Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of in vitro potency of oximes (pralidoxime, obidoxime, HI‐6) to reactivate sarin‐inhibited acetylcholinesterase in various parts of pig brain

The potency of currently used oximes to reactivate sarin‐inhibited acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in various parts of pig brain and whole pig brain was evaluated using in vitro methods. Significant differences in reactivation potency among all tested oximes were observed. At concentrations (10−4 M) corresponding to recommended doses in vivo, the oxime HI‐6 seems to be a more efficacious reactivator of sarin‐inhibited AChE in whole pig brain as well as in cerebral hemispheres and cerebellum compared with the other oximes studied. Nevertheless, there are not any differences in the potency of oximes tested to reactivate sarin‐inhibited AChE in medulla oblongata. Thus, the oxime HI‐6 appears to be the most promising oxime among currently available oximes for the antidotal treatment of acute sarin poisoning, although it is not more efficacious than other currently used oximes in medulla oblongata, whose function is necessary for the vital functions of respiration and circulation. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons. Ltd.
Range migrating target detection in correlated compound-Gaussian clutter

The problem of range-migrating target detection in a compound-Gaussian clutter is studied here. We assume a target to have a range-walk of a few range cells during the coherent processing interval, when observed by wideband radar with high range resolution. Two CFAR detectors are proposed assuming different correlation properties of clutter over range. The detectors' performance is studied via numerical simulations and a significant improvement over existing techniques is demonstrated.
25-GAUGE MACULAR SURGERY: Results and Complications

Purpose: To report the safety and surgical outcome of 25-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy for macular conditions. Methods: In a single-center, retrospective, noncomparative case series, 160 eyes of 150 patients underwent 25-gauge vitrectomy for different macular conditions: 108 eyes for idiopathic macular pucker, 24 for idiopathic macular hole, and 28 for tractional diabetic macular edema. Main outcome measures were surgical time, preoperative and 1-day intraocular pressure (IOP), preoperative and 1-month, 3-month, and 6-month visual acuity, intraoperative and postoperative complications, anatomical results, and cataract progression. All patients were observed up for at least 6 months. Results: Mean follow-up was 10 months (range, 6–20 months). Mean operative time ± SD was 21 ± 11 minutes. Mean 1-day IOP was 14 ± 4 mmHg. No IOP was <8 mmHg on postoperative day 1. Mean overall preoperative visual acuity was 20/70, and mean overall postoperative visual acuity was 20/40 (P ≤ 0.001). Sixty percent of patients gained ≥2 Snellen lines of visual acuity at 1 month; 74%, at 3 months; and 67%, at 6 months (P ≤ 0.001, all times). There were no intraoperative complications. Three percent of eyes had complications during follow-up. Twenty-five percent of phakic eyes presented with a significant cataract at the 6-month follow-up. Conclusions: 25-Gauge vitrectomy is a safe and effective procedure for macular surgery. The absence of intraoperative complications and relatively low rate of postoperative complications suggest that this technique is safe and effective for treating macular conditions.
Incorporation of nascent myosin heavy chains into thick filaments of cardiac myocytes in thyroid-treated rabbits

A monoclonal antibody (mAb 37) specific for alpha-myosin heavy chain (alpha-MHC) is used to follow the spatial and temporal incorporation of alpha-MHC into rabbit left ventricular myocytes. The expression of the two adult cardiac MHC genes, alpha and beta, is regulated by manipulating the thyroid hormone level of the animal. 10 wk on a propylthiouracil diet down-regulates expression of alpha-MHC to near 0%. alpha-MHC gene expression is up-regulated by injecting L- triiodothyronine (100 micrograms/kg per d) for 1-4 d. This protocol provides a means by which to follow the redistribution pattern of alpha- MHC within the myocyte in vivo. A uniform distribution of immunofluorescent signal is seen within every myocyte throughout the left ventricle. Ultracryomicrotomy without fixation is used to obtain sections for immunogold-electron microscopy. To quantify the immunogold method the density of gold-labeled antibody per unit of area tissue is determined for various regions of the sarcomere. Tissue from normal and 2-wk baby has a uniform distribution of gold density along the length of the A band. The average gold density of the A band increases with days of thyroid injection from 38 +/- 4 grains/micron 2 (n = 2 animals) (mean +/- SE) at day 1 to 182 +/- 59 grains (n = 2 animals) at day 4. There is a nonuniform incorporation of the newly synthesized alpha-MHC within the A band of thyroid-treated animals since 50% more of the alpha-MHC is found at the end of the A band while the center of the A band has 40% less than the average alpha-MHC content (grains/micron 2, n = 7 animals). These results support a thick filament assembly model that allows every myosin in a thick filament to be exchanged with new myosin. However, in the intact functioning myocyte, there is greater exchange of new myosin at the ends than in the central region of the thick filament.
Lattice of nonlinear coupled oscillators: An acousto-mechanical analogy of gas microbubble

