Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Glucocorticoid therapy alters hormonal and cytokine responses to endotoxin in man.

Previous experimental data have demonstrated that steroid pretreatment regulates endotoxin-elicited cytokine production. The timing of such hypercortisolemia also appears to be a major determinant of both the systemic and the cytokine response to infectious stimuli. Our study was undertaken to further study the in vivo influence of glucocorticoid infusion concurrent with and before endotoxin exposure in man. A total of 23 normal human subjects were given endotoxin (LPS) alone or pretreated with hydrocortisone infusion for 6 h immediately before and concomitant to LPS administration; or rendered hypercortisolemic for a 6-h period waiting 6, 12, or 144 h before LPS administration. LPS administration was followed by significant elevations in temperature (1.9 +/- 0.3 degrees C), pulse (29 +/- 6 bpm), and resting energy expenditure (26.2 +/- 0.4 kcal/kg/day) as well as epinephrine (236 +/- 59 pg/ml), cortisol (296 +/- 29), and C-reactive protein (4.2 +/- .03 mg/dl) as compared with base-line values. Levels of TNF and IL-6 that were not detectable before LPS administration, peaked, respectively, at 90 and 120 min after LPS (155 +/- 4 pg/ml, 12 +/- 1 U/ml). Glucocorticoids when given immediately before and concomitant with LPS significantly attenuated the temperature (0.8 +/- 0.01 degrees C) and pulse rate response (10 +/- 3 bpm) seen after LPS alone as well as suppressing peak levels of epinephrine (78 +/- 14 pg/ml) and C-reactive protein (undetected). TNF remained undetectable in this group although the IL-6 response (14 +/- 1 U/ml) was unchanged. With a 6-h interval between hydrocortisone infusion and LPS challenge, changes in temperature, pulse, resting energy expenditure, and hormone levels were similar to those seen after LPS alone whereas TNF remained undetectable and IL-6 levels were similar to subjects receiving LPS alone. Subjects receiving LPS after 12 or 144 h after hydrocortisone infusion displayed hemodynamic and hormonal responses similar to the LPS alone group, yet mounted significantly greater circulating levels of both IL-6 (117 +/- 14 U/ml, 160 +/- 51 U/ml at 12 and 144 h) and TNF (609 +/- 173, 671 +/- 132 pg/ml at 12 and 144 h) to those observed after LPS alone. We conclude that antecedent periods of hypercortisolemia participate in regulation of the hemodynamic, hormonal, and cytokine responses to endotoxin and that a complex temporal relationship between hypercortisolemia and LPS induced cytokine and systemic responses exists.
Using the defining issues test for evaluating computer ethics teaching

Since the publication in 1997 of the Australian Computer Society's (ACS) body of knowledge for computing professionals, a higher priority has been given to the teaching of computer ethics in Australia. This paper evaluates an undergraduate computer ethics teaching program using the defining issues test of moral judgment. A "before-and-after with a control group" research design was used. For both the experimental and control groups, a general increase in moral judgment development was observed over the semester. The experimental group exhibited a significantly larger increase in moral judgment development than the control group. However, it was found to be the result of an increase in the moral development of the female students rather than the male students. The results are discussed and the implications for studies in an education context are outlined.
Elevated levels of DeltaFosB and RGS9 in striatum in Parkinson's disease.

INTRODUCTION In the present study, we determined whether certain proteins known to mediate dopamine signaling in striatum show abnormal levels in Parkinson's disease. METHODS Protein levels were assayed by western blotting in samples of caudate nucleus and putamen obtained at autopsy from patients with Parkinson's disease and from control subjects. Levels of several markers of dopaminergic function were also assayed. RESULTS Levels of the transcription factor DeltaFosB and of the G protein modulatory protein RGS9 were both increased in caudate and putamen from patients with Parkinson's disease. Levels of several other proteins were not affected. Interestingly, levels of both DeltaFosB and RGS9 correlated inversely with putamen levels of dopamine, dopamine metabolites, and the dopamine transporter. CONCLUSIONS These findings are consistent with observations in laboratory animals, which have demonstrated elevated levels of DeltaFosB in striatum after denervation of the midbrain dopamine system, and confirm that similar adaptations in DeltaFosB and RGS9 occur in humans with Parkinson's disease. Knowledge of these adaptations can help us understand the changes in striatal function associated with Parkinson's disease and assist in the development of novel treatments.
Strength and endurance adaptations to functional electrical stimulation leg cycle ergometry in spinal cord injury.

