Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Valsartan Decreases Platelet Activity and Arterial Thrombotic Events in Elderly Patients with Hypertension

Background: Angiotensin type 1 receptor (AT1R) antagonists are extensively used for blood pressure control in elderly patients with hypertension. This study aimed to investigate the inhibitory effects of AT1R antagonist valsartan on platelet aggregation and the occurrence of cardio-cerebral thrombotic events in elderly patients with hypertension. Methods: Two-hundred and ten patients with hypertension and aged > 60 years were randomized to valsartan (n = 140) or amlodipine (n = 70) on admission. The primary endpoint was platelet aggregation rate (PAR) induced by arachidonic acid at discharge, and the secondary endpoint was the rate of thrombotic events including brain infarction and myocardial infarction during follow-up. Human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) were stimulated by angiotensin II (Ang II, 100 nmol/L) with or without pretreatment of valsartan (100 nmol/L), and relative expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and thromboxane B2 (TXB2) and both p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) and nuclear factor-kB (NF-kB) activities were assessed. Statistical analyses were performed by GraphPad Prism 5.0 software (GraphPad Software, Inc., California, USA). Results: PAR was lower after treatment with valsartan (11.49 ± 0.69% vs. 18.71 ± 2.47%, P < 0.001), associated with more reduced plasma levels of COX-2 (76.94 ± 7.07 U/L vs. 116.4 ± 15.89 U/L, P < 0.001) and TXB2 (1667 ± 56.50 pg/ml vs. 2207 ± 180.20 pg/ml) (all P < 0.001). Plasma COX-2 and TXB2 levels correlated significantly with PAR in overall patients (r = 0.109, P < 0.001). During follow-up (median, 18 months), there was a significantly lower thrombotic event rate in patients treated with valsartan (14.3% vs. 32.8%, P = 0.002). Relative expression of COX-2 and secretion of TXB2 with concordant phosphorylation of p38MAPK and NF-kB were increased in HAECs when stimulated by Ang II (100 nmol/L) but were significantly decreased by valsartan pretreatment (100 nmol/L). Conclusions: AT1R antagonist valsartan decreases platelet activity by attenuating COX-2/TXA2 expression through p38MAPK and NF-kB pathways and reduces the occurrence of cardio-cerebral thrombotic events in elderly patients with hypertension.
Toxicity of silver nanoparticles in zebrafish models

This study was initiated to enhance our insight on the health and environmental impact of silver nanoparticles (Ag-np). Using starch and bovine serum albumin (BSA) as capping agents, silver nanoparticles were synthesized to study their deleterious effects and distribution pattern in zebrafish embryos (Danio rerio). Toxicological endpoints like mortality, hatching, pericardial edema and heart rate were recorded. A concentration-dependent increase in mortality and hatching delay was observed in Ag-np treated embryos. Additionally, nanoparticle treatments resulted in concentration-dependent toxicity, typified by phenotypes that had abnormal body axes, twisted notochord, slow blood flow, pericardial edema and cardiac arrhythmia. Ag+ ions and stabilizing agents showed no significant defects in developing embryos. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of the embryos demonstrated that nanoparticles were distributed in the brain, heart, yolk and blood of embryos as evident from the electron-dispersive x-ray analysis (EDS). Furthermore, the acridine orange staining showed an increased apoptosis in Ag-np treated embryos. These results suggest that silver nanoparticles induce a dose-dependent toxicity in embryos, which hinders normal development.
Role of sulfatide in vaccinia virus infection

Background information. Vaccinia virus (VACV) was used as a surrogate of variola virus (genus Orthopoxvirus), the causative agent of smallpox, to study orthopoxvirus infection. VACV infects cells via attachment and fusion of the viral membrane with the host cell membrane. Glycosphingolipids, expressed in multiple organs, are major components of lipid rafts and have been associated with the infectious route of several pathogens.
CHARACTERIZATION OF FIBER REINFORCED SELF-CONSOLIDATING MORTARS FOR USE IN PATCHING DAMAGED CONCRETE

