Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Possible "accelerated striatal aging" induced by 56Fe heavy-particle irradiation: implications for manned space flights.

The present experiments were carried out to determine the effects of energy deposition from energetic iron (56Fe particles, an important component of cosmic rays) on motor behavioral performance and to determine if the observed deficits were caused by alterations in the neostriatum (an important motor control area). Neostriatal function was assessed with two correlated parameters, i.e., motor behavioral performance (wire suspension task), and oxotremorine-enhanced K(+)-evoked release of dopamine from perifused striatal slices. Rats were exposed to one of several doses of 56Fe-particle irradiation (0.10-1.0 Gy) and tested on a wire suspension task at 3-180 days postirradiation. Results indicated that profound decrements occurred in both of these indices. The effects on K(+)-evoked release of dopamine were evident for as long as 180 days after irradiation, and a subsequent experiment indicated that these effects appeared as early as 12 h postirradiation. Since similar findings have been observed in aged rats, the results are discussed in terms of these particles producing a possible accelerated striatal aging effect.
Leptin Activates the Anandamide Hydrolase Promoter in Human T Lymphocytes through STAT3*

Physiological concentrations of leptin stimulate the activity of the endocannabinoid-degrading enzyme anandamide hydrolase (fatty acid amide hydrolase, FAAH) in human T lymphocytes up to ∼300% over the untreated controls. Stimulation of FAAH occurred through up-regulation of gene expression at transcriptional and translational levels and involved binding of leptin to its receptor with an apparent dissociation constant (K d ) of 1.95 ± 0.14 nm and maximum binding (B max) of 392 ± 8 fmol·mg protein−1. Leptin binding to the receptor triggered activation of STAT3 but not STAT1 or STAT5 or the mitogen-activated protein kinases p38, p42, and p44. Peripheral lymphocytes of leptin knock-out (ob/ob) mice showed decreased FAAH activity and expression (∼25% of the wild-type littermates), which were reversed to control levels by exogenous leptin. Analysis of the FAAH promoter showed a cAMP-response element-like site, which is a transcriptional target of STAT3. Consistently, mutation of this site prevented FAAH activation by leptin in transient expression assays. Electrophoretic mobility shift and supershift assays further corroborated the promoter activity data. Taken together, these results suggest that leptin, by up-regulating the FAAH promoter through STAT3, enhances FAAH expression, thus tuning the immunomodulatory effects of anandamide. These findings might also have critical implications for human fertility.
Does cardiopulmonary bypass alone elicit myoprotective preconditioning?

BACKGROUND Brief episodes of ischemia can precondition myocardium. Ischemic preconditioning (PC) has been proposed as an adjuvant method of improving myocardial protection during cardiac surgery. It is unknown whether CPB without an episode of ischemia generates the PC response. METHODS AND RESULTS To prove that PC occurs in sheep, groups 1 (non-CPB control) and 2 (non-CPB ischemic PC, three 5-minute episodes of normothermic regional ischemia) were studied. Groups 3 (CPB alone), 4 (CPB-alpha receptor blockade, phentolamine 5 mg/kg), and 5 (CPB-adenosine receptor blockade, 8-sulfophenyltheophylline 5 mg/kg) were placed on CPB for 30 minutes and subsequently weaned. All groups underwent 60 minutes of normothermic regional ischemia and 150 minutes of reperfusion. The area at risk (AR) was delineated by Monastryl blue pigment, whereas the infarct size (IS) was determine by tetrazolium staining. Body mass, left ventricular mass, and AR were not different between groups. Ischemic PC was demonstrated in this ovine model by a 54% reduction of IS relative to AR (group 1 versus group 2, P < .01). CPB alone produced a similar percentage IS reduction without ischemia (group 3 versus group 1, P < .01) that was prevented by either alpha-adrenergic receptor (group 4 versus group 3, P < .01) or adenosine receptor (group 5 versus group 3, P < .01) blockade. CONCLUSIONS CPB alone appears sufficient to elicit the PC response important for myocardial protection during cardiac surgery. These data suggest that myocardial alpha-adrenergic receptor and adenosine receptor stimulation are involve in initiating CPB-induced PC.
Efficacy of percutaneous fibrin sheath stripping in restoring patency of tunneled hemodialysis catheters.

