Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Carbon-Modified Mesoporous Anatase/TiO2(B) Whisker for Enhanced Activity in Direct Synthesis of Hydrogen Peroxide by Palladium

The regulation of the interaction between H2O2 and its catalysts is a promising route to achieve high productivity and selectivity towards H2O2. Herein, mesoporous anatase/TiO2(B) whisker (mb-TiO2) modified with heterogeneous carbon was prepared as the support of Pd-based catalysts for the direct synthesis of H2O2. The morphology and structure of the catalyst were investigated by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, Brunner-Emmet-Teller measurements, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The interaction between H2O2 and the support was studied by isothermal calorimeter. The carbon heterogeneous modification can weaken the interaction between H2O2 and the support, then accelerate the desorption of H2O2 and reduce the re-adsorption of H2O2 in the reaction medium. Meanwhile, the synergistic effects between TiO2 and Pd nanoparticles are not influenced by the heterogeneous carbon distribution. The catalyst exhibits better performance for the synthesis of H2O2 compared with the corresponding unmodified catalyst; the productivity of H2O2 increases more than 40%, which can be ascribed to the decrease of further H2O2 conversion under the weakened interaction.
Bioengineered three‐dimensional co‐culture of cancer cells and endothelial cells: A model system for dual analysis of tumor growth and angiogenesis

Angiogenesis marks the transformation of a benign local tumor into a life‐threatening disease. Many in vitro assays are available on two‐dimensional (2D) platforms, however, limited research has been conducted to investigate the behavior of tumors and endothelial cells (ECs) grown on three‐dimensional (3D) platforms. This study provides a 3D co‐culture spheroid of tumor cells with ECs to study the interplay between ECs and tumor cells. In a 3D co‐culture with HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells, ECs differentiate to form tubule networks when in co‐culture. Addition of angiogenic factors or angiogenesis inhibitors to the model system enhanced or inhibited endothelial differentiation in the 3D model, enabling investigations of the cellular signaling pathways utilized in HCC development. The 3D model demonstrated similar protein expression levels as a HCC xenograft, as well as exhibited upregulation of essential signaling proteins such as Akt/mTor in the 3D model, which is not reflected in the 2D model. The effects of several anti‐angiogenic agents, such as sorafenib, sunitinib, and axitinib were analyzed in the 3D co‐culture model by utilizing fluorescent proteins and a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)‐based caspase‐3 sensor in the ECs, which can detect apoptosis in real time. The apoptotic capability of a drug to inhibit angiogenesis in the 3D model can be easily distinguished via the FRET sensor, and dual screening of anti‐angiogenesis and anti‐tumor drugs can be achieved in a single step via the 3D co‐culture model. In summary, a 3D co‐culture model is constructed, where a HCC tumor microenvironment with a hypoxic core and true gradient penetration of drugs is achieved for drug screening purposes and in vitro studies utilizing a small HCC tumor. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 1865–1877. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
NBI‐5788, an altered MBP83‐99 peptide, induces a T‐helper 2–like immune response in multiple sclerosis patients

We assessed the immune response induced in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who had received NBI‐5788, an altered peptide ligand (APL) designed from an immunodominant region (83–99) of the neuroantigen myelin basic protein (MBP) (5, 10, or 20 mg subcutaneously weekly for 4 weeks). The mean frequency of NBI‐5788–responsive T cells (stimulation index > 3) in MS patients treated with the APL was 35.8 ± 12.8% (n = 7) compared with a mean frequency of 6.2 ± 1.3% (n = 7) for the untreated patients. The mean frequency of whole MBP–responsive T cells in MS patients treated with the APL was not significantly different from that of untreated patients (16.4 ± 5.7% vs 18.0 ± 6.3%, respectively). NBI‐5788–reactive T‐cell lines generated from NBI‐5788–treated patients exhibited an increased frequency of cross‐reactivity with MBP peptide 83–99 compared with NBI‐5788–reactive lines from control MS patients. Cytokine secretion by APL‐reactive T‐cell lines from NBI‐5788–treated MS patients was more frequently T‐helper 2–like compared with T‐cell lines from untreated MS patients. These results demonstrate that subcutaneous administration of a soluble APL based on the MBP peptide 83–99 in MS patients can induce an APL‐reactive immune response in which T lymphocytes cross‐reactive with the immunodominant neuroantigen MBP secrete anti‐inflammatory cytokines. The significant heterogeneity in immune response between individuals indicates the need for clinical laboratory correlation during the course of therapeutic trials. Ann Neurol 2000;48:758–765
Anticlastogenic Effects of Ascorbic Acid Against the Genotoxic Damage Induced by Norethynodrel