Expensive and complex experiments and/or simulations are required to study microbubble's dynamics considering its size and the complexity of the associated physical phenomenon of bubble-ultrasound interactions. To overcome this, the use of a macroscopic acousto-mechanical analogy is proposed. In this study, microbubble's surface modes are investigated through an experimental analogy based on coupled pendula. The data are further compared to numerical simulations. Vibration modes up to n = 22 have been observed for excitation frequency ranging from 1Hz to 5Hz. Simulations shows mode mixing phenomena and an influence of the amplitude on the dispersion relation. The relevance of the analogy is discussed.
Prevalence of Airway Symptoms and Total Serum Immunoglobulin E Among Hairdressers in Bergen:: A Four-Year Prospective Study

We examined changes in the self-reported prevalence of respiratory symptoms and total serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) among hairdressers after local exhaust ventilation was installed in some hairdresser salons. We also examined differences in these variables between current and former hairdressers. The survey was a prospective study on 91 female hairdressers and a control group of 80 female office workers. Total serum IgE remained high in the hairdresser groups both in 1995 and 1999 (101 vs. 105 IU/mL blood). The IgE levels among office workers were low in 1995 and 1999. Forty percent of the hairdressers in 1995 had left their profession by 1999, 5.7 times the rate among office workers. The frequency of wheezing in the past year decreased significantly among current and former hairdressers. Our data suggest that hairdressers who remained in their profession were a highly selected and healthy group of workers. The improvement in symptoms might be explained by the reduced exposure resulting from the installation of local exhaust ventilation.
Revascularization of the graft in obliterative bronchiolitis after heterotopic tracheal transplantation

Obliterative bronchiolitis is the principal long‐term problem for lung transplant patients. One of the simplest and most reproducible animal models of obliterative bronchiolitis is heterotopic tracheal transplantation in subcutaneous tissue, where the graft is not primarily vascularized. We demonstrate here the rapid graft revascularization and the kinetics of expression of its angiogenic and lymphatic factors. We performed iso‐ and allotracheal transplantations harvested on day 0–21. The number of functional blood vessels, quantified after intravenous biotinylated dextran administration, increased from D0 (0 for both iso‐ and allografts) to D21 (44 ± 8 vessels/mm2 in isografts and 22 ± 3 in allografts, P < 0.001 for both vs. D0). VEGF mRNA expression assessed by qPCR peaked on D1 (4.3‐fold increase in isografts and 4.0‐fold in allografts, P < 0.0001 for both vs. D0), but receded thereafter. Angiopoietin‐1, involved in the maturation of the neoformed vessels, increased later on, by 6.2‐fold (P < 0.05) in isografts and 11.5‐fold in allografts (P < 0.001) by D21, and angiopoietin‐2 by 7.8‐fold in isografts (P < 0.05) and 13.8‐fold in allografts (P < 0.01). Although always present in the iso‐ and allografts, there were significantly more and larger LYVE1+ lymphatic vessels at D21 in allografts than in isografts. Thus, we demonstrate that tracheal grafts are rapidly revascularized by functional blood and lymphatic vessels, due to early VEGF and subsequent angiopoietins expression, which is a new advantage of this model, in addition to its ease of use, reproducibility, and viability in the absence of immunosuppressive treatment.
Double-Strand Break Repair Gene Polymorphisms and Risk of Breast or Ovarian Cancer

