Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Longevity and Stress Resistant Property of 6-Gingerol from Zingiber officinale Roscoe in Caenorhabditis elegans

In order to discover lifespan-extending compounds made from natural resources, activity-guided fractionation of Zingiber officinale Roscoe (Zingiberaceae) ethanol extract was performed using the Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) model system. The compound 6-gingerol was isolated from the most active ethyl acetate soluble fraction, and showed potent longevity-promoting activity. It also elevated the survival rate of worms against stressful environment including thermal, osmotic, and oxidative conditions. Additionally, 6-gingerol elevated the antioxidant enzyme activities of C. elegans, and showed a dose-depend reduction of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation in worms. Further studies demonstrated that the increased stress tolerance of 6-gingerol-mediated worms could result from the promotion of stress resistance proteins such as heat shock protein (HSP-16.2) and superoxide dismutase (SOD-3). The lipofuscin levels in 6-gingerol treated intestinal worms were decreased in comparison to the control group. No significant 6-gingerol-related changes, including growth, food intake, reproduction, and movement were noted. These results suggest that 6-gingerol exerted longevity-promoting activities independently of these factors and could extend the human lifespan.
Acute hyperinsulinemia effects on systemic markers of immune activation in HIV

&NA; The well treated HIV population remains at risk for insulin resistance and chronic immune activation. We tested the effects of acute hyperinsulinemia on inflammation in HIV. Twenty HIV-infected and 10 non-HIV-infected individuals well matched for BMI underwent oral glucose tolerance testing to stimulate insulin secretion and assess for changes in circulating soluble CD163, soluble CD14, and monocyte chemoattract protein 1. Soluble CD14 decreased significantly after stimulation of hyperinsulinemia and no significant changes in soluble CD163 or monocyte chemoattract protein 1 were demonstrated in HIV-infected and non-HIV-infected groups.
Exploring the In Vivo Anti-Inflammatory Actions of Simvastatin-Loaded Porous Microspheres on Inflamed Tenocytes in a Collagenase-Induced Animal Model of Achilles Tendinitis

Tendon rupture induces an inflammatory response characterized by release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and impaired tendon performance. This study sought to investigate the therapeutic effects of simvastatin-loaded porous microspheres (SIM/PMSs) on inflamed tenocytes in vitro and collagenase-induced Achilles tendinitis in vivo. The treatment of SIM/PMSs in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated tenocytes reduced the mRNA expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines (Matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)). In addition, the local injection of SIM/PMSs into the tendons of collagenase-induced Achilles tendinitis rat models suppressed pro-inflammatory cytokines (MMP-3, COX-2, IL-6, TNF-α, and MMP-13). This local treatment also upregulated anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4, IL-10, and IL-13). Furthermore, treatment with SIM/PMSs also improved the alignment of collagen fibrils and effectively prevented collagen disruption in a dose-dependent manner. Therefore, SIM/PMSs treatment resulted in an incremental increase in the collagen content, stiffness, and tensile strength in tendons. This study suggests that SIM/PMSs have great potential for tendon healing and restoration in Achilles tendinitis.
Defining the Optimal Prognostic Window for Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing in Patients With Heart Failure