Ascorbic acid is well known antioxidant. The antioxidant property can be helpful in reducing clastogenic, mutagenic and carcinogenic properties of certain chemical agents. In this context, an anticlastogenic activity of ascorbic was studied against the genotoxic damage induced by norethynodrel, using chromosomal aberrations and sister chromatid exchanges as parameters. The treatments of different doses of ascorbic acid along with norethynodrel results in a significant decrease in the genotoxic damage. Since the prolonged used of oral contraceptives and synthetic steroids have been reported to develop various types of cancers. The natural antioxidants can form a good base in ameliorating the genotoxic effects of synthetic steroids during the therapy in patients, there by reducing the chances of carcinogenesis.
C4B*Q0 allotype as risk factor for myocardial infarction

The prevalence of the deficient, silent allotype of the C4B gene (C4B*Q0) is lower in elderly than in young healthy people, particularly in men.1 This may reflect increased mortality from some disease in middle aged carriers of the C4B*Q0 gene. We determined the presence of the gene in patients with acute myocardial infarction because myocardial infarction is the leading cause of death among middle aged Hungarians. We studied 181 consecutive patients with confirmed Q wave myocardial infarction admitted to four hospital departments between June 1992 and January 1993 (125 men, 56 women, aged 42-78), 93 consecutive patients with symptoms of angina pectoris (65 men, 28 women; aged 43-62) who were examined by coronary angiography (coronarography), and 737 previously tested healthy controls (252 young people aged 22-45 and 485 elderly people aged 60-99). 1 Myocardial infarction was diagnosed as typical chest pain lasting …
Altered prostate epithelial development in mice lacking the androgen receptor in stromal fibroblasts

Androgens and the androgen receptor (AR) play important roles in the development of male urogenital organs. We previously found that mice with total AR knockout (ARKO) and epithelial ARKO failed to develop normal prostate with loss of differentiation. We have recently knocked out AR gene in smooth muscle cells and found the reduced luminal infolding and IGF‐1 production in the mouse prostate. However, AR roles of stromal fibroblasts in prostate development remain unclear.
Association of subjective cognitive dysfunction with akathisia in patients receiving stable doses of risperidone or haloperidol

Background and objective: Antipsychotic‐induced akathisia leads to poor compliance with medication and is still a source of concern in the treatment with antipsychotic drugs. Regarding clinical characteristics, the distinguishing features of akathisia in comparison with other extrapyramidal syndromes are prominent subjective symptoms. The purpose of the present study was to examine the subjective cognitive dysfunction associated with antipsychotic‐induced akathisia.
The Evolution of Multiple Resistant Strains: An Abstract Model of Systemic Treatment and Accumulated Resistance

