Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The renoprotective effects of mannitol and udenafil in renal ischemia-reperfusion injury model

Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the effects of udenafil and mannitol in an experimental renal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury model. Materials and Methods A total of 64 female Wister Albino rats were used. Right nephrectomy was performed in all groups. In the control group; I/R injury was not performed. In the I/R group; left renal pedicle was clamped for 45 minutes and then underwent 60 minutes and 24 hours of reperfusion. In the mannitol group; 1 mL 20% mannitol was given intravenously 15 minutes before clamping. In the udenafil group; 10-mg/kg udenafil was given orally 1 hour before clamping. Creatinine (Cr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), Cr clearance, malondialdehyde, neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin (NGAL), histological examination and DNA damage (Comet Assay method) levels were compared in tissue, serum and urine samples. Results Udenafil had a better protective effect than mannitol according to biochemical parameters (Cr, BUN, Cr clearance, and NGAL levels) and histopathological findings when compared with the I/R group. In the Comet sampling analysis no significant difference was detected. Conclusions Udenafil has a better renoprotective effect than mannitol against I/R injury and this effect supports more functional improvements. Further clinical trials are needed to demonstrate those effects and clinical utility of udenafil for that purpose in humans.
Application of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Framework to Elementary Mathematics Teaching: A Scale Adaptation Study

The present study aimed to adapt the Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) for mathematics teaching questionnaire into Turkish for classroom teachers who work in public schools. There were three stages in the questionnaire adaptation process. The questionnaire’s language validity was established in the first stage, validity in the second and reliability in the third stage. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA, n= 372) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA, n= 310) have been utilized in establishing the validity of the questionnaire. A four-factor solution emerged as a result of EFA: 1) Knowledge of Teaching Mathematics with Technology (KTMT); 2) Knowledge of Teaching Mathematics (KTM); 3) Content Knowledge for Mathematics (CKM); and 4) Technology Knowledge (TK). Those four factors explained 62.20 % of the total variation in the questionnaire. In addition, the results of CFA suggested a good model fit and the internal consistency (α) for the whole questionnaire was calculated as . 97. Total item correlation coefficients of all items were higher than . 30. Evaluation of these results suggests that a valid and reliable Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge questionnaire, which consists of 47 items under four subscales (KTMT, KTM, CKM, and TK), was developed.
Impact of pathologic complete response on disease-free survival in patients with esophagogastric adenocarcinoma receiving preoperative docetaxel-based chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of pathologic complete response (pCR) on outcome in patients with gastric or esophagogastric junction (EGJ) adenocarcinoma after neoadjuvant docetaxel/platin/fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients received at least one cycle of chemotherapy for potentially operable disease. Pretreatment clinicopathologic factors and pCR were investigated. Disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS) and tumor-related death were correlated with pCR. RESULTS One hundred twenty patients were included in this analysis. Eighteen patients (15%) achieved a pCR. Tumor localization in the EGJ was identified as the only significant predictor of pCR (P = 0.019). Median follow-up was 41.1 months. Median DFS and OS for all patients were 24.1 and 48.6 months, respectively. Median DFS for patients with a pCR was not reached versus 22.1 months non-pCR patients (hazard ratio, HR 0.38; 3-year DFS: 71.8% and 37.7%, respectively, P = 0.018). While OS was not significantly different, the risk for tumor-related death was significantly lower for pCR patients compared with non-pCR patients (3-year cumulative incidences of 6.4% and 45.4%, respectively, P = 0.009). CONCLUSION A pCR following preoperative docetaxel/platin/fluoropyrimidine indicates favorable outcome in patients with gastric or EGJ adenocarcinoma. Tumor location in the EGJ is associated with a higher pCR rate.
III REGULAR AND SPECIAL FEATURES THE ABJS MARSHALL R . URIST YOUNG INVESTIGATOR AWARD Osteosarcoma and Osteoblastic Differentiation

