Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of prolyl hydroxylase inhibitors on adipogenesis and hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha levels under normoxic conditions

Adipocyte function is highly regulated in response to changing oxygen levels and physiological regulation of adipocyte formation involves factors originally identified as hypoxia‐responsive proteins. Inhibition of adipogenesis at low oxygen tension is associated with activation of hypoxia inducible factor‐1 alpha (HIF‐1α), a transcription factor essential for cellular responses to decreased oxygen levels whose activity is regulated by prolyl hydroxylase (PHD) enzymes. However, HIF‐1α RNA expression has been detected during the initial stages of adipocyte formation under aerobic conditions, suggesting a physiological role for HIF‐1α during adipogenesis under a range of oxygen levels. Here we investigated the expression of HIF‐1α during adipogenesis using the murine 3T3‐L1 adipocyte model. Our results indicate the tissue‐specific form of HIF‐1α is upregulated during adipogenesis with maximal levels obtained within the first 24 h after induction. The increase in HIF‐1α l.1 gene expression corresponds to increased nuclear HIF‐1α protein, which gradually declines throughout adipogenesis under aerobic conditions. Each of the three HIF prolyl hydroxylases involved in regulating HIF‐1α stability is expressed during adipogenesis. The prolyl hydroxylase domain 1 (PHD1) isoform of the HIF prolyl hydroxylases is expressed in early adipogenesis and the PHD2 and PHD3 isoforms are expressed during late adipogenesis. Pharmacological inhibition of PHD activity during the initial stages of adipogenesis abrogates the formation of adipocytes and inhibits gene expression of each of the PHD. However, inhibition of PHD activity does not consistently regulate HIF‐1α l.1 expression or HIF‐1α protein levels, suggesting that hydroxylation‐independent mechanisms are involved in regulating HIF‐1α expression in adipocytes under aerobic conditions. J. Cell. Biochem. 101: 1545–1557, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Surface immunoglobulins on mouse lymphoid cells.

Addition of 125I-labeled anti-immunoglobulin protein to cell suspensions from mouse thymus, spleen and thoracic duct lymph (TDL) resulted in labeling of surface immunoglobulins of lymphoid-like cells. Near-optimal conditions for cell labeling were established with varying anti-immunoglobulin concentrations and times of exposure. On the average 20.1% to 36.3% of TDL and spleen cells labeled under such conditions, whereas thymus cells labeled less heavily (0.3% to 3.7%) with identical materials. Normal rabbit sera (NRS) or anti-immunoglobulin absorbed with purified immunoglobulins produced essentially no labeling. The total heavy chain labeling on TDL and spleen cells exceeded light chain labeling (64.6% vs 31.8% and 79.8% vs 33.0%, respectively). This might suggest that labeled cells had multiple surface heavy chain determinants or that the anti-heavy chain antibodies cross-reacted with an unidentified immunoglobulin-like surface antigen. There was increased labeling with TDL suspensions from neonatally thymectomized mice (65% with anti-light chain). This was consistent with the hypothesis that primarily non-thymus-derived cells were labeled by these techniques.
INPAINTING THE COLORS By Guillermo Sapiro IMA Preprint Series # 1979 ( May 2004 ) INSTITUTE FOR MATHEMATICS AND ITS APPLICATIONS

A framework for automatic image colorization, the art of adding color to a monochrome image or movie, is presented in this paper. The approach is based on considering the geometry and structure of the monochrome luminance input, given by its gradient information, as representing the geometry and structure of the whole colored version. The color is then obtained by solving a partial differential equation that propagates a few color scribbles provided by the user or by side information, while considering the gradient information brought in by the monochrome data. This way, the color is inpainted, constrained both by the monochrome image geometry and the provided color samples. We present the underlying framework and examples for still images and movies.
The near/far effect in local ALOHA radio communications

