Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Subchronic Inhalation Toxicity Study of n-pentane in Rats

Objectives This study was conducted in order to obtain information concerning the health hazards that may result from a 13 week inhalation exposure of n-pentane in Sprague-Dawley rats. Methods This study was conducted in accordance with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines for the testing of chemicals No. 413 'Subchronic inhalation toxicity: 90-day study (as revised in 2009)'. The rats were divided into 4 groups (10 male and 10 female rats in each group), and were exposed to 0, 340, 1,530, and 6,885 ppm n-pentane in each exposure chamber for 6 hour/day, 5 days/week, for 13 weeks. All of the rats were sacrificed at the end of the treatment period. During the test period, clinical signs, mortality, body weights, food consumption, ophthalmoscopy, locomotion activity, urinalysis, hematology, serum biochemistry, gross findings, organ weights, and histopathology were assessed. Results During the period of testing, there were no treatment related effects on the clinical findings, body weight, food consumption, ophthalmoscopy, urinalysis, hematology, serum biochemistry, gross findings, relative organ weight, and histopathological findings. Conclusion The no-observable-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of n-pentane is evaluated as being more than 6,885 ppm (20.3 mg/L) in both male and female rats. n-pentane was not a classified specific target organ toxicity in the globally harmonized classification system (GHS).
Does β-Cell Autoimmunity Play a Role in Cystic Fibrosis–Related Diabetes? Analysis Based on the German/Austrian Diabetes Patienten Verlaufsdokumentation Registry

OBJECTIVE Research on β-cell autoimmunity in cystic fibrosis (CF)–related diabetes (CFRD) is still rare. We aimed to analyze the frequency of β-cell autoimmunity and the influence on age at diabetes onset, insulin requirement, type of insulin therapy, and hypoglycemic or ketoacidotic events in patients with CFRD compared with antibody-negative patients with CFRD in the Diabetes Patienten Verlaufsdokumentation (DPV) registry. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We analyzed data of 837 patients with CFRD in the German/Austrian DPV database by multivariable mixed-regression modeling. RESULTS In our cohort, 8.5% of patients with CFRD (n = 72) were found to be β-cell antibody positive. There was a female preponderance in this patient group: 65.3 vs. 57.6%. Diabetes onset (median [interquartile range]) was earlier (14.00 [10.15–15.90] vs. 16.10 [13.50–21.20] years; P < 0.005), and insulin dose/kg body weight was higher (0.95 [0.61–1.15] vs. 0.67 [0.33–1.04] IU/kg; P < 0.05). There were also differences in the type of insulin treatment. Insulin pump therapy was used significantly more often in patients with CFRD with β-cell autoimmunity (18.2 vs. 6.4%; P < 0.05). The differences for multiple daily injections (ICT) and conventional therapy (CT) were not significant (ICT: 67.7 vs. 79.0%; CT: 15.2 vs. 14.6). Oral antidiabetic agents were rarely used in both groups. Rate of severe hypoglycemia with coma and rate of ketoacidosis were higher in antibody-positive patients (hypoglycemia with coma: 8.0 vs. 1.4, P < 0.05; ketoacidosis: 9.3 vs. 0.9, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Presence of β-cell autoantibodies in our cohort of patients with CFRD (8.5%) appeared to be greater than in the general population and was associated with female sex, earlier onset of diabetes, and higher insulin requirement. Insulin pump therapy was used significantly more often in patients with β-cell antibodies. Severe hypoglycemia and ketoacidosis were significantly more frequent in CFRD with β-cell autoimmunity compared with β-cell antibody-negative patients with CFRD.
Development of a quadruped robot with redundant DOFs for high-degree of functionality and adaptation

This paper presents a quadruped robot with redundant degrees of freedom (DOFs), which exploits its kinematic redundancy for various types of locomotion and manipulation. Unlike previously developed quadruped robots, the proposed robot can change its body posture and suitably adapt to different environments. For example, the robot can walk on a plain terrain, pass through a narrow gap, surmount an obstacle, perform a simple task by using one of its legs as a manipulator, etc. Inverse kinematics of each leg was solved by using a newly proposed method: Improved Jacobian Pseudoinverse (IJP) algorithm. Also, a static stability of the robot was dealt with using a combined Jacobian of a center of mass (COM) and centroid of a support polygon. Performance of the proposed robot was verified in both simulations and experiments.
Elevated levels of leukotriene B4 and leukotriene E4 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from patients with scleroderma lung disease.