THIS RESEARCH AIMS TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTARY CEMENTITIOUS MATERIALS (SCMS) SUCH AS QUARRY DUST LIMESTONE (QDL) AND NATURAL POZZOLANA (NP) ON THE PERFORMANCE OF FIBER REINFORCED SELF-CONSOLIDATING REPAIR MORTARS (FR-SCRMS). BASED ON PREVIOUS OPTIMIZATION OF QDL AND NP REPLACEMENT RATIOS, TWO MORTAR MIXTURES INCORPORATING 10% QDL AND 20% NP AS CEMENT REPLACEMENTS WERE PREPARED. THE EVALUATION WAS BASED ON FRESH (SLUMP FLOW, FLOW TIME), HARDENED (COMPRESSIVE AND FLEXURAL STRENGTHS AND ADHERENCE TO OLD CONCRETE USING SLANT SHEAR TEST). IN ADDITION, THE INFLUENCE OF THREE CURING CONDITIONS, SIMILAR FROM THOSE NORMALLY ENCOUNTERED IN THE FIELD WAS EVALUATED ON THE COMPATIBILITY BETWEEN REPAIR MATERIALS AND SUBSTRATE, UNDER FLEXURAL STRENGTH TEST BY USING THIRD-POINT’S LOADING BEAM TEST METHOD. IT IS DEMONSTRATED THAT THE FR-SCRMS IS PROMISING TO BE USED IN REPAIR CONCRETE STRUCTURES CLASS R4 (EN 1504-3) WITHOUT REDUCING THE ADHESIVE STRENGTH.
Phospholipases and the Network of Auxin Signal Transduction with ABP1 and TIR1 as Two Receptors: A Comprehensive and Provocative Model

Three types of phospholipases, phospholipase D, secreted phospholipase A2, and patatin-related phospholipase A (pPLA) have functions in auxin signal transduction. Potential linkage to auxin receptors ABP1 or TIR1, their rapid activation or post-translational activation mechanisms, and downstream functions regulated by these phospholipases is reviewed and discussed. Only for pPLA all aspects are known at least to some detail. Evidence is gathered that all these signal reactions are located in the cytosol and seem to merge on regulation of PIN-catalyzed auxin efflux transport proteins. As a consequence, auxin concentration in the nucleus is also affected and this regulates the E3 activity of this auxin receptor. We showed that ABP1, PIN2, and pPLA, all outside the nucleus, have an impact on regulation of auxin-induced genes within 30 min. We propose that regulation of PIN protein activities and of auxin efflux transport are the means to coordinate ABP1 and TIR1 activity and that no physical contact between components of the ABP1-triggered cytosolic pathways and TIR1-triggered nuclear pathways of signaling is necessary to perform this.
An Approach for External Preference Mapping Improvement by Denoising Consumer Rating Data

In this study, denoising data was advocated in sensory analysis field to remove the existing noise in consumer rating data before processing to External Preference Mapping (EPM). This technique is a data visualization used to understand consumers sensory profiles by relating their preferences towards products to external information about sensory characteristics of the perceived products. The output is a perceptual map which visualizes the optimal products and aspects that maximize consumers likings. Hence, EPM is considered as a decision tool to support the development or improvement of products and respond to market requirements. In fact, the stability of the map is affected by the high variability of judgments that make consumer rating data very noisy. This may lead to mismatch between products features and consumers’ preferences then distorted results and wrong decisions. To remove the existing noise, the use of some filtering methods is proposed. Regularized Principal Component Analysis (RPCA) and Stein’s Unbiased Risk Estimate (SURE), based respectively on hard and soft thresholding rules, were applied to consumer rating data to separate the signal to noise and maintain only useful information about the given liking scores. As a way to compare the EPM obtained from each strategy, a sampling process was conducted to randomly select samples from noisy and cleaned data, then perform their corresponding EPM. The stability of the obtained maps was evaluated using an indicator that computes and compares distances between them before and after denoising. The effectiveness of this methodology was evaluated by a simulation study and a potential application was shown on real dataset. Results show that recorded distances after denoising are lower than those before in almost cases for both RPCA and SURE. However, RPCA outperforms SURE. The corresponding map is made more stable where level lines are seen smoothed and products are better located on liking zones. Hence, noise removal reduces variability in data and brings closer preferences which improves the quality of the visualized map.
Detection of potential enzyme targets by metabolic modelling and optimization: Application to a simple enzymopathy

