Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A new way to measure milk yield persistency: a genetic point of view with application to Gyr (Bos indicus) cattle

The objective of this work was to estimate genetic parameters for a measure of persistency of milk yield and to evaluate its association with 305-d cumulative milk yield and lactation length. 12 346 records from 8202 dairy Gyr cows including lactations up to fifth calving were used. The measure of persistency was obtained from one of the parameters of a quadratic model that describes the cumulative yield across lactation as a function of days in milk. A three-trait multivariate analysis was done. Heritability and repeatability for persistency were 0·08 and 0·21, respectively. Deviance Information Criterion provided evidence that the additive genetic covariance between the measure of persistency studied and 305-d cumulative yield is zero. Genetic correlations between persistency and lactation length were 0·50 and 0·27 for first or all lactations, respectively. Milk yield persistency as measured in this study has low heritability. Selection for persistency can increase lactation length. The measure of milk yield persistency studied here is genetically independent of total milk yield and can be included in routine genetic evaluations of dairy cattle.
Significance and therapeutic potential of prostaglandin E2 receptor in hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury in mice

Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) mediates a variety of innate and adaptive immunity through four distinct receptors: EP1‐EP4. It has been suggested that each EP plays a unique and pivotal role in various disease conditions. We investigated the pathophysiological role of EP receptors in hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. In this study, a 70% hepatic ischemic model was used in male C57BL/6 mice. Selective EP agonists were used to clarify the function of each PGE2 receptor in I/R injury. Although all four receptors were expressed in the naïve liver, EP4 expression was significantly upregulated after hepatic I/R. Although EP1, 2, or 3 agonists did not show any protective effect on liver function, the EP4 agonist significantly inhibited hepatic I/R injury as determined by serological and histological analyses. Furthermore, the EP4 agonist downregulated the local expressions of several proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and adhesion molecules in the early phase of reperfusion. In contrast, it augmented the local expression of an anti‐inflammatory cytokine, interleukin 10. Additionally, the neutrophil accumulation was also inhibited by EP4 agonist treatment. Finally, to confirm the therapeutic efficacy of the EP4 agonist in hepatic I/R injury, the nonischemic shunt liver was removed after 120 minutes of ischemia, resulting in the death of 86% of control mice within 48 hours. In sharp contrast, 80% of mice treated with the EP4 agonist survived. In conclusion, the PGE2‐EP4 signaling pathway has an inhibitory role in hepatic I/R injury. An EP4 agonist effectively protects against ischemic injury. (HEPATOLOGY 2005.)
Jerome: His Life, Writings, and Controversies

Irascible Jerome, polemicist, biblical scholar, confidant of wealthy women, monk, historian, traveler, pedant, commands the respect if not the affection of all. He was always an outsider. Born in the West (Stridon in Dalmatia), he lived most of his life in the East; estranged from his family while a young man, he never returned to his home, yet he was moved deeply when it was conquered by the Visigoths. Wandering from place to place, Rome, Antioch, Constantinople, Aquileia, Egypt, he finally settled in Palestine to live as a monk among women from Rome. He was a man of great passion yet his life was hedged in by the minutiae of translation and the writing of verse-by-verse biblical commentaries. Compared to the great speculative thinkers of the fourth century his intellect appears petty and pedestrian, yet his conviction that Christian theological scholarship had to be grounded in the Hebrew Bible, an insight which grew slowly and was met with scorn and indignation by his contemporaries, is one of the most significant intellectual developments in the whole of Christian history. His translation^ of the Hebrew Bible into Latin was a monumental achievement. Yet our historical portrait of him is a fragmented and partial one, derived piecemeal from his involvement in events and controversies which have interested scholars, for example the Origenist controversy and Pelagianism. In J. N. D. Kelly's biography, the first comprehensive and scholarly biography of Jerome in English, for once Jerome is studied for himself.
Calculation and validation of a bearing impedance model for ball bearings and the influence on EDM-currents

