Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Brain Cells in the Avian ‘Prefrontal Cortex’ Code for Features of Slot-Machine-Like Gambling

Slot machines are the most common and addictive form of gambling. In the current study, we recorded from single neurons in the ‘prefrontal cortex’ of pigeons while they played a slot-machine-like task. We identified four categories of neurons that coded for different aspects of our slot-machine-like task. Reward-Proximity neurons showed a linear increase in activity as the opportunity for a reward drew near. I-Won neurons fired only when the fourth stimulus of a winning (four-of-a-kind) combination was displayed. I-Lost neurons changed their firing rate at the presentation of the first nonidentical stimulus, that is, when it was apparent that no reward was forthcoming. Finally, Near-Miss neurons also changed their activity the moment it was recognized that a reward was no longer available, but more importantly, the activity level was related to whether the trial contained one, two, or three identical stimuli prior to the display of the nonidentical stimulus. These findings not only add to recent neurophysiological research employing simulated gambling paradigms, but also add to research addressing the functional correspondence between the avian NCL and primate PFC.
Knowledge of adverse drug reaction reporting in first year postgraduate doctors in a medical college

Introduction Poor reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) by doctors is a major hindrance to successful pharmacovigilance. The present study was designed to assess first-year residents’ knowledge of ADR reporting. Methods First-year postgraduate doctors at a private medical college completed a structured questionnaire. The responses were analyzed by nonparametric methods. Results All doctors were aware of the term “adverse drug reactions. ” Fifty percent of the doctors reported being taught about ADR reporting during their undergraduate teaching, and 50% had witnessed ADRs in their internship training. Ten percent of patients suffering an ADR observed and reported by doctors required prolonged hospitalization for treatment as a result. Only 40% of interns reported the ADRs that they observed, while 60% did not report them. Twenty-eight percent reported ADRs to the head of the department, 8% to an ADR monitoring committee, and 4% to the pharmacovigilance center. Eighty-six percent of the doctors surveyed felt that a good knowledge of undergraduate clinical pharmacology therapeutics would have improved the level of ADR reporting. Conclusion The knowledge of first-year doctors regarding ADR reporting is quite poor. There is a dire need to incorporate ADR reporting into undergraduate teaching, and to reinforce this during internships and periodically thereafter.
The Work Organization of Long-Haul Truck Drivers and the Association With Body Mass Index

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine relationships between work organization features of work hours, work schedules, and job stress with body mass indexes (BMIs) of long-haul truck drivers. Methods: Face-to-face survey data were collected first, followed by collection of anthropometric measures including height and weight (n = 260). Logistic regression (backward stepwise model) was used to identify significant predictors of BMI and to analyze odds ratios. Results: Mean BMI was 33.40 kg/m2, with 64.2% obese (BMI > 30 kg/m2) and 18.4% extreme/morbidly obese (BMI > 40 kg/m2). Working more than 11 daily hours was associated with statistically significant increased odds for being extreme obese. Conclusion: Findings suggest that longer work hours (>11 hours daily) have a major influence on odds for obesity among this population. The results align with recent NIOSH calls for integrated approaches to worker health.
The complete mitochondrial genome of the citrus long-horned beetle, Anoplophora chinensis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

Abstract In this paper, the complete mitochondrial genome of Anoplophora chinensis is sequenced and reported for the first time. The mitochondrial genome is a circular molecule of 15 805 bp, 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, and 1 control region. Nine protein-coding genes and 14 tRNA genes are encoded on the H strand, and the other four protein-coding genes and eight tRNA genes are encoded on the L strand. The arrangement of genes is identical to all know long-horn beetles mitochondrial genomes. The nucleotide composition of the A. chinensis mitogenome is strongly biased toward A + T nucleotides (77.65%). Finally, the phylogenetic relationships of 12 Lamiinae species were reconstructed based on nucleotide sequences of COI using the Bayesian inference method. These molecular-based phylogenies support the traditional morphologically based view of relationships within the Lamiinae.
Will Maintenance of Oral Hygiene in Nursing Home Residents Prevent Pneumonia?

