Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ASSESSMENT OF A SYNBIOTIC EFFECT ON BROILER PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE AND ANTIOXIDATIVE ENZYMES ACTIVITY

The biological experiment was conducted in order to investigate the influence of synbiotic addition in broiler’s nutrition on productive performance and antioxidative status. In the control treatment (T1) the broilers were fed with commercial mixtures of standard composition and quality. Experimental broilers were fed with the same mixtures supplemented with synbiotic (T2) or antibiotic salinomycin (T3). During the preparation period chickens received a starter mixture without additions, thereafter, chickens were fed with finisher mixtures according to the experimental design. At the end of the experiment (day 42) chickens in experimental treatments T2 and T3 achieved significantly (p<0.05) higher final body masses compared to the chickens in T1 treatment. Also, after completing the trial, significantly (p<0.05) lower feed conversion ratios were noticed in experimental treatments compared to treatment T1. Chicken mortality rate was the lowest in treatment T2 and the highest in treatment T1. The significantly lowest (p<0.05) serum malondialdehyde content was recorded in treatment T2, followed by treatments T3 and T1, respectively, while the highest GSH content was in treatment T2. On the basis of obtained findings, it can be concluded that the addition of synbiotic in chicken’s nutrition had positive impact on productive performance and antioxidative protection in broilers blood.
Development of a symptom specific health status measure for patients with chronic cough: Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ)

Background: Chronic cough is a common condition which has a significant impact on quality of life. Assessment and management are hampered by the absence of well validated outcome measures. The development and validation of the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ), a self-completed health related quality of life measure of chronic cough, is presented. Methods: Patients with chronic cough were recruited from outpatient clinics. The development of the LCQ consisted of three phases: phase 1 (item generation); phase 2 (item reduction, allocation of items to domains and validation of questionnaire); phase 3 (repeatability and responsiveness testing of final version of questionnaire). Results: Phase 1: Literature review, multidisciplinary team meeting and 15 structured interviews with chronic cough patients generated 44 items (LCQ1) with a 7 point Likert response scale. Phase 2: 104 chronic cough outpatients completed the LCQ1 along with an importance rating for each item. The clinical impact factor method was used for item reduction to 19 items (LCQ2: final version). These items were divided into three domains (physical, psychological and social) following expert opinion. Internal reliability, as assessed using Cronbach‘s alpha coefficients, varied between 0.79 and 0.89. Concurrent validity was high when the LCQ2 (n=56) was compared with a cough visual analogue score (r=–0.72). There was a moderate relationship with response to the St George‘s Respiratory Questionnaire (r=–0.54) and SF36 total score (r=0.46). Phase 3: Two week repeatability (n=24) was high with intraclass correlation coefficients for domains varying between 0.88 and 0.96. Responsiveness in nine patients whose cough was successfully treated varied within domains from an effect size of 0.84 to 1.75. Conclusion: The LCQ is a valid, repeatable 19 item self-completed quality of life measure of chronic cough which is responsive to change. It should be a useful tool in clinical trials and longitudinal studies.
Sleep and the transition to adolescence: a longitudinal study.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To assess the links between sleep and pubertal development using a longitudinal design. DESIGN Three consecutive annual assessments of sleep and pubertal development. Sleep was assessed using a week of home actigraphy. SETTING Naturalistic sleep in the home setting of school children, Tel Aviv Area, Israel. PARTICIPANTS A sample of 94 (41 boys) typically developing healthy school-age children (age range at first assessment: 9.9-11.2 years). INTERVENTION N/A. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS The Petersen's Pubertal Development Scale (PDS) and Sexual Maturation Scale (SMS) were used to assess pubertal development, and a week of actigraphy served to assess naturalistic sleep patterns. The results reflect expected developmental trends: an increase in signs of pubertal maturation, delayed sleep onset, and shorter sleep time. After controlling for age, significant relationships were found between sleep onset time, true sleep time, and number of night wakings at Time 1 and pubertal ratings at Time 2, and pubertal changes from Time 1 to Time 2. Delayed and disrupted sleep at Time 1 predicted faster pubertal changes from Time 1 to Time 2. These results were supported by structural equation modeling. These findings were similar in boys and girls. CONCLUSIONS Based on these longitudinal data, it appears that pubertal changes in sleep (delayed sleep phase and disrupted sleep patterns) antedate bodily changes associated with puberty. The underlying mechanisms explaining these predictive links should be further explored.
Analysis of the Pattern of Chest Trauma- A Forensic Approach