This paper deals with the electric bearing impedance model for a ball bearing, based on a detailed mechanical bearing calculation. Based on the model, it is shown, how electrical parameters as well as mechanical parameters have an effect. The influences of the electrical and mechanical parameters are presented for EDM-currents Electrical Discharge Machining currents (EDM) at PWM voltage source inverter operation. For the calculation of the bearing impedance and description of EDM currents the electric properties of the lubricant, like dielectric constant, specific resistance and dielectric strength are discussed. The mechanical parameters such as bearing load, Hertzian area and lubrication thickness are necessary to be calculated. Calculated and measured bearing impedance are presented. A method to predict the speed range with EDM-current occurrence is discussed for the bearing type 6205 C3 and a mineral oil based lubricant.
Passive Immunization Protects Cynomolgus Macaques against Puumala Hantavirus Challenge

Background Hantaviruses cause two severe and often fatal human diseases: haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). Presently, there is no effective prevention available for HFRS or HPS. Here, we studied the effect of passive immunization on the course of infection in cynomolgus macaques challenged with wild-type Puumala hantavirus (PUUV-wt). Methods A pool of serum drawn from previously PUUV-wt-infected monkeys was used for immunization; a pool of serum from the same monkeys that was obtained before infection was used as a control. Immunizations were administered 3 days before and 15 days after challenge with PUUV-wt. After challenge, monkeys were sampled once a week and analysed for PUUV-infection markers. Results All three monkeys treated with non-immune serum became positive for PUUV RNA in plasma and showed PUUV nucleocapsid-specific immunoglobin M (IgM) responses after challenge. In contrast, no PUUV RNA or anti-PUUV-specific IgM response was detected in the three passively immunized monkeys. As seen in PUUV-infected humans, the control monkeys showed a marked decrease in the amount of platelets and increased levels of creatinine, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, and tumour necrosis factor (TNF) after inoculation. In contrast, no marked changes in the amount of platelets were observed in the immunized monkeys and they did not show increased levels of creatinine, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF after virus challenge. Conclusion The results show that passive immunization in monkeys, using serum from previously hantavirus-infected monkeys, can induce sterile protection and protect against pathogenesis. Convalescent-phase antibodies may represent a potential therapy that can induce immediate protection against HFRS and HPS.
Comparison between alpha-beta and DQ-PI controller applied to IUPQC operation

The iUPQC is a dual approach of the well-known UPQC, which uses the series compensator as sinusoidal current source and the shunt compensator as sinusoidal voltage source. In this way, the control references outputs are sinusoidal signals at the fundamental frequency. This paper compares two different controllers for the PWM reference signal generations, using α-β and d-q reference frame, respectively. Experimental results using both controllers are presented as well.
The impact of active coping strategies on survival in ALS: The first pilot study

The aim of this study was to examine the coping strategies of 49 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and the potential impact of these strategies on survival. A total of 49 subjects were recruited. Each subject was asked to complete a questionnaire on coping strategies called the Brief COPE. The various coping strategies were divided into three factor sets through a factorial analysis: active coping (α 0.84), social support (α 0.71) and avoidance (α 0.71). Each score was divided into two subgroups in relation to the median (limited use vs. frequent use). Equality of survival distributions for the different levels of coping strategies was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier (Log Rank (Mantel-Cox)) model, with adjustment for mental health (GHQ-28), disease severity (ALSFRS), clinical form at onset (bulbar vs. spinal), medical assistance (ventilation and gastrostomy), participation in a clinical trial and gender. Results revealed a significant and positive impact of active coping strategies while taking mental health, ALSFRS scores, clinical form at onset, medical assistance, participation in a clinical trial and gender into account (Log Rank (Mantel-Cox) p < 0.05). Our study clearly demonstrates the impact of active coping strategies on survival in ALS.
Light Sensitivity and Visual Field Extension in Hemianopes Wearing Halfmoon Prismatic Sectors

