Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transglutaminase Induces Protofibril-like Amyloid β-Protein Assemblies That Are Protease-resistant and Inhibit Long-term Potentiation*

An increasing body of evidence suggests that soluble assemblies of amyloid β-protein (Aβ) play an important role in the initiation of Alzheimer disease (AD). In vitro studies have found that synthetic Aβ can form soluble aggregates through self-assembly, but this process requires Aβ concentrations 100- to 1000-fold greater than physiological levels. Tissue transglutaminase (TGase) has been implicated in neurodegeneration and can cross-link Aβ. Here we show that TGase induces rapid aggregation of Aβ within 0.5-30 min, which was not observed with chemical cross-linkers. Both Aβ40 and Aβ42 are good substrates for TGase but show different aggregation patterns. Guinea pig and human TGase induced similar Aβ aggregation patterns, and oligomerization was observed with Aβ40 concentrations as low as 50 nm. The formed Aβ40 species range from 5 to 6 nm spheres to curvilinear structures of the same width, but up to 100 nm in length, that resemble the previously described self-assembled Aβ protofibrils. TGase-induced Aβ40 assemblies are resistant to a 1-h incubation with either neprilysin or insulin degrading enzyme, whereas the monomer is rapidly degraded by both proteases. In support of these species being pathological, TGase-induced Aβ40 assemblies (100 nm) inhibited long term potentiation recorded in the CA1 region of mouse hippocampus slices. Our data suggest that TGase can contribute to AD by initiating Aβ oligomerization and aggregation at physiological levels, by reducing the clearance of Aβ due to the generation of protease-resistant Aβ species, and by forming Aβ assemblies that inhibit processes involved in memory and learning. Our data suggest that TGase might constitute a specific therapeutic target for slowing or blocking the progression of AD.
The in vitro effect of pH on osteoclasts and bone resorption in the cat: Implications for the pathogenesis of FORL

Dental disease due to osteoclast over‐activity reaches epidemic proportions in older domestic cats and has also been reported in wild cats. Feline osteoclastic resorptive lesions (FORL) involve extensive resorption of the tooth leaving it liable to root fracture and subsequent tooth loss. The aetio‐pathogenesis of FORL is not known. Recent work has shown that systemic acidosis causes increased osteoclast activation and that loci of infection or inflammation in cat mouth are likely to be acidotic. To investigate this, we generated osteoclasts from cat blood and found that they formed in large numbers (∼400) in cultures on bovine cortical bone slices. Acidosis caused an increase in the size of cells—in cultures maintained up to 14 days at basal pH 7.25, mean osteoclast area was 0.01 ± 0.003 mm2, whereas an 8.6‐fold increase was observed in cells cultured between 11 and 14 days at pH 7.15 (0.086 ± 0.004 mm2). Acidosis caused a modest increase in the number of osteoclasts. Exposure to pH 6.92 exhibited a 5‐fold increase in the area of bone slices covered by resorption lacunae (∼70% bone slice resorbed). In line with this finding, significant increases were observed in the expression of cathepsin K and proton pump enzymes (both approximately 3‐fold) that are key enzymes reflective of resorptive activity in osteoclasts. These results demonstrate that acidosis is a major regulator of osteoclast formation and functional activation in the cat, and suggest that local pH changes may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of FORL. J. Cell. Physiol. 213: 144–150, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Dental caries trends in 5- to 6-year-old and 11- to 13-year-old children in three UNICEF designated regions--Sub Saharan Africa, Middle East and North Africa, Latin America and Caribbean: 1970-2004.

AIM The aim of the study was to investigate trends in dental caries prevalence and severity in three developing regions of the world over 35 years. DESIGN A systematic review of published information. METHODS Online databases were used to find 130 caries epidemiological studies that used WHO caries diagnostic criteria, published between 1970 and 2004 among 5- to 6-year-old and 11- to 13-year-old children. Mean caries rates were calculated in seven 5-year periods followed by plotting, and analysis of co-variance (region, period). RESULTS Trends in mean prevalence and mean dmft among 5- to 6-year-olds were confusing but among 11- to 13-year-olds were clearer. Both mean prevalence and mean DMFT were lowest in Sub-Saharan Africa and highest in Latin America and the Caribbean. Rates decreased with time in Latin America and the Caribbean and remained more or less static in the other two regions. Analysis of covariance showed a significant effect of region (P<0.01) for mean prevalence at 5- to 6-years. For mean prevalence at 11-to 13-years, as well as mean dmft and DMFT in both age groupings there were significant effects of region (P=0.01 to <0.0001) and period (P<0.05 to <0.0001). CONCLUSIONS The common perception that dental caries rates are increasing in developing countries was not supported in this systematic review.
The MscS and MscL Families of Mechanosensitive Channels Act as Microbial Emergency Release Valves

