Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hypoglycaemia and cognitive function

Acute hypoglycaemia impairs cerebral function, and available data indicate that cognitive performance becomes impaired at a blood glucose level of 2.6–3.0 mmol/l in healthy subjects. Methodological problems limit comparisons between studies, but in general complex tasks are more sensitive to hypoglycaemia than simple tasks, and some cognitive abilities are completely abolished. The onset of hypoglycaemic cognitive dysfunction is immediate, but recovery may be considerably delayed. There is persuasive evidence of adaptation to hypoglycaemia, partly due to increased brain glucose uptake capacity, although other mechanisms may exist. Patients who are exposed to chronic or recurrent hypoglycaemia become remarkably tolerant to the state, but this is insufficient to prevent severe hypoglycaemia with neuroglycopenic decompensation, probably because symptomatic and counterregulatory responses adapt even more. During experimental hypoglycaemia, administration of non‐glucose cerebral fuels preserves cognitive function. However, little progress has been made as yet towards protecting cognitive function during hypoglycaemia in clinical practice. The chronic effects of recurrent hypoglycaemia remain contentious. There are numerous case reports of hypoglycaemic brain damage and of cognitive deterioration attributed to repeated severe hypoglycaemia. The major prospective studies, including the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial, did not report cognitive declines in intensively treated patients, but had unrepresentative study populations and may have been too short to detect such effects. Structural and functional brain changes are not only associated with recurrent severe hypoglycaemia, but also with hyperglycaemia and early disease onset and may in part be due to hyperglycaemic microvascular disease. Children may be more prone to acute metabolic insults, and there is evidence of developmental disadvantage associated with hypoglycaemic episodes.
Inhibition of Apoptosis in Cryptosporidium parvum-Infected Intestinal Epithelial Cells Is Dependent on Survivin

ABSTRACT Cryptosporidium parvum is an obligate intracellular protozoan capable of causing severe diarrheal disease in a wide variety of mammals, including humans. C. parvum infection has been associated with induction of apoptosis in exposed epithelial cells, and we now demonstrate that apoptosis is restricted to a subset of cells actively infected with C. parvum. Approximately 20% of the infected cells underwent apoptosis within 48 h of infection, suggesting that the majority of the infected cells are rescued from apoptosis. C. parvum infection resulted in low-level activation of multiple members of the caspase family, including caspase-2, -3, -4, -6, -8, and -9. The kinetics of caspase activation correlated with apoptosis over a 48-h time course. Pan caspase inhibitors reduced apoptosis of epithelial cells infected by C. parvum. Furthermore, C. parvum infection inhibited staurosporine-induced apoptosis and caspase-3/7 activation at 24 h and 48 h. Infection with C. parvum led to upregulation of genes encoding inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAPs), including c-IAP1, c-IAP2, XIAP, and survivin. Knockdown of survivin gene expression, but not that of c-IAP1, c-IAP2, or XIAP expression, increased caspase-3/7 activity as well as apoptosis of infected cells and decreased C. parvum 18S rRNA levels. These data suggest that the apoptotic response of infected intestinal epithelial cells is actively suppressed by C. parvum via upregulation of survivin, favoring parasite infection.
The Book of Esther: Motifs, Themes and Structure

Sandra Berg's analysis of Esther's thematic, stylistic and rhetorical features demonstrates the presence of interacting, dominant motifs. Ms. Berg shows that the motifs provide symmetry and balance to the narrative, indicating a unified composition. She further illustrates how the motifs articulate the narrator's theological concerns and suggest the underlying reasons for his composition of the tale in its present form.
Relationship Between Methionyl Transfer Ribonucleic Acid Cellular Content and Synthesis of Methionine Enzymes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Derepression of some methionine biosynthetic enzymes (methionine group I enzymes) obtained in methionine limitation has been found to be accompanied by a significant lack of in vivo charging of bulk methionine transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNAMet) and in addition by a decreased rate of synthesis of all tRNAs. Under the same conditions, methionyl-tRNA synthetase (MTS) was derepressed rather than repressed. These results are in agreement with those previously published based on studies of a mutant with an impaired MTS (5) and reinforce the idea that the rate of synthesis of methionine group I enzymes can be related to the total content of methionyl (Met)-tRNA Met per cell. They also render unlikely that MTS could be a constituent of the regulatory signal.
Etablissement d’une relation de type structure-propriétés (QSPR) entre les propriétés des pesticides et deux sols de Champagne crayeuse.

