Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Angular encoding in attosecond recollision

We describe a general concept of using the spatial information encoded in the time-dependent polarization of high harmonic radiation generated by orthogonally polarized two-color laser fields. The main properties of recolliding electron wave packets driven by such fields are reviewed. It is shown that in addition to the recollision energy the angle of recollision of such wave packets, which is directly mapped onto the polarization direction of the emitted high harmonic radiation, varies on a sub-laser-cycle time-scale. Thus, a mapping between the polarization angle and the frequency of the emitted radiation is established on an attosecond time scale. While the polarization angle encodes the spatial properties of the recollision process, the frequency is linked to time via the well-known dispersion relations of high harmonic generation. Based on these principles, we show that in combination with polarization selective detection the use of orthogonally polarized drive pulses for high harmonic generation permit one to construct spatially resolved attosecond measurements. Here, we present two examples of possible applications: (i) a method for isolating a single attosecond pulse from an attosecond pulse train which is more efficient than the cut-off selection method, and (ii) a technique for orbital tomography of molecules with attosecond resolution.
Editorial: alginates for inadequate response to a proton pump inhibitor in gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease

Newly secreted acid after a meal accumulates in a highly acidic pocket of acid that floats above the mixture of food and acid (chyme). This pocket is located close to the lower oesophageal sphincter, and the contents of the pocket reflux into the oesophagus when transient sphincter relaxations occur. Alginates precipitate on contact with acid, creating a neutral raft that floats on the surface of the chyme. This raft has a pH that is significantly higher than the chyme below. Several studies have examined the effect of administering alginates to patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) who remain symptomatic despite once daily proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy. In a study from China, small differences were seen compared with placebo in heartburn, regurgitation and overall symptoms. Reimer et al. report the results of a multicentre randomised controlled trial of alginates in patients with GERD who were still symptomatic on a proton pump inhibitor administered once a day. Alginate (10 mL) was administered four times a day. When symptoms were evaluated using a nonvalidated questionnaire for heartburn and regurgitation, small but significant results were seen favouring alginates. The minimal clinically significant difference with this questionnaire is unknown. Patient satisfaction and symptom measurement with a validated questionnaire (the Request questionnaire) showed no differences between the treatment group and placebo. As clinicians, we are often asked to help patients who remain symptomatic despite PPI therapy. Alginates are promising, but the results of carefully performed studies show small differences, that are of questionable clinical significance. It is possible that our eagerness for new treatments in this population has led to irrational exuberance with alginates. The next study in this area should use one of the validated symptom questionnaires for GERD and demonstrate a clinically meaningful change with alginates before we can recommend these agents in clinical practice.
Biomedical aspects of targeted delivery of drugs to pulmonary endothelium

Drug targeting to selected subcellular compartments of the pulmonary endothelium may optimise treatment of many diseases. This paper describes endothelial determinants that are potentially useful for such targeting, including endothelial ectopeptidases, cell adhesion molecules and novel candidates identified by high-throughput methods, as well as the means to achieve optimal subcellular targeting of drugs in the endothelium that have been explored in cell culture and animal studies. Criteria for determining the applicability for targeting include accessibility, specificity, safety and subcellular precision. The effects of endothelial delivery of therapeutic agents, including the effects mediated by the intervention in the function of the target determinants, must be characterised in the context of given pathological conditions.
Pasifika Students, Literacy As Social Practice, and the Curriculum

Ministry of Education guidelines for primary teachers increasingly emphasise literacy as social practice, and with growing diversity in schools, the Ministry advocates that teachers may help reduce disparity in achievement by making connections between students’ out-of-school and school literacies. However it may be difficult for teachers to address this due to the Ministry’s expectation of more detailed literacy skills to be acquired by specific levels of schooling, and the expectation of more detailed assessment. This article offers examples of out-of-school literacies from a doctoral study which investigated literacy as social practice in family, church and neighbourhood sites as described by Year 7 and 8 Pasifika students. It raises the question as to whether existing assessment approaches and teacher knowledge are sufficiently broad to encompass literacy as social practice, considering the diverse literacy experiences students bring with them to school.
Redescription of the poorly known planktonic copepod Pontellopsis lubbockii (Giesbrecht, 1889) (Pontellidae) from the Eastern Tropical Pacific with a key to species

