Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A potential therapeutic role for aldose reductase inhibitors in the treatment of endotoxin-related inflammatory diseases

Introduction: Aldose reductase (AR) was initially thought to be involved in the secondary diabetic complications because of its glucose-reducing potential. However, evidence from recent studies indicates that AR is an excellent reducer of a number of lipid peroxidation-derived aldehydes as well as their glutathione conjugates, which regulate inflammatory signals initiated by oxidants such as cytokines, growth factors and bacterial endotoxins, and revealed the potential use of AR inhibition as an approach to prevent inflammatory complications. Areas covered: An extensive Internet and Medline search was performed to retrieve information on understanding the role of AR inhibition in the pathophysiology of endotoxin-mediated inflammatory disorders. Overall, inhibition of AR appears to be a promising strategy for the treatment of endotoxemia, sepsis and other related inflammatory diseases. Expert opinion: Current knowledge provides enough evidence to indicate that AR inhibition is a logical therapeutic strategy for the treatment of endotoxin-related inflammatory diseases. Since AR inhibitors have already gone to Phase III clinical studies for diabetic complications and found to be safe for human use, their use in endotoxin-related inflammatory diseases could be expedited. However, one of the major challenges will be the discovery of AR-regulated clinically relevant biomarkers to identify susceptible individuals at risk of developing inflammatory diseases, thereby warranting future research in this area.
Effects of Sleep Loss on the Rest–Activity Circadian Rhythm of Helpers Participating in Continuous Dogsled Races

Objective: The Finnmarksløpet dogsled race lasts up to 7 days. Helpers, who keep time, coach, and transport equipment, have to be alert though they have little and fragmented sleep. This study investigated disruptions of the rest–activity rhythm among helpers. Methods: 10 helpers were monitored by actigraph a week before, during, and after the race. Sleep logs, sleepiness rate, and self-reported quality of sleep were collected. Results: Nonparametric circadian rhythm analysis showed significant differences between the pre- and postrace interdaily stability and amplitude of rhythm. Compared to prerace, sleepiness at bedtime was increased and number of nocturnal awakenings was reduced postrace, although the actigraphic outputs showed no improvement in sleep quality. Helpers who were engaged in the race for a longer span (5–6 days) had more difficulty recovering from the sleep loss accumulated during the race than those engaged for a shorter time (2–3 days). Conclusion: Poor sleep combined with prolonged and demanding mental focus for 2 days or more has a negative influence upon the rest–activity cycle, though complete restoration of the cycle occurs over 1 week or more. Being in such a condition for ≥ 5 days leads to disruptions of the circadian component of the sleep–wake cycle that hampers the sleep recovery process. Disrupted sleep and demanding mental requirements are common in long-distance sporting events as well as among shift workers. Follow-up intervention should be made in such cases to ensure the return of a healthy rest–activity rhythm and sleep quality.
Confusion of identity and the frequency of schizophrenia in twins.

If there is any agreement among proponents of the genetic and psychodynamic views of schizophrenia, it is that the etiology of the illness is to be found in the family. The former would like to look at the familial genes to see what errors of metabolism are being committed. The latter prefer to look at the familial goings-on to see what errors of influence and discretion are being committed. Both point to a tendency for schizophrenia to "run in families" as evidence supporting their own position. It is clear by now that until the specific metabolic error can be located or the specific patterns of influence defined and established, the issue of what is familially transmitted must remain hopelessly confounded. Resort to twin studies has seemed to point a way out of the dilemma. The assumption in these studies has been that the environments of
The development and postnatal organization of motor nuclei in the rat thoracic spinal cord

The topographic organization of the motor nuclei supplying individual thoracic muscles in postnatal rats was investigated by horseradish peroxi‐dase (HRP) labelling from the periphery. To determine whether aspects of the same organization are apparent at early developmental stages, we used HRP to label neurons contributing axons to the two primary rami of thoracic nerves in rat fetuses ranging in age from the 13th day of gestation to birth. This developmental period includes stages during which peripheral nerves and muscles are forming. The results show that motoneurons in the appropriate positions in the ventral horn have axons in each primary ramus even at stages prior to the innervation of muscle. However, in fetuses at certain developmental stages, there are also neurons located outside the motor nuclei which send axons into the peripheral nerves.
Geoarchaeology of the Mockingbird Gap (Clovis) site, Jornada del Muerto, New Mexico