Ces travaux s'inscrivent dans le cadre du contrat d'objectifs AQUAL dont le but est la lutte contre les pollutions diffuses en milieu rural. Ils font egalement l'objet d'un partenariat avec le programme Phyt'Eau Ref initie par la Chambre Regionale d'Agriculture de Champagne-Ardenne. Ils portent sur la comprehension de la retention et du transfert des pesticides du sol a la nappe dans les sols champardennais. Deux sols differents de par leur contenu en matiere organique et en calcaire ont ete choisis pour realiser l'etude afin d'etudier le comportement des pesticides dans des sols caracteristiques de la region (pH et taux de calcaire eleve). L'etude a ete realisee sur quarante pesticides appartenant a diverses familles chimiques et de proprietes physico-chimiques differentes. L'objectif est d'identifier les proprietes des pesticides gouvernant leur retention dans les sols puis d'etablir une relation de type structure-proprietes (QSPR) permettant la prediction du coefficient d'adsorption Kd. L'adsorption et le transfert des pesticides ont ete etudies au laboratoire au moyen d'experiences en reacteurs fermes (etude a l'equilibre) et en colonne de sol reconstituees au laboratoire. Le trace d'isothermes d'adsorption suivi d'une etude statistique a permis d'identifier l'hydrophobicite, la polarisabilite et la solubilite comme les parametres physico-chimiques majeurs gouvernant la retention des quarante pesticides etudies. Des relations a deux parametres ont ete proposees et testees afin de pouvoir predire le coefficient d'adsorption des pesticides. Enfin, les travaux realises en mode dynamique (colonne) ont permis de mettre en evidence que le phenomene de transfert peut etre relie a l'adsorption des pesticides et qu'il est possible de passer de l'un a l'autre des parametres caracterisant ces deux phenomenes par de simples relations permettant ainsi de s'affranchir de lourdes experiences.
Observación de las acciones ofensivas en un equipo de fútbol

En este trabajo se presenta una primera aproximacion al estudio de la finalizacion ofensiva en el futbol profesional utilizando la Metodologia Observacional y sus correspondientes analisis. Las caracteristicas definitorias de este trabajo son (1) el equipo observado ha sido un equipo de la primera division del futbol profesional espanol; y (2) el autor principal del trabajo fue el primer entrenador de este club. Como se senala en el texto la finalizacion ofensiva exitosa es una de las principales preocupaciones de los tecnicos en los equipos de futbol.
Stoichiometry of proton translocation by respiratory complex I and its mechanistic implications

Complex I (NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase) in the respiratory chain of mitochondria and several bacteria functions as a redox-driven proton pump that contributes to the generation of the protonmotive force across the inner mitochondrial or bacterial membrane and thus to the aerobic synthesis of ATP. The stoichiometry of proton translocation is thought to be 4 H+ per NADH oxidized (2 e-). Here we show that a H+/2 e- ratio of 3 appears more likely on the basis of the recently determined H+/ATP ratio of the mitochondrial F1Fo-ATP synthase of animal mitochondria and of a set of carefully determined ATP/2 e- ratios for different segments of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. This lower H+/2 e- ratio of 3 is independently supported by thermodynamic analyses of experiments with both mitochondria and submitochondrial particles. A reduced H+/2 e- stoichiometry of 3 has important mechanistic implications for this proton pump. In a rough mechanistic model, we suggest a concerted proton translocation mechanism in the three homologous and tightly packed antiporter-like subunits L, M, and N of the proton-translocating membrane domain of complex I.
Cost analysis model: US versus endometrial biopsy in evaluation of peri- and postmenopausal abnormal vaginal bleeding.

