Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Deletion of a single allele of the Pex11β gene is sufficient to cause oxidative stress, delayed differentiation and neuronal death in mouse brain

SUMMARY Impaired neuronal migration and cell death are commonly observed in patients with peroxisomal biogenesis disorders (PBDs), and in mouse models of this diseases. In Pex11β-deficient mice, we observed that the deletion of a single allele of the Pex11β gene (Pex11β+/− heterozygous mice) caused cell death in primary neuronal cultures prepared from the neocortex and cerebellum, although to a lesser extent as compared with the homozygous-null animals (Pex11β−/− mice). In corresponding brain sections, cell death was rare, but differences between the genotypes were similar to those found in vitro. Because PEX11β has been implicated in peroxisomal proliferation, we searched for alterations in peroxisomal abundance in the brain of heterozygous and homozygous Pex11β-null mice compared with wild-type animals. Deletion of one allele of the Pex11β gene slightly increased the abundance of peroxisomes, whereas the deletion of both alleles caused a 30% reduction in peroxisome number. The size of the peroxisomal compartment did not correlate with neuronal death. Similar to cell death, neuronal development was delayed in Pex11β+/− mice, and to a further extent in Pex11β−/− mice, as measured by a reduced mRNA and protein level of synaptophysin and a reduced protein level of the mature isoform of MAP2. Moreover, a gradual increase in oxidative stress was found in brain sections and primary neuronal cultures from wild-type to heterozygous to homozygous Pex11β-deficient mice. SOD2 was upregulated in neurons from Pex11β+/− mice, but not from Pex11β−/− animals, whereas the level of catalase remained unchanged in neurons from Pex11β+/− mice and was reduced in those from Pex11β−/− mice, suggesting a partial compensation of oxidative stress in the heterozygotes, but a failure thereof in the homozygous Pex11β−/− brain. In conclusion, we report the alterations in the brain caused by the deletion of a single allele of the Pex11β gene. Our data might lead to the reconsideration of the clinical treatment of PBDs and the common way of using knockout mouse models for studying autosomal recessive diseases.
Intimate Partner Violence and Mental Health

Intimate partner violence is a major public health problem that is associated with a range of mental health problems. There is a high prevalence of intimate partner violence victimisation among people with mental disorders but violence is under-detected by mental health professionals. There is a limited evidence base on interventions to address the intimate partner violence experienced by people with mental disorders. However, the introduction of routine enquiry about intimate partner violence into mental health services may start to address problems of poor identification and care where healthcare professionals are trained to respond safely.
A single dose of benzathine penicillin G is as effective as multiple doses of benzathine penicillin G for the treatment of HIV-infected persons with early syphilis.

BACKGROUND Treatment guidelines recommend the use of a single dose of benzathine penicillin G (BPG) for treating early syphilis in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected persons. However, data supporting this recommendation are limited. We examined the efficacy of single-dose BPG in the US Military HIV Natural History Study. METHODS Subjects were included if they met serologic criteria for syphilis (ie, a positive nontreponemal test [NTr] confirmed by treponemal testing). Response to treatment was assessed at 13 months and was defined by a ≥4-fold decline in NTr titer. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models were utilized to examine factors associated with treatment response. RESULTS Three hundred fifty subjects (99% male) contributed 478 cases. Three hundred ninety-three cases were treated exclusively with BPG (141 with 1 dose of BPG). Treatment response was the same among those receiving 1 or >1 dose of BPG (92%). In a multivariate analysis, older age (hazard ratio [HR], 0.82 per 10-year increase; 95% confidence interval [CI], .73-.93) was associated with delayed response to treatment. Higher pretreatment titers (reference NTr titer <1:64; HR, 1.94 [95% CI, 1.58-2.39]) and CD4 counts (HR, 1.07 for every 100-cell increase [95% CI, 1.01-1.12]) were associated with a faster response to treatment. Response was not affected by the number of BPG doses received (reference, 1 dose of BPG; HR, 1.11 [95% CI, .89-1.4]). CONCLUSIONS In this cohort, additional BPG doses did not affect treatment response. Our data support the current recommendations for the use of a single dose of BPG to treat HIV-infected persons with early syphilis.
Complex regulatory activities associated with the histidine kinase PrrB in expression of photosynthesis genes in Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4.1

Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4. 1 synthesizes a specialized photosynthetic membrane upon reduction of the O2 tension below threshold levels. The genes prrB and prrA encode a sensor kinase and a response regulator, respectively, of a two-component regulatory system that presumably is involved in transduction of the signal(s) that monitors alterations in oxygen levels. A third gene, prrC, is also involved in this cascade of events. Previously, we described a mutant form of PrrB, namely, PrrB78 (J. M. Eraso and S. Kaplan, J. Bacteriol. 177:2695-2706, 1995), which results in aerobic expression of the photosynthetic apparatus. Here we examine three mutated forms of the prrB gene that have the potential to encode truncated polypeptides containing the N-terminal 6, 63, or 163 amino acids, respectively. The resulting mutant strains showed residual levels of the light-harvesting spectral complexes and had diminished photosynthetic growth rates at high light intensities with no discernible growth under intermediate or low light conditions. When either lacZ transcriptional fusions or direct mRNA determinations were used to monitor specific photosynthesis gene expression, all the mutant strains showed unexpectedly high levels of gene expression when compared to mutant strains affected in prrA. Conversely, when translational fusions were used to monitor photosynthesis gene expression in these mutant strains, expression of both puc and puf operons was reduced, especially puf expression. In light of these studies and those of the PrrB78 mutant, the data suggest that PrrA can be activated in situ by something other than PrrB, and it also appears that PrrB can function as a negative regulator acting through PrrA. Finally, we consider the role of the Prr regulatory system in the posttranscriptional control of photosynthesis gene expression.
On the Potential of a New Generation of Magnetometers for MEG: A Beamformer Simulation Study

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a sophisticated tool which yields rich information on the spatial, spectral and temporal signatures of human brain function. Despite unique potential, MEG is limited by a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) which is caused by both the inherently small magnetic fields generated by the brain, and the scalp-to-sensor distance. The latter is limited in current systems due to a requirement for pickup coils to be cryogenically cooled. Recent work suggests that optically-pumped magnetometers (OPMs) might be a viable alternative to superconducting detectors for MEG measurement. They have the advantage that sensors can be brought to within ~4 mm of the scalp, thus offering increased sensitivity. Here, using simulations, we quantify the advantages of hypothetical OPM systems in terms of sensitivity, reconstruction accuracy and spatial resolution. Our results show that a multi-channel whole-head OPM system offers (on average) a fivefold improvement in sensitivity for an adult brain, as well as clear improvements in reconstruction accuracy and spatial resolution. However, we also show that such improvements depend critically on accurate forward models; indeed, the reconstruction accuracy of our simulated OPM system only outperformed that of a simulated superconducting system in cases where forward field error was less than 5%. Overall, our results imply that the realisation of a viable whole-head multi-channel OPM system could generate a step change in the utility of MEG as a means to assess brain electrophysiological activity in health and disease. However in practice, this will require both improved hardware and modelling algorithms.
Assessment of hepatic perfusion parameters with dynamic MRI

Quantification of hepatic perfusion parameters greatly contributes to the assessment of liver function. The purpose of this study was to describe and validate the use of dynamic MRI for the noninvasive assessment of hepatic perfusion parameters. The signal from a fast T1‐weighted spoiled gradient‐echo sequence preceded by a nonslice‐selective 90° pulse and a spoiler gradient was calibrated in vitro with tubes filled with various gadolinium concentrations. Dynamic images of the liver were obtained after intravenous bolus administration of 0.05 mmol/kg of Gd‐DOTA in rabbits with normal liver function. Hepatic, aortic, and portal venous signal intensities were converted to Gd‐DOTA concentrations according to the in vitro calibration curve and fitted with a dual‐input one‐compartmental model. With MRI, hepatic blood flow was 100 ± 35 mL min‐1 100 mL‐1, the arterial fraction 24 ± 11%, the distribution volume 13.0 ± 3.7%, and the mean transit time 8.9 ± 4.1 sec. A linear relationship was observed between perfusion values obtained with MRI and with radiolabeled microspheres (r = 0.93 for hepatic blood flow [P < 0.001], r = 0.79 for arterial blood flow [P = 0.01], and r = 0.91 for portal blood flow [P < 0.001]). Our results indicate that hepatic perfusion parameters can be assessed with dynamic MRI and compartmental modeling. Magn Reson Med 47:135–142, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effect of carbon nanotube lengths on the mechanical properties of epoxy resin: An experimental study

Batches of multi-walled carbon nanotubes having an average length of 2091 nm were aggressively tip-ultrasonicated to produce shortened carbon nanotubes having average lengths of 1689 nm, 1332 nm, 992 nm and 503 nm. Raman spectroscopic analysis confirmed that the shortened carbon nanotubes retained their crystallinity after the shortening process. Carbon nanotubes were then dispersed in the epoxy matrix using high-shear mixing technique (calendering). The mechanical properties were measured for the cured epoxy–0.1 wt% carbon nanotube nanocomposites having carbon nanotubes of different lengths. It was found that the nanocomposites containing long carbon nanotubes (2091 nm and 1689 nm) possess higher tensile strength, elastic modulus, fracture strain and fracture toughness as compared to nanocomposites containing short carbon nanotubes (1332 nm, 992 nm and 503 nm).
Extracellular accumulation of bioactive substances during preparation and storage of various platelet concentrates