Background—Ventilatory efficiency (Ve/Vco2 slope) and peak oxygen consumption (Vo) provide robust prognostic information in patients with heart failure undergoing cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX). The purpose of this study is to assess the change in prognostic characteristics of CPX at different time intervals. Methods and Results—Seven hundred ninety-one subjects (74% male, mean age: 60.7±12.9 years, ejection fraction: 34.6±15.0%, ischemic etiology: 51%) underwent CPX and were tracked for major cardiac events over a 4-year period. All event-free subjects were tracked for at least 3 years. Mean Ve/Vco2 slope and peak Vo2 were 35.0±10.0 and 16.0±6.4 mL O2 · kg−1 · min−1, respectively. There were a total of 263 major cardiac events (199 deaths, 45 transplants, and 19 left ventricular assist device implantations). Both continuous and dichotomous expressions of the Ve/Vco2 slope and peak Vo2 were prognostically significant up to 18 months post-CPX. Continuous and dichotomous expressions of the Ve/Vco2 slope remained prognostically significant up to 36 months post-CPX, whereas peak Vo2 was not predictive during the third and fourth year of follow-up. In a multivariate analysis, the Ve/Vco2 slope was consistently the superior prognostic marker, whereas peak Vo2 added predictive value and was retained in the regression up to 18 months post-CPX. Conclusions—These results indicate that commonly assessed CPX variables retain prognostic value for at least 2 years. The Ve/Vco2 slope is the superior predictor of adverse events throughout follow-up, although peak Vo2 provides additive prognostic information during the first 2 years of follow-up.
Microstructure and properties of pressureless sintered ZrC-based materials

ZrC-based composites were produced by pressureless sintering thanks to the addition of MoSi_2 as sintering aid. After preliminary tests, a baseline ZrC material and two mixed ZrC–HfC and ZrC–ZrB_2 composites with 20 vol% MoSi_2 were densified at 1900 to 1950 °C reaching final relative densities of 96%–98%. Mean particle size of the dense bodies ranged from 5 to 9 μm. Secondary phases were found to form during sintering, such as SiC and Zr–Mo–Si-based compounds. Room-temperature mechanical properties were in the range of the values reported in the literature for similar materials densified by pressure-assisted techniques. The flexural strength was tested at room temperature, 1200 and 1500 °C.
Clinical Features, Surgical Treatment, and Long-Term Outcome in Pediatric Patients with Moyamoya Disease in China

Background: There was few detailed demographic and clinical data about Chinese patients with moyamoya disease. Here we describe the clinical features, surgical treatment, and long-term outcome of pediatric patients with moyamoya disease at a single institution in China. Methods: Our cohort included 288 pediatric patients with moyamoya disease. The demographic and clinical characteristics were obtained by retrospective chart review and long-term outcome was evaluated using the stroke status. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the risk factors for clinical outcome. The risk of subsequent stroke was determined using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: The median age for the onset of symptoms was 8.0 years. The ratio of female to male patients was 1:1. Familial occurrence of moyamoya disease was 9.4%. The incidence of postoperative complications was 4.2%. Postoperative ischemic events were identified as predictors of unfavorable clinical outcome, while older age of symptom onset was associated with a favorable clinical outcome. The Kaplan-Meier estimate stroke risk was 5% in the first 2 years, and the 5-year-Kaplan-Meier risk of stroke was 9% after surgery for all patients treated with surgical revascularization. Overall, 86% of patients had an independent life with no significant disability. Conclusion: This long-term survey demonstrated that most surgically treated pediatric patients with MMD maintain good outcomes. Our results indicate that an early diagnosis and active intervention before the establishment of irreversible hemodynamic change are essential to achieve a favorable clinical outcome.
Characterization of tabanid flies (Diptera: Tabanidae) in South Africa and Zambia and detection of protozoan parasites they are harbouring

SUMMARY Tabanids are haematophagous flies feeding on livestock and wildlife. In the absence of information on the relationship of tabanid flies and protozoan parasites in South Africa and Zambia, the current study was aimed at characterizing tabanid flies collected in these two countries as well as detecting protozoan parasites they are harbouring. A total of 527 tabanid flies were collected whereby 70·2% were from South Africa and 29·8% were from Zambia. Morphological analysis revealed a total of five different genera collected from the sampled areas namely: Ancala, Atylotus, Haematopota, Philoliche and Tabanus. DNA extracted from South African Tabanus par and Tabanus taeniola tested positive for the presence of Trypanosoma congolense (Savannah) and Trypanosoma theileri whilst one member from T. par was positive for Trypanosoma brucei species. DNA extracted from Zambian tabanid flies tested positive for the presence of Besnoitia species at 1·27% (2/157), Babesia bigemina 5·73% (9/157), Theileria parva 30·11% (30/157) and 9·82% (14/157) for Trypanosoma evansi. This study is the first to report on relationship of Babesia and Theileria parasites with tabanid flies. Further investigations are required to determine the role of tabanids in transmission of the detected protozoan parasites in livestock and wildlife in South Africa and Zambia.
An 86% efficiency SIMO DC-DC converter with one boost, one buck, and a floating output voltage for car-radio