The ALOHA protocol allows many uncoordinated terminals to transmit data packets through a common channel. The application of ALOHA to short range (indoor or mobile) radio systems containing mobile terminals that send packets to a central base station is studied. In such systems, terminal-to-base distances can be vastly different and there can be pronounced shadowing. This gives rise to a capture effect at the receiver, where the packet arriving with the highest energy has a good chance of being detected accurately, even when other packets are present. It is well known that this capture effect improves the throughput and delay characteristics of the system as a whole. One of the principal findings is that even the user with the weakest signal shares in these improvements. This result is derived for the realistic case in which each terminal has a buffer to store packets that arrive while the terminal is waiting to transmit packets that were destroyed in earlier collisions.
THE MALE CLIMACTERIUM †

The word climacteric is derived from the Greek word climacter, which means "the round of a ladder. " In its strictest medical usage, it may be applied to a particular period in the ordinary life span, during which the body is believed to undergo a radical change, such as puberty, the menopause or old age. Commonly it is employed to denote the changes associated with an abnormal menopause in women, and less frequently to describe similar disturbances in men during late middle life. The presence of such a condition in the male has been frequently challenged, often by high authority, because the ascribed symptoms and signs occur at a time when sexual libido, potency and spermatogenesis appear to be still undisturbed. However, the existence of the syndrome in the female is readily admitted by the same authors, despite the fact that the manifestations may make their appearance several years before, or even fifteen to twenty years after the cessation of ovulation and menstruation. By the same token, in the male all phases of testicular activity may not wax and wane simultaneously, either quantitatively or qualitatively. The word climacterium, as commonly used and as employed here, represents an abnormal state of the body, initiated by a diminution in certain functions of the gonad and characterized by a variation from normal in the response of several glands of internal secretion. The term, therefore, is not used synonymously with the menopause in the female (merely a cessation of ovulation and menstruation), nor with loss of libido, potency and spermatogenesis in the male. It is used to denote a state of glandular maladjustment secondary to altered gonadal function. This maladjustment is clinically characterized by a wide variety of symptoms and signs, no one of which is pathognomonic, but which, when considered conjointly, co-istitute a diagnostically recognizable and therapeutically useful pattern. In making a diagnosis of the mal. elimacterium, several observers (1-10) have laid great stress upon the im, . rtance of quantitative determinations of urinary gonadotropins and 17-ketosten . ls, emphasizing the fact that before the diagnosis
Decreased neural specialization in old adults on a working memory task

Compelling evidence shows that there is decreased neural specialization in the ventral visual cortex in older adults under passive viewing conditions. We assessed whether such specialization would be maintained on a working memory task and whether decreased specialization co-occurred with increased prefrontal activations. Participants encoded three faces or houses and maintained the set across an 8-s interval. Results provided evidence for less specialization of faces and houses in older adults than in younger adults, while the middle and inferior frontal cortex showed increased activation in elders compared with the young.
Immunological phenomena in cluster headache: a controversy.

6. Migliorini P, Aiuti F, Balestrieri G, Bombardieri S, Cantarella S, Carbonara A, Clerici E, Coppo R, Cordiali Fei P, D'Amelio R, Del Giacco GS, Di Mario U, Manca F, Manno C, Marchi M, Massai G, Natali PG, Passaleva A, Pastore A, Pastore R, Rossi G, Schena FP, Tincani A, Trovatello G, Valesini G and Celada F: Comparison of pathologic and normal sera by immune complex determination: five disease groups within 190 samples are discriminated by computer-selected combinations of 13 methods. Report of the Italian Committee for the study of Immune Complexes (WIC). Clin Immunol Immunopathol 32:298-315, 1984.
Interposition arthroplasty with an Achilles tendon allograft as a salvage procedure for the elbow.

