Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Development and application of a linear polyamidoamine-SiRNA delivery system

Spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) plays a critical role in regulation of immune and inflammatory responses. The important role of Syk in inflammatory signalling cascades has led to the development of therapeutic agents designed to knock down Syk gene as novel therapeutic agents for allergic diseases (1). This thesis investigated the role of siRNA in Syk silencing using the newly developed RBL reporter systems as an in vitro model to study degranulation. Lack of an efficient and safe non-viral delivery systems has hindered the progress of siRNA into clinics. The ideal properties of the siRNA-nanoparticles for efficient delivery would require the following properties, 1. Safe with low toxic effects to the cells (non-toxic polymers and nanoparticle components); 2. Compact and well-condensed nanoparticles (thiol crosslinking and PEG); 3. Small size (20–200 nm) for easy cellular internalization (thiol crosslinking and PEG); 4. Less interaction with the environment to enable access to the target cells (PEG); 5. Neutral surface charged and sterically stable siRNA polyplexes with bio-reducible characteristics essentially required for in vivo delivery (Thiol-modified siRNA and PEG). Hence, low-toxicity linear cationic polyamidoamine (PAA) consisting of a mixture of PEGylated copolymer (CP) and non-PEGylated homopolymer (HP) were used for the formulation of the PAA-siRNA nanoparticles. This system has previously been shown to assemble into small sterically stabilised particles with reducible crosslinks. A cross-linked system of HP and HP-CP blends showed complete incorporation of thiolated siRNA during gel electrophoresis, and produced particle size less than that of non-thiolated siRNA as determined using a dynamic light scattering technique. A degranulation inhibition assay revealed that these cross-linked polyplexes prepared using thiol-modified siRNA efficiently inhibited release of fluorescent granules (NPY-mRFP) from the genetically modified RBL-2H3 NPY-mRFP cell line. There was no cytotoxicity associated with this delivery system. By using HP/SH-siRNA nanoparticle, a remarkable dose-dependent Syk gene silencing (~80%) was observed on mRNA level using RT-qPCR. Finally, the HP/SH-siRNA polyplexes produced also showed a significant reduction in Syk protein levels using Western blotting. From the data obtained it is concluded that cross-linked siRNA polyplexes prepared with thiolated siRNA are safe, effective and easy to prepare for future siRNA in vivo gene silencing applications to treat allergic diseases.
A standardised method for interpreting the association between mutations and phenotypic drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

A clear understanding of the genetic basis of antibiotic resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis is required to accelerate the development of rapid drug susceptibility testing methods based on genetic sequence. Raw genotype–phenotype correlation data were extracted as part of a comprehensive systematic review to develop a standardised analytical approach for interpreting resistance associated mutations for rifampicin, isoniazid, ofloxacin/levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, amikacin, kanamycin, capreomycin, streptomycin, ethionamide/prothionamide and pyrazinamide. Mutation frequencies in resistant and susceptible isolates were calculated, together with novel statistical measures to classify mutations as high, moderate, minimal or indeterminate confidence for predicting resistance. We identified 286 confidence-graded mutations associated with resistance. Compared to phenotypic methods, sensitivity (95% CI) for rifampicin was 90.3% (89.6–90.9%), while for isoniazid it was 78.2% (77.4–79.0%) and their specificities were 96.3% (95.7–96.8%) and 94.4% (93.1–95.5%), respectively. For second-line drugs, sensitivity varied from 67.4% (64.1–70.6%) for capreomycin to 88.2% (85.1–90.9%) for moxifloxacin, with specificity ranging from 90.0% (87.1–92.5%) for moxifloxacin to 99.5% (99.0–99.8%) for amikacin. This study provides a standardised and comprehensive approach for the interpretation of mutations as predictors of M. tuberculosis drug-resistant phenotypes. These data have implications for the clinical interpretation of molecular diagnostics and next-generation sequencing as well as efficient individualised therapy for patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis. A comprehensive basis for interpreting mutations to predict antibiotic resistance in tuberculosis http://ow.ly/hhwJ30g9jCY
Topographic cues of nano‐scale height direct neuronal growth pattern

