Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Summative interaction between astaxanthin, Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb761) and vitamin C in Suppression of respiratory inflammation: a comparison with ibuprofen

In this study, combinations of Ginkgo biloba leaf extract (EGb761) plus the carotenoid antioxidant astaxanthin (ASX) and vitamin C were evaluated for a summative dose effect in the inhibition of asthma‐associated inflammation in asthmatic guinea‐pigs. Ovalbumin‐sensitized Hartley guinea‐pigs challenged with ovalbumin aerosol to induce asthma, were administered EGb761, ASX, vitamin C or ibuprofen. Following killing, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid was evaluated for inflammatory cell infiltrates and lung tissue cyclic nucleotide content. Each parameter measured was significantly altered to a greater degree by drug combinations, than by each component acting independently. An optimal combination was identified that included astaxanthin (10 mg/kg), vitamin C (200 mg/kg) and EGb761 (10 mg/kg), resulting in counts of eosinophils and neutrophils each 1.6‐fold lower; macrophages 1.8‐fold lower, cAMP 1.4‐fold higher; and cGMP 2.04‐fold higher than levels in untreated, asthmatic animals (p < 0.05). In conclusion, EGb761, ASX and vitamin C are shown here to interact summatively to suppress inflammation with efficacy equal to or better than ibuprofen, a widely used non‐steroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID). Such combinations of non‐toxic phytochemicals constitute powerful tools for the prevention of onset of acute and chronic inflammatory disease if consumed regularly by healthy individuals; and may also augment the effectiveness of therapy for those with established illness. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Generalization of the effects of phonological training for anomia using structural equation modelling: A multiple single-case study

Structural Equation Modelling analysis of three longitudinal er-fMRI sessions was used to test the impact of phonological training and of the generalization process on the pattern of brain connectivity during overt picture naming in two chronic anomic patients. Phonological training yielded a positive effect on the trained material. Six months after the training, a generalization of the positive impact on the untrained items was also observed. Connectivity analysis showed that training and generalization effects shared paralleled cortical patterns of functional integration. These findings may represent the neurophysiological correlate of the training-induced cognitive strategies for the compensation of anomia.
Imperfect competition and corporate governance

This paper studies the objective function of the firm in imperfectly competitive industries. If those involved in decisions are also consumers the usual monopoly distortion is reduced. In oligopolistic industries, this may give the firm a strategic advantage and hence, in the right circumstances, will increase profit. If the firm cannot commit not to change its constitution, we find a Coase-like result where all market power is lost in the limit. This enables us to endogenise the objective function of the firm. Finally we present a more abstract model of governance in the presence of market distortions.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa-induced lung injury: role of oxidative stress.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative pathogen that can cause lung injury in immunocompromised patients, primarily by inducing a release of host-derived mediators responsible for the influx of phagocytes to the lung. These phagocytes exert their antimicrobial actions by releasing toxic metabolites, including reactive oxygen species and proteases, which can also cause cell injury. This study was carried out to assess the pulmonary oxidant-antioxidant status of male adult Sprague-Dawley rats infected with different numbers of P. aeruginosa (10(4)-10(7)cfu/animal). Intratracheal instillation of P. aeruginosa resulted in lung injury, as evidenced by increases in wet lung weight and decreases in the lung activities of angiotensin converting enzyme and alkaline phosphatase, enzymes localized primarily in pulmonary endothelial and alveolar type II epithelial cells, respectively. The P. aeruginosa -induced lung injury was directly related to the infiltration of neutrophils, as indicated by increases in myeloperoxidase activity. The challenge of animals with P. aeruginosa resulted in increases in lipid peroxidation and decreases in glutathione content, which were associated with the indices of lung injury and neutrophil infiltration. Such a challenge also resulted in weakening the antioxidant defence system, as evidenced by decreases in superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities. These data suggest that changes in the pulmonary oxidant-antioxidant status may play an important role in the P. aeruginosa -induced lung injury.
D1-Like Dopamine Receptor-Mediated Function in Congenic Mutants with D1 vs. D5 Receptor “Knockout”

