Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
BOLD MRI to evaluate early development of renal injury in a rat model of diabetes

Objective To investigate changes in renal oxygenation levels by blood-oxygenation-level dependent (BOLD)-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and to evaluate BOLD-MRI for detecting early diabetic renal injury. Methods Seventy-five rats, with unilateral nephrectomy, were randomly divided into streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus (DM, n = 65) and normal control (NC, n = 10) groups. BOLD-MRI scans were performed at baseline (both groups) and at 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, 56, 63 and 70 days (DM only). Renal cortical (C) and medullary (M) R2* signals were measured and R2* medulla/cortex ratio (MCR) was calculated. Results DM-group CR2* and MR2* values were significantly higher than NC values following diabetes induction. R2* values increased gradually and peaked at day 35 (CR2*, 33.95 ± 0.34 s–1; MR2*, 43.79 ± 1.46 s–1), then dropped gradually (CR2*, 33.17 ± 0.69 s–1; MR2*, 41.61 ± 0.95 s–1 at day 70). DM-group MCR rose gradually from 1.12 to 1.32 at day 42, then decreased to 1.25 by day 70. Conclusions BOLD-MRI can be used to non-invasively evaluate renal hypoxia and early diabetic renal injury in diabetic rats. MCR may be adopted to reflect dynamic changes in renal hypoxia.
Molecular and atomic gas in the Local Group galaxy M 33

We present high-resolution large-scale observations of the molecular and atomic gas in the Local Group galaxy M 33. The observations were carried out using the HEterodyne Receiver Array (HERA) at the 30 m IRAM telescope in the CO(2-1) line, achieving a resolution of 12 '' x 2.6 km s(-1), enabling individual giant molecular clouds (GMCs) to be resolved. The observed region is 650 square arcminutes mainly along the major axis and out to a radius of 8.5 kpc, and covers entirely the 2' x 40' radial strip observed with the HIFI and PACS Spectrometers as part of the HERM33ES Herschel key program. The achieved sensitivity in main-beam temperature is 20-50 mK at 2.6 km s(-1) velocity resolution. The CO(2-1) luminosity of the observed region is 1.7 +/- 0.1 x 10(7) K km s(-1) pc(2) and is estimated to be 2.8 +/- 0.3 x 10(7) K km s(-1) pc(2) for the entire galaxy, corresponding to H-2 masses of 1.9 x 10(8) M-circle dot and 3.3 x 10(8) M-circle dot respectively (including He), calculated with N(H-2)/ICO(1-0) twice the Galactic value due to the half-solar metallicity of M 33. The HI 21 cm VLA archive observations were reduced, and the mosaic was imaged and cleaned using the multi-scale task in the CASA software package, yielding a series of datacubes with resolutions ranging from 5 '' to 25 ''. The HI mass within a radius of 8.5 kpc is estimated to be 1.4 x 10(9) M-circle dot. The azimuthally averaged CO surface brightness decreases exponentially with a scale length of 1.9 +/- 0.1 kpc whereas the atomic gas surface density is constant at Sigma(HI) = 6 +/- 2 M-circle dot pc(-2) deprojected to face-on. For an N(H-2)/ICO(1-0) conversion factor twice that of the Milky Way, the central kiloparsec H-2 surface density is Sigma(H2) = 8.5 +/- 0.2 M-circle dot pc(-2). The star formation rate per unit molecular gas (SF efficiency, the rate of transformation of molecular gas into stars), as traced by the ratio of CO to H-alpha and FIR brightness, is constant with radius. The SFE, with a N(H-2)/ICO(1-0) factor twice galactic, appears 2-4 times greater than for large spiral galaxies. A morphological comparison of molecular and atomic gas with tracers of star formation is presented showing good agreement between these maps both in terms of peaks and holes. A few exceptions are noted. Several spectra, including those of a molecular cloud situated more than 8 kpc from the galaxy center, are presented.
Herschel : the first science highlights Special feature L etter to the E ditor Mapping far-IR emission from the central kiloparsec of NGC 1097