We study the role of nano‐scale cues in controlling neuronal growth. We use photolithography to fabricate substrates with repeatable line‐pattern ridges of nano‐scale heights. We find that neuronal processes, which are of micron size, have strong interactions with ridges even as low as 10 nm. The interaction between the neuronal process and the ridge leads to a deflection of growth direction and a preferred alignment with the ridges. The interaction strength clearly depends on the ridges' height. For 25 nm ridges approximately half of the neuronal processes are modified, while at 100 nm the majority of neurites change their original growth direction post interaction. In addition, the effect on growth correlates with the incoming angle between the neuronal process and the ridge. We underline the adhesion as a key mechanism in directing neuronal growth. Our study highlights the sensitivity of growing neurites to nano‐scale cues thus opens a new avenue of research for pre‐designed neuronal growth and circuitry. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2012; 109:1791–1797. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Differential expressions of biomarkers in gingival crevicular fluid of Han and Uygur populations with peri-implantitis

Abstract This study aims to investigate and compare the biomarkers in the gingival crevicular fluid between the Han and Uygur subjects with healthy implants and peri-implantitis. Totally 80 subjects were divided into the H-case (Han patients with peri-implantitis), U-case (Uygur patients with peri-implantitis), H-control (Han subjects with healthy implants), and U-control (Uygur subjects with healthy implants) groups. Cytokine levels in the gingival crevicular fluid were detected, and the dominant bacteria species were analyzed. The matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-13 level in the gingival crevicular fluid in the U-control group was significantly higher than the H-control group, whereas the C-reactive protein level in the H-control group was significantly higher than in the U-control group. No significant difference was observed in the dominant subgingival bacteria species between the H- and U-control groups. The levels of interleukin (IL)-1&bgr; and MMP-8 were significantly higher in the H-case group than the U-case group, whereas the IL-17A level in the U-case group was significantly higher. The shared dominant subgingival bacteria species of the case groups mainly included Prevotella, clostridium, Porphyromonas, treponema, Streptococcus, neisseria, and hemophilus. Moreover, Acinetobacter, Micrococcus, and Moraxella were found to be the specific dominant subgingival bacteria species for the U-case group. In addition, compared with the H-case group, the IL-1&bgr; levels were negatively correlated with Acinetobacter, Micrococcus, and Moraxella in the U-case group. Han and Uygur populations with healthy implants and peri-implantitis have differentially expressed cytokines in the gingival crevicular fluid. Moreover, dominant subgingival bacteria species differ between the Han and Uygur populations with peri-implantitis.
Congestion Avoidance and Load Balancing in Content Placement and Request Redirection for Mobile CDN

With the development of network function virtualization and software-defined network standards, the mobile network operators are interested in integrating content delivery network (CDN) functionalities into the mobile network to enhance their capability for supporting content oriented services. We consider a mobile CDN system, where Base Stations (BSs) are equipped with storage for replicating content. In such a system, BSs cooperation in replying user requests through backhaul links is a widely adopted mechanism. Blindly redirect user requests upon content placement can cause traffic congestion. As a result, congestion avoidance and load balancing is an important issue to be tackled in this scenario. We investigated the joint optimization problem of content placement and request redirection for the BS-based mobile CDN. Specifically, each BS maintains a transmission queue for replying requests issued from other BSs. Network congestion and BSs load balancing can be jointly considered through guaranteeing network stability. We employ the stochastic optimization model to minimize the long-term time-average transmission cost under network stability constraints. By using the Lyapunov optimization technique, we transform the long-term problem into a set of linear programs solved in each short time duration, and we develop an on-line algorithm to efficiently decide content placement and request redirection without requiring a priori knowledge on the random network state information. Through our theoretical analysis, the performance of the algorithm on optimality and network stability is given. The evaluation confirms that our solution can achieve low transmission cost, whilst avoiding congestion and balancing traffic loads.
Statins and pulmonary fibrosis: the potential role of NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

