Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interleukin-12 is indispensable for protective immunity against Leishmania major

Interleukin-12 (IL-12)-deficient mice derived from a strain genetically resistant to infection with Leishmania major were recently shown to be susceptible toward this parasite, developing a strong Th2 response after injection of a large number of parasites. We further investigated the role of IL-12 in L. major infection by studying the responses of mutant mice against smaller numbers of parasites. IL-12-deficient mice infected with only small numbers of parasites showed the progressive lesion development and high parasite burden associated with a polarized Th2 response. Our data show that IL-12 is indispensable for protective immunity against L. major. Even at low inocula, no salvage pathway appears to compensate for the lack of IL-12. However, genetically susceptible BALB/c mice infected with small numbers of parasites were able to resolve lesions and restrict the parasite burden to levels which were 10(5)-fold lower than those in IL-12-deficient mice. In contrast to mutant mice, BALB/c mice mounted a type 1 response against low inocula of L. major. IL-12-deficient BALB/c mice, however, developed a type 2 response. These data emphasize the essential role of IL-12 in resistance against L. major. In addition, this study suggests that in the absence of IL-12, susceptibility to L. major is determined by the inability to induce a Th1 response rather than the development of a Th2 response. Our results are relevant for potential vaccination strategies that use low inocula of infective microorganisms which fail to induce a protective type 1 response at higher inocula.
Shock characterization of quartz phenolic composite

Goal was to obtain dynamic mechanical property data on a quartz phenolic (abbreviated QP) composite. Shock loading and shock release measurements have been conducted using impact techniques utilizing both a light-gas gun and a powder gun at impact pressures up to 20 GPa. The primary diagnostic tool used was a velocity interferometer. The data analysis includes Hugoniot measurements to give both pressure-particle velocity and shock velocity-particle velocity relationships; spall measurements to determine the fracture stress at which the material spells; and attenuation measurements to determine the shock attenuation with material thickness. The QP Hugoniot relationship was found to be significantly different than that of a phenolic without a filler material indicating that the impedance of the QP used in this investigation was higher. The spall strength was measured to be {approximately}0.075 GPa, similar to nonfilled phenolic, which indicated that the presence of quartz fibers was not contributing to the fracture strength. The material was found to attenuate an imposed shock of approximately 6.3 GPa pressure and 0.18 {mu}s to 50% of the initial impact value after a propagation distance of 7mm.
Dyadic, Partner, and Social Network Influences on Intimate Partner Violence among Male-Male Couples

Introduction: Despite a recent focus on intimate partner violence (IPV) among men who have sex with men (MSM), the male-male couple is largely absent from the IPV literature. Specifically, research on dyadic factors shaping IPV in male-male couples is lacking. Methods: We took a subsample of 403 gay/bisexual men with main partners from a 2011 survey of approximately 1,000 gay and bisexual men from Atlanta. Logistic regression models of recent (<12 month) experience and perpetration of physical and sexual IPV examined dyadic factors, including racial differences, age differences, and social network characteristics of couples as key covariates shaping the reporting of IPV. Results: Findings indicate that men were more likely to report perpetration of physical violence if they were a different race to their main partner, whereas main partner age was associated with decreased reporting of physical violence. Having social networks that contained more gay friends was associated with significant reductions in the reporting of IPV, whereas having social networks comprised of sex partners or closeted gay friends was associated with increased reporting of IPV victimization and perpetration. Conclusion: The results point to several unique factors shaping the reporting of IPV within male-male couples and highlight the need for intervention efforts and prevention programs that focus on male couples, a group largely absent from both research and prevention efforts.
Betel nut and tobacco chewing; potential risk factors of cancer of oesophagus in Assam, India

Cancer of the oesophagus is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in males in Assam, in north-eastern India, and ranks second for females. The chewing of betel nut, with or without tobacco and prepared in various ways, is a common practice in the region and a case–control study has been designed to study the pattern of risk associated with different ways of preparing and chewing the nuts. 358 newly diagnosed male patients and 144 female have been interviewed together with 2 control subjects for each case chosen at random from among the attendants who accompanied patients to hospital. There were significant trends in risk ratios associated with the frequency of chewing each day, with the duration of chewing in years and with the age at which the habit was started that were apparent for both males and females and which remained significant after allowance was made for other known risk factors, notably tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption. The adjusted ratios, in comparison with non-chewers, were 13.3 M and 5.7 F for chewing more than 20 times a day, 10.6 M and 7.2 F for persons who had chewed for more than 20 years and 10.3 M and 5.3 F for those who had started before the age of 20. Among the different combinations of ingredients that were chewed the adjusted odds ratios were highest for those who had been using fermented betel nut with any form of tobacco (7.1 M and 3.6 F). The risk associated with tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption, which are high in some parts of the world, were less in Assam than those associated with the chewing of betel nut. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaign www.bjcancer. com
Teleconnections between the Peruvian Central Andes and Northeast Brazil during Extreme Rainfall Events in Austral Summer

