Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of reproductive aging on the vaginal microbiome and soluble immune mediators in women living with and at-risk for HIV infection

Background Reproductive aging may impact the vaginal microbiome and genital tract mucosal immune environment and contribute to genital tract health in women living with and at-risk for HIV infection. Methods A cross-sectional study of 102 HIV+ (51 premenopausal, 51 postmenopausal) and 39 HIV-uninfected (HIV-) (20 premenopausal, 19 postmenopausal) women was performed in Bronx and Brooklyn, NY. Cervicovaginal lavage (CVL) was collected for quantification of innate antimicrobial activity against E. coli, HSV-2 and HIV and immune mediators by Luminex and ELISA. Microbiome studies by qPCR and 16S rRNA sequencing were performed on vaginal swabs. Results HIV+ postmenopausal compared to premenopausal participants had lower median E. coli bactericidal activity (41% vs. 62%, p = 0.001), lower median gene copies of Lactobacillus crispatus (p = 0.005) and Lactobacillus iners (p = 0.019), lower proportions of Lactobacillus iners, higher proportions of Gardnerella and Atopobium vaginae and lower levels of human beta defensins (HBD-2, HBD-3) and secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI), p<0.001. HSV-2 inhibitory activity was higher in HIV+ postmenopausal compared to premenopausal participants (37% vs. 17%, p = 0.001) and correlated with the proinflammatory molecules interleukin (IL) 6, IL-8, human neutrophil peptide (HNP) 1–3, lactoferrin and fibronectin. Similar trends were observed in HIV- postmenopausal compared to premenopausal participants. HIV inhibitory activity did not differ by reproductive status in the HIV+ participants but was significantly higher in HIV- postmenopausal compared to premenopausal participants and in participants with suppressed plasma viral load, and inversely correlated with gene copies of G. vaginalis and BVAB2. A significant proportion of HIV+ participants on ART exhibited HIV enhancing activity. Conclusions HIV+ postmenopausal compared to premenopausal participants have less CVL E. coli bactericidal activity, reflecting a reduction in Lactobacilli and a greater proportion of Gardnerella and A. vaginae, and more HSV-2 inhibitory activity, reflecting increased mucosal inflammation. The effect of menopause on mucosal immunity was greater in HIV+ participants, suggesting a synergistic impact. Promotion of a lactobacillus dominant vaginal microbiome and reduced mucosal inflammation may improve vaginal health and reduce risk for shedding of HIV and potential for HIV transmission in HIV+ menopausal women.
Measurements of Pollution In The Troposphere (MOPITT) validation through 2006

Abstract. Comparisons of aircraft measurements of carbon monoxide (CO) to the retrievals of CO using observations from the Measurements of Pollution in The Troposphere (MOPITT) instrument onboard the Terra satellite are presented. Observations made as part of the NASA INTEX-B and NSF MIRAGE field campaigns during March–May 2006 are used to validate the MOPITT CO retrievals, along with routine samples from 2001 through 2006 from NOAA and the MOZAIC measurements from commercial aircraft. A significant positive bias, around 20% for total column CO, in MOPITT CO was found in the comparison to in situ measurements during 2006. Comparisons to the long-term records of measurements from NOAA and MOZAIC revealed an increasing bias in the V3 MOPITT CO retrievals over time. The impact of an instrumental drift is illustrated through retrieval simulations.
20,000 years of societal vulnerability and adaptation to climate change in southwest Asia

The Fertile Crescent, its hilly flanks and surrounding drylands has been a critical region for studying how climate has influenced societal change, and this review focuses on the region over the last 20,000 years. The complex social, economic, and environmental landscapes in the region today are not new phenomena and understanding their interactions requires a nuanced, multidisciplinary understanding of the past. This review builds on a history of collaboration between the social and natural palaeoscience disciplines. We provide a multidisciplinary, multiscalar perspective on the relevance of past climate, environmental, and archaeological research in assessing present day vulnerabilities and risks for the populations of southwest Asia. We discuss the complexity of palaeoclimatic data interpretation, particularly in relation to hydrology, and provide an overview of key time periods of palaeoclimatic interest. We discuss the critical role that vegetation plays in the human–climate–environment nexus and discuss the implications of the available palaeoclimate and archaeological data, and their interpretation, for palaeonarratives of the region, both climatically and socially. We also provide an overview of how modelling can improve our understanding of past climate impacts and associated change in risk to societies. We conclude by looking to future work, and identify themes of “scale” and “seasonality” as still requiring further focus. We suggest that by appreciating a given locale's place in the regional hydroscape, be it an archaeological site or palaeoenvironmental archive, more robust links to climate can be made where appropriate and interpretations drawn will demand the resolution of factors acting across multiple scales.
Leaf litter arthropod responses to tropical forest restoration