OBJECTIVE The leukotrienes are a family of arachidonic acid-derived lipid mediators with proinflammatory and profibrotic properties. The aim of this study was to analyze the role of leukotriene B(4) (LTB(4)) and LTE(4) in the pathogenesis of scleroderma lung disease (SLD). METHODS Nineteen systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients with SLD, 11 SSc patients without SLD, and 10 healthy controls were studied. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid was obtained during routine bronchoscopy of the right middle lobe in all study subjects. Levels of LTB(4) and LTE(4) were measured using enzyme immunoassay kits. RESULTS Levels of LTB(4) and LTE(4) were significantly higher in SSc patients with SLD (251 +/- 170 pg/ml and 479 +/- 301 pg/ml, respectively), than those in patients without SLD (114 +/- 86 and 159 +/- 149 pg/ml) and those in normal controls (86 +/- 49 and 110 +/- 67 pg/ml). In the total group of patients with SSc, levels of both leukotrienes correlated positively with the total number of cells in the BAL fluid and correlated negatively with the forced vital capacity. After intravenous pulse therapy with cyclophosphamide in 6 patients, there was a significant reduction in the concentration of LTB(4) (from 380 +/- 196 pg/ml to 155 +/- 123 pg/ml) but no significant difference in the levels of LTE(4) (from 697 +/- 325 pg/ml to 418 +/- 140 pg/ml). CONCLUSION Our findings show that LTB(4) and LTE(4) levels are elevated in SSc patients with SLD and correlate with parameters of inflammation in the lungs. These results indicate that leukotrienes may contribute to the pathogenesis of SLD and may represent a new therapeutic target.
Traitedness and the assessment of response pattern scalability

Scalability statistics are used to measure the degree to which an examinee's item responses to a self-report measure conform to a specified pattern. This article proposes that a scalability index based on item response theory, called Z L , offers promise for detecting individual differences in traitedness. The Z L index is described and applied to data from 1,000 Ss who were administered the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (A. Tellegen, 1982). Low split-half reliabilities were found for Z L index scores computed within 11 personality scales. However, further data scrutiny revealed that valuable information about an individual's trait structure can still be gleaned from a scalability analysis
Image Classification by Hierarchical Spatial Pooling with Partial Least Squares Analysis

Recent coding-based image classification systems generally adopt a key step of spatial pooling operation, which characterizes the statistics of patch-level local feature codes over the regions of interest (ROI), to form the image-level representation for classification. In this paper, we present a hierarchical ROI dictionary for spatial pooling, to beyond the widely used spatial pyramid in image classification literature. By utilizing the compositionality among ROIs, it captures rich spatial statistics via an efficient pooling algorithm in deep hierarchy. On this basis, we further employ partial least squares analysis to learn a more compact and discriminative image representation. The experimental results demonstrate superiority of the proposed hierarchical pooling method relative to spatial pyramid, on three benchmark datasets for image classification.
Natural Deposit Coatings on Steel during Cathodic Protection and Hydrogen Ingress

The calcareous coating formed during cathodic protection (CP) in seawater is known to reduce the current demand by hindering the transport of species required to support the cathodic reactions and, thereby, improve the economic performance of CP systems. There is, however, uncertainty as to whether the coating reduces hydrogen uptake or indeed enhances it. To ascertain this, two sets of samples were polarized at −1.1 V (standard calomel electrode, SCE) in 3.5% w/v NaCl and synthetic seawater (ASTM D1141) at 20 °C and the diffusible hydrogen content measured over a period of 530 h. Under such conditions reports suggest a deposit with two distinct layers, comprising an initial brucite layer followed by an aragonite layer. Contrary to other findings, a fine initial layer containing Ca and Mg followed by a brucite layer was deposited with a few specks of Ca-containing zones in synthetic seawater. The hydrogen uptake was found to occur within the initial 100 h of exposure in synthetic seawater whilst it continued without the benefit of a deposit coating, i.e., in 3.5 wt % NaCl solution.
A critical evaluation of location based services and their potential

This Editorial lead article for the Journal of Location Based Services surveys this complex and multi-disciplinary field and identifies the key research issues. Although this field has produced early commercial disappointments, the inevitability that pervasive location-aware services on mobile devices will emerge means that much research is needed to inform these developments. The article reviews firstly: the science and technology of positioning, geographic information science, mobile cartography, spatial cognition and interfaces, information science, ubiquitous computing; and secondly the business, content and legal, social and ethics aspects, before synthesising the key issues for this new field.
Insertion polymorphism of transposable elements and population structure of Anopheles gambiae M and S molecular forms in Cameroon