The design of Class-D audio power amplifiers [1] for car radio is challenging because of the large voltage variation of the automotive battery. During crank and dump, the 14.4V battery voltage may sharply (in less than 2ms) drop down to 4V or rise up to 40V. For a proper operation, the supply voltages of the Class-D amplifier must be properly controlled for all the battery conditions. The block diagram of the Class-D power amplifier in Fig. 27.3. 1 helps in defining the set of required supply voltages. The power audio stage uses n (n =1,…,4) channels of high and low-side switches both made by n-type transistors. The choice optimizes the on-resistance and the gate capacitance to achieve the best efficiency, but requires a boosted voltage (Vboost) to drive the high-side devices. A regulated low voltage (Vreg-low=4.5V) supplies the driver of Npow-LS. As the digital and analog processing are performed at Vba/2 to improve the system SNR, the digital core uses a floating voltage (VfloatH-VfloatL=1.8V) across Vbat/2.
A comparative Study of Serum Lipid Levels in Pre- Eclamptic and Normotensive Pregnant Women in a Tertiary Hospital, Northwest Nigeria

Pre-eclampsia is a disorder of pregnancy, characterized by new onset of hypertension (systolic and diastolic blood pressure of ≥ 140 and 90mmHg, respectively, on two occasions, at least 6 hours apart) and proteinuria (protein excretion of ≥ 300mg in a 24hour urine collection, or dipstick of ≥ 2+), that develop after 20 weeks of gestation in a previously normotensive women [1,2]. Despite considerable research, the aetiopathogenesis of pre-eclampsia remain unclear though pathophysiology research suggests that pre-eclampsia is a disease of the placenta characterized by shallow trophoblastic invasion and endothelial dysfunction [3]. However, there are no clinically useful screening tests currently available to identify women in whom it will develop [4]. The hypotheses currently accepted are the placenta ischaemia hypothesis, genetic hypothesis, the immune maladaptation and hypothesis of the imbalance between free oxygen radicals and scavengers in favour of the oxidants [5]. Presently, the most popular theory is that of Abstract
Crystal Structure of the PAC1R Extracellular Domain Unifies a Consensus Fold for Hormone Recognition by Class B G-Protein Coupled Receptors

Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a member of the PACAP/glucagon family of peptide hormones, which controls many physiological functions in the immune, nervous, endocrine, and muscular systems. It activates adenylate cyclase by binding to its receptor, PAC1R, a member of class B G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR). Crystal structures of a number of Class B GPCR extracellular domains (ECD) bound to their respective peptide hormones have revealed a consensus mechanism of hormone binding. However, the mechanism of how PACAP binds to its receptor remains controversial as an NMR structure of the PAC1R ECD/PACAP complex reveals a different topology of the ECD and a distinct mode of ligand recognition. Here we report a 1.9 Å crystal structure of the PAC1R ECD, which adopts the same fold as commonly observed for other members of Class B GPCR. Binding studies and cell-based assays with alanine-scanned peptides and mutated receptor support a model that PAC1R uses the same conserved fold of Class B GPCR ECD for PACAP binding, thus unifying the consensus mechanism of hormone binding for this family of receptors.
Health Effects of Economic Crises