Using photometry of NGC 1097 from the Herschel PACS (Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer) instrument, we study the resolved properties of thermal dust continuum emission from a circumnuclear starburst ring with a radius ∼900 pc. These observations are the first to resolve the structure of a circumnuclear ring at wavelengths that probe the peak (i.e. λ ∼ 100 μm) of the dust spectral energy distribution. The ring dominates the far-infrared (far-IR) emission from the galaxy – the high angular resolution of PACS allows us to isolate the ring’s contribution and we find it is responsible for 75, 60 and 55% of the total flux of NGC 1097 at 70, 100 and 160 μm, respectively. We compare the far-IR structure of the ring to what is seen at other wavelengths and identify a sequence of far-IR bright knots that correspond to those seen in radio and mid-IR images. The midand far-IR band ratios in the ring vary by less than ±20% azimuthally, indicating modest variation in the radiation field heating the dust on ∼600 pc scales. We explore various explanations for the azimuthal uniformity in the far-IR colors of the ring including a lack of well-defined age gradients in the young stellar cluster population, a dominant contribution to the far-IR emission from dust heated by older (>10 Myr) stars and/or a quick smoothing of local enhancements in dust temperature due to the short orbital period of the ring. Finally, we improve previous limits on the far-IR flux from the inner ∼600 pc of NGC 1097 by an order of magnitude, providing a better estimate of the total bolometric emission arising from the active galactic nucleus and its associated central starburst.
Does Epstein-Barr virus infection have an influence on the development of laryngeal carcinoma? Detection of EBV by Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction in tumour tissues of patients with laryngeal carcinoma

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a well-known carcinogenic virus, and the association of EBV with some tumours suggests that there may also be an association between laryngeal carcinoma and EBV. Objective The aim of this study is to determine the role of EBV in the aetiology of laryngeal carcinoma. Method Prospective investigation the EBV with real time polymerase chain reaction in tumour tissues of 25 patients with laryngeal carcinoma and 17 patients with benign laryngeal lesions, and investigation of the relationship between the presence of viral DNA and patients’ smoking habits, alcohol consumption, localization and differentiation of the tumour. Results There was no significant difference between the control group and patient group in terms of EBV polymerase chain reaction positivity (p > 0.05). Also we couldn't find a statistically significant relationship between EBV positivity and differentiation of the tumour, localization of the tumour, smoking and alcohol consumption habits (p > 0.05). Conclusion Our results suggest that, although EBV is present in some of the squamous cell laryngeal carcinomas, its presence has no effect on the pathogenesis of laryngeal carcinomas.
Characterization of Model Uncertainty for Cantilever Deflections in Undrained Clay

AbstractThis work presents a critical evaluation of the model factor for the mobilized strength design (MSD) method for cantilever deflection in undrained soft to medium-stiff clay. The model factor is characterized in two parts. A correction factor η is first defined as the ratio between the wall-top deflection computed from the FEM and its corresponding value computed from the MSD. The hardening soil with a small-strain model is used in FEM. The statistics of η are evaluated using 82 numerical simulations. Because η is not random, and therefore cannot be modeled directly as a random variable, it is decomposed as a product of a systematic part (f) and a random part (η∗). The random part is modeled as a lognormal random variable with a mean of 1.01 and a coefficient of variation (COV) of 0.18. The model factor for FEM (eFEM) is next defined as the ratio between the measured wall-top deflection and the corresponding FEM result. The statistics of eFEM are evaluated using 45 field cases. The ratio eFEM is ra.
Central Nervous System Infection with Borna Disease Virus Causes Kynurenine Pathway Dysregulation and Neurotoxic Quinolinic Acid Production