Background: After cardiovascular and cancer, the third leading cause of death is trauma. Death due to trauma usually occurs in the first four decades of life. Thoracic injuries are a severe problem due to high-speed vehicle accidents. The two significant types of trauma are penetrating trauma and blunt trauma. Penetrating injuries usually result in the disruption of tissue structure, while blunt injuries result in organ damage or any structure under the tissue without damaging the integrity of that tissue. Blunt injuries include falling from a height, a traffic accident, or job-related injuries. Method: This is a cross-sectional study conducted for one year, and a sample size of 293 was taken. The study encompassed the bodies of patients eligible for autopsy, excluding those with mutilated or decomposed bodies, as well as those with insufficient historical information. Autopsies were conducted following proper patient identification and examination. A T-test was employed to compare male and female groups, while the chi-squared test assessed differences in categorical variables between groups. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 24.0. A value of P 0.05 was considered significant. Result: The study revealed that most of the chest trauma cases occurred in males 70.3% and females 29.7%. Maximum number of trauma was seen between the age group of 21 to 30 years. Out of 293 victims, 235 have blunt injuries, and 58 have penetrating injuries, lung contusion is the most common 51.8% followed by rib fracture, which has occurred in 46.4% victims. Conclusion: The rate of occurrence of chest trauma is higher in males between the age group of 21 to 30 years than females of the same age group. Similarly, the prevalence of blunt chest trauma is much higher as compared to penetrating chest trauma. In blunt injury, the incidence of traffic-related injuries is higher, while in penetrating injuries, stabbing is more common than any other injuries.
Algebraic Soft-Decision Decoding of Reed–Solomon Codes Using Bit-Level Soft Information

The performance of algebraic soft-decision decoding of Reed-Solomon codes using bit-level soft information is investigated. Optimal multiplicity assignment strategies for algebraic soft-decision decoding (SDD) with infinite cost are first studied over erasure channels and the binary-symmetric channel. The corresponding decoding radii are calculated in closed forms and tight bounds on the error probability are derived. The multiplicity assignment strategy and the corresponding performance analysis are then generalized to characterize the decoding region of algebraic SDD over a mixed error and bit-level erasure channel. The bit-level decoding region of the proposed multiplicity assignment strategy is shown to be significantly larger than that of conventional Berlekamp-Massey decoding. As an application, a bit-level generalized minimum distance decoding algorithm is proposed. The proposed decoding compares favorably with many other Reed-Solomon SDD algorithms over various channels. Moreover, owing to the simplicity of the proposed bit-level generalized minimum distance decoding, its performance can be tightly bounded using order statistics.
Preliminary Assessment of Mixed Plants for Phytoremediation of Chromium Contaminated Soil

This study determined the ability of mixed plants of Helianthus annus, Zinnia elegans, and Impatiens balsamine to remove chromium (Cr) from soil. This research used respirometer to measure the respiration rate of microorganisms in soil media and Atomic Absorption Spectophotometry to measure Cr content on soil and plants. The results of the study showed that the plants were able to remove Cr from the soil as much as 74%. However, the removal enhanced by microbial activity on the rootzone.
Insights into the Neurobiology of the Nicotinic Cholinergic System and Nicotine Addiction from Mice Expressing Nicotinic Receptors Harboring Gain-of-Function Mutations