RATIONALE The role of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) in the development or progression of interstitial lung disease (ILD) is controversial. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the association between statin use and ILD. METHODS We used regression analyses to evaluate the association between statin use and interstitial lung abnormalities (ILA) in a large cohort of smokers from COPDGene. Next, we evaluated the effect of statin pretreatment on bleomycin-induced fibrosis in mice and explored the mechanism behind these observations in vitro. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS In COPDGene, 38% of subjects with ILA were taking statins compared with 27% of subjects without ILA. Statin use was positively associated in ILA (odds ratio, 1.60; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-2.50; P = 0.04) after adjustment for covariates including a history of high cholesterol or coronary artery disease. This association was modified by the hydrophilicity of statin and the age of the subject. Next, we demonstrate that statin administration aggravates lung injury and fibrosis in bleomycin-treated mice. Statin pretreatment enhances caspase-1-mediated immune responses in vivo and in vitro; the latter responses were abolished in bone marrow-derived macrophages isolated from Nlrp3(-/-) and Casp1(-/-) mice. Finally, we provide further insights by demonstrating that statins enhance NLRP3-inflammasome activation by increasing mitochondrial reactive oxygen species generation in macrophages. CONCLUSIONS Statin use is associated with ILA among smokers in the COPDGene study and enhances bleomycin-induced lung inflammation and fibrosis in the mouse through a mechanism involving enhanced NLRP3-inflammasome activation. Our findings suggest that statins may influence the susceptibility to, or progression of, ILD. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials. gov (NCT 00608764).
The Surface Hardness Measurement of Stone and Improved Die Stone after the Addition of a Mixture of Chemical Additives with Different Proportion

Background: Incorporation of chemical additives has long been a technique used to improve properties of the gypsum products. The purpose of this work was to study the effects of adding a combination of gum Arabic and calcium hydroxide to a type III dental stone and type IV improved die stone with different proportion. The effect on water/powder ratio, and surface hardness was determined. Material and method: Both material stone and die stone were blended with two proportion of additives so that each material was mixed twice but with different proportion of gum Arabic (0.1% and 0.2%) and calcium hydroxide (0.5 % and 0.3%). Data for hardness were subjected to two-way analysis of variance. Results: The results revealed that the chemical additives were reduced the water requirements of gypsum products so that the reduction of water lead to increase the density of mixture that sets harder. For type III dental stone the additives significantly improved the surface hardness, while for type IV improved die stone the surface hardness was not enhanced except it was designed to be mixed at low water/powder ratio, and in some instances a reduction in hardness was observed, especially at the most reduced water / powder ratio (0.18). Keyword: Surface hardness, die stone (J Bagh Coll Dentistry 2018; 30(1):1-4)
Prevalence of Budd-Chiari Syndrome during Pregnancy or Puerperium: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Women during pregnancy or puerperium are likely to develop Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS). However, the reported prevalence of pregnancy-related BCS varied considerably among studies. Our study aims to systematically review this issue. Overall, 817 papers were initially identified via the PubMed, EMBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Chinese Scientific and Technological Journal databases. Twenty of them were eligible. The prevalence of pregnancy-related BCS varied from 0% to 21.5%. The pooled prevalence was 6.8% (95% CI: 3.9–10.5%) in all BCS patients, 6.3% (95% CI: 3.8–9.4%) in primary BCS patients, and 13.1% (95% CI: 7.1–20.7%) in female BCS patients. Among them, one study was carried out in Africa with a prevalence of 10.6%; 14 studies in Asian countries with a pooled prevalence of 7.1% (95% CI: 3.1–12.6%); and 5 studies in European countries with a pooled prevalence of 5.0% (95% CI: 3.1–7.3%). The pooled prevalence was 6.7% (95% CI: 2.6–12.3%) in studies published before 2005 and 7.3% (95% CI: 4.2–12.5%) in those published after 2005. In conclusion, pregnancy is a relatively common risk factor for BCS, but there is a huge variation in the prevalence among studies. Physicians should be aware of pregnancy-related BCS.
Evaluation of Colorectal wall thickening with Computed Tomography: A Retrospective Study of 20 patients

Department of Surgery, Sardar Patel Medical College, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India 1Department of Radiation Oncology, Acharya Tulsi Regional Cancer Treatment & Research Institute, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India 2MBBS Internee, Sardar Patel Medical College, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India 3Department of Radiology, BJ Medical College, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India 4Medical Officer, PHC Phagalwa, Sikar, Rajasthan, India
Ingested protein dose response of muscle and albumin protein synthesis after resistance exercise in young men.