This article is an evaluation of the literature on oral hygiene as a risk factor for nursing home–associated pneumonia (NHAP) and with interventions to improve oral hygiene and reduce the incidence of NHAP. The background for this article is that studies that have evaluated interventions to improve oral hygiene and prevent NHAP have conflicting results. To try to understand the reason for these results, the objective was to examine risk factor and intervention studies and determine their methodological validity. Review of studies evaluating oral hygiene status as a risk factor for NHAP found multiple methodological problems, resulting in limited evidence to support this association. Studies of intervention methods, whether finding benefit or not in preventing NHAP, all had methodological limitations. Therefore, it is unclear whether oral hygiene is a risk factor for NHAP and whether improving oral hygiene decreases the incidence of this infection. A recommendation is made that future studies should carefully define the etiology of suspected NHAP using molecular techniques when evaluating methods to prevent this infection because viral pneumonia and aspiration pneumonitis may mimic bacterial pneumonia even though, at times, there may be coinfection with bacteria. In this latter situation, improving oral hygiene may not prevent pneumonia. Therefore, viral infection and pneumonitis with or without bacterial coinfection need to be excluded so that the focus is on prevention of bacterial pneumonia.
In vitro antioxidant and antitumor activities of six selected plants used in the Traditional Arabic Palestinian herbal medicine

Abstract Context: Despite several pharmacological applications of the medicinal plants in the Traditional Arabic Palestinian Herbal Medicine in Palestine (TAPHM), studies on their antioxidant properties are still scarce. Objective: This work evaluates the antioxidant and antitumor activities of the ethanol extracts from different parts of six plants: [Arum palaestinum Boiss (Araceae), Urtica pilulifera L. (Urticaceae), Coridothymus capitatus (L.) Reichb (Lamiaceae), Majorana syriaca (L.) Rafin. (Lamiaceae), Teucrium creticum L. (Lamiaceae), and Teucrium capitatum L. (Lamiaceae)] used in the TAPHM. Materials and methods: The antioxidant activity was evaluated for the ethanol extracts by DPPH and β-carotene–linoleic acid assays together with total contents of phenols and flavonoids. For the anti-carcinogenic evaluation, the extracts were tested for the ability to inhibit the proliferation of breast cancer cells (MCF-7) using the MTT reduction assay. Results: Among the extracts, the U. pilulifera had the highest amount of total phenolics, possessing the second highest total flavonoids. It also showed a maximum cytotoxic activity (IC50 = 63 µg/ml), followed by C. capitatus, and A. palaestinum. Otherwise, the extract of T. creticum was demonstrated to be an efficient scavenger of O2 (IC50 = 83 µg/ml), followed by M. syriaca, C. capitatus, T. capitatum, A. palaestinum, and U. pilulifera. Discussion and conclusion: The results suggest that the investigated plants have shown varied antioxidant capacities which were strongly correlated with their contents of phenolics. Accordingly, this study proposes that the therapeutic benefit of these plants can be, at least in part, attributed to its potential inhibition of oxidative processes.
Nitric Oxide Regulates Skeletal Muscle Fatigue, Fiber Type, Microtubule Organization, and Mitochondrial ATP Synthesis Efficiency Through cGMP-Dependent Mechanisms.

