Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparative Cytotoxicity Study of Silver Nanoparticles (AgNPs) in a Variety of Rainbow Trout Cell Lines (RTL-W1, RTH-149, RTG-2) and Primary Hepatocytes

Among all classes of nanomaterials, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have potentially an important ecotoxicological impact, especially in freshwater environments. Fish are particularly susceptible to the toxic effects of silver ions and, with knowledge gaps regarding the contribution of dissolution and unique particle effects to AgNP toxicity, they represent a group of vulnerable organisms. Using cell lines (RTL-W1, RTH-149, RTG-2) and primary hepatocytes of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) as in vitro test systems, we assessed the cytotoxicity of the representative AgNP, NM-300K, and AgNO3 as an Ag+ ion source. Lack of AgNP interference with the cytotoxicity assays (AlamarBlue, CFDA-AM, NRU assay) and their simultaneous application point to the compatibility and usefulness of such a battery of assays. The RTH-149 and RTL-W1 liver cell lines exhibited similar sensitivity as primary hepatocytes towards AgNP toxicity. Leibovitz’s L-15 culture medium composition (high amino acid content) had an important influence on the behaviour and toxicity of AgNPs towards the RTL-W1 cell line. The obtained results demonstrate that, with careful consideration, such an in vitro approach can provide valuable toxicological data to be used in an integrated testing strategy for NM-300K risk assessment.
A consanguineous family with Hirschsprung disease, microcephaly, and mental retardation (Goldberg-Shprintzen syndrome)

Hirschsprung disease, mental retardation, microcephaly, and specific craniofacial dysmorphism were observed in three children from a large, consanguineous, Moroccan family. A fourth child showed similar clinical features, with the exception of Hirschsprung disease. The association of these abnormalities in these children represents the Goldberg-Shprintzen syndrome (OMIM 235730). Mutation scanning of genes potentially involved in Hirschsprung disease, RET, GDNF, EDN3, and EDNRB, showed a sequence variant, Ser305Asn, in exon 4 of the EDNRB gene in the index patient of this family. The Ser305Asn substitution present in two of the four patients and four healthy relatives and absent in one of the remaining two patients illustrates the difficulties in interpreting the presence of mutations in families with Hirschsprung disease. It is unlikely that the EDNRB variant contributes to the phenotype. This consanguineous family might be useful for the identification of a Goldberg-Shprintzen locus.
Chemical composition and antifungal potential of medicinal plants against seedborne myco fl ora of eggplant ( Solanum melongena L . )

Antifungal activities of medicinal plants were observed against seedborne mycofl ora of eggplant (Solanum melongena). The effect of ethanolic leaf extracts of Mangifera indica, Mentha spicata, Citrus limon, Eucalyptus camaldulensis against four isolated fungal species including Fusarium oxysporum, Aspergillus fl avus, Rhizopus stolonifer and Penicillium digitatum was evaluated at various concentrations, by using the poisoned food technique. The impact of the extracts on seed germination and growth of eggplant was assessed by seed treatment and growth in a greenhouse experiment. Total fl avonoids of E. camaldulensis were analyzed through spectrophotometer, using quercetin as a standard. Physico-chemical parameters were also determined. Antifungal activity showed that maximum inhibition percentage of P. digitatum (67.78%) and F. oxysporum (64.44%) was observed at the highest concentration (80%) of C. limon and E. camaldulensis extracts, respectively, followed by M. spicata extract against A. fl avus (63.33%) and R. stolonifer (52.22%). Least inhibition percentage of F. oxysporum, P. digitatum, R. stolonifer and A. fl avus was 6.67, 7.78, 14.44 and 16.67%, respectively, at the lowest (20%) concentration of M. spicata. The greenhouse experiment showed variations in seedling germination and post-germination growth. E. camaldulensis extract showed an increase in percent germination (78.98%) over untreated control (62.83%), root and shoot length and fresh and dry weight of root and shoot with the consequent reduction in disease symptoms. Phytochemical analysis depicted the presence of alkaloids, fl avonoids, tannins, saponins in all extracts while steroids and glycosides were absent. A fair amount (10.38 mg QE gDF) of fl avonoid was present in leaf extract of E. camaldulensis. Physico-chemical analysis showed pH of 4.6, ash content of 0.41% and weight loss on drying of 8.14%.
Review: The history and role of naturally occurring mouse models with Pde6b mutations