MOTIVATION A very promising approach in drug discovery involves the integration of available biomedical data through mathematical modelling and data mining. We have developed a method called optimization program for drug discovery (OPDD) that allows new enzyme targets to be identified in enzymopathies through the integration of metabolic models and biomedical data in a mathematical optimization program. The method involves four steps: (i) collection of the necessary information about the metabolic system and disease; (ii) translation of the information into mathematical terms; (iii) computation of the optimization programs prioritizing the solutions that propose the inhibition of a reduced number of enzymes and (iv) application of additional biomedical criteria to select and classify the solutions. Each solution consists of a set of predicted values for metabolites, initial substrates and enzyme activities, which describe a biologically acceptable steady state of the system that shifts the pathologic state towards a healthy state. RESULTS The OPDD was used to detect target enzymes in an enzymopathy, the human hyperuricemia. An existing S-system model and bibliographic information about the disease were used. The method detected six single-target enzyme solutions involving dietary modification, one of them coinciding with the conventional clinical treatment using allopurinol. The OPDD detected a large number of possible solutions involving two enzyme targets. All except one contained one of the previously detected six enzyme targets. The purpose of this work was not to obtain solutions for direct clinical implementation but to illustrate how increasing levels of biomedical information can be integrated together with mathematical models in drug discovery. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Accountable Climate Governance: Dilemmas of Performance Management across Complex Governance Networks

Abstract How can accountability be institutionalized across complex governance networks that are dealing with the transboundary pollution problem of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions at multiple spatial, temporal and social scales? To address this question, we propose an accountability framework that enables comparison of the democratic, market and administrative anchorage of actor accountability within and across governance networks. A comparative analysis of performance measures in a sample of climate governance networks is undertaken. This comparative analysis identifies four critical performance management dilemmas in the areas of strategy, uncertain science, integration of multiple scales, and monitoring and verification of performance measures.
Intracellular pH regulation by acid-base transporters in mammalian neurons

Intracellular pH (pHi) regulation in the brain is important in both physiological and physiopathological conditions because changes in pHi generally result in altered neuronal excitability. In this review, we will cover 4 major areas: (1) The effect of pHi on cellular processes in the brain, including channel activity and neuronal excitability. (2) pHi homeostasis and how it is determined by the balance between rates of acid loading (JL) and extrusion (JE). The balance between JE and JL determine steady-state pHi, as well as the ability of the cell to defend pHi in the face of extracellular acid-base disturbances (e.g., metabolic acidosis). (3) The properties and importance of members of the SLC4 and SLC9 families of acid-base transporters expressed in the brain that contribute to JL (namely the Cl-HCO3 exchanger AE3) and JE (the Na-H exchangers NHE1, NHE3, and NHE5 as well as the Na+- coupled HCO3− transporters NBCe1, NBCn1, NDCBE, and NBCn2). (4) The effect of acid-base disturbances on neuronal function and the roles of acid-base transporters in defending neuronal pHi under physiopathologic conditions.
The Use of Computed Tomography in the Diagnosis of Fatty Liver and Abdominal Fat Distribution among a Saudi Population

BACKGROUND: The pandemic of obesity is striking heavily worldwide and particularly among the affluent Gulf States where it is expected to continue to rise along with its complications. AIM: To examine the link between liver fat infiltration and abdominal fat amount using plain computer-assisted tomography (CT). METHODS: Fifty patients visiting the obesity clinic of “King Fahd Specialist Hospital” or Dr Suliman Alhabeeb Hospital between January 2015 and April 2016 were included. Liver and splenic attenuation dimensions were undertaken with three hepatic regions of interests (ROIs) and two ROIs from the spleen. The liver attenuation indices (LAIs) that were measured liver parenchymal attenuation (CTLP), liver/splenic attenuation ratio (LS ratio)and the (3) difference between liver and splenic attenuation (LS dif) and based on this LS dif The patients were grouped as LS dif greater or less than 5. Abdominal fat was evaluated utilising a 3 mm chop CT scan starting from the umbilicus; then computed by a workstation. The abdominal fat was classified as total fat (TF) and the sub-compartments of visceral adipose (fat) (VF), and subcutaneous fat (SF). RESULTS: Twenty-six of the participants were males. The mean (SD) of the age and BMI was 48 (14.9) years and 32.05 (8.3) kg/m2 respectively. The BMI and body Wt had a moderate negative correlation with the liver attenuation indices CTLP, LS ratio, LS diff (r = -0.417, -0.277, -0.312 and 0.435, -0.297, -0.0297), respectively. A very strong negative correlation between fatty liver, LS ratio and CTLP was found (-0.709, -0.575) respectively. CONCLUSION: Plain computed tomography can reliably be used as a survey device for fatty liver disease.
Illumination, Background Luminance, and Perceptual Learning in Perception of Achromatic Colors