Abstract During a survey of the epipelagic zooplankton carried out off the coast of the Mexican states of Jalisco and Colima, in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, female and male specimens of the poorly known calanoid copepod Pontellopsis lubbockii (Giesbrecht, 1889) were collected. Because previous descriptions and illustrations are largely incomplete and have caused some taxonomical confusion, this species is fully redescribed from specimens from the Mexican Pacific. The species has some characters that have been overlooked, but those related to the female genital double-somite are the most striking, it has two conical dorsal protuberances and a long ventral spiniform process unique of this species. The mouthparts of this species have not been hitherto described and figured, the flexible terminal setae of legs 3 and 4 is noteworthy. The male general morphology agrees in general with previous data, but new details of the leg 5 and geniculate antennule are added. Its mouthparts, with strong, serrate setae on the maxillae and maxillules, and a strong mandibular edge, suggest that this is a predator form. A dichotomous key for the identification of males and females of the species of Pontellopsis known from the Eastern Tropical Pacific is included.
Role of Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli Virulence Factors in Uropathogenesis

ABSTRACT A multiresistant clonal Escherichia coli O78:H10 strain qualifying molecularly as enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) was recently shown to be the cause of a community-acquired outbreak of urinary tract infection (UTI) in greater Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1991. This marks the first time EAEC has been associated with an extraintestinal disease outbreak. Importantly, the outbreak isolates were recovered from the urine of patients with symptomatic UTI, strongly implying urovirulence. Here, we sought to determine the uropathogenic properties of the Copenhagen outbreak strain and whether these properties are conferred by the EAEC-specific virulence factors. We demonstrated that through expression of aggregative adherence fimbriae, the principal adhesins of EAEC, the outbreak strain exhibited pronouncedly increased adherence to human bladder epithelial cells compared to prototype uropathogenic strains. Moreover, the strain was able to produce distinct biofilms on abiotic surfaces, including urethral catheters. These findings suggest that EAEC-specific virulence factors increase uropathogenicity and may have played a significant role in the ability of the strain to cause a community-acquired outbreak of UTI. Thus, inclusion of EAEC-specific virulence factors is warranted in future detection and characterization of uropathogenic E. coli.
Water-stress-induced changes in the abscisic acid content of guard cells and other cells of Vicia faba L. leaves as determined by enzyme-amplified immunoassay.

A highly sensitive, solid-phase, enzyme-amplified immunoassay for the plant growth regulator (+)-abscisic acid (ABA) was developed. The assay sensitivity (0.2-10 fmol) was sufficient for analyzing free ABA in homogeneous tissue samples dissected from Vicia faba L. leaves. Eight hours after detached leaves had been desiccated to 10% loss of fresh weight, the bulk leaf ABA content increased from </=0.2 to 6.2 ng. (mg dry weight)(-1). Epidermal tissue, spongy parenchyma cells, and palisade parenchyma cells from this water-stressed leaf had the following ABA contents, respectively: 4.8, 9.4, and 9.0 ng. (mg dry weight)(-1). Guard cells, which respond to exogenous ABA by losing solutes and volume, were also assayed. When they were dissected from control (fully hydrated) leaves, their ABA content was approximately 0.7 fg. (cell pair)(-1) [[unk]0.2 ng. (mg dry weight)(-1)]. In contrast, the ABA content of guard cells of water-stressed leaves was approximately 17.7 fg. (cell pair)(-1). These results indicate that ABA accumulation in a highly stressed V. faba leaflet is generalized; guard cells contain only 0.15% of bulk leaf ABA. The time course for loss of ABA from guard cells of a floating epidermal peel was studied. There was little loss within 30 min, but after 4 hr, the ABA content was only 17% of the original value. These results indicate that the bulk of guard cell ABA is not readily diffusible (i.e., probably not apoplastic). The results also indicate that common laboratory procedures results in lowered guard cell ABA content.
Expansion by whole genome duplication and evolution of the sox gene family in teleost fish