ABSTRACT Central nervous system infection of neonatal and adult rats with Borna disease virus (BDV) results in neuronal destruction and behavioral abnormalities with differential immune-mediated involvement. Neuroactive metabolites generated from the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan degradation have been implicated in several human neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we report that brain expression of key enzymes in the kynurenine pathway are significantly, but differentially, altered in neonatal and adult rats with BDV infection. Gene expression analysis of rat brains following neonatal infection showed increased expression of kynurenine amino transferase II (KATII) and kynurenine-3-monooxygenase (KMO) enzymes. Additionally, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) expression was only modestly increased in a brain region- and time-dependent manner in neonatally infected rats; however, its expression was highly increased in adult infected rats. The most dramatic impact on gene expression was seen for KMO, whose activity promotes the production of neurotoxic quinolinic acid. KMO expression was persistently elevated in brain regions of both newborn and adult BDV-infected rats, with increases reaching up to 86-fold. KMO protein levels were increased in neonatally infected rats and colocalized with neurons, the primary target cells of BDV infection. Furthermore, quinolinic acid was elevated in neonatally infected rat brains. We further demonstrate increased expression of KATII and KMO, but not IDO, in vitro in BDV-infected C6 astroglioma cells. Our results suggest that BDV directly impacts the kynurenine pathway, an effect that may be exacerbated by inflammatory responses in immunocompetent hosts. Thus, experimental models of BDV infection may provide new tools for discriminating virus-mediated from immune-mediated impacts on the kynurenine pathway and their relative contribution to neurodegeneration. IMPORTANCE BDV causes persistent, noncytopathic infection in vitro yet still elicits widespread neurodegeneration of infected neurons in both immunoincompetent and immunocompetent hosts. Here, we show that BDV infection induces expression of key enzymes of the kynurenine pathway in brains of newborn and adult infected rats and cultured astroglioma cells, shunting tryptophan degradation toward the production of neurotoxic quinolinic acid. Thus, our findings newly implicate this metabolic pathway in BDV-induced neurodegeneration. Given the importance of the kynurenine pathway in a wide range of human infections and neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders, animal models of BDV infection may serve as important tools for contrasting direct viral and indirect antiviral immune-mediated impacts on kynurenine pathway dysregulation and the ensuing neurodevelopmental and neuropathological consequences.
Analgesic Efficacy and Safety of Curcuminoids in Clinical Practice: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

BACKGROUND Curcuminoids are natural products with potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. There have been a number of reports on the analgesic effects of curcuminoids in clinical trials, yet data have not been fully conclusive. OBJECTIVES To provide the highest level of evidence on the efficacy of curcuminoids in patients with painful conditions through meta-analysis of data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs). METHODS A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted using data reported by RCTs. The primary efficacy measure was pain intensity or algofunctional status. Treatment effect was summarized with standardized mean difference (SMD) calculated from differences in means of pain measures between treatment and control groups using a random-effects model. RESULTS A total of eight RCTs met our inclusion criteria that included 606 randomized patients. Curcuminoids were found to significantly reduce pain (SMD: -0.57, 95% CI: -1.11 to -0.03, P = 0.04). This pain-relieving effect was found to be independent of administered dose and duration of treatment with curcuminoids, and was free from publication bias. Curcuminoids were safe and well tolerated in all evaluated RCTs. CONCLUSION Curcuminoids supplements may be a safe and effective strategy to improve pain severity, by warranting further rigorously conducted studies to define the long-term efficacy and safety.
Vibration and Damping Analysis of Laminated/Sandwich Composite Plates Using Higher-Order Theory

In this paper, the effects of higher-order theory, that accounts for the realistic variation of in-plane and transverse displacements through the thickness, on the modal loss factors and natural frequencies of thick composite laminated/sandwich plates, have been studied. The formulation is based on finite element procedure using C 0 eight-noded quadrilateral plate element. Further, the complex modulus of an orthotropic lamina is employed to model the damping effect. The significance of various higher-order terms considered in the model in predicting the vibration and damping characteristics are shown through the numerical studies. A detailed parametric study is also carried out to highlight the influences of ply-angle, aspect ratio, number of layers, and core to face thickness ratio for sandwich laminates on frequencies and system loss factors of composite laminates/sandwich plates.
Amoebiasis: current status in Australia