Side effects of platelet transfusion may be associated with infusion of bioactive substances. We therefore studied extracellular accumulation of histamine, plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)‐1, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and interleukin (IL)‐6 during preparation and storage of various platelet concentrates.
A. Survey of Entity Resolution and Record Linkage Methodologies

A great deal of research is focused on formation of a data warehouse. This is an important area of research as it could save many computation cycles and thus allow accurate information provided to the right people at the right time. Two considerations when forming a data warehouse are data cleansing (including entity resolution) and with schema integration (including record linkage). Uncleansed and fragmented data requires time to decipher and may lead to increased costs for an organization, so data cleansing and schema integration can save a great many (human) computation cycles and can lead to higher organizational efficiency. In this study we survey the literature for the methodologies proposed or developed for entity resolution and record linkage. This survey provides a foundation for solving many problems in data warehousing. For instance, little or no research has been directed at the problem of maintenance of cleansed and linked relations.
Too Close for Comfort, or Too Far to Care? Finding Humor in Distant Tragedies and Close Mishaps

Humor is ubiquitous and often beneficial, but the conditions that elicit it have been debated for millennia. We examine two factors that jointly influence perceptions of humor: the degree to which a stimulus is a violation (tragedy vs. mishap) and one’s perceived distance from the stimulus (far vs. close). Five studies show that tragedies (which feature severe violations) are more humorous when temporally, socially, hypothetically, or spatially distant, but that mishaps (which feature mild violations) are more humorous when psychologically close. Although prevailing theories of humor have difficulty explaining the interaction between severity and distance revealed in these studies, our results are consistent with the proposal that humor occurs when a violation simultaneously seems benign. This benign-violation account suggests that distance facilitates humor in the case of tragedies by reducing threat, but that closeness facilitates humor in the case of mishaps by maintaining some sense of threat.
Differential Expression of mRNA and Protein Encoding Retinal and Pineal S‐Antigen During the Light/Dark Cycle

Abstract: S‐Antigen is a soluble cell protein unique to the retina and pineal gland. In the former, it is a well‐characterized molecule that participates in light‐induced signal transduction in photoreceptor cells. In the latter, the functional role is presently not known. The expression of S‐antigen and its mRNA was examined in the rat retina and pineal gland throughout the diurnal cycle and with light interruption of the dark cycle. A cDNA for rat S‐antigen was isolated from a pineal gland library to examine the mRNAs. A 1.7‐kb mRNA for S‐antigen was observed in both the pineal gland and the retina. Retinal S‐antigen mRNA was expressed throughout the diurnal cycle and increased with light interruption of the dark cycle. In contrast, pineal gland S‐antigen mRNA levels were detectable only during the dark and were absent preceding and during light. The phenotypic expression of immunoreactive S‐antigen, identified with two S‐antigen monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), MAb A9C6 and MAb CIOC10, was analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)‐polyacrylamide gel (PAGE) and isoelectric focusing (IEF) electrophoresis. Immunoblot analysis of gels after SDS‐PAGE revealed a single 46‐kDa protein in retina. In contrast, two bands of ∼43 and 46 kDa were identified in the pineal gland. Immunoblots of the retinal extracts separated by IEF electrophoresis revealed five S‐antigen isomers, which vary quantitatively throughout the diurnal cycle and when light interrupted the dark cycle. Immunoblots of the pineal gland samples separated by IEF electrophoresis indicated that the pineal gland possesses four pineal gland‐specific forms of S‐antigen in addition to the five forms present in the retina. The differences observed in the mRNA and protein analyses suggest tissue‐specific structural components for S‐antigen in the retina and pineal gland that are not regulated in the same manner.
Code transformations for low power caching in embedded multimedia processors

In this paper, we present several novel strategies to improve software controlled cache utilization, so as to achieve lower power requirements for multi-media and signal processing applications. Our methodology is targeted towards embedded multi-media and DSP processors. This methodology rakes into account many program parameters like the locality of data, size of data structures, access structures of large array variables, regularity of loop nests and the size and type of cache with the objective of improving the cache performance for lower power. We also take into account the potential overhead due to the different transformations on the instruction count and the number of execution cycles to meet the real time constraints and code size limitations. Experiments on a real life demonstrator illustrate the fact that our methodology is able to achieve significant gain in power requirements while meeting all other system constraints.
CEST‐FISP: A novel technique for rapid chemical exchange saturation transfer MRI at 7 T

Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) and magnetization transfer techniques provide unique and potentially quantitative contrast mechanisms in multiple MRI applications. However, the in vivo implementation of these techniques has been limited by the relatively slow MRI acquisition techniques, especially on high‐field MRI scanners. A new, rapid CEST‐fast imaging with steady‐state free precession technique was developed to provide sensitive CEST contrast in ∼20 sec. In this study at 7 T with in vitro bovine glycogen samples and initial in vivo results in a rat liver, the CEST‐fast imaging with steady‐state free precession technique was shown to provide equivalent CEST sensitivity in comparison to a conventional CEST‐spin echo acquisition with a 50‐fold reduction in acquisition time. The sensitivity of the CEST‐fast imaging with steady‐state free precession technique was also shown to be dependent on k‐space encoding with centric k‐space encoding providing a 30–40% increase in CEST sensitivity relative to linear encoding for 256 or more k‐space lines. Overall, the CEST‐fast imaging with steady‐state free precession acquisition technique provides a rapid and sensitive imaging platform with the potential to provide quantitative CEST and magnetization transfer imaging data. Magn Reson Med, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Haplotype-Phenotype Relationships of Paraoxonase-1

Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) is an enzyme with multiple activities, including detoxification of organophosphates. It is believed to be important in preventing neurotoxic damage and has also been implicated in atherosclerosis. The PON1 gene contains five common polymorphisms, three in the promoter (−909G > C, −162A > G, −108C > T) and two in the coding region (M55L, Q192R) with varying but incomplete linkage disequilibrium. Our previous study showed that functional polymorphisms in PON1 were strongly associated with enzymatic activity in both pregnant women [26-30 weeks of gestation] and neonates. However, there was substantial overlapping of enzyme activities between genotypes. In this study, we investigated whether haplotype (genotype + phase) information would strengthen the genotype-phenotype relationship for PON1. The study consisted of a multiethnic population of 402 mothers and 229 neonates. Haplotypes were imputed by two widely used programs, PHASE and tagSNPs, which yielded very similar results. There were seven haplotypes with a frequency of 5% or higher in at least one ethnic group of the study population. Haplotype composition varied substantially with respect to ethnicity. Haplotypes in Caucasians and African-Americans showed the largest difference, and Caribbean Hispanics seemed to be a mixture of Caucasian and African ancestry. Collectively, the genetic (genotype or haplotype) contribution to PON1 enzymatic activity (measured as phenylacetate hydrolysis) was greater in neonates compared with mothers. Specifically, 16.6% of PON1 variability was explained by genotypes in mothers compared with 30.9% in neonates. Haplotype information offered a slightly increased power in predicting PON1 activity; they explained 35.5% and 19.3% of PON1 variability in neonates and mothers, respectively.
Equivalence classes of Latin squares and nets in CP^2

The fundamental combinatorial structure of a net in CP^2 is its associated set of mutually orthogonal latin squares. We define equivalence classes of sets of orthogonal Latin squares by label equivalences of the lines of the corresponding net in CP^2. Then we count these equivalence classes for small cases. Finally, we prove that the realization spaces of these classes in CP^2 are empty to show some non-existence results for 4-nets in CP^2.
Effects of smoking cues in movies on immediate smoking behavior.

INTRODUCTION The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of smoking cues in movies on immediate smoking behavior. We tested whether smokers who are confronted with smoking characters in a movie smoke more cigarettes while watching than those confronted with non-smoking characters and whether this effect is less profound when smokers are more involved in the narrative (i.e., transportation). METHOD Using an experimental design, 60 daily smokers were assigned randomly to one of two movie conditions (smoking vs. non-smoking characters). Participants were exposed to a 72-min movie clip and were allowed to smoke while watching the movie. Transportation and smoking habits were assessed with a questionnaire afterward. RESULTS The results showed a significant interaction effect between movie condition and transportation on immediate smoking behavior, indicating that smokers who were less transported smoked significantly more cigarettes when they were exposed to smoking characters compared with non-smoking characters. DISCUSSION These results call for (a) increasing the awareness among people about the effect smoking cues in movies might have and (b) stricter control over smoking cues in movies.
Inclined stress corrosion cracks in gas pipeline steels: morphology and implications

A systematic morphological survey was carried out on 120 stress corrosion cracks (SCC) from an ex service X65 Australian gas pipeline. Out of these cracks, 81% showed a tendency to grow into the material away from the perpendicular. The inclined crack path was suggested to be due to anisotropic residual stress/strains present in the material introduced during pipe manufacturing processes. The overall depth of inclined SCC cracks was found to follow a logarithmic relationship to the SCC surface crack length. Hoop travel was defined as the distance that the crack tip travels in the pipe hoop direction as it grows into the material. The specific hoop travel distance was found to follow a linear relationship as a function of the SCC surface crack length. The relationships between surface crack length to through‐wall crack depth and hoop travel could allow pipe operators to formulate a worst case scenario for the purposes of SCC assessment and management.