Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of cigarette smoking on circulating leukocytes and plasma cytokines in monozygotic twins

Abstract Background: Despite the well-documented role of cigarette smoke in the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer and cardiovascular disease, biomarkers for screening or monitoring disease progression and outcome remain elusive, particularly for COPD and lung cancer. Inflammatory cells and mediators are likely to be involved in the disease processes, but their importance is still poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate early changes in immunological markers associated with smoking in healthy monozygotic twins without a detectable disease discordant for smoking, thereby minimising data variability due to genetic background. Methods: Twenty-two monozygotic twin pairs, aged 31.5±6.3 years, entered the study. One of each twin pair was a smoker and the other a non-smoker. None of the subjects reported any diseases or clinically defined respiratory symptoms or airflow limitation. Each subject donated blood samples for determination of total leukocytes and subpopulations, lymphocyte subpopulation plus pro-inflammatory mediators (interleukin-8, tumour necrosis factor-α, soluble tumour necrosis factor-α receptors and C-reactive protein). Results: We observed a significant increase in the number of circulating leukocytes and neutrophils in smokers compared to non-smokers. Smokers also had significantly higher numbers of B cells and CD4+ T cells, plus an increased CD4/CD8 ratio. The numbers of NK cells were statistically significant lower in smokers compared to non-smokers. Conclusions: While the prognostic significance of these changes is uncertain, results suggest that smoking is associated with immune changes, independent of genetic background and environmental conditions.
Evaluation of serum C-reactive protein levels in subjects with aggressive and chronic periodontitis and comparison with healthy controls

Background: Periodontal subgingival pathogens affect local and systemic immune responses and initiate an acute phase systemic inflammatory response characterized by the release of C-reactive proteins (CRPs). This study has been carried out to evaluate the serum concentration of CRPs, which can be used as a marker of periodontal disease as well as a risk indicator for cardiovascular diseases. Materials and Methods: In a retrospective study a total number of 45 subjects were selected from the outpatient department of periodontics a mean age of 40 years. Based on the periodontal status, the subjects were divided into 3 groups of 15 subjects each. Group I: Control group [with attachment loss (AL) ≤ 2 mm and pocket depth (PD) < 3 mm], Group II: Generalized aggressive periodontitis (AL ≤ 5 mm), Group III: chronic periodontitis (AL ≥ 2 mm, PD ≥ 5 mm), which includes moderate and severe periodontitis. The clinical parameters recorded were plaque index,gingival index, bleeding index, probing PD, and clinical attachment levels and scoring was done on 6 surfaces of all teeth. For the CRP assessment, blood samples were collected from subjects at the time of clinical examination. Analysis of covariance was used for comparison of mean values between the groups to adjust the ages (P value < 0.05). Results: Overall, the mean CRP levels were high in subjects with generalized aggressive and chronic periodontitis compared with controls. This was found to be statistically significant. A statistically significant difference (P = 0.012) was found in the CRP level between groups I and II and between groups II and III, and between groups I and III. Conclusion: The results of the present study indicated an increase in serum CRP levels in subjects with generalized aggressive periodontitis and chronic periodontitis as compared with the controls.
Polymer Composites with Carbon Fillers Based on Coal Pitch and Petroleum Pitch Cokes: Structure, Electrical, Thermal, and Mechanical Properties

