Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clinical Oxidative Stress during Leprosy Multidrug Therapy: Impact of Dapsone Oxidation

This study aims to assess the oxidative stress in leprosy patients under multidrug therapy (MDT; dapsone, clofazimine and rifampicin), evaluating the nitric oxide (NO) concentration, catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, glutathione (GSH) levels, total antioxidant capacity, lipid peroxidation, and methemoglobin formation. For this, we analyzed 23 leprosy patients and 20 healthy individuals from the Amazon region, Brazil, aged between 20 and 45 years. Blood sampling enabled the evaluation of leprosy patients prior to starting multidrug therapy (called MDT 0) and until the third month of multidrug therapy (MDT 3). With regard to dapsone (DDS) plasma levels, we showed that there was no statistical difference in drug plasma levels between multibacillary (0.518±0.029 µg/mL) and paucibacillary (0.662±0.123 µg/mL) patients. The methemoglobin levels and numbers of Heinz bodies were significantly enhanced after the third MDT-supervised dose, but this treatment did not significantly change the lipid peroxidation and NO levels in these leprosy patients. In addition, CAT activity was significantly reduced in MDT-treated leprosy patients, while GSH content was increased in these patients. However, SOD and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity levels were similar in patients with and without treatment. These data suggest that MDT can reduce the activity of some antioxidant enzyme and influence ROS accumulation, which may induce hematological changes, such as methemoglobinemia in patients with leprosy. We also explored some redox mechanisms associated with DDS and its main oxidative metabolite DDS-NHOH and we explored the possible binding of DDS to the active site of CYP2C19 with the aid of molecular modeling software.
Getting just the supersymmetric standard model at intersecting branes on the Z(6) orientifold

In this paper, globally $\mathcal{N}=1$ supersymmetric configurations of intersecting D6-branes on the ${\mathbb{Z}}_{6}$ orientifold are discussed, involving also fractional branes. It turns out rather miraculously that one is led almost automatically to just one particular class of five stack models containing the standard model gauge group, which all have the same chiral spectrum. The further discussion shows that these models can be understood as exactly the supersymmetric standard model without any exotic chiral symmetric/antisymmetric matter. The superpartner of the Higgs finds a natural explanation and the hypercharge remains massless. However, the nonchiral spectrum within the model class is very different and does not in all cases allow for a $\mathcal{N}=2$ low energy field theoretical understanding of the necessary breaking $\mathrm{U}(1)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\mathrm{U}(1)\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathrm{U}(1)$ along the Higgs branch, which is needed in order to get the standard Yukawa couplings. Also the left-right symmetric models belong to exactly one class of chiral spectra, where the two kinds of exotic chiral fields can have the interpretation of forming a composite Higgs. The aesthetical beauty of these models, involving only nonvanishing intersection numbers of an absolute value three, seems to be unescapable.
Efficient edge matching using improved hierarchical chamfer matching

Matching is a central problem in pattern recognition and computer vision, its applications includes object detection and tracking. HCMA (hierarchical chamfer matching) is a classical image matching algorithm, which utilizes the edge information to match the images robustly and the multi-resolution pyramid to accelerate the matching process. However, for images with cluttered background and high resolution, HCMA is relatively computationally expensive, which has impeded its success in practical applications, especially in real-time applications. In this paper, an improved hierarchical chamfer matching algorithm is proposed to reduce its computational cost without degrading its matching quality. According to the experimental results, the proposed improvements are able to save 75% ∼ 95% of the computational time, without causing any false matching.
Do patients with electrocardiographic Brugada type 1 pattern have associated right bundle branch block? A comparative vectorcardiographic study.