Abstract Soil and litter arthropods represent a large proportion of tropical biodiversity and perform important ecosystem functions, but little is known about the efficacy of different tropical forest restoration strategies in facilitating their recovery in degraded habitats. We sampled arthropods in four 7‐ to 8‐year‐old restoration treatments and in nearby reference forests. Sampling was conducted during the wet and dry seasons using extractions from litter and pitfall samples. Restoration treatments were replicated in 50 × 50‐m plots in four former pasture sites in southern Costa Rica: plantation – trees planted throughout the plot; applied nucleation/islands – trees planted in patches of different sizes; and natural regeneration – no tree planting. Arthropod abundance, measures of richness and diversity, and a number of functional groups were greater in the island treatment than in natural regeneration or plantation treatments and, in many cases, were similar to reference forest. Litter and pitfall morphospecies and functional group composition in all three restoration treatments were significantly different than reference sites, but island and plantation treatments showed more recovery than natural regeneration. Abundance and functional group diversity showed a much greater degree of recovery than community composition. Synthesis and applications: The less resource‐intensive restoration strategy of planting tree islands was more effective than tree plantations in restoring arthropod abundance, richness, and functional diversity. None of the restoration strategies, however, resulted in similar community composition as reference forest after 8 years of recovery, highlighting the slow rate of recovery of arthropod communities after disturbance, and underscoring the importance of conservation of remnant forests in fragmented landscapes.
Conceptual Design and Assessment of an Electrostatic Discharge and Flashover Detector on Spacecraft Solar Panels

This paper presents a concept of monitor aiming at measuring the electrostatic discharge (ESD) occurrence and, possibly, a flashover expansion on spacecraft photovoltaic solar panels. The passive measurement of solar cell cover glass surface potential is used as a diagnostic. The monitor consists of small metallic plates located on the sunlit solar panel. With a sufficient electrical insulation from the spacecraft structure, these plates float to the same potential as the surrounding cover glasses. The photoemission is the physical phenomenon allowing the homogenization of the local surface potentials. Theoretical, numerical, and experimental investigations are used to assess how well such a device could record the evolution of the solar panel surface voltage. Combined with a dedicated measurement chain and telemetry, ESD occurrences could thus be measured on in-flight solar panels.
Fragrances Categorized According to Relative Human Skin Sensitization Potency

Background The development of non-animal alternatives for skin sensitization potency prediction is dependent upon the availability of a sufficient dataset whose human potency is well characterized. Previously, establishment of basic categorization criteria for 6 defined potency categories, allowed 131 substances to be allocated into them entirely on the basis of human information. Objectives To supplement the original dataset with an extended range of fragrance substances. Methods A more fully described version of the original criteria was used to assess 89 fragrance chemicals, allowing their allocation into one of the 6 potency categories. Results None of the fragrance substances were assigned to the most potent group, category 1, whereas 11 were category 2, 22 were category 3, 37 were category 4, and 19 were category 5. Although none were identified as non-sensitizing, note that substances in category 5 also do not pass the threshold for regulatory classification. Conclusions The combined datasets of >200 substances placed into potency categories solely on the basis of human data provides an essential resource for the elaboration and evaluation of predictive non-animal methods.
Role of membrane-type matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MT-1-MMP), MMP-2, and its inhibitor in nephrogenesis.

Extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, their integrin receptors, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), the ECM-degrading enzymes, are believed to be involved in various biological processes, including embryogenesis. In the present study, we investigated the role of membrane type MMP, MT-1-MMP, an activator pro-MMP-2, in metanephric development. Also, its relationship with MMP-2 and its inhibitor, TIMP-2, was studied. Since mRNAs of MT-1-MMP and MMP-2 are respectively expressed in the ureteric bud epithelia and mesenchyme, they are ideally suited for juxtacrine/paracrine interactions during renal development. Northern blot analyses revealed a single ∼4.5-kb mRNA transcript of MT-1-MMP, and its expression was developmentally regulated. Inclusion of MT-1-MMP antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) in the culture media induced dysmorphogenetic changes in the embryonic metanephros. MMP-2 antisense ODN also induced similar changes, but they were relatively less; on the other hand TIMP-2 antisense ODN induced a mild increase in the size of explants. Concomitant exposure of MT-1-MMP and MMP-2 antisense ODNs induced profound alterations in the metanephroi. Treatment of TIMP-2 antisense ODN to metanephroi exposed to MT-1-MMP/MMP-2 antisense notably restored the morphology of the explants. Specificity of the MT-1-MMP antisense ODN was reflected in the selective decrease in its mRNA and protein expression. The MT-1-MMP antisense ODN also resulted in a failure in the activation of pro-MMP-2 to MMP-2. These findings suggest that the trimacromolecular complex of MT-1-MMP:MMP-2:TIMP-2 modulates the organogenesis of the metanephros, conceivably by mediating paracrine/juxtacrine epithelial:mesenchymal interactions.
Improving advanced cardiovascular life support skills in medical students: simulation-based education approach

