Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Brain Function, Cognition, and the Blood Pressure Response to Pharmacological Treatment

Objective: To extend evidence suggesting that essential hypertension influences neuropsychological performance and that brain function before treatment is related to the success of pharmacological lowering of blood pressure (BP). Methods: A voxel-based examination of the whole brain was conducted among 43 hypertensive patients treated for 1 year with assessment pre and post treatment, using positron emission tomography and neuropsychological testing. Results: Neuropsychological performance improved over the year of treatment but was unrelated to change in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF). Neither mean resting rCBF nor responsivity to a working memory task changed significantly with treatment. However, patients with greater lowering of systolic BP during treatment showed increased rCBF responsivity to a working memory task in medial and orbital frontal areas and decreased rCBF responsivity in mid frontal, parietal, thalamus, and pons (as well as lower thalamic rCBF pretreatment). Improved working memory performance over the treatment period was related to decreased responsivity in medial frontal, medullary, and parietal areas. Patients showing greater lowering of BP with treatment seemed to reduce excitatory and enhance inhibitory coupling between memory processing and BP more than those with less treatment success. Conclusion: Degree of treatment success for both BP and cognitive performance among hypertensives is related to differing patterns of rCBF. Overall, the results emphasize the relevance of brain function to the treatment of hypertension. BP = blood pressure; PET = positron emission tomography; rCBF = regional cerebral blood flow; MRI = magnetic resonance imaging; ROI = region of interest.
African swine fever virus serotype-specific proteins are significant protective antigens for African swine fever.

African swine fever (ASF) is an emerging disease threat for the swine industry worldwide. No ASF vaccine is available and progress is hindered by lack of knowledge concerning the extent of ASFV strain diversity and the viral antigens conferring type-specific protective immunity in pigs. Available data from vaccination/challenge experiments in pigs indicate that ASF protective immunity may be haemadsorption inhibition (HAI) serotype-specific. Recently, we have shown that two ASFV proteins, CD2v (EP402R) and C-type lectin (EP153R), are necessary and sufficient for mediating HAI serological specificity (Malogolovkin et al., 2015). Here, using ASFV inter-serotypic chimeric viruses and vaccination/challenge experiments in pigs, we demonstrate that serotype-specific CD2v and/or C-type lectin proteins are important for protection against homologous ASFV infection. Thus, these viral proteins represent significant protective antigens for ASFV that should be targeted in future vaccine design and development. Additionally, these data support the concept of HAI serotype-specific protective immunity.
Neuroprotective Effects of Raloxifene on Experimental Spinal Cord Injury in Rats

Introduction:The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible beneficial effect of raloxifene on cytokine production and ultrastructure of the spinal cord after spinal cord injury (SCI) in an animal model. Methods:Forty-eight male, adult Wistar Albino rats were divided into 4 groups for this study: A (only laminectomy), B (trauma; laminectomy + spinal trauma), C (raloxifene group; laminectomy + spinal trauma + raloxifene treated) and D (vehicle group; laminectomy + spinal trauma + vehicle treated). SCI was achieved by compression of the spinal cord horizontally and extradurally for 1 minute with an aneurysm clip (Sugita no: 07-934-11, closing pressure of 1.37-1.72 N). Spinal cords were extirpated at T7–T12 level, and tissue samples of the spinal cord samples were gathered for tumor necrosis factor &agr; (TNF-&agr;)/protein and interleukin (IL)-1&bgr;/protein measurements at first and sixth hours. Spinal cords harvested at sixth hour were evaluated for ultrastructural changes. Results:Both TNF-&agr;/protein and IL-1&bgr;/protein levels in the samples harvested 6 hours after surgery in the group B (62.70 ± 6.67 pg/mg and 11.25 ± 1.37 pg/mg, respectively) were higher than those taken from group A (P = 0.002 and P = 0.041, respectively). Furthermore, TNF-&agr;/protein and IL-1&bgr;/protein levels in the samples of animals treated with raloxifene (23.27 ± 5.27 pg/mg and 6.09 ± 0.77 pg/mg, respectively) were significantly lower than those taken from group B (P = 0.002 and P = 0.002, respectively). In the trauma group, electron microscopic examinations revealed deformities inside the cells and severe edema in neuropil. Raloxifene seemed to attenuate these ultrastructural changes at sixth hour after SCI. Conclusion:A single dose of 3.0 mg/kg of raloxifene intraperitoneally given 30 minutes after the induction of SCI reduced the production of TNF-&agr; and IL-1&bgr; 6 hours after SCI and attenuated ultrastructural changes in a rat model.
Children, Youth and Developmental Science in the 2015-2030 Global Sustainable Development Goals