AIMS Previous studies have reported right bundle branch block in Brugada syndrome. Subsequent analysis of electrocardiograms (ECGs) found one-third of cases classified as right bundle branch block did not meet criteria of a wide final S wave in the left leads. We aimed to study the role of the vectorcardiogram to characterize Brugada type 1 ECG pattern. METHODS AND RESULTS Compare Frank-method vectorcardiogram in 11 patients with Brugada type 1 ECG pattern (BrS group) with vectorcardiogram of 20 healthy individuals with ECGs depicting incomplete right bundle branch block (IRBBB group) and 12 patients with complete right bundle branch block (CRBBB group). Initial 10-20 ms vector of the QRS loop in the horizontal plane (HP): BrS and IRBBB groups: Vector heading anterior and leftward. CRBBB group: Vector directed anterior and rightward. Right end conduction delay of the QRS loop: BrS group: Upper right quadrant of the frontal plane, right posterior quadrant of the HP. IRBBB group: Upper right quadrant of the frontal plane (30%) and right anterior quadrant of the HP (90%). CRBBB group: Upper right quadrant on the frontal plane (30%); all cases in the right anterior quadrant of the HP. 0 point (onset of QRS loop) and J point (end of QRS loop) relationship: BrS group: Not coincidental. IRBBB and CRBBB groups: Coincidental. T loop morphology, size, and appearance: BrS group: Circular, with symmetrical afferent and efferent limbs in 10 cases (90%). IRBBB and CRBBB groups: Elliptical or linear with slow inscription of efferent limb and rapid inscription of afferent limb. CONCLUSIONS Vectorcardiograms in patients with Brugada type 1 ECG pattern have distinctive characteristics compared with healthy individuals with incomplete and CRBBB. These differences relate to the spatial location of the end conduction delay (right superior and posterior quadrant in the BrS group) and the morphology, size, and velocity of inscription of afferent and efferent limbs of the T loop (circular, small, of symmetrical limbs) and with a 1:1 length/width ratio.
Immunodepressive effects of trypanosomal infection in cattle immunized against contagious bovine pleuropneumonia

Groups of cattle infected singly with Trypanosoma vivax and T. congolense and, with a combination of T. vivax and T. congolense, were vaccinated against contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) 6 weeks before or after infection. All animals were revaccinated 12 weeks after primary vaccination. The primary antibody responses in cattle vaccinated 6 weeks after infection with T. vivax and a combination of T. vivax plus T. congolense were slightly depressed in contrast to other groups which were similar in their response to the control group. Although secondary antibody responses developed in all infected groups, with a delay in those infected with T. congolense, they did not reach the levels of the controls. In spite of the slight depression in antibody responses, however, 50% of the vaccinated trypanosomal animals contracted CBPP on exposure to experimental infection while the vaccinated controls were immune. It is suggested that the protective immunity to CBPP engendered by vaccination is impaired during infection with African trypanosomes and that the level of antibody response to CBPP vaccination in trypanosomal animals does not reflect the degree of immunodepression. The importance of trypanosomiasis control in ensuring success of vaccination campaigns against CBPP is discussed.
Association between vitamin C deficiency and dialysis modalities

Aim: We designed a cross‐sectional study to investigate plasma vitamin C level in patients who underwent maintenance haemodialysis (MHD) and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) to explore whether there is a difference in vitamin C deficiency between MHD patients and CAPD patients.
A Wind-Hydro-Pumped Storage Station Leading to High RES Penetration in the Autonomous Island System of Ikaria

Pumped storage is generally viewed as the most promising technology to increase renewable energy source penetration levels in power systems and particularly in small autonomous island grids, where technical limitations are imposed by the conventional generating units. The Hybrid Power Station (HPS) of Ikaria Island, Greece, which is currently in the construction stage, will be one of the first wind-hydro-pumped-storage hybrid stations in the world. In this paper, the HPS is described and a suitable operating policy is introduced, both for the HPS and the overall generation system of Ikaria, taking into consideration the existing regulatory framework for HPS in isolated island grids. Based on the proposed policy, the operation of the Ikaria Island system is simulated on an annual basis, in order to quantify the expected benefits from the operation of the HPS.
A Prognostic Gene Signature for Metastasis-Free Survival of Triple Negative Breast Cancer Patients