OBJECTIVES To describe adaptations in power output, quadriceps muscle strength, and fatigability that occur during a 13-week regimen of Functional Electrical Stimulation Leg Cycle Ergometry (FES-LCE) in Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). To identify differences in outcomes between individuals with complete and incomplete motor impairment. DESIGN Observational and longitudinal. SETTING Rehabilitation and biomechanics research laboratory. PARTICIPANTS Eleven (N = 11) individuals with SCI and no previous FES-LCE experience. INTERVENTION 40 sessions of FES-LCE at a rate of three sessions per week. Continuous exercise was performed at a pedal cadence of 45 RPM against a constant resistance for up to 60 minutes. OUTCOME MEASURES Mean power output was recorded for each session. Before and after the training regimen, each subject performed a fatigue test in which electrically stimulated knee extension torque and Fatigue Index were measured. RESULTS Participants demonstrated significant increases in mean power output (9.0 to 20.3 W; p < 0.001), peak isometric knee extension torque (3.8 to 16.9 Nm; p = 0.006) and sustainable isometric knee extension torque (4.9 to 14.4 Nm; p = 0.001) after FES-LCE training (95% confidence intervals). Participants with incomplete motor impairment demonstrated a decrease in Fatigue Index (p = 0.021), and improved mean power output more than those with complete motor impairment (p = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS Significant improvements in muscle conditioning and exercise performance are possible following the 13-week regimen of FES-LCE described in this article. Individuals with incomplete motor impairment experience greater improvements in mean power output than individuals with complete motor impairment.
A reinvestigation of the origin of cells in grafted tumours, using the mouse T6 marker chromosome

Using a mouse chromosome marker technique, it was found that host cells were rare in transplants of a chemically induced sarcoma, and absent in a human adenovirus type 12‐induced tumour. However, host cells were found in four of nine transplants of a Moloney virus‐induced lymphoma and, in three of these, they constituted the majority of mitotic cells. The nature of the host cells, and the possible importance of the part played by infective virus particles in the continued growth of this tumour, are discussed.
An ERP Study of Famous Face Incongruity Detection in Middle Age

Age-related changes in famous face incongruity detection were examined in middle-aged (mean = 50.6) and young (mean = 24.8) subjects. Behavioral and ERP responses were recorded while subjects, after a presentation of a "prime face" (a famous person with the eyes masked), had to decide whether the following "test face" was completed with its authentic eyes (congruent) or with other eyes (incongruent). The principal effects of advancing age were (1) behavioral difficulties in discriminating between incongruent and congruent faces; (2) a reduced N400 effect due to N400 enhancement for both congruent and incongruent faces; (3) a latency increase of both N400 and P600 components. ERPs to primes (face encoding) were not affected by aging. These results are interpreted in terms of early signs of aging.
Relatedness of Strains of Xanthomonas fragariae by Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism, DNA-DNA Reassociation, and Fatty Acid Analyses

ABSTRACT The levels of relatedness of strains of Xanthomonas fragariae collected over several years from locations in Canada and the United States were compared by determining fatty acid methyl ester profiles, restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) based on pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis, and DNA-DNA reassociation values. Based on qualitative and quantitative differences in fatty acid profiles, the strains were divided into nine groups and four groups by the MIDI “10% rule” and unweighted pair analysis, respectively. Restriction analysis of genomic DNA by PFGE with two endonucleases (XbaI and SpeI) revealed four distinct profiles. When a third endonuclease (VspI) was used, one group was divided into three subgroups. The profile of the American Type Culture Collection type strain differed from the profile of every other strain of X. fragariae. Considerable diversity was observed within X. fragariae, although the majority of the strains represented a clonal population. The four groups based on fatty acid profiles were similar to the four groups based on RFLP, but neither method related groups to the geographic origins of the strains. The DNA-DNA reassociation values were high for representative strains, providing evidence that all of the strains belong to the same species.
Relationships between El Niño Southern Oscillation and Demographic Patterns in a Substitute Food for Collared Peccaries in Panama