In September 2016, the member states of the United Nations completed the process of adopting and defi ning indicators for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs; United Nations, 2015). Developed through a three-year, worldwide participatory process, these 17 goals and 169 targets represent a global consensus on the part of U.N. member nations towards an inclusive, sustainable world, centered around ensuring equity in all countries at a time of great environmental and humanitarian crises. This Social Policy Report describes the central role of supporting child and youth development in achieving the vision behind the U.N. Sustainable Development Agenda. The report then addresses the importance of developmental science in achieving the aims of the Sustainable Development Agenda through generating knowledge of child and youth development in diverse contexts, monitoring and measurement to reveal patterns of success and inequity, and building capacity for developmental science in all countries. We emphasize the goal that most clearly encompasses development from birth to young adulthood (SDG 4) and also describe the relevance of developmental science to the other goals. Children, Youth and Developmental Science in the 2015–2030 Global Sustainable Development Goals volume 30, number 3 2017 Author’s Note: Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Abbie Raikes, College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 986075, Omaha, NE, 68198. abbie.raikes@unmc.edu. Yoshikawa’s work on this article was partially supported by a grant from the NYU Abu Dhabi Research Institute to the Global TIES for Children Center at New York University. Pia Rebello Britto UNICEF Iheoma Iruka University of Nebraska
Structural abnormalities in the dyslexic brain: A meta‐analysis of voxel‐based morphometry studies

We used coordinate‐based meta‐analysis in order to objectively quantify gray matter abnormalities reported in nine Voxel‐Based Morphometry studies of developmental dyslexia. Consistently across studies, reduced gray matter volume in dyslexic readers was found in the right superior temporal gyrus and left superior temporal sulcus. These results were related to findings from previous meta‐analyses on functional brain abnormalities in dyslexic readers. Convergence of gray matter reduction and reading‐related underactivation was found for the left superior temporal sulcus. Recent studies point to the presence of both functional and structural abnormalities in left temporal and occipito‐temporal brain regions before reading onset. Hum Brain Mapp 34:3055–3065, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
RON RECEPTOR TYROSINE KINASE NEGATIVELY REGULATES TNF&agr; PRODUCTION IN ALVEOLAR MACROPHAGES BY INHIBITING NF-&kgr;B ACTIVITY AND ADAM17 PRODUCTION

The Ron receptor tyrosine kinase (TK) plays a regulatory role in the inflammatory response to acute lung injury induced by intranasal administration of bacterial LPS. Previously, we have shown that mice with a targeted deletion of the TK signaling domain of the Ron receptor exhibited more severe lung injury in response to intranasal LPS administration as evidenced by an increased leakage of albumin in the lungs and a greater thickening of the alveolar septa compared with wild-type mice. In addition, lung injury in the Ron TK-deficient (TK−/−) mice was associated with increased activation of the transcription factor, nuclear factor-&kgr;B (NF-&kgr;B), and significantly increased intrapulmonary expression of TNF&agr;. TNF&agr;, a multifunctional proinflammatory cytokine, is a central mediator in several disease states, including rheumatoid arthritis and sepsis. On the basis of the observation that TNF&agr; production is increased in the Ron TK−/− mice and that macrophages are a major source of this cytokine, we hypothesized that the alterations observed in the Ron TK−/− mice may be due, in part, to Ron signaling, specifically in alveolar macrophages. To test this hypothesis, we used the wild-type and Ron TK−/− primary alveolar macrophages and the murine alveolar macrophage cell line, MH-S, to examine the effects of Ron activation on LPS-induced TNF&agr; production and NF-&kgr;B activity. Here, we reported that Ron is expressed on alveolar macrophages and MH-S cells. Activation of Ron by its ligand, hepatocyte growth factor-like protein, decreases TNF&agr; production in alveolar macrophages after LPS challenge. Decreased TNF&agr; is associated with hepatocyte growth factor-like protein-induced decreases in NF-&kgr;B activation and increases in the NF-&kgr;B inhibitory protein, I&kgr;B. We also provided the first evidence for Ron as a negative regulator of Adam17, the metalloprotease involved in TNF&agr; processing. These results indicate that Ron plays a critical role in regulation of alveolar macrophage signaling and validates this receptor as a target in TNF&agr;-mediated pulmonary pathologies.ABBREVIATIONS-HGFL-hepatocyte growth factor-like protein; TK-tyrosine kinase; NF-&kgr;B-nuclear factor &kgr;B; Adam17-a disintegrin and metalloprotease
Improved circuit model for left-handed lines loaded with split ring resonators