Plateau's experiment, in which the bisection method was introduced, is recognized as the first psychophysical experiment ever done. That experiment was replicated and extended using modern imaging devices. First, participants with professional training in visual arts painted grayscales with no control on illumination. Then, the trained participants and the nontrained participants generated grayscales using a personal computer in three different conditions: a white background of a linearized monitor, a black background of that monitor, and a white background but without linearizing the monitor. Analyses showed that with artificial illumination, scales with steps more evenly spread were produced than with natural illumination. Humans do not seem to have a natural ability to use the bisection method properly. Experts seem to be able to judge the reflectance of distal stimuli, and perceptual learning played an important role in the perception of achromatic colors as found in prior literature.
Prior classical olfactory conditioning improves odour-cued flight orientation of honey bees in a wind tunnel

SUMMARY Odours are key cues used by the honey bee in various situations. They play an important role in sexual attraction, social behaviour and location of profitable food sources. Here, we were interested in the role of odours in orientation at short distance, for instance the approach flight to a floral patch or in close proximity to the hive entrance. Using a newly designed wind tunnel, we investigated the orientation behaviour of the bee towards two different odours: a social odour and a floral component, linalool. We then tested the effect of prior olfactory conditioning (conditioning of the proboscis extension reflex) on subsequent flight orientation. We showed that both stimuli induced orientated behaviour (orientated flights, circling around the odour source) in up to 70% of the worker bees, social odour being slightly more attractive than the linalool. We found thereafter that orientation performance towards the floral compound can be significantly enhanced by prior classical olfactory learning. This type of information transfer, from a Pavlovian associative context to an orientation task, might allow future foragers to acquire, within the hive, relevant information about the odours and food they will encounter during their later foraging bouts.
Heterogeneity in Intratumor Correlations of 18F-FDG, 18F-FLT, and 61Cu-ATSM PET in Canine Sinonasal Tumors

Intratumor heterogeneity in biologic properties and in relationships between various phenotypes may present a challenge for biologically targeted therapies. Understanding the relationships between different phenotypes in individual tumor types could help inform treatment selection. The goal of this study was to characterize spatial correlations of glucose metabolism, proliferation, and hypoxia in 2 histologic types of tumors. Methods: Twenty canine veterinary patients with spontaneously occurring sinonasal tumors (13 carcinomas and 7 sarcomas) were imaged with 18F-FDG, 18F-labeled 3′-deoxy-3′-fluorothymidine (18F-FLT), and 61Cu-labeled diacetyl-bis(N4-methylthiosemicarbazone) (61Cu-ATSM) PET/CT on 3 consecutive days. Precise positioning and immobilization techniques coupled with anesthesia enabled motionless scans with repeatable positioning. Standardized uptake values (SUVs) of gross sarcoma and carcinoma volumes were compared by use of Mann–Whitney U tests. Patient images were rigidly registered together, and intratumor tracer uptake distributions were compared. Voxel-based Spearman correlation coefficients were used to quantify intertracer correlations, and the correlation coefficients of sarcomas and carcinomas were compared. The relative overlap of the highest uptake volumes of the 3 tracers was quantified, and the values were compared for sarcomas and carcinomas. Results: Large degrees of heterogeneity in SUV measures and phenotype correlations were observed. Carcinoma and sarcoma tumors differed significantly in SUV measures, with carcinoma tumors having significantly higher 18F-FDG maximum SUVs than sarcoma tumors (11.1 vs. 5.0; P = 0.01) as well as higher 61Cu-ATSM mean SUVs (2.6 vs. 1.2; P = 0.02). Carcinomas had significantly higher population-averaged Spearman correlation coefficients than sarcomas in comparisons of 18F-FDG and 18F-FLT (0.80 vs. 0.61; P = 0.02), 18F-FLT and 61Cu-ATSM (0.83 vs. 0.38; P < 0.0001), and 18F-FDG and 61Cu-ATSM (0.82 vs. 0.69; P = 0.04). Additionally, the highest uptake volumes of the 3 tracers had significantly greater overlap in carcinomas than in sarcomas. Conclusion: The relationships of glucose metabolism, proliferation, and hypoxia were heterogeneous across different tumors, with carcinomas tending to have high correlations and sarcomas having low correlations. Consequently, canine carcinoma tumors are robust targets for therapies that target a single biologic property, whereas sarcoma tumors may not be well suited for such therapies. Histology-specific PET correlations have far-reaching implications for the robustness of biologic target definition.
Exploring Common Meanings of Social Support as Experienced by Jordanian Women With Breast Cancer

