Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sotos syndrome: A case report.

Correspondence: Nigar Sadiyeva, MD, Azerbaijan Medical University, Department of Pediatrics, Baku, Azerbaijan email: nigarsadiyeva@gmail.com Phone: +994505830338 Introduction The syndrome which includes overgrowth, acromegaly and mild mental disabilities was described in 5 patients by Sotos, in 1964 [1]. Although, there had been reported six generation family members with Sotos syndrome inherited by autosomal dominant type, most cases of disorder are sporadic. Its estimated incidence is 1:10000-1:50000. Diagnostic criteria of Sotos syndrome are receding forehead hairline, macrocephaly, frontal bossing, long narrow face, sparse hair, characteristic chin, distinctive facial appearance, advanced bone age, and mental retardation [2,3]. Patients usually have excessive occipitofrontal circumference. Eye symptoms are often presented by nystagmus and strabismus. Anomalies of skeletal, cardiovascular, central nervous and urogenital systems can be also detected. The skeletal features include scoliosis, large hands and feet. There are numerous cardiovascular findings which may be presented in form of hypotonia, trioventricular septal defect, ventricular septal defect, patent ductus anteriorus, and microvalval prolapses in tricuspid valve in 8 % of patients [4]. The morphological changes of the brain are detectable on MRI and include ventriculomegaly in 60-80% of patients and dysgenesis of corpus callosus. Impairment of cognitive functions such as learning disabilities and speech problems may also be observed.
Strategies for Mitigating Impacts of Near-Side Bus Stops on Cars

"Near-side stops" are bus stops located a short distance upstream of a signalized intersection. A bus dwelling at a near-side stop can impede queued cars upstream as they discharge during their green time at the intersection. Added car delays and residual queues can result. All else equal, the closer the stop’s location to the intersection, the greater the potential damage to car traffic. Models for locating these near-side stops to achieve target levels of residual queueing among cars are formulated using kinematic wave theory. This same approach was also used to develop a strategy for further mitigating residual car queues by temporarily detaining some buses from reaching the stop. This bus-holding strategy can be applied selectively, so that the times that held buses depart from the stop are not affected. The strategy therefore will not delay buses over the longer run. Assessments indicate that this holding strategy can significantly reduce instances of car delays and residual queueing, especially for stops that are located very close to their intersections.
Quality of Life for Saudi Patients With Heart Failure: A Cross-Sectional Correlational Study

Introduction: Heart failure is a major public health issue and a growing concern in developing countries, including Saudi Arabia. Most related research was conducted in Western cultures and may have limited applicability for individuals in Saudi Arabia. Thus, this study assesses the quality of life of Saudi patients with heart failure. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional correlational design was used on a convenient sample of 103 patients with heart failure. Data were collected using the Short Form-36 and the Medical Outcomes Study-Social Support Survey. Results: Overall, the patients’ scores were low for all domains of Quality of Life. The Physical Component Summary and Mental Component Summary mean scores and SDs were (36.7±12.4, 48.8±6.5) respectively, indicating poor Quality of Life. Left ventricular ejection fraction was the strongest predictor of both physical and mental summaries. Conclusion: Identifying factors that impact quality of life for Saudi heart failure patients is important in identifying and meeting their physical and psychosocial needs.
Climatic warming causes regime shifts in lake food webs

Spring clear water phases caused by grazing of zooplankton on algae are among the most spectacular and well‐studied events in lake plankton dynamics. Such clear water phases are also important as windows of opportunity for recovery of aquatic vegetation and biodiversity in shallow waters. Here we use long time series from 71 shallow lakes to demonstrate that the probability of clear water phase increases with the temperature of lake water. We demonstrate that lake temperature has risen significantly over the past decades and is highly correlated with oscillations in the North Atlantic climate system. We also show a distinct climate‐related shift in the timing of clear water phases in the shallow lakes as well as in an independent set of central European lakes. Simulations with a seasonally forced plankton model confirm that temperature rise is a plausible explanation for the observed changes.
Growth-inhibitory activity of lymphoid cell plasma membranes. II. Partial characterization of the inhibitor

