Our validation shows that model-based estimates of knee joint stiffness coincide well with experimental data obtained using conventional perturbation techniques. We conclude that knee stiffness can be accurately estimated in isometric conditions without applying perturbations, which presents an important step toward our ultimate goal of quantifying knee stiffness during gait.
Circulation Induced by Isolated Dense Water Formation over Closed Topographic Contours

AbstractThe problem of localized dense water formation over a sloping bottom is considered for the general case in which the topography forms a closed contour. This class of problems is motivated by topography around islands or shallow shoals in which convection resulting from brine rejection or surface heat loss reaches the bottom. The focus of this study is on the large-scale circulation that is forced far from the region of surface forcing. The authors find that a cyclonic current is generated around the topography, in the opposite sense to the propagation of the dense water plume. In physical terms, this current results from the propagation of low sea surface height from the region of dense water formation anticyclonically along the topographic contours back to the formation region. This pressure gradient is then balanced by a cyclonic geostrophic flow. This basic structure is well predicted by a linear quasigeostrophic theory, a primitive equation model, and in rotating tank experiments. For sufficie.
9‐Nitrocamptothecin inhibits HIV‐1 replication in human peripheral blood lymphocytes: A potential alternative for HIV‐infection/AIDS therapy

The ability of the anti‐cancer drug, 9‐Nitrocamptothecin (9NC), to inhibit replication of HIV‐1 in clinically relevant primary lymphocytic cells was studied. Primary peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) from a non‐infected donor were freshly infected with HIV‐1 and treated with 9NC by using three different treatment schedules. Cells were monitored for cytotoxicity by the XTT metabolic cell proliferation assay and a sensitive flow cytometric assay that was capable of measuring cell cycle changes and apoptosis. 9NC inhibited replication of HIV‐1 in PBLs by greater than 95% in a dose‐dependent manner as measured by the level of extracellular HIV‐1 p24 release. Similar results were observed, whether 9NC was applied in a single, double, or triple dose regimen. Minimal cytotoxicity was observed for both non‐infected and infected PBLs, as determined by the XTT assay. Moreover, 9NC induced apoptosis within 24 hours of drug treatment in freshly infected, but not non‐infected, PBLs. The data showed that 9NC reduced replication of HIV‐1 in primary human lymphocytes; thus, it indicates the potential clinical utility of this drug as an alternative or adjunct therapy for HIV‐infection/AIDS. J. Med. Virol. 64:238–244, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Channel estimation for multirate/multicode DS/CDMA systems with long spreading codes

In this paper, we consider the problem of channel estimation in a multirate/multicode DS/CDMA system employing long spreading codes. The problem is of interest since the most part of the previously derived adaptive techniques for channel estimation relies on the short-code assumption and cannot be adopted in future wireless networks. The proposed procedure requires the transmission of known training bits and is based on a least-squares approach. It does not require timing synchronization, has a computational complexity which is quadratic in the processing gain, and may be adopted both in the uplink and in the downlink. Simulation results confirm that it may achieve satisfactory performance levels, as well as that in a multicode scenario the high-rate users propagation channels may be acquired faster than low-rate users ones.
Bone marrow histology for the diagnosis of essential thrombocythemia in children: a multicenter Italian study.

To the editor: Essential thrombocythemia (ET) is a myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) that mainly affects middle-aged patients. Although pediatric cases occur, they are rare, and their molecular features considerably differ from the adult counterparts: JAK2 V617F mutation occurs in only 25% of cases
Recurrent and sporadic Forbush decreases during solar cycles 23–24

A comparison has been made between recurrent (associated with high-speed streams from coronal holes) and sporadic (caused by interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs)) Forbush decreases (FDs) in solar cycles 23 and 24 (as well as in the maxima of these cycles and the minimum between them). Forbush Effects and Interplanetary Disturbances database created and maintained in IZMIRAN provided a large number of events (about 1700 isolated FDs, among them 350 recurrent FDs, and 207 sporadic FDs selected with high reliability), which allowed us to apply statistical methods. The results revealed that sporadic FDs prevailed in the maxima of the cycles; recurrent FDs, in the minimum between the cycles. FD parameters (magnitude, decrease rate, anisotropy) are larger for sporadic events than for recurrent ones, especially in the maxima of the cycles. FD magnitude is greater in the maxima than in the minimum for sporadic events, and it changes weakly for recurrent ones. The solar wind velocity is on average greater for recurrent events than for sporadic ones; it is larger for recurrent FDs in the minimum and for sporadic FDs in the maxima. The magnetic field is stronger for sporadic FDs than for recurrent ones in the maxima and it is approximately equal for both types of events in the minimum. The magnetic field of ICMEs is weaker in the current solar cycle than in the previous one. The duration of the FD main phase is less in the maxima for both types of events; sporadic FDs developed significantly faster than recurrent ones in the maximum of cycle 23.
Analysis of intergenic spacer transcripts suggests 'read-around' transcription of the extrachromosomal circular rDNA in Euglena gracilis.