In addition to changes in cellular pathways, loss of differentiation is a notable feature of osteosarcoma. We hypothesized that blocks to normal differentiation may be a common feature of osteosarcoma, and may be one of many critical events that occur during oncogenesis in osteosarcoma. Furthermore, therapies that restore normal programs of differentiation may be attractive new treatment strategies for chemotherapy and/or chemoprevention. We exposed an osteosarcoma cell line to two highly osteogenic bone morphogenetic proteins and noted increased tumor volume and no evidence of osteoinduction in vivo. We then used expression profile analysis to identify downstream targets of the osteogenic bone morphogenetic proteins, revealing up-regulation of the inhibitor of differentiation genes 1, 2, and 3, and the nuclear receptor, peroxisome proliferator activated receptor . We then evaluated the use of nuclear receptor agonists, including peroxisome proliferator activated receptor , to circumvent the apparent block to bone morphogenetic protein-induced differentiation in osteosarcoma cell lines. The peroxisome proliferator activated receptor /retinoid X receptor agonists induced terminal differentiation in all four osteosarcoma cell lines and were synergistic when combined. In osteosarcoma cells, there are inherent blocks to normal bone morphogenetic protein-induced differentiation; however, they do not prevent nuclear receptor agonists from inducing terminal differentiation.
A Scalable Wireless Body Area Network for Bio-Telemetry

In this paper, we propose a framework for the real-time monitoring of wireless biosensors. This is a scalable platform that requires minimum human interaction during set-up and monitoring. Its main components include a biosensor, a smart gateway to automatically set up the body area network, a mechanism for delivering data to an Internet monitoring server, and automatic data collection, profiling and feature extraction from bio-potentials. Such a system could increase the quality of life and significantly lower healthcare costs for everyone in general, and for the elderly and those with disabilities in particular.
A Pilot Study Exploring the Use of Breath Analysis to Differentiate Healthy Cattle from Cattle Experimentally Infected with Mycobacterium bovis

Bovine tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium bovis, is a zoonotic disease of international public health importance. Ante-mortem surveillance is essential for control; however, current surveillance tests are hampered by limitations affecting ease of use or quality of results. There is an emerging interest in human and veterinary medicine in diagnosing disease via identification of volatile organic compounds produced by pathogens and host-pathogen interactions. The objective of this pilot study was to explore application of existing human breath collection and analysis methodologies to cattle as a means to identify M. bovis infection through detection of unique volatile organic compounds or changes in the volatile organic compound profiles present in breath. Breath samples from 23 male Holstein calves (7 non-infected and 16 M. bovis-infected) were collected onto commercially available sorbent cartridges using a mask system at 90 days post-inoculation with M. bovis. Samples were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and chromatographic data were analyzed using standard analytical chemical and metabolomic analyses, principle components analysis, and a linear discriminant algorithm. The findings provide proof of concept that breath-derived volatile organic compound analysis can be used to differentiate between healthy and M. bovis-infected cattle.
An Overview on Indian Medicinal Plants with Antiurolithiatic Activity

Urolithiasis is one of the serious renal disorders that require a well targeted therapeutic strategy. A number of drugs including diuretics and stone inhibitors are available for the treatment of lithiaisis, but clinical evaluation of these drugs has shown incidence of relapses, side effects, and drug interactions. This has been the rationale for the development of new antilitiatic drugs and the search for novel molecules has been extended to herbal drugs that offer better protection and decreased relapse. Drugs of plant origin are gaining popularity and are being investigated for a number of disorders, including lithiasis. The present article reviews the antilithiatic activity of Melia Azedarach Linn. , Aerva lanata and Vediuppu chunnam in combination, Petroselinum sativum, Lagenaria siceraria, Hygrophila spinosa, Glochidion velutinium, Tinospora sinensis, Relith, Musa paradisica, Fenugreek, Tecoma stans, Celosia argentea, Plectranthus tomentora Hordeum vulgare Linn. , Moringa oleifera Lam. , Achyranthes aspera, Asparagus racemosus, Rubia cordifolia, Cucumis trigonus and Mimusops elengi. The safest medicines than the allopathic medicines are Herbal system and here an attempt is made to review a some of phytoconstituents which is a potent antiurolithiatic and some medicinal herbs on which antiurolithiatic activity has been provedSome of the important plants reported for their antilithiatic activity have been highlighted in this study. Ayurvedic knowledge supported by modern science is necessary to isolate, characterise, and standardize the active constituents from herbal sources for antilithiatic activity.
New algorithms for improved adaptive convex combination of LMS transversal filters