AIM Skeletal muscle nitric oxide-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (NO-cGMP) pathways are impaired in Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy partly because of reduced nNOSμ and soluble guanylate cyclase (GC) activity. However, GC function and the consequences of reduced GC activity in skeletal muscle are unknown. In this study, we explore the functions of GC and NO-cGMP signaling in skeletal muscle. RESULTS GC1, but not GC2, expression was higher in oxidative than glycolytic muscles. GC1 was found in a complex with nNOSμ and targeted to nNOS compartments at the Golgi complex and neuromuscular junction. Baseline GC activity and GC agonist responsiveness was reduced in the absence of nNOS. Structural analyses revealed aberrant microtubule directionality in GC1-/- muscle. Functional analyses of GC1-/- muscles revealed reduced fatigue resistance and postexercise force recovery that were not due to shifts in type IIA-IIX fiber balance. Force deficits in GC1-/- muscles were also not driven by defects in resting mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis. However, increasing muscle cGMP with sildenafil decreased ATP synthesis efficiency and capacity, without impacting mitochondrial content or ultrastructure. INNOVATION GC may represent a new target for alleviating muscle fatigue and that NO-cGMP signaling may play important roles in muscle structure, contractility, and bioenergetics. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that GC activity is nNOS dependent and that muscle-specific control of GC expression and differential GC targeting may facilitate NO-cGMP signaling diversity. They suggest that nNOS regulates muscle fiber type, microtubule organization, fatigability, and postexercise force recovery partly through GC1 and suggest that NO-cGMP pathways may modulate mitochondrial ATP synthesis efficiency. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 26, 966-985.
Towards Transparent Debugging

Traditional malware analysis relies on virtualization or emulation technology to run samples in a confined environment, and to analyze malicious activities by instrumenting code execution. However, virtual machines and emulators inevitably create artifacts in the execution environment, making these approaches vulnerable to detection or subversion. In this paper, we present MalT, a debugging framework that employs System Management Mode, a CPU mode in the x86 architecture, to transparently study armored malware. MalT does not depend on virtualization or emulation and thus is immune to threats targeting such environments. Our approach reduces the attack surface at the software level, and advances state-of-the-art debugging transparency. MalT embodies various debugging functions, including register/memory accesses, breakpoints, and seven stepping modes. Additionally, MalT restores the system to a clean state after a debugging session. We implemented a prototype of MalT on two physical machines, and we conducted experiments by testing an array of existing anti-virtualization, anti-emulation, and packing techniques against MalT. The experimental results show that our prototype remains transparent and undetected against the samples. Furthermore, debugging and restoration introduce moderate but manageable overheads on both Windows and Linux platforms.
Color Doppler Ultrasonography Is a Useful Tool for Diagnosis of Peripheral Artery Disease in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients with Ankle-Brachial Index 0.91 to 1.40

Background The clinical utility of ankle-brachial index (ABI) is not clear in subjects with less severe or calcified vessel. Therefore, we investigated the usefulness of color Doppler ultrasonography for diagnosing peripheral artery disease (PAD) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) subjects. Methods We analyzed 324 T2DM patients who concurrently underwent ABI and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) measurements and color Doppler ultrasonography from 2003 to 2006. The degree of stenosis in patients with PAD was determined according to Jager's criteria, and PAD was defined as grade III (50% to 99% stenosis) or IV stenosis (100% stenosis) by color Doppler ultrasonography. Logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis were performed to evaluate the risk factors for PAD in patients with ABI 0.91 to 1.40. Results Among the 324 patients, 77 (23.8%) had ABI 0.91 to 1.40 but were diagnosed with PAD. Color Doppler ultrasonography demonstrated that suprapopliteal arterial stenosis, bilateral lesions, and multivessel involvement were less common in PAD patients with ABI 0.91 to 1.40 than in those with ABI ≤0.90. A multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that older age, current smoking status, presence of leg symptoms, and high CIMT were significantly associated with the presence of PAD in patients with ABI 0.91 to 1.40 after adjusting for conventional risk factors. CIMT showed significant power in predicting the presence of PAD in patients with ABI 0.91 to 1.40. Conclusion Color Doppler ultrasonography is a useful tool for the detection of PAD in T2DM patients with ABI 0.91 to 1.40 but a high CIMT.
Patterns of Immunodominance in HIV-1–specific Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Responses in Two Human Histocompatibility Leukocyte Antigens (HLA)-identical Siblings with HLA-A*0201 Are Influenced by Epitope Mutation

