Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Irradiated Esophageal Cells are Protected from Radiation-Induced Recombination by MnSOD Gene Therapy

Abstract Radiation-induced DNA damage is a precursor to mutagenesis and cytotoxicity. During radiotherapy, exposure of healthy tissues can lead to severe side effects. We explored the potential of mitochondrial SOD (MnSOD) gene therapy to protect esophageal, pancreatic and bone marrow cells from radiation-induced genomic instability. Specifically, we measured the frequency of homologous recombination (HR) at an integrated transgene in the Fluorescent Yellow Direct Repeat (FYDR) mice, in which an HR event can give rise to a fluorescent signal. Mitochondrial SOD plasmid/liposome complex (MnSOD-PL) was administered to esophageal cells 24 h prior to 29 Gy upper-body irradiation. Single cell suspensions from FYDR, positive control FYDR-REC, and negative control C57BL/6NHsd (wild-type) mouse esophagus, pancreas and bone marrow were evaluated by flow cytometry. Radiation induced a statistically significant increase in HR 7 days after irradiation compared to unirradiated FYDR mice. MnSOD-PL significantly reduced the induction of HR by radiation at day 7 and also reduced the level of HR in the pancreas. Irradiation of the femur and tibial marrow with 8 Gy also induced a significant increase in HR at 7 days. Radioprotection by intraesophageal administration of MnSOD-PL was correlated with a reduced level of radiation-induced HR in esophageal cells. These results demonstrate the efficacy of MnSOD-PL for suppressing radiation-induced HR in vivo.
Cleaning of toothpaste from process equipment by fluid flow at laboratory and pilot scales

Cleaning studies were performed to remove toothpaste by fluid flow at different temperatures and velocities to mimic CIP (Cleaning-In-Place) processes on toothpaste coated coupons at laboratory scale and fully filled pipeline at pilot scale (different lengths and diameters). The cleaning time was reduced by increasing the velocity and temperature of the water, however no further time benefit was seen above 40°C. The adhesive force for different pastes calculated from micromanipulation data followed the same trend as cleaning times on the laboratory cleaning rig. This cleaning data for the different paste formulations had a logarithmic relationship with the viscosity term from the Herschel-Bulkley rheological model. Removal of toothpaste from pipes occurred by the core of the paste being removed from the centre of the pipe to leave a thin coating on the pipe wall, which was then eroded by flow. Pipes of lengths between 0.3 m and 2 m (47.7 mm diameter pipe) showed no difference in cleaning time. The rate limiting process was removal of the thin wall coating and therefore not a function of length. An inverse wall shear stress relationship with cleaning time was found to represent all the data, at all scales and under all conditions.
Solution NMR Analyses of the C-type Carbohydrate Recognition Domain of DC-SIGNR Protein Reveal Different Binding Modes for HIV-derived Oligosaccharides and Smaller Glycan Fragments

Background: DC-SIGNR, a C-type lectin that promotes infection of pathogens such as HIV, is a promising drug target. Results: The carbohydrate recognition domain of DC-SIGNR is highly dynamic, displaying unique binding modes for individual glycans. Conclusion: More complex, disease-associated glycans have binding modes different from those of smaller glycans previously studied. Significance: Understanding ligand-binding properties and solution dynamics of DC-SIGNR will facilitate therapeutic design. The C-type lectin DC-SIGNR (dendritic cell-specific ICAM-3-grabbing non-integrin-related; also known as L-SIGN or CD299) is a promising drug target due to its ability to promote infection and/or within-host survival of several dangerous pathogens (e.g. HIV and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS)) via interactions with their surface glycans. Crystallography has provided excellent insight into the mechanism by which DC-SIGNR interacts with small glycans, such as (GlcNAc)2Man3; however, direct observation of complexes with larger, physiological oligosaccharides, such as Man9GlcNAc2, remains elusive. We have utilized solution-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to investigate DC-SIGNR binding and herein report the first backbone assignment of its active, calcium-bound carbohydrate recognition domain. Direct interactions with the small sugar fragments Man3, Man5, and (GlcNAc)2Man3 were investigated alongside Man9GlcNAc derived from recombinant gp120 (present on the HIV viral envelope), providing the first structural data for DC-SIGNR in complex with a virus-associated ligand, and unique binding modes were observed for each glycan. In particular, our data show that DC-SIGNR has a different binding mode for glycans on the HIV viral envelope compared with the smaller glycans previously observed in the crystalline state. This suggests that using the binding mode of Man9GlcNAc, instead of those of small glycans, may provide a platform for the design of DC-SIGNR inhibitors selective for high mannose glycans (like those on HIV). 15N relaxation measurements provided the first information on the dynamics of the carbohydrate recognition domain, demonstrating that it is a highly flexible domain that undergoes ligand-induced conformational and dynamic changes that may explain the ability of DC-SIGNR to accommodate a range of glycans on viral surfaces.
Blood lead levels and sexual maturation in U.S. girls: the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994.