Mouse models are useful tools for developing potential therapies for human inherited retinal diseases, such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP), since more strains are being identified with the same mutant genes and phenotypes as humans with corresponding retinal degenerative diseases. Mutations in the beta subunit of the human rod phosphodiesterase (PDE6B) gene are a common cause of autosomal recessive RP (arRP). This article focuses on two well-established naturally occurring mouse models of arRP caused by spontaneous mutations in Pde6b, their discovery, phenotype, mechanism of degeneration, strengths and limitations, and therapeutic approaches to restore vision and delay disease progression. Viral vector, especially adeno-associated viral vector (AAV) -mediated gene replacement therapy, pharmacological treatment, cell-based therapy and other approaches that extend the therapeutic window of treatment, is a potentially promising strategy for improving photoreceptor function and significantly slowing the process of retinal degeneration.
Does Head Start Do Any Lasting Good?

Head Start is a federal early childhood intervention designed to reduce disparities in preschool outcomes. The first randomized experimental study of Head Start, the National Head Start Impact Study (NHSIS), found impacts on academic outcomes of . 15 to . 3 standard deviations measured at the end of the program year, although the estimated impacts were no longer significant when measured at the end of kindergarten or first grade. Assessments that Head Start is ineffective based on the NHSIS results are in our view premature, given our currently limited understanding of how and why early childhood education improves long-term life chances. Many of the specific changes to Head Start that have been proposed could potentially wind up doing more harm than good.
Predictive value of sperm motility characteristics assessed by computer-assisted sperm analysis in intrauterine insemination with superovulation in couples with unexplained infertility

Objective To determine whether characteristics of sperm motility obtained by computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) could predict pregnancy after intrauterine insemination (IUI) in couples with unexplained infertility. Methods Three hundred eighty-three cycles of intrauterine insemination with superovulation were retrospectively analyzed. Semen analysis was performed with CASA before and after swim-up and the parameters were compared between pregnant and non-pregnant women. Results The pregnancy rate per cycle was 14.1%. Pregnant and non-pregnant women were comparable in terms of age, infertility duration, the number of dominant follicles. While sperm concentration, motility, and parameters such as average path velocity (VAP) and percentage rapid (RAPID) before semen preparation were significantly different between the pregnancy and non-pregnancy groups, there were no differences in sperm parameters when comparing the two groups after preparation. Using a receiver operating characteristic curve to measure sensitivity and specificity, the optimal threshold value for the predictors of pregnancy was revealed to be a concentration of ≥111×106/mL, a motility of ≥51.4%, and RAPID ≥30.1% before preparation for IUI. Conclusion Sperm parameters including concentration, motility, and RAPID before sperm preparation could have predictive value for pregnancy outcome after intrauterine insemination with superovulation in couples with unexplained infertility, and would be helpful when counseling patients before they make the decision to proceed with IVF/ICSI-ET.
Neutrino-nucleus quasi-elastic and 2p2h interactions up to 10 GeV

We wish to thank Boris Popov for discussions and interpretation of details of the NOMAD analysis, and Panos Stamoulis and Kevin McFarland for discussions of how these results apply to T2K and MINERvA. This work has been produced with the support of the Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad and European FEDER funds under the Contract Nos. FIS2011-28853-C02-01, FIS2011-28853-C02-02, FPA2011-29823-C02-02, Consolider-Ingenio 2010 Programme CPAN (CSD2007-0042) and the Severo Ochoa program excellence SEV-2012-0234, the Generalitat Valenciana under Contract No. PROMETEO/2009/0090 and the E.U. HadronPhysics2 project, Grant Agreement No. 283286, and the U.S. National Science Foundation under Grants No. 0970111 and No. 1306944.
Phosphorylated Ssk1 Prevents Unphosphorylated Ssk1 from Activating the Ssk2 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinase Kinase in the Yeast High-Osmolarity Glycerol Osmoregulatory Pathway

