Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adult Aqueductal Stenosis Presenting as a Thunderclap Headache: A Case Report

Thunderclap headache is well known to be a presenting feature of a variety of causal events. Indeed, a primary form is considered in the International Classification of Headache Disorders-II, but such diagnosis must be made only after exclusion of a possible secondary cause. We report a case of late-onset idiopathic aqueductal stenosis presenting with thunderclap headache, in the absence of abnormal neurological findings or indirect signs of raised intracranial pressure. The patient recovered completely after endoscopic third ventriculostomy. This case indicates primary aqueduct stenosis as a possible, never previously reported, cause of thunderclap headache.
Molecular Phylogeny of the Myxobolus and Henneguya Genera with Several New South American Species

The present study consists of a detailed phylogenetic analysis of myxosporeans of the Myxobolus and Henneguya genera, including sequences from 12 Myxobolus/Henneguya species, parasites of South American pimelodids, bryconids and characids. Maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony analyses, based on 18 S rDNA gene sequences, showed that the strongest evolutionary signal is the phylogenetic affinity of the fish hosts, with clustering mainly occurring according to the order and/or family of the host. Of the 12 South American species studied here, six are newly described infecting fish from the Brazilian Pantanal wetland. Henneguya maculosus n. sp. and Myxobolus flavus n. sp. were found infecting both Pseudoplatystoma corruscans and Pseudoplatystoma reticulatum; Myxobolus aureus n. sp. and Myxobolus pantanalis n. sp. were observed parasitizing Salminus brasiliensis and Myxobolus umidus n. sp. and Myxobolus piraputangae n. sp. were detected infecting Brycon hilarii.
Regulation of epidermal growth factor receptor signalling by inducible feedback inhibitors

Signalling by the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) controls morphogenesis and/or homeostasis of several tissues from worms to mammals. The correct execution of these programmes requires the generation of EGFR signals of appropriate strength and duration. This is obtained through a complex circuitry of positive and negative feedback regulation. Feedback inhibitory mechanisms restrain EGFR activity in time and space, which is key to ensuring that receptor outputs are commensurate to the cell and tissue needs. Here, we focus on the emerging field of inducible negative feedback regulation of the EGFR in mammals. In mammalian cells, four EGFR inducible feedback inhibitors (IFIs), namely LRIG1, RALT (also known as MIG6 and ERRFI1), SOCS4 and SOCS5, have been discovered recently. EGFR IFIs are expressed de novo in the context of early or delayed transcriptional responses triggered by EGFR activation. They all bind to the EGFR and suppress receptor signalling through several mechanisms, including catalytic inhibition and receptor downregulation. Here, we review the mechanistic basis of IFI signalling and rationalise the function of IFIs in light of gene-knockout studies that assign LRIG1 and RALT an essential role in restricting cell proliferation. Finally, we discuss how IFIs might participate in system control of EGFR signalling and highlight the emerging roles for IFIs in the suppression of EGFR-driven tumorigenesis.
The relationship between the levels of salivary cortisol and the presence of xerostomia in menopausal women. A preliminary study.

UNLABELLED Xerostomia is a particularly frequent occurrence among menopausal women, and is often associated with depression. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the relationship between unstimulated salivary flow rate and the presence of xerostomia, and to determine the levels of salivary cortisol and its relationship with xerostomia. STUDY DESIGN Thirty women were selected from patients attending the Department of Medicine and Buccofacial surgery, and formed into two groups, study and control. Samples of unstimulated salivary flow were collected, and the amounts of salivary cortisol determined using the ELISA technique (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). RESULTS The mean unstimulated salivary flow rates for the control and study group were 0.37 +/- 0.28 ml/min and 0.24 +/- 0.18 ml/min, respectively. The concentration of salivary cortisol was 3.47 +/- 1.64 ng/ml for the control group and 2.29 +/- 2.60 ng/ml for the study group. The statistical tests applied showed no significant differences for either variable between the two groups in the study. CONCLUSIONS The results of the present study indicate that there is no relationship between variations in the rates of unstimulated salivary flow and the corresponding concentration of cortisol.
OVARIECTOMY ALTERS THE CHRONIC HEMODYNAMIC AND SYMPATHETIC EFFECTS OF ETHANOL IN RADIOTELEMETERED FEMALE RATS