Using data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, we assessed measures of puberty in U.S. girls in relation to blood lead levels to determine whether sexual maturation may be affected by current environmental lead exposure. The study sample included 1,706 girls 8-16 years old with pubic hair and breast development information; 1,235 girls 10-16 years old supplied information on menarche. Blood lead concentrations (range = 0.7-21.7 micro g/dL) were categorized into three levels: 0.7-2.0, 2.1-4.9, and 5.0-21.7 micro g/dL. Sexual maturation markers included self-reported attainment of menarche and physician determined Tanner stage 2 pubic hair and breast development. Girls who had not reached menarche or stage 2 pubic hair had higher blood lead levels than did girls who had. For example, among girls in the three levels of blood lead described above, the unweighted percentages of 10-year-olds who had attained Tanner stage 2 pubic hair were 60.0, 51.2, and 44.4%, respectively, and for girls 12 years old who reported reaching menarche, the values were 68.0, 44.3, and 38.5%, respectively. The negative relation of blood lead levels with attainment of menarche or stage 2 pubic hair remained significant in logistic regression even after adjustment for race/ethnicity, age, family size, residence in metropolitan area, poverty income ratio, and body mass index. In conclusion, higher blood lead levels were significantly associated with delayed attainment of menarche and pubic hair among U.S. girls, but not with breast development.
Rounding of first-order phase transitions in systems with quenched disorder.

It is shown, by a general argument, that in 2D quenched randomness results in the elimination of discontinuities in the density of the thermodynamic variable conjugate to the fluctuating parameter. Analogous results for continuous symmetry breaking extend to d\ensuremath{\le}4. In particular, for random-field models we rigorously prove uniqueness of the Gibbs state 2D Ising systems, and absence of continuous symmetry breaking in the Heisenberg model in d\ensuremath{\le}4, as predicted by Imry and Ma. Another manifestation of the general statement is found in 2D random-bond Potts models where a phase transition persists, but ceases to be first order.
Association between Obesity and Unintentional Injury in Older Adults

Objective: To test the association between obesity and specific types and anatomical sites of unintentional injuries in older adults. Methods: Participants consisted of 52,857 men and women aged ≥65 years from the 2003 and 2005 Canadian Community Health Survey. Weight, height, and details on injuries occurring in the past year were obtained by survey. Results: Obese individuals had a higher risk for sprains/strains occurring at any anatomical site (odds ratio, 95% confidence interval: men 1.48, 1.48–1.62; women 1.14, 1.10–1.27). Conversely, obese individuals were less likely to have a fracture at any anatomical location (men 0.56, 0.50–0.63; women 0.66, 0.51–0.92) or at the hip (men 0.31, 0.12–0.53; women 0.42, 0.29–0.92). Finally, obese older adults did not experience more superficial injuries than normal-weight individuals. Conclusion: Among this large sample of older adults, obesity provided some protection against fractures but was associated with higher odds for sprains/strains.
Output Feedback Variable Structure Control of Uncertain Linear Systems