ABSTRACT In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, external high osmolarity activates the Hog1 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), which controls various aspects of osmoadaptation. Ssk1 is a homolog of bacterial two-component response regulators and activates the Ssk2 MAPK kinase kinase upstream of Hog1. It has been proposed that unphosphorylated Ssk1 (Ssk1-OH) is the active form and that Ssk1 phosphorylated (Ssk1∼P) at Asp554 by the Sln1-Ypd1-Ssk1 multistep phosphorelay mechanism is the inactive form. In this study, we show that constitutive activation of Ssk2 occurs when Ssk1 phosphorylation is blocked by either an Ssk1 mutation at the phosphorylation site or an Ssk1 mutation that inhibits its interaction with Ypd1, the donor of phosphate to Ssk1. Thus, Ssk1-OH is indeed necessary for Ssk2 activation. However, overexpression of wild-type Ssk1 or of an Ssk1 mutant that cannot bind Ssk2 prevents constitutively active Ssk1 mutants from activating Ssk2. Therefore, Ssk1 has a dual function as both an activator of Ssk2 and an inhibitor of Ssk1 itself. We also found that Ssk1 exists mostly as a dimer within cells. From mutant phenotypes, we deduce that only the Ssk1-OH/Ssk1-OH dimer can activate Ssk2 efficiently. Hence, because Ssk1∼P binds to and inhibits Ssk1-OH, moderate fluctuation of the level of Ssk1-OH does not lead to nonphysiological and detrimental activation of Hog1.
Arterial blood gas tensions and pH in acute asthma in childhood.

Aberdeen in 1964-65 when interviewing was carried out. From this sample of 2500, 300 possibly asthmatic children were medically examined and their parent or guardian interviewed by a paediatrician. 121 children were confirmed to be asthmatic. There were 84 boys and 37 girls: 16 of the 20 severe cases were boys. Age of onset of asthma showed that 98 (80%) had experienced their first attack by the age of 5. There was a family history of asthma among first degree relatives in 64 (53%), of eczema in 14 (12%), and of allergic rhinitis in 21 (17%). The asthmatic children themselves showed other allergic manifestations: 35 (29%) had had infantile eczema, 27 (22%) had had flexural eczema, and 49 (37%) had had allergic rhinitis. Review of therapy revealed that only one of the asthmatic children had received steroids before the survey. The group of 121 were graded according to severitymild (50), moderate (51), and severe (20). Allocation was made on the basis of history and examination. Subsequent evaluation of pulmonary function tests showed good correlation with this grading. Heights and weights of children in all grades tended to be below the mean, but those in the severe grade were at or less than 2 SD below the mean. Sociological data obtained and evaluated revealed that there were significantly more of the severe asthmatics in the semiand unskilled manual classes. The severe asthmatics tended to occur in families of 4 or more, regardless of social class. The IQ score at 7+ years showed that all asthmatics tended to score higher than the rest of the population. This was particularly apparent in the semiand unskilled manual classes where the mean IQ of the asthmatics was 109 and that of the population 102. The over-all prevalence of asthma in this sample of Aberdeen schoolchildren was 48%.
Reconstruction of sequences over non-identical channels

Motivated by the error behavior in DNA storage channels, in this work we extend the previously studied sequence reconstruction problem by Levenshtein. The reconstruction problem studies the model in which the information is read through multiple noisy channels, and the decoder, which receives all channel estimations, is required to decode the information. For the combinatorial setup, the assumption is that all the channels cause at most some t errors. However, since the channels do not necessarily have the same behavior, we generalize this model and assume that the channels are not identical and thus may cause a different maximum number of errors. For example, we assume that there are N channels that cause at most t1 or t2 errors, where t1 < t2, and the number of channels with at most t1 errors is at least [pN], for some fixed 0 < p < 1. If the information codeword belongs to a code with minimum distance d, the problem is then to find the minimum number of channels that guarantees successful decoding in the worst case.
Electron attachment to DNA single strands: gas phase and aqueous solution