This analysis summarizes prior research and uses national, US state and county-level data from 1976 to 2013 to examine whether the mortality effects of economic crises differ in kind from those of the more typical fluctuations. The tentative conclusion is that economic crises affect mortality rates (and presumably other measures of health) in the same way as less severe downturns - leading to improvements in physical health. The effects of severe national recessions in the USA appear to have a beneficial effect on mortality that is roughly twice as strong as that predicted by the elevated unemployment rates alone, while the higher predicted rate of suicides during typical periods of economic weakness is approximately offset during severe recessions. No consistent pattern is obtained for more localized economic crises occurring at the state level - some estimates suggest larger protective mortality effects while others indicate offsetting deleterious consequences. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Inductively Compensated Parallel Coupled Microstrip Lines and Their Applications

A simple method using lumped inductors to compensate unequal even- and odd-mode phase velocities in parallel coupled microstrip lines is presented. The singly and doubly compensated cases are analyzed to enable the optimum inductor values and the electrical lengths of the compensated coupled lines to be calculated from closed-form expressions. The technique proposed not only improves the performance, but also yields a more compact design. To demonstrate the technique's broad range of applicability, the compensated coupled-line structure is used to enhance the performance of a 900-MHz Lange coupler, a 1-GHz multisection 10-dB coupler, a 900-MHz planar Marchand balun, and a 1.8-GHz parallel coupled bandpass filter
Central limit theorem for the robust log-regression wavelet estimation of the memory parameter in the Gaussian semi-parametric context

In this paper, we study robust estimators of the memory parameter d of a (possibly) non stationary Gaussian time series with generalized spectral density f. This generalized spectral density is characterized by the memory parameter d and by a function f* which specifies the short-range dependence structure of the process. Our setting is semi-parametric since both f* and d are unknown and d is the only parameter of interest. The memory parameter d is estimated by regressing the logarithm of the estimated variance of the wavelet coefficients at different scales. The two estimators of d that we consider are based on robust estimators of the variance of the wavelet coefficients, namely the square of the scale estimator proposed by Rousseeuw and Croux (1993) and the median of the square of the wavelet coefficients. We establish a Central Limit Theorem for these robust estimators as well as for the estimator of d based on the classical estimator of the variance proposed by Moulines, Roueff and Taqqu (2007). Some Monte-Carlo experiments are presented to illustrate our claims and compare the performance of the different estimators. The properties of the three estimators are also compared on the Nile River data and the Internet traffic packet counts data. The theoretical results and the empirical evidence strongly suggest using the robust estimators as an alternative to estimate the memory parameter d of Gaussian time series.
Prediction of eye color in the Slovenian population using the IrisPlex SNPs

Aim To evaluate the accuracy of eye color prediction based on six IrisPlex single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in a Slovenian population sample. Methods Six IrisPlex predictor SNPs (HERC2 – rs12913832, OCA2 – rs1800407, SLC45A2 – rs16891982 and TYR – rs1393350, SLC24A4 – rs12896399, and IRF4 – rs12203592) of 105 individuals were analyzed using single base extension approach and SNaPshot chemistry. The IrisPlex multinomial regression prediction model was used to infer eye color probabilities. The accuracy of the IrisPlex was assessed through the calculation of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and the area under the receiver characteristic operating curves (AUC). Results Blue eye color was observed in 44.7%, brown in 29.6%, and intermediate in 25.7% participants. Prediction accuracy expressed by the AUC was 0.966 for blue, 0.913 for brown, and 0.796 for intermediate eye color. Sensitivity was 93.6% for blue, 58.1% for brown, and 0% for intermediate eye color. Specificity was 93.1% for blue, 89.2% for brown, and 100% for intermediate eye color. PPV was 91.7% for blue and 69.2% for brown color. NPV was 94.7% for blue and 83.5% for brown eye color. These values indicate prediction accuracy comparable to that established in other studies. Conclusion Blue and brown eye color can be reliably predicted from DNA samples using only six polymorphisms, while intermediate eye color defies prediction, indicating that more research is needed to genetically predict the whole variation of eye color in humans.
Automatic Extraction of Complex Predicates in Bengali

