Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitory Proteins from Mycelium of Pleurotus pulmonarius (Oyster Mushroom)

Abstract Pleurotus pulmonarius (grey oyster mushroom) has been acknowledged as a recuperative agent for many diseases in addition to its recognition as a nutritious provision. We performed a study on P. pulmonarius mycelium for an antihypertensive effect via the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory activity. The preliminary assay on the mycelial water extract demonstrated that the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory activity had an IC50 value of 720 µg/mL. Further protein purifications via ammonium sulphate precipitation and RP-HPLC resulted in 60× stronger angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory activity than that of the mycelial water extract (IC50 = 12 µg/mL). Protein identification and characterisation by MALDI-TOF/TOF, later corroborated by LC-MS/MS, indicated three proteins that are responsible for the blood pressure lowering effects via different mechanisms: serine proteinase inhibitor-like protein, nitrite reductase-like protein, and DEAD/DEAH box RNA helicase-like protein.
Acceleration-based position and force control for twist drive

This paper proposes a method to achieve high-precision control for Twist Drive system by using acceleration based control. Twist Drive is one of the transmission system. the transmission converts torque into a pulling force by using a pair of strings that twist on each other. Work space observer is possible to design by realization of the acceleration based control. And the work space observer is able to improve accuracy of the system and estimate force in the work space without any force sensors. The proposed method is only to use angular information not to use work space information. The proposed method was applied to position control and force control of Twist Drive system. The effect of the proposal is verified through experiments.
Possible Involvement of Histamine in Muscular Fatigue in Temporomandibular Disorders: Animal and Human Studies

As an approach to clarifying the molecular basis of pain and fatigue in muscles involved in temporomandibular disorders, we examined the activity of histidine decarboxylase (HDC), the enzyme which forms histamine, in the masseter muscles of mice. In the resting muscle, HDC activity was very low. Direct electrical stimulation of the muscle markedly elevated HDC activity. HDC activity rose within 3 hrs of the electrical stimulation, peaked at 6 to 8 hrs, and then gradually declined. Intraperitoneal injection of a small amount of interleukin-1 (IL-1) (from 1 to 10 μg/kg) produced a similar elevation of HDC activity in the masseter muscle. We also examined the effect of an antihistamine, chlorphenylamine (CP), on temporomandibular disorders in humans and compared it with that of an antiinflammatory analgesic, flurbiprofen (FB). Two groups received one or the other of the drugs daily for 7 days, and they were asked about their signs and symptoms before and after the treatment. A positive evaluation of their treatment was made by 74% of the CP group, but by only 48% of the FB group. Although the effects of CP on the limitation of mouth-opening and on joint noise were negligible, about 50% of the CP group answered positively concerning the drug's effect on spontaneous pain or pain induced by chewing or mouth-opening. The positive evaluation for CP (50%) in relieving associated symptoms (headache or shoulder stiffness) was significantly greater than for FB (13%). FB showed effectiveness similar to but sometimes weaker than that of CP on several symptoms. On the basis of these and previous results and the known actions of histamine, we propose that the histamine newly formed following the induction of HDC activity, which is itself mediated by IL-1, may be involved in inducing pain and, possibly, stiffness in muscles in temporomandibular disorders.
Incidence of diagnosed clinical otosclerosis.

Because only limited information is available on the incidence, prevalence, and population patterns of clinical otosclerosis, a study was made of these aspects of clinical otosclerosis in the Rochester, Minn, population for the period 1950 through 1969. During this period, 110 cases of clinical otosclerosis were diagnosed. The overall incidence was 13.7 per 100,000. Important findings included the following: The rate for women was higher than that for men. The disease was diagnosed most frequently in the 30- to 49-year-old group in both sexes. It was not diagnosed in children under the age of 10 years. There was a significant increase in the rate of diagnosed cases in the period 1960 to 1969, inclusive, as compared to that of the period 1950 to 1959.
Disruption of Memory for Lip-Read Lists by Irrelevant Speech: Further Support for the Changing State Hypothesis

Two experiments critically re-examine the finding of Campbell and Dodd (1984, Experiment 2), which suggests that irrelevant speech disrupts the encoding of visual material for serial recall. Support is sought for the competing view that the effect of irrelevant speech is on storage by comparing the effect of a range of acoustic conditions on memory for graphic and lip-read lists. Initially, serial short-term recall of visually presented lists was examined with irrelevant speech that was both asynchronous with the visually presented items and of varied speech content (Experiment 1a). In this experiment substantial impairments in recall of both graphic and lip-read lists were found. However, with unvarying asynchronous speech (Experiment 1b) the effect of speech was small and non-significant. Experiment 2 examined the effect of changing state and of synchrony of speech with lip movements. When conditions of synchronous and asynchronous unvarying speech were contrasted, no significant effect of synchrony or irrelevant speech was found (Experiment 2a and 2c). In contrast, when the speech was varying in content, a strong effect of irrelevant speech was found; moreover, the effect was roughly the same for synchronous and asynchronous materials (Experiment 2b). The contrast in outcome with varying and unvarying speech provides strong support for the “changing state” model of the irrelevant speech effect. Coupled with the absence of an effect of synchrony in Experiment 2, these experiments reinforce the view that disruption by irrelevant speech occurs in memory, not at encoding.
The structure and function of human IgA.