We have shown that plasma membranes from lymphoid cells have inhibitory activity for the growth of normal lymphocytes and lymphoid tumor cells (Stallcup, K. C., A. Dawson, and M. F. Mescher, J. Cell Biol. 99:1221- 1226). This growth-inhibitory activity has been found to co-purify with major histocompatibility complex class I antigens (H-2K and D) when these cell surface glycoproteins are isolated from detergent lysates of cells by affinity chromatography on monoclonal antibody columns. When incorporated into liposomes, the affinity-purified H-2 antigens inhibited the growth of both normal lymphocytes and tumor cells at concentrations of 1-3 micrograms/ml. Inhibition was readily reversed upon removal of the liposomes from the cell cultures, even after several days of exposure of cells to the inhibitor. Inhibitory activity was insensitive to protease digestion or heat treatment, indicating that it was not due to the H-2 glycoproteins. This was confirmed by the demonstration that inhibitory activity could be separated from the H-2 protein by gel filtration in the presence of deoxycholate and could be extracted from membranes or H-2 antigen preparations with organic solvents. The results demonstrate that the growth-inhibitory component(s) of the plasma membrane is a minor lipid or lipid-like molecule which retains activity in the absence of other membrane components. The findings reported here and in the preceding article suggest that this novel membrane component may have a role in control of lymphoid cell growth, possibly mediated by cell contacts.
The dust energy balance in the edge-on spiral galaxy NGC 4565

We combine new dust continuum observations of the edge-on spiral galaxy NGC 4565 in all Herschel/Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver (250, 350 and 500 mu m) wavebands, obtained as part of the Herschel Reference Survey, and a large set of ancillary data (Spitzer, Sloan Digital Sky Survey, Galaxy Evolution Explorer) to analyse its dust energy balance. We fit a radiative transfer model for the stars and dust to the optical maps with the fitting algorithm FITSKIRT. To account for the observed ultraviolet and mid-infrared emission, this initial model was supplemented with both obscured and unobscured star-forming regions. Even though these star-forming complexes provide an additional heating source for the dust, the far-infrared/submillimetre emission long wards of 100 mu m is underestimated by a factor of 3-4. This inconsistency in the dust energy budget of NGC 4565 suggests that a sizable fraction (two-thirds) of the total dust reservoir (M-d similar to 2.9 x 10(8) M-circle dot) consists of a clumpy distribution with no associated young stellar sources. The distribution of those dense dust clouds would be in such a way that they remain unresolved in current far-infrared/submillimetre observations and hardly contribute to the attenuation at optical wavelengths. More than two-thirds of the dust heating in NGC 4565 is powered by the old stellar population, with localized embedded sources supplying the remaining dust heating in NGC 4565. The results from this detailed dust energy balance study in NGC 4565 are consistent with that of similar analyses of other edge-on spirals.
The fracture toughness of polysilicon microdevices: A first report

Polysilicon microfracture specimens were fabricated using surface micromachining techniques identical to those used to fabricate microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices. The nominal critical J -integral (the critical energy release rate) for crack initiation, J _ c , was determined in specimens whose characteristic dimensions were of the same order of magnitude as the grain size of the polysilicon. J _ c values ranged from 16 to 62 N/m, approximately a factor of four larger than J _ c values reported for single crystal silicon.
The Eeective Energy Transformation Scheme as a General Continuation Approach to Global Optimization with Application to Molecular Conformation

This paper discusses a generalization of the special function transformation scheme for global energy minimization for molecular conformation used in 3, 4, 14, 15]. Theories for the method as a general continuation approach are established. We show that the method can transform a nonlinear objective function into a class of gradually deformed, but \smoother", functions. An optimization procedure can then be applied to the new functions successively, to trace the solution back to the original function. Two types of transformation are deened: the isotropic and the anisotropic. We show that both, although not applicable numerically to arbitrary functions because of the required high dimensional integration, can be applied to a large class of nonlinear partially separable functions, and, in particular, the energy functions for molecular conformation. Methods to compute exactly the required transformations are given. Advantages of this transformation approach over the conventional homotopy methods also are discussed.
Gender Effects Following Repeated Administration of Cocaine and Alcohol in Humans