The Mockingbird Gap site is one of the largest Clovis sites in the western United States, yet it remains poorly known after it was tested in 1966–1968. Surface collecting and mapping of the site revealed a dense accumulation of Clovis lithic debris stretching along Chupadera Draw, which drains into the Jornada del Muerto basin. We conducted archaeological testing and geoarchaeological coring to assess the stratigraphic integrity of the site and gain clues to the paleoenvironmental conditions during the Clovis occupation. The 1966–1968 excavations were in stratified Holocene eolian sand and thus that assemblage was from a disturbed content. An intact Clovis occupation was found elsewhere in the site, embedded in the upper few centimeters of a well‐developed buried Bt horizon formed in eolian sand, representing the regional Clovis landscape. Coring in Chupadera Draw revealed ∼11 m of fill spanning the past ∼11,000 14C years. The stratified deposits provide evidence of flowing and standing water on the floor of the draw during Clovis times, a likely inducement to settlement. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Intra-Industry Uncertainty and Firm Valuation

This article documents evidence that intra-industry uncertainty has a positive relation with firm valuation. Specifically, the reduction of intra-industry uncertainty about firm future profitability leads to a decline of firm ME/BE ratios over time. The authors find that the positive relation is more prominent for firms in high-tech sectors and those with intensive product market competition. Their results are robust to the control of firm-level uncertainty and alternative measures of intra-industry uncertainty. TOPICS: Fundamental equity analysis, statistical methods
Viscosity solutions for geodesic active contour under geometrical conditions

This paper addresses the issue of introducing geometrical constraints into segmentation processes in image analysis. This question has emerged from the analysis of classical tools: indeed, usual methods such as deformable models, fast marching prove to be fruitless when image data are missing or of poor quality or when the image owns homogeneous-textured regions. To cope with these hindrances, the idea developed hereafter consists of integrating geometrical constraints in the modelling to make the segmentation process easier to handle. We have devised a geodesic active contour-based model, in which we are trying to determine a curve that best approaches the given points (geometrical data) while detecting the object under consideration (see also Apparato et al., Segmentation of medical image sequence under constraints: application to non-invasive assessment of pulmonary arterial hypertension, Int. J. Comput. Math. 5(2004), pp. 527–536 and Gout and Vieira-Testé C. Gout and S. Vieira-Testé, An algorithm for segmentation under interpolation conditions using deformable models, Int. J. Comput. Math. 80(1) (2003), pp. 47–54 where other approaches are given for this kind of problems). In this paper the main results concern the study of the existence and uniqueness of the viscosity solution of this problem (following three different approaches). We also give numerical examples on real data sets.
Ezrin/Radixin/Moesin Are Required for the Purinergic P2X7 Receptor (P2X7R)-dependent Processing of the Amyloid Precursor Protein*

Background: The purinergic receptor P2X7, an ATP-gated cation channel, triggers the proteolytic cleavage of membrane glycoproteins by α-secretases. Results: P2X7R induces ezrin, radixin, and moesin (ERM) phosphorylation, which activates the proteolytic cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP). Conclusion: ERM phosphorylation is required for the P2X7R-dependent release of the neuroprotective fragment of APP. Significance: ERM can control the non-amyloidogenic processing of APP. The amyloid precursor protein (APP) can be cleaved by α-secretases in neural cells to produce the soluble APP ectodomain (sAPPα), which is neuroprotective. We have shown previously that activation of the purinergic P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) triggers sAPPα shedding from neural cells. Here, we demonstrate that the activation of ezrin, radixin, and moesin (ERM) proteins is required for the P2X7R-dependent proteolytic processing of APP leading to sAPPα release. Indeed, the down-regulation of ERM by siRNA blocked the P2X7R-dependent shedding of sAPPα. We also show that P2X7R stimulation triggered the phosphorylation of ERM. Thus, ezrin translocates to the plasma membrane to interact with P2X7R. Using specific pharmacological inhibitors, we established the order in which several enzymes trigger the P2X7R-dependent release of sAPPα. Thus, a Rho kinase and the MAPK modules ERK1/2 and JNK act upstream of ERM, whereas a PI3K activity is triggered downstream. For the first time, this work identifies ERM as major partners in the regulated non-amyloidogenic processing of APP.
Glial fibrillary acidic protein‐expressing cells in the neurogenic regions in normal and injured adult brains