In this letter, an improved lumped element equivalent circuit model for left-handed lines based on split ring resonators (SRRs) is presented and discussed. It is rigorously demonstrated that although the previously accepted circuit model of these metamaterial transmission lines (a π circuit) provides a good description of device behavior, its electrical parameters do not actually describe the physics of the structure. Conversely, the parameters of the improved equivalent circuit model are representative of the different elements of the structure, including the SRRs, the shunt inductive elements and the host line. It is also shown that the proposed model can be transformed to a π model which is formally identical to the previous reported model of SRR-based left-handed lines. With this transformation, the main relevant characteristics of these left-handed lines are perfectly interpreted.
Validation of a chopsticks manipulation test for screening Chinese children with fine motor dysfunction

Purpose: To study the test-retest reliability, concurrent and discriminant validity of a Chopsticks Manipulation Test for assessing children with fine motor delay. Method: Chopsticks Manipulation Test and Peabody Developmental Motor Scale-Fine Motor scale were administered on 190 children (120 without developmental disabilities and 70 with developmental disabilities). Another 40 children were selected to test for test-retest reliability. Results: (1) Test-retest reliability of the two tests mentioned above was found to be satisfactory (ICC ranged from 0.89 to 0.99). (2) There was a moderate correlation between the two tests (r=0.39, p <0.01). (3) There was significant difference between children with and without developmental disabilities in the Chopsticks Manipulation Test (t-value=-4.71, df=180, p<0.05). (4) Age and gender are factors affecting the Chopsticks Manipulation Test performance. Conclusion: The Chopsticks Manipulation Test was found to have good test-retest reliability. It is easy to administer in different clinical settings and the children are familiar with the equipment used in the test. It can also discriminate children with and without fine motor delay. Age and gender seemed to affect the performance of chopsticks manipulation of children.
Omeprazole Induced Acute Interstitial Nephritis in an Adolescent

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have emerged as a common cause of drug induced acute interstitial nephritis (AIN) in adults. We present a 15-year-old girl with severe acute kidney injury and biopsy proven AIN attributable to omeprazole. Withdrawal of the drug and steroid therapy affected a recovery of renal function. As the use of PPIs increases in paediatrics, it is important to be aware of this rare but serious side effect.
Green and roasted mate: phenolic profile and antioxidant activity.