OBJECTIVE Our objective was to determine the effectiveness of percutaneous fibrin sheath stripping as a method of restoring function to failing tunneled hemodialysis catheters. SUBJECTS AND METHODS A total of 131 percutaneous fibrin sheath stripping procedures were performed on 100 failing tunneled hemodialysis catheters in 91 patients. Only the initial stripping procedure of the first catheter inserted in each patient was included for analysis. Patients were excluded if an additional cause of catheter failure was noted at the time of percutaneous fibrin stripping. Failure of the hemodialysis catheter was defined as inability to sustain an average blood flow rate of 250 ml/min or more in a hemodialysis session. Patients were followed up until the time of catheter failure, catheter removal, or a second stripping. Poststripping primary patency and complication rates were determined. RESULTS The technical success of the procedure was 95.6%. Median follow-up was 16 weeks (range, 0-128 weeks). The overall median duration of primary patency after the first stripping was 89 days (3 months). No statistically significant difference in primary patency rates was seen between patients who underwent fibrin sheath demonstration by contrast injection and those who did not (p = .71). Female patients were statistically more likely to have catheter failure after catheter stripping than were male patients (p = .02). The route of catheter insertion did not significantly influence poststripping patency rates. No complications were associated with the procedure. CONCLUSION Percutaneous fibrin sheath stripping is a safe, effective method of restoring patency to failing hemodialysis catheters when the failure is due to fibrin sheath formation and other causes are excluded.
Genotype, echocardiography, and survival in familial transthyretin amyloidosis

Abstract Background: More than 100 transthyretin (TTR) variants have been identified which cause familial systemic amyloidosis. It has been increasingly recognized that TTR variants of familial systemic amyloidosis contribute to clinical characteristics, including age at diagnosis, cardiac phenotype and survival. Methods: Two hundred and eighty-two patients who underwent genotyping for TTR variants were identified. This study focused on 116 patients representing the three most common TTR variants; T60A (n = 58), V30M (n = 37) and V122I (n = 21). The remaining subjects (n = 61) were distributed amongst 33 different genotypes and excluded from analysis. Results: Age at diagnosis was similar by genotype. Septal, posterior wall thickness, right ventricular systolic pressure and left ventricular mass index were greater and LVEF lower in the V122I subgroup. At mean follow up of 3.0 ± 2.6 years there were 62 deaths. V30M patients had the best survival. Survival was similar between V122I and T60A patients. The association of genotype with mortality persisted after adjustments for clinical variables. Conclusions: For familial TTR amyloidosis cardiac involvement is frequent and mortality high for T60A, V122I and V30M genotypes. Specific genotype predicted severity of phenotypic expression as measured by echocardiography and survival.
Ionospheric scintillation of GPS microwave signals in Singapore

This paper presents the ionospheric scintillation of GPS microwave signals in Singapore. The GPS receiver is located at the west of Singapore having the geographic coordinate 1.34°N, 103.68°E and geomagnetic coordinate 8.40°S, 176.18°E. The data presented is obtained during the period from January 2013 to December 2013. Seasonally, it is found that amplitude scintillation occurs mostly during equinox months of April and September. Diurnally, these scintillation events occur mostly around local time of 8 p.m. to 12 a.m, which is during the post sunset period. Furthermore, fluctuations in total electron content (TEC) are observed during these periods, which indicate presence of plasma bubble irregularities. Evidently, both signal intensity and the carrier phase of the GPS signal exhibit fluctuations during this period, which signifies propagation through the plasma bubble irregularities of the ionosphere layer.
PCR Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Analyses of V. Parahaemolyticus MAM-7 Virulence Gene in Clinical and Environmental Strains