Current understanding of the functional roles of individual dopamine D1-like [D1, D5] and D2-like [D2L/S, D3, D4] receptor subtypes remains incomplete. In particular, the lack of pharmacological agonists and antagonists able to distinguish between D1 and D5 receptors means that any differential roles in the regulation of behavior are poorly understood. Mutant mice with targeted gene deletion (“knockout”) of individual dopamine receptor subtypes offer an important alternative approach to resolving these functional roles. In congenic D1 mutants examined ethologically, progressive increases in specific topographies of behavior over wildtypes were considerably greater than those in D1 mutants on a mixed genetic background; D1 knockout appears to influence the neuronal substrate(s) of habituation to disrupt sculpture of the changing topography of behavior from initial exploration through to quiescence. Similarly, the D1 receptor appears to regulate specific topographies of orofacial movement in the mouse as these are “sculpted” in a time-dependent manner. Although the well-recognized role of the D1-like family in regulating several aspects of behavioral topography has been assumed to involve primarily D1 receptors, this presumption may require modification to accommodate a subtle but not negligible role for their D5 counterparts as evidenced in the phenotype of congenic D5 mutants.
Silaffins in Silica Biomineralization and Biomimetic Silica Precipitation

Biomineralization processes leading to complex solid structures of inorganic material in biological systems are constantly gaining attention in biotechnology and biomedical research. An outstanding example for biomineral morphogenesis is the formation of highly elaborate, nano-patterned silica shells by diatoms. Among the organic macromolecules that have been closely linked to the tightly controlled precipitation of silica in diatoms, silaffins play an extraordinary role. These peptides typically occur as complex posttranslationally modified variants and are directly involved in the silica deposition process in diatoms. However, even in vitro silaffin-based peptides alone, with and without posttranslational modifications, can efficiently mediate biomimetic silica precipitation leading to silica material with different properties as well as with encapsulated cargo molecules of a large size range. In this review, the biomineralization process of silica in diatoms is summarized with a specific focus on silaffins and their in vitro silica precipitation properties. Applications in the area of bio- and nanotechnology as well as in diagnostics and therapy are discussed.
Physical Simulation of Longitudinal Weld Seam Formation During Extrusion to Produce Hollow Aluminum Profiles

Uniaxial compression tests were performed to understand the solid-state bonding process that occurs in porthole dies during the manufacturing of hollow aluminum extrusions. Strain, strain rate, and temperature applied during the tests were those typically encountered during aluminum extrusion. For a good bond, strain was found to be the most influential parameter, along with bonding time. The effect of temperature on bonding depended on alloy composition. Bonding stress was less influential within the range investigated. Surface stretching was introduced to the AA6060, AA6082, and AA7020 aluminum alloys as a criterion to quantify the bonding phenomena and distinguish their bondabilities.
An Idealized Semi-Empirical Framework for Modeling the Madden–Julian Oscillation

AbstractThe authors present a simple semi-empirical model to explore the hypothesis that the Madden–Julian oscillation can be represented as a moisture mode destabilized by surface flux and cloud–radiative feedbacks. The model is one-dimensional in longitude; the vertical and meridional structure is entirely implicit. The only prognostic variable is column water vapor W. The zonal wind field is an instantaneous diagnostic function of the precipitation field.The linearized version of the model has only westward-propagating (relative to the mean flow) unstable modes because wind-induced surface latent heat flux anomalies occur to the west of precipitation anomalies. The maximum growth rate occurs at the wavelength at which the correlation between precipitation and surface latent heat flux is maximized. This wavelength lies in the synoptic- to planetary-scale range and is proportional to the horizontal scale associated with the assumed diagnostic wind response to precipitation anomalies.The nonlinear version.
Hemodialysis: techniques and prescription.