Entamoeba histolytica is one of the most common parasitic infections worldwide, infecting about 50 million people and resulting in 40 000–100 000 deaths a year. In Australia, people at risk of infection include immigrants, travellers returning from countries of high endemicity, Indigenous people, and men who have sex with men. Clinical manifestations range from asymptomatic carriage to invasive disease. Amoebic colitis and amoebic liver abscess are the most common invasive manifestations observed in Australia. Diagnosis depends on a high index of suspicion and laboratory investigations. Molecular methods (using the polymerase chain reaction) are the most sensitive for identifying and differentiating Entamoeba species. Treatment should always include a luminal agent to eradicate colonisation, prevent spread and/or reduce the risk of invasive disease. Medical therapy can successfully cure invasive disease, including amoebic liver abscesses.
Expression patterns of Sema3A in developing amniote limbs: With reference to the diversification of peripheral nerve innervation

Paired limbs were acquired in the ancestor of tetrapods and their morphology has been highly diversified in amniotes in relation to the adaptive radiation to the terrestrial environment. These morphological changes may have been induced by modification of the developmental program of the skeletal or muscular system. To complete limb modification, it is also important to change the neuronal framework, because the functions of the limbs rely on neural circuits that involve coordinated movement. Previous studies have shown that class 3 semaphorins (Sema3 semaphorins), which act as repulsive axonal guidance cues, play a crucial role in the formation of the peripheral nerves in mice. Here, we studied the expression pattern of Sema3A orthologues in embryos of developing amniotes, including mouse, chick, soft‐shelled turtle, and ocelot gecko. Sema3A transcripts were expressed in restricted mesenchymal parts of the developing limb primordium in all animals studied, and developing spinal nerves appeared to extend through Sema3A‐negative regions. These results suggest that a Sema3A‐dependent guidance system plays a key role in neuronal circuit formation in amniote limbs. We also found that Sema3A partially overlapped with the distribution of cartilage precursor cells. Based on these results, we propose a model in which axon guidance and skeletogenesis are linked by Sema3A; such mechanisms may underlie functional neuron rearrangement during limb diversification.
Retinal Nerve Fibre Layer Thickness and Contrast Sensitivity in HIV-Infected Individuals in South Africa: A Case-Control Study

Background Antiretroviral treatment (ART) has altered the spectrum of HIV-related eye disease, resulting in a lower prevalence of retinal opportunistic infections (OIs). However, abnormalities in visual function have been reported in HIV-infected individuals despite effective viral suppression and the absence of retinal OIs. These changes may be mediated by an HIV-associated ‘neuroretinal disorder’, characterized by changes in the retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL). HIV infection may also be associated with accelerated biological aging. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between contrast sensitivity, RNFL thickness, HIV infection and frailty in South African adults. Methods Case-control study of 225 HIV-infected individuals without retinal OIs and 203 gender/age-matched HIV-seronegative individuals. Peri-papillary RNFL thickness was determined with spectral domain optical coherence tomography in four quadrants. CS was measured using a Pelli-Robson chart. Frailty was assessed using standard criteria. Multivariable linear and logistic regression were used to assess associations between HIV status and RNFL/CS and frailty. Results The median age of both groups was similar (41.2 vs. 41.9 years, p = 0.37). 88% of HIV-infected individuals were receiving ART and their median CD4 count was 468 cells/μl. Adjusted CS score was lower in HIV-infected participants compared to HIV-seronegative individuals (1.76 vs. 1.82, p = 0.002). Independent predictors of poor CS in the HIV-infected group were positive frailty status and current HIV viral load >2 log copies/ml. Lower CS score was also associated with thin temporal RNFL in HIV-infected individuals (p = 0.04). Superior quadrant RNFL thickness was greatest in ART-naïve participants relative to the HIV-uninfected group (p-trend = 0.04). Longer ART duration was associated with thinning of inferior and nasal RNFL quadrants (p-trend = 0.03 and 0.04, respectively). Conclusions Contrast sensitivity is reduced in HIV-infected individuals and functionally associated with frailty and unsuppressed viraemia. This may reflect structural changes in the RNFL that are evident despite the absence of OIs.
Comparison of TG‐43 dosimetric parameters of brachytherapy sources obtained by three different versions of MCNP codes