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are ligand-gated, cation-selective ion channels expressed throughout the brain. Although these channels have been investigated for several decades, it is still challenging 1) to identify the important nAChR subunits in cholinergic transmission and nicotine dependence and 2) to develop nAChR subtype-specific ligands. To overcome these challenges, we and others have studied mice expressing mutant, gain-of-function nAChR subunits. In this review, we discuss this research approach and the results it has yielded to date. Gain-of-function mutations, including those in nAChR subunits, provide an approach that is complementary to loss-of-function studies such as gene knockouts; the former allows one to answer questions of sufficiency and the latter addresses questions of necessity. Mutant mice expressing gain-of-function nAChR subunits are commonly produced using traditional gene targeting in embryonic stem cells, but novel approaches such as bacterial artificial chromosome transgenesis have yielded important insights as well. α7 nAChRs were the first nAChRs to be targeted with a gain-of-function mutation, followed by a pair of α4 nAChR gain-of-function mutant mice. These α4 nAChR gain-of-function mice (α4 L9′S mice, followed by α4 L9′A mice) provided an important system to probe α4 nAChR function in vivo, particularly in the dopamine reward system. α6 nAChR gain-of-function mice provided the first robust system allowing specific manipulation of this receptor subtype. Other targeted mutations in various nAChR subunits have also been produced and have yielded important insights into nicotinic cholinergic biology. As nAChR research advances and more details associated with nAChR expression and function emerge, we expect that existing and new mouse lines expressing gain-of-function nAChR subunits will continue to provide new insights.
Lifestyle-Driven Variations in Nutrimiromic MicroRNA Expression Patterns across and beyond Genders

The importance of diet and lifestyle in maintaining overall health has long been recognised. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as key players in the intricate interplay between health and disease. This study, including 305 participants, examined the role of miRNAs from capillary blood as indicators of individual physiological characteristics, diet, and lifestyle influences. Key findings include specific miRNAs associated with inflammatory processes and dietary patterns. Notably, miR-155 was associated with subjects with metabolic diseases and upregulated in age. Additionally, the study revealed diet-related miRNA expressions: high consumption of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains correlated with increased levels of miR-let-7a and miR-328, both implicated in anti-inflammatory pathways, and decreased expression of pro-inflammatory miR-21. In the context of smoking, we found a significant decrease in miRNA-142, known for its downregulation in lung cancer. We observed a sex-biased expression of various miRNAs with significant upregulation of miR-151a in females and a higher expression of miR-155 in ageing females, representing a possible mechanism for the increased susceptibility to autoimmune diseases. In conclusion, the study underscores the significant influence of lifestyle, nutrition, and sex on miRNA profiles. Circulating miRNAs demonstrate significant potential as biomarkers in personalized medicine, highlighting their utility in tailoring healthcare to individual needs.
Platelet Aggregation in Partially Obstructed Vessels and its Elimination with Aspirin

SUMMARY In 35 open chest anesthetized dogs coronary and aortic blood flow were measured with electromagnetic flowmeters while aortic and distal coronary blood pressure and an epicardial ECG were recorded. A fixed amount of stenosis (60–80%) was produced in the coronary artery by an externally applied plastic cylinder. In 24 of the 35 dogs the coronary blood flow showed cyclical reductions to near zero, with a sudden spontaneous return to near control levels. During reduced flow the epicardial ECG showed ST-segment depression suggestive of ischemia, and ventricular premature beats were often noted. Six animals died acutely during episodes of reduced flow. After 35 mg/kg of aspirin were given intravenously the cyclical reductions in coronary blood flow were abolished and the in vitro platelet aggregations were reduced from a control of 62.1 ± 15 units (Born technique) to an average of 23.7 ± 12 units.Histologic sections of the narrowed coronary artery obtained when coronary flow was reduced show an amorphous mass in the lumen which was thought to be a platelet aggregate. Perhaps a similar process of platelet aggregation occurs in the stenosed coronary arteries in man, producing acute coronary obstruction, ischemia, and sudden death.
The quantum query complexity of approximating the median and related statistics