The effect of particle size and oxidation degree of new carbon microfillers, based on coal pitch (CP) and petroleum pitch (PET) cokes, on the structure as well as thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties of the composites based on ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) was investigated. The composites studied have a segregated structure of filler particle distribution in the UHMWPE matrix. It was found that composite with smaller CP grain fraction has the highest Young’s modulus and electrical conductivity compared to the other composites studied, which can be the result of a large contribution of flake-shaped particles. Additionally, conductivity of this composite turned out to be similar to composites with well-known carbon nanofillers, such as graphene, carbon black, and CNTs. Additionally, the relationship between electrical conductivity and Young’s modulus values of composites studied was revealed, which indicates that electrical conductivity is very sensitive to the structure of the filler phase in the polymer matrix. In general, it was established that the properties, especially the electrical conductivity, of the composites studied strongly depends on the size, shape, and oxidative treatment of CP and PET filler particles, and that the CP coke of appropriately small particle sizes and flake shape has significant potential as a conductive filler for polymer composites.
Toll-Like Receptor 4 in Bone Marrow-Derived Cells Contributes to the Progression of Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a major microvascular complication in diabetics, and its mechanism is not fully understood. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) plays a pivotal role in the maintenance of the inflammatory state during DR, and the deletion of TLR4 eventually alleviates the diabetic inflammatory state. To further elucidate the mechanism of DR, we used bone marrow transplantation to establish reciprocal chimeric animals of TLR4 mutant mice and TLR4 WT mice combined with diabetes mellitus (DM) induction by streptozotocin (STZ) treatment to identify the role of TLR4 in different cell types in the development of the proinflammatory state during DR. TLR4 mutation did not block the occurrence of high blood glucose after STZ injection compared with WT mice but did alleviate the progression of DR and alter the expression of the small vessel proliferation-related genes, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α). Grafting bone marrow-derived cells from TLR4 WT mice into TLR4 mutant mice increased the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and MIP-2 and increased the damage to the retina. Similarly, VEGF and HIF-1α expression were restored by the bone marrow transplantation. These findings identify an essential role for TLR4 in bone marrow-derived cells contributing to the progression of DR.
Quinolinic acid in the cerebrospinal fluid of children with symptomatic human immunodeficiency virus type 1 disease: relationships to clinical status and therapeutic response.

Quinolinic acid (QUIN) is a neurotoxin implicated in the neurologic deficits associated with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection. Forty children with symptomatic HIV-1 disease had elevated (P < .001) cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) QUIN levels (55.8 +/- 8.9 nM) compared with controls (14.9 +/- 3.0 nM). Age-adjusted CSF QUIN concentrations in HIV-1-infected children were predicted by the general index of mental abilities (GIMA, from an age-appropriate intelligence test; r = -0.45, P < .01). Zidovudine therapy reduced CSF QUIN from 64.1 +/- 16.3 to 19.7 +/- 5.2 nM (P < .01; N = 16) and increased GIMA from 76.8 +/- 5.2 to 87.2 +/- 6.3 (P < .001). Encephalopathic HIV-1-infected patients had higher CSF QUIN levels than patients without encephalopathy (79.6 +/- 16.1 vs. 32.7 +/- 6.7 nM, P < .01). CSF QUIN concentrations were also higher (P < .001) in patients who died < or = 3 years after their baseline assessment, compared with those who were still alive. These results warrant further investigation of CSF QUIN in HIV-infected children as a mediator of neurologic dysfunction and a supplemental marker of neurologic disease, particularly when combined with measures of neurocognitive functioning.
Free radicals and related reactive species as mediators of tissue injury and disease: implications for Health

Abstract A radical is any molecule that contains one or more unpaired electrons. Radicals are normal products of many metabolic pathways. Some exist in a controlled (caged) form as they perform essential functions. Others exist in a free form and interact with various tissue components. Such interactions can cause both acute and chronic dysfunction, but can also provide essential control of redox regulated signaling pathways. The potential roles of endogenous or xenobiotic-derived free radicals in several human pathologies have stimulated extensive research linking the toxicity of numerous xenobiotics and disease processes to a free radical mechanism. In recent years, improvements in analytical methodologies, as well as the realization that subtle effects induced by free radicals and oxidants are important in modulating cellular signaling, have greatly improved our understanding of the roles of these reactive species in toxic mechanisms and disease processes. However, because free radical-mediated changes are pervasive, and a consequence as well as a cause of injury, whether such species are a major cause of tissue injury and human disease remains unclear. This concern is supported by the fact that the bulk of antioxidant defenses are enzymatic and the findings of numerous studies showing that exogenously administered small molecule antioxidants are unable to affect the course of most toxicities and diseases purported to have a free radical mechanism. This review discusses cellular sources of various radical species and their reactions with vital cellular constituents, and provides examples of selected disease processes that may have a free radical component.
The SET Domain Proteins SUVH2 and SUVH9 Are Required for Pol V Occupancy at RNA-Directed DNA Methylation Loci

RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) is required for transcriptional silencing of transposons and other DNA repeats in Arabidopsis thaliana. Although previous research has demonstrated that the SET domain-containing SU(VAR)3–9 homologs SUVH2 and SUVH9 are involved in the RdDM pathway, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Our results indicated that SUVH2 and/or SUVH9 not only interact with the chromatin-remodeling complex termed DDR (DMS3, DRD1, and RDM1) but also with the newly characterized complex composed of two conserved Microrchidia (MORC) family proteins, MORC1 and MORC6. The effect of suvh2suvh9 on Pol IV-dependent siRNA accumulation and DNA methylation is comparable to that of the Pol V mutant nrpe1 and the DDR complex mutant dms3, suggesting that SUVH2 and SUVH9 are functionally associated with RdDM. Our CHIP assay demonstrated that SUVH2 and SUVH9 are required for the occupancy of Pol V at RdDM loci and facilitate the production of Pol V-dependent noncoding RNAs. Moreover, SUVH2 and SUVH9 are also involved in the occupancy of DMS3 at RdDM loci. The putative catalytic active site in the SET domain of SUVH2 is dispensable for the function of SUVH2 in RdDM and H3K9 dimethylation. We propose that SUVH2 and SUVH9 bind to methylated DNA and facilitate the recruitment of Pol V to RdDM loci by associating with the DDR complex and the MORC complex.
Assessing Speech Audibility via Syllabic-Rate Neural Responses in Adults and Children With and Without Hearing Loss

An objective method for assessing speech audibility is essential to evaluate hearing aid benefit in children who are unable to participate in hearing tests. With consonant-vowel syllables, brainstem-dominant responses elicited at the voice fundamental frequency have proven successful for assessing audibility. This study aimed to harness the neural activity elicited by the slow envelope of the same repetitive consonant-vowel syllables to assess audibility. In adults and children with normal hearing and children with hearing loss wearing hearing aids, neural activity elicited by the stimulus /su∫i/ or /sa∫i/ presented at 55–75 dB SPL was analyzed using the temporal response function approach. No-stimulus runs or very low stimulus level (15 dB SPL) were used to simulate inaudible conditions in adults and children with normal hearing. Both groups of children demonstrated higher response amplitudes relative to adults. Detectability (sensitivity; true positive rate) ranged between 80.1 and 100%, and did not vary by group or stimulus level but varied by stimulus, with /sa∫i/ achieving 100% detectability at 65 dB SPL. The average minimum time needed to detect a response ranged between 3.7 and 6.4 min across stimuli and listener groups, with the shortest times recorded for stimulus /sa∫i/ and in children with hearing loss. Specificity was >94.9%. Responses to the slow envelope of non-meaningful consonant-vowel syllables can be used to ascertain audible vs. inaudible speech with sufficient accuracy within clinically feasible test times. Such responses can increase the clinical usefulness of existing objective approaches to evaluate hearing aid benefit.
Outline and history of the Itoigawa UNESCO Global Geopark in Niigata Prefecture in central Japan, with radiolarian occurrences in Itoigawa

The Itoigawa UNESCO Global Geopark is located in Itoigawa City, Niigata Prefecture in central Japan. This geopark was approved as a Global Geopark in 2009, which is one of the first Global Geoparks in Japan. The Itoigawa–Shizuoka Tectonic Line, which divides the Japanese Islands into Southwest Japan and Northeast Japan in the Cenozoic tectonic framework, lies in the central part of the City of Itoigawa. Various rocks, ranging in age from the Cambrian to Quaternary, and cultural legacies can be observed in the 24 geosites in this geopark. Silurian, Permian, Triassic, and Jurassic radiolarians have been discovered from Itoigawa.
ROLE OF INTEREST RATE IN ATTRACTING THE FDI: STUDY ON ASEAN 5 ECONOMY

This paper is concerned with the foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow and its determinant in ASEAN 5. The analysis is based on the data over the years, 1986 to 2012 using Vector Auto regression (VAR) Technique. The objective is to analyze the relationship of (FDI) inflow and interest rates (IR). The finding suggests that interest rates of Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia have negative relation with foreign
The effect of nitrogren limitation on the absorption and scattering properties of the marine diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana

Optical properties of the marine diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana were examined in nitrate‐limited semicontinuous cultures for growth rates (µN) varying from 0.22 to 1.32 d−1. Two experiments were conducted at each growth rate in which sampling of the culture was done at either the dark‐to‐light (D‐L) or light‐to‐dark (L‐D) transition of a 12‐h photoperiod. Optical cross sections and efficiency factors for absorption, scattering, and attenuation were calculated from measurements of the spectral absorption and beam attenuation coefficients, cell concentration, and the size distribution of cells in suspension. The refractive index of cells, relative to seawater, was calculated from these data using an inverse method. Nitrogen limitation strongly influences the optical properties of this species. Absorption cross sections increased more than twofold with increasing µN, predominantly caused by increases in the imaginary part of the refractive index, n′. At the red absorption peak, n′(673) increased 140% and was strongly correlated with intracellular Chl a concentration. For most visible light wavelengths, scattering cross sections were not a strong function of growth rate but were consistently largest in the L‐D transition experiments. The difference between D‐L and L‐D experiments at any given µN increased with increasing growth rate; for example, scattering cross sections at 660 nm in the L‐D experiments were 25% (µN = 0.22 d−1) and 90% (µN = 1.32 d−1) larger than in the respective D‐L experiments. The real part of the refractive index at λ = 660 nm varied from 1.024 to 1.039 among all experiments and was positively correlated with intracellular carbon concentration. The Chl a‐specific absorption coefficient decreased with increasing µN (e.g. 43% decrease in the blue Soret band) in response to decreases in the carotenoid‐to‐Chl a ratio and increased pigment packaging. The Chl a‐specific scattering coefficient at 660 nm decreased from 0.55 to 0.09 m2 (mg Chl a)−1 with increases in µN. Our results suggest that the optical properties of phytoplankton populations in nitrogen‐limited surface waters may be significantly altered from those in deeper portions of the water column.
A feature-based tracking algorithm for vehicles in intersections

Intelligent Transportation Systems need methods to automatically monitor the road traffic, and especially track vehicles. Most research has concentrated on highways. Traffic in intersections is more variable, with multiple entrance and exit regions. This paper describes an extension to intersections of the feature-tracking algorithm described in [1]. Vehicle features are rarely tracked from their entrance in the field of view to their exit. Our algorithm can accommodate the problem caused by the disruption of feature tracks. It is evaluated on video sequences recorded on four different intersections.
Characteristics of primary care consultations for musculoskeletal foot and ankle problems in the UK

Objective. Foot and ankle problems are highly prevalent in the general population; however, little is known about the characteristics of those seeking medical assessment for these problems. The objective of this study was to explore the extent and types of musculoskeletal foot and ankle problems in primary care. Methods. Consultation data related to musculoskeletal foot and ankle problems in 2006 were extracted from the Consultations in Primary Care Archive (CiPCA), which covers consultations in 12 general practices in North Staffordshire. Data were cross-tabulated by age and gender, and annual consultation prevalence per 10 000 registered persons was calculated. Results. Of the 55 033 musculoskeletal consultations documented in CiPCA in 2006, 4500 (8%) related to foot and ankle problems. The most commonly documented Read term was ‘foot pain’ (1281 consultations; 28%), followed by ‘ankle pain’ [451 (10%)]. Most consultations [3538 (79%)] involved non-traumatic conditions. Females accounted for slightly more consultations than males (55 vs 45%), and the highest proportion of consultations involved people aged 45–64 years (36%). The number of consultations per patient ranged from 1 to 11. Annual consultation prevalence was 290 per 10 000 registered persons and increased with age, reaching a peak in the 65- to 74-year age group (411 per 10 000 registered persons). Conclusion. Foot and ankle problems account for a substantial number of consultations in primary care, and most frequently involve non-traumatic conditions. Further research is required to evaluate the factors that influence consultation for foot problems and strategies that general practitioners use to manage these conditions.
Holomorphic reduction of N = 2 gauge theories, Wilson-'t Hooft operators, and S-duality