A consistent body of literature maintains that the use of monocular sector prisms may enlarge the field of view of hemianopic patients, leading to a substantial improvement of their everyday life. Despite the potential interest, as far as we know clinical trials focusing on this last topic are few. Indeed, the effect of the monocular sector prisms on the whole extent of the binocular visual field and on the differential light sensitivity of the monocular ipsilateral visual field has not been fully investigated. This study aims at estimating the effect of a particular monocular prismatic sector, halfmoon shaped, placed on the carrier lens on the side of the loss, on the differential light sensitivity as well as on the binocular visual field extent in hemianopic patients. The only significant ameliorative finding is the reduction of the gradient of sensitivity between the blind and the responsive side of the monocular visual field in the eye under the prism. However, it fails to increase the differential light sensitivity of the eye fitted with the prism. Likewise, the extent of the binocular visual field did not change significantly, irrespective whether an adaptation period had occurred or not. In conclusion, our results suggest that the ameliorative effect in hemianopes provided by the of prismatic treatment depends on the enlargement of the field of view rather than on substantial enlargement of the visual field and/or on increased light sensitivity.
Molecular Regulation of Human Cathepsin B: Implication in Pathologies

Abstract Cathepsin B is a papain-family cysteine protease that is normally located in lysosomes, where it is involved in the turnover of proteins and plays various roles in maintaining the normal metabolism of cells. This protease has been implicated in pathological conditions, e.g., tumor progression and arthritis. In disease conditions, increases in the expression of cathepsin B occur at both the gene and protein levels. At the gene level, the altered expression results from gene amplification, elevated transcription, use of alternative promoters and alternative splicing. These molecular changes lead to increased cathepsin B protein levels and in turn redistribution, secretion and increased activity. Here we focus on the molecular regulation of cathepsin B and attendant implications for tumor progression and arthritis. The potential of cathepsin B as a therapeutic target is also discussed.
Experimental Demyelination and Remyelination of Murine Spinal Cord by Focal Injection of Lysolecithin

Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system characterized by plaque formation containing lost oligodendrocytes, myelin, axons, and neurons. Remyelination is an endogenous repair mechanism whereby new myelin is produced subsequent to proliferation, recruitment, and differentiation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells into myelin-forming oligodendrocytes, and is necessary to protect axons from further damage. Currently, all therapeutics for the treatment of multiple sclerosis target the aberrant immune component of the disease, which reduce inflammatory relapses but do not prevent progression to irreversible neurological decline. It is therefore imperative that remyelination-promoting strategies be developed which may delay disease progression and perhaps reverse neurological symptoms. Several animal models of demyelination exist, including experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and curprizone; however, there are limitations in their use for studying remyelination. A more robust approach is the focal injection of toxins into the central nervous system, including the detergent lysolecithin into the spinal cord white matter of rodents. In this protocol, we demonstrate that the surgical procedure involved in injecting lysolecithin into the ventral white matter of mice is fast, cost-effective, and requires no additional materials than those commercially available. This procedure is important not only for studying the normal events involved in the remyelination process, but also as a pre-clinical tool for screening candidate remyelination-promoting therapeutics.
Estimation and Analysis of Genetic Association Between Important External and Internal Egg Quality Traits in White Leghorns

Under this study, it has been aimed to determine the genetic correlations for different external and internal egg quality traits. The eggs were collected form 548 progenies (1 egg from each progeny) of 282 dams mated to 47 sires of a White Leghorn flock at Central Poultry Development Organization (CPDO), Eastern Region, Bhubaneswar, Government of India. Full-sib method of analysis was adopted to estimate the existing genetic correlations among different egg quality traits. Egg weight was found to have statistically significant (p<0.01), positive genetic correlations with shell weight (0.73), albumen weight (0.73), yolk weight (0.68), yolk height (0.51), yolk diameter (0.46) and yolk index (0.42). It was also determined that most of the internal quality traits of the egg changed at statistically significant levels (p<0.01) according to the changes in egg weight and egg breadth. Our studies show that if selection for albumen height will be operated, it will positively affect to internal and external traits whereas shape index will be affected negatively (−0.52±0.14). It is feasible to formulate an index selection depending upon the magnitude of correlations between different quality traits for improvement of more than one traits at a time.
Time‐sensitive enhancement of motor learning with the less‐affected forelimb after unilateral sensorimotor cortex lesions in rats