Deficiencies in DNA repair have been hypothesized to increase cancer risk and excess cancer incidence is a feature of inherited diseases caused by defects in DNA damage recognition and repair. We investigated, using a case-control design, whether the double-strand break repair gene polymorphisms RAD51 5′ untranslated region −135 G > C, XRCC2 R188H G > A, and XRCC3 T241M C > T were associated with risk of breast or ovarian cancer in Australian women. Sample sets included 1,456 breast cancer cases and 793 age-matched controls ages under 60 years of age, 549 incident ovarian cancer cases, and 335 controls of similar age distribution. For the total sample and the subsample of Caucasian women, there were no significant differences in genotype distribution between breast cancer cases and controls or between ovarian cancer cases and combined control groups. The crude odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) associated with the RAD51 GC/CC genotype frequency was OR, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.80-1.41 for breast cancer and OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 0.92-1.62 for ovarian cancer. Similarly, there were no increased risks associated with the XRCC2 GA/AA genotype (OR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.76-1.26 for breast cancer and OR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.69-1.25 for ovarian cancer) or the XRCC3 CT/TT genotype (OR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.77-1.10 for breast cancer and OR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.71-1.08 for ovarian cancer). Results were little changed after adjustment for age and other measured risk factors. Although there was little statistical power to detect modest increases in risk for the homozygote variant genotypes, particularly for the rare RAD51 and XRCC2 variants, the data suggest that none of these variants play a major role in the etiology of breast or ovarian cancer.
Combining Clinical and Genomic Covariates via Cov-TGDR

Clinical covariates such as age, gender, tumor grade, and smoking history have been extensively used in prediction of disease occurrence and progression. On the other hand, genomic biomarkers selected from microarray measurements may provide an alternative, satisfactory way of disease prediction. Recent studies show that better prediction can be achieved by using both clinical and genomic biomarkers. However, due to different characteristics of clinical and genomic measurements, combining those covariates in disease prediction is very challenging. We propose a new regularization method, Covariate-Adjusted Threshold Gradient Directed Regularization (Cov-TGDR), for combining different type of covariates in disease prediction. The proposed approach is capable of simultaneous biomarker selection and predictive model building. It allows different degrees of regularization for different type of covariates. We consider biomedical studies with binary outcomes and right censored survival outcomes as examples. Logistic model and Cox model are assumed, respectively. Analysis of the Breast Cancer data and the Follicular lymphoma data show that the proposed approach can have better prediction performance than using clinical or genomic covariates alone.
DNA repair in mammalian mitochondria: Much more than we thought?

For many years, the repair of most damage in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was thought limited to short‐patch base excision repair (SP‐BER), which replaces a single nucleotide by the sequential action of DNA glycosylases, an apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) endonuclease, the mitochondrial DNA polymerase γ, an abasic lyase activity, and mitochondrial DNA ligase. However, the likely array of lesions inflicted on mtDNA by oxygen radicals and the possibility of replication errors and disruptions indicated that such a restricted repair repertoire would be inadequate. Recent studies have considerably expanded our knowledge of mtDNA repair to include long‐patch base excision repair (LP‐BER), mismatch repair, and homologous recombination and nonhomologous end‐joining. In addition, elimination of mutagenic 8‐oxodeoxyguanosine triphosphate (8‐oxodGTP) helps prevent cell death due to the accumulation of this oxidation product in mtDNA. Although it was suspected for many years that irreparably damaged mtDNA might be targeted for degradation, only recently was clear evidence provided for this hypothesis. Therefore, multiple DNA repair pathways and controlled degradation of mtDNA function together to maintain the integrity of mitochondrial genome. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. , 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Protein expression of programmed death 1 ligand 1 and ligand 2 independently predict poor prognosis in surgically resected lung adenocarcinoma