ABSTRACT Single-celled organisms must survive exposure to environmental extremes. Perhaps one of the most variable and potentially life-threatening changes that can occur is that of a rapid and acute decrease in external osmolarity. This easily translates into several atmospheres of additional pressure that can build up within the cell. Without a protective mechanism against such pressures, the cell will lyse. Hence, most microbes appear to possess members of one or both families of bacterial mechanosensitive channels, MscS and MscL, which can act as biological emergency release valves that allow cytoplasmic solutes to be jettisoned rapidly from the cell. While this is undoubtedly a function of these proteins, the discovery of the presence of MscS homologues in plant organelles and MscL in fungus and mycoplasma genomes may complicate this simplistic interpretation of the physiology underlying these proteins. Here we compare and contrast these two mechanosensitive channel families, discuss their potential physiological roles, and review some of the most relevant data that underlie the current models for their structure and function.
TWENTY‐FOUR HOUR PROFILES OF CIRCULATING ANDROGENS AND OESTROGENS IN MALE PUBERTY WITH AND WITHOUT GYNAECOMASTIA

The possible mechanisms involved in the development of transient gynaecomastia during male puberty have been investigated by studying 24 h profiles of circulating androstenedione (Ao) and testosterone (T) and their oestrogen pairs oestrone (E1) and oestradiol (E2), in eight boys with simple delayed puberty, eleven boys with pubertal gynaecomastia (three of whom were re‐tested after its spontaneous resolution), and two normal adult men.
Acceleration factors and mechanistic study of progressive breakdown in small area ultra-thin gate oxides

Two post soft breakdown modes are studied: one in which the conducting filament is stable until hard breakdown occurs and one in which the filament continually degrades with time. Acceleration factors are different for each mode, indicating different physical mechanisms. The results suggest that the "hardness" of the first breakdown influences the residual time distribution of the following hard breakdown. Tunneling current appears to be the driving force for both modes.
Melomics music medicine (M3) to lessen pain perception during pediatric prick test procedure

report. In private schools, the prevalence of FA-free diets was higher than in public and subsidized schools. For this analysis, the prevalence of FA-free diets was assessed by a positive response on the basis of a specialist’s report case including all FA declared. We have found that the upward trend in the prevalence of FA-free diet as a special diet in Hortaleza District school canteens in the last year of the survey is similar to that observed in Alerg ologica 2005 study for children (3). The reasons for this increase may be due to higher awareness, better diagnostic tests, changes in dietary habits, etc., but have not been established. However, we consider that the survey improved this condition specialist’s medical reports as a consequence of this as a surveillance requirement, achieving a greater awareness of this condition. These results are in line with previous studies that show an increase in the prevalence of tree nut and peanut allergies, and in severe allergic reactions induced by foods (10). These results also indicate that the socioeconomic gradient is a factor that could influence a higher risk of developing this condition, as has been shown previously (3). This year, the application of Regulation 1169/2011 of the EU information on food labeling of packaged foods in relation to allergens will come into effect, and the responsibility of traders in the food industry will become a major concern. This could change Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) policies, as this is an individual pathology, where food security in relation to episodes caused each year is not considered ‘food-borne outbreak’. Traditionally HACCP programs have been designed to control food safety, preferentially oriented to microbiological hazards. This kind of survey could help to improve awareness on FA for all food safety stakeholder policies and, from the point of view of public health, for specialist sanitary inspectors in hygiene and food safety of all administrations, to extend information and adopt appropriate criteria when new cases of FA are presented. School canteens represent a good source of information regarding FA trends in children.
CELL ADHESION MOLECULES AS A MARKER REFLECTING THE REDUCTION OF ENDOTHELIAL ACTIVATION INDUCED BY GLUCOCORTICOIDS

In vitro, steroids down-regulate the expression of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) in endothelial cells stimulated by lipopolysaccharide. Low-dose hydrocortisone is a new treatment of patients with septic shock, a state that is characterized by an endothelial injury. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the plasma levels of soluble CAMs, reflecting in vivo endothelial activation, could be modulated in patients with septic shock treated by hydrocortisone. This was a prospective and observational study conducted in the intensive care unit at a university hospital. The subjects included 40 patients with septic shock (American College of Chest Physicians Consensus Conference/Society of Critical Care Medicine definition); 45 healthy blood donors served as controls. The patients receiving the standard care (“reference group”) during the first 6 months were compared with the patients receiving the hydrocortisone therapy (“hydrocortisone group”) for the next 6 months. Measurements of sCAMs were performed on days 1 and 3 of the disease. On day 1, sE-selectin, sP-selectin, sVCAM-1, and sICAM-1 were significantly elevated in patients with septic shock compared with healthy donors. sE-selectin levels significantly decreased between days 1 and 3 in the “hydrocortisone group,” whereas there was no significant change in the “reference group”. Surprisingly, sICAM-1 levels significantly increased between days 1 and 3 only in patients treated by hydrocortisone. No significant changes were observed for sP-selectin and sVCAM-1 levels in the two groups. In patients with septic shock, glucocorticoids differently affected the pattern of evolution of sCAMs, with sE-selectin being decreased and sICAM-1 being increased. Expression of sP-selectin and sVCAM-1 was not affected.
Quanti fi cation of Fossil Fuel CO 2 Emissions on the Building / Street 2 Scale for a