This study determined the chronic hemodynamic effects of ethanol in telemetered freely moving female Sprague-Dawley rats. The role of ovarian hormones and sympathetic activity in the modulation of ethanol responses was also investigated. Changes in blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and plasma estrogen and norepinephrine (NE, as index of sympathetic activity) were evaluated in pair-fed sham-operated (SO) and ovariectomized (OVX) rats receiving liquid diet with or without ethanol (5% w/v) for 12 weeks. OVX caused a significant increase (about 40 g) in body weight, compared with the sham operation, which was apparent after two weeks and remained so for the duration of the study. The body weight showed gradual and similar increases in both ethanol and control groups. Ethanol feeding had no effect on the plasma estrogen level in SO or OVX rats. Daily ethanol intake was significantly (P < 0.05) less in OVX compared with SO rats whereas the blood ethanol concentration were similar in the two groups except for a significantly (P < 0.05) higher level in OVX rats at weeks 8, 10, and 11. Ethanol feeding caused significant (P < 0.05) decreases in BP in SO rats that started at week 1and reached maximal response (approximately 10 mmHg) at week 6 and remained at that level till the end of week 12. In OVX rats, ethanol had no effect on BPduring the first 5 weeks of the study. A slight but significant reduction in BP (about 5 mmHg) by ethanol in OVX rats started to appear at week 6 and remained for the following 5 weeks. The reduced hypotensive effect of ethanol in OVX rats was associated with an increase in the sympathetic activity as indicated by the significant (P < 0.05) increases in plasma NE levels. This sympathoexcitatory effect of ethanol was not demonstrated in SO rats. The HR was not affected by ethanol in the two groups of rats except for significant (P < 0.05) increases at weeks 1 through 3 in SO rats. The present findings suggest that the ovarian hormones modulate, at least partly, the hemodynamic and neurohumoral effects of chronic ethanol feeding in female rats. Ethanol lowers BP in female rats and this effect was delayed and diminished in OVX rats due possibly to the associated increase in sympathetic activity.
Space Alternating Variational Estimation and Kronecker Structured Dictionary Learning

In this paper, we address the fundamental problem of Sparse Bayesian Learning (SBL), where the received signal is a high-order tensor. We furthermore consider the problem of dictionary learning (DL), where the tensor observations are assumed to be generated from a Kronecker structured (KS) dictionary matrix multiplied by the sparse coefficients. Exploiting the tensorial structure results in a reduction in the number of degrees of freedom in the learning problem, since the dimensions of each of the factor matrices are significantly smaller than the matricized dictionary if we vectorize the observations. We propose a novel fast algorithm called space alternating variational estimation with dictionary learning (SAVED-KS), which is a version of variational Bayes (VB)-SBL pushed to the scalar level. Similarly, as for SAGE (space-alternating generalized expectation maximization) compared to EM, the component-wise approach of SAVED-KS compared to SBL renders it less likely to get stuck in bad local optima and its inherent damping (more cautious progression) also leads to typically faster convergence of the non-convex optimization process. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm has a faster convergence rate and lower mean squared error (MSE) compared to the alternating least squares (ALS) based method for tensor decomposition.
The ecological and epidemiological consequences of reproductive interference between the vectors Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus

Vector ecology is integral to understanding the transmission of vector-borne diseases, with processes such as reproduction and competition pivotal in determining vector presence and abundance. The arbovirus vectors Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus compete as larvae, but this mechanism is insufficient to explain patterns of coexistence and exclusion. Inviable interspecies matings - known as reproductive interference - is another candidate mechanism. Here, we analyse mathematical models of mosquito population dynamics and epidemiology which include two Aedes-specific features of reproductive interference. First, as these mosquitoes use hosts to find mates, reproductive interference will only occur if the same host is visited. Host choice will, in turn, be determined by functional responses to host availability. Second, females can become sterilised after mis-mating with heterospecifics. We find that a species with an affinity for a shared host will suffer more from reproductive interference than a less selective competitor. Costs from reproductive interference can be “traded-off” against costs from larval competition, leading to competitive outcomes difficult to predict from empirical evidence. Sterilisations of a self-limiting species can counter-intuitively lead to higher densities than a competitor suffering less sterilisation. We identify that functional responses and reproductive interference mediate a concomitant relationship between vector ecological dynamics and epidemiology. Competitors with opposite functional responses can maintain disease where human hosts are rare, due to vector coexistence facilitated by a reduced cost from reproductive interference. Our work elucidates the relative roles of the competitive mechanisms governing Aedes populations and the associated epidemiological consequences.
ESD system level characterization and modeling methods applied to a LIN transceiver

Addressing system level ESD issues requires several types of technical know-how. A collaborative effort, bringing together a research laboratory, a semiconductor supplier and an Equipment Manufacturer (EM), has been initiated to study common and effective solutions to system level ESD problems. In this paper, a generic PCB for the ESD/EMC injection and measurement is presented.
Pulmonary blast injury increases nitric oxide production, disturbs arginine metabolism, and alters the plasma free amino acid pool in rabbits during the early posttraumatic period.