The insertion polymorphism of five transposable element (TE) families was studied by Southern blots in several populations of the M and S molecular forms of the mosquito Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto from southern Cameroon. We showed that the mean TE insertion site number and the within‐population insertion site polymorphism globally differed between the M and S molecular forms. The comparison of the TE insertion profiles of the populations revealed a significant differentiation between these two molecular forms (0.163 < ΦST < 0.371). We cloned several insertions of a non‐LTR retrotransposon (Aara8) that were fixed in one form and absent in the other one. The only insertion that could be clearly located on a chromosome arm mapped to cytological division 6 of chromosome X, confirming the importance of this region in the ongoing speciation between the M and S molecular forms.
Effects of metformin and rosiglitazone monotherapy on insulin-mediated hepatic glucose uptake and their relation to visceral fat in type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE Impaired insulin-mediated hepatic glucose uptake (HGU) has been implicated in the hyperglycemia of type 2 diabetes. We examined the effects of metformin (2 g/day) and rosiglitazone (8 mg/day) monotherapy on HGU and its relation to subcutaneous fat, visceral fat (VF), and whole-body insulin-mediated glucose metabolism in type 2 diabetic patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Glucose uptake was measured before and after 26 weeks of treatment using positron emission tomography with [(18)F]2-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose during euglycemic hyperinsulinemia; fat depots were quantified by magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS Fasting plasma glucose levels were significantly decreased after either rosiglitazone (-0.9 +/- 0.5 mmol/l) or metformin treatment (-1.1 +/- 0.5 mmol/l) in comparison with placebo; only metformin was associated with weight loss (P < 0.02 vs. placebo). When controlling for the latter, the placebo-subtracted change in whole-body glucose uptake averaged -1 +/- 4 micromol x min(-1) x kg(-1) in metformin-treated patients (NS) and +9 +/- 3 micromol x min(-1) x kg(-1) in rosiglitazone-treated patients (P = 0.01). Both rosiglitazone and metformin treatment were associated with an increase in HGU; versus placebo, the change reached statistical significance when controlling for sex (placebo-subtracted values = +0.008 +/- 0.004 micromol x min(-1) x kg(-1) x pmol/l(-1), P < 0.03, for metformin; and +0.007 +/- 0.004, P < 0.07, for rosiglitazone). After treatment with either drug, insulin-mediated VF glucose uptake (VFGU) was higher than with placebo. In the whole dataset, changes in HGU were negatively related to changes in HbA(1c) (r = 0.43, P = 0.01) and positively associated with changes in VFGU (r = 0.48, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS We conclude that both metformin and rosiglitazone monotherapy increase HGU in type 2 diabetes; direct drug actions, better glycemic control, and enhanced VF insulin sensitivity are likely determinants of this phenomenon.
Targeted Disruption of the β2 Adrenergic Receptor Gene*

β-Adrenergic receptors (β-ARs) are members of the superfamily of G-protein-coupled receptors that mediate the effects of catecholamines in the sympathetic nervous system. Three distinct β-AR subtypes have been identified (β1-AR, β2-AR, and β3-AR). In order to define further the role of the different β-AR subtypes, we have used gene targeting to inactivate selectively the β2-AR gene in mice. Based on intercrosses of heterozygous knockout (β2-AR +/−) mice, there is no prenatal lethality associated with this mutation. Adult knockout mice (β2-AR −/−) appear grossly normal and are fertile. Their resting heart rate and blood pressure are normal, and they have a normal chronotropic response to the β-AR agonist isoproterenol. The hypotensive response to isoproterenol, however, is significantly blunted compared with wild type mice. Despite this defect in vasodilation, β2-AR −/− mice can still exercise normally and actually have a greater total exercise capacity than wild type mice. At comparable workloads, β2-AR −/− mice had a lower respiratory exchange ratio than wild type mice suggesting a difference in energy metabolism. β2-AR −/− mice become hypertensive during exercise and exhibit a greater hypertensive response to epinephrine compared with wild type mice. In summary, the primary physiologic consequences of the β2-AR gene disruption are observed only during the stress of exercise and are the result of alterations in both vascular tone and energy metabolism.
Phase I Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamic Study of 17-(Allylamino)-17-Demethoxygeldanamycin (17AAG, NSC 330507), a Novel Inhibitor of Heat Shock Protein 90, in Patients with Refractory Advanced Cancers

