Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysis of AchE and LDH in mollusc, Lamellidens marginalis after exposure to chlorpyrifos.

The enzymes Acetylcholinesterase (AchE) and Lactatedehydrogenase (LDH) are used as biological markers in the present study. Enzymes are highly sensitive and used to evaluate the biological effects of organophosphate pesticide chlorpyrifos in freshwater mussel Lamellidens marginalis. The test organisms were exposed to sub-lethal concentration (5 ppm) of chlorpyrifos for 30 days and allowed to recover for seven days. A distinct reduction of the enzyme AchE (34 +/- 3.3 U l(-1)) was found in the treated hepatopancreas. A significant increase in LDH activity in gill, hepatopancreas and muscle was observed. There was a significant recovery in AchE and LDH in the different tissues, after seven days recovery period. Hence, the changes in the enzymes are found as the best biomarkering tool to evaluate the effect of organophosphate pesticide chlorpyrifos on the aquatic biota.
One-year follow-up of patients with mild traumatic brain injury: Occurrence of post-traumatic stress-related symptoms at follow-up and serum levels of cortisol, S-100B and neuron-specific enolase in acute phase

Objective: To investigate serum levels of cortisol (a biochemical marker of stress), S-100B and neuron-specific enolase (two biochemical markers of brain tissue injury), in acute phase in mild traumatic brain injury patients and the occurrence of post-traumatic stress-related symptoms 1 year after the trauma. Methods: Blood samples were taken in patients (n = 88) on admission and ∼7 hours later for analysis. Occurrence of post-traumatic stress-related symptoms was assessed for 69 patients using items from the Impact of Event Scale questionnaire (IES) at follow-up at 15 ± 4 months after the injury. Results: Serum levels of cortisol were more increased in the first sample (cortisol/1, 628.9 ± 308.9 nmol L−1) than in the second blood sample (cortisol/2, 398.2 ± 219.4 nmol L−1). The difference between these samples was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Altogether 12 patients (17%) showed post-traumatic stress related symptoms at the time of the follow-up. Stepwise forward logistic regression analysis of symptoms and serum concentrations of markers revealed that only S-100B in the second sample was statistically significantly (p < 0.05) associated to symptoms (three symptoms of the avoidance sub-set of IES). Conclusion: A major increase in serum concentrations of cortisol indicates that high stress levels were reached by the patients, in particular shortly (∼3 hours) after the trauma. The association between the occurrence of post-traumatic stress related symptoms and serum levels of S-100B (generally considered as a biochemical marker of brain injury) seem to reflect the complexity of interactions between brain tissue injury and the ensemble of stress reactions.
LINE‐1 hypomethylation is inversely associated with microsatellite instability and CpG island methylator phenotype in colorectal cancer

The CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) with widespread promoter CpG island methylation is a phenotype in colorectal cancer, associated with microsatellite instability (MSI) and BRAF mutation. Genome‐wide hypomethylation may also play an important role in genomic instability. However, the relation between global DNA methylation level and methylation in individual CpG islands remains uncertain. Utilizing 869 population‐based colorectal cancers, we measured long interspersed nucleotide element‐1 (LINE‐1) methylation level by Pyrosequencing, which correlates with global DNA methylation level. We quantified DNA methylation in 8 CIMP‐specific promoters (CACNA1G, CDKN2A (p16), CRABP1, IGF2, MLH1, NEUROG1, RUNX3 and SOCS1) by real‐time PCR (MethyLight technology). LINE‐1 methylation levels in tumors were approximately normally distributed (mean, 61.4%; median, 62.3%; standard deviation, 9.6%). Among the 869 tumors, 128 (15%) were classified as CIMP‐high (≥6/8 methylated promoters). The mean LINE‐1 methylation level was higher in CIMP‐high tumors (65.1%, p < 0.0001) than non‐CIMP‐high tumors (60.7%), and higher in MSI‐high tumors (64.7%, p < 0.0001) than non‐MSI‐high tumors (60.7%). When tumors were stratified by MSI/CIMP status, compared to non‐MSI‐high non‐CIMP‐high tumors (mean LINE‐1 methylation level, 60.4%), the mean LINE‐1 methylation level was higher in MSI‐high CIMP‐high (64.8%, p < 0.0001), MSI‐high non‐CIMP‐high (64.6%, p = 0.03) and non‐MSI‐high CIMP‐high tumors (66.1%, p = 0.0003). In addition, 18q loss of heterozygosity in non‐MSI‐high tumors was correlated with LINE‐1 hypomethylation (p = 0.004). In conclusion, both CIMP‐high and MSI‐high are inversely associated with LINE‐1 hypomethylation, suggesting that CIMP/MSI and genomic hypomethylation may represent different pathways to colorectal cancer. Our data also support a possible link between global hypomethylation and chromosomal instability. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Compensation for Occupational Diseases and the Importance of Preventition: A Law and Economics Perspective