PURPOSE To develop a cost minimization analysis model from the societal perspective of Medicare reimbursement to determine whether endometrial biopsy or transvaginal ultrasonography (US) is less expensive in evaluating peri- and postmenopausal women with abnormal vaginal bleeding and to assess whether this strategy is equally effective in populations at low and high risk for endometrial carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS Clinical algorithms were constructed that detailed diagnostic evaluation of the target population by using office-based endometrial biopsy versus transvaginal US as starting points. An economic model based on Medicare reimbursement and average wholesale drug price data and using disease prevalences and modality sensitivities from the scientific literature was then created to examine common bleeding causes in this population. All models included the cost of obtaining a tissue diagnosis for focal or diffuse endometrial thickening found at US. Modality sensitivities and prevalences of disease states were varied within the model to discover limits at which each modality became cheaper versus the other for assessing a population of women. RESULTS Population prevalence of neoplastic disease is the principal factor governing total cost between competing diagnostic algorithms. In populations with 31% or less combined prevalence of endometrial carcinoma/atypical adenomatous hyperplasia, algorithms utilizing transvaginal US as the initial test are most cost minimizing. At combined endometrial carcinoma/atypical adenomatous hyperplasia prevalence of 10%, savings of up to 11% and 16% over pathways initiated with endometrial biopsy are predicted. In populations with a high incidence of neoplastic disease (>31%), biopsy-based algorithms should become least costly. CONCLUSION Transvaginal US-initiated triage predicts substantial cost savings versus biopsy-based algorithms in evaluating typical populations of peri- and postmenopausal women with abnormal vaginal bleeding seen in clinical practice.
Brief report: a cognitive behavioral intervention for distressed adolescents with type I diabetes.

OBJECTIVE To examine the impact of a cognitive behavioral intervention for distressed adolescents with Type I diabetes. METHODS Six youths with elevated levels of anxiety, anger, or diabetes stress received training in cognitive restructuring and problem solving in individual sessions. A multiple baseline design across participants was used. Treatment effectiveness was assessed through measures of anxiety, anger expression, and diabetes stress. RESULTS Four youths displayed some improvement on one or more variables for which they had elevated levels during baseline, while others showed no impact. CONCLUSIONS Cognitive behavioral interventions show some promise for distressed youths with Type I diabetes. Individual youths responded to treatment differently. Further research is needed in developing procedures to better meet the needs of youths, improve youth participation, and enhance treatment effectiveness.
Restoration of fertility of gleyic fluvisols to increase rice yields using shellfish products in Toumbokro, Côte d'Ivoire

A study designed to characterize the effects of shellfish products on the chemical properties of fluvisols gleyic and yield of rice was carried out in Toumbokro, Yamoussoukro’s region, Cote d'Ivoire. The work has been focused on soil amendment by three types of shells (Achatina spp Donax spp and Ostrea spp). Three doses of shellfish products (500, 1000 and 1500 kg.ha- 1) and NPK fertilizer were tested in a split-plot design with three repetitions. At ground level, the study showed that the shellfish products have positive effects very marked on all the physical and chemical characteristics. The effects of these shellfish products on the richness of the soil occur gradually. The increase of pH, due to the products made, creates a condition favorable to microorganisms that become active and mineralize sufficient organic substances. The study indicates that shellfish products induce high levels of production of rice cultivation. The average of yield of the experiments carried out is set at 5.41 t.ha-1 in Toumbokro. These performances, never recorded in subsistence agriculture, are explained by the effective correction of mineral deficiencies unsuspected soil by the flow of shellfish products. All the variables studied define the contribution of 1000 kg.ha-1 shredded shells of Achatina spp, as the optimum for soil amendment.
Sex and the brain.

Differences between the sexes in perception and cognition have been extensively documented and widely accepted as applicable to the majority of humans. Understanding of their aetiology can only be achieved by investigation of both hormonal and social factors. A significant recent advance, supporting the role of hormones, is presented. This study correlated corpus callosum size, sex and handedness. It showed that all females have a significantly larger isthmus (part of the corpus callosum) than consistently right-handed males. The inference is that women tend to use both hemispheres and most males only one. This has important educational and work-deployment implications.
Oral rehabilitation of a 4-year-old child with early childhood caries under general anaesthesia: a case report on long-term outcome.