BACKGROUND Interposition arthroplasty is often considered to be a salvage option for the treatment of severe elbow arthritis when conservative treatment has failed and total joint replacement is contraindicated. The present retrospective study summarizes the results of a specific interposition arthroplasty technique for the treatment of inflammatory and posttraumatic arthritis of the elbow. METHODS Between 1996 and 2003, sixty-nine elbows were treated with interposition arthroplasty with an Achilles tendon allograft. Forty-five elbows, including eleven with inflammatory arthritis and thirty-four with posttraumatic arthritis, met our inclusion criteria. The mean patient age was thirty-nine years. The mean duration of clinical follow-up was 6.0 years. Seven patients subsequently underwent revision surgery and were excluded from the analysis. For the thirty-eight remaining patients with surviving allografts, the current Mayo Elbow Performance Score and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand score were obtained and the most recent clinical outcomes and radiographs were reviewed. RESULTS In the group of thirty-eight patients with surviving allografts, the mean flexion-extension arc improved from 51 degrees preoperatively to 97 degrees postoperatively (p < 0.001). The mean Mayo Elbow Performance Score improved from 41 points preoperatively to 65 points postoperatively (p < 0.0001). Thirteen patients had a good or excellent result, fourteen had a fair result, and eleven had a poor result; the remaining seven had a revision. On the basis of the Mayo Elbow Performance Score, twelve patients rated the elbow as somewhat better and nineteen rated the elbow as much better following the interposition procedure. Despite efforts to reconstruct the collateral ligaments, preoperative instability on physical examination (found in eleven patients) was associated with low Mayo Elbow Performance Scores (p = 0.03) and high Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand scores (p = 0.006). Four of five patients undergoing reconstruction of both collateral ligaments had a net decrease in the Mayo Elbow Performance Score. CONCLUSIONS We consider interposition elbow arthroplasty to be a salvage procedure as it neither completely eliminates pain nor restores full function. It may be indicated for young active patients with severe inflammatory or posttraumatic arthritis, especially those with limited elbow motion. Furthermore, we do not recommend this procedure when patients present with preoperative instability on physical examination.
The influence of clinical characteristics, laboratory and inflammatory markers on ‘high on-treatment platelet reactivity’ as measured with different platelet function tests

Summary High on-clopidogrel platelet reactivity (HCPR) and high on-aspirin platelet reactivity (HAPR) are independently associated with an increased risk of atherothrombotic events. However, despite this positive correlation, the definitions of both HCPR and HAPR vary largely throughout studies and between different platelet function assays.The aim of the present study was to explore clinical and laboratory parameters that are associated with HCPR and HAPR as measured with different platelet function tests. 530 clopidogrel and aspirin pre-treated patients undergoing elective PCI (percutaneous coronary intervention) were enrolled. Platelet function measurements were performed with: optical aggregometry, the VerifyNow device and PFA-100 cartridges (including the novel INNOVANCE® P2Y assay). HCPR as measured with Adenosin-Di-Phospate-induced (ADP) aggregation based tests was associated with clinical factors such as older age, female gender and Diabetes mellitus (DM). TheVerifyNow P2Y12 assay was significantly influenced by haemoglobin and haematocrit levels. HAPR as measured with aggregation based tests was significantly influenced by the presence of malignancy, BMI (Body-Mass Index), older age and increased levels of hsCRP (high sensitivity c-reactive proteine). The PFA-100 COL/ EPI (collagen-epinephrine) and COL/ADP (collagen-ADP) cartridges were significantly influenced by monocyte count,hs-CRP, MPV (mean platelet volume), vWF-antigen (von Willebrand factor) and vWF-activity. HCPR as measured with the novel INNOVANCE® P2Y cartridge was associated with clinical determinants such as BMI,female gender,impaired LVEF (left ventricular ejection fraction), renal failure and dosing of clopidogrel. Laboratory markers that were associated with HCPR as measured with INNOVANCE® P2Y were platelet count, white blood cells (WBC), hsCRP and fibrinogen. Both HCPR and HAPR are highly dependent on the type of platelet function assay. Each platelet function assay, in turn, is significantly influenced by distinct clinical and laboratory variables.
Sosyal Bilgiler Öğretmen Adaylarının Sınıfı Yönetebilme Becerilerine İlişkin Algıları