HEMODIALYSIS (HD) is the routine renal eplacement therapy for more than 300,000 paients in the United States who have reached nd-stage renal disease. The goals of HD are traightforward and include restoring the body’s ntracellular and extracellular fluid environment nd accomplishing solute balance by either reoval from the blood into the dialysate or from he dialysate into the blood. Optimal care of the atient receiving long-term HD requires broad nowledge of the HD technique and appropriate rescription according to patientand deviceependent variables. This Core Curriculum aims o provide a comprehensive but also concise escription of HD technique and prescription. linically relevant practical information is proided in appropriate sections.
Instabilities of a pressure-driven flow of magnetorheological fluids

In this work, we studied a pressure-driven flow of a magnetorheological suspension through a cylindrical tube in the presence of a non-uniform magnetic field perpendicular to the tube and varying along its axis. The flow was realized with the help of a commercial capillary rheometer in a controlled-velocity mode. Experimental pressure-flow rate curves exhibited a local minimum, and flow instabilities were observed in the range of flow rates corresponding to the decreasing branch of these curves. The non-monotonic behavior of the flow curves is attributed to the interplay between the hydrodynamic dissipation and the interaction between particle aggregates and walls. Our theoretical model, based on the particle flux conservation, correctly predicts the shape of the pressure-flow rate curves and indicates the speed range within which flow instabilities are expected. These instabilities are manifested by somewhat regular oscillations of the pressure difference and of the outlet flow rate at a constant imposed piston speed. Visualization of particle structures in a transparent tube revealed that the flow oscillations were governed by both the suspension compressibility and the stick-slip of the aggregates on the tube walls. This study is motivated by the problem of particle clogging in magnetorheological smart devices employing non-uniform magnetic fields.
Burkitt’s lymphoma: new insights into molecular pathogenesis

The World Health Organisation classification reports three subcategories of Burkitt’s lymphoma (BL)—endemic, non-endemic, and immunodeficiency associated—proposed to reflect the major clinical and genetic subtypes of this disease. These different types of BL have been reviewed and studied by immunohistochemistry and molecular methods. The results point out the heterogeneity of BL and suggest that AIDS related BL may have a different pathogenesis from that of classic BL.
Binge ethanol exposure decreases neurogenesis in adult rat hippocampus

Alcoholism is associated with cognitive deficits and loss of brain mass. Recent studies have indicated that neural progenitor cells proliferate throughout life forming neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. The dentate gyrus is one neurogenic region of the adult brain containing neural progenitor cells. To determine if binge ethanol (EtOH) exposure alters neural progenitor cell proliferation and survival, bromodeoxyuridine was administered to adult male rats following an acute or chronic binge exposure paradigm. For an acute binge, rats were gavaged with a 5 g/kg dose of EtOH or vehicle, administered bromodeoxyuridine, and killed either 5 h or 28 days after EtOH treatment. In a 4‐day, chronic‐binge paradigm, rats were infused with EtOH three times per day (mean dose 9.3 g/kg/day) or isocaloric control diet. Rats were given bromodeoxyuridine once a day for the 4 days of chronic binge treatment, then perfused either immediately following the last dose of EtOH or 28 days later. In both EtOH treatment groups, binge EtOH decreased neural progenitor cell proliferation. Following the chronic four‐day binge, neural progenitor cell survival was decreased. These studies are the first to show EtOH inhibition of neural progenitor cell proliferation and survival in the adult, a possible new mechanism underlying alcoholic cognitive dysfunction.
Improvement of Surface Texture of Stainless Steel by Utilizing Dry Blasting - 2nd Report: Effect of Blasting Conditions on Wettability -