This paper deals with possible compensation mechanisms for damage caused by occupational diseases. Specific attention is paid to the potential influence of these compensation mechanisms on prevention of work related incidents. The economic analysis of law is used to pay attention to liability and liability insurance whereby both the preventive effects of liability and liability insurance are discussed as well as their capacity to compensate. Attention is equally paid to social security, compensation funds and first party as well as direct insurance schemes. Some empirical evidence concerning the effectiveness of various compensation mechanisms as far as the prevention of occupational diseases is concerned is also discussed.
It is not your fault, but it is your problem: global financial crisis and emerging markets

The financial and economic conditions in emerging markets (EM) responded sharply to the 2008–2009 global financial crisis (GFC). Motivated by the lack of appropriate frameworks to explore interlinkages between emerging and advanced economies, we propose a two-country model with explicit trade and financial channels. This enables us to identify the differences in the implications of domestic versus global financial crises and explore the role of real and financial cross-border spillovers. We find that (i) the interaction between the degree of trade integration and the scale of financial contagion; and (ii) the relative importance of the export versus balance sheet channels play a key role in determining the overall impact of the global financial shock. Indeed, in the wake of the GFC, while some of the very open EMs suffered substantial output losses initially, those that were able to attract the capital flowing out of the crisis-struck advanced economies recovered swiftly.
Inter-Rater Reliability for Noninvasive Measurement of Cardiac Function in Children

Introduction: A transcutaneous ultrasound monitor has recently been developed which noninvasively and quickly measures cardiac output. Validity and reliability testing has been reported in adults. No reliability testing has been undertaken in the pediatric population. Objective: Our objective was to evaluate the inter-rater reliability of a transcutaneous Doppler ultrasound technique to measure cardiac index (CI) and stroke volume index (SVI) in pediatric emergency department patients. Methods: An 8-month prospective observational study was conducted on a convenience sample of emergency department patients younger than 18 years old. Five raters were trained to use an ultrasound cardiac output monitoring device. Two raters, blinded to each other's results, obtained independent measurements from the same patient within 15 minutes of each other. Inter-rater agreement was measured with the Pearson product correlation coefficient. Bland-Altman analysis demonstrated the extent of deviation from a line of agreement between raters. Results: Ninety-seven patients were enrolled. Major diagnostic categories included infection, trauma, and gastrointestinal disorders. There was significant inter-rater correlation for CI (r = 0.76; 95% confidence interval, 0.66-0.83; P < 0.0001) and SVI (r = 0.79; 95% confidence interval, 0.70-0.86; P < 0.0001). Bland-Altman analysis of CI measurements between 2 raters showed bias of 0.06, SD of bias 1.00, and 95% limits of agreement −1.91 to 2.02 L/min/m2. Stroke volume index showed bias of −0.5, SD of bias 11.01, and 95% limits of agreement −22.08 to 21.08 mL/m2. Conclusions: Transcutaneous Doppler ultrasound technique demonstrates acceptable inter-rater agreement for measuring CI and SVI in children.
A Current Control Technique for Induction Machine Drives Using Integrated Pilot Current Sensors in the Low-Side Switches