Although triple negative breast cancers (TNBC) are the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer, they currently lack targeted therapies. Because this classification still includes a heterogeneous collection of tumors, new tools to classify TNBCs are urgently required in order to improve our prognostic capability for high risk patients and predict response to therapy. We previously defined a gene expression signature, RKIP Pathway Metastasis Signature (RPMS), based upon a metastasis-suppressive signaling pathway initiated by Raf Kinase Inhibitory Protein (RKIP). We have now generated a new BACH1 Pathway Metastasis gene signature (BPMS) that utilizes targets of the metastasis regulator BACH1. Specifically, we substituted experimentally validated target genes to generate a new BACH1 metagene, developed an approach to optimize patient tumor stratification, and reduced the number of signature genes to 30. The BPMS significantly and selectively stratified metastasis-free survival in basal-like and, in particular, TNBC patients. In addition, the BPMS further stratified patients identified as having a good or poor prognosis by other signatures including the Mammaprint® and Oncotype® clinical tests. The BPMS is thus complementary to existing signatures and is a prognostic tool for high risk ER-HER2- patients. We also demonstrate the potential clinical applicability of the BPMS as a single sample predictor. Together, these results reveal the potential of this pathway-based BPMS gene signature to identify high risk TNBC patients that can respond effectively to targeted therapy, and highlight BPMS genes as novel drug targets for therapeutic development.
Rapid evolution of pearl oyster shell matrix proteins with repetitive, low-complexity domains

The lysine (K)-rich mantle protein (KRMP) and shematrin protein families are unique to the organic matrices of pearl oyster shells. Similar to other proteins that are constituents of tough, extracellular structures, such as spider silk, shematrins and KRMPs, contain repetitive, low-complexity domains (RLCDs). Comprehensive analysis of available gene sequences in three species of pearl oyster using BLAST and hidden Markov models reveal that both gene families have large memberships in these species. The shematrin gene family expanded before the speciation of these oysters, leading to a minimum of eight orthology groups. By contrast, KRMPs expanded primarily after speciation leading to species-specific gene repertoires. Regardless of their evolutionary history, the rapid evolution of shematrins and KRMPs appears to be the result of the intrinsic instability of repetitive sequences encoding the RLCDs, and the gain, loss and shuffling of other motifs. This mode of molecular evolution is likely to contribute to structural characteristics and evolvability of the pearl oyster shell. Based on these observations, we infer that analogous RLCD proteins throughout the animal kingdom also have the capacity to rapidly evolve and as a result change their structural properties.
The burden of microstructural damage modulates cortical activation in elderly subjects with MCI and leuko‐araiosis. A DTI and fMRI study

The term leuko‐araiosis (LA) describes a common chronic affection of the cerebral white matter (WM) in the elderly due to small vessel disease with variable clinical correlates. To explore whether severity of LA entails some adaptive reorganization in the cerebral cortex we evaluated with functional MRI (fMRI) the cortical activation pattern during a simple motor task in 60 subjects with mild cognitive impairment and moderate or severe (moderate‐to‐severe LA group, n = 46) and mild (mild LA group, n = 14) LA extension on visual rating. The microstructural damage associated with LA was measured on diffusion tensor data by computation of the mean diffusivity (MD) of the cerebral WM and by applying tract based spatial statistics (TBSS). Subjects were examined with fMRI during continuous tapping of the right dominant hand with task performance measurement. Moderate‐to‐severe LA group showed hyperactivation of left primary sensorimotor cortex (SM1) and right cerebellum. Regression analyses using the individual median of WM MD as explanatory variable revealed a posterior shift of activation within the left SM1 and hyperactivation of the left SMA and paracentral lobule and of the bilateral cerebellar crus. These data indicate that brain activation is modulated by increasing severity of LA with a local remapping within the SM1 and increased activity in ipsilateral nonprimary sensorimotor cortex and bilateral cerebellum. These potentially adaptive changes as well lack of contralateral cerebral hemisphere hyperactivation are in line with sparing of the U fibers and brainstem and cerebellar WM tracts and the emerging microstructual damage of the corpus callosum revealed by TBSS with increasing severity of LA. Hum Brain Mapp 35:819–830, 2014. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Influence of janusin and tenascin on growth cone behavior in vitro