ABSTRACTExtreme precipitation events in the Peruvian Andes have significant socioeconomic impacts, yet their atmospheric dynamics are poorly understood. Here austral summer (December–March) wet and dry spells and their continental- and large-scale teleconnections are analyzed using reanalysis, gridded, and in situ precipitation data. Dry and wet spells in the Peruvian Andes show a pervasive dipole pattern with precipitation anomalies of the opposite sign over northeastern Brazil. Composite anomalies of various atmospheric fields during extreme precipitation events indicate that this dipole is related to large-scale adjustments in the upper-tropospheric Bolivian high–Nordeste low system, which in turn are modulated by northward-propagating extratropical Rossby wave trains. At upper- and midtropospheric levels, westerly wind anomalies over the Peruvian Andes suppress moisture flux from the Amazon during dry events, while wet events are characterized by opposite conditions. Yet, while easterly wind anomalies.
Change in cognitive functioning following acute antidepressant treatment in late-life depression.

OBJECTIVE Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most commonly prescribed medications for geriatric depression. The association of late-life depression and cognitive impairment has been well documented. However, there have been few placebo-controlled trials examining the impact of SSRIs on cognitive functioning. DESIGN Prepost neuropsychological (NP) data collected as part of an 8-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of citalopram in depressed patients aged 75 years and older were used to examine change in cognitive functioning. SETTING University-affiliated outpatient psychiatry clinics. PARTICIPANTS One hundred seventy-four community-dwelling men and women aged 75 years or older with nonpsychotic unipolar depression. MEASUREMENTS NP assessments included mental status (Mini-Mental State Examination), psychomotor speed (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III Digit Symbol Subtest), reaction time (Choice Reaction Time), visual-spatial skill (Judgment of Line Orientation), executive functioning (Stroop Color/Word Test), and memory (Buschke Selective Reminding Test). RESULTS Differences in the pattern of change by treatment group depended on responder status. Citalopram nonresponders were the only group to decline on verbal learning and psychomotor speed. Citalopram responders showed significant improvement in visuospatial functioning, when compared with nonresponders in either condition, but their improvement was not greater than responders on placebo. Citalopram responders showed greater improvement on psychomotor speed than citalopram nonresponders, but their improvement was not greater than placebo responders or nonresponders. CONCLUSIONS Medication may have a deleterious effect on some aspects of cognition among patients aged 75 years and older who have not responded. This suggests that patients should not be maintained on a medication if they have not had an adequate response.
MC-CDMA Based Architecture for the Downlink of Infrastructure WLANs

In this paper we propose a multicarrier code division multiple access (MC-CDMA) based architecture with variable spreading factor for the downlink of infrastructure wireless local area networks (WLANs). The objective of this proposal is to provide service simultaneously and within the same radio channel to several users even if their data rate requirements are different. In addition, the bit error rate (BER) performance of our proposal is analyzed for four combining techniques and two network scenarios, one without multiple user interference (MUI) and one where the MUI reaches its maximum value. We consider a wide-band Rician fading channel with both independent and correlated frequency selectivity for the BER computations. The main the purpose of the paper is to show how the MUI and the correlation among subchannels affect the BER performance of a downlink MC-CDMA system
Phlebotomy in the Treatment of Iron Overload in Patients with Nonalcoholic and Alcoholic Fatty Liver Diseases

In patients with chronic liver disease, especially nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and chronic hepatitis C, iron overload is an important factor for the severity and course of disease. The clinical benefit of phlebotomy as iron reduction therapy in patients with NAFLD and ALD and iron is not clear yet. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of phlebotomy in the treatment of patients with NAFLD and ALD and iron overload. Material and methods: A total of 60 patients (45 –male, 15-female; age 44.56±7.19 y.) with serum markers, pointed iron overload (increased levels of serum iron, ferritin and tranferrin saturation > 30%) were included: 30 patients with NAFLD – steatosis (NAS, n= 8) иsteatohepatitis (NASH, n= 22) and 30 patients with ALD – steatosis (AS, n= 10) и alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH, n= 20) with intakeof alcohol more than 40 g /daily. In patients with NAFLD serum insulin level and HOMA-IR were also assessed. Phlebotomies were carried out periodically according to the standard protocol for a follow-up period of 12 months. Results: In response to phlebotomy, there was a significant decrease (р = 0.001-0.0001) in serum levels of iron, ferritin and transferrin saturation in the whole group of patients, and also in the groups of patients with NAFLD and ALD. An improvement of liver enzymes – AST, ALT and GGT (р = 0.001-0.0001) was also found in the three groups of patients. In patients with NAFLD, a decrease of serum insulin on fasting (basal -18.46 ± 4.32 mIU/L vs11.27 ± 3.54 mIU/L, post phlebotomies, р = 0.005) and HOMA-IR(4.56 ± 2.54 vs 2.68 ± 1.73) were also present. In conclusion, our results show that phlebotomy is a safe and efficient therapy for the patients with nonalcoholic and alcoholic fatty liver disease and iron overload. Regular control of serum iron decrease is essential for the determination of phlebotomies’ frequency.
How to make a synaptic ribbon: RIBEYE deletion abolishes ribbons in retinal synapses and disrupts neurotransmitter release