Among all adaptive filtering algorithms, Widrow and Hoff's least mean square (LMS) has probably become the most popular because of its robustness, good tracking properties and simplicity. A drawback of LMS is that the step size implies a compromise between speed of convergence and final misadjustment. To combine different speed LMS filters serves to alleviate this compromise, as it was demonstrated by our studies on a two filter combination that we call combination of LMS filters (CLMS). Here, we extend this scheme in two directions. First, we propose a generalization to combine multiple LMS filters with different steps that provides the combination with better tracking capabilities. Second, we use a different mixing parameter for each weight of the filter in order to make independent their adaption speeds. Some simulation examples in plant identification and noise cancellation applications show the validity of the new schemes when compared to the CLMS filter and to other previous variable step approaches.
A MICROFLUIDICS BASED 3D BIOPRINTER WITH ON-THE-FLY MULTIMATERIAL SWITCHING CAPABILITY

This work details the development of a novel 3D (3-dimensional) printing system for use in the fabrication of complex biological tissue constructs. The printing system incorporates a microfluidic print head that uses coaxial flow focusing to generate, crosslink, and dispense a microfiber of sodium alginate, and a 3D positioning system to pattern the dispensed microfiber using fused filament fabrication methods, in a software configurable pattern. Valves are embedded in the print-head to enable switching between multiple material sources. Using this system, the composition of the dispensed fiber may be controlled on-the-fly during printing to create complex heterogeneous 3D structures.
Authorship Attribution Using Text Distortion

Authorship attribution is associated with important applications in forensics and humanities research. A crucial point in this field is to quantify the personal style of writing, ideally in a way that is not affected by changes in topic or genre. In this paper, we present a novel method that enhances authorship attribution effectiveness by introducing a text distortion step before extracting stylometric measures. The proposed method attempts to mask topic-specific information that is not related to the personal style of authors. Based on experiments on two main tasks in authorship attribution, closed-set attribution and authorship verification, we demonstrate that the proposed approach can enhance existing methods especially under cross-topic conditions, where the training and test corpora do not match in topic.
Kinetic and kinematic analysis for assessing the diff rences in counter-movement jump performance in Rugby players Running

The aim of this study was to ascertain the differen ces in kinetic and kinematic profiles between better and poorer performers of the vertica l jump within a homogeneous group of trained adults. Fifty rugby players were divided in to low scoring (LOW) and high scoring (HIGH) groups based on their performance in the ver tical jump. The force, velocity, displacement, and RFD-time curves were analyzed in order to determine the differences between groups. The analysis of the data showed dif ferences in all the patterns of the ensemble mean curves of the HIGH and LOW groups. Du ring the eccentric phase, the differences in the HIGH group with respect to the L OW group were: Lower crouch position, higher downward velocity, and higher force and rate of force development during the braking of the downward movement. During the concentric pha se, the HIGH group achieved higher upward velocity, higher force at the end of phase, and a higher position at take-off. The higher jump performances appear to be related to a more effective stretch-shortening cycle function which is characterized by a deeper and fas ter counter-movement with higher eccentric forces being applied to decelerate the do wnward movement leading to enhanced force generation during the concentric phase. Abstract Word Count: 198Word Count: 198
A Systematic Evaluation of Factors Associated With Nocturia—The Population-based FINNO Study