Primary human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is controlled principally by HIV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) to a steady-state level of virus load, which strongly influences the ultimate rate of progression to disease. Epitope selection by CTL may be an important determinant of the degree of immune control over the virus. This report describes the CTL responses of two HLA-identical hemophiliac brothers who were exposed to identical batches of Factor VIII and became seropositive within 10 wk of one another. Both have HLA-A*0201. The CTL responses of the two siblings were very dissimilar, one donor making strong responses to two epitopes within p17 Gag (HLA-A*0201–restricted SLYNTVATL and HLA-A3–restricted RLRPGGKKK). The sibling responded to neither epitope, but made strong responses to two epitopes presented by HLA-B7. This was not the result of differences in presentation of the epitopes. However, mutations in both immunodominant epitopes of the p17 Gag responder were seen in proviral sequences of the nonresponder. We then documented the CTL responses to two HLA-A*0201–restricted epitopes, in Gag (SLYNTVATL) and Pol (ILKEPVHGV) in 22 other HIV-infected donors with HLA-A*0201. The majority (71%) generated responses to the Gag epitope. In the 29% of donors failing to respond to the Gag epitope in standard assays, there was evidence of low frequency memory CTL responses using peptide stimulation of PBMC, and most of these donors also showed mutations in or around the Gag epitope. We concluded that HLA class I genotype determines epitope selection initially but that mutation in immunodominant epitopes can profoundly alter the pattern of CTL response.
Knowledge Attitude and Utilization of Emergency Contraception among Health Science and Medical Students of Arba Minch University, 2015

Introduction: Emergency contraception refers to contraceptive methods that can be used by women to prevent an unwanted pregnancy in the first few days after unprotected intercourse or contraceptive accident such as leakage/slippage of condom. It is important to prevent unwanted pregnancy and there by induced abortion. There for this study aimed to assess the knowledge attitude and practice of emergency contraceptive among Arba Minch University health science students. Methods: Cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted from July 21, 2017 among female health science and medicine students of Arba Minch University. Self-administered structured and pre-tested questioner was used to obtain information from 216 study participants who were selected by population proportional systematic random sampling technique. After data collection the data was coded, entered and analyzed by using SPSS version 20.0. Binary logistic regression was fitted with forward stepwise method and significance was determined at p-value<0.05. Result: The study showed that, 95.9% of the university female students had heard about emergency contraceptive; 87.4% of them identified the correct timing of use (72 hours). 84.8% students support the idea of making available emergency contraceptives for all females, 88.2% respondents said they are willing to use emergency contraceptive if need arises and 88.2% said they will recommend emergency contraceptive for other females if need arises. And also 58.8% of the respondents have ever practiced emergency contraceptive, of which 55.7% were used oral pills, 18.4% were used intra uterine contraceptive device. There is significant relation between use of emergency contraception and the level of class they are attending (class year), residence, knowledge about emergency contraceptives, attitude towards EC and parental communication. Conclusion and recommendations: The level of knowledge, their attitude and practice of emergency contraceptive among students was high compared to other studies, further to increase this has to focus on information communication with in the school and families.
Relationships of Risk Factors for Pre-Eclampsia with Patterns of Occurrence of Isolated Gestational Proteinuria during Normal Term Pregnancy

Background Isolated gestational proteinuria may be part of the pre-eclampsia disease spectrum. Confirmation of its association with established pre-eclampsia risk factors and higher blood pressure in uncomplicated pregnancies would support this concept. Methods Data from 11,651 women from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children who had a term live birth but did not have pre-existing hypertension or diabetes or develop gestational diabetes or preeclampsia were used. Proteinuria was assessed repeatedly (median 12 measurements per woman) by dipstick and latent class analysis was used to identify subgroups of the population with different patterns of proteinuria in pregnancy. Results Higher maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), younger age, nulliparity and twin pregnancy were independently associated with increased odds of any proteinuria in pregnancy. Women who experienced proteinuria showed five patterns: proteinuria in early pregnancy only (≤20 weeks gestation), and onset at 21–28 weeks, 29–32 weeks, 33–36 weeks and ≥37 weeks gestation. There were higher odds of proteinuria onset after 33 weeks in obese women and after 37 weeks in nulliparous women compared with normal weight and multiparous women respectively. Smoking in pregnancy was weakly negatively associated with odds of proteinuria onset after 37 weeks. Twin pregnancies had higher odds of proteinuria onset from 29 weeks. In women with proteinuria onset after 33 weeks blood pressure was higher in early pregnancy and at the end of pregnancy. Conclusions Established pre-eclampsia risk factors were related to proteinuria occurrence in late gestation in healthy term pregnancies, supporting the hypothesis that isolated gestational proteinuria may represent an early manifestation of pre-eclampsia.
The Proapoptotic Influenza A Virus Protein PB1-F2 Forms a Nonselective Ion Channel