Purpose: 17-(Allylamino)-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17AAG), a benzoquinone antibiotic, down-regulates oncoproteins by binding specifically to heat shock protein 90 (HSP90). We did a phase I study of 17AAG to establish the dose-limiting toxicity and maximum tolerated dose and to characterize 17AAG pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Experimental Design: Escalating doses of 17AAG were given i.v. over 1 or 2 hours on a weekly × 3 schedule every 4 weeks to cohorts of three to six patients. Plasma pharmacokinetics of 17AAG and 17-(amino)-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17AG) were assessed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Expression of HSP70 and HSP90 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells was measured by Western blot. Results: Forty-five patients were enrolled to 11 dose levels between 10 and 395 mg/m2. The maximum tolerated dose was 295 mg/m2. Dose-limiting toxicity occurred in both patients (grade 3 pancreatitis and grade 3 fatigue) treated with 395 mg/m2. Common drug-related toxicities (grade 1 and 2) were fatigue, anorexia, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. Reversible elevations of liver enzymes occurred in 29.5% of patients. Hematologic toxicity was minimal. No objective responses were observed. 17AAG pharmacokinetics was linear. Peak plasma concentration and area under the curve of 17AG, the active major metabolite of 17AAG, increased with 17AAG dose, but the relationships were more variable than with 17AAG. 17AAG and 17AG in plasma were >90% protein bound. There were no consistent changes in peripheral blood mononuclear cell HSP90 or HSP70 content. Conclusions: 17AAG doses between 10 and 295 mg/m2 are well tolerated. 17AAG pharmacokinetics is linear. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell HSP90 and HSP70 are uninformative pharmacodynamic markers. The dose recommended for future studies is 295 mg/m2 weekly × 3, repeated every 4 weeks.
Cardiac Atrial Circadian Rhythms in PERIOD2::LUCIFERASE and per1:luc Mice: Amplitude and Phase Responses to Glucocorticoid Signaling and Medium Treatment

Circadian rhythms in cardiac function are apparent in e.g., blood pressure, heart rate, and acute adverse cardiac events. A circadian clock in heart tissue has been identified, but entrainment pathways of this clock are still unclear. We cultured tissues of mice carrying bioluminescence reporters of the core clock genes, period 1 or 2 (per1luc or PER2LUC) and compared in vitro responses of atrium to treatment with medium and a synthetic glucocorticoid (dexamethasone [DEX]) to that of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and liver. We observed that PER2LUC, but not per1luc is rhythmic in atrial tissue, while both per1luc and PER2LUC exhibit rhythmicity in other cultured tissues. In contrast to the SCN and liver, both per1luc and PER2LUC bioluminescence amplitudes were increased in response to DEX treatment, and the PER2LUC amplitude response was dependent on the time of treatment. Large phase-shift responses to both medium and DEX treatments were observed in the atrium, and phase responses to medium treatment were not attributed to serum content but the treatment procedure itself. The phase-response curves of atrium to both DEX and medium treatments were found to be different to the liver. Moreover, the time of day of the culturing procedure itself influenced the phase of the circadian clock in each of the cultured tissues, but the magnitude of this response was uniquely large in atrial tissue. The current data describe novel entrainment signals for the atrial circadian clock and specifically highlight entrainment by mechanical treatment, an intriguing observation considering the mechanical nature of cardiac tissue.
HUBUNGAN PENGETAHUAN TENTANG GANGGUAN JIWA DENGAN DUKUNGAN KELUARGA YANG MEMPUNYAI ANGGOTA KELUARGA SKIZOFRENIADI RSJD SURAKARTA