Environmental fluctuations can play an important role in shaping demographic processes in plant and animal populations. On Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama, El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events followed by mild dry seasons have been shown to stimulate variation in community‐wide fruit production. This variation has been postulated to lead to famine in frugivore and granivore populations, but few if any studies have assessed further implications for other members of the ecological community. This study examined the ways in which variation in fruit production associated with an El Nino event on BCI may influence demographic and evolutionary traits in a plant species that is only consumed by frugivores during periods of fruit scarcity. Specifically, I assessed the effects of herbivory by collared peccaries (Tayassu tajacu) on demographic rates and patterns in the terrestrial bromeliad, Aechmea magdalenae. Aechmea magdalenae usually suffers little or no herbivory, and rain forest collared peccaries, which are primarily frugivorous, have not previously been reported to eat this species. Rates of survival and reproduction of 296 A. magdalenae rosettes in three transects of differing densities were recorded from 1997 through 1999. Mortality rates due to herbivory increased significantly from 1997 to 1999 and showed a close correspondence with enhanced and then decreased rates of community‐wide fruit production associated with the 1997 ENSO. The densest portions of the A. magdalenae population showed lower mortality rates and higher rates of reproduction than did the less dense regions. Over the study period, A. magdalenae populations decreased by 45 percent. The implications of periodic herbivory by hungry frugivores are discussed with respect to population regulation, seedling dispersal, and evolution of A. magdalenae's dense growth habit.
Origin of Vestibular Dysfunction in Usher Syndrome Type 1B

It is still debated to what extent the vestibular deficits in Usher patients are due to either central vestibulocerebellar or peripheral vestibular problems. Here, we determined the origin of the vestibular symptoms in Usher 1B patients by subjecting them to compensatory eye movement tests and by investigating the shaker-1 mouse model, which is known to have the same mutation in the myosin-VIIa gene as Usher 1B patients. We show that myosin-VIIa is not expressed in the human or mouse cerebellum and that the vestibulocerebellum of both Usher 1B patients and shaker-1 mice is functionally intact in that the gain and phase values of their optokinetic reflex are normal. In addition, Usher 1B patients and shaker-1 mice do not show an angular vestibuloocular reflex even though eye movement responses evoked by electrical stimulation of the vestibular nerve appear intact. Finally, we show histological abnormalities in the vestibular hair cells of shaker-1 mice at the ultrastructural level, while the distribution of the primary vestibular afferents and the vestibular brainstem circuitries are unaffected. We conclude that the vestibular dysfunction of Usher 1B patients and shaker-1 mice is peripheral in origin.
Gender and Emotional Expressiveness: An Analysis of Prosodic Features in Emotional Expression

Studies looking into emotional differences between men and women are plentiful. Conventional wisdom leads us to believe that women are more emotional than men, or at least are more emotionally expressive (Kring & Gordon 1998). This conventional wisdom has been supported by the results of many academic research papers indicating that women are indeed the more emotionally expressive of the genders (e .g. Ashmore & Del Boca 1979; Brody & Hall 2000; Johnson & Shulman 1988). The purpose of this paper is to examine the emotional expressivity of men and women in the realm of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitt er. Data was collected through the analysis of posts, tweets and comments from a sample of native Australian men and women and the implications of the findings from this data are discussed.
Production of Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor and Interleukin 6 by Human Smooth Muscle Cells following Infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae

ABSTRACT Chlamydia pneumoniae infection has been associated with asthma and atherosclerosis. Smooth muscle cells represent host cells for chlamydiae during chronic infection. In this study we demonstrated that C. pneumoniae infection of human smooth muscle cells in vitro increased production of interleukin 6 (IL-6) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) as shown by reverse transcription-PCR, immunoblotting, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In contrast, levels of platelet-derived growth factor A-chain mRNA were not affected after infection. The stimulation of bFGF and IL-6 production was most effective when viable chlamydiae were used as inoculum. Furthermore, inhibition of bacterial protein synthesis with chloramphenicol prevented up-regulation of IL-6 and bFGF in infected cells. Addition of IL-6 antibody to infected cultures diminished bFGF expression, indicating involvement of produced IL-6. These findings suggest that chlamydial infection of smooth muscle cells elicits a cytokine response that may contribute to structural remodeling of the airway wall in chronic asthma and to fibrous plaque formation in atherosclerosis.
Local business co-operation and the dilemmas of collective action: Rural micro-business networks in the North of England