2 Scale for a Large U.S. City 3 Kevin R. Gurney,*,† Igor Razlivanov,† Yang Song,† Yuyu Zhou,‡ Bedrich Benes, 4 and Michel Abdul-Massih 5 †School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States 6 ‡Joint Global Change Research Institute, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, College Park, Maryland 20770, United States 7 Department of Computer Graphics Technology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
Mesothelioma in vehicle mechanics: is the risk different for Australians?

BACKGROUND The question of whether vehicle mechanics have an increased risk of mesothelioma has important public health implications. Calculations of relative risk using case reports from the Australian Mesothelioma Registry (AMR) indicate increased risks; however, this contrasts with the results of 19 epidemiologic studies that have found no association. AIM To evaluate potential explanations for the discrepancy of findings from epidemiologic studies and AMR reports. METHODS We evaluated three hypotheses as possible explanations for the inconsistency between the AMR-based calculations and the findings from published epidemiologic studies: (i) differences in exposure characteristics of Australian vehicle mechanics versus vehicle mechanics in North America and Europe, (ii) limitations of the AMR data and (iii) errors in the risk calculations based on AMR data. We reviewed available exposure information specific to Australian vehicle mechanics and AMR data, obtained from the Australian National Occupational Health and Safety Commission, for this evaluation. RESULTS We did not identify differences in workplace exposures, processes or fibre type among Australian vehicle mechanics compared to vehicle mechanics in other countries. Our analysis of primary AMR data identified several errors in exposure classification and in the assumptions used to calculate relative risk. CONCLUSIONS Discrepancies between epidemiologic studies and AMR-based calculations cannot be explained by differences in exposure. These discrepancies are most likely attributable to inadequate occupational information and classification in the AMR from 1986 forward and to erroneous assumptions used to derive relative risk estimates for mesothelioma among Australian vehicle mechanics.
Asymmetric Trading Costs Prior to Earnings Announcements: Implications for Price Discovery and Returns

We show the cost of trading on negative news relative to positive news increases prior to earnings announcements. Our evidence suggests this asymmetry is due to financial intermediaries reducing their exposure to announcement risks by providing liquidity asymmetrically. The asymmetry creates a predictable upward bias in prices that increases pre-announcement and subsequently reverses, confounding short-window announcement returns as measures of earnings news and risk premia. Our findings provide a link between trading behavior, return patterns, and the information content of prices around earnings announcements, and help to explain puzzling evidence in prior research that announcement risk premia precede the actual announcements.
Acute mesenteric ischemia: diagnosis with contrast-enhanced CT.

PURPOSE To evaluate the accuracy of dynamic, contrast material-enhanced computed tomography (CT) in the diagnosis of acute mesenteric ischemia. MATERIALS AND METHODS Reviewers blinded to patient diagnoses retrospectively compared the CT scans in a study group with those in a control group. The study group comprised 39 consecutive patients (23 men, 16 women; aged 55-88 years) with surgically proved acute mesenteric ischemia. The control group comprised 24 patients (13 men, 11 women; aged 50-82 years) with suspected acute mesenteric ischemia that was disproved at surgery. RESULTS For the diagnosis of acute mesenteric ischemia, each of the following findings had a specificity of more than 95% and a sensitivity of less than 30%: arterial or venous thrombosis, intramural gas, portal venous gas, focal lack of bowel-wall enhancement, and liver or splenic infarcts. When CT was used in the diagnosis of suspected acute mesenteric ischemia, the detection of at least one of these signs resulted in a sensitivity of 64% (25 of 39; confidence interval, 0.49, 0.79), a specificity of 92% (22 of 24; confidence interval, 0.81, 1.00), and an accuracy of 75% (47 of 63; confidence interval, 0.64, 0.86). CONCLUSION Dynamic, contrast-enhanced CT is a valuable tool in the diagnosis of and determination of prognosis in acute mesenteric ischemia.
Neurocognitive effects in welders exposed to aluminium