The output feedback variable structure control problem is considered for a class of single input single output uncertain linear plants with arbitrary relative degree and with parameter perturbations, unmodeled dynamics and bounded disturbance simultaneously. A novel passivity-based control scheme composed of linear feedback and variable structure control is proposed. If exact differentiations of system output provided, this scheme results in asymptotic stability; if a class of singular perturbation based linear differentiators adopted, it leads to an arbitrarily small regulation/tracking error.
What Was I Thinking? Eye-Tracking Experiments Underscore the Bias that Architecture Exerts on Nuclear Grading in Prostate Cancer

We previously reported that nuclear grade assignment of prostate carcinomas is subject to a cognitive bias induced by the tumor architecture. Here, we asked whether this bias is mediated by the non-conscious selection of nuclei that “match the expectation” induced by the inadvertent glance at the tumor architecture. 20 pathologists were asked to grade nuclei in high power fields of 20 prostate carcinomas displayed on a computer screen. Unknown to the pathologists, each carcinoma was shown twice, once before a background of a low grade, tubule-rich carcinoma and once before the background of a high grade, solid carcinoma. Eye tracking allowed to identify which nuclei the pathologists fixated during the 8 second projection period. For all 20 pathologists, nuclear grade assignment was significantly biased by tumor architecture. Pathologists tended to fixate on bigger, darker, and more irregular nuclei when those were projected before kigh grade, solid carcinomas than before low grade, tubule-rich carcinomas (and vice versa). However, the morphometric differences of the selected nuclei accounted for only 11% of the architecture-induced bias, suggesting that it can only to a small part be explained by the unconscious fixation on nuclei that “match the expectation”. In conclusion, selection of « matching nuclei » represents an unconscious effort to vindicate the gravitation of nuclear grades towards the tumor architecture.
Process Selection On Bioethanol Production From Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia Crassipes)

In many water bodies, water hyacinth has been a nuisance towards the ecosystem. Utilization of water hyacinth seems to be a promising way of controlling this weed. However, despite the amount of research on this particular matter, it is still not cost effective. Correct choice of process parameters and on-site enzyme production are believed to be able to cut the cost effectively. Therefore, this research aimed to evaluate and select the critical process parameters. In this research, pre-blended and filtrated water hyacinth was subjected to pretreatment. Afterwards, water hyacinth was hydrolysed and subsequently fermented and cofermented. Magnesium sulfate was added to enhance the process. Result favors the use of DAP as pretreatment, addition of C. utilis inoculums for 24 h fermentation, and addition of magnesium sulfate in fermentation broth at 25 mM. Fermentation duration beyond 24 h led to decrease in sugar and ethanol, while addition of magnesium sulfate to level of 100 mM did not interrupt fermentation but caused underestimation in sugar analysis (DNS assay).
Limbic Epileptogenesis in a Mouse Model of Fragile X Syndrome

Fragile X syndrome (FXS), caused by silencing of the Fmr1 gene, is the most common form of inherited mental retardation. Epilepsy is reported to occur in 20–25% of individuals with FXS. However, no overall increased excitability has been reported in Fmr1 knockout (KO) mice, except for increased sensitivity to auditory stimulation. Here, we report that kindling increased the expressions of Fmr1 mRNA and protein in the forebrain of wild-type (WT) mice. Kindling development was dramatically accelerated in Fmr1 KO mice, and Fmr1 KO mice also displayed prolonged electrographic seizures during kindling and more severe mossy fiber sprouting after kindling. The accelerated rate of kindling was partially repressed by inhibiting N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor (NMDAR) with MK-801 or mGluR5 receptor with 2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)-pyridine (MPEP). The rate of kindling development in WT was not effected by MPEP, however, suggesting that FMRP normally suppresses epileptogenic signaling downstream of metabolic glutamate receptors. Our findings reveal that FMRP plays a critical role in suppressing limbic epileptogenesis and predict that the enhanced susceptibility of patients with FXS to epilepsy is a direct consequence of the loss of an important homeostatic factor that mitigates vulnerability to excessive neuronal excitation.
A numerical investigation of steady convection in mushy layers during the directional solidification of binary alloys