Janusin and tenascin are glia‐derived, structurally related, extracellular matrix glycoproteins of the J1 family that are expressed in vivo at times and in locations where active neurite outgrowth occurs, but also when the formation or stabilization of cytoarchitectonic boundaries appears to be in operation. To resolve this apparent functional dichotomy, we have studied the behavioral response of growth cones, growing in culture on the permissive substrate laminin, to janusin and tenascin, by video time lapse microscopy. When janusin and tenascin were offered as sharp substrate boundaries, dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and retinal ganglion neuron growth cones avoided growing on these molecules, but were not induced to collapse. On the other hand, when janusin and tenascin were offered, in a mixture with laminin, as uniform substrates, DRG growth cones displayed a collapsed morphology and were able to advance at a faster rate than on laminin alone. In contrast, the outgrowth of retinal ganglion neuron growth cones was completely inhibited under these conditions, underscoring a cell type specificity in the response of growth cones to these molecules. Using several monoclonal antibodies binding to distinct epitopes on the tenascin molecule, we have identified two domains responsible for growth cone repulsion, on epidermal growth factor (EGF)‐like repeats 3‐5 and fibronectin type III homologous repeats 4 and 5. These domains are different from the one previously recognized to be involved in neurite outgrowth on a uniform tenascin substrate. We conclude that both molecules may promote or retard growth cone advance, depending on the spatial expression pattern and the neuronal cell type. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Correlates of self-reported dietary cruciferous vegetable intake and urinary isothiocyanate from two cohorts in China

Abstract Objective To assess correlations between cruciferous vegetable intake and urinary isothiocyanate (ITC) level, in addition to glutathione S-transferase (GST) genotypes and other individual factors. Design The study included cohort participants whose urinary ITC levels had been previously ascertained. Urinary ITC was assessed using HPLC. Usual dietary intake of cruciferous vegetables was assessed using a validated FFQ and total dietary ITC intake was calculated. Recent cruciferous vegetable intake was determined. GST genotypes were assessed using duplex real-time quantitative PCR assays. Spearman correlations were calculated between the covariates and urinary ITC levels and linear regression analyses were used to calculate the mean urinary ITC excretion according to GST genotype. Setting Urban city in China. Subjects The study included 3589 women and 1015 men from the Shanghai Women’s and Men’s Health Studies. Results Median urinary ITC level was 1·61 nmol/mg creatinine. Self-reported usual cruciferous vegetable intake was weakly correlated with urinary ITC level (r s=0·1149; P<0·0001), while self-reported recent intake was more strongly correlated with urinary ITC (r s=0·2591; P<0·0001). Overall, the GST genotypes were not associated with urinary ITC level, but significant differences according to genotype were observed among current smokers and participants who provided an afternoon urine sample. Other factors, including previous gastrectomy or gastritis, were also related to urinary ITC level. Conclusions The study suggests that urinary secretion of ITC may provide additional information on cruciferous vegetable intake and that GST genotypes are related to urinary ITC level only in some subgroups.
Pregabalin for the treatment of neuropathic pain in adults : a systematic review of randomized controlled trials