Background The clinicopathologic characteristics of tumors expressing programmed death (PD-1) ligands (PD-Ls) PD-L1 or PD-L2 and their associations with common driver mutations in lung adenocarcinoma are not clearly defined, despite the progression of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy. Methods PD-L1 and PD-L2 expression was measured by immunohistochemistry in 143 surgically resected lung adenocarcinomas and was correlated with clinical variables, histologic subtypes, and the mutational status of EGFR, KRAS, HER2, and ALK. Results Positive PD-L1 expression was significantly associated with more advanced T status, N status, and pathologic stage. Histologically, lung adenocarcinomas with positive PD-L1 staining were less likely to be adenocarcinoma in situ or minimally invasive adenocarcinoma and more likely to have solid predominant subtype. Both PD-L1 expression (odds ratio =1.984, 95% confidence interval =1.010–3.894; P=0.047) and PD-L2 expression (odds ratio =2.328, 95% confidence interval =1.201–4.512; P=0.012) were independent predictors of poor overall survival. When the combined PD-L expression and pathologic stage were used together to predict overall survival, the concordance index increased to 0.763, and the Akaike information criteria value decreased to 356.08. Conclusion We defined the clinicopathologic features of lung adenocarcinomas with high expression of PD-L1 and PD-L2. We further demonstrated the role of PD-L expression as a useful prognostic marker for lung adenocarcinoma.
On the theory of pull-off of a viscoelastic sphere from a flat surface

Abstraet-The problem of the pull-off of a viscoelastic sphere from a flat substrate is considered. Current theoretical models are critically treated. It is shown that a theoretical description of the dynamics of the pull-off of a sphere from a solid substrate with allowance for the dependence of the effective work of adhesion on the displacement velocity of contact line can be reduced to the solution of a first-order differential equation. The procedure for a numerical solution to this equation is elaborated. A scheme for analytical evaluation of the main parameters such as the pull-off work or force and the velocity of the crack tip is suggested. Data obtained using approximate formulae and by numerical solution of the problem are compared. The values of the pull-off work and force calculated with approximate formulae and numerical analysis are shown to be in good agreement over seven orders of magnitude.
Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health: Lessons Learned From Epidemiological Studies Across Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity

In 1953, Morris et al1,2 published the findings from a study showing that bus conductors in London, who spent their working hours walking the length of the buses as well as climbing up and down the stairs of the English double-decker buses to collect fares, experienced half the coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality rates of their driver counterparts, who spent their day sitting behind the wheel. Investigators hypothesized that it was the physical activity of work that protected the conductors from developing CHD, at the same time realizing that other factors may also play a role because the conductors were smaller in size, as evidenced by their smaller uniform sizes. Thus was born the field of “physical activity epidemiology”: formal epidemiological investigations into the associations of physical activity with many health outcomes.4 Since the initial observations of Morris et al, many other studies have been conducted, yielding similar results: Active people have lower rates of CHD and cardiovascular disease (CVD) than inactive ones.5–7 These findings have been supported by plausible biological mechanisms, which are detailed in other articles in this review series. The collective body of evidence led the American Heart Association in 1992 to recognize physical inactivity as a risk factor for CHD and CVD8 and led the Surgeon General in 1996 to conclude that “regular physical activity or cardiorespiratory fitness decreases the risk of CVD … and CHD. ”9 The basis for these conclusions was derived primarily from studies in men and in white populations; for example, in a 1990 meta-analysis of physical activity in the prevention of CHD10 that included 33 studies, women were subjects in 5 studies, and racial/ethnic minorities were the focus of 2 studies. In 2008, the federal government issued its first-ever physical activity guidelines for Americans11 based …
An Adaptive Two-Level Management for the Flash Translation Layer in Embedded Systems

While the capacity of flash-memory storage systems keeps increasing significantly, effective and efficient management of flash-memory space has become a critical design issue! Different granularities in space management impose different management costs and mapping efficiency. In this paper, we explore an address translation mechanism that can dynamically and adaptively switch between two granularities in the mapping of logical block addresses into physical block addresses in flash memory management. The objective is to provide good performance in address mapping and space utilization and, at the same time, to have the memory space requirements, and the garbage collection overhead under proper management. The experimental results show that the proposed adaptive mechanism could provide significant performance improvement over the well-known coarse-grained management mechanism NFTL (NAND flash translation layer) over realistic workloads
Review of the Minimus Complex of Anopheles, main malaria vector in Southeast Asia: from taxonomic issues to vector control strategies