We study twisted N=2 superconformal gauge theory on a product of two Riemann surfaces Sigma and C. The twisted theory is topological along C and holomorphic along Sigma and does not depend on the gauge coupling or theta-angle. Upon Kaluza-Klein reduction along Sigma, it becomes equivalent to a topological B-model on C whose target is the moduli space MV of nonabelian vortex equations on Sigma. The N=2 S-duality conjecture implies that the duality group acts by autoequivalences on the derived category of MV. This statement can be regarded as an N=2 counterpart of the geometric Langlands duality. We show that the twisted theory admits Wilson-'t Hooft loop operators labelled by both electric and magnetic weights. Correlators of these loop operators depend holomorphically on coordinates and are independent of the gauge coupling. Thus the twisted theory provides a convenient framework for studying the Operator Product Expansion of general Wilson-'t Hooft loop operators.
miR-494-3p Induces Cellular Senescence and Enhances Radiosensitivity in Human Oral Squamous Carcinoma Cells

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common malignancy of head and neck. Although radiotherapy is used for OSCC treatment, the occurrence of radioresistant cancer cells limits its efficiency. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNAs with lengths of 18–25 base pairs and known to be involved in carcinogenesis. We previously demonstrated that by targeting B lymphoma Mo-MLV insertion region 1 homolog (Bmi1), miR-494-3p functions as a putative tumor suppressor miRNA in OSCC. In this study, we further discovered that miR-494-3p could enhance the radiosensitivity of SAS OSCC cells and induce cellular senescence. The overexpression of miR-494-3p in SAS cells increased the population of senescence-associated β-galactosidase positive cells, the expression of p16INK4a and retinoblastoma 1 (RB1), as well as downregulated Bmi1. The knockdown of Bmi1 by lentiviral-mediated delivery of specific short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) also enhanced the radiosensitivity of SAS cells and the activation of the senescence pathway. Furthermore, the inverse correlation between Bmi1 and miR-494-3p expression was observed among OSCC tissues. Results suggest that miR-494-3p could increase the radiosensitivity of OSCC cells through the induction of cellular senescence caused by the downregulation of Bmi1.
Orthotopic liver transplantation for patients with Caroli's disease.

BACKGROUND Caroli's disease, a rare congenital hepatic disease, has a poor prognosis, especially in patients with diffuse dilatation of the bile ducts. But liver transplantation has been a curative option. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and rationality of orthotopic liver transplantation as an indication for patients with diffuse Caroli's disease. METHODS The data from 3 patients with diffuse Caroli's disease who had undergone orthotopic liver transplantation in our unit were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS On postoperative day 7, patient 1 had acute rejection which was relieved after pulse treatment with methylprednisolone. He was discharged from hospital on postoperative day 27 and has been in good health for 82 months. Patient 2 had no acute rejection or severe complications, but died of chronic graft dysfunction 34 months postoperatively. Patient 3 had acute rejection on postoperative days 10 and 35, complicated with pulmonary infection, pleural effusion and opportunistic infection. After successful treatment, she resumed work and has been followed up for 47 months. Her condition is good. CONCLUSION Liver transplantation can offer an effective therapy for patients with diffuse Caroli's disease, and can provide satisfactory long-term results.
The Underground Economy of Spam: A Botmaster's Perspective of Coordinating Large-Scale Spam Campaigns

Spam accounts for a large portion of the email exchange on the Internet. In addition to being a nuisance and a waste of costly resources, spam is used as a delivery mechanism for many criminal scams and large-scale compromises. Most of this spam is sent using botnets, which are often rented for a fee to criminal organizations. Even though there has been a considerable corpus of research focused on combating spam and analyzing spam-related botnets, most of these efforts have had a limited view of the entire spamming process. In this paper, we present a comprehensive analysis of a large-scale botnet from the botmaster's perspective, that highlights the intricacies involved in orchestrating spam campaigns such as the quality of email address lists, the effectiveness of IP-based blacklisting, and the reliability of bots. This is made possible by having access to a number of command-and-control servers used by the Pushdo/Cutwail botnet. In addition, we study Spamdot.biz, a private forum used by some of the most notorious spam gangs, to provide novel insights into the underground economy of large-scale spam operations.