Bu arastirma, sosyal bilgiler ogretmen adaylarinin sinifi yonetebilme becerilerine iliskin algilarini belirlemeyi amaclamaktadir. Bu arastirma tarama modelinde betimsel bir arastirmadir. Arastirmanin calisma grubunu 2012-2013 egitim ogretim yilinda Kastamonu Universitesi, Gaziosmanpasa Universitesi ve Gazi Universitesi Egitim Fakultesi Sosyal Bilgiler Bolumu’nde ogrenim gormekte olan 1. ve 4. sinif sosyal bilgiler ogretmen adaylari olusturmaktadir. Arastirmada veri toplama araci olarak Ilgar (2007) tarafindan gelistirilen “Sinif Yonetimi Becerileri Olcegi” kullanilmistir. Arastirma sonucunda, sosyal bilgiler ogretmen adaylarinin sinifi yonetebilme becerilerine iliskin algilarinin “iyi” duzeyde oldugunu saptanmistir. Sosyal bilgiler ogretmen adaylarinin sinifi yonetebilme becerilerine iliskin algilari cinsiyete gore anlamli bir farklilik gostermezken, sinif duzeyi ve ogrenim gordukleri universiteye gore anlamli bir farklilik gostermektedir.
Extent to Which Selected Factors Contribute to Alcohol and Cigarette Use among Public Day Secondary Schools Male Students: A Case of Nakuru Municipality, Kenya

The increase in alcohol and cigarettes use among young people than any population strata is of great concern. The use of alcohol that began in African traditional society as an activity for political, religious, cultural and social relations has evolved over time into a problem of dependence and addiction. Despite concerted prevention efforts, there is still evidence of high prevalence of these drugs among students. As part of the prevention efforts, studies have been conducted to unravel etiological complexities of this drug use problem. This study sought to examine the extent to which the family factors, peer-group influence, exposure to pro-alcohol and cigarettes mass media content and level of self-esteem contribute to the use of alcohol and cigarettes among male students in public day secondary schools in Nakuru municipality, Kenya. To achieve this purpose, ex post facto research design was used and independent variables were studied retrospectively. Multistage cluster, Probability Proportionate to Size and purposive sampling methods were used to select the participating schools and respondents. A sample size of 327 students was selected from total population of 2279 from nine sampled schools. A self- administered questionnaire was used to collect data on students’ demographic and background characteristics, level of self reported alcohol and cigarettes use and social influences (parents, siblings and peers and exposure to pro-alcohol and cigarettes mass media content) that promote use of these drugs. Rosenberg self-esteem scale was used to measure respondents’ self-esteem. Data was analyzed by use of frequencies, percentages, cross-tabulation, Chisquare and logistic regression. SPSS version 15.0 computer program was used to aid in data analysis. The study established that Peer- group influence had the greatest contribution to high alcohol and cigarettes use, followed by family factors. The selected factors accounted for 44% of high alcohol and cigarettes use collectively. These findings may be useful in prioritizing targets for prevention and intervention programs.
Frequency-Based Light & Sound Neurotherapy ( LSN ) Research : A Review of the Research

Throughout time, people have learned to enjoy our brains’ natural tendency to synchronize with pleasant rhythmic stimulation. Whether it is the beating of drums around campfires in aboriginal cultures, disco dancing to throbbing music and synchronized strobe lights in the 1970’s and 80’s, or being entranced by a fire’s flickering flames while listening to jazz today, this rhythmic stimulation has the power to shape our thoughts, moods, and behaviors.
Plasmid Vectors Encoding Cholera Toxin or the Heat-Labile Enterotoxin from Escherichia coli Are Strong Adjuvants for DNA Vaccines