In a case-control study with prevalence sampling, the authors explored the correlates for nocturia and their population-level impact. In 2003–2004, questionnaires were mailed to 6,000 subjects (aged 18–79 years) randomly identified from the Finnish Population Register (62.4% participated; 53.7% were female). Questionnaires contained items on medical conditions, medications, lifestyle, sociodemographic and reproductive factors, urinary symptoms, and snoring. Nocturia was defined as ≥2 voids/night. In age-adjusted analyses, factors associated with nocturia were entered into a multivariate model. Backward elimination was used to select variables for the final model, with adjustment for confounding. Although numerous correlates were identified, none affected ≥50% of nocturia cases of both sexes. The factors with the greatest impact at the population level were (urinary) urgency (attributable number/1,000 subjects (AN) = 24), benign prostatic hyperplasia (AN = 19), and snoring (AN = 16) for men and overweight and obesity (AN = 40), urgency (AN = 24), and snoring (AN = 17) for women. Moreover, correlates included prostate cancer and antidepressant use for men, coronary artery disease and diabetes for women, and restless legs syndrome and obesity for both sexes. Although several correlates were identified, none accounted for a substantial proportion of the population burden, highlighting the multifactorial etiology of nocturia.
Commentary on aerobic versus isometric handgrip exercise in hypertension: a randomized controlled trial.

We, members of the International Working Group on Isometric Exercise, read with great interest the article by Pagonas et al. on the comparative effects of aerobic and isometric handgrip exercise (IRT). However, we believe the finding, that aerobic exercise induces reductions in blood pressure (BP), whereas isometric exercise training (handgrip) does not, to be compromised for several reasons.
Risk assessment of natural hazards with applications to landslides and abnormal waves

This paper presents a review of the state-of-the-art to identify emerging ideas and solutions which hold promise for practical implementation in risk management strategies of natural hazards with focus on landslides and extreme waves. methods. For other natural hazards, 15 in total, similar lines are outlined. Interesting is that the authors already present methods of estimating research results within an evaluation framework, including economic efficiency, trade-offs and values. Bryant (1991) gives a complete overview on natural hazards, as well as its social impacts. Apart from how natural hazards occur, the author also presents (controversial) methods how to predict hazards from occurring again (on short and long term). The author claims that there is sound scientific evidence that cosmic/planetary links exist with the occurrence of earthquakes and floods. The 11-year sunspot cycle and the 18.6-year lunar cycle (caused by the moon’s orbit fluctuation) are used to show a correlation with the ENSO index, occurrences of floods and droughts in North America, Northern China, Australia, Patagonia, amongst others. Very surprising Bryant (1991) shows that in some parts of the world (such as the Mediterranean) the sunspot frequency and the seismic activity are correlated, via fluctuations in the Earth’s rotation (in the order of milliseconds). However, if earthquake occurrence is dominated by some force external to the Earth (as mentioned by the author), then one would expect clustering to be taking place at the same time worldwide, which is not supported by the data. Cannon et al. (1994) claim that natural disasters are not only caused by the natural environment, but also (or maybe even more) by the social, political and economic environment. This is shown throughout their work when they concentrate on
A Comparative in vitro Evaluation of Vertical Root Fracture Resistance of Endodontically Treated Teeth using Different Obturating Materials

Aim: To compare the vertical root fracture resistance of endo­ dontically treated teeth obturated using different obturating materials. Materials and methods: Decoronated roots of 75 single canal lower second premolar teeth were divided randomly into 5 groups. The first group (Group I) served as a negative control. The remaining four Groups were cleaned and shaped using ProTaper Endodontic rotary files and obturated with guttapercha + TubliSeal EWT sealer (Group II), ThermaFil + AH Plus sealer (Group III), RealSeal + RealSeal sealer (Group IV) and GuttaFlow obturating system (Group V). The roots were then embedded in acrylic resin blocks and subjected to vertical load until fracture with a spreader in a universal testing machine and the forces were recorded. Results: Fracture resistance of group I > group IV > group V > group III > group II, which were statistically significant. Conclusion: Obturation of roots with resin based obturation material—RealSeal had increased VRF resistance compared to the gutta­percha obturation systems. Clinical significance: Obturation of the root canals with resin based obturation system—Resilon reinforces the fracture resistance of endodontically treated teeth and contributes to the overall success of the endodontic treatment.
Characterization of cholesterol metabolism in Sertoli cells and spermatogenesis