Background PB1-F2 is a proapoptotic influenza A virus protein of approximately 90 amino acids in length that is located in the nucleus, cytosol and in the mitochondria membrane of infected cells. Previous studies indicated that the molecule destabilizes planar lipid bilayers and has a strong inherent tendency for multimerization. This may be correlate with its capacity to induce mitochondrial membrane depolarization. Methodology/Principal Findings Here, we investigated whether PB1-F2 is able to form ion channels within planar lipid bilayers and microsomes. For that purpose, a set of biologically active synthetic versions of PB1-F2 (sPB1-F2) derived from the IAV isolates A/Puerto Rico/8/34(H1N1) (IAVPR8), from A/Brevig Mission/1/1918(H1N1) (IAVSF2) or the H5N1 consensus sequence (IAVBF2) were used. Electrical and fluorimetric measurements show that all three peptides generate in planar lipid bilayers or in liposomes, respectively, a barely selective conductance that is associated with stochastic channel type fluctuations between a closed state and at least two defined open states. Unitary channel fluctuations were also generated when a truncated protein comprising only the 37 c-terminal amino acids of sPB1-F2 was reconstituted in bilayers. Experiments were complemented by extensive molecular dynamics simulations of the truncated fragment in a lipid bilayer. The results indicate that the c-terminal region exhibits a slightly bent helical fold, which is stable and remains embedded in the bilayer for over 180 ns. Conclusion/Significance The data support the idea that PB1-F2 is able to form protein channel pores with no appreciable selectivity in membranes and that the c-terminus is important for this function. This information could be important for drug development.
Genetic and Developmental Basis for Increased Leaf Thickness in the Arabidopsis Cvi Ecotype

Leaf thickness is a quantitative trait that is associated with the ability of plants to occupy dry, high irradiance environments. Despite its importance, leaf thickness has been difficult to measure reproducibly, which has impeded progress in understanding its genetic basis, and the associated anatomical mechanisms that pattern it. Here, we used a custom-built dual confocal profilometer device to measure leaf thickness in the Arabidopsis Ler × Cvi recombinant inbred line population and found statistical support for four quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with this trait. We used publically available data for a suite of traits relating to flowering time and growth responses to light quality and show that three of the four leaf thickness QTL coincide with QTL for at least one of these traits. Using time course photography, we quantified the relative growth rate and the pace of rosette leaf initiation in the Ler and Cvi ecotypes. We found that Cvi rosettes grow slower than Ler, both in terms of the rate of leaf initiation and the overall rate of biomass accumulation. Collectively, these data suggest that leaf thickness is tightly linked with physiological status and may present a tradeoff between the ability to withstand stress and rapid vegetative growth. To understand the anatomical basis of leaf thickness, we compared cross-sections of Cvi and Ler leaves and show that Cvi palisade mesophyll cells elongate anisotropically contributing to leaf thickness. Flow cytometry of whole leaves show that endopolyploidy accompanies thicker leaves in Cvi. Overall, our data suggest that mechanistically, an altered schedule of cellular events affecting endopolyploidy and increasing palisade mesophyll cell length contribute to increase of leaf thickness in Cvi. Ultimately, knowledge of the genetic basis and developmental trajectory leaf thickness will inform the mechanisms by which natural selection acts to produce variation in this adaptive trait.