Let X = (x_0,.,x_{n-1})$ be a sequence of n numbers. For \epsilon > 0, we say that x_i is an \epsilon-approximate median if the number of elements strictly less than x_i, and the number of elements strictly greater than x_i are each less than (1+\epsilon)n/2. We consider the quantum query complexity of computing an \epsilon-approximate median, given the sequence X as an oracle. We prove a lower bound of \Omega(\min{{1/\epsilon},n}) queries for any quantum algorithm that computes an \epsilon-approximate median with any constant probability greater than 1/2. We also show how an \epsilon-approximate median may be computed with O({1/\epsilon}\log({1\/\epsilon}) \log\log({1/\epsilon})) oracle queries, which represents an improvement over an earlier algorithm due to Grover. Thus, the lower bound we obtain is essentially optimal. The upper and the lower bound both hold in the comparison tree model as well. Our lower bound result is an application of the polynomial paradigm recently introduced to quantum complexity theory by Beals et al. The main ingredient in the proof is a polynomial degree lower bound for real multilinear polynomials that ``approximate'' symmetric partial boolean functions. The degree bound extends a result of Paturi and also immediately yields lower bounds for the problems of approximating the kth-smallest element, approximating the mean of a sequence of numbers, and that of approximately counting the number of ones of a boolean function. All bounds obtained come within polylogarithmic factors of the optimal (as we show by presenting algorithms where no such optimal or near optimal algorithms were known), thus demonstrating the power of the polynomial method.
Fractures of the Proximal Third of the Tibial Shaft Treated With Intramedullary Nails and Blocking Screws

Objectives: To describe the technique and results of using blocking screws and intramedullary nails to treat patients with fractures of the proximal third of the tibial shaft. Design: Prospective. Setting: Level I trauma centers. Patients: Twelve consecutive patients treated with intramedullary nailing and blocking screws for fractures of the proximal third of the tibial shaft. Intervention: Patients were treated with intramedullary nails and blocking screws. Main Outcome Measure: The alignment of fractures was determined using standard anteroposterior and lateral radiographs after surgery and at each follow-up examination. One patient was lost to follow-up. All other patients were followed at regular intervals until union or establishment of a nonunion. Changes in alignment and complications were noted. Results: Postoperatively, all patients had less than 5 degrees of angular deformity in the planes in which blocking screws were used to control alignment. One patient had postoperative malalignment (6 degrees of valgus), but a lateral blocking screw to control valgus deformity was not used in this patient. One patient was lost to follow-up. Eleven patients were followed up to union (n = 10) or establishment of a nonunion (n = 1). Ten of eleven patients maintained their postoperative fracture alignment at their last follow-up examination (average follow-up of thirty-three weeks). One patient progressed from 6 degrees of valgus immediately after surgery to 10 degrees of valgus at union. This patient did not have a blocking screw to control valgus angulation. Conclusions: Blocking screws are effective to help obtain and maintain alignment of fractures of the proximal third of the tibial shaft treated with intramedullary nails.
Coding for Errors and Erasures in Random Network Coding

The problem of error-control in random linear network coding is considered. A ldquononcoherentrdquo or ldquochannel obliviousrdquo model is assumed where neither transmitter nor receiver is assumed to have knowledge of the channel transfer characteristic. Motivated by the property that linear network coding is vector-space preserving, information transmission is modeled as the injection into the network of a basis for a vector space V and the collection by the receiver of a basis for a vector space U. A metric on the projective geometry associated with the packet space is introduced, and it is shown that a minimum-distance decoder for this metric achieves correct decoding if the dimension of the space V capU is sufficiently large. If the dimension of each codeword is restricted to a fixed integer, the code forms a subset of a finite-field Grassmannian, or, equivalently, a subset of the vertices of the corresponding Grassmann graph. Sphere-packing and sphere-covering bounds as well as a generalization of the singleton bound are provided for such codes. Finally, a Reed-Solomon-like code construction, related to Gabidulin's construction of maximum rank-distance codes, is described and a Sudan-style ldquolist-1rdquo minimum-distance decoding algorithm is provided.
Alternative Splicing Regulation During C. elegans Development: Splicing Factors as Regulated Targets