Virulent and non-virulent Vibrio parahaemolyticus (V. parahaemolyticus) strains coexist together in seawater. A PCR–restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique could differentiate between clinical (virulent) and environmental V. parahaemolyticus strains. MAM- 7 corresponds to a virulence gene described in V. parahaemolyticus and that participates in initial stages of pathogen gut colonization. The objective of our study is to evaluate if PCR-RFLP analyses of MAM-7 gene can discriminate between clinical and environmental V. parahaemolyticus strains. Ten V. parahaemolyticus clinical isolates and nine V. parahaemolyticus environmental isolates were used to obtain genomic DNA. A 2619 bp PCR product from MAM-7 gene was digested with HindIII and AcuI restriction enzymes revealing a characteristic common pattern in 100% of V. parahaemolyticus clinical isolates. These patterns were absolutely different of those obtained from environmental isolates. PCR of toxin related genes (tdh and trh) showed that only clinical isolates were tdh+. As a conclusion, PCR-RFLP of V. parahaemolyticus MAM-7 gene could discriminate between clinical tdh+ isolates and environmental ones and could complement other diagnostic tools to detect and classify virulent strains. However, it is still necessary to analyze more samples of V. parahaemolyticus. Thus, while these results are promising, this study corresponds to preliminary work.
A SPITZER SURVEY OF MID-INFRARED MOLECULAR EMISSION FROM PROTOPLANETARY DISKS. I. DETECTION RATES

We present a Spitzer InfraRed Spectrometer search for 10–36 μm molecular emission from a large sample of protoplanetary disks, including lines from H2O, OH, C2H2, HCN, and CO2. This paper describes the sample and data processing and derives the detection rate of mid-infrared molecular emission as a function of stellar mass. The sample covers a range of spectral type from early M to A, and is supplemented by archival spectra of disks around A and B stars. It is drawn from a variety of nearby star-forming regions, including Ophiuchus, Lupus, and Chamaeleon. Spectra showing strong emission lines are used to identify which lines are the best tracers of various physical and chemical conditions within the disks. In total, we identify 22 T Tauri stars with strong mid-infrared H2O emission. Integrated water line luminosities, where water vapor is detected, range from 5 × 10−4 to 9 × 10−3 L☉, likely making water the dominant line coolant of inner disk surfaces in classical T Tauri stars. None of the five transitional disks in the sample show detectable gaseous molecular emission with Spitzer upper limits at the 1% level in terms of line-to-continuum ratios (apart from H2), but the sample is too small to conclude whether this is a general property of transitional disks. We find a strong dependence on detection rate with spectral type; no disks around our sample of 25 A and B stars were found to exhibit water emission, down to 1%–2% line-to-continuum ratios, in the mid-infrared, while more than half of disks around late-type stars (M-G) show sufficiently intense water emission to be detected by Spitzer, with a detection rate approaching 2/3 for disks around K stars. Some Herbig Ae/Be stars show tentative H2O/OH emission features beyond 20 μm at the 1%–2% level, however, and one of them shows CO2 in emission. We argue that the observed differences between T Tauri disks and Herbig Ae/Be disks are due to a difference in excitation and/or chemistry depending on spectral type and suggest that photochemistry may be playing an important role in the observable characteristics of mid-infrared molecular line emission from protoplanetary disks.
Preference for flavored wheat straw by lambs conditioned with intraruminal infusions of acetate and propionate.