Unilateral damage to the forelimb region of the sensorimotor cortex (FLsmc) results in time‐dependent changes in neuronal activity, structure and connectivity in the contralateral motor cortex of adult rats. These changes have been linked to facilitation of motor skill learning in the less‐affected/ipsilesional forelimb, which is likely to promote its use in the development of behavioral compensation. The goal of this study was to determine whether an early post‐lesion‐sensitive time period exists for this enhanced learning and whether it is linked to synaptogenesis in the contralesional motor cortex. Rats were trained for 21 days on a skilled reaching task with the ipsilesional forelimb beginning 4 or 25 days after unilateral ischemic (endothelin‐1‐induced) FLsmc lesions or sham operations. As found previously, reaching performance was significantly enhanced in rats trained early post‐lesion compared with sham‐operates. In rats trained later post‐lesion, performance was neither significantly different from time‐matched sham‐operates nor strikingly different from animals trained earlier post‐lesion. In layer V of the contralesional motor cortex, stereological methods for light and electron microscopy revealed significantly more total, multisynaptic bouton and perforated synapses per neuron compared with sham‐operates, but there were no significant differences between early‐ and late‐trained lesion groups. Thus, there appears to be a sensitive time window for the maximal expression of the enhanced learning capacity of the less‐affected forelimb but this window is broadly, rather than sharply, defined. These results indicate that relatively long‐lasting lesion‐induced neuronal changes are likely to underlie the facilitation of learning with the less‐affected forelimb.
Concurrent label method with 111In and 51Cr allows accurate evaluation of platelet viability of stored platelet concentrates

Summary. The precision and reproducibility of 111In and 51Cr platelet radiolabel agents for in vivo kinetic studies of stored platelet concentrates (PC) were investigated. The objective was to develop a precise method with concurrent labelling of two platelet populations using different isotopes, which would allow identification of small differences in in vivo platelet quality. Identical labelling procedures were used to investigate the effects of PC storage age, different methods of red cell (RBC) and white cell (WBC) contamination correction, and label elution correction on the results of 111In and 51Cr kinetic studies.
Correct intranuclear localization of herpes simplex virus DNA polymerase requires the viral ICP8 DNA-binding protein

We used indirect immunofluorescence to examine the factors determining the intranuclear location of herpes simplex virus (HSV) DNA polymerase (Pol) in infected cells. In the absence of viral DNA replication, HSV Pol colocalized with the HSV DNA-binding protein ICP8 in nuclear framework-associated structures called prereplicative sites. In the presence of viral DNA replication, HSV Pol colocalized with ICP8 in globular intranuclear structures called replication compartments. In cells infected with mutant viruses encoding defective ICP8 molecules, Pol localized within the cell nucleus but showed a general diffuse intranuclear distribution. In uninfected cells transfected with a plasmid expressing Pol, Pol similarly showed a diffuse intranuclear distribution. Therefore, Pol can localize to the cell nucleus without other viral proteins, but functional ICP8 is required for Pol to localize to prereplicative sites. In cells infected with mutant viruses encoding defective Pol molecules, ICP8 localized to prereplicative sites. Thus, Pol or the portions of Pol not expressed by the mutant viruses are not essential for the formation of prereplicative sites or the localization of ICP8 to these structures. These results demonstrate that a specific nuclear protein can influence the intranuclear location of another nuclear protein.
Micronutrient supplementation in children and adults with HIV infection.

