Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The role of oxidative stress in streptozotocin-induced diabetic nephropathy in rats

ABSTRACT Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of oxidative stress in an experimental model of streptozotocin-induced diabetic nephropathy in rats. Materials and methods Wistar, adult, male rats were used in the study. Animals were divided in the following groups: Citrate (control, citrate buffer 0.01M, pH 4.2 was administrated intravenously - i.v - in the caudal vein), Uninephrectomy+Citrate (left uninephrectomy-20 days before the study), DM (streptozotocin, 65 mg/kg, i.v, on the 20th day of the study), Uninephrectomy+DM. Physiological parameters (water and food intake, body weight, blood glucose, kidney weight, and relative kidney weight); renal function (creatinine clearance), urine albumin (immunodiffusion method); oxidative metabolites (urinary peroxides, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, and thiols in renal tissue), and kidney histology were evaluated. Results Polyphagia, polydipsia, hyperglycemia, and reduced body weight were observed in diabetic rats. Renal function was reduced in diabetic groups (creatinine clearance, p < 0.05). Uninephrectomy potentiated urine albumin and increased kidney weight and relative kidney weight in diabetic animals (p < 0.05). Urinary peroxides and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances were increased, and the reduction in thiol levels demonstrated endogenous substrate consumption in diabetic groups (p < 0.05). The histological analysis revealed moderate lesions of diabetic nephropathy. Conclusion This study confirms lipid peroxidation and intense consumption of the antioxidant defense system in diabetic rats. The association of hyperglycemia and uninephrectomy resulted in additional renal injury, demonstrating that the model is adequate for the study of diabetic nephropathy.
Bi-factor analyses of the Brief Test of Adult Cognition by Telephone.

BACKGROUND Telephone cognitive batteries are useful for large-scale screening and epidemiological studies, but their brevity and lack of content depth may cause psychometric limitations that hinder their utility. OBJECTIVE The current study addressed some of these limitations by rescaling the Brief Test of Adult Cognition by Telephone (BTACT; Tun & Lachman, 2006) using modern psychometric methods. METHODS Archival data were obtained from a national sample of 4,212 28 to 84-year-old volunteers in the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (Ryff et al., 2007) Cognitive Project (Ryff & Lachman, 2007). We fit a bi-factor model to a combination of item-level, subscale-level, and scale-level data. RESULTS The best fitting model contained a general factor and secondary factors capturing test-specific method effects or residual correlations for Number Series, Red/Green Test, and the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test. Factor scores generated from this model were compared with conventional BTACT scores. Important score differences (i.e., >0.3 standard deviation units) were found in 28% of the sample. The bi-factor scores demonstrated slightly superior validity than conventional BTACT scores when judged against a number of clinical and demographic criterion variables. CONCLUSIONS Modern psychometric approaches to scoring the BTACT have the benefit of linear scaling and a modest criterion validity advantage.
Etomoxir‐induced increase in UCP3 supports a role of uncoupling protein 3 as a mitochondrial fatty acid anion exporter

The physiological function of human uncoupling protein‐3 is still unknown. Uncoupling protein‐ 3 is increased during fasting and high‐fat feeding. In these situations the availability of fatty acids to the mitochondria exceeds the capacity to metabolize fatty acids, suggesting a role for uncoupling protein‐3 in handling of non‐metabolizable fatty acids. To test the hypothesis that uncoupling protein‐3 acts as a mitochondrial exporter of non‐metabolizable fatty acids from the mitochondrial matrix, we gave human subjects Etomoxir (which blocks mitochondrial entry of fatty acids) or placebo in a cross‐over design during a 36‐h stay in a respiration chamber. Etomoxir inhibited 24‐h fat oxidation and fat oxidation during exercise by ~14–19%. Surprisingly, uncoupling protein‐3 content in human vastus lateralis muscle was markedly up‐ regulated within 36 h of Etomoxir administration. Up‐regulation of uncoupling protein‐3 was accompanied by lowered fasting blood glucose and increased translocation of glucose transporter‐4. These data support the hypothesis that the physiological function of uncoupling protein‐3 is to facilitate the outward transport of non‐metabolizable fatty acids from the mitochondrial matrix and thus prevents mitochondria from the potential deleterious effects of high fatty acid levels. In addition our data show that up‐regulation of uncoupling protein‐3 can be beneficial in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
Traditional medicine, Sobokchukeo-Tang, modulates the inflammatory response in adipocytes and macrophages