Rationale: Use of cocaine, alcohol, and the two drugs simultaneously is common and the risk of morbidity and mortality associated with these drugs is widely reported. This double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study examined gender differences in response to administration of these drugs alone and in combination. Methods: Current users of cocaine and alcohol (n = 17) who met diagnostic criteria (DSM-IV) for cocaine dependence and alcohol abuse or dependence (not physiologically dependent on alcohol) and who were not seeking treatment for substance use disorders gave voluntary, written, informed consent to participate in three drug administration sessions: 1) four doses of intranasal cocaine (1 mg/kg every 30 min) with oral alcohol (1 g/kg following the initial cocaine dose and a second drink at +60 min (120 mg/kg) calculated to maintain a plasma alcohol concentration of approximately 100 mg/dL; 2) four doses of cocaine and alcohol placebo; 3) cocaine placebo and alcohol. Pharmacokinetics were obtained by serial blood sampling, physiological measurements (heart rate and blood pressure) were obtained with automated equipment, and subjective effects were assessed using visual analog scales over 480 min. Results: Responses to cocaine, alcohol, and cocaine-alcohol were equivalent by gender for most measurements. Women had higher heart rates following alcohol administration (p =. 02). Women consistently reported higher ratings for “Feel Good,” a measure of overall mental/physical well-being, for all study conditions, reaching statistical significance for cocaine (p =. 05) and approaching significance for alcohol administration (p =. 1). Conclusion: Women showed equivalent responses to drug administration with the exception of perception of well-being, which was significantly increased for women. These findings may have implications for differential risk for acute and chronic toxicity in women.
Refractory Uveitis in Patient with Castleman Disease Successfully Treated with Tocilizumab

Although multicentric Castleman disease is a rare but life-threatening disease, eye complications are extremely uncommon. We present a case of refractory uveitis accompanied with Castleman disease successfully treated with tocilizumab. A 58-year-old man with Castleman disease was introduced for refractory uveitis to Chiba University Hospital. Large cells were detected in the anterior chamber and increased vascular permeability of retinal vessels has been found in both eyes. Although the patient was treated with oral and eye drop steroid treatment, the uveitis symptoms had not decreased. The serum levels of CRP and IL-6 were increased. The level of IL-6 concentration in the anterior chamber was the same as the serum level of IL-6. The humanized anti-IL-6 receptor-antibody (tocilizumab) was administrated for the patient because of poor general condition. After tocilizumab treatment, large cells in the anterior chamber were undetectable and vascular permeability was improved in FA. The serum levels of CRP and IL-6 decreased and the general condition improved. The side effect of tocilizumab was not observed during the treatment. Tocilizumab treatment was significantly effective for uveitis accompanied with Castleman disease. Although it is extremely rare, uveitis accompanied with Castleman disease may be one of the hallmarks to consider tocilizumab treatment.
Distinct regional and subcellular localization of the actin‐binding protein filamin a in the mature rat brain

Filamin A (FLNa) is an actin‐binding protein that regulates cell motility, adhesion, and elasticity by cross‐linking filamentous actin. Additional roles of FLNa include regulation of protein trafficking and surface expression. Although the functions of FLNa during brain development are well studied, little is known on its expression, distribution, and function in the adult brain. Here we characterize in detail the neuroanatomical distribution and subcellular localization of FLNa in the mature rat brain, by using two antisera directed against epitopes at either the N′ or the C′ terminus of the protein, further validated by mRNA expression. FLNa was widely and selectively expressed throughout the brain, and the intensity of immunoreactivity was region dependent. The most intensely FLNa‐labeled neurons were found in discrete neuronal systems, including basal forebrain structures, anterior nuclear group of thalamus, and hypothalamic parvocellular neurons. Pyramidal neurons in neocortex and hippocampus and magnocellular cells in basolateral amygdaloid nucleus were also intensely FLNa immunoreactive, and strong FLNa labeling was evident in the pontine and medullary raphe nuclei and in sensory and spinal trigeminal nuclei. The subcellular localization of FLNa was evaluated in situ as well as in primary hippocampal neurons. Punctate expression was found in somata and along the dendritic shaft, but FLNa was not detected in dendritic spines. These subcellular distribution patterns were recapitulated in hippocampal and neocortical pyramidal neurons in vivo. The characterization of the expression and subcellular localization of FLNa may provide new clues to the functional roles of this cytoskeletal protein in the adult brain. J. Comp. Neurol. 520:3013–3034, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
MOBILE PHONE ANTENNA USING SLOTTED GROUND STRUCTURE