We report here the sequence of the 1743 bp intergenic spacer (IGS) that separates the 3'-end of the large subunit ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene from the 5'-end of the small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene in the circular, extrachromosomal ribosomal DNA (rDNA) of Euglena gracilis. The IGS contains a 277 nt stretch of sequence that is related to a sequence found in ITS 1, an internal transcribed spacer between the SSU and 5.8S rRNA genes. Primer extension analysis of IGS transcripts identified three abundant reverse transcriptase stops that may be analogous to the transcription initiation site (TIS) and two processing sites (A' and A0) that are found in this region in other eukaryotes. Features that could influence processing at these sites include an imperfect palindrome near site A0 and a sequence near site A' that could potentially base pair with U3 small nucleolar RNA. Our identification of the TIS (verified by mung bean nuclease analysis) is considered tentative because we also detected low-abundance transcripts upstream of this site throughout the entire IGS. This result suggests the possibility of 'read-around' transcription, i.e. transcription that proceeds multiple times around the rDNA circle without termination.
Chromatin organization in pluripotent cells: emerging approaches to study and disrupt function

Translating the vast amounts of genomic and epigenomic information accumulated on the linear genome into three-dimensional models of nuclear organization is a current major challenge. In response to this challenge, recent technological innovations based on chromosome conformation capture methods in combination with increasingly powerful functional approaches have revealed exciting insights into key aspects of genome regulation. These findings have led to an emerging model where the genome is folded and compartmentalized into highly conserved topological domains that are further divided into functional subdomains containing physical loops that bring cis-regulatory elements to close proximity. Targeted functional experiments, largely based on designable DNA-binding proteins, have begun to define the major architectural proteins required to establish and maintain appropriate genome regulation. Here, we focus on the accessible and well-characterized system of pluripotent cells to review the functional role of chromatin organization in regulating pluripotency, differentiation and reprogramming.
An Electronic Publication Dedicated to Early Stellar Evolution and Molecular Clouds Edge-on T Tauri Stars

s of recently accepted papers [O i] 6300Å emission in Herbig Ae/Be systems: signature of Keplerian rotation. We present high-spectral-resolution optical spectra of 49 Herbig Ae/Be stars in a search for the [O i] 6300Å line. The vast majority of the stars in our sample show narrow (FWHM < 100 km s −1) emission lines, centered on the stellar radial velocity. In only three sources is the feature much broader (∼ 400 km s −1), and strongly blueshifted (−200 km s −1) compared to the stellar radial velocity. Some stars in our sample show double-peaked line profiles, with peak-to-peak separations of ∼ 10 km s −1. The presence and strength of the [O i] line emission appears to be correlated with the far-infrared energy distribution of each source: stars with a strong excess at 60 µm have in general stronger [O i] emission than stars with weaker 60 µm excesses. We interpret these narrow [O i] 6300Å line profiles as arising in the surface layers of the protoplanetary disks surrounding Herbig Ae/Be stars. A simple model for [O i] 6300Å line emission due to the photodissociation of OH molecules shows that our results are in quantitative agreement with that expected from the emission of a flared disk if the fractional OH abundance is ∼5 × 10 −7. The shape of the double-peaked profile can be reproduced assuming Keplerian rotation of the circumstellar disk. Objectives. We study the optical spectral properties of the edge-on disk objects HH30 * , HK Tau B, and HV Tau C. For comparison purposes we also observe both the classical T Tauri star HL Tau and the active late-type star LDN 1551-9. Methods. We use the Uves echelle spectrograph at the ESO VLT to obtain two-dimensional high-resolution (R = 50 000) spectra. The observed wavelength range extends from 3280 to 4490Å in the blue channel and from 4726 to 6722Å in the red channel, with a gap from 5708 to 5817Å. Results. The spectra of all three observed edge-on disks consist of a T Tauri emission and absorption line spectrum with superimposed jet emission lines. Analysis of the spectra confirmed that the disks are completely opaque at visible wavelengths and that light from the central objects reaches us only via scattering layers above and below the disk planes. The central objects of our targets are found to be normal T Tauri stars showing moderate but different …
On the structure and application of BGP policy atoms