Kesembuhan penderita gangguan jiwa sangat dipengaruhi oleh pengetahuan keluarga tentang gangguan jiwa serta dukungan keluarga terhadap penderita gangguan jiwa. Pengetahuan keluarga yang kurang tentang penanganan penderita gangguan jiwa berdampak pada seberapa besar dukungan keluarga terhadap anggota keluarga yang menderita skizofrenia. Studi pendahuluan menunjukkan bahwa pasien dengan skizofrenia yang dirawat di RSJD Surakarta kurang mendapatkan dukungan keluarga yang memadai. Akibatnya keluarga tidak mengikuti proses perawatan klien, dan kesan yang ada pada keluarga hanyalah perilaku pasien sewaktu dibawa ke Rumah Sakit. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah mengetahui hubungan pengetahuan tentang gangguan jiwa dengan dukungan keluarga yang mempunyai anggota keluarga skizofrenia di RSJD Surakarta. Metode penelitian menggunakan deskriptif korelatif dengan pendekatan cross sectional. Sampel diambil dari keluarga pasien yang kebetulan menjenguk anggota keluarga yang menjadi pasien, oleh karena itu pengambilan sampel menggunakan teknik acidental sampling. Dengan tingkat ketepatan sebesar 10%, sampel yang diperoleh sebanyak 60 responden. Pengujian secara statistik menggunakan uji Kendall Tau. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan tingkat pengetahuan tentang gangguan jiwa mayoritas masuk kategori sedang. Demikian juga pada dukungan keluarga yang mempunyai anggota keluarga skizofrenia mayoritas pada kategori sedang. Pengujian secara statistik menunjukkan ada hubungan pengetahuan tentang gangguan jiwa dengan dukungan keluarga yang mempunyai anggota keluarga skizofrenia di RSJD Surakarta dengan p= 0,000
Geodetic Network Design and Optimization on the Active Tuzla Fault (Izmir, Turkey) for Disaster Management

Both seismological and geodynamic research emphasize that the Aegean Region, which comprises the Hellenic Arc, the Greek mainland and Western Turkey is the most seismically active region in Western Eurasia. The convergence of the Eurasian and African lithospheric plates forces a westward motion on the Anatolian plate relative to the Eurasian one. Western Anatolia is a valuable laboratory for Earth Science research because of its complex geological structure. Izmir is a large city in Turkey with a population of about 2.5 million that is at great risk from big earthquakes. Unfortunately, previous geodynamics studies performed in this region are insufficient or cover large areas instead of specific faults. The Tuzla Fault, which is aligned trending NE–SW between the town of Menderes and Cape Doganbey, is an important fault in terms of seismic activity and its proximity to the city of Izmir. This study aims to perform a large scale investigation focusing on the Tuzla Fault and its vicinity for better understanding of the region's tectonics. In order to investigate the crustal deformation along the Tuzla Fault and Izmir Bay, a geodetic network has been designed and optimizations were performed. This paper suggests a schedule for a crustal deformation monitoring study which includes research on the tectonics of the region, network design and optimization strategies, theory and practice of processing. The study is also open for extension in terms of monitoring different types of fault characteristics. A one-dimensional fault model with two parameters – standard strike-slip model of dislocation theory in an elastic half-space – is formulated in order to determine which sites are suitable for the campaign based geodetic GPS measurements. Geodetic results can be used as a background data for disaster management systems.
Social Time: A Methodological and Functional Analysis

The category of astronomical time is only one of several concepts of time. Such concepts differ in the fields of philosophy, psychology, and economics. An operational definition of expressions of time in common usage shows that social phenomena are frequently adopted as a frame of reference so that units of time are often fixed by the rhythm of collective life. The need for social collaboration is at the root of social systems of time. Social time is qualitatively differentiated according to the beliefs and customs common to the group. Social time is not continuous but is interrupted by critical dates. All calendrical systems arise from and are perpetuated by social requirements. They arise from social differentiation and a widening area of social interaction. It is possible that the introduction of social time as a methodological category would enhance the discovery of social periodicities.
Self-consciousness and Assertiveness as Explanatory Variables of L2 Oral Ability: A Latent Variable Approach

Drawing on current theories in personality, second-language (L2) oral ability, and psychometrics, this study investigates the extent to which self-consciousness and assertiveness are explanatory variables of L2 oral ability. Three hundred sixty first-year Japanese university students who were studying English as a foreign language participated in the study. Personality was measured with the Japanese version of the NEO-PI-R (Shimonaka, Nakazato, Gondo, & Takayama, 2002), and L2 oral ability was assessed with an institutionalized group oral discussion test in which performances were judged for pronunciation, fluency, grammar, vocabulary, and communication skills. An analysis of covariance structures technique indicated that assertiveness is a significant explanatory variable of L2 oral ability and no effect was found for self-consciousness. Communication skills and fluency were slightly better explained by assertiveness than the other subconstructs of oral ability.