In the adult brain, neurogenic stem cells are prevalent in the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricle wall and the subgranular zone (SGZ) in the dentate gyrus. Cells that have structural and molecular characteristics of astrocytes function as neurogenic stem cells in these regions, in which these cells also participate in the creation of the microenvironment that stimulates neurogenesis. In the present paper, we review the phenotypic properties, subpopulations, and proliferation of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)‐expressing cells in these two neurogenic regions and their responses to different brain injuries. Cells fulfilling the criteria for astrocytes, i.e., expressing GFAP, in the SVZ and SGZ respond differently to brain injuries or neurogenic stimuli. The importance of guidance by astrocytes of newly formed neuronal cells is emphasized. The assessment of GFAP‐expressing cells in the neurogenic regions is of great importance for understanding the mechanism underlying the response of neural stem cells to brain injury. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Selective removal of chromium (VI) from sulphates and other metal anions using an ion-imprinted polymer

A linear copolymer was prepared from 4-vinylpyridine and styrene. An ion-imprinted polymer (IIP) specific for Cr (VI) adsorption was prepared by copolymerisation of the quaternised linear copolymer (quaternised with 1,4-chlorobutane), 2-vinylpyridine functional monomer and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA), as the cross-linking monomer, in the presence of 1,1’-azobis(cyclohexanecarbonitrile) as initiator. Ammonium dichromate and aqueous methanol were used as a template and porogenic solvent, respectively. Leaching of the chromate template from the polymer particles was achieved with successive stirring of the ion-imprinted polymer (IIP) particles in 4 M HNO 3 solutions to obtain leached materials, which were then used for selective rebinding of Cr (VI) ions from aqueous solutions. Similarly, the non-imprinted polymer/ control polymer (NIP/CP) material was also prepared under exactly the same conditions as the IIP but without the chromate anion template. Various parameters, such as solution pH, initial concentration, aqueous phase volume, sorbent dosage, contact time and leaching solution volumes, were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, BET surface area and pore size analysis were used for the characterisation of IIP (both unleached and leached) and CP materials. Optimal parameters were as follows: solution pH, 3; contact time, 120 min; eluent, 20 ml of 0.1 M NaOH; and sorbent amount, 125 mg. Maximum retention capacity of IIP and CP was 37.58 and 25.44 mg∙g -1 , respectively. The extraction efficiencies of the IIP and CP were compared using a batch and SPE mode of extraction. In the absence of high concentrations of ions, especially sulphate ions, both CP and IIP demonstrated no differences in binding of Cr (VI), which was almost 100%. However, in the presence of high concentrations of sulphate ions, the selectivity on the CP completely collapsed. The study clearly demonstrates the suitably of the developed IIP for selective extraction of Cr (VI) in complex samples such as those from acid mine drainage. The selectivity was also compared by direct injection of the real-world sample, both spiked and non-spiked, into that obtained after IIP selective extraction. Despite the method’s very low detection limits for direct injection (below 1 µg∙l -1 ), no Cr (VI) was obtained. However, after IIP selective extraction, spiked Cr (VI) was detected in the spiked sample.
Incidence of leaving against medical advice (LAMA) among patients admitted at the accident and emergency unit of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND The causes and incidence of the commonly observed phenomenon of leaving against medical advice (LAMA) in our hospitals have not been studied. This retrospective study was aimed at evaluating its incidence and pattern in order to suggest possible solutions. METHODOLOGY The case files of patients who left against medical advice at the Casualty unit of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital between July 2002 and December 2003 were retrieved from the Medical Records Department and information regarding age, sex, education/occupation, religion, diagnosis, reason(s) for leaving and duration of stay in casualty were extracted. RESULTS A total of 3708 patients were seen at the casualty unit within this period. Ninety-seven patients left against medical advice but only ninety case notes were analyzable. Seven folders had incomplete information. Male/Female ratio was 2:1 and the ages ranged between 7 and 70 years (average 31.5 years). The average duration of stay in Hospital was 2.4 days (110 days). Sixty-five patients (72.2%) were those who had various forms of trauma while 8 (8.8%) had general surgical problems. 19% (17) patients had medical emergencies. CONCLUSION The youths are the most vulnerable group and the principal causes in our environment are ignorance and poverty. Because of poor documentation in our centres, it was not possible to know where these patients go and the results of their treatments. There is therefore a need for further studies.
Cell and matrix morpho‐functional analysis in chondrocyte micromasses