Sobokchukeo-Tang (ST) is a well-known formula that is used for treating primary dysmenorrhea caused by blood stasis syndrome (BSS) in Korea and China. The current study investigated the anti-inflammatory and anti-adipogenesis effects of ST on adipocytes and macrophages. The anti-inflammatory efficacy of ST was evaluated in RAW 264.7 cells and differentiated THP-1 cells. To induce inflammation, the cells were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 1 µg/ml). Following the induction of inflammation, the levels of proinflammatory cytokines, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the cell supernatant were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. 3T3-L1 preadipocytes differentiated into adipocytes in response to insulin, isobutyl-1-methylxanthine and dexamethasone (MDI). To confirm the anti-adipogenesis efficacy of ST, we investigated Oil Red O staining was performed, triglyceride (TG) and leptin secretion were measured, and the protein expression of lipid metabolism-associated factors was determined. ST significantly inhibited TNF-α and IL-6 production in the LPS-treated RAW 264.7 cells compared with LPS stimulation alone. In addition, the concentrations of IL-6 and TNF-α were significantly inhibited by ST in LPS-treated THP-1 cells. Lipid accumulation was reduced by ST, similarly to the positive control treatment, SB203580. In the ST-treated group, the TG and leptin concentrations were inhibited by up to 50 and 83%, respectively, compared with MDI induction only. The ST-treated group reduced the protein expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α compared with MDI induction only. The results of the present study demonstrated that ST exerts anti-inflammatory effects on LPS-treated mouse and human macrophage cell lines. ST inhibited adipogenesis in MDI-induced 3T3-L1 adipocytes, as indicated by the significant reduction in TG and leptin concentrations without cytotoxicity. Thus, ST may be useful as a therapeutic agent for preventing lipid-associated diseases, including obesity and atherosclerosis.
Securing vehicles against cyber attacks

The automobile industry has grown to become an integral part of our everyday life. As vehicles evolve, the primarily mechanical solutions for vehicle control are gradually replaced by electronics and software solutions forming in-vehicle computer networks. An emerging trend is to introduce wireless technology in the vehicle domain by attaching a wireless gateway to the in-vehicle network. By allowing wireless communication, real-time information exchange between vehicles and between infrastructure and vehicles become reality. This communication allows for road condition reporting, decision making, and remote diagnostics and firmware updates over-the-air. However, allowing external parties wireless access to the in-vehicle network creates a potential entry-point for cyber attacks. In this paper, we investigate the security issues of allowing external wireless communication. We use a defense-in-depth perspective and discuss security challenges for each of the prevention, detection, deflection, countermeasures, and recovery layers.
On the complexity of solving initial value problems

In this paper we prove that computing the solution of an initial-value problem y = <i>p</i>(<i>y</i>) with initial condition <i>y</i>(<i>t</i><sub>0</sub>) = <i>y</i><sub>0</sub> ∈ R<sup><i>d</i></sup> at time <i>t</i><sub>0</sub> + <i>T</i> with precision 2<sup>−μ</sup> where <i>p</i> is a vector of polynomials can be done in time polynomial in the value of <i>T</i>, μ and <i>Y</i> = [equation]. Contrary to existing results, our algorithm works over any bounded or unbounded domain. Furthermore, we do not assume any Lipschitz condition on the initial-value problem.
Disruption of daily rhythms in gene expression: The importance of being synchronised