Case study research in two rural market towns in the north of England investigates the local connectivity of micro-businesses and notions of co-operative behaviour with a view to informing a debate on the extent to which external (state) agencies can support the formation of local business networks. The research finds that co-operation is often associated with symbolic activities to express local identities with few cases of formal collective action. The case studies highlight an inherent danger of external state intervention in the facilitation of small business networks, in that, by disturbing established local norms and networks, such interventions may jeopardise the latent structures of social capital which they seek to exploit.
Where will supersymmetric dark matter first be seen

If the dark matter consists of supersymmetric particles, γ-ray observatories such as the Large Area Telescope aboard the Fermi satellite may detect annihilation radiation from the haloes of galaxies and galaxy clusters. Much recent effort has been devoted to searching for this signal around the Milky Way’s dwarf satellites. Using a new suite of high-resolution simulations of galaxy cluster haloes (the Phoenix Project), together with the Aquarius simulations of Milky Way-like galaxy haloes, we show that higher signal-to-noise ratio and equally clean signals are, in fact, predicted to come from nearby rich galaxy clusters. Most of the cluster emission is produced by small subhaloes with masses less than that of the Sun. The large range of mass scales covered by our two sets of simulations allows us to deduce a physically motivated extrapolation to these small (and unresolved) masses. Since tidal effects destroy subhaloes in the dense inner regions of haloes, most cluster emission is then predicted to come from large radii, implying that the nearest and brightest systems should be much more extended than Fermi’s angular resolution limit. The most promising targets for detection are clusters such as Coma and Fornax, but detection algorithms must be tuned to the predicted profile of the emission if they are to maximize the chance of finding this weak signal.
Anti-windup augmented controller for active vibration control in a smart flexible structure

In this paper, we propose to explore some recent results on the control of systems with saturations on control input. The purpose is to carry out the active vibration control in a classical smart flexible structure. The practical problem considered here is that of a flexible beam with one edge embedded into a movable support and the other free. This beam is equipped with two piezoelectric patches: one of them is used as an actuator and the other is used as a sensor. For reasons of experimental implementation, the control input is constrained by a symmetric and bipolar saturation at a given level. The main goal of this work is to design an anti-windup augmented controller in order to recover some linear closed-loop performances in the presence of this non-linearity.
Effect of Iron Additives on the Microstructure of Hydroxyapatite

In this article, some Fe (III) doped hydroxyapatite samples (FeHAp) were prepared using the wet chemical method. The prepared samples were characterized via the use of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Detailed structural analysis were done by Scherrer and Williamson–Hall plot methods to detect the effect of iron on the structure of hydroxyapatite (HAp). XRD patterns showed that all samples were single phased HAp. Relations between the Fe content and the deformation of the lattice parameters, dislocation density, grain size, microstrain, crystallinity were investigated. The presence of iron in the HAp lattice is found to decrease both the crystal size and the dislocation density. Further results are presented and discussed.
BAZI ÜZÜM ÇEŞİTLERİNİN ÇEKİRDEKLERİNDEKİ YAĞ ASİTLERİ BİLEŞENLERİNİN BELİRLENMESİ