ABSTRACT Two plasmid vectors encoding the A and B subunits of cholera toxin (CT) and two additional vectors encoding the A and B subunits of the Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) were evaluated for their ability to serve as genetic adjuvants for particle-mediated DNA vaccines administered to the epidermis of laboratory animals. Both the CT and the LT vectors strongly augmented Th1 cytokine responses (gamma interferon [IFN-γ]) to multiple viral antigens when codelivered with DNA vaccines. In addition, Th2 cytokine responses (interleukin 4 [IL-4]) were also augmented by both sets of vectors, with the effects of the LT vectors on IL-4 responses being more antigen dependent. The activities of both sets of vectors on antibody responses were antigen dependent and ranged from no effect to sharp reductions in the immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1)-to-IgG2a ratios. Overall, the LT vectors exhibited stronger adjuvant effects in terms of T-cell responses than did the CT vectors, and this was correlated with the induction of greater levels of cyclic AMP by the LT vectors following vector transfection into cultured cells. The adjuvant effects observed in vivo were due to the biological effects of the encoded proteins and not due to CpG motifs in the bacterial genes. Interestingly, the individual LT A and B subunit vectors exhibited partial adjuvant activity that was strongly influenced by the presence or absence of signal peptide coding sequences directing the encoded subunit to either intracellular or extracellular locations. Particle-mediated delivery of either the CT or LT adjuvant vectors in rodents and domestic pigs was well tolerated, suggesting that bacterial toxin-based genetic adjuvants may be a safe and effective strategy to enhance the potency of both prophylactic and therapeutic DNA vaccines for the induction of strong cellular immunity.
Effects of different amounts of LH on superovulation induction with long-acting GnRH in an IVF program.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether different doses of exogenous LH affect IVF outcome. DESIGN Retrospective analysis of two consecutive trials. SETTING Infertility Unit of 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Milan, Italy. PATIENTS Two groups of 40 eumennorrheic patients matched for age and indications for in vitro fertilization. INTERVENTION After suppression with a GnRH analogue, both groups received equal amounts of FSH in the first five days of stimulation; after this, the proportions of LH administered were doubled in one group because a different preparation was in use. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The following observations were compared: number of scans (days to hCG), number of oocytes retrieved, fertilization rate, quality and number of embryos transferred, pregnancy and abortion rate. RESULTS Doubling the amount of LH administered does not affect any outcome measure except the number of days of stimulation needed prior to hCG administration. CONCLUSIONS No significant difference was seen in terms of number of oocytes, embryo number and quality, pregnancy and abortion rate. The only difference was the length of the stimulation phase.
Pharmacological Profile of the Thyroid Hormone Receptor Antagonist NH3 in Rats

NH3 is a thyroid hormone receptor (TR) antagonist that inhibits binding of thyroid hormones to their receptor and that inhibits cofactor recruitment. It was active in a tadpole tail resorption assay, with partial agonist activity at high concentrations. We determined the effect of NH3 on the cholesterol-lowering, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)-lowering, and tachycardic action of thyroid hormone (T3) in rats. Cholesterol-fed, euthyroid rats were treated for 7 days with NH3, and a dose response (46.2-27,700 nmol/kg/day) was determined. We also determined the effect of two doses of T3 on the NH3 dose-response curve. NH3 decreased heart rate modestly starting at 46.2 nmol/kg/day, but the effect was lost at >2920 nmol/kg/day. At 27,700 nmol/kg/day, tachycardia was seen, suggesting partial agonist activity. NH3 increased plasma cholesterol to a maximum of 27% at 462 nmol/kg/day. At higher doses, cholesterol was reduced, suggesting partial agonist activity. Plasma TSH was increased from 46.2 to 462 nmol/kg/day NH3, but at higher doses, this effect was lost, and partial agonist effects were apparent. T3 at 15.4 and 46.2 nmol/kg/day increased heart rate, reduced cholesterol, and reduced plasma TSH. NH3 inhibited the cholesterol-lowering, TSH-lowering and tachycardic effects of 15.4 nmol/kg/day T3, but much of the effect was lost at >924 nmol/kg/day doses. NH3 had no effect on the cholesterol-lowering action of 46.2 nmol/kg/day T3, but it inhibited the tachycardic and TSH suppressant effects up to the 924 nmol/kg/day dose. Single doses of 462 and 27,700 nmol/kg caused no TR inhibitory effects. In conclusion, NH3 has TR antagonist properties on T3-responsive parameters, but it has partial agonist properties at higher doses.