It is now recognized that several rounds of whole genome duplication (WGD) have occurred during the evolution of vertebrates, but the link between WGDs and phenotypic diversification remains unsolved. We have investigated in this study the impact of the teleost-specific WGD on the evolution of the sox gene family in teleostean fishes. The sox gene family, which encodes for transcription factors, has essential role in morphology, physiology and behavior of vertebrates and teleosts, the current largest group of vertebrates. We have first redrawn the evolution of all sox genes identified in eleven teleost genomes using a comparative genomic approach including phylogenetic and synteny analyses. We noticed, compared to tetrapods, an important expansion of the sox family: 58% (11/19) of sox genes are duplicated in teleost genomes. Furthermore, all duplicated sox genes, except sox17 paralogs, are derived from the teleost-specific WGD. Then, focusing on five sox genes, analyzing the evolution of coding and non-coding sequences, as well as the expression patterns in fish embryos and adult tissues, we demonstrated that these paralogs followed lineage-specific evolutionary trajectories in teleost genomes. This work, based on whole genome data from multiple teleostean species, supports the contribution of WGDs to the expansion of gene families, as well as to the emergence of genomic differences between lineages that might promote genetic and phenotypic diversity in teleosts.
U.S. Policy Responses to Calls for the Medical Use of Cannabis

This paper discusses the evolution of U.S. policy responses to calls to allow patients to use cannabis for medical purposes. It first summarizes the research evidence on the safety and efficacy of cannabinoids for various medical uses. It then outlines the challenges in developing new pharmaceutical cannabinoids that are safe, effective, and acceptable to patients. It briefly describes the strengths and limitations of the different ways in which U.S. states have allowed patients to use cannabis for medical purposes. These include allowing access for research trials only, allowing medical necessity as a defense against prosecution, and allowing commercial medical dispensaries to provide cannabis to approved patients. It argues that liberal definitions of indications for medical cannabis use and the commercialization of medical cannabis supply in California have produced the de facto legalization of recreational cannabis use.
Evaluation of High Molecular Weight Poly(Oxyethylene) (Polyox) Polymer: Studies of Flow Properties and Release Rates of Furosemide and Captopril from Controlled-Release Hard Gelatin Capsules

The powder characteristics and the effect of the molecular weight of polymers as diluents on the release rate of furosemide and captopril from hard gelatin capsules were evaluated. The high molecular weight polymers studied were poly(oxyethylene) homopolymers (Polyox), with molecular weight ranging from 4,000,000 to 7,000,000. Powder characteristics suggested good flowability for these materials and predicted capsule fill weight uniformity. Swelling experiments showed a very high degree of swelling for these materials in both gastric and buffer solution. These polymers can sustain the release rate of both water-soluble and insoluble drugs from drug delivery systems. The low molecular weight polymers have a less pronounced sustained-release effect compared to the high molecular weight polymer material (i.e., those with 7,000,000 molecular weight). An increase in the content of polymer results in a decrease in the release rate of the drug. The solubility of the drugs clearly influenced the release rate. Release kinetics were evaluated and appeared to be influenced by the molecular weight of the polymer, the solubility of drug, and the ratio of the drug to polymer in the capsule. Bimodal release kinetics were exhibited by a number of furosemide formulations (i.e., F5 and F8).
Do children with reading delay benefit from the use of personal FM systems in the classroom?