A new current regulation algorithm is presented that achieves indirect field-oriented control (IFOC) for three-phase induction motor drives using current feedback information provided by three integrated pilot sensors in the three low-side inverter switches. A new regulator is required for this configuration of pilot sensors because each sensor can measure its phase current during only half of each fundamental frequency cycle. A technique has been developed to reconstruct the three phase currents during the intervals when they are not measured so that the phase current can be used to achieve FOC of the machine. Experimental results are provided to confirm the attractive performance characteristics of the proposed control technique during both steady-state and transient operation. Key application issues including the impact of errors in the estimated machine parameters are discussed
Families "all'italiana": 150 Years of history

In this paper we trace the evolution over time of definitions, data sources, conceptual frameworks and strategies of analysis of family structures and behaviours in Italy since 1861, date of the country Unification. Then we focus on trends in family patterns at beginning of the new Millennium, and compare the Italian case with the other European countries. We mainly concentrate on data on unions formation and dissolution and show many figures which suggest a growing flexibility of unions and a rising breaking-down of the Italian marriage. We thus contribute to the discussion about the delay and specificity of the “new” family models in Italy, providing a dynamic picture in a context of institutional constraints and lack of welfare aids. ____________________________________________________________  Alessandra DE ROSE, Dipartimento di Metodi e modelli per l’economia, il territorio e la finanza, Sapienza University of Rome. e-mail: alessandra.derose@uniroma1.it ** Daniele VIGNOLI, Dipartimento di Statistica “G. Parenti”, University of Florence. e-mail:
Cdk5 acts as a mediator of neuronal cell cycle re-entry triggered by amyloid-β and prion peptides

Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) is a serine-threonine kinase important for different cellular processes. Involved in tau protein hyperphosphorylation and apoptotic neuronal death, two main neuropathological markers of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Prion-related encephalopathies (PRE), Cdk5 also participates in cell cycle regulation. However, the precise relationship between cell cycle reactivation and Cdk5 dysregulation in AD and PRE remains unclear. To determine Cdk5 involvement in the triggering of an abortive cell cycle by amyloid-beta (Aβ) and prion (PrP) peptides, associated with AD and PRE pathogenesis, we examined the levels/activation of several cell cycle-associated proteins in cultured cortical neurons treated with Aβ1-40 and PrP106-126 peptides. Peptide treatments significantly increased Cdk4, phospho-retinoblastoma and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) levels, whereas phospho-histone H3 remained invariable, suggesting cell cycle arrest before the M phase. Moreover, Aβ1-40 and PrP106-126 largely augmented the number of PCNA-immunoreactive cells with fragmented nuclei. The Cdk5 inhibitor roscovitine and the calpain inhibitor MDL28170 prevented the alterations in cell cycle markers induced by both peptides. The data obtained suggest that Aβ and PrP peptides induced neuronal cell cycle re-entry through a mechanism involving Cdk5 dysregulation. Therefore, cell cycle reactivation mediated by Cdk5 can underlie the neurodegenerative processes that occur in AD and PRE.
First-Pass Whole-Body Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) Using the Blood-Pool Contrast Medium Gadofosveset Trisodium: Comparison to Gadopentetate Dimeglumine

Objectives:To evaluate gadofosveset trisodium for first-pass magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) in the setting of whole-body MRA (WB-MRA). Materials and Methods:Forty patients were examined using either 10 mL gadofosveset trisodium (n = 20) or 30 mL gadopentetate dimeglumine (n = 20), followed by arterial-phase imaging of 4 consecutive anatomic regions. Signal intensity was measured in 2 vessels per region. Relative contrast values (RC) were calculated. Arterial contrast, venous overlay, and image quality were rated by 2 radiologists. The Mann–Whitney U test was used to test for significance. Results:Compared with gadopentetate dimeglumine, gadofosveset trisodium enhanced imaging revealed higher RC values in 2 vessel regions, with the differences being significant in 3 of 4 vessel segments. Gadofosveset trisodium revealed lower RC values in 2 regions with significant differences in 2 segments. Qualitative evaluation revealed higher ratings for gadofosveset trisodium regarding all 3 criteria with significant differences in 2 regions. Conclusions:Gadofosveset trisodium serves well for first-pass imaging in WB-MRA.
α‐Sarcoglycan is Recycled from the Plasma Membrane in the Absence of Sarcoglycan Complex Assembly