In this article, a coupled-fed planar printed antenna mounted on the compact no-ground portion of the system circuit board of a mobile phone with a low profile of 10mm is proposed and studied. The presented antenna is formed by a double-branch feeding strip, a shorted coupling strip with two open-ended loops of different lengths, and a slotted ground structure consisting of two monopole slots, yet it has a size only 15 × 50mm2. Two wide operating bandwidths of 698–960MHz and 1710–2690 MHz can be achieved by these radiating strips, which provide multiple resonant modes at about 750, 1000, 1750, 2300 and 2900 MHz. In addition, with the presence of the two narrow slots and a chip inductor (L = 1.5 nH), in this study, the printed antenna can lead to much widened bandwidths in both the antenna’s lower and upper bands to cover LTE700/GSM850/900 and DCS1800/PCS1900/UMTS2100/LTE2300/2500, respectively. Good radiation efficiency and antenna gain for frequencies over the desired operating bands are obtained. Detailed design considerations of the proposed antenna are described, and both experimental and simulated results are also presented and discussed. Received 12 June 2012, Accepted 2 July 2012, Scheduled 10 July 2012 * Corresponding author: Yong-Ling Ban (byl@uestc.edu.cn).
Central and systemic morphine-induced antinociception in mice: contribution of descending serotonergic and noradrenergic pathways.

The relative importance of descending serotonergic and noradrenergic pathways to the antinociceptive action of supraspinally and systemically administered morphine sulfate, and to the antinociceptive synergism observed between spinally and supraspinally administered morphine was examined in mice. Morphine administered i.c. v. , intrathecally (i.t.), s.c. or i.t. + i.c. v. produced a dose-dependent antinociceptive response, as measured by the tail-flick test. The dose-response curve for morphine (i.c.v.) was shifted significantly to the right by equal i.t. doses of methysergide or phentolamine. However, the most pronounced shift to the right was caused by i.t. administration of the selective alpha-2 antagonist yohimbine. Administration of a subantinociceptive dose of morphine (i.t.) along with morphine (i.c.v.) shifted the dose-response curve for morphine (i.c.v.) 6-fold to the left. The resulting dose-response curve for morphine (i.c.v.) was shifted to the right more by phentolamine (i.t.) than by methysergide (i.t.). Similarly, the dose-response curve for morphine (s.c.) was shifted more to the right by phentolamine (i.t.) than by methysergide (i.t.). These results suggest that the descending noradrenergic system, more than the serotonergic system, may be an important component in spinal/supraspinal interactive mechanisms that may mediate the antinociceptive action of systemically administered morphine.
Long-term consequences of alcohol misuse in Scottish military veterans