Objective: In this trial, we intend to assess the effect of simulation-based education approach on advanced cardiovascular life support skills among medical students. Methods: Through convenient sampling method, 40 interns of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in their emergency medicine rotation (from September to December 2012) participated in this study. Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) workshops with pretest and post-test exams were performed. Workshops and checklists for pretest and post-test exams were designed according to the latest American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines. Results: The total score of the students increased significantly after workshops (24.6 out of 100 to 78.6 out of 100). This demonstrates 53.9% improvement in the skills after the simulation-based education (P< 0.001). Also the mean score of each station had a significant improvement (P< 0.001). Conclusion: Pretests showed that interns had poor performance in practical clinical matters while their scientific knowledge, such as ECG interpretation was acceptable. The overall results of the study highlights that Simulation based-education approach is highly effective in Improving ACLS skills among medical students.
The Effect of Bagnold Dunes Slopes on the Short Timescale Air Temperature Fluctuations at Gale Crater on Mars

In situ measurements of how air temperature near the surface responds to changing topography on other planets are rare. The Bagnold dunes were investigated by Mars Science Laboratory's Curiosity rover during its second winter in Gale crater on Mars. The effect of Bagnold dune slopes on the local microclimate air temperature, potential temperature, near‐surface lapse rate, and how they change the variability of short‐lived air temperature fluctuations is described. The oscillations with periods under 24 min are characterized using Fourier analysis. Comparing the sols during the Bagnold dunes exploration to a typical southern winter sol, we characterize the changes in temperature oscillations near the east facing High dune, the west facing Namib dune, as well as in the area between the dunes. Each of the regions had distinct signatures, with the west and east orientation of the dunes affecting the data.
Prevention of Human Papillomavirus-Related Malignancies of the Female Genital Tract

Persistent infection from high-risk HPV types is necessary for the development of cervical cancer and constitutes a main cause for a significant proportion of cancers in other sites of the female anogenital tract such as the vulva, the vagina, and the anus [1]. Cervical cancer in particular being the third most common cancer in women (with approximately 530,000 cases and 275,000 deaths per year) [2] is an important global health issue warranting intensive preventive efforts [3]. Secondary prevention through cervical cytology screening has been effective in reducing the incidence and the mortality of the disease [4]. However, cervical cytology has certain limitations one of which is poor reproducibility. In the study by A. C. Barcelos et al. titled “Atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance: bethesda classification and association with human papillomavirus” which appears in this special issue, observers would agree in the diagnosis of ASCUS only in two out of three cases.
User Association in 5G mmWave Networks

The approaching 5G era of cellular communications is posing stringent performance requirements. New groundbreaking applications can be enabled only by means of multi-Gbps data rates and ultra-low latencies. The spectrum scarcity at frequencies below 6 GHz stimulated a new wave of wireless research that focuses on higher bands, namely mmWave. Directionality and high penetration loss represent the key challenges when operating with such carriers. The resulting intermittent connectivity makes the user association problem even more complex and critical than in previous generations of cellular systems, where the channel was better behaved. In this paper, we aim at deriving an optimal and fair cell selection policy that encapsulates the reallocation cost of potential handovers, and captures the erratic nature of the mmWave channel. An important conclusion is that (i) if there is no, or minimal, reallocation cost, each user associates with a single BS, while (ii) for higher handover cost values, users tend to connect to multiple base stations simultaneously.
The arterial circle of the brain, its branches and connections in selected representatives of the Antilopinae

The arterial circle of the brain, that is, the circle of Willis, and its branches in ruminants have been chiefly described in farm animals and only in selected wild species. In view of the deficit of information about this vascular region in numerous other species of the Ruminantia, the arteries of the encephalic base were analyzed in five antelope species representing different genera of the Bovidae, Antilopinae. Specimens of the following species were examined: springbuck (Antidorcas marsupialis), blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra), dik‐dik (Madoqua kirkii), saiga (Saiga tatarica), and oribi (Ourebia ourebi). Post‐autopsy material received from domestic zoological gardens was used to inject the bilateral common carotid arteries with a stained acetone solution of vinyl superchloride. When the material was polymerized, the specimens were macerated enzymatically. The process resulted in casts of arteries of the head and encephalic base on a skeletal scaffold. The investigations revealed that the bilateral components of the arterial circle of the brain, that is, the rostral cerebral artery and caudal communicating artery, arose from the division of the intracranial segment of the internal carotid artery, which emerges from the rostral epidural rete mirabile. The extracranial segment of the internal carotid artery was obliterated. In consequence of this process, the blood reaches the brain chiefly from the maxillary artery. The research proved that the arteries of the encephalic base in the Antilopinae are most similar to the vessels described in antelopes of Tragelaphus, Taurotragus, and Boselaphus genera and small domestic ruminants. However, they are different from the arterial pattern of the encephalic base in bovines and other species classified as the Bovini. J. Morphol. 276:766–771, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A Novel Sample-and-Hold-Based Time-to-Digital Converter Architecture