Recently, wet blasting is generally used such as liquid honing and water jet machining in surface before plating of stainless steel. The outstanding feature of wet blasting is to prevent generation of static electric charge, to use micro abrasive grain, and to have cushioning for workpiece. On the other hand, the disadvantage of wet blasting is to generate corrosion of equipment and liquid waste under processing. Moreover, the using abrasive grain is available on a limited basis. In particular, improvement disposal of liquid waste under processing is crucial in the near future. This paper makes proposal for improvement of surface texture by utilizing dry blasting, and it conducts improvement of surface texture about martensite stainless steel (SUS420J2 In JIS), which is used in material for scale applications. As a result, it is cleared that relationship between surface texture and blasting conditions. Furthermore, based on these results, it reports relationship between surface texture and wettability.
Weld metal characterization of 316L(N) austenitic stainless steel by electron beam welding process

Electron beam welding (EBW) is a fusion joining process that produces a weld by impinging a beam of high energy electron to the weld joint. EBW has been used widely due to its advantages like narrow weld zone and heat affected zone, low distortion and contamination etc. The present work is focused on EBW of 316L(N) austenitic stainless steel varying the welding parameters such as beam power and welding speed. This study is carried out by analyzing the mechanical and metallurgical properties of the welded material. The mechanical properties have been evaluated using tensile, impact, hardness and bend test in accordance with the ASTM standards. The metallurgical characteristics are further investigated through optical microscopy. The mechanical properties of the weld material are better than the parent material. The variations of the mechanical properties were related with the variations in the cooling rate of the weld metal. The change in the cooling rate has influenced the grain size which has in turn influenced the mechanical properties. The metallurgical factors such as the presence of the ferrite and its percentage were also considered to substantiate the variation in the characteristics of the weld metal. Keywords: electron beam welding, 316L (N), beam current, gun voltage.
Towards Understanding Natural Language: Semantic Parsing, Commonsense Knowledge Acquisition and Applications

There are various aspects of making computers understand natural language. Semantic parsing and reasoning on commonsense knowledge are the two important ones. Many NLU tasks such as question answering and co-reference resolution require semantic parsing of text and reasoning with different kinds of commonsense knowledge. In this work we present our progress towards these milestones of NLU. We demonstrate the steps we took towards the goal and the tools/techniques we developed, such as a semantic parser and a novel algorithm to automatically acquire commonsense knowledge from text. We also show the usefulness of the developed tools by applying them to solve tasks such as hard coreference resolution. This is an ongoing research and in this paper we present our current progress and the future plans to reach the goal of developing a fully autonomous natural language understanding framework.
Survey of network-based defense mechanisms countering the DoS and DDoS problems

This article presents a survey of denial of service attacks and the methods that have been proposed for defense against these attacks. In this survey, we analyze the design decisions in the Internet that have created the potential for denial of service attacks. We review the state-of-art mechanisms for defending against denial of service attacks, compare the strengths and weaknesses of each proposal, and discuss potential countermeasures against each defense mechanism. We conclude by highlighting opportunities for an integrated solution to solve the problem of distributed denial of service attacks.
Amino-Terminal Pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide and High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein as Predictors of Sudden Cardiac Death Among Women

Background— Plasma concentrations of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) have been found to predict risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in patients with known cardiac disease, and C-reactive protein levels have been found to predict risk among apparently healthy men. However, there are no data on SCD risk prediction for either of these markers in a population of women unselected on the basis of cardiovascular disease. Methods and Results— In a prospective, nested, case-control analysis within the 121 700-participant Nurses’ Health Study, 99 cases of definite or probable SCD were identified and matched to 294 controls. In multivariable models that adjusted for coronary heart disease risk factors, glomerular filtration rate, and other biomarkers, the trend across quartiles approached significance for NT-proBNP (rate ratio=2.37 for comparison of the highest and lowest quartile; P for trend=0.05) but not for high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (P for trend=0.60). When examined continuously, both NT-proBNP and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were significantly associated with SCD risk in age- and fasting-adjusted models (P for linear trend=0.04 and 0.03). Adjustment for coronary heart disease risk factors and other biomarkers strengthened the relationship with NT-proBNP and SCD (relative risk for 1-SD increment=1.49; 95% confidence interval, 1.09 to 2.05; P=0.01) but eliminated the relationship with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (P=0.34). Women with NT-proBNP levels above the prespecified cut point of 389 pg/mL were at a markedly increased risk of SCD in both models (rate ratio=5.68; 95% confidence interval, 1.78 to 18.2; P=0.003). Conclusions— In this population of women, baseline levels of NT-proBNP were associated with subsequent risk of SCD. If this association is confirmed in larger prospectively studied populations, these findings might provide another useful marker contributing to efforts to screen and prevent SCD among women.
Behavioral Outcome at 3 Years of Age in Very Preterm Infants: The EPIPAGE Study