BACKGROUND The anabolic effect of resistance exercise is enhanced by the provision of dietary protein. OBJECTIVES We aimed to determine the ingested protein dose response of muscle (MPS) and albumin protein synthesis (APS) after resistance exercise. In addition, we measured the phosphorylation of candidate signaling proteins thought to regulate acute changes in MPS. DESIGN Six healthy young men reported to the laboratory on 5 separate occasions to perform an intense bout of leg-based resistance exercise. After exercise, participants consumed, in a randomized order, drinks containing 0, 5, 10, 20, or 40 g whole egg protein. Protein synthesis and whole-body leucine oxidation were measured over 4 h after exercise by a primed constant infusion of [1-(13)C]leucine. RESULTS MPS displayed a dose response to dietary protein ingestion and was maximally stimulated at 20 g. The phosphorylation of ribosomal protein S6 kinase (Thr(389)), ribosomal protein S6 (Ser(240/244)), and the epsilon-subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2B (Ser(539)) were unaffected by protein ingestion. APS increased in a dose-dependent manner and also reached a plateau at 20 g ingested protein. Leucine oxidation was significantly increased after 20 and 40 g protein were ingested. CONCLUSIONS Ingestion of 20 g intact protein is sufficient to maximally stimulate MPS and APS after resistance exercise. Phosphorylation of candidate signaling proteins was not enhanced with any dose of protein ingested, which suggested that the stimulation of MPS after resistance exercise may be related to amino acid availability. Finally, dietary protein consumed after exercise in excess of the rate at which it can be incorporated into tissue protein stimulates irreversible oxidation.
Statistical analysis of the second order effects variation with the stories height of reinforced concrete buildings

Resumo In this paper the simplified method to evaluate final efforts using γz coefficient is studied considering the variation of the second order effects with the height of the buildings. With this purpose, several reinforced concrete buildings of medium height are analyzed in first and second order using ANSYS software. Initially, it was checked that the γz coefficient should be used as magnifier of first order moments to evaluate final second order moments. Therefore, the study is developed considering the relation (final second order moments/ first order moments), calculated for each story of the structures. This moments relation is called magnifier of first order moments, “γ”, and, in the ideal situation, it must coincide with the γz value. However, it is observed that the reason γ / γz varies with the height of the buildings. Furthermore, using an statistical analysis, it was checked that γ / γz relation is generally lower than 1,05 and varies significantly in accordance with the considered building and with the presence or not of symmetry in the structure.
An Alpine ant’s behavioural polymorphism: monogyny with and without internest aggression in Tetramorium alpestre

Social structure influences animal societies on various levels (e.g., relatedness, behaviour). In ants, both the number of matings per queen and the number of queens per colony can vary strongly. While workers from both monogynous and polygynous colonies often fight fiercely, in supercolonies (an extreme form of polygyny comprising thousands of queens in spatially separated but interconnected nests), non-nestmates interact peacefully. Studies on social and behavioural polymorphism within ant species can help elucidate their influence on genetic diversity and behaviour and the factors triggering variation in social structure and behaviour. Here, we reveal a behavioural and social polymorphism comprising monogyny with and without internest aggression in Tetramorium alpestre sampled in Tyrol, Austria. The social polymorphism is based on genetic and behavioural evidence and contrasts with the supercolonial organisation known from another location in Austria (Carinthia), 150 km away. Microsatellite genotyping using eight polymorphic loci revealed monogyny-monandry and high intranest pairwise relatedness. Interestingly, various experimental one-on-one worker encounters revealed only occasional aggressive behaviour between monogynous colonies, and thus a behavioural polymorphism. Mantel tests revealed a significant negative correlation between spatial distance and relatedness, while worker behaviour was not correlated with relatedness or spatial distance. These results indicate that behaviour might be influenced by other factors – for example, the experience of workers, ecological, chemical, and/or genetic factors not characterised in this study. However, workers distinguished nestmates from non-nestmates also when aggression was lacking. We hypothesise an adaptive value of reduced aggression. We speculate that the non-aggressive and partly aggressive encounters observed represent different options in the social structure of T. alpestre, the non-aggressiveness possibly also promoting supercolony development. The social and behavioural polymorphisms observed offer opportunities to identify the factors triggering these changes and thus further explore the behavioural and social polymorphism of this ant species.
A Radiographic Study of Pulp Crown Dimensions of the Mandibular Deciduous Second Molar