In this paper, the design of a time-to-digital converter (TDC) for measuring the time of flight (ToF) of a radio pulse is described. The novel idea is based on the adoption of a charge-pump time-to-voltage transducer followed by a sample-and-hold amplifier (SHA) and by a second-order discrete-time incremental Delta-Sigma (¿¿) converter to perform a single-shot conversion. The TDC architecture is capable of achieving a range of 220 ns, a time resolution of about 200 ps (a 10-bit incremental ¿¿ converter), and robustness with respect to temperature variations. The design has been successfully verified through simulations both at system and transistor levels using a 0.25-¿m complimentary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology with a -2.5- to + 4-V power supply.
Nilotinib Does Not Alter the Secretory Functions of Carotid Artery Endothelial Cells in a Prothrombotic or Antithrombotic Fashion

Background: There have been concerns about the possible prothrombotic effects of nilotinib, especially in patients having cardiovascular risk factors. The potential mechanism behind the increased risk of thromboembolic events is still not clear. Objectives: In this study, we aimed to evaluate possible harmful effects of nilotinib on endothelial cells. To this aim, we examined proliferative capacity and secretory functions of healthy human carotid artery endothelial cells (HCtAECs) in response to nilotinib. Methods: 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) cell proliferation method was used to determine antiproliferative effects of nilotinib on HCtAECs. The HCtAECs were incubated with 5, 10, and 100 nmol/L doses of nilotinib for 72 hours. Then, in order to assess the endothelial function, levels of nitric oxide (NO), von Willebrand factor (vWF), tissue plasminogen activator, plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), and endothelin 1 (ET-1) were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay from tissue culture supernatants. Results: There were slight but statistically significant decreases in cell proliferation in response to nilotinib. Nilotinib increased the secretion of t-PA, PAI-1, and vWF in a dose-dependent manner when compared with the untreated control group. The ET-1 secretion was lower in 5 nmol/L and higher in 10 and 100 nmol/L nilotinib-treated cells as compared to untreated cells. Regarding NO secretion, lower levels were observed in 5 and 10 nmol/L, and higher levels were detected in 100 nmol/L nilotinib-treated cells as compared to untreated control group cells. Conclusion: Considering the results obtained in our study, nilotinib does not affect the functions of endothelial cells either in a prothrombotic or an antithrombotic fashion, despite a dose-dependent decline in cell viability.
Inorganic Phosphate as an Important Regulator of Phosphatases

Cellular metabolism depends on the appropriate concentration of intracellular inorganic phosphate (Pi). Pi starvation-responsive genes appear to be involved in multiple metabolic pathways, implying a complex Pi regulation system in microorganisms and plants. A group of enzymes is required for absorption and maintenance of adequate phosphate levels, which is released from phosphate esters and anhydrides. The phosphatase system is particularly suited for the study of regulatory mechanisms because phosphatase activity is easily measured using specific methods and the difference between the repressed and derepressed levels of phosphatase activity is easily detected. This paper analyzes the protein phosphatase system induced during phosphate starvation in different organisms.
The Roles of Interferon Regulatory Factors 1 and 2 in the Progression of Human Pancreatic Cancer

Objective Pancreatic cancer is one of the most malignant diseases worldwide. Interferon regulatory factor (IRF) 1 and IRF2 function as a tumor suppressor and oncoprotein, respectively, in several types of cancers. We investigated whether IRF1 and IRF2 are involved in the progression of pancreatic cancer. Methods We examined the expressions of IRF1 and IRF2 in pancreatic cancer specimens and analyzed the association with clinicopathologic features. We evaluated the biological effects of IRF1 and IRF2 using a pancreatic cancer cell line. Results The expression levels of IRF1 and IRF2 were decreased and increased, respectively, in the pancreatic cancer cells compared with those observed in the paired normal areas. A higher expression of IRF1 was associated with better features of tumor differentiation, infiltration depth, tumor size, and survival, whereas that of IRF2 was associated with a worse feature of tumor infiltration depth. Interferon regulatory factor 2–overexpressing PANC-1 cells exhibited an increase in cell growth, less apoptotic features, and chemoresistance to gemcitabine treatment. In contrast, IRF1-overexpressing cells exhibited the opposite characteristics. Conclusions Interferon regulatory factors 1 and 2 may regulate the progression of pancreatic cancer by functioning as an antioncoprotein and oncoprotein, respectively. These molecules may serve as potential targets of therapy.