IgA is present in normal human serum at about one-fifth of the concentration of IgG. However, it is catabolized around five times faster than IgG and therefore the rates of synthesis of the two immunoglobulins must be similar [1]. IgA is themost abundant immunoglobulin in secretions. Secretory IgA (sIgh) is the product of local synthesis at the mucosal surfaces which are the main source of antigenic material for the body. In mucosal tissue, IgA synthesis far exceeds that of other classes. As a result, in man, more IgA is produced than all other immunoglobulin classes combined. In contrast to other immunoglobulins, human IgA displays a unique heterogeneity in its molecular forms, each with a characteristic distribution in various body fluids [2]. Human IgA occurs in two isotypic forms, IgAl and IgA2, with IgA2 existing as two allotypic variants IgA2m(l) and IgA2m(2). Each of these forms is found in various degrees of aggregation. Although the importance of IgA in mucosal secretions is well established, it is now clear that in humans much of the IgA is secreted directly into the blood and never reaches the mucosal surfaces [3]. Serum IgA is predominantly monomeric IgAl which is produced in the bone marrow, while in external secretions most of the locally produced IgA is polymeric with a relative increase in the proportion of IgA2 [4, 5]. The lymphocytes which produce monomeric or polymeric IgA, IgAl or IgA2 are characteristically distributed in various lymphoid and nonlymphoid tissues. The differential interaction of monomeric and polymeric IgA molecules with various cells leads to their selective distribution in body fluids and possibly to differences in their effector functions. Secretory and serum IgA are therefore molecules with different biochemical and immunochemical properties produced by cells with different organ distributions.
Comparison of ear‐based, bladder, oral, and axillary methods for core temperature measurement

To determine the accuracy and repeatability of ear-based, bladder, oral, and axillary temperature methods. Design:Prospective, descriptive comparison of the accuracy of four temperature methods in relation to pulmonary artery temperature and the repeatability of each method. Setting:Critical care units of a university teaching hospital. Patients:Convenience sample of 38 adult patients with indwelling pulmonary artery thermistor catheters. Interventions:None. Measurements and Main Results:Ear-based estimates of core temperature with an infrared thermometer and pulmonary artery, bladder, oral, and axillary temperatures with thermistor-based instruments were made every 20 mins for 4 hrs. Mean offsets (± SD) from pulmonary artery temperature for each method were as follows: ear-based 0.07 ± 0.41°C; bladder 0.03 ± 0.23°C; oral 0.05 ± 0.26°C; and axillary −0.68 ± 0.57°C. The accuracy of each method varied with the level of pulmonary artery temperature. Repeated measurements with all four methods had mean SD values within ±0.2°C. Conclusions:Infrared ear thermometry provided a relatively close estimate of pulmonary artery core temperature, although with more variability than bladder or oral methods, while axillary readings were substantially lower than the pulmonary artery temperature and highly variable. (Crit Care Med 1993; 21:1528–1534)
The effects of thyroxine replacement on the levels of serum asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and other biochemical cardiovascular risk markers in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism

Background The relationship between subclinical hypothyroidism (SH) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is still under debate. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate plasma total homocysteine (tHcy), high sensitive C‐reactive protein (hsCRP), small dense low‐density lipoprotein (sdLDL), l‐arginine and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) concentrations and their relationship to nitric oxide (NO) production, measured as plasma nitrite‐plus‐nitrate (NOx) concentration, in patients with SH before and after thyroxine replacement therapy and compared with control group values.
Nimesulide: an NSAID that preferentially inhibits COX-2, and has various unique pharmacological activities