Plasma nitrate + nitrite (nitrates), as final NO products, and free amino acid pool (FAAP) characteristics, as indicators of protein/amino acid metabolism, were analyzed in the early (30 min) period following blast injury. The experiments were performed on 27 rabbits subjected to pulmonary blast injury (experimental group) or not exposed to overpressure (controls). We report that pulmonary blast injury (PBI) induces prompt NO overproduction within a very early period. Increased arginine utilization via NO synthase, presumably associated with its cleavage by arginase, leads to the depletion of the arginine level in arterial plasma 30 min following PBI. Impaired balance between arginine utilization and release/resynthesis from endogenous sources causes disturbed nutritional status and urea cycle activity. Early identification and appropriate management of the changes in amino acid metabolism should be included in the evaluation of patients with blast injury. Furthermore, the results suggest that depleted arterial levels of arginine and NO overproduction may be helpful in diagnosis and prognosis of blast injury.
L‐cysteine supplementation upregulates glutathione (GSH) and vitamin D binding protein (VDBP) in hepatocytes cultured in high glucose and in vivo in liver, and increases blood levels of GSH, VDBP, and 25‐hydroxy‐vitamin D in Zucker diabetic fatty rats

Scope Vitamin D binding protein (VDBP) status has an effect on and can potentially improve the status of 25(OH) vitamin D and increase the metabolic actions of 25(OH) vitamin D under physiological and pathological conditions. Diabetes is associated with lower levels of glutathione (GSH) and 25(OH) vitamin D. This study examined the hypothesis that upregulation of GSH will also upregulate blood levels of VDBP and 25(OH) vitamin D in type 2 diabetic rats. Methods and results L‐cysteine (LC) supplementation was used to upregulate GSH status in a FL83B hepatocyte cell culture model and in vivo using Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats. Results show that LC supplementation upregulates both protein and mRNA expression of VDBP and vitamin D receptor (VDR) and GSH status in hepatocytes exposed to high glucose, and that GSH deficiency, induced by glutamate cysteine ligase knockdown, resulted in the downregulation of GSH, VDBP, and VDR and an increase in oxidative stress levels in hepatocytes. In vivo, LC supplementation increased GSH and protein and mRNA expression of VDBP and vitamin D 25‐hydroxylase (CYP2R1) in the liver, and simultaneously resulted in elevated blood levels of LC and GSH, as well as increases in VDBP and 25(OH) vitamin D levels, and decreased inflammatory biomarkers in ZDF rats compared with those in placebo‐supplemented ZDF rats consuming a similar diet. Conclusion LC supplementation may provide a novel approach by which to raise blood levels of VDBP and 25(OH) vitamin D in type 2 diabetes.
NADPH‐diaphorase distribution in the rabbit superior colliculus and co‐localization with calcium‐binding proteins

Nitric oxide (NO) and calcium‐binding proteins (CaBP) are important neuromodulators implicated in brain plasticity and brain disease. In addition, the mammalian superior colliculus (SC) has one of the highest concentrations of NO within the brain. The present study was designed to determine the distribution of nitric oxide‐synthesizing neurons in the SC of the rabbit by enzyme histochemistry for reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate‐diaphorase (NADPH‐d), and its degree of co‐localization with CaBP, parvalbumin (PV) and calbindin (CB). NADPH‐d‐labelled fibres formed dense patches of terminal buttons within the intermediate grey layer and streams of fibres within the deepest layers of SC. Cells expressing NOS constitute a subpopulation of neurons in which practically all cell types are represented. Combined PV/NADPH‐d experiments showed a complete lack of co‐localization within individual neurons and fibres. On the contrary, double‐labelled neurons appeared in CB/NADPH‐d‐stained sections, only in the superficial layers, and mostly in the SGS and SO. These cells, which were intermingled with other neurons containing either NADPH‐d or CB, appear to be a subtype of narrow‐field and wide‐field vertical cells, and display an anterior–posterior gradient of density. Owing to the involvement of the superficial layers of the SC in the organization and integration of the visual information, it is suggested that these neurons may play a concrete role within the visual circuits. Our data indicate a clear selectivity in the expression of NADPH‐d, PV and CB in the SC, and that NO and CB probably serve as co‐modulators and/or co‐transmitters in the connectivity of the superficial layers of this midbrain structure.
Response of garlic (Allium sativum, L.) plants to foliar spraying of some bio-stimulants under sandy soil condition.