Extending a normal 24 hours day by four hours is unexpectedly highly disruptive to daily rhythms in gene expression in the blood. Using a paradigm in which human subjects were exposed to a 28 hours day, Archer and colleagues show how this sleep‐altering forced desynchrony protocol caused complex disruption to daily rhythms in distinct groups of genes. Such perturbations in the temporal organisation of the blood transcriptome arise quickly, and point to the fragile nature of coordinated genomic activity. Chronic disruption of the daily and circadian rhythms in sleep compromise health and well‐being and this study reveals potential new molecular targets to combat the disruptive effects of shift work and jetlag.
Career Development of Academics: Cross-cultural and Lifespan Factors

This study takes a lifespan perspective on academic career development across several countries, in examining contributions to aspects of academic work in terms of gender, age groups, and years of experience in higher education. The study was based on the recent International Survey of the Academic Profession (Altbach, 1996). Findings suggest common themes regarding attitudes and activities within the gendered context of academic work that vary from one country to another and among working conditions, activities of teaching, research and service, issues of governance and management, and international dimensions of academic work. A general model is then described of activities and attitudes that constitute academic work. These findings are discussed in terms of strategies for career development that optimise the academic in a context.
Social Stigma: The Affective Consequences of Attributional Ambiguity

Two experiments investigated the hypothesis that the stigmatized can protect their self-esteem by attributing negative feedback to prejudice. Fifty-nine women participated in the 1st experiment. Women who received negative feedback from a prejudiced evaluator attributed the feedback to his prejudice and reported less depressed affect than women who received negative feedback from a nonprejudiced evaluator. In the 2nd experiment, 38 Black and 45 White students received interpersonal feedback from a White evaluator, who cither could see them or could not. Compared with Whites, Blacks were more likely to attribute negative feedback to prejudice than positive feedback and were more likely to attribute both types of feedback to prejudice when they could be seen by the other student. Being seen by the evaluator buffered the self-esteem of Blacks from negative feedback but hurt the self-esteem of Blacks who received positive feedback.
Enhanced insulin sensitivity and lower waist-to-hip ratio in master athletes.

The effect of long-term aerobic exercise training on insulin action was determined in older individuals by comparing insulin sensitivity and maximal responsiveness in 11 master athletes [63.5 +/- 1.9 (SE) yr] and 10 age- and body fat-matched sedentary individuals. Maximal aerobic power was higher and the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) was lower in the athletes, but there were no differences in body weight, percent body fat, or fat-free mass between groups. Fasting plasma glucose levels and glucose and insulin responses during oral glucose tolerance tests were lower in the athletes. The insulin concentration producing a half-maximal increase in glucose disposal (EC50) during a three-step hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic glucose clamp was 41% lower in the athletes than in controls (483 +/- 30 vs. 822 +/- 132 pmol/l, P < 0.05), whereas maximal responsiveness was comparable (81.0 +/- 4.4 vs. 85.5 +/- 8.3 mumol.kg fat-free mass-1.min-1, P = not significant). The EC50 correlated with maximal aerobic power (r = -0.62, P < 0.01) and WHR (r = 0.52, P < 0.05), but in multiple regression analyses WHR was the only variable independently related to EC50. These results indicate that long-term aerobic exercise training is associated with enhanced insulin sensitivity and a lower WHR in older individuals. This finding suggests that regular aerobic exercise may prevent the age-associated increase in abdominal obesity and insulin resistance.
Alveolar type II cell Na,K-ATPase is upregulated during mechanical ventilation-induced pulmonary edema.