Nimesulide is a NSAID with good anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activities expected of such compounds. However, in addition it has some unique therapeutic and pharmacological activities. The novel therapeutic aspects include a relatively low toxicity to the gastrointestinal tract and kidneys, it can be given to most patients who experience respiratory problems with other NSAIDs, and the onset of analgesia is comparatively quick. The main novel pharmacological actions obtained using nimesulide in vivo at therapeutic doses, or in vitro at concentrations within the therapeutic range of free (unbound) drug, include: a preferential inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis via COX-2, and reductions in cytokine action/release, histamine release, the release of enzymes that degrade cartilage, and the release of superoxide anions and other toxic substances from neutrophils. Interactions with other drugs are few and of little or no clinical significance.
Candida fungemia in neonates treated with fluconazole: report of forty cases, including eight with meningitis.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY To assess efficacy and safety of fluconazole in neonates with Candida fungemia. STUDY DESIGN Multicenter prospective protocol of all fungemias appearing between January 1, 1993, and December 31, 1997, in four major university hospitals. RESULTS Forty neonates, 28 of them with very low birth weight (<1500 g; 30.5 median gestation week), with documented Candida albicans fungemia were treated with intravenous fluconazole in a daily dosage of 6 mg/kg once daily for 6 to 48 days. Thirty-four received fluconazole as monotherapy and 6 received it in combination with amphotericin B. Thirty-two (80%) were cured; 4 of them relapsed despite at least 14 days of therapy, but they were ultimately cured without sequelae. Eight other neonates died, 4 because of fungal infection and 4 because of prematurity or hemorrhage or lung failure, with fungemia (20% overall and 10% attributable mortality). Two neonates had elevated liver enzymes during fluconazole therapy and 2 others had elevated serum creatinine during fluconazole monotherapy. In none of them did these abnormalities necessitate discontinuation of antifungal therapy. In 8 neonates fungal meningitis developed as a complication of fungemia. All but 3 fungemias were C. albicans; 3 were Candida parapsilosis. CONCLUSIONS Fluconazole was safe and effective antifungal therapy even in complicated or Candida fungemia in neonates and in infants with very low birth weight.
[Effects of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells transplantation on the apoptosis of alveolar wall cells in papain and Co60-induced pulmonary emphysema rats].

AIM To study the effects of bone marrow MSCs transplantation on the apoptosis of alveolar wall cells and the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax of lung tissue in papain and Co60-induced pulmonary emphysema rats. METHODS Female Lewis rats were randomly divided into three groups: control group, emphysema group, emphysema + MSCs transplantation group. Rats were sacrificed at days 14 and 28 after treatment. Morphologic analysis of the lung tissue was performed. The apoptosis of the lung cells was assessed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. The expression of Bcl-2 and Bax were determined by immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS Emphysematous changes of the lung tissue were observed in emphysema group and emphysema + MSCs transplantation group. However, the emphysematous change in emphysema + MSCs transplantation group was improved compared with the emphysema group. There was significant difference in the number of alveolar counted per unit area (MAN), mean alveoli area (MAA) and mean linear interval(MLI) between emphysema group and emphysema + MSCs transplantation group. The apoptotic index of the alveolar wall cells in emphysema + MSCs transplantation group was less than that in the emphysema group. The percentage of Bcl-2 positive cells in emphysema + MSCs transplantation group was significantly higher than that in the emphysema group. The percentage of Bax positive cells in emphysema + MSCs transplantation group was significantly lower than that in the emphysema group. The ratio of Bcl-2/Bax of emphysema + MSCs transplantation group was significantly higher than that in the emphysema group. CONCLUSION Bone marrow MSCs transplantation inhibits the apoptosis of alveolar wall cells, upregulates the expression of Bcl-2 and downregulates the expression of Bax. This may be part of the reason that bone marrow MSCs transplantation improves the papain and Co60-induced pulmonary emphysema.
Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the primary motor cortex in patients with motor neuron disease: subgroup analysis and follow-up measurements.

OBJECTIVES To determine the motor cortex degeneration in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and to prove that proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy is suited to monitor the course of disease with follow-up examinations. MATERIALS AND METHODS We studied 33 patients with ALS whose conditions were diagnosed according to the El Escorial World Federation of Neurology criteria. Nine patients with ALS were followed up for up to 2 years. The control group included 20 healthy volunteers and 4 patients with multifocal motor neuropathy. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy determined levels of the brain metabolites N-acetylaspartate (NAA), choline, inositol-containing compounds, glutamate/glutamine, and phosphocreatine. RESULTS Patients with ALS showed a significant reduction in the NAA-choline (P <.001) and NAA-phosphocreatine (P <.005) metabolite ratios and significantly elevated choline-phosphocreatine (P <.005) ratios compared with controls. Inositol-phosphocreatine ratios were also elevated in case patients, but the increase was less pronounced (P <.05). No differences in glutamate/glutamine-phosphocreatine ratios were detected between case patients and controls. An analysis of subgroups demonstrated less significant differences in NAA-choline metabolite ratios (P<.05), even in patients with pure lower motor neuron syndrome (suspected ALS). No changes in metabolite T1 and T2 relaxation times were observed. Patients with multifocal motor neuropathy showed normal metabolic ratios. Progressive alterations in affected metabolite ratios could be documented in the follow-up examinations. CONCLUSIONS Spectroscopic changes in the motor cortices of patients with ALS correspond with a reduction in levels of NAA and an elevation in levels of choline and inositol compounds. Since NAA is exclusively expressed in neurons, the observed decrease of NAA reflects neuronal loss or dysfunction. Inositol and choline are associated with plasma membrane metabolism, so the release of these compounds may be related to membrane disorders.
A Short Proof of the Planarity Characterization of Colin de Verdière