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the difference in crown and pulp area and dimensions of the mandibular deciduous second molar in children using digitized images of bitewing radiographs and image J®. Materials and methods: Bitewing radiographs of 48 children (24 males and 24 females) aged 3.69 to 9.46 years were assessed in a retrospective cross sectional study. Bitewings were photographed and Image J® was used to measure crown and pulp area and some linear measurements. A t-test was used to compare the difference between mean dimensions in males and females. Results: There were no statistically significant (p<0.05) differences in the area (hard tissue with pulp and without pulp area) or in the horizontal (mesial distal crown width, pulp and crown width at cervix) or vertical (mesial and distal pulp horn height to occlusal surface) dimensions of this tooth between boys and girls. Conclusions: There were no differences found in the area and linear measurements of the lower second molar between boys and girls.
Distribution of accessory gills in mayfl y larvae (Insecta: Ephemeroptera: Siphlonuroidea, Eusetisura)

Mayfl y larvae are usually characterised by the presence of paired abdominal gills on the fi rst seven abdominal segments. Numerous taxa assigned to different families however possess additional membranous cuticular outgrowths on different body parts that are generally referred to as accessory gills. These accessory gills can be located on maxillae, labium, thoracic sterna or coxa. The present study compares the different structures of those accessory gills that occur in some taxa of Siphlonuroidea and Eusetisura. The homology of these outgrowths is discussed, and their possible phylogenetic relevance is evaluated. K e y w o r d s : Accessory gills, coxal gills, labial gills, maxillary gills, sternal gills, mouthparts, larva, mayfl ies, morphology, phylogeny. Zusammenfassung Eintagsfl iegenlarven besitzen in der Regel paarige Tracheenkiemen an den ersten sieben Abdominalsegmenten. Daneben kommen bei verschiedenen Familien zusatzlich membranose Ausstulpungen der Kutikula an verschiedenen Korperteilen vor, die im allgemeinen als akzessorische Kiemen bezeichnet und gedeutet werden. Diese akzessorischen Kiemen konnen an Maxillen, Labium, thorakalen Sterna oder Coxen vorhanden sein. Die vorliegende Arbeit vergleicht die unterschiedliche Auspragung dieser akzessorischen Kiemen bei Vertretern der Siphlonuroidea und Eusetisura. Die Homologie dieser Strukturen und deren mogliche phylogenetische Relevanz werden diskutiert. Contents
Motor imagery based brain-computer interface: A study of the effect of positive and negative feedback

Co-adaptation between the human brain and computers is an important issue in brain-computer interface (BCI) research. However, most of the research has focused on the computer side of BCI, such as developing powerful machine-learning algorithms, while less research has focused on investigating how BCI users may optimally adapt. This paper assesses the influences of positive and negative visual feedback on motor imagery (MI) skills by evaluating the performance. More precisely, a MI based BCI paradigm was employed with fake visual feedback, regardless of subjects' real performance. Subjects were exposed to two experimental conditions — one positive and one negative, in which 80% or 30% of the trials were associated with positive feedback, respectively. The main EEG feature for MI-BCI classification — the asymmetry of mu-rhythm between hemispheres-was more prominent only after the negative feedback session. In addition, the negative feedback condition was accompanied by larger heart rate variability compared to the positive feedback condition. Our results suggest that visual feedback is an important aspect to take into account when designing BCI skill acquisition sessions.