Background: The treatment of neuropathic pain remains a significant challenge for the medical workers. Objectives: The chief aim of the systematic review was to quantitatively evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of the use of pregabalin for neuropathic pain management. Methods: We searched the databases of PubMed, Corchrane, Medline, Embase for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using pregabalin for neuropathic pain management. We extracted data about pain intensity, quality of life, global impression of change, treatment satisfaction and adverse events. RCTs comparing pregabalin with placebo in the management of neuropathic pain were included. Results: By retrieving we got 238 articles, 12 articles were included. Compared with the placebo group, the pregabalin group could reduce visual analog scale (VAS) WMD-0.89 cm (95% CI-1.15, -0.63). It was significant reduction in the pregabalin at both ‘anxiety’ and ‘depression’ of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) as follows WMD-1.39 (95% CI-2.26, -0.52), WMD-1.18 (95% CI-2.02, -0.34). It expressed difference at the patient perception of change (PGIC), the clinical perception of change (CGIC) as follows RR4.18 (95% CI 1.47, 1.87). Adverse effects were statistically significant, such as dizziness, peripheral edema, somnolence, RR3.23 (95% CI 2.78, 3.75), RR 2.91 (95% CI 2.24, 3.79), RR2.51 (95% CI 1.78, 3.54). Conclusions: The meta analysis demonstrated that pregabalin may be an effective pharmacological approach for the neuropathic pain.
SOLANUM PHYLOGENY INFERRED FROM CHLOROPLAST DNA SEQUENCE DATA

A data set derived from gene sequences of ndhF is used to deduce phylogenetic relationships among the subgenera of Solanum, among related genera of the tribe Solaneae, and within selected Solanum clades. Complete ndhF sequences were obtained for 12 species of Solanum, representing five of the seven subgenera. ndhF sequences also were obtained from species of Capsicum, Cyphomandra, Datura, Jaltomata, Lycopersicon, Nicotiana, and Physalis. Results of a parsimony analysis of these data indicate that the Solanum species form a monophyletic clade with Capsicum rather weakly supported as the sister group. LycojJersicon and Cyphomandra are included within the Solanum clade. Three to four clades can be identified within Solanum. The subgenera Minon and Potaloe are probably not monophyletic as currently defined. Solanum wendlandii, a species with recurved prickles but no stellate hairs, does not belong with the other spiny solanums in subgenus Leptosternonurn. These results cast doubt on the utility of traditional char~lcters such as anther shape and hair morphology in defining high-level infrageneric groups in Solanum.
The growth response of Galilea mucronata (L.) Parl. to sea water immersion

Unusual storms along the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast may cause flooding, erosion and therefore destruction of plant communities of psammophytes which dominate sand dunes. In such cases Galilea mucronata (L.) Parl. occupies territories from dune pioneers and becomes a major dune stabilizer. This study aims to establish the viability of this species and possible negative consequences during simulated flooding experiments and thereby to investigate its capacity as dune stabilizer. Conducted experiments established that G. mucronata was very tolerant to immersion impact and salt stress. Whole plants stay viable longer than the flood with a maximum duration along the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, and rhizomes were able to regenerate after 30 days in seawater. Statistical analysis of experimental data demonstrates that immersion in sea water increases rhizomes viability, biomass and allocation to root biomass, whereas other factors, such as duration of immersion and temperatures of sea water have no significant effect. G. mucronata was less tolerant to water immersion than other psammophytes, but demonstrated a high potential to be a key species for dune stabilization and could contribute to the protection of coastal sands during storms.
Haplotype analysis confirms association of the serotonin transporter (5‐HTT) gene with schizophrenia but not with major depression

Serotonin (5‐HT) has been implicated in the pathophysiology of several psychiatric disorders including major depressive disorder (MDD) and schizophrenia (SCZ). The serotonin transporter (5‐HTT) is a major regulator of 5‐HT function. 5‐HTT gene polymorphic variants have been associated with both MDD and SCZ. A case–control design was used for candidate gene‐disease association in 194 MDD patients, 155 schizophrenic psychosis patients, and 246 healthy controls, all North European Caucasians. Four polymorphisms were analyzed in terms of genotype, allele, and haplotype‐based associations. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) analysis was also carried out. Bonferroni correction was used for multiple testing. Haplotype‐based analyses showed significant associations between 5‐HTT and SCZ but not MDD. No single locus associations were observed. In agreement with published meta‐analysis our results indicate that 5‐HTT associates with SCZ but not with MDD. It appears that risk for SCZ maps within a specific 5‐HTT haplotype block. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.