OBJECTIVES. Our goal was to compare the prevalence of behavioral problems between very preterm children and term children at 3 years of age and examine the factors associated with behavioral problems in very preterm children. METHODS. We conducted a prospective population-based cohort study: the EPIPAGE (Étude Epidémiologique sur les Petits Ages Gestationnels) study. All infants born between 22 and 32 weeks of gestation in 9 regions of France in 1997 were included and compared with a control group of infants born at term. Sociodemographic status, obstetric, and neonatal data were collected at birth and in the neonatal units. At 3 years of age, the behavioral problems of 1228 very preterm singleton children without major neurodisabilities, and 447 term children were studied using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire completed by the parents. RESULTS. Very preterm children were more likely than controls to have behavioral difficulties. Among very preterm children, several medical conditions were associated with a high total difficulty score: major neonatal cerebral lesions diagnosed by cranial ultrasonographic studies, hospitalization within the last year, poor health, and psychomotor delay. A high birth order and sociodemographic factors such as young maternal age and low educational level of the mother were also identified as risk factors for behavioral difficulties. The differences between very preterm children and controls remained significant after adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics, neonatal complications, and neurodevelopmental status, for a high total difficulties score, hyperactivity, conduct problems, and for peer problems. For emotional problems, the difference was at the limit of significance. CONCLUSIONS. Very preterm children have a higher risk of behavioral problems at 3 years of age compared with term-born children. Health and neurodevelopmental status of the child were significantly associated with behavioral difficulties.
Timing of femur fracture fixation: effect on outcome in patients with thoracic and head injuries.

BACKGROUND Optimal timing of femur fracture fixation remains controversial. This study examines the association between the timing of femur fracture fixation and outcome in patients with concomitant chest and head injuries. METHODS A retrospective review of registry data from a Level I trauma center identified 1362 patients with a femoral shaft fracture over a 12-year period. Patients were categorized into five groups by timing of femur fracture fixation: Group 1, within 24 hours; Group 2, 24 to 48 hours; Group 3, 48 to 120 hours; Group 4, > 120 hours; and Group 5, patients with no operative fixation. Primary outcome measures included morbidity (specifically, pulmonary complications) and mortality. Secondary outcome measures were hospital length of stay, intensive care unit length of stay, and discharge Glasgow Coma Scale score. Subsets of patients were examined including all patients with multiple injuries (Injury Severity Score > 15), chest trauma (Chest Abbreviated Injury Scale score > or = 2), and head trauma (Head Abbreviated Injury Scale score > or = 2). RESULTS Acute respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia, hospital length of stay, and intensive care unit length of stay were lowest in the group fixed within 24 hours, even in patients with concomitant head or chest trauma. Fixation between 2 and 5 days was associated with a significantly increased incidence of acute respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia, and fat embolization syndrome in patients with concurrent chest trauma (p < 0.0001). In head-injured patients, discharge Glasgow Coma Scale score was highest in the group fixed within 24 hours. Timing of operative fixation did not affect mortality. CONCLUSION Our data show that early femur fracture fixation (< 24 hours) is associated with an improved outcome, even in patients with coexistent head and/or chest trauma. Fixation of femur fractures at 2 to 5 days was associated with a significant increase in pulmonary complications, particularly with concomitant head or chest trauma, and length of stay. Chest and head trauma are not contraindications to early fixation with reamed intramedullary nailing.