We hypothesized that volatile fatty acids in rumen fluid are feedback signals that can condition food preferences or aversions in sheep. Three predictions were tested based on this hypothesis: 1) low doses of sodium propionate or sodium acetate condition preferences, but high doses condition aversions (Exp. 1 and 2); 2) preferences are not caused by osmotic load (Exp. 3 and 4); and 3) low doses of mixtures of acetate:propionate condition preferences (Exp. 4). In Exp. 1, 2, and 4, lambs were divided into four groups (10 lambs/group), and lambs in Exp. 3 were divided into two groups (five lambs/group). In all experiments, alfalfa pellets were the basal diet. On even days, half of the lambs were offered chopped wheat straw containing a distinctive flavor, whereas the other half received straw with a different flavor. During straw ingestion, different groups of lambs received intraruminal infusions of different concentrations (4, 8, or 12% of the daily DE received) of sodium propionate (Exp. 1), sodium acetate (Exp. 2), NaCl at osmotic loads equivalent to those when propionate supplied 4% of the daily DE received (Exp. 3), or different proportions of sodium acetate:sodium propionate (55:45 or 75:25% of the DE of the infusion [4% of the daily DE received]), or equimolar amounts of NaCl (Exp. 4). On odd days, the flavors were switched, and no infusions were administered. After 8 d of conditioning, lambs were offered a choice of wheat straw with the two distinctive flavors. Lambs preferred the flavor paired with the lowest doses of propionate (P = .07) and acetate (P = .08) but avoided the highest doses (P < .001). Excesses of VFA may condition aversions due to increases in rumen fluid osmolality and(or) excessive rates of supply of energy or sodium to the rumen. Lambs also preferred flavored straw associated with combinations of acetate and propionate (P < .001), especially at the highest concentration of propionate (P = .10). Lambs avoided NaCl in Exp. 3 (P < .001) and did not form preferences for NaCl in Exp. 4 (P > .05). Thus, osmolalities were not responsible for flavor preferences. In conclusion, our results support the hypothesis that food preferences and aversions reside along a continuum that depends on the amount of VFA infused.
Evaluating the response to glatiramer acetate in relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients

Background: In patients with relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a scoring system based on new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) active lesions, relapses and sustained disability progression after a 1-year treatment with IFNβ predicted patient disability progression over time; however, this score had not been tested in patients receiving glatiramer acetate (GA). Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate whether this previous scoring system can also be applied to patients treated with GA. Methods: This was a prospective, longitudinal study of 151 RRMS patients treated with GA. Their scores were constructed, based on the clinical and MRI activity after 1 year of therapy. Regression analysis was performed, in order to identify the response variables. Results: The total possible score range was 0–3. Patients with a score of ≥ 2 and those with clinical activity (with or without MRI activity) during their first year of treatment were at increased risk of continuing with relapses and/or sustained disability in the next 2 years (odds ratio (OR): 38.8; p < 0.0001 and OR: 7.8; p < 0.009, respectively). Conclusions: In RRMS patients treated with GA, a combination of clinical activity measures may have prognostic value for identifying patients with disease activity in the next 2 years of therapy.
UGT1A1 (TA)n genotype is not the major risk factor of cholelithiasis in sickle cell disease children

Because of the increased hemolytic rate, a significant proportion of patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) are prone to develop cholelithiasis. The present study investigated the role of several genetic factors (UGT1A1 promoter (TA)n repeat polymorphism, alpha‐globin status), hematological parameters, clinical severity, and hydroxyurea (HU) therapy on the occurrence of cholelithiasis in SCD.
Intracerebral hemorrhage in blacks. Risk factors, subtypes, and outcome.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Blacks are at a higher risk for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) than whites; however, few data are available regarding the demographic and clinical characteristics of ICH among blacks. METHODS We determined the frequency of risk factors, etiologic subtypes, and outcome among consecutive black patients admitted with nontraumatic ICH to a university-affiliated public hospital. RESULTS The most common risk factors in the 403 black patients with ICH were preexisting hypertension (77%), alcohol use (40%), and smoking (30%). Among the 91 nonhypertensive patients, 21 (23%) were diagnosed with hypertension after onset. Compared with women, men had a younger age of onset (54 versus 60 years; P < .001) and higher frequency of alcohol use (54% versus 22%; P < .001) and smoking (39% versus 17%; P < .001). ICH secondary to hypertension (n = 311) and of undetermined etiology (n = 73) were the most common subtypes in blacks. Patients aged 65 years and older (compared with those aged 15 to 44 years; P = .001) and women (compared with men; P = .02) were more likely to be dependent at discharge. CONCLUSIONS Primary preventive strategies are required to reduce the high frequency of modifiable risk factors predisposing to ICH in blacks.
Scalable online annotation & object localisation for broadcast media production.