This model is intended to explore the effectiveness of different courses of interventions on an abstract population of infections. Illustrative findings highlight the importance of the mechanisms for variability and mutation on the effectiveness of different interventions. The results of these simulations have parallels in public health research on drug resistant strains and trends in criminal activity. Simulation was performed using the PS-I cellular automata system. For those who are familiar with PS-I, his model is a departure from the traditional usage of the PS-I agent-based model, for those who are familiar with this software. Rather than using the repertoire system to manage and represent political identities, the system has been adapted to store and update resistances against systemic treatments that are intended to remove certain agents from the system. The model design is an agent-based model, represented as simple agents on a 2-D toroid cellular automata grid. This grid updates using discrete update steps. Agents can be either healthy (desirable) or infections (undesirable). Infections have an additional set of properties that designate the treatments that they are resistant to. A treatment is represented by a system-wide setting that makes all unresistant infections more likely to die out on any given step. Initially, all infections have no resistances. However, the resistances for any given infection agent undergo random variation at any given time by either a random walk or purely random paradigm (also a system-wide flag). This random variation allows the infections to evolve in response to the selection pressure applied by the treatments active in the model. The goal of this model is to explore the effectiveness of different interventions on controlling the infection population and resistances. In this model, an intervention refers to the vector of treatments over time. This allows testing interventions such as overkill treatment (multiple different treatments simultaneously), cycling treatments (alternating between treatments), or inconsistent treatment (alternating one or more treatments with no treatment). This allows the model to work at an abstract level to look at the impact of these treatments on the resistances that are prevalent in the infection population. In addition to including the model file, this model also comes accompanied by a script that allows running one of ten different types of interventions (e.g. two treatment overkill, 3 treatment cycling, etc). It also includes the results from 100 runs under each treatment type that all start from the same set of 100 initial states.
Tunable waveguide transmission gratings based on active gain control

Mode loss or gain can have a significant effect on the operation of waveguide transmission gratings as optical filters. Taking for example a long-period grating (LPG), we present a computer simulation that accounts for these effects. We show that cladding loss or gain result in qualitatively different LPG spectral behavior that can be used as a tuning mechanism in guiding structures where cladding mode properties can be controlled. One possible control mechanism is to have pump-driven gain in a doped cladding, which can perform gradual loss compensation and eventually gain excitement. Based on simulation results, we propose new approaches to tuneable amplifying filter designs in special fibers, as well as grating assisted co-directional couplers for integrated optics platforms.
Nurses' attitudes towards the use of PRN psychotropic medications in acute and forensic mental health settings

Many countries now have national mental health policies and guidelines to decrease or eliminate the use of seclusion and restraint yet the use of Pro Re Nata (PRN) medications has received less practice evaluation. This research aimed to identify mental health nurses' attitudes towards the use of PRN medications with mental health consumers. Participants were working in forensic mental health and non-forensic acute mental health settings. The "Attitudes towards PRN medication use survey" was used and data were collected online. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package Social Sciences, Version 22.0. Practice differences between forensic and other acute mental health settings were identified related to the use of PRN medications to manage symptoms from nicotine, alcohol and other drug withdrawal. Differences related to the useage of comfort rooms and conducting comprehensive assessments of consumers' psychiatric symptoms were also detected. Qualitative findings highlighted the need for increased accountability for the prescribing and administration of PRN medications along with more nursing education/training to use alternative first line interventions. Nurses administering PRN medications should be vigilant regarding the indications for this practice to ensure they are facilitating the consumer's recovery by reducing the use of all forms of potentially restrictive practices in the hospital setting. The reasons for using PRN medications and PRN administration rates must be continually monitored to avoid practices such as high dose antipsychotics use and antipsychotic polypharmacy to ensure the efficacy of the consumers' management plans on their health care outcomes.
The effects of different decalcification protocols on TUNEL and general cartilage staining

Apoptosis is characterized by DNA strand breaks with a 3′-OH terminus, which are analyzed by terminal deoxy(d)-UTP nick end labeling (TUNEL). Proteinase K digestion is thought to be an essential step in the TUNEL procedure. The effects of decalcifying reagents on general staining and the TUNEL assay for cartilage sections are largely unknown. The effects of these reagents on retention and integrity of DNA in chondrocytes have not been described until now. We evaluated the effects of various decalcifying solutions, including 10% EDTA, 10% citric acid, 5% trichloroacetic acid, 5% acetic acid and a commercial hydrochloric acid-based reagent, on general cartilage staining and the TUNEL assay for cartilage. The effects of proteinase K on nucleus preservation were also examined. Decalcification with 10% EDTA gave the best result for general cartilage staining. Chondrocyte DNA was retained and intact after using this reagent. Decalcification with 10% EDTA is also the safest method of decalcification if the TUNEL assay is applied to cartilage. Proteinase K digestion may have adverse effects on nucleus preservation in cartilage. Awareness of these effects is important whenever the TUNEL assay is applied.
Further observations on the effects of intraruminal infusions of volatile fatty acids and of lactic acid on the yield and composition of the milk of the cow