Colin de Verdiere introduced an interesting new invariant ? (G) for graphs G, based on algebraic and analytic properties of matrices associated with G. He showed that the invariant is monotone under taking miners and moreover, that ? (G) ? 3 if only if G is planar. In this paper we give a short proof of Colin de Verdiere? s result that ? (G) ? 3 if G is planar.
Training of resistance to proactive interference and working memory in older adults: a randomized double-blind study

ABSTRACT Background: Working memory (WM) performance is often decreased in older adults. Despite the growing popularity of WM trainings, underlying mechanisms are still poorly understood. Resistance to proactive interference (PI) constitutes a candidate process that contributes to WM performance and might influence training or transfer effects. Here, we investigated whether PI resistance can be enhanced in older adults using a WM training with specifically increased PI-demands. Further, we investigated whether potential effects of such a training were stable and entailed any transfer on non-trained tasks. Method: Healthy old adults (N = 25, 68.8 ± 5.5 years) trained with a recent-probes and an n-back task daily for two weeks. Two different training regimens (high vs. low PI-amount in the tasks) were applied as between-participants manipulation, to which participants were randomly assigned. Near transfer tasks included interference tasks; far transfer tasks assessed fluid intelligence (gF) or speed. Immediate transfer was assessed directly after training; a follow-up measurement was conducted after two months. Results: Both groups similarly improved in PI resistance in both training tasks. Thus, PI susceptibility was generally reduced in the two training groups and there was no difference between WM training with high versus low PI demands. Further, there was no differential near or far transfer on non-trained tasks, neither immediately after the training nor in the follow-up. Conclusion: PI-demands in WM training tasks do not seem critical for enhancing WM performance or PI resistance in older adults. Instead, improved resistance to PI appears to be an unspecific side-effect of a WM training.
Collagen fibers induce expansion of receptive field of Pacinian corpuscles

Pacinian corpuscles within the skin are mechanoreceptors with a high sensitivity and a broad receptive field, and they contribute to texture evaluation and contact detection. They are distributed in small numbers in the subcutaneous tissue, which is a deep layer in the skin. We propose a new skin model with texture of collagen fibers, based on observations of the thumb of a Macaca fuscata. A finite element analysis using the model reveals that collagen fibers disperse stress concentrations in the subcutaneous tissue, leading to a broad receptive field for Pacinian corpuscles while maintaining their high sensitivity. Graphical Abstract
Formal procedural skills training using a fresh frozen cadaver model: A pilot study

Graduating medical students are expected to be proficient in a number of procedural skills. A structured curriculum is infrequently available. In addition, the use of a mannequin tends to be unrealistic and students continue to have some anxiety when performing procedures on patients. This pilot study was designed to demonstrate the utility of a fresh frozen cadaver model in practicing procedural skills as compared to mannequins. Seven third‐year students carried out a number of basic procedural skills using a mannequin model and a fresh frozen cadaver. We surveyed the students after they had carried out the procedures on the different models with regards to ease of procedure, the sense of realism and their success rate. The pilot course improved the overall confidence of the students in performing basic skills. In addition, despite the fact that the mannequin was somewhat easier to perform a number of procedures on, the fresh frozen cadaver was a more realistic model and the preferred model for practicing the skills. The fresh frozen cadaver is a feasible and valid instructional tool for training procedural skills and has the advantage of being more realistic than a typical mannequin model. Clin. Anat. 19:142–146, 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Crime, Prostitution, Drugs, and Malingered Insanity

Mizrahi female offenders have been described as passive victims propelled into crime, prostitution, and drug abuse as a result of traumatic childhood and life course experiences. This qualitative study adopts a postmodern critical orientation and Foucault's bottom-up microsocial analysis of power to examine the trajectories of resistance of 8 female offenders who break the silence to tell their life story. Analysis of narratives, informal conversations, and more focused, in-depth interviews with these women allow the deconstruction of the stereotype of the passive and helpless female offender. Using the sensitizing concepts of control, agency, and resistant efforts and letting the data speak, this research reconstructs female offending as a hidden script of resistance against intolerable socioeconomic deprivation and extreme forms of abuse.