The 2′-deoxyguanosine-3′,5′-diphosphate, 2′-deoxyadenosine-3′,5′-diphosphate, 2′-deoxycytidine-3′,5′-diphosphate and 2′-deoxythymidine-3′,5′-diphosphate systems are the smallest units of a DNA single strand. Exploring these comprehensive subunits with reliable density functional methods enables one to approach reasonable predictions of the properties of DNA single strands. With these models, DNA single strands are found to have a strong tendency to capture low-energy electrons. The vertical attachment energies (VEAs) predicted for 3′,5′-dTDP (0.17 eV) and 3′,5′-dGDP (0.14 eV) indicate that both the thymine-rich and the guanine-rich DNA single strands have the ability to capture electrons. The adiabatic electron affinities (AEAs) of the nucleotides considered here range from 0.22 to 0.52 eV and follow the order 3′,5′-dTDP > 3′,5′-dCDP > 3′,5′-dGDP > 3′,5′-dADP. A substantial increase in the AEA is observed compared to that of the corresponding nucleic acid bases and the corresponding nucleosides. Furthermore, aqueous solution simulations dramatically increase the electron attracting properties of the DNA single strands. The present investigation illustrates that in the gas phase, the excess electron is situated both on the nucleobase and on the phosphate moiety for DNA single strands. However, the distribution of the extra negative charge is uneven. The attached electron favors the base moiety for the pyrimidine, while it prefers the 3′-phosphate subunit for the purine DNA single strands. In contrast, the attached electron is tightly bound to the base fragment for the cytidine, thymidine and adenosine nucleotides, while it almost exclusively resides in the vicinity of the 3′-phosphate group for the guanosine nucleotides due to the solvent effects. The comparatively low vertical detachment energies (VDEs) predicted for 3′,5′-dADP− (0.26 eV) and 3′,5′-dGDP− (0.32 eV) indicate that electron detachment might compete with reactions having high activation barriers such as glycosidic bond breakage. However, the radical anions of the pyrimidine nucleotides with high VDE are expected to be electronically stable. Thus the base-centered radical anions of the pyrimidine nucleotides might be the possible intermediates for DNA single-strand breakage.
Task Interdependencies in Design-to-time Real-time Scheduling

Design-to-time is an approach to real-time scheduling in situations where mUltiple methods exist for many tasks that the system needs to solve. Often Ithese methods will have relationships with one other, such as the execution of one method enabling the execution of another, or the use of a rough approximation by one method affecting the performance of a method that uses its result. Most previous work in the scheduling of real-time AI tasks has ignored these relationships. This paper presents an optimal design-to-time scheduler for particular kinds of relationships that occur in an actual AI application, and examines the performance of that scheduler in a simulation environment that models the tasks of that application.
Insulin amyloid at injection sites of patients with diabetes

Abstract The formation of insulin amyloid can dramatically impact glycemic control in patients with diabetes, making it an important therapeutic consideration. In addition, the cost associated with the excess insulin required by patients with amyloid is estimated to be $3K per patient per year, which adds to the growing financial burden of this disease. Insulin amyloid has been observed with every mode of therapeutic insulin administration (infusion, injection and inhalation), and the number of reported cases has increased significantly since 2002. The new cases represent a much broader demographic, and include many patients who have used exclusively human insulin and human insulin analogs. The reason for the increase in case reports is unknown, but this review explores the possibility that changes in patient care, improved differential diagnosis and/or changes in insulin type and insulin delivery systems may be important factors. The goal of this review is to raise key questions that will inspire proactive measures to prevent, identify and treat insulin amyloid. Furthermore, this comprehensive examination of insulin amyloid can provide insight into important considerations for other injectable drugs that are prone to form amyloid deposits.
Ethanol Suppresses Fast Potentiation of Glycine Currents by Glutamate