Alternative splicing generates protein diversity and allows for post-transcriptional gene regulation. Estimates suggest that 10% of the genes in Caenorhabditis elegans undergo alternative splicing. We constructed a splicing-sensitive microarray to detect alternative splicing for 352 cassette exons and tested for changes in alternative splicing of these genes during development. We found that the microarray data predicted that 62/352 (∼18%) of the alternative splicing events studied show a strong change in the relative levels of the spliced isoforms (>4-fold) during development. Confirmation of the microarray data by RT-PCR was obtained for 70% of randomly selected genes tested. Among the genes with the most developmentally regulated alternatively splicing was the hnRNP F/H splicing factor homolog, W02D3.11 – now named hrpf-1. For the cassette exon of hrpf-1, the inclusion isoform comprises 65% of hrpf-1 steady state messages in embryos but only 0.1% in the first larval stage. This dramatic change in the alternative splicing of an alternative splicing factor suggests a complex cascade of splicing regulation during development. We analyzed splicing in embryos from a strain with a mutation in the splicing factor sym-2, another hnRNP F/H homolog. We found that approximately half of the genes with large alternative splicing changes between the embryo and L1 stages are regulated by sym-2 in embryos. An analysis of the role of nonsense-mediated decay in regulating steady-state alternative mRNA isoforms was performed. We found that 8% of the 352 events studied have alternative isoforms whose relative steady-state levels in embryos change more than 4-fold in a nonsense-mediated decay mutant, including hrpf-1. Strikingly, 53% of these alternative splicing events that are affected by NMD in our experiment are not obvious substrates for NMD based on the presence of premature termination codons. This suggests that the targeting of splicing factors by NMD may have downstream effects on alternative splicing regulation.
Liveness of Heap Data for Functional Programs

Functional programming languages use garbage collection for heap memory management. Ideally, garbage collectors should reclaim all objects that are dead at the time of garbage collection. An object is dead at an execution instant if it is not used in future. Garbage collectors collect only those dead objects that are not reachable from any program variable. This is because they are not able to distinguish between reachable objects that are dead and reachable objects that are live. In this paper, we describe a static analysis to discover reachable dead objects in programs written in first-order, eager functional programming languages. The results of this technique can be used to make reachable dead objects unreachable, thereby allowing garbage collectors to reclaim more dead objects.
Isolation and characterization of monoclonal antibodies directed against plant plasma membrane and cell wall epitopes: identification of a monoclonal antibody that recognizes extensin and analysis of the process of epitope biosynthesis in plant tissues and cell cultures

Membranes from tobacco cell suspension cultures were used as antigens for the preparation of monoclonal antibodies. Use of solid phase and indirect immunofluorescence assays led to the identification of hybridomas producing antibodies directed against cell surface epitopes. One of these monoclonal antibodies (11.D2) was found to recognize a molecular species which on two-dimensional analysis (using nonequilibrium pH-gradient electrophoresis and SDS-PAGE) was found to have a high and polydisperse molecular mass and a very basic isoelectric point. This component was conspicuously labeled by [3H]proline in vivo. The monoclonal antibody cross-reacted with authentic tomato extensin, but not with potato lectin nor larch arabinogalactan. Use of the monoclonal antibody as an immunoaffinity reagent allowed the purification of a tobacco glycoprotein which was identical in amino acid composition to extensin. Finally, immunocytological analyses revealed tissue-specific patterns of labeling by the monoclonal antibody that were identical to those observed with a polyclonal antibody raised against purified extensin. We have concluded that monoclonal antibody 11.D2 recognizes an epitope that is carried exclusively by extensin. Analysis of cellular homogenates through differential and isopycnic gradient centrifugation revealed that biosynthesis of the extensin epitope was found on or within the membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi region and plasma membrane. This result is consistent with the progressive glycosylation of the newly-synthesized extensin polypeptide during its passage through a typical eukaryotic endomembrane pathway of secretion. The 11.D2 epitope was not found in protoplasts freshly isolated from leaf tissues. However, on incubation of these protoplasts in appropriate culture media, biosynthesis of the epitope was initiated. This process was not impeded by the presence of chemicals that are reported to be inhibitors of cell wall production or of proline hydroxylation.