BACKGROUND: Young patients with early childhood caries (ECC) commonly undergo oral rehabilitation under general anaesthesia (GA), often because of problems with behaviour management. Children with a history of ECC are highly susceptible to the development of new caries, even after comprehensive oral rehabilitation. CASE REPORT: The present paper reports the case of a female patient, aged 4.1 years, with ECC who was referred for treatment to the Department of Paediatric Dentistry of the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya. On account of the requirement for extensive dental treatment, and because of behaviour management problems, her dentition was restored under GA. A combination of restorative approaches and techniques was used, including the placement of composite resins, preformed metal crown restorations, extractions, and space maintainers. The patient was followed for 24 months, both clinically and radiographically. Conclusion This case reflects the need to provide adequate support to children at high risk for ECC, together with their families by developing more acceptable and effective biological and behavioural interventions in order to reduce caries relapse after oral rehabilitation under GA.
OPTIMAL SAMPLED-DATA CONTROL, AND GENERALIZATIONS ON TIME SCALES

In this paper, we derive a version of the Pontryagin maximum principle for general finite-dimensional nonlinear optimal sampled-data control problems. Our framework is actually much more general, and we treat optimal control problems for which the state variable evolves on a given time scale (arbitrary non-empty closed subset of $\mathbb{R}$), and the control variable evolves on a smaller time scale. Sampled-data systems are then a particular case. Our proof is based on the construction of appropriate needle-like variations and on the Ekeland variational principle.
Neutralizing antibodies and viral characteristics in mother‐to‐child transmission of HIV‐1

ObjectiveTo determine viral characteristics and the protective effect of virus neutralizing antibodies in mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1. Molecular studiesTen HIV-1-infected mother-child pairs were sampled within 4 months of delivery. Variable region 3 of the viral envelope was amplified by nested polymerase chain reaction and sequenced, directly and/or after cloning, by solid-phase DNA sequencing. The amino acid sequence of variable region 3 from all 10 children was homogeneous, whereas the mothers showed varying degrees of heterogeneity. Apparently, selection of an HIV-1 variant occurs either at transmission or during initial virus replication in the infected child. No characteristic molecular features of the transmitted virus were identified. Biological studiesVirus isolates from 13 mother-child pairs were characterized for replicative capacity in a variety of cell lines. Eight mothers from whom a virus with a slow/low replicative pattern was isolated transmitted the slow/low virus to their children, whereas mothers with a rapid/high virus transmitted either a rapid/high or a slow/low virus (two cases each). This indicates that viruses with rapid/high replicative capacity do not have a selective advantage during transmission. Virus neutralizingSera from 20 mothers were characterized for the ability to neutralize their own virus (autologous neutralization) and virus from other mothers (heterologous neutralization). The results showed that non-transmitting mothers had neutralizing antibodies against autologous virus more frequently than transmitting mothers. In addition, all mothers with autologous neutralizing antibodies also neutralized at least two heterologous primary isolates. This indicates that a broad neutralizing antibody response may be linked to a lower risk of mother-to-child transmission. ConclusionOn the basis of the variable region 3 loop sequence, HIV-1-infected infants harbour homogenous virus populations. Despite this, no molecular or biological markers for selective transmission could be identified. A maternal neutralizing antibody response with broad specificity may protect the child from HIV-1 infection.
Chromosomal organization of Xenopus laevis oocyte and somatic 5S rRNA genes in vivo

We describe the chromosomal organization of the major oocyte and somatic 5S RNA genes of Xenopus laevis in chromatin isolated from erythrocyte nuclei. Both major oocyte and somatic 5S DNA repeats are associated with nucleosomes; however, differences exist in the organization of chromatin over the oocyte and somatic 5S RNA genes. The repressed oocyte 5S RNA gene is protected from nuclease digestion by incorporation into a nucleosome, and the entire oocyte 5S DNA repeat is assembled into a loosely positioned array of nucleosomes. In contrast, the potentially active somatic 5S RNA gene is accessible to nuclease digestion, and the majority of somatic 5S RNA genes appear not to be incorporated into positioned nucleosomes. Evidence is presented supporting the stable association of transcription factors with the somatic 5S RNA genes. Histone H1 is shown to have a role both in determining the organization of nucleosomes over the oocyte 5S DNA repeat and in repressing transcription of the oocyte 5S RNA genes.
QM/MM free energy simulations: recent progress and challenges