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Spatial and photometric factors modulating the effect of depth on lightness

MODULATING THE EFFECT OF DEPTH ON LIGHTNESS by Ana Radonjić A Dissertation submitted to the Graduate School-Newark Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Psychology Graduate Program in Psychology written under the direction of Alan L. Gilchrist and approved by ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ Newark, New Jersey
The use of nouns versus verbs in Cantonese-speaking children's early vocabularies and their mothers' speech

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between patterns of language input and the proportion of nouns and verbs in Cantonese-speaking children's early vocabularies, using naturalistic speech samples of mother-child interaction. Children's spontaneous productions of common nouns and main verbs were examined, and nouns and verbs in their mothers' speech were coded according to frequency and utterance position. No noun or verb bias was found in the six 19to 24-month-old monolingual Cantonesespeaking children, although their mothers' speech emphasized verbs over nouns, according to type and token frequencies. The results demonstrated that noun bias in early vocabularies is far from universal The importance of both linguistic and sociocultural input factors in early word learning are discussed.
Salutogenesis 2.0:An examination of healthy ageing-in-place using a qualitativeapplication of the Sense of Coherence.

The aim of this thesis was to examine the theory of salutogenesis (Antonovsky, 1987; 1996), within the context of later life, and to consider the value of salutogenesis as an analytical perspective applicable to understanding older people’s health and wellbeing as they age-in-place. This was done by applying the theory’s analytical construct, the Sense of Coherence (SOC), qualitatively and using its three components comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness, to make sense of data gathered from life review interviews. These interviews were conducted with a sample of ‘healthy’ and active older people, aged 75 years and older, living independently in the East and South-East of Ireland. The results and analysis presented demonstrate the potential value of the qualitative application of the SOC, and additionally suggest that qualitative methods are underutilised in salutogenic research. Furthermore, using qualitative approaches to explore the SOC provides additional scope to incorporate context and place as central positions of analysis, thereby opening up the theory of salutogenesis more fully to health geographers. The results of this research contribute to the geographies of health and ageing literature by providing a detailed exploration of the theory of salutogenesis as a framework that can contribute to the geographer’s understanding of the health-place relationship. The thesis also contributes to the salutogenic literature by examining the SOC through the lens of relational geographies of health and ageing. What emerges is a complementary dialogue and flow of ideas between diverse perspectives on health and wellbeing in later life.
Genetic Variation in Glutathione-Related Genes and Body Burden of Methylmercury

Background Exposure to toxic methylmercury (MeHg) through fish consumption is a large problem worldwide, and it has led to governmental recommendations of reduced fish consumption and blacklisting of mercury-contaminated fish. The elimination kinetics of MeHg varies greatly among individuals. Knowledge about the reasons for such variation is of importance for improving the risk assessment for MeHg. One possible explanation is hereditary differences in MeHg metabolism. MeHg is eliminated from the body as a glutathione (GSH) conjugate. Objectives We conducted this study to assess the influence of polymorphisms in GSH-synthesizing [glutamyl-cysteine ligase modifier subunit (GCLM-588) and glutamyl-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC-129)] or GSH-conjugating [glutathione S-transferase pi 1 (GSTP1–105 and GSTP1–114)] genes on MeHg retention. Methods Based on information obtained from questionnaires, 292 subjects from northern Sweden had a high consumption of fish (lean/fat fish two to three times per week or more). We measured total Hg in erythrocytes (Ery-Hg) and long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in plasma (P-PUFA; an exposure marker for fish intake). Results The GSTP1 genotype modified Ery-Hg; effects were seen for GSTP1–105 and −114 separately, and combining them resulted in stronger effects. We found evidence of effect modification: individuals with zero or one variant allele demonstrated a steeper regression slope for Ery-Hg (p = 0.038) compared with individuals with two or more variant alleles. The GCLM-588 genotype also influenced Ery-Hg (p = 0.035): Individuals with the GCLM-588 TT genotype demonstrated the highest Ery-Hg, but we saw no evidence of effect modification with increasing P-PUFA. Conclusions These results suggest a role of GSH-related polymorphisms in MeHg metabolism.
Effect of Plant Derived Antimicrobials on Salmonella Enteritidis Adhesion to and Invasion of Primary Chicken Oviduct Epithelial Cells in vitro and Virulence Gene Expression

Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) is a major foodborne pathogen in the United States and one of the most frequently reported Salmonella serotypes globally. Eggs are the most common food product associated with SE infections in humans. The pathogen colonizes the intestinal tract in layers, and migrates to reproductive organs systemically. Since adhesion to and invasion of chicken oviduct epithelial cells (COEC) is critical for SE colonization in reproductive tract, reducing these virulence factors could potentially decrease egg yolk contamination. This study investigated the efficacy of sub-inhibitory concentrations of three plant-derived antimicrobials (PDAs), namely carvacrol, thymol and eugenol in reducing SE adhesion to and invasion of COEC, and survival in chicken macrophages. In addition, the effect of PDAs on SE genes critical for oviduct colonization and macrophage survival was determined using real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). All PDAs significantly reduced SE adhesion to and invasion of COEC (p < 0.001). The PDAs, except thymol consistently decreased SE survival in macrophages (p < 0.001). RT-qPCR results revealed down-regulation in the expression of genes involved in SE colonization and macrophage survival (p < 0.001). The results indicate that PDAs could potentially be used to control SE colonization in chicken reproductive tract; however, in vivo studies validating these results are warranted.
Cytogenetic effects of 900 MHz (GSM) microwaves on human lymphocytes.

The cytogenetic effects of 900 MHz radiofrequency fields were investigated with the chromosome aberration and sister chromatid exchange frequency methods. Three different modes of exposure (continuous, pseudo-random and dummy burst) were studied for different power outputs (0, 2, 8, 15, 25, 50 W). The specific absorption rates varied between 0 and 10 W/kg. We investigated the possible effects of the 900 MHz radiation alone as well as of combined exposure to the chemical or physical mutagens mitomycin C and X-rays. Overall, no indication was found of a mutagenic, and/or co-mutagenic/synergistic effect of this kind of nonionizing radiation.
Acoustic description of Croatian accents

This paper presents the descriptive acoustic analysis of Croatian prosodemes, i.e. the four lexical accents and the post-accentual length in the pronunciation of twenty young speakers of Croatian (average age 21.6). The total corpus consisting of 900 tokens has been analysed through listening and after that the auditory unambiguous words (52 % of tokens in the corpus) have been analysed according to acoustic dimensions of duration, intonation and intensity. The results of the acoustic analysis indicate that the mean duration of the stressed vowel in the short-falling accent is 123 ms (SD 28), in the short-rising accent 124 ms (SD 24), in the long-falling 190 ms (SD 33) and in the long-rising 185 ms (SD 33). Post-hoc tests of durational differences show that two long accents are significantly longer than the two short accents (p < .000). Durational differences between rising and falling accents are small and statistically not significant: LF vs. LR (p = .282) ; SF vs. SR (p = .573). In 2/3 of the words the post-accentual phonologically long vowel is perceived as long, and its mean duration is 130 ms (SD 36), that is, 96 % of the total duration of the stressed vowel. Phonologically short post-accentual vowel averagely lasts 95 ms (SD 31), that is, 66 % of the total duration of the stressed vowel. Falling accents have a downward pattern of fundamental frequency in the accented syllable and mostly flat pattern in the post-accentual syllable, while rising accents have a generally flat frequency contour in the accented syllable and a downward contour in the post-accentual syllable. The pitch range (in semitones – ST) within the accented vowel of the long-falling accent is 3.7 ST, of the short-falling accent 2.2 ST, of the long-rising accent 1.4 ST and of the short-rising accent 1.3 ST. The relation between average tone and intensity of the accented and post-accentual vowel indicates that the post-accentual vowel of the falling accents generally has a significantly lower tone and lower intensity than of the rising accents. The pitch level of post-accentual vowel expressed as a ratio of the pitch level of accented vowel in the long-falling accent are -3.8 ST, in the short-falling accent -3.7 ST, in the long-rising accent -1.7 ST and in the short-rising accent -1.2 ST. The intensity level of post-accentual vowel expressed as a ratio of the intensity level of accented vowel (in dB) in the long-falling accents are -8.5 dB, in the short-falling accent -7.6 dB, in the long-rising accent and -7.6 dB and in the short-rising accent -5.5 dB.