Background The Minimus Complex of Anopheles subgenus Cellia is composed of two sibling species, A and C, on the Southeast Asian mainland, and a third allopatric species E that occurs in the Ryukyu Archipelago (Japan), a malaria‐free region. Anopheles minimus s.l. is considered to be one of the main malaria vector in the hilly forested regions of Southeast Asia. Despite a large number of studies over its range of distribution, it is difficult to have a global view of the ecological and bionomical characteristics of the individual species as different identification methods were used, generally without specific identification of the sibling species.
Physico-mechanical and dissolution behaviours of ibuprofen crystals crystallized in the presence of various additives

Background and the purpose of the study The success of any direct-tableting procedure is strongly affected by the quality of the crystals used in the process. Ibuprofen is a poorly compactible drug with a high tendency for capping. In order to use ibuprofen in direct compression formulations, physico-mechanical properties of ibuprofen should be improved considerably. The aim of the present investigation was to employ crystallization techniques in order to improve the physico- mechanical properties of ibuprofen for direct compression. Methods The experimental methods involved the preparation of ibuprofen crystals by solvent change technique. Ibuprofen was dissolved in ethanol and crystallized out with water in the absence or presence of various hydrophilic additives (PEG 6000, 8000, Brij 98P and polyvinyl alcohol 22000, PVA 22000) with different concentrations. The physico-mechanical properties of the ibuprofen crystals were studied in terms of flow, density, tensile strength and dissolution behaviour. Morphology of ibuprofen crystals was studied by scanning electron microscopic (SEM). Solid state of the recrystallized particles was also investigated using differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and FT-IR. Results Ibuprofen samples crystallized in the presence of PEG 6000 and 8000 and PVA showed remarkable increase in the tensile strengths of the directly compressed tablets, while some other additives, i.e. Brij 98P did not produce improved ibuprofen crystals. Ibuprofen powders made from particles obtained in the presence of PVA and Brij 98P showed similar dissolution profiles to the commercial ibuprofen particles. DSC and FT-IR results ruled out any significant interaction between ibuprofen and additives except for the samples crystallized in the presence of PEG 8000. Conclusion The crystal habit of ibuprofen can be altered successfully by the crystallization technique which was developed in this study. The crystals developed in the presence of certain additives can be recommended for direct compression.
Influence of Guinier-Preston zones on deformation in Ti-rich Ti-Ni thin films

The deformed microstructure of a Ti-48.9at. %Ni thin film has been investigated by transmission electron microscopy. It was found that Guinier-Preston (GP) zones exist in the thin film and the martensite has (001) compound twins as substructure. The microstructure of the martensite shows that the GP zones do not stop both the shear deformation of martensitic transformation and the twinning shear of (001) deformation twin in the martensite phase. These results give a microstructural explanation for the previous result that Ti-rich Ti-Ni thin films with GP zones show a large transformation strain despite the presence of the GP zones.
Annealing effect on microstructure and mechanical properties of magnetron sputtering Ti–Si–C thin film

Abstract To investigate the influence of temperature on nucleation and growth of Ti3SiC2, Ti–Si–C thin films were deposited by magnetron sputtering from elemental targets of Ti, Si and C on Si(100) and Al2O3 substrates at temperature <200°C. Subsequently, the as deposited films were annealed in vacuum at 800, 950, 1100 and 1200°C respectively. The as deposited films consisted of amorphous TiC, amorphous Si and free C, as determined by X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Annealing in vacuum <950°C resulted in improved crystallinity of TiC and formation of SiCx and Ti5Si3 phases. However, the Ti3SiC2 phase forms in films at 1100°C owing to the increase in Si diffusion coefficient. Moreover, the evolution of hardness and elastics modulus with annealing temperatures was determined by nanoindentation. The results showed a continuous decline of film hardness with increasing annealing temperature due to the formation of Ti3SiC2 and Ti5Si3 phases.