Mate infusions have been recently and frequently used as dietary supplements because of their health effects to prevent atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease and to be antioxidant. The aim of this study was to determine phenolic compounds and antioxidant activities of green mate (GM) and roasted mate (RM) extracts and compare them with green tea (GT). Total polyphenol content of GM and RM extracts was found to be similar and to range from 237.20 to 438.50 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE) g-1 dry extract and from 256.72 to 473.11 mg GAE g-1 dry extract depending on the solvent used and type of fraction, respectively. Polyphenol yield of GM and RM extracts were in the range of 20.94-101.72 mg GAE g-1 dw leaf and 22.08-74.56 mg GAE g-1 dw leaf, respectively. GM and RM extracts exhibited similar antioxidant activity when measured by reducing power. However, RM extracts had significantly higher protection factor (PF) values determined by rancimat assay and radical scavenging activity (RSA) determined by DPPH radical scavenging compared to GM extracts. In general, RM extracts had higher antioxidant activity than GM extracts although both mate leaves were found to have similar phenolic profiles and contain mainly chlorogenic acid and isomers as a phenolic matter.
Comparison of adjustable and fixed oral appliances for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To compare the efficacy of adjustable and fixed oral appliances for the treatment of OSA. METHODS Retrospective review of consecutive patients with OSA treated with either adjustable or fixed oral appliances. Polysomnography was conducted before and during therapy. Effective treatment was defined as an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) < 5 events/h or < 10 events/h with resolution of sleepiness (Epworth < 10). We compared efficacy rates between fixed and adjustable appliances and sought to identify factors associated with greater success. RESULTS We included 805 patients, 602 (74.8%) treated with an adjustable and 203 (25.2%) a fixed oral appliances. Among the cohort, 86.4% were men; mean age was 41.3 ± 9.2 years. Mean AHI was 30.7 ± 25.6, with 34.1% having mild (AHI 5-14.9), 29.2% moderate (AHI 15-29.9), and 36.8% severe (AHI ≥ 30) OSA. Successful therapy was significantly more common with adjustable appliances. Obstructive events were reduced to < 5/h in 56.8% with adjustable compared to 47.0% with fixed appliances (p = 0.02). Similarly, a reduction of events to < 10 with resolution of sleepiness occurred in 66.4% with adjustable appliances versus 44.9% with fixed appliances (p < 0.001). For both devices, success was more common in younger patients, with lower BMI and less severe disease. CONCLUSIONS Adjustable devices produced greater reductions in obstructive events and were more likely to provide successful therapy, especially in moderate-severe OSA. Fixed appliances were effective in mild disease, but were less successful in those with higher AHIs. Given these findings, the baseline AHI should be considered when selecting the type of oral appliance.
Regional Pattern of Trends in Long-Term Precipitation and Stream Flow Observations: Singularities in a Changing Climate in Mexico

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change has concluded that global warming is unequivocal (IPCC, 2007). However, there is still a debate regarding whether global warming is mainly due to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions (Zhao, 2011), particularly because, as Lindzen (2007) states, current models fail to describe many known climate changes, and because some sources of anthropogenic forcing contribution (like surface albedo, total aerosol, etc) are essentially unknown (Lindzen, 2007). It has been stated that the warming has penetrated into the world’s oceans (Barnett et al., 2005) increasing sea surface temperatures (SSTs) by approximately 0.5°C since the mid-nineteenth century (Houghton et al. 2001). Higher SSTs are associated with increased water vapor in the lower troposphere (Trenberth, 2005) implying that perturbations in the global water cycle are expected to accompany this warming (Milly et al., 2005). The understanding of specific regional changes (i.e. trend analysis) in temperature, rainfall, and streamflow is very necessary for supporting the needs of an ever-broadening spectrum of decision-makers as they strive to deal with influences of Earth’s climate at global to local scales. Trend analyses have revealed the existence of temperature trends with different signs in Mexico in general (Englehart & Douglas, 2004; Pavia et al., 2009), central Mexico (Brito-Castillo et al., 2009), and northwestern Mexico (Gutierrez-Ruacho et al., 2010; Weiss & Overpeck, 2005), which is partly associated with regional land use, changes in land cover (Englehart & Douglas, 2004), and changes in large-scale atmospheric flow patterns (Brito-Castillo et al., 2009). These studies have shown that, while significant trends do exist, they are at times in line with warming hypotheses and at times they are not. The complete understanding of these changes is particularly important, especially for river discharges, since availability of water is vital for human health, economic activity, ecosystem functions, and geophysical processes (Milly et al., 2005). In Mexico, trend analyses have mostly focused on maximum and minimum temperatures, while trend analyses of precipitation and streamflow have only partly been studied. Knowledge remains scarce, partly attributed to lack of long-term data (both in space and time), the difficulties encountered in providing a correct interpretation of changes attributed to human disturbances, such as diversion of water for irrigation of cropland and control of water for generating electric power, as well as the complexity of the processes that externally force hydroclimate variability (natural changes and low-frequency
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN REWARDS AND EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE: A MEDIATING ROLE OF JOB SATISFACTION