Background: Research addressing social support among women diagnosed with breast cancer has been explored in several Western cultures, but there is a lack of such research in Jordanian women diagnosed with breast cancer. Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore common meanings of social support as experienced by Jordanian women with breast cancer. Methods: A qualitative interpretive phenomenological research design was used for this study. A purposive sample of 20 women diagnosed with stage I, II, or III breast cancer was recruited from 2 hospitals located in Jordan. Data were collected using individual semistructured interviews and analyzed using the Heideggerian hermeneutical methodology. Results: Six related themes and 1 constitutive pattern describe the meaning of social support for Jordanian women with breast cancer: (a) breast cancer as a stigmatized disease among Jordanian women with breast cancer, (b) social support from social network members, (c) being strong for self and others, (d) resources influence availability and need for social support, (e) controlling information for protection, and (f) using spiritual meaning as support. The constitutive pattern was labeled: culture influencing the meaning of social support. Conclusion: Jordanian women with breast cancer rely primarily on other women for social support, most of whom are in their family network. Need for social support can vary by resources available to these women. Implications for Practice: Health care providers who give care to Jordanian women with breast cancer need to consider the influence of culture, religion, and clinical and personal characteristics of each woman on her need for social support.
NeuroPred: a tool to predict cleavage sites in neuropeptide precursors and provide the masses of the resulting peptides

NeuroPred is a web application designed to predict cleavage sites at basic amino acid locations in neuropeptide precursor sequences. The user can study one amino acid sequence or multiple sequences simultaneously, selecting from several prediction models and optional, user-defined functions. Logistic regression models are trained on experimentally verified or published cleavage data from mollusks, mammals and insects, and amino acid motifs reported to be associated with cleavage. Confidence interval limits of the probabilities of cleavage indicate the precision of the predictions; these predictions are transformed into cleavage or non-cleavage events according to user-defined thresholds. In addition to the precursor sequence, NeuroPred accepts user-specified cleavage information, providing model accuracy statistics based on observed and predicted cleavages. Neuropred also computes the mass of the predicted peptides, including user-selectable post-translational modifications. The resulting mass list aids the discovery and confirmation of new neuropeptides using mass spectrometry techniques. The NeuroPred application, manual, reference manuscripts and training sequences are available at .
Exponential decay in nonsimple thermoelasticity of type III

This paper deals with the model proposed for nonsimple materials with heat conduction of type III. We analyze first the general system of equations, determine the behavior of its solutions with respect to the time, and show that the semigroup associated with the system is not analytic. Two limiting cases of the model are studied later. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Research on Expert Search at Enterprise Track of TREC 2006

A separating device for separating a pair of immiscible components from a fluid mixture, such as separating water from a diesel fuel oil/water mixture, includes a housing and a filter cartridge mounted on the housing such that the filter cartridge is oriented substantially horizontally. The housing includes an inlet fitting, an outlet fitting, and a sump for receiving the fluid component separated from the mixture. Because of the orientation of the housing, the coalesced water or heavier component of the fluid mixture tends to collect in the lower portion of the filter cartridge and drains into the sump, where it may be drained periodically. The lighter component or fuel oil is communicated to the outlet port or fitting.