Monte Carlo simulations are widely used for calculation of the dosimetric parameters of brachytherapy sources. MCNP4C2, MCNP5, MCNPX, EGS4, EGSnrc, PTRAN, and GEANT4 are among the most commonly used codes in this field. Each of these codes utilizes a cross‐sectional library for the purpose of simulating different elements and materials with complex chemical compositions. The accuracies of the final outcomes of these simulations are very sensitive to the accuracies of the cross‐sectional libraries. Several investigators have shown that inaccuracies of some of the cross section files have led to errors in 125I and 103Pd parameters. The purpose of this study is to compare the dosimetric parameters of sample brachytherapy sources, calculated with three different versions of the MCNP code — MCNP4C, MCNP5, and MCNPX. In these simulations for each source type, the source and phantom geometries, as well as the number of the photons, were kept identical, thus eliminating the possible uncertainties. The results of these investigations indicate that for low‐energy sources such as 125I and 103Pd there are discrepancies in gL(r) values. Discrepancies up to 21.7% and 28% are observed between MCNP4C and other codes at a distance of 6 cm for 103Pd and 10 cm for 125I from the source, respectively. However, for higher energy sources, the discrepancies in gL(r) values are less than 1.1% for 192Ir and less than 1.2% for 137Cs between the three codes. PACS number(s): 87.56. bg
Cerium oxide nanoparticles in cancer

With the development of many nanomedicines designed for tumor therapy, the diverse abilities of cerium oxide nanoparticles (CONPs) have encouraged researchers to pursue CONPs as a therapeutic agent to treat cancer. Research data have shown CONPs to be toxic to cancer cells, to inhibit invasion, and to sensitize cancer cells to radiation therapy and chemotherapy. CONPs also display minimal toxicity to normal tissues and provide protection from various forms of reactive oxygen species generation. Differential cytotoxicity is important for anticancer drugs to distinguish effectively between tumor cells and normal cells. The antioxidant capabilities of CONPs, which enable cancer therapy protection, have also resulted in the exploration of these particles as a potential anticancer treatment. Taken together, CONPs might be a potential nanomedicine for cancer therapy and this review highlights the current research into CONPs as a novel therapeutic for the treatment of cancer.
Cell therapy for lung disease

Besides cancer and cardiovascular diseases, lung disorders are a leading cause of morbidity and death worldwide. For many disease conditions no effective and curative treatment options are available. Cell therapies offer a novel therapeutic approach due to their inherent anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic properties. Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC) are the most studied cell product. Numerous preclinical studies demonstrate an improvement of disease-associated parameters after MSC administration in several lung disorders, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, acute respiratory distress syndrome and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Furthermore, results from clinical studies using MSCs for the treatment of various lung diseases indicate that MSC treatment in these patients is safe. In this review we summarise the results of preclinical and clinical studies that indicate that MSCs are a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of lung diseases. Nevertheless, further investigations are required. Cell-based therapies for lung diseases are evolving to become viable treatment options for clinical application http://ow.ly/oXe130crWmw
An ensemble model for collective classification that reduces learning and inference variance

Ensemble learning can improve classification of relational data. Previous attempts to do so include methods that have focused primarily on reducing learning or inference variance, but not both at the same time. We present an ensemble model that reduces error due to variance in both learning and collective inference. Our model uniquely combines two strategies tailored specifically for relational data and relational models to achieve a larger reduction in variance than using either method alone, which results in significant accuracy gains. In addition, we present the first theoretical analysis for ensembles of collective classifiers in relational domains, to show the reasons for the superior performance of our proposed method. We also use synthetic and real world data to demonstrate the improvement empirically.