The characteristically different effects of continuous intraruminal infusions of acetic, propionic or butyric acid on the yield and composition of the milk of the cow were described in an earlier publication (Rook & Balch, 1961). This paper reports further experiments to determine, with cows, the effects on milk yield and composition of infusions of these acids when given at high levels of addition or given in combination one with another, and whether the responses to additions vary with the diet of the cow. Some observations are also reported on the effects of intraruminal infusions of nand iso-valeric acids, given singly and in combination, of lactic acid and of formic acid on milk yield and composition.
Spiculisporic Acid E, a New Spiculisporic Acid Derivative and Ergosterol Derivatives from the Marine-Sponge Associated Fungus Talaromyces trachyspermus (KUFA 0021)

A new spiculisporic acid derivative, spiculisporic acid E (2), and a new natural product 3-acetyl ergosterol 5, 8-endoperoxide (1), were isolated, together with ergosta-4, 6, 8 (14), 22-tetraen-3-one, glaucanic acid and glauconic acid, from the culture of the marine-sponge associated fungus Talaromyces trachyspermus (KUFA 0021). All the compounds were inactive against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and Candida albicans, as well as multidrug-resistant isolates from the environment. Spiculisporic acid E (2), glaucanic acid and glauconic acid did not show in vitro growth inhibitory activity against the MCF-7 (breast adenocarcinoma), NCI-H460 (non-small cell lung cancer) and A375-C5 (melanoma) cell lines by the protein binding dye SRB method.
Formation conditions of random laser cavities in annealed ZnO epilayers

The possibilities to realize room-temperature random laser action in ZnO epilayers with MgO as the buffer layer are studied. It is found that the formation of random laser cavities inside the ZnO epilayers can be achieved by post-growth annealing. Incoherent and coherent random lasing phenomena are observed from ZnO epilayers with (220)- and [200]-oriented MgO buffer layers, respectively. Lasing linewidth of the ZnO epilayers with incoherent and coherent feedback under 355-nm optical excitation is found to be /spl sim/4 and /spl sim/0.4 nm, respectively.
An improvement of stars' centroid determination using PSF-fitting method

This paper presents an algorithm for restoring telescope images corrupted by turbulence effects and readout noise of a telescope system in order to determine centroid positions of stars, especially position of a reference star. A computation method relying on an accurate centroid estimation algorithm reconstructing a point spread function (PSF) from registered telescope images has been used. Minimisation of turbulence effects and telescope control system noise in long term images acquired and registered by the ground telescope is proposed. A solution of the distortion error minimisation signal is dedicated to GoTo calibration procedures built in control mechanisms of the electromechanical telescope system. Proposed method has been verified in Matlab environment for real deep sky images registered by the ground telescope system.
Physical Interpretation of the Attractor Dimension for the Primitive Equations of Atmospheric Circulation

In a series of recent papers, some of the authors have addressed with mathematical rigor some aspects of the primitive equations governing the large-scale atmospheric motion. Among other results, they derived without evaluating it an expression for the dimension of the attractor for those equations. It is known that the long-term behavior of the motion and states of the atmosphere can be described by the global attractor. Namely, starting with a given initial value, the solution will tend to the attractor as t goes to infinity. The dimension estimate of the global attractor is evaluated in this article, showing that this global attractor possesses a finite but large number of degrees of freedom. Using some arguments based on the known physical dissipation mechanisms, the bound on the dimension of the attractor in terms of the observable quantities governing the heating and energy dissipation accompanying the motion of the atmosphere is made immediately transparent. Consequently, to the extent that the resolution needed in numerical simulations of the long-term atmospheric motion is related to the dimension of the attractor, the result in this article suggests that the required resolution is quite sensitive to the magnitude of the effective (or eddy) viscosity, while it appears to be less sensitive to the details of the way that the atmosphere is heated.
The Relationship between the Free Concentrations of Ca2+ and Ca2+-calmodulin in Intact Cells*