Objectives: Various authors who studied the effects of aluminium (Al) exposure on the neurocognitive system in the last 30 years have reached different and often contradictory conclusions. The aim of this study is to help clarify the effects that the metal causes on cognitive ability in a group of naval welders exposed to Al. Methods: The study was performed on a sample of 86 male Al welders in a shipyard in Messina. The average value of environmental Al, recorded in the workplace, was 19.5 mg/m3. The blood levels of Al, zinc, manganese, lead and chromium were monitored in all the subjects. The reagents used for the neuropsychic study were the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS), the Colour Word Test or Stroop Test and the Test of Attention Matrixes. The results were compared with those obtained in a similar control group not exposed to Al and with an Al-b value of 6.93 g/l. Results: For all the mental reagents used, the reply is obtained in the sample of exposed subjects showed decreased cognitive response with regard to attention and memory performance. The comparison between the individual tests showed greater sensitivity of performance studied using the WMS and the Stroop Test compared with the Test of Attention Matrixes. The alterations encountered in the cognitive functions studied increased proportionally to time of exposure and quantity of metal absorbed. Conclusion: The study confirmed that occupational exposure to Al causes alteration in cognitive responses that are more evident in complex functions.
Gender Differences in Domain-Specific Self-Esteem: A Meta-Analysis

This meta-analysis examines gender differences in 10 specific domains of self-esteem across 115 studies, including 428 effect sizes and 32,486 individuals. In a mixed-effects analysis, men scored significantly higher than women on physical appearance (d = 0.35), athletic (d = 0.41), personal self (d = 0.28), and self-satisfaction self-esteem (d = 0.33). Women scored higher than men on behavioral conduct (d = −0.17) and moral–ethical self-esteem (d = −0.38). The gender difference in physical appearance self-esteem was significant only after 1980 and was largest among adults. No significant gender differences appeared in academic, social acceptance, family, and affect self-esteem. The results demonstrate the influence of reflected appraisals on self-esteem.
The effect of aging on mastication and swallowing parameters according to the hardness change of solid food.

As part of the aging process, multiple oral physiologic changes occur and these changes may cause individuals to reduce food intake or switch the types of food texture. Thus, the need to develop food products for the elderly has increased. To evaluate the suitability of the food products for the elderly, the evaluation method should be verified and it is important to identify the parameters of mastication and swallowing. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the differences of mastication and swallowing parameters between the young adults and the elderly depending on the varying hardness of rice food product. Subjects included 20 young adults and 40 elderly and bolus transit times of video-fluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) were used. Four types of rice products with different hardness were provided including cooked rice, soft-boiled rice, rice gruel and thin rice gruel. In the elderly group, the chewing number, oral processing time, post-faucial aggregation time, valleculae aggregation time (VAT), first subsequence duration and total duration were significantly different according to the changes in food hardness. Of the bolus transit times, the VAT and the second subsequence duration (S-S2) were significantly different between the two groups. These results suggest that VAT and S-S2, key VFSS parameters, as well as the chewing number and total duration are useful tools for evaluating the effect of aging on mastication and swallowing of solid foods. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS In Korea, the aging population is rapidly increasing. According to recent surveys, a large number of elderly Koreans have reported chewing difficulties and many of them are in the state of under-nutrition. As aging progresses, multiple physiologic changes occur in mastication and swallowing functions. These changes may cause individuals to reduce their food intake or switch to soft food products. Therefore, the development of texture-modified food products for the elderly is needed and they should be developed based on the understandings of the physiology of mastication and swallowing according to different rheological properties of food products consumed in Korea, which are quite different from those of the western countries. In this study, we compared the differences of mastication and swallowing parameters between the young adults and the elderly depending on the varying hardness of rice food product.
Benchmark of parallelization methods for unstructured shock capturing code

This paper presents benchmark results of three different parallel-programming paradigms on an unstructured shock capturing numerical code for transient problems. The three parallel programming methods include: (1) a shared-memory programming of OpenMP using cache coherent non-uniform memory access (CC-NUMA) of SGI Origin2000 (2) an MPI (Message Passing Interface) implementation and (3) a SHMEM implementation using the parallel library called "Shared Memory Access Library". The methods (2) and (3) are both based on distributed memory architecture. SGI Origin2000 is used throughout the current study. It is found that the scalability of the programming (1) is so poor that its usage for the unstructured CFD code is impractical. The scalabilities of programming (2) and (3) are much better than programming (1) and the computational speed of giga-flops range can be achieved with 16 CPUs. The parallel programming with SHMEM libraries is approximately twice as fast as the one with MPI.
A novel robust communication algorithm for distributed secondary control of islanded MicroGrids

Distributed secondary control (DSC) is a new approach for MicroGrids (MGs) such that frequency, voltage and power regulation is made in each unit locally to avoid using a central controller. Due to the constrained traffic pattern required by the secondary control, it is viable to implement dedicated local area communication functionality among the local controllers. This paper presents a new, wireless-based robust communication algorithm for DSC of MGs designed to avoid communication bottlenecks and enable the plug-and-play capability of new DGs. Real-time simulation and experimental results are presented to evaluate the feasibility and robustness endowed by the proposed algorithm.