Due to the higher computational cost relative to pure molecular mechanical (MM) simulations, hybrid quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) free energy simulations particularly require a careful consideration of balancing computational cost and accuracy. Here, we review several recent developments in free energy methods most relevant to QM/MM simulations and discuss several topics motivated by these developments using simple but informative examples that involve processes in water. For chemical reactions, we highlight the value of invoking enhanced sampling technique (e.g. replica-exchange) in umbrella sampling calculations and the value of including collective environmental variables (e.g. hydration level) in metadynamics simulations; we also illustrate the sensitivity of string calculations, especially free energy along the path, to various parameters in the computation. Alchemical free energy simulations with a specific thermodynamic cycle are used to probe the effect of including the first solvation shell into the QM region when computing solvation free energies. For cases where high-level QM/MM potential functions are needed, we analyse two different approaches: the QM/MM–MFEP method of Yang and co-workers and perturbative correction to low-level QM/MM free energy results. For the examples analysed here, both approaches seem productive although care needs to be exercised when analysing the perturbative corrections.
Neurovascular protection of cilostazol in stroke‐prone spontaneous hypertensive rats associated with angiogenesis and pericyte proliferation

Stroke is the major cause of death and decrease in the activities of daily living. This study sought to evaluate the effects of commonly used antiplatelet drugs on spontaneous cerebral infarction in relation to neurovascular protection associated with angiogenesis and pericyte proliferation. Stroke‐prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR‐SP) were treated with vehicle, aspirin, clopidogrel, or cilostazol from 8 to 10 weeks of age. The interaction of neurovascular components among endothelial cells, pericytes, and astrocytic endfeet were immunohistochemically examined in brain sections. Angiogenesis associated with vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) and pericyte proliferation were also examined immunohistochemically. The expression and activity of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP‐9) were assessed immunohistochemically and by gelatin zymography. Among the antiplatelet drugs, cilostazol preserved the neurovascular unit (NVU) by preventing astrocytic endfeet or pericytes from pathological detachment found in the vehicle and aspirin treatment. Cilostazol also inhibited the expression and activity of MMP‐9, which led to protection of the NVU. Furthermore, in the periinfarct area, cilostazol increased VEGFR2 expression, promoting angiogenesis through proliferation of pericytes. The present study showed a strong protection of NVU integrity by cilostazol and the promotion of angiogenesis by stimulating both endothelial VEGFR2 expression and pericyte proliferation. In addition to the antioxidative effect, these pleiotropic effects of cilostazol contribute to reduce spontaneous infarct volume and preserve motor and cognitive function in SHR‐SP. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A memetic algorithm for solving single objective bilevel optimization problems

In recent years, research in the field of bilevel optimization has gathered pace and it is increasingly being used to solve problems in engineering, logistics, economics, transportation etc. Rapid increase in the size and complexity of the problems emerging from these domains has prompted active interest in the design of efficient algorithms for bilevel optimization. While Memetic Algorithms (MAs) have been quite successful in solving single level optimization problems, there have been very few studies exploring their application in bilevel problems. MAs essentially attempt to combine advantages of global and local search strategies to locate optimum solutions with low computational cost (function evaluations). In this paper, we present a new nested approach for solving bilevel optimization problems. The presented approach uses memetic algorithm at the upper level, while a global or a local search method is used in the lower level during various phases of the search. The performance of the proposed approach is compared with two established approaches, NBLEA and BLEAQ, using SMD benchmark problem set. The numerical experiments demonstrate the benefits of the proposed approach both in terms of accuracy and computational cost, establishing its potential for solving bilevel optimization problems.