Two field experiments were carried out in two successive seasons of 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 at private farm in Berkash, Giza Governorate, Egypt, to study the effect of foliar application of some bio-stimulants, Amino acids, Seaweed extracts and Chitosan on growth, total yield, quality and some chemical constituents of Chinese garlic plants. Results showed that foliar spraying of Chinese garlic plants with bio-stimulants especially amino acids compound had a significant effect on vegetative growth, yield and quality. Moreover it could be concluded that foliar spraying of amino acids at rate of 3 cm/L let to obtain the highest values of vegetative growth, yield and its quality of Chinese garlic plants.
Density and viscosity of binary mixtures of diethyl oxalate with ethanol, ethyl acetate, tetrahydrofuran, and toluene

ABSTRACT This study presents the densities and viscosities of four binary liquid mixtures containing diethyl oxalate (DEO) with the organic solvents ethanol, ethyl acetate (EA), tetrahydrofuran (THF), and toluene at temperatures ranging from 303.15 to 323.15 K and at atmospheric pressure. DEO is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry as an intermediate or reaction reagent for synthesizing active pharmaceutical ingredients. The measured thermophysical properties are important for pharmaceutical process design and development. A vibrating tube digital density meter and a capillary viscometer were used for density and viscosity measurements, respectively. According to the measurement data, the excess molar volumes (VE) and viscosity deviations () of the binary mixtures were calculated and satisfactorily correlated with the four-parameter Redlich–Kister equation. Ethanol or THF addition to DEO led to a positive deviation of VE, whereas EA or toluene addition to DEO led to a negative deviation. These results indicated the molecular packing of DEO with EA and toluene was more efficient than that with ethanol and THF. By contrast, thevalues of the four binary mixtures were negative, indicating that the viscosity was markedly lower than that of an ideal mixture.
It Is Always on Your Mind: Experiences and Perceptions of Falling of Older People and Their Carers and the Potential of a Mobile Falls Detection Device

Background. Falls and fear of falling present a major risk to older people as both can affect their quality of life and independence. Mobile assistive technologies (AT) fall detection devices may maximise the potential for older people to live independently for as long as possible within their own homes by facilitating early detection of falls. Aims. To explore the experiences and perceptions of older people and their carers as to the potential of a mobile falls detection AT device. Methods. Nine focus groups with 47 participants including both older people with a range of health conditions and their carers. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and thematically analysed. Results. Four key themes were identified relating to participants' experiences and perceptions of falling and the potential impact of a mobile falls detector: cause of falling, falling as everyday vulnerability, the environmental context of falling, and regaining confidence and independence by having a mobile falls detector. Conclusion. The perceived benefits of a mobile falls detector may differ between older people and their carers. The experience of falling has to be taken into account when designing mobile assistive technology devices as these may influence perceptions of such devices and how older people utilise them.
Altered supernormality in multiple sclerosis peripheral nerve

Supernormality is a regular part of the recovery cycle of nerve. Supernormality was expressed in terms of amplitude, and in 20 control subjects the mean (S2 conditioned/S2 unconditioned) ratio of the median sensory nerve action potential amplitude recorded at the elbow measured 285 ± 174 (range 119 to 783). A supramaximal conditioning shock was delivered 6 msec in advance of the test pulse. Seventeen (42.5%) of 40 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) failed to demonstrate supernormality, the (S2 conditioned/S2 unconditioned) ratio being less than 100. This abnormality probably reflects a delay in recovery cycle and is additional evidence implicating peripheral nervous system involvement in multiple sclerosis.
The Longitudinal Effects of Physical Activity and Dietary Calcium on Bone Mass Accrual Across Stages of Pubertal Development

Childhood and adolescence are critical periods of bone mineral content (BMC) accrual that may have long‐term consequences for osteoporosis in adulthood. Adequate dietary calcium intake and weight‐bearing physical activity are important for maximizing BMC accrual. However, the relative effects of physical activity and dietary calcium on BMC accrual throughout the continuum of pubertal development in childhood remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of self‐reported dietary calcium intake and weight‐bearing physical activity on bone mass accrual across the five stages of pubertal development in a large, diverse cohort of US children and adolescents. The Bone Mineral Density in Childhood study was a mixed longitudinal study with 7393 observations on 1743 subjects. Annually, we measured BMC by dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA), physical activity and calcium intake by questionnaire, and pubertal development (Tanner stage) by examination for up to 7 years. Mixed‐effects regression models were used to assess physical activity and calcium intake effects on BMC accrual at each Tanner stage. We found that self‐reported weight‐bearing physical activity contributed to significantly greater BMC accrual in both sexes and racial subgroups (black and nonblack). In nonblack males, the magnitude of the activity effect on total body BMC accrual varied among Tanner stages after adjustment for calcium intake; the greatest difference between high‐ and low‐activity boys was in Tanner stage 3. Calcium intake had a significant effect on bone accrual only in nonblack girls. This effect was not significantly different among Tanner stages. Our findings do not support differential effects of physical activity or calcium intake on bone mass accrual according to maturational stage. The study demonstrated significant longitudinal effects of weight‐bearing physical activity on bone mass accrual through all stages of pubertal development. © 2014 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.