Micromass cultures represent a convenient means of studying chondrocyte physiology in the context of a tridimensional culture model. In this study, we present the first ultrastructural analysis of the distribution and organization of the extracellular components in micromasses in comparison with their cartilaginous counterparts. Primary chondrocytes obtained from osteoarthritis patients were pelleted in micromasses. Transmission electron microscopy and immunofluorescence were used to evaluate the distribution of major extracellular matrix proteins, i.e., aggrecan, chondroitin‐4‐sulfate, chondroitin‐6‐sulfate, and collagen I and II. Both approaches revealed a number of morphological features shared by micromass and cartilage chondrocytes. In particular, in micromasses, chondrocytes are in close contact with an organized extracellular matrix that adequately mimics that of cartilage. Cells were observed to establish specialized junctions for cell–extracellular matrix crosstalk. Noteworthy, cells seem endowed in a chondroitin sulfate‐rich microenvironment, and thus possibly ensuring the immobilization of chemokines, a family of molecules emerging in osteoarthritis pathogenesis, in a haptotactic‐like gradient to the chondrocytes, which facilitates the binding to their receptors. To determine the suitability of this model to investigate osteoarthritis pathogenesis, a potential apoptotic stimulus (endothelial IL‐8) was used, and ultrastructural analysis assessed apoptosis induction. Micromass cultures were proved to be an experimental technique providing a large number of properly differentiated chondrocytes, and thus allowing reliable biochemical and morphological studies. They represent, therefore, a novel approach to osteoarthritis investigation that promises more thorough understanding of chondrocyte physiology in osteoarthritis. Microsc. Res. Tech. 67:286–295, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Paternity and Multiple Signaling: Effects of a Secondary Sexual Character and Song on Paternity in the Barn Swallow

Multiple signals may evolve because they provide independent information on the condition of a signaler. Females should pay attention to male characters relative to their reliability as signals of male attractiveness or quality. Since behavioral traits are flexible and, therefore, subject to strong environmental influences, females should weigh stable morphological signals higher in their choice of mates for genetic benefits than flexible behavioral traits, for example, by paying particular attention to phenotypically plastic traits when produced in combination with an exaggerated morphological signal. Consistent with this prediction, female barn swallows Hirundo rustica, which are known to prefer males with the longest tail feathers (a secondary sexual character), also preferred males with extreme expressions of a behavioral trait (song rate), as determined from patterns of paternity assessed by microsatellites. However, a statistical interaction between tail length and song rate implied that song rate was relatively unimportant for males with a short tail but more important for longtailed males. Since song rate is a flexible behavioral trait, females appear to have responded to this flexibility by devaluing the importance of song rate in assessment of unattractive sires.
Partial discharge inference by an advanced system. Analysis of online measurements performed on hydrogenerator

A new system aimed at performing partial discharge measurements and condition assessment on electrical apparatus is presented. It is able to separate the conventional phase resolved partial discharge pattern into a series of sub-patterns, each of them containing partial discharge data generated by a single kind of defect, which makes easier identification of the source generating partial discharges. Application of the system to partial discharge data recorded on an hydrogenerator is reported to support its effectiveness.
Planter foot pressures in pregnant women.