More video content is being produced by production companies and professional videographers than ever before thanks to the adoption of digital media technologies at every stage of the production pipeline. With hundreds of hours of footage being captured by even a small production company, organising and searching these collections has become a very challenging and time-consuming task. This thesis aims to investigate online video annotation for broadcast media production, including scalable video concept detection and object localisation. Most production tools and research focuses on asset management of large-scale video collections, but we also focus on making sense of content within an individual production video by extracting salient metadata and localising objects. We present a scalable semantic video concept detection framework, applied to automated metadata annotation (video logging) in a broadcast production environment. Video logging demands both accurate and fast concept detection. Whilst research often focuses on the former, the latter is essential in practical scenarios where days of footage may be shot per broadcast episode and production is dependent on immediate availability of metadata. We present a hierarchical classification framework that delivers benefits to both through two contributions. First, a dynamic weighting scheme for combining video features from multiple modalities enabling higher accuracy detection rates over diverse production footage. Second, a hierarchical classification strategy that exploits ontological relationships between concepts to scale sub-linearly with the number of classes, yielding a real-time solution. We demonstrate an end-to-end production system using a cloud-based architecture with our detection framework. We also describe a novel fully automatic algorithm for identifying salient objects in video based on their motion. Spatially coherent clusters of optical flow vectors are sampled to generate estimates of affine motion parameters local to super-pixels identified within each frame. These estimates, combined with spatial data, form coherent point distributions in a 5D solution space corresponding to objects or parts there-of. These distributions are temporally de-noised using a particle filtering approach, and clustered to estimate the position and motion parameters of salient moving objects in the clip. We demonstrate localization of salient object/s in a variety of clips exhibiting moving and cluttered backgrounds.
Recurrent chromosome alterations in hepatocellular carcinoma detected by comparative genomic hybridization

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide and has a very poor prognosis. Fifty primary HCC cases have been analyzed in the present study to explore the association between genomic alteration in primary HCC and clinical features. Several recurrent chromosomal abnormalities were identified in this study. The most frequently detected chromosomal gains involved chromosome arms 1q (33/50 cases, 66%), 8q (24/50 cases, 48%), and 20q (10/50 cases, 20%). High‐copy‐number amplifications involving 1q (4 cases), 8q (3 cases), and 20q (3 cases) were detected, and a minimum overlapping amplified region at 1q12–q22 was identified. The most frequently detected loss of chromosomal material involved 16q (35/50 cases, 70%), 17p (26/50 cases, 52%), 19p (21/50 cases, 42%), 4q (20/50 cases, 40%), 1p (18/50 cases, 36%), 8p (16/50 cases, 32%), and 22q (14/50 cases, 28%). The associations between genomic alterations detected in the present study and clinical features including clinical stage, tumor size, HBV infection, chronic liver disease, and liver cirrhosis were explored. Our CGH results suggest that the gain of 20q and deletion of 8p are late genetic alterations in HCC, because the incidence of these alterations was obviously increased in the advanced clinical stages. Another finding showed that loss of 8p and gain of 8q and 20q are associated with tumor size. The recurrent gain and loss of chromosomal regions identified in this study provide candidate regions that may contain oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes respectively involved in HCC development and progression. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Towards a unified theory of inequality constrained testing in multivariate analysis

Summary In this paper a distributional theory of test statistics in various problems of multivariate analysis involving inequality constraints is examined. A unified point of view based on geometrical properties of convex cones is presented. Chi-bar-squared and E-bar-squared test statistics are introduced. Their applications to hypothesis testing problems are discussed.
Some factors influencing the effects of temporary mother-infant separation: some experiments with rhesus monkeys

synopsis Some experiments, reported in detail elsewhere, on the effects of mother–infant separation in rhesus monkeys are here reviewed and compared. They involved 4 groups – one in which mothers were removed for 13 days leaving the infant in the social group; one in which infants were removed; one in which mothers and infants were removed and separated; and one in which mothers and infants were removed but not separated. The nature of the separation experience had a profound effect on the infant's response: infants left in a familiar environment while their mothers were removed showed marked but brief ‘protest’ and then profound ‘despair’, whilst infants removed to a strange cage showed more prolonged ‘protest’. A major factor determining the effects of the separation experience in the weeks following reunion is the degree to which the mother–infant relationship has been disturbed by it. The multiplicity of factors affecting the outcome of a separation experience are discussed.