This research attempts to review various research in term of relationships between rewards, job satisfaction, and employee performance. In this regard, two types of reward are identified, and they are intrinsic reward and extrinsic reward. Extant research showed that reward can affect job satisfaction and thereby employee performance, so this study proposes a new framework based on mediating role of job satisfaction
Cognitive, behavioral, and neural consequences of sex chromosome aneuploidy

The X chromosome has played a critical role in the development of sexually selected characteristics for over 300 million years, and during that time it has accumulated a disproportionate number of genes concerned with mental functions. There are relatively specific effects of X‐linked genes on social cognition, language, emotional regulation, visuospatial, and numerical skills. Many human X‐linked genes outside the X–Y pairing pseudoautosomal regions escape X‐inactivation. Dosage differences in the expression of such genes (which constitute at least 15% of the total) are likely to play an important role in male–female neural differentiation, and in cognitive deficits and behavioral characteristics, particularly in the realm of social communication, that are associated with sex chromosome aneuploidies. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Rs 895819 within miR-27 a Might be Involved in Development of Non Small Cell Lung Cancer in the Chinese Han Population

Due to high morbidity and mortality, malignant behaviors and lack of effective treatment, lung cancer is deemed to the leading cause of cancer-related deaths, worldwide. According to cancer statistics in 2014, approximately 116,000 men and 108,210 women will be estimated with new NSCLC cases and 86,930 men and 72,330 women will die of the disease in USA (Siegel et al., 2014). In China, a total of 605,946 persons were diagnosed as new NSCLC patients, and 486,555 cases were died in 2010 (Chen et al., 2014). Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for 80% of all lung cancer patients (Lee et al., 2006). Although the rapid advantage in understanding the mechanism of carcinogenesis and progression of NSCLC recently, but the precise mechanism remains puzzle. It is well known that NSCLC is a complicated malignant with an intense crosstalk of genetic and environmental factors. Accumulating evidences suggested that single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of related genes were significantly associated with the risk and prognosis of NSCLC. MicroRNA-27a gene (miR-27a) is supposed to be
Molecular Modeling of Nucleic Acid Structure: Energy and Sampling

An overview of computer simulation techniques as applied to nucleic acid systems is presented. This unit discusses methods used to treat energy and to sample representative configurations. Emphasis is placed on molecular mechanics and empirical force fields. Curr. Protoc. Nucleic Acid Chem. 54:7.8. 1‐7.8. 21. © 2013 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Pathways to photoreceptor cell death in inherited retinal degenerations

The mutations that cause many forms of inherited retinal degenerations have been identified, yet the mechanisms by which these mutations lead to death of photoreceptor cells of the retina are not completely understood. Investigations of the pathways from mutation to retinal degeneration have focused on spontaneous and engineered animal models of disease. Based on the studies performed to date, four major categories of degeneration mechanism can be identified. These include disruption of photoreceptor outer segment morphogenesis, metabolic overload, dysfunction of retinal pigment epithelial cells, and chronic activation of phototransduction. Future investigations will likely identify additional mechanisms of photoreceptor damage. This review will summarize what has been learned from studying animal models of non‐syndromic inherited retinal degenerations. BioEssays 23:605–618, 2001. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Urban teleradiology in Hong Kong

We investigated four major teleradiology programmes in Hong Kong. We analysed the overall organizational background of each programme, the context of its implementation, the choice of technology and the decision-making process, and the subsequent dissemination of the technology. Our review suggests that the success of a telemedicine programme is contingent not only on good technology but also on effective management of issues pertaining to human and organizational factors. At the departmental level, the context of the implementation of telemedicine is crucial. At the institutional level, success depends on planning and management. At the professional level, continued education, periodic meetings and seminars are all effective means of promoting telemedicine among health-care professionals and administrators. At the national level, the Hong Kong experience suggests that telemedicine can be effectively developed by starting with urbanbased programmes.