The sarcoglycan complex consists of four subunits in skeletal muscle (α, β, γ, and δ‐SG). Mutations in α‐sarcoglycan (α‐SG) result in the most common form of limb girdle muscular dystrophy. However, the function of α‐SG remains unknown. In this report we attempt to clarify its function by delineating the trafficking pathway of α‐SG in live cells. We present evidence, utilizing total internal reflection microscopy, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching and photoactivation of green fluorescent protein (GFP) constructs, that pools of α‐SG are able to translocate to the plasma membrane in the absence of the remaining sarcoglycans. Internalization assays and drug treatment experiments demonstrate that α‐SG recycles from the plasma membrane and accumulates in recycling endosomes. We also establish that α‐SG utilizes well‐described clathrin mediated mechanisms and microtubules to traffic within the cell. Finally, we show that the most commonly reoccurring limb girdle muscular dystrophy (R77C) mutation causes a fundamental defect in protein biosynthesis, trapping the mutant protein in the endoplasmic recticulum (ER). These results demonstrate that α‐SG requires assembly into the sarcoglycan complex for stability at the plasma membrane rather than export out of the ER. Furthermore, this data suggests that α‐SG utilizes known trafficking machinery to control deposition at the plasma membrane through recycling.
Symptomatic relapse of HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis after initial fluconazole monotherapy: the role of fluconazole resistance and immune reconstitution.

BACKGROUND Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) in South Africa is often treated with fluconazole as initial therapy. Surveillance data suggest that the prevalence of fluconazole-resistant CM is increasing, and expanding access to antiretroviral therapy is resulting in increasing recognition of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome. Therefore, we conducted a study to assess the contribution of these factors to CM relapse in this context. METHODS Patients with symptomatic relapse of CM were prospectively identified at 2 hospitals in Cape Town, South Africa, during the period of 2003-2005. Patients met the following criteria: (1) a previous laboratory-confirmed episode of CM, with resolution of symptoms after treatment; (2) reported adherence to fluconazole treatment; (3) recurrence of typical CM symptoms; (4) cerebrospinal fluid antigen test and/or culture positive for Cryptococcus neoformans; and (5) no alternative diagnosis. Data on patients' human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and CM infections and treatment were collected and analyzed. RESULTS Thirty-two episodes of relapse occurred among 27 patients. Episodes were classified into 3 groups: culture-positive episodes in antiretroviral therapy-naive patients (6 episodes), culture-positive episodes in patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (15 episodes), and culture-negative episodes in patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (11 episodes). Seventy-six percent of culture-positive relapses were associated with isolates that had reduced susceptibility to fluconazole. Drug-resistant cases required prolonged intravenous therapy with amphotericin B, and despite this treatment, the mortality rate was high (54% at a median of 6 months of follow-up). Despite a long interval between initiation of antifungal therapy and initiation of antiretroviral therapy (median interval, 144 days), immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome contributed to at least one-third of relapses. CONCLUSIONS After initial treatment with fluconazole, relapses of symptomatic CM are often associated with fluconazole resistance and immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome. These data add to concern about the efficacy of fluconazole, compared with amphotericin B, for initial treatment of HIV-associated CM.
Aerosol optical depth and land surface reflectance from multiangle AATSR measurements: global validation and intersensor comparisons