Synaptic ribbons are large proteinaceous scaffolds at the active zone of ribbon synapses that are specialized for rapid sustained synaptic vesicles exocytosis. A single ribbon‐specific protein is known, RIBEYE, suggesting that ribbons may be constructed from RIBEYE protein. RIBEYE knockdown in zebrafish, however, only reduced but did not eliminate ribbons, indicating a more ancillary role. Here, we show in mice that full deletion of RIBEYE abolishes all presynaptic ribbons in retina synapses. Using paired recordings in acute retina slices, we demonstrate that deletion of RIBEYE severely impaired fast and sustained neurotransmitter release at bipolar neuron/AII amacrine cell synapses and rendered spontaneous miniature release sensitive to the slow Ca2+‐buffer EGTA, suggesting that synaptic ribbons mediate nano‐domain coupling of Ca2+ channels to synaptic vesicle exocytosis. Our results show that RIBEYE is essential for synaptic ribbons as such, and may organize presynaptic nano‐domains that position release‐ready synaptic vesicles adjacent to Ca2+ channels.
A Comprehensive Three-dimensional Cortical Map of Vowel Space

Mammalian cortex is known to contain various kinds of spatial encoding schemes for sensory information including retinotopic, somatosensory, and tonotopic maps. Tonotopic maps are especially interesting for human speech sound processing because they encode linguistically salient acoustic properties. In this study, we mapped the entire vowel space of a language (Turkish) onto cortical locations by using the magnetic N1 (M100), an auditory-evoked component that peaks approximately 100 msec after auditory stimulus onset. We found that dipole locations could be structured into two distinct maps, one for vowels produced with the tongue positioned toward the front of the mouth (front vowels) and one for vowels produced in the back of the mouth (back vowels). Furthermore, we found spatial gradients in lateral–medial, anterior–posterior, and inferior–superior dimensions that encoded the phonetic, categorical distinctions between all the vowels of Turkish. Statistical model comparisons of the dipole locations suggest that the spatial encoding scheme is not entirely based on acoustic bottom–up information but crucially involves featural–phonetic top–down modulation. Thus, multiple areas of excitation along the unidimensional basilar membrane are mapped into higher dimensional representations in auditory cortex.
Opportunities for Health Promotion Education in Child Care