The Sertoli cell, which is the supporting cell of spermatogenesis, has an important role in the endocrine and paracrine control of spermatogenesis. Functionally, it provides the cells of the seminiferous epithelium with nutrition, conveys mature spermatids to the lumen of seminiferous tubules, secretes androgen-binding protein and interacts with endocrine Leydig cells. In addition, the levels of cholesterol, as well as its intermediates, vary greatly between nongonadal tissues and the male reproductive system. Throughout spermatogenesis, a dynamic and constant alteration in the membrane lipid composition of Sertoli cells occurs. In several mammalian species, testis meiosis-activating sterol and desmosterol, as well as other cholesterol precursors, accumulate in the testes and spermatozoa. In addition, certain cholesterogenic genes exhibit stage-specific expression patterns during spermatogenesis, including the cytochrome P450 enzyme lanosterol 14α-demethylase. Inconsistency in the patterns of gene expression during spermatogenesis indicates a cell-type specific and complex temporary modulation of lipids and cholesterol, which also implicates the dynamic interactions between Sertoli cells and germ cells. Furthermore, in the female reproductive tract and during epididymal transit, which is a prerequisite for valid fertilization, the modulation of cholesterol occurring in spermatozoal membranes further indicates the functional importance of sterol compounds in spermatogenesis. However, the exact role of cholesterol metabolism in Sertoli cells in sperm production is unknown. The present review article describes the progress made in the research regarding the characteristics of the Sertoli cell, particularly the regulation of its cholesterol metabolism during spermatogenesis.
Dispensable, Redundant, Complementary, and Cooperative Roles of Dopamine, Octopamine, and Serotonin in Drosophila melanogaster

To investigate the regulation of Drosophila melanogaster behavior by biogenic amines, we have exploited the broad requirement of the vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT) for the vesicular storage and exocytotic release of all monoamine neurotransmitters. We used the Drosophila VMAT (dVMAT) null mutant to globally ablate exocytotic amine release and then restored DVMAT activity in either individual or multiple aminergic systems, using transgenic rescue techniques. We find that larval survival, larval locomotion, and female fertility rely predominantly on octopaminergic circuits with little apparent input from the vesicular release of serotonin or dopamine. In contrast, male courtship and fertility can be rescued by expressing DVMAT in octopaminergic or dopaminergic neurons, suggesting potentially redundant circuits. Rescue of major aspects of adult locomotion and startle behavior required octopamine, but a complementary role was observed for serotonin. Interestingly, adult circadian behavior could not be rescued by expression of DVMAT in a single subtype of aminergic neurons, but required at least two systems, suggesting the possibility of unexpected cooperative interactions. Further experiments using this model will help determine how multiple aminergic systems may contribute to the regulation of other behaviors. Our data also highlight potential differences between behaviors regulated by standard exocytotic release and those regulated by other mechanisms.
A cognitive load delays predictive eye movements similarly during L1 and L2 comprehension

We used the visual world eye-tracking paradigm to investigate the effects of cognitive load on predictive eye movements in L1 (Experiment 1) and L2 (Experiment 2) speakers. Participants listened to sentences whose verb was predictive or non-predictive towards one of four objects they were viewing. They then clicked on a mentioned object. Half the participants additionally performed a working memory task of remembering words. Both L1 and L2 speakers looked more at the target object predictively in predictable- than in non-predictable sentences when they performed the listen-and-click task only. However, this predictability effect was delayed in those who performed the concurrent memory task. This pattern of results was similar in L1 and L2 speakers. L1 and L2 speakers make predictions, but cognitive resources are required for making predictive eye movements. The findings are compatible with the claim that L2 speakers use the same mechanisms as L1 speakers to make predictions.