The notion of Internet Policy Atoms has been recently introduced in [1], [2] as groups of prefixes sharing a common BGP AS path at any Internet backbone router In this paper we further research these 'Atoms'. First we offer a new method for computing the Internet policy atoms, and use the RIPE RIS database [6] to derive their structure Second, we show that atoms remain stable with only about 2--3% of prefixes changing their atom membership in eight hour periods. We support the 'Atomic' nature of the policy atoms by showing BGP update and withdraw notifications carry updates for complete atoms in over 70% of updates, while the complete set of prefixes in an AS is carried in only 21% of updates. We track the locations where atoms are created (first different AS in the AS path going back from the common origin AS 1) showing 86% are split between the origin AS and it's peers thus supporting the assumption that they are created by policies. Finally applying atoms "real fife" applications we achieve a modest savings in BGP updates due to the low average prefix count in the atoms.
Outcome after Resection of One Hundred Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors

Aims: To evaluate the outcome after surgical resection in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors and to determine the factors influencing local tumor recurrence or distant metastatic disease after locally complete tumor resection (R0). Methods: Outcomes of 100 patients with primary gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) surgically managed between 1997 and 2006 at a single institution were reviewed. Univariate and bivariate analyses were used to determine factors affecting recurrence-free and tumor-free survival. Results: All patients (n = 100) had c-kit-positive GIST. There were 17% (n = 17) very low risk, 41% (n = 41) low risk, 19% (n = 19) intermediate risk and 23% (n = 23) high risk GIST originating from the stomach, small bowel, colon and rectum. The median patient age was 68 years (range 39–92). Seventy-three percent of the patients had symptomatic local disease. Most (94%; n = 94) of them underwent R0 resections of their primary tumor. R0 resection was significantly associated with a lower tumor-related mortality rate (p = 0.0001). The patients with recurrence/metastases had significantly larger tumors (p = 0.0017) and a mitotic index higher than 5/50 HPF (p = 0.0001). Seven of 20 patients from the high-risk group and 2 of 7 patients with metastatic disease developed local recurrence or further metastatatic tumor spread following R0 resection. Conclusion: Surgical removal continues to be the mainstay of GIST treatment. R0 resection, tumor size and mitotic index are significant prognostic factors. Overall, more than 30% of the patients with high-risk GIST develop local recurrences and distant metastases despite R0 resection. Additional molecular pathological markers are needed to yield a more accurate tumor profile and to thus achieve a better predictability of the biological behavior of GIST.
PReDICTORs Of sICk leave OwINg TO NeCk OR lOw baCk PaIN : a 12-yeaR lONgITUDINal COhORT sTUDy IN a RURal male POPUlaTION

Back pain is a common cause of sick leave. We analyzed how individual, work-related and lifestyle factors predicted sick leave owing to neck or low back pain over a 12-year period. In this prospective cohort study, 1,405 rural middle-aged farmers and non-farmers were surveyed in 1990–1991 (participation rate 76%) and followed up 12 years later (participation rate 68%). The 836 men who reported having experienced unspecific neck or low back pain the year prior to survey 1 were followed up for selfreported sick leave owing to neck or low back problems. Individual, occupational and lifestyle factors and data on acquired specific neck or back diagnosis were included in multiple logistic regression models. Seven percent reported neck or low back related sick leave during the 12 year period. Self-employment was associated with a lower risk of sick leave while sedentary leisure time, snuff use and a specific neck or back diagnosis was associated with a higher risk. Age, education, physical workload, marital status, sense of coherence, smoking, and alcohol consumption were not independently associated with sick leave. The low risk of sick leave among the self-employed is notable from a societal and public health perspective. address for correspondence: Sara Holmberg, Research and Development Centre, Box 1223, SE-351 12 Växjö, Sweden. E-mail: sara.holmberg@vaxjo.st key words: low back pain, neck pain, farming, sick leave, lifestyle, self-employment, prospective study, smokeless tobacco. Received: 9 February 2010 Accepted: 3 November 2010 ann agric environ med 2010, 17, 251–257
A Novel PCA-Based Network Anomaly Detection