Bu arastirmada, Bozcaada-Canakkale Yoresi’nde yetistirilen farkli uzum cesitlerinin cekirdekleri materyal olarak kullanilmistir. Presleme sonrasi atik materyal olarak ortaya cikan cibreden temin edilen cekirdeklerin bazi pomolojik ozellikleri ile yag asitleri bilesenleri incelenmistir. Pomolojik ozellikler COMU Ziraat Fakultesi Bahce Bitkileri Bolumu, yag asitleri bilesenlerinin analizleri ise Yeditepe Universitesi Genetik ve Biyomuhendislik Bolumu laboratuarlarinda gerceklestirilmistir. Incelenen uzum cesidi cekirdeklerinin, oranlari sirasiyla % 8.40-% 6.51 palmitik asit (16:0), % 16.10-% 11.62 oleik asit (18:1), % 77.59-% 72.50 linoleik asit (18:2), % 3.86-% 3.07 stearik asit (16:0), % 0.46-% 0.11 linolenik asit (18:3) ve % 0.68-% 0.10 arasidik asit (20:0) icerigine sahip oldugu belirlenmis, bu yonuyle iyi bir yemeklik yag ozelligi tasidigi saptanmistir. Farkli uzum cesidi cekirdegi yaglarinin doymamislik orani ise % 88.10 ile % 90.12 arasinda degisim gostermistir. Bununla birlikte, beyaz ve renkli uzum cesidi cekirdekleri arasinda da palmitik, stearik, linolenik ve arsidik asit icerikleri ile doymamislik orani bakimindan farkliliklarin oldugu tespit edilmistir.
Nuclear Export of Ubiquitinated Proteins Determines the Sensitivity of Colorectal Cancer to Proteasome Inhibitor

Although proteasome inhibitors such as bortezomib had significant therapeutic effects in multiple myeloma and mantel cell lymphoma, they exhibited minimal clinical activity as a monotherapy for solid tumors, including colorectal cancer. We found in this study that proteasome inhibition induced a remarkable nuclear exportation of ubiquitinated proteins. Inhibition of CRM1, the nuclear export carrier protein, hampered protein export and synergistically enhanced the cytotoxic action of bortezomib on colon cancer cells containing wild-type p53, which underwent G2–M cell-cycle block and apoptosis. Further analysis indicated that tumor suppressor p53 was one of the proteins exported from nuclei upon proteasome inhibition, and in the presence of CRM1 inhibitor KPT330, nuclear p53, and expression of its target genes were increased markedly. Moreover, knockdown of p53 significantly reduced the synergistic cytotoxic action of bortezomib and KPT330 on p53+/+ HCT116 cells. In mice, KPT330 markedly augmented the antitumor action of bortezomib against HCT116 xenografts as well as patient-derived xenografts that harbored functional p53. These results indicate that nuclear p53 is a major mediator in the synergistic antitumor effect of bortezomib and KPT330, and provides a rationale for the use of proteasome inhibitor together with nuclear export blocker in the treatment of colorectal cancer. It is conceivable that targeting nuclear exportation may serve as a novel strategy to overcome resistance and raise chemotherapeutic efficacy, especially for the drugs that activate the p53 system. Mol Cancer Ther; 16(4); 717–28. ©2016 AACR.
Challenges in the Neuropathological Diagnosis of Dementias

Dementia, defined as deterioration in several cognitive domains, is a major public health problem that threatens to become the scourge of the 21th century. It is caused by dysfunction/loss of synapses and neurons inducing default neuronal networks. Consensus criteria for the diagnosis of different dementia disorders have recently been updated. Clinical diagnostic accuracy using revised research criteria and new chemical, imaging and genetic biomarkers ranges from 65 to 96% (for Alzheimer disease), with a sensitivity versus other dementias of 71 to 87% and specificity of 44 to 71%. Morphological assessment, using immunohistochemistry, molecular biological and genetic methods and based on homogenous definitions, harmonized inter-laboratory methods and assessment standards, can achieve a diagnosis/classificaion in almost 99%, without, however, clarifying the etiology of most of these disorders. The new National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer Association (ABC) guidelines for pathological diagnosis of Alzheimer disease combine βamyloid plaque phases, Braak neurofibrillary and neuritic plaque scores, also considering other pathologies. Major difficulties arise from recent separation of distinct clinico-pathological subtypes (tangleand plaque intensive, tangle predominant, limbic-predominant and -sparing) from classical Alzheimer disease. Revised research criteria are available for dementia with Lewy bodies, Parkinson disease-dementia, frontotemporal lobe degeneration, vascular cognitive impairment/dementia, prion diseases, and other neurodegenerative dementias. However, due to considerable overlap between various neurodegenerative proteinopathies and cases with mixed pathologies, human postmortem studies entail numerous biases that affect both their general applicability and the validity of correlations. Although most neurodegenerative dementias are incurable at present, concerted prospective clinico-pathological studies using validated protocols and data fusion are required to overcome the limitations of the current diagnostic framework as a basis for efficient new therapy options.