Abstract FM systems have been used to compensate for poor signal-to-noise ratios in classrooms. This study evaluates benefits of a 6-week trial of personal FM systems used during the school day for children with reading delay aged 6–11 years, using a randomized control design. Teachers and children completed the LIFE-UK questionnaire. Test-retest reliability of the LIFE-UK children's version was confirmed in a separate group of 18 children from the same school. The 23 children in the FM group had significantly improved teacher ratings, and the children's ratings of classroom listening for difficult situations were significantly better after the trial. These changes did not occur for the 23 control-group children. Most children (92%) commented positively about the FM after the trial. It is likely that a longer FM trial or a specific reading intervention combined with FM will be required for the benefits of enhanced listening to affect performance on standardized reading tests. Sumario Los sistemas FM han sido utilizados para compensar las tasas pobres de señal-ruido en el salón de clases. Este estudio evalúa los beneficios de un ensayo de 6 semanas usando sistemas personales FM durante el día escolar en niños con retardo en la lectura, en edades de 6 a 11 años, usando un diseño de control aleatorio. Tantos los niños como los maestros llenaron un cuestionario LIFE-UK. La confiabilidad test-retest de la versión infantil del LIFE-UK fue confirmada en un grupo separado de 18 niños de la misma escuela. Los 23 niños del grupo FM lograron apreciaciones significativamente mejoradas de sus maestros, y la apreciación de los propios niños sobre su audición en clase para situaciones difíciles fue significativamente mejor después del ensayo. Estos cambios no ocurrieron para el grupo control de 23 niños. La mayoría de los niños (92%) comentaron positivamente después del estudio acerca del sistema FM. Es posible que una prueba más larga con un sistema FM o una intervención específica en cuanto a la lectura combinada con un sistema FM se requiera para que los beneficios de una lectura mejorada afecten el desempeño en pruebas estandarizadas de lectura.
Association between a Polymorphism of Aminolevulinate Dehydrogenase (ALAD) Gene and Blood Lead Levels in Japanese Subjects

This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between the aminolevulinate dehydrogenase (ALAD) genotype and blood lead levels among 101 Japanese workers. Blood lead concentration measurement, biomarkers, and genotyping were performed. The minor allele frequency (MAF) for ALAD (ALAD2) was 0.08. Although the blood lead level in the subjects with heterozygous GC genotype was significantly higher than those with homozygous GG genotype, there were no significant differences for hemoglobin, hematocrit, serum and urinary ALA levels among genotypes. ALAD2 genotype was significantly associated with the blood lead concentration, even in the environmental lead exposed subjects. Further confirmation with a large sample size is needed.
Validation of bleach-treated smears for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis.

SETTING Health centres in Awassa, southern Ethiopia. DESIGN Consecutive patients visiting health centre laboratories for the evaluation of suspected pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) between June and September 2006 were investigated. On-the-spot, morning and second on-the-spot sputum samples were pooled for each patient. Direct smears were stained with hot Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) technique and aliquots cultured for mycobacteria on Löwenstein-Jensen media. The remaining sputum was treated with household bleach, aliquoted and processed with short-term digestion, centrifugation and sedimentation techniques, and stained with ZN. RESULTS Acid-fast bacilli were detected in respectively 126 (25%), 141 (28%), 169 (34%) and 198 (40%) of the 497 pooled sputum samples processed by the direct, short-term, sedimentation and centrifugation techniques (P < 0.001). The sensitivity of the direct, short-term, sedimentation and centrifugation techniques was respectively 51.1%, 53.2%, 57.6% and 63.6%. The difference between the direct smear and centrifugation (P < 0.001) or sedimentation (P < 0.005) methods was significant. The specificity of the direct, short-term digestion, sedimentation and centrifugation techniques was respectively 97%, 93%, 86.5% and 80.8%. CONCLUSIONS Bleach treatment of sputum and centrifugation significantly improves the sensitivity of smear microscopy for the diagnosis of TB in a health centre in a high TB burden area. It is more sensitive, but possibly less specific, than other bleach methods.
Improvement of the Photoelectrochemical Performance of TiO2 Nanorod Array by PEDOT and Oxygen Vacancy Co-Modification

In this study, oxygen vacancy modified TiO2 nanorod array photoelectrode was prepared by reducing hydrogen atmosphere to increase its free charge carrier density. Subsequently, a p-type conductive poly 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (PEDOT) layer was deposited on the surface of oxygen vacancy modified TiO2, to inhibit the surface states. Meanwhile, a p-n heterojunction formed between PEDOT and TiO2 to improve the separation of photo-induced carriers further. The photocurrent of TiO2 nanorod array increased to nearly 0.9 mA/cm2 after the co-modification under standard sunlight illumination, whose value is nearly nine times higher than that of pure TiO2 nanorod array. Thus, this is a promising modification method for TiO2 photoanode photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance improving.
Plasma concentrations and behavioral, antinociceptive, and physiologic effects of methadone after intravenous and oral transmucosal administration in cats.