We present a numerical study of steady convection in a two-dimensional mushy layer during the directional solidification of a binary mixture. The calculations reveal the internal structure of strongly nonlinear states featuring upflow which has been focused into solid-free regions known as chimneys. The mushy layer is modelled as a porous medium whose permeability is a function of the local solid fraction. The mushy layer is coupled to a chimney that is modelled as a narrow vertical channel where lubrication scalings are used to simplify the Navier–Stokes equations. We use these methods to exhibit solutions which give the detailed structure of the temperature, solute, flow and solid-fraction fields within the mushy layer. A key finding of the numerics is that there are two distinct chimney solutions at low Rayleigh numbers, presumably corresponding to stable and unstable portions of a subcritical solution branch. We also explore the relationship between convective solutions with and without chimneys.
Perinatal palliative care: Parent perceptions of caring in interactions surrounding counseling for risk of delivering an extremely premature infant

Abstract Objective: When infants are at risk of being born at a very premature gestation (22–25 weeks), parents face important life-support decisions because of the high mortality for such infants. Concurrently, providers are challenged with providing parents a supportive environment within which to make these decisions. Practice guidelines for medical care of these infants and the principles of perinatal palliative care for families can be resources for providers, but there is limited research to bridge these medical and humanistic approaches to infant and family care. The purpose of this article is to describe how parents at risk of delivering their infant prior to 26 weeks gestation interpreted the quality of their interpersonal interactions with healthcare providers. Methods: Directed content analysis was employed to perform secondary analysis of data from 54 parents (40 mothers and 14 fathers) from the previously coded theme “Quality of Interactions. ” These categorized data described parents' encounters, expectations, and experiences of interactions that occurred prenatally with care providers. For this analysis, Swanson's theory of caring was selected to guide analysis and to delineate parents' descriptions of caring and uncaring interactions. Results: Parents' expectations for caring included: (a) respecting parents and believing in their capacity to make the best decisions for their family (maintaining belief); (b) understanding parents' experiences and their continued need to protect their infant (knowing); (c) physically and emotionally engaging with the parents (being with); (d) providing unbiased information describing all possibilities (enabling); and (e) helping parents navigate the system and creating a therapeutic environment for them in which to make decisions (doing for). Significance of Results: Understanding parents' prenatal caring expectations through Swanson's theory gives deeper insights, aligning their expectations with the palliative care movement.
Tight Lower Bounds for Halfspace Range Searching

We establish two new lower bounds for the halfspace range searching problem: Given a set of n points in ℝd, where each point is associated with a weight from a commutative semigroup, compute the semigroup sum of the weights of the points lying within any query halfspace. Letting m denote the space requirements, we prove a lower bound for general semigroups of \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$\widetilde{\varOmega}(n^{1-1/(d+1)}/m^{1/(d+1)})$\end{document} and for integral semigroups of \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$\widetilde{\varOmega}(n/m^{1/d})$\end{document}. Our lower bounds are proved in the semigroup arithmetic model. Neglecting logarithmic factors, our result for integral semigroups matches the best known upper bound due to Matoušek. Our result for general semigroups improves upon the best known lower bound due to Brönnimann, Chazelle, and Pach. Moreover, Fonseca and Mount have shown that, given uniformly distributed points, halfspace range queries over idempotent semigroups can be answered in O(n1−1/(d+1)/m1/(d+1)) time in the semigroup arithmetic model. As our lower bounds are established for uniformly distributed point sets, it follows that they also resolve the computational complexity of halfspace range searching over idempotent semigroups in this important special case.
Gravity and the formation of the archaeological record: Main concepts and methodological tools