Using stably expressed fluorescent indicator proteins, we have determined for the first time the relationship between the free Ca2+ and Ca2+-calmodulin concentrations in intact cells. A similar relationship is obtained when the free Ca2+ concentration is externally buffered or when it is transiently increased in response to a Ca2+-mobilizing agonist. Below a free Ca2+concentration of 0.2 μm, no Ca2+-calmodulin is detectable. A global maximum free Ca2+-calmodulin concentration of ∼ 45 nm is produced when the free Ca2+ concentration exceeds 3 μm, and a half-maximal concentration is produced at a free Ca2+concentration of 1 μm. Data for fractional saturation of the indicators suggest that the total concentration of calmodulin-binding proteins is ∼ 2-fold higher than the total calmodulin concentration. We conclude that high-affinity calmodulin targets (K d ≤ 10 nm) are efficiently activated throughout the cell, but efficient activation of low-affinity targets (K d ≥ 100 nm) occurs only where free Ca2+-calmodulin concentrations can be locally enhanced.
Levosimendan in Two Neonates with Ischemic Heart Failure and Pulmonary Hypertension

We report the successful and safe use of levosimendan, a new calcium-sensitizing agent with positive inotropic and vasodilatory action, in 2 critically ill term newborns with acute heart failure and pulmonary hypertension in the absence of any underlying heart malformation and/or previous cardiosurgical procedures. During the neonatal period, levosimendan may represent an ideal drug for immature myocardium characterized by a higher calcium-dependent contractility than in adults.
Incidence and characterization of Listeria monocytogenes in foods available in Taiwan

A variety of foods were examined for the incidence of Listeria monocytogenes, and the bacterial isolates were further characterized. L. monocytogenes was selected on LiCl-phenylethanol-moxalactam agar after enrichments and identified by several biochemical, mobility, and CAMP tests. L. monocytogenes was isolated from 58.8% of pork samples, 50% of chicken carcasses, 38% of turkey parts, 34% of frozen semiready foods, 24% of beef steaks, 12.2% of vegetables, 10.5% of seafoods, and 4.4% of frozen dim sum but was not found in the Chinese pickles and fermented milks. Isolates from seafoods, turkey parts, and beef samples had higher hemolytic activity than those from other samples. The isolates were highly susceptible to ampicillin, cephalothin, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, gentamicin, kanamycin, neomycin, novobiocin, penicillin, and streptomycin. About 14.5% of the isolates were resistant to methicillin, and 14.5% were resistant to tetracycline. The majority of the isolates from turkey parts and beef steaks were serotype 1, and those from chicken and pork samples were serotype 4 and others. Hemolytic activity, methicillin susceptibility, and serotype distribution of the isolates from domestic and imported food samples were significantly different. The results suggest the presence of food- or geography-specific L. monocytogenes strains.
Prevention of epilepsy by taurine treatments in mice experimental model

An experimental model based on kainic acid (KA) injections replicates many phenomenological features of human temporal lobe epilepsy, the most common type of epilepsy in adults. Taurine, 2‐aminoethanesulfonic acid, present in high concentrations in many invertebrate and vertebrate systems, is believed to serve several important biological functions. In addition, it is believed to have a neuroprotective role against several diseases. In the present study, an experimental mouse model based on taurine pretreatment prior to KA administration has been improved to study whether taurine has a neuroprotective effect against KA‐induced behavior and cell damage. Under different treatments tested, taurine's most neuroprotective effects were observed with intraperitoneal taurine injection (150 mg/kg dosage) 12 hr before KA administration. Thus, a reduction in or total absence of seizures, together with a reduction in or even disappearance of cellular and molecular KA‐derived effects, was detected in mice pretreated with taurine compared with those treated only with KA. Moreover, the use of tritiated taurine revealed taurine entry into the brain, suggesting possible changes in intracellular:extracellular taurine ratios and the triggering of pathways related to neuroprotective effects. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.