This paper presents the results and satellite intercomparisons for the retrieval of aerosol optical depth (AOD) and land surface bidirectional reflectance using the Multiangle Advanced Along-Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR). The algorithm developed is based on inversion of a physical model of light scattering that requires no a priori knowledge of the land surface. The model is evaluated for a number of sites around the world to test its operation over a range of aerosol types and land covers including dark and bright surfaces. Validation is performed using Aerosol Robotic Network ground-based sun-photometer measurements and by intercomparison with independent estimates of AOD derived from spaceborne instruments including Multiangle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR), Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) aerosol products. Results show good agreement (Pearson's correlation coefficient r2=0.70 for all sites combined) between the AATSR-derived estimates of AOD and the sun-photometer measurements. There is also a high correlation (r2=0.84) between the AATSR- and MISR-derived AOD estimates, but the correlations of the AATSR-derived AOD with MODIS-derived AOD and TOMS aerosol index are lower. In addition, the ability of the sensor to discriminate between different aerosol types is evaluated. Moreover, the estimates of the aerosol properties are used for atmospheric correction of the top-of-atmosphere reflectance. The AATSR surface reflectances are compared with the MODIS bidirectional reflectance distribution function/Albedo and MISR surface products and are shown to correspond with root-mean-square errors of 0.03 and 0.06 or better, respectively. The retrieval method is applied on an image basis resulting in an image of surface reflectance and a separate map of AOD. A map of AOD at 550 nm covering the Sahel and southern Sahara region is presented to demonstrate operation at regional and potentially global scales
Compact BJT-Based Thermal Sensor for Processor Applications in a 14 nm tri-Gate CMOS Process

Compact thermal sensors (<; 0.02 mm 2 ) are important for measuring thermal gradients in microprocessors and can directly affect the processors performance and power management. In this paper, the first 14 nm thermal sensor is reported. This sensor was fabricated in Intel's 14 nm process, and is one of the first analog circuits reported in this technology. It has an area of 0.0087 mm 2 , can sense at a speed > 50 kS/sec, consumes 1.1 mW with a resolution of 0.5 °C, and has a resolution FOM of 5.7 nJ * C 2 . It is very close to the present BJT sensor state-of-the-art in its size, while being much faster and having a much better FOM than any of the compact BJT sensors.
Enrichment of Endoplasmic Reticulum with Cholesterol Inhibits Sarcoplasmic-Endoplasmic Reticulum Calcium ATPase-2b Activity in Parallel with Increased Order of Membrane Lipids

Macrophages in advanced atherosclerotic lesions accumulate large amounts of unesterified, or “free,” cholesterol (FC). FC accumulation induces macrophage apoptosis, which likely contributes to plaque destabilization. Apoptosis is triggered by the enrichment of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) with FC, resulting in depletion of ER calcium stores, and induction of the unfolded protein response. To explain the mechanism of ER calcium depletion, we hypothesized that FC enrichment of the normally cholesterol-poor ER membrane inhibits the macrophage ER calcium pump, sarcoplasmic-endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase-2b (SERCA2b). FC enrichment of ER membranes to a level similar to that occuring in vivo inhibited both the ATPase activity and calcium sequestration function of SERCA2b. Enrichment of ER with ent-cholesterol or 14:0-18:0 phosphatidylcholine, which possess the membrane-ordering properties of cholesterol, also inhibited SERCA2b. Moreover, at various levels of FC enrichment of ER membranes, there was a very close correlation between increasing membrane lipid order, as monitored by 16-doxyl-phosphatidycholine electron spin resonance, and SERCA2b inhibition. In view of these data, we speculate that SERCA2b, a conformationally active protein with 11 membrane-spanning regions, loses function due to decreased conformational freedom in FC-ordered membranes. This biophysical model may underlie the critical connection between excess cholesterol, unfolded protein response induction, macrophage death, and plaque destabilization in advanced atherosclerosis.
DBpedia-Based Entity Linking via Greedy Search and Adjusted Monte Carlo Random Walk

Facing a large amount of entities appearing on the web, entity linking has recently become useful. It assigns an entity from a resource to one name mention to help users grasp the meaning of this name mention. Unfortunately, many possible entities can be assigned to one name mention. Apparently, the usually co-occurring name mentions are related and can be considered together to determine their best assignments. This approach is called collective entity linking and is often conducted based on entity graph. However, traditional collective entity linking methods either consume much time due to the large scale of entity graph or obtain low accuracy due to simplifying graph. To improve both accuracy and efficiency, this article proposes a novel collective entity linking algorithm. It first constructs an entity graph by connecting any two related entities, and then a probability-based objective function is proposed on this graph to ensure the high accuracy of the linking result. Via this function, we convert entity linking to the process of finding the nodes with the highest PageRank Values. Greedy search and an adjusted Monte Carlo random walk are proposed to fulfill this work. Experimental results demonstrate that our algorithm performs much better than traditional linking methods.