Objectives. Comprehensive health promotion education is not feasible through pediatric office visits alone. Opportunities may exist for enhanced health promotion in child care settings. The objectives of this study were to understand the attitudes toward, barriers to, and strategies for incorporating health promotion activities in child care settings as well as topics that are deemed most useful from the perspectives of parents, child care directors, and health consultants. We also sought to understand the health consultants' (health professionals serving as consultants to child care centers) current and desired roles in leading health promotion activities in child care settings. Methods. We conducted simultaneous surveys of all licensed child care center directors and their health consultants in Boston. A total of 240 parents in 16 randomly selected centers were also surveyed. Results. A total of 97 (65%) directors in the 150 child care centers identified responded. A total of 71% (56 of 79) of consultants and 58% (138 of 240) of parents responded. Parents (89%), child care directors (88%), and health consultants (80%) believe that health promotion activities through child care centers would improve the health knowledge and behaviors of preschool children. A total of 45% of parents reported already receiving useful health information from child care staff and materials distributed in child care. Most topic areas that were suggested to parents were considered useful, with the greatest utility in the areas of behavior/discipline, child development, and emergency management. No significant barriers were identified by health professionals. Lack of funds (63%) and lack of someone to provide information (59%) were the top barriers identified by directors. An educational session on health topics by health care professionals was believed to be the best strategy to improve health promotion education for families. Among the health consultants, 83% of nurses or nurse practitioners said that they would be able to provide health education in child care compared with 53% of physicians. Conclusion. Parents, child care center directors, and health professionals believe that enhancing health promotion education in child care could improve child health. Collaboration between pediatricians and early care and education professionals has the potential to improve the breadth and effectiveness of health promotion education. Effective strategies are necessary to optimize access to health professionals by early educators, and effectively utilize the unique skills and preferences of physicians and nurses to promote health education in child care.
A Comparison of Patient Controlled Epidural Analgesia With Intravenous Patient Controlled Analgesia for Postoperative Pain Management After Major Gynecologic Oncologic Surgeries: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Background: Postoperative pain after major open gynecologic surgeries requires appropriate pain management. Objectives: This study aimed at comparing perioperative patient controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) and patient controlled intravenous analgesia (PCA) after gynecologic oncology surgeries. Patients and Methods: In this clinical trial study, 90 patients with American society of anesthesiologists (ASA) class I or II scheduled for gynecologic oncologic surgeries were randomly allocated to two groups (45 patients each group) to receive: patient-controlled epidural analgesia with bupivacaine and fentanyl (PCEA group), or patient controlled intravenous analgesia (IV PCA group) with fentanyl, pethidine and ondansetron. Postoperative pain was assessed over 48 hours using the visual analog scale (VAS). The frequency of rescue analgesia was recorded. Occurrence of any concomitant events such as nausea, vomiting, ileus, purities, sedation and respiratory complications were recorded postoperatively. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in demographic data including; age, weight, ASA physical status, duration of surgery, intraoperative bleeding, and the amount of blood transfusion (P > 0.05), between the two studied groups. Severity of postoperative pain was not significantly different between the two groups (P > 0.05); however, after first patient mobilization, pain was significantly lower in the epidural group than the IV group (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding the incidence of complications such as nausea, vomiting, purities or ileus (P > 0.05). Nevertheless, the incidence and severity of sedation was significantly higher in the IV group (P < 0.001). Respiratory depression was higher in the IV group than the epidural group; this difference, however, was not significant (P = 0.11). In the epidural group, only 10 patients (22.2%) had mild and transient lower extremities parenthesis. Conclusions: Both intravenous and epidural analgesic techniques with combination of analgesics provide proper postoperative pain control after major gynecologic cancer surgeries without any significant complications. Regarding lower sedative and respiratory depressant effects of epidural analgesia, it seems that this method is a safer technique for postoperative pain relief in these patients.
Probiotic mixture decreases DNA adduct formation in colonic epithelium induced by the food mutagen 2-amino-9H-pyrido[2,3-b]indole in a human-flora associated mouse model

Consumption of probiotic bacteria such as bifidobacteria has been shown to reduce the risk of colon cancer in animal models. However, the composition and metabolic activities of the intestinal flora of experimental animals are significantly different from those of humans. The aim of the study was to examine whether the probiotic mixture, which consisted of Streptococcus faecalis, Clostridium butyricum and Bacillus mesentericus, could decrease DNA adduct formation induced by 2-amino-9H-pyrido[2,3-b]indole (2-amino-alpha-carboline; AAC) in the colonic epithelium of a human-flora-associated (HFA) mouse model. Ten HFA mice were divided into a control group (n=4) and a probiotic group (n=6). The control group was administered AAC for 3 days and sacrificed 24 h after the last dose. The probiotic group was administered the probiotic mixture for 2 weeks prior to the administration of AAC. Analysis of DNA adducts with the 32P-high-performance liquid chromatography method was performed on stomach, jejunum and colonic epithelium, representing direct exposure sites of AAC, and colon wall, liver and kidney, representing indirect exposure sites. The mean level of the DNA adducts in the colonic epithelium of the probiotic group was significantly lower than that of control group, while the mean levels at the other sites did not differ significantly between the groups. The results indicated that the probiotic mixture could decrease the DNA adduct formation in the colonic epithelium induced by AAC.
Dermal bone in early tetrapods: a palaeophysiological hypothesis of adaptation for terrestrial acidosis

The dermal bone sculpture of early, basal tetrapods of the Permo-Carboniferous is unlike the bone surface of any living vertebrate, and its function has long been obscure. Drawing from physiological studies of extant tetrapods, where dermal bone or other calcified tissues aid in regulating acid–base balance relating to hypercapnia (excess blood carbon dioxide) and/or lactate acidosis, we propose a similar function for these sculptured dermal bones in early tetrapods. Unlike the condition in modern reptiles, which experience hypercapnia when submerged in water, these animals would have experienced hypercapnia on land, owing to likely inefficient means of eliminating carbon dioxide. The different patterns of dermal bone sculpture in these tetrapods largely correlates with levels of terrestriality: sculpture is reduced or lost in stem amniotes that likely had the more efficient lung ventilation mode of costal aspiration, and in small-sized stem amphibians that would have been able to use the skin for gas exchange.