Excitatory (glutamate) and inhibitory (GABAAand glycine) receptor/channels coexist in many neurons. To assess effects of ethanol on the interaction of glutamate and glycine receptors, glycine-induced current (I Gly) was recorded by a whole-cell patch-clamp technique from neurons freshly dissociated from the ventral tegmental area of rats. A conditioning prepulse of glutamate (1–3 s, 1 mM) significantly and reversibly potentiated responses to a pulse of glycine. This potentiation was increased when extracellular calcium was raised to 12 mM and reduced by including 10 mM 1,2-bis-(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid in the internal recording medium. It was not affected by 5 μM 1-N,O-bis-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-N-methyl-l-tyrosyl]-4-phenylpiperazine (KN-62), a selective inhibitor of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II. In a concentration-response analysis, a conditioning pulse of glutamate significantly lowered the EC50 for glycine and increased the maximal I Gly. Kinetic analysis of the currents indicated that glutamate slowed deactivation of glycine-gated chloride channels; therefore, glutamate may increase the affinity of glycine receptors for glycine. When coapplied with glycine, ethanol (10 mM) potentiated IGly in 35% of neurons from the ventral tegmental area. In contrast, when coapplied with glutamate and glycine, ethanol suppressed the glutamate-induced potentiation of I Gly in these neurons. This suppression was also observed when ethanol and glycine were coapplied after a glutamate prepulse. A similar effect was observed when ethanol alone did not potentiate I Gly. These findings suggest that glutamate-induced calcium influx modulates glycine receptors by a mechanism that can be blocked by ethanol.
A safer alternative: Cannabis substitution as harm reduction.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS Substitution is operationalised as a conscious choice made by users to use one drug instead of, or in conjunction with another based on: perceived safety, level of addiction potential, effectiveness in relieving symptoms, access and level of acceptance. Harm reduction is a set of strategies that aim to minimise problems associated with drug use while recognising that for some users, abstinence may be neither a realistic nor a desirable goal. In this paper, we aim for deeper understandings of older adult cannabis users' beliefs and substitution practices as part of the harm reduction framework. DESIGN AND METHODS We present selected findings from our qualitative study of Baby Boomer (born 1946-1964) marijuana users in the San Francisco Bay Area. Although the sample consisted of primary cannabis users, many had personal experience with other drugs throughout their lifetimes. Data collection consisted of an audio-recorded, semi-structured in-depth life history interview followed by a questionnaire and health survey. Qualitative interviews were analysed to discover users' harm reduction beliefs and cannabis substitution practices. RESULTS Study participants described using cannabis as a safer alternative for alcohol, illicit drugs and pharmaceuticals based on their perceptions of less adverse side effects, low-risk for addiction and greater effectiveness at relieving symptoms, such as chronic pain. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Cannabis substitution can be an effective harm reduction method for those who are unable or unwilling to stop using drugs completely. More research is needed on cannabis as a safer alternative.
A comparative study of the ionic and total calcium levels in women with thyroid dysfunction

Background: Thyroid hormones play an important role in the homeostasis of calcium and phosphorous levels. A person with thyroid dysfunction may exhibit symptoms that are owing to the alteration in calcium levels. Objective: To evaluate the effect of thyroid function on the total and ionic calcium levels in women with thyroid dysfunction. Materials and Methods: The study group included three groups: group I (clinically proven healthy controls), group II (hyperthyroidism), and group III (hypothyroidism) with 45 subjects in each group. Estimation of the biochemical parameters was done by standard methods, and the level of ionic calcium was calculated using a formula. Result: Serum total calcium and ionic calcium were significantly decreased in hypothyroidism group subjects when compared with hyperthyroidism and healthy control subjects. In groups II and III, the total calcium was inversely correlated with the thyroid stimulating hormone level. Conclusion: Our study showed that there is an association between the serum calcium levels and thyroid function. However, there is no marked difference between the total and ionic calcium levels in thyroid dysfunction.
Glucocorticoid‐mediated nycthemeral and photoperiodic regulation of tph2 expression

In the Syrian hamster dorsal and median raphé nuclei, the tryptophan hydroxylase 2 gene (tph2), which codes the rate‐limiting enzyme of serotonin synthesis, displays daily variations in its expression in animals entrained to a long but not to a short photoperiod. The present study aimed to assess the role of glucocorticoids in the nycthemeral and photoperiodic regulation of daily tph2 expression. In hamsters held in long photoperiod from birth, after adrenalectomy and glucocorticoid implants the suppression of glucocorticoid rhythms induced an abolition of the daily variations in tph2‐mRNA concentrations, a decrease in the amplitude of body temperature rhythms and an increase in testosterone levels. All these effects were reversed after experimental restoration of a clear daily rhythm in the plasma glucocorticoid concentrations. We conclude that the photoperiod‐dependent rhythm of glucocorticoids is the main regulator of tph2 daily expression.