BACKGROUND The scale and impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic has made the search for simple, affordable, safe, and effective public health interventions all the more urgent. Micronutrient supplements hold the promise of meeting these criteria, but their widespread use needs to be based on sound scientific evidence of effectiveness and safety. OBJECTIVES To assess whether micronutrient supplements are effective in reducing morbidity and mortality in adults and children with HIV infection. SEARCH STRATEGY The Cochrane Library (CENTRAL), EMBASE, MEDLINE, AIDSearch, CINAHL, and conference proceedings were searched, and pharmaceutical manufacturers and researchers in the field were contacted to locate any ongoing or unpublished trials. SELECTION CRITERIA Randomised controlled trials comparing the effects of micronutrient supplements (vitamins, trace elements, and combinations of these) with placebo or no treatment on mortality and morbidity in HIV-infected individuals. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Two reviewers independently appraised trial quality and extracted data. Study authors were contacted for additional data where necessary. A meta-analysis was not deemed appropriate due to significant heterogeneity between trials. MAIN RESULTS Fifteen trials were included. Six trials comparing vitamin A/beta-carotene with placebo in adults failed to show any effects on mortality, morbidity, CD4 and CD8 counts, or on viral load. Four trials of other micronutrients in adults did not affect overall mortality, although there was a reduction in mortality in a low CD4 subgroup. In a large Tanzanian trial in pregnant and lactating women, daily multivitamin supplementation was associated with a number of benefits to both mothers and children: a reduction in maternal mortality from AIDS-related causes; a reduced risk of progression to stage four disease; fewer adverse pregnancy outcomes; less diarrhoeal morbidity; and a reduction in early-child mortality among immunologically- and nutritionally-compromised women. Vitamin A alone reduced all-cause mortality and improved growth in a small sub-group of HIV-infected children in one hospital-based trial, and reduced diarrhoea-associated morbidity in a small HIV-infected sub-group of infants in another trial. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS There is no conclusive evidence at present to show that micronutrient supplementation effectively reduces morbidity and mortality among HIV-infected adults. It is reasonable to support the current WHO recommendations to promote and support adequate dietary intake of micronutrients at RDA levels wherever possible. There is evidence of benefit of vitamin A supplementation in children. The long-term clinical benefits, adverse effects, and optimal formulation of micronutrient supplements require further investigation.
Central and peripheral airway sites of nitric oxide gas exchange in COPD.

BACKGROUND This study investigated sites of nitric oxide (NO) gas exchange and response to inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in patients with COPD and varying extents of emphysema. METHODS This was a prospective, randomized, single-blind, crossover study in treated, stable, ex-smoking patients with COPD who were ICS and leukotriene receptor antagonists naive. Lung function, high-resolution thin-section CT scan of the lung, and exhaled NO were measured at 50, 100, 150, and 200 mL/s. Airway NO was adjusted for NO axial backdiffusion. RESULTS In 39 (18 women), clinically stable ex-smokers with COPD aged 73 +/- 9 years (mean +/- SD) on salmeterol 50 microg (S50) bid, after 180 microg aerosolized albuterol, FEV(1) (L) was 52% +/- 12% predicted and FEV(1)/FVC was 55% +/- 6%. Compared with 20 (12 men) age-matched controls, 39 patients with COPD had normal large airway NO flux and small airway/alveolar NO. Subsequently, 19 patients with COPD (Group A) were randomized and continued on S50, and 20 (Group B) were randomized to fluticasone propionate 250 microg (F250)/S50 bid for 86 +/- 16 days. Group A (S50) patients were then switched to F250/S50, and 12 of 19 completed 77 +/- 15 days; there was significant (P < .001) reduction only in the exhaled fraction of NO (FENO) at 50 mL/s and large airway NO flux. In 20 patients with COPD initially randomized to F250/S50 (Group B), after 57 +/- 22 days of S50 in 16 of 20 patients there was a significant (P = .04) increase only in (FENO) at 50 mL/s and large airway NO flux, which was not reduced after 60 +/- 23 days of fluticasone propionate 100 microg (F100)/S50(P = .07). There was no correlation between NO gas exchange and CT-scored emphysema. CONCLUSIONS In COPD, there was normal NO gas exchange in both large and small airways/alveoli and only large airway NO flux was suppressed with F250/S50 but not F100/S50, despite varying extents of emphysema. Peripheral NO must be corrected for axial NO backdiffusion to avoid spurious conclusions. TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT #00568347.