This paper presents the automatic extraction of Complex Predicates (CPs) in Bengali with a special focus on compound verbs (Verb + Verb) and conjunct verbs (Noun /Adjective + Verb). The lexical patterns of compound and conjunct verbs are extracted based on the information of shallow morphology and available seed lists of verbs. Lexical scopes of compound and conjunct verbs in consecutive sequence of Complex Predicates (CPs) have been identified. The fine-grained error analysis through confusion matrix highlights some insufficiencies of lexical patterns and the impacts of different constraints that are used to identify the Complex Predicates (CPs). System achieves F-Scores of 75.73%, and 77.92% for compound verbs and 89.90% and 89.66% for conjunct verbs respectively on two types of Bengali corpus.
Profiling the effects of isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2 mutations on the cellular metabolome

Point mutations of the NADP+-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenases 1 and 2 (IDH1 and IDH2) occur early in the pathogenesis of gliomas. When mutated, IDH1 and IDH2 gain the ability to produce the metabolite (R)-2-hydroxyglutarate (2HG), but the downstream effects of mutant IDH1 and IDH2 proteins or of 2HG on cellular metabolism are unknown. We profiled >200 metabolites in human oligodendroglioma (HOG) cells to determine the effects of expression of IDH1 and IDH2 mutants. Levels of amino acids, glutathione metabolites, choline derivatives, and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle intermediates were altered in mutant IDH1- and IDH2-expressing cells. These changes were similar to those identified after treatment of the cells with 2HG. Remarkably, N-acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate (NAAG), a common dipeptide in brain, was 50-fold reduced in cells expressing IDH1 mutants and 8.3-fold reduced in cells expressing IDH2 mutants. NAAG also was significantly lower in human glioma tissues containing IDH mutations than in gliomas without such mutations. These metabolic changes provide clues to the pathogenesis of tumors associated with IDH gene mutations.
The potential role of statins in treating liver disease

ABSTRACT Introduction: Statins are commonly use for the management of dyslipidemia, worldwide. Various studies have demonstrated that statins offer significant reduction in the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, this class of drugs has been implicated in potential liver toxicity, thus has been considered as a ‘forbidden-drug’ in patients with increased liver enzymes. Areas covered: Studies have shown that statins might offer clinical benefits in the setting of viral hepatitis, progression of cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. More importantly, this class of drugs was shown to ameliorate liver histological (in both imaging and biopsy studies) and functional alterations in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. In addition, two large survival studies have demonstrated reduction in the risk for cardiovascular events with statin use in patients with elevated transaminase levels at baseline. Expert commentary: These benefits were of greater extent compared with patients with normal liver function tests at baseline. However, current international guidelines seem to neglect these findings and are not including statins in the management algorithm of patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or steatohepatitis. Future randomized studies providing biopsy-proven benefits will establish the use of statins in the prevention of cardiovascular events and therapeutic algorithm of these patients.
Optical Nanofiber Coupler Sensors Operating in the Cut-Off Wavelength Region

An ultrasensitive optical nanofiber coupler (NFC) for thermal and refractive index sensing with nanoscale dimension is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The NFC operating near the cut-off region of the higher order modes is fabricated by fusing and pulling two standard telecom fibers using the modified flame brushing technique. Due to the sub-micron diameter, the NFC exhibits an anomalous behavior in close proximity to the odd supermode cut-off wavelength, where the high extinction ratio spectral oscillations exhibit very slow oscillations. The sensitivity of this region is exploited for thermal sensing over a broad range of temperatures (84 °C–661 °C). An average temperature sensitivity of 55 pm/°C and a maximum sensitivity of 60 pm/°C at the highest temperature were demonstrated. Owing to its small size, the thermal sensor exhibits a fast response time of ~7.2 ms. The sensor capability for detecting refractive index changes is also examined with different ethanol concentrations. A record sensitivity of $4.80\times 10^{5}$ nm/RIU was achieved, which is the highest reported value in all optical fiber refractometers.