OBJECTIVE To determine plasma concentrations and behavioral, antinociceptive, and physiologic effects of methadone administered via IV and oral transmucosal (OTM) routes in cats. ANIMALS 8 healthy adult cats. PROCEDURES Methadone was administered via IV (0.3 mg/kg) and OTM (0.6 mg/kg) routes to each cat in a balanced crossover design. On the days of drug administration, jugular catheters were placed in all cats under anesthesia; a cephalic catheter was also placed in cats that received methadone IV. Baseline measurements were obtained ≥ 90 minutes after extubation, and methadone was administered via the predetermined route. Heart and respiratory rates were measured; sedation, behavior, and antinociception were evaluated, and blood samples were collected for methadone concentration analysis at predetermined intervals for 24 hours after methadone administration. Data were summarized and evaluated statistically. RESULTS Plasma concentrations of methadone were detected rapidly after administration via either route. Peak concentration was detected 2 hours after OTM administration and 10 minutes after IV administration. Mean ± SD peak concentration was lower after OTM administration (81.2 ± 14.5 ng/mL) than after IV administration (112.9 ± 28.5 ng/mL). Sedation was greater and lasted longer after OTM administration. Antinociceptive effects were detected 10 minutes after administration in both groups; these persisted ≥ 2 hours after IV administration and ≥ 4 hours after OTM administration. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Despite lower mean peak plasma concentrations, duration of antinociceptive effects of methadone was longer after OTM administration than after IV administration. Methadone administered via either route may be useful for perioperative pain management in cats.
Epidemiology of thyroid cancer

States in 1976 has accounted for approxi mately 1,150 deaths, or 0.5 percent of all cancer deaths in women and 0.2 percent in men. ' The age-adjusted mortality per 100,000 in 1967 was 0.9 in non-white wom en, 0.6 in white women, and 0.3 in white men and 0.2 in non-white men.2 The time trend analysis for age-adjusted mortality (1950-1967) indicated significantly de creasing mortality in white women and men. For non-whites, there were no sig nificant trends in age-adjusted mortality (Figure 1). The female:male ratio of age adjusted mortality rates was 2.0 in the white and 4.5 in the non-white populations. For 1976, the American Cancer Society has estimated that there were 5,900 new cases of thyroid cancer in women and 2,200 cases in men. The average annual age-adjusted incidence rates per 100,000 as determined by the United States Public Health Service Third National Cancer
Mucosal T cells regulate Paneth and intermediate cell numbers in the small intestine of T. spiralis‐infected mice

Secretions of Paneth, intermediate and goblet cells have been implicated in innate intestinal host defense. We have investigated the role of T cells in effecting alterations in small intestinal epithelial cell populations induced by infection with the nematode Trichinella spiralis. Small intestinal tissue sections from euthymic and athymic (nude) mice, and mice with combined deficiency in T‐cell receptor β and δ genes [TCR(β/δ)−/–] infected orally with T. spiralis larvae, were examined by electron microscopy and after histochemical and lineage‐specific immunohistochemical staining. Compared with uninfected controls, Paneth and intermediate cell numbers increased significantly in infected euthymic and nude mice but not infected TCR(β/δ)−/– mice. Transfer of mesenteric lymph node cells before infection led to an increase in Paneth and intermediate cells in TCR(β/δ)−/– mice. In infected euthymic mice, Paneth cells and intermediate cells expressed cryptdins (α‐defensins) but not intestinal trefoil factor (ITF), and goblet cells expressed ITF but not cryptdins. In conclusion, a unique, likely thymic‐independent population of mucosal T cells modulates innate small intestinal host defense in mice by increasing the number of Paneth and intermediate cells in response to T. spiralis infection.