Objective Serving military personnel are more likely to drink heavily than civilians. The aim of our study was to examine whether veterans have an increased risk of alcoholic liver disease and alcohol-related death compared with non-veterans. Design Retrospective cohort study of 57 000 veterans resident in Scotland and 173 000 age, sex and area of residence-matched civilians, using Cox proportional hazard models to compare the risk of alcoholic liver disease and alcohol-related death overall, by sex, birth cohort, length of service and year of recruitment, adjusting for socioeconomic status. Results Over mean 29 years follow-up, 677 (1.20%) veterans developed alcoholic liver disease compared with 2175 (1.26%) non-veterans (adjusted HR=0.91, 95% CIs 0.84 to 0.99, p=0.035). Only the 1945–1949 veterans’ birth cohort was at higher risk, unadjusted HR=1.25, 95% CIs 1.07 to 1.47, p=0.004, although their difference in risk became non-significant after adjusting for socioeconomic status, p=0.052. The pattern was similar for alcohol-related death. Veterans were less likely than non-veterans to have comorbid hepatitis C. Older age at recruitment at a time of high operational activity in the early 1970s was associated with increased risk, but longer service was not. Conclusions Overall, veterans in Scotland had a significantly reduced risk of alcoholic liver disease or alcohol-related death compared with non-veterans, although the risk was higher in those born before 1950. Reasons for the changing pattern are likely to be complex and may reflect operational exposure, social attitudes to alcohol and the impact of recent military health promotion.
Mismatch and G-Stack Modulated Probe Signals on SNP Microarrays

Background Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays are important tools widely used for genotyping and copy number estimation. This technology utilizes the specific affinity of fragmented DNA for binding to surface-attached oligonucleotide DNA probes. We analyze the variability of the probe signals of Affymetrix GeneChip SNP arrays as a function of the probe sequence to identify relevant sequence motifs which potentially cause systematic biases of genotyping and copy number estimates. Methodology/Principal Findings The probe design of GeneChip SNP arrays enables us to disentangle different sources of intensity modulations such as the number of mismatches per duplex, matched and mismatched base pairings including nearest and next-nearest neighbors and their position along the probe sequence. The effect of probe sequence was estimated in terms of triple-motifs with central matches and mismatches which include all 256 combinations of possible base pairings. The probe/target interactions on the chip can be decomposed into nearest neighbor contributions which correlate well with free energy terms of DNA/DNA-interactions in solution. The effect of mismatches is about twice as large as that of canonical pairings. Runs of guanines (G) and the particular type of mismatched pairings formed in cross-allelic probe/target duplexes constitute sources of systematic biases of the probe signals with consequences for genotyping and copy number estimates. The poly-G effect seems to be related to the crowded arrangement of probes which facilitates complex formation of neighboring probes with at minimum three adjacent G's in their sequence. Conclusions The applied method of “triple-averaging” represents a model-free approach to estimate the mean intensity contributions of different sequence motifs which can be applied in calibration algorithms to correct signal values for sequence effects. Rules for appropriate sequence corrections are suggested.
Amide Proton Transfer Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Alzheimer's Disease at 3.0 Tesla: A Preliminary Study

Background: Amide proton transfer (APT) imaging has recently emerged as an important contrast mechanism for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the field of molecular and cellular imaging. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of APT imaging to detect cerebral abnormality in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) at 3.0 Tesla. Methods: Twenty AD patients (9 men and 11 women; age range, 67–83 years) and 20 age-matched normal controls (11 men and 9 women; age range, 63–82 years) underwent APT and traditional MRI examination on a 3.0 Tesla MRI system. The magnetic resonance ratio asymmetry (MTRasym) values at 3.5 ppm of bilateral hippocampi (Hc), temporal white matter regions, occipital white matter regions, and cerebral peduncles were measured on oblique axial APT images. MTRasym (3.5 ppm) values of the cerebral structures between AD patients and control subjects were compared with independent samples t-test. Controlling for age, partial correlation analysis was used to investigate the associations between mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and the various MRI measures among AD patients. Results: Compared with normal controls, MTRasym (3.5 ppm) values of bilateral Hc were significantly increased in AD patients (right 1.24% ± 0.21% vs. 0.83% ± 0.19%, left 1.18% ± 0.18% vs. 0.80%± 0.17%, t = 3.039, 3.328, P = 0.004, 0.002, respectively). MTRasym (3.5 ppm) values of bilateral Hc were significantly negatively correlated with MMSE (right r = −0.559, P = 0.013; left r = −0.461, P = 0.047). Conclusions: Increased MTRasym (3.5 ppm) values of bilateral Hc in AD patients and its strong correlations with MMSE suggest that APT imaging could potentially provide imaging biomarkers for the noninvasive molecular diagnosis of AD.