This contribution aims to discuss how gravity‐driven processes affect the archaeological record with the goal of building a broad conceptual and methodological framework for dealing with these contexts. A wide compilation of cases regarding gravity‐driven processes is analyzed to recognize relevant environmental factors, the way they affect the properties of the record, and long‐term archaeological expectations. Only by understanding the specific mechanisms and processes that occur in each context can an accurate methodological approach be chosen on which to base interpretations. A careful taphonomic study of the spatial distribution, frequency, size, diversity, and orientation of materials comprising the archaeological record is the first step to recognizing formation processes. Actualistic studies provide a framework for discussing the timing and intensity at which processes occur. A detailed geomorphological description is required to interpret sedimentological and micromorphological analysis, which in turn helps understanding of the relative subaerial permanence of the record, its temporal resolution, and preservation potential. Interpreting surface and buried materials requires the understanding of pedogenetic processes. Broad in/off‐site spatial sampling strategies definitely yield a more realistic picture about the variety of processes in slope settings.
Analysis of a serial link for power supply induced jitter

An analysis of power supply induced jitter in a high speed serial link is presented in this paper. An equivalent reduced model for serial link is used for the analysis. Jitter induced by the ripples in power delivery network is analyzed by a small signal equivalent model. The effect is modeled by a transfer function which is not technology specific and can be used generically for System-On-Chip (SoC) level design considerations. The analysis is supported by experimental results by simulation in 130nm BiCMoS RF technology and 28nm FDSOI technology (both technologies are of STMicroelectronics).
Desire for a child among HIV-infected women receiving antiretroviral therapy in Cameroon: results from the national survey EVAL (ANRS 12-116)

Abstract The majority of HIV-infected people in sub-Saharan Africa are women, many of reproductive age. Cameroon is severely hit by the AIDS epidemic and has developed a large national program for improving access to antiretroviral treatment (ART). The reproductive intentions of women living with HIV/AIDS (WLHA) who obtain access to ART in this country remain poorly documented. Our study aimed at exploring factors associated with the desire to have a child among 1433 ART-treated fertile WLHA aged <50. Analyses were based on data collected during the national cross-sectional survey EVAL (ANRS 12-116), which was conducted between September 2006 and March 2007 in 27 HIV care centers in Cameroon. Logistic regression was used to explore factors associated with women's desire to have a child, defined as reporting the wish to have a/another child. A total of 791 women (55%) reported the desire to have a child. After adjusting for age, matrimonial status, number of biological children, and sexual activity, the main factors independently associated with this desire in a multivariate analysis were having a good physical health-related quality of life (1.02 [1.01–1.03] for a one-point increment on the 12-item Short-Form Health Survey scale) and a CD4 count at ART initiation <200 cells/mm3 (1.7 [1.2–2.4]). As a conclusion, the desire to have a child is frequent among ART-treated WLHA in Cameroon. HIV care and family planning programs should be integrated more thoroughly in order to support WLHA's reproductive choices.
Clinical manifestations of Deletion 22q11.2 syndrome (DiGeorge/Velo-Cardio-Facial syndrome)

Deletion 22q11.2 syndrome (Del22) (DiGeorge/Velo-Cardio-Facial syndrome) is characterized by congenital heart defect (CHD), palatal anomalies, facial dysmorphisms, neonatal hypocalcemia, immune deficit, speech and learning disabilities. CHD is present in 75% of patients with Del22. The most frequently seen cardiac malformations are “conotruncal” defects, including tetralogy of Fallot (TF), pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect (PA-VSD), truncus arteriosus (TA), interrupted aortic arch (IAA), and ventricular septal defect (VSD). The study of the specific “cardiac phenotype” in patients with Del22 shows that a particular cardiac anatomy can be identied in these subjects. In addition to CHD, various organ systems can be involved, so that a multidisciplinary approach is needed in the evaluation of patients with Del22.