UNLABELLED The physiological changes occurring during pregnancy may be responsible for the faulty foot position leading to backache and lower limb pain. We evaluated the changes in the plantar foot pressures during pregnancy. Twenty-eight, full-term, healthy, pregnant women, average age 28 years, were examined and evaluated clinically, and the plantar foot pressure distribution was measured statically and dynamically using the EMED system. Twenty-eight, non-pregnant women, average age 25 years, served as the control group. In the static measurements, the pregnant women had significantly lower maximal forefoot pressures and higher hindfoot pressures than the non-pregnant women. The area of the foot in contact with the measuring pressure plate was greater in the pregnant women than in the non-pregnant women. In the dynamic measurements, the maximal force in almost every area of interest was significantly higher. The total force exerted on the pressure plate at the instant of maximal force of every area of interest during the whole step was higher in the pregnant group. On the medial side of the forefoot there was a slight decrease in the contact time of the maximal force. The peak pressures were higher in the midfoot of both feet and on the lateral side of the right forefoot in the pregnant women. In the medial side of the forefoot, the peak pressures were lower in pregnant women. CONCLUSIONS The pregnant woman has a different pattern of gait. There is an increase of load on the lateral side of the foot and the hindfoot. These changes may be responsible for the musculoskeletal complaints of lower limb pain in pregnant women.
Atherosclerosis: evidence for impairment of resolution of vascular inflammation governed by specific lipid mediators

Atherosclerosis is now recognized as an inflammatory disease involving the vascular wall. Recent results indicate that acute inflammation does not simply passively resolve as previously assumed but is actively terminated by a homeostatic process that is governed by specific lipid‐derived mediators initiated by lipoxygenases. Experiments with animals and humans support a proinflammatory role for the 5‐lipoxygenase system. In contrast, results from animal experiments showa range of responses with the 12/15‐lipoxygenase pathways in atherosclerosis. To date, the only two clinical epidemiology human studies both support an antiatherogenic role for 12/15‐lipoxygenase downstream actions. We tested the hypothesis that atherosclerosis results from a failure in the resolution of local inflammation by analyzing apolipoprotein E‐deficient mice with 1) global leukocyte 12/15‐lipoxygenase deficiency, 2) normal enzyme expression, or 3) macrophage‐specific 12/15‐lipoxygenase overexpression. Results from these indicate that 12/15‐lipoxy‐genase expression protects mice against atherosclerosis via its role in the local biosynthesis of lipid mediators, including lipoxin A4, resolvin D1, and protectin D1. These mediators exert potent agonist actions on macrophages and vascular endothelial cells that can control the magnitude of the local inflammatory response. Taken together, these findings suggest that a failure of local endogenous resolution mechanisms may underlie the unremitting inflammation that fuels atherosclerosis. —Merched, A. J., Ko, K. , Gotlinger, K. H. , Serhan, C. N. Chan, L. Atherosclerosis: evidence for impairment of resolution of vascular inflammation governed by specific lipid mediators. FASEB J. 22, 3595–3606 (2008)
Broadcasting one world: How watching online videos can elicit elevation and reduce stereotypes

Research on non-hedonic entertainment suggests the experience of elevation as an important construct leading to beneficial outcomes such as prosocial motivation. This study builds on first findings in this realm by distinguishing between different meaningful media contents. In a 3 × 4 between-subjects online experiment, we varied type of video (beauty of the earth, unity of humankind, portrayals of human kindness, and funny control videos) and context of proliferation (presentation on an unknown video platform or on YouTube with low vs high number of views). Meaningful videos indeed led to greater elevation, more universal orientation, and prosocial motivation—with videos showing human kindness standing out against other forms of meaningful videos. Human kindness videos additionally fostered more positive attitudes toward stereotyped groups—mediated by the feeling of elevation and the subsequent feeling of universal orientation.