The increasing number of network attacks causes growing problems for network operators and users. Thus, detecting anomalous traffic is of primary interest in IP networks management. In this paper we address the problem considering a method based on PCA for detecting network anomalies. In more detail, we present a new technique that extends the state of the art in PCA based anomaly detection. Indeed, by means of the Kullback-Leibler divergence we are able to obtain great improvements with respect to the performance of the "classical" approach. Moreover we also introduce a method for identifying the flows responsible for an anomaly detected at the aggregated level. The performance analysis, presented in this paper, demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Associations between carbon isotope ratios of ecosystem respiration, water availability and canopy conductance

We tested the hypothesis that the stable carbon isotope signature of ecosystem respiration (δ13CR) was regulated by canopy conductance (Gc) using weekly Keeling plots (n=51) from a semiarid old‐growth ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forest in Oregon, USA. For a comparison of forests in two contrasting climates we also evaluated trends in δ13CR from a wet 20‐year‐old Douglas‐fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) plantation located near the Pacific Ocean. Intraannual variability in δ13CR was greater than 8.0‰ at both sites, was highest during autumn, winter, and spring when rainfall was abundant, and lowest during summer drought. The δ13CR of the dry pine forest was consistently more positive than the wetter Douglas‐fir forest (mean annual δ13CR: −25.41‰ vs. −26.23‰, respectively, P=0.07). At the Douglas‐fir forest, δ13CR–climate relationships were consistent with predictions based on stomatal regulation of carbon isotope discrimination (Δ). Soil water content (SWC) and vapor pressure deficit (vpd) were the most important factors governing δ13CR in this forest throughout the year. In contrast, δ13CR at the pine forest was relatively insensitive to SWC or vpd, and exhibited a smaller drought‐related enrichment (∼2‰) than the enrichment observed during drought at the Douglas‐fir forest (∼5‰). Groundwater access at the pine forest may buffer canopy–gas exchange from drought. Despite this potential buffering, δ13CR at the pine forest was significantly but weakly related to canopy conductance (Gc), suggesting that δ13CR remains coupled to canopy–gas exchange despite groundwater access. During drought, δ13CR was strongly correlated with soil temperature at both forests. The hypothesis that canopy‐level physiology is a critical regulator of δ13CR was supported; however, belowground respiration may become more important during rain‐free periods.
Soil mechanical stresses in high wheel load agricultural field traffic: a case study

Subsoil compaction is a serious long-term threat to soil functions. Only a few studies have quantified the mechanical stresses reaching deep subsoil layers for modern high wheel load machinery. In the present study we measured the vertical stresses in the tyre–soil contact area and at 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 m depths of a sandy loam soil at field capacity water content. The soil was ploughed annually to a depth of 0.25 m and was tested in the spring following autumn ploughing but before secondary tillage. The machinery tested was a tractor–trailer system for slurry application with a total weight of 52 Mg. Wheel loads ranged from approximately 20 to 70 kN. The tyres were all radial ply with volumes ranging from 0.63 to 1.23 m3. The tyre inflation pressures were generally above those recommended by the manufacturer and ranged from 170 to 280 kPa. The stress distributions in the contact area were highly skewed. Across tyres, the maximum stress in the contact area correlated linearly with, but was much higher than, the mean ground pressure. For each of the three soil depths, the maximum stresses under the tyres were significantly correlated with the wheel load, but not with other loading characteristics. The data predict a 6.6-kPa increase in vertical stress at 0.9 m depth for each 1-Mg addition to the wheel load. The soil stress observations support a simple rule of thumb combining wheel load and inflation pressure in calculation of subsoil vertical stress. We measured vertical stresses up to 300, 100 and 45 kPa at soil depths of 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 m respectively. Comparing these with the data in the literature regarding soil strength and measured compaction effects on the soil studied, we conclude that the traffic event investigated is likely to induce serious effects on soil properties and functions to a depth of at least 0.7 m.
A simple multi-objective optimization algorithm for the urban transit routing problem

The urban transit routing problem (UTRP) for public transport systems involves finding a set of efficient transit routes to meet customer demands. The UTRP is an NP-Hard, highly constrained, multi-objective problem, for which the evaluation of candidate route sets can prove both time consuming and challenging, with many potential solutions rejected on the grounds of infeasibility. In this paper we propose a simple evolutionary multi-objective optimization technique to solve the UTRP. First we present a representation of the UTRP and introduce our two key objectives, which are to minimise both passenger costs and operator costs. Following this, we describe a simple multi-objective optimization algorithm for the UTRP then present experimental results obtained using the Mandl's benchmark data and a larger transport network.