Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An appearance-function shift in children's object naming

ABSTRACT The relative importance of appearance and potential function in children's object naming was examined. Potential function is an object capability that may not be currently realized (e.g. an empty mug has the potential to hold coffee). In Study 1, sixteen children from each of three age groups (3;8, 4;8, and 6;1) were taught novel names for unfamiliar objects; they then had to decide whether these applied to items that resembled the training objects in either appearance or potential function. The youngsters were also shown deceptive objects (e.g., an eraser that looked like a pencil) and had to choose between familiar appearance and function names for them (e.g., pencil or eraser). The frequency of function-based responding in both tasks increased with age. In Study 2, the name training procedure was revised so that equal emphasis was given to both apparent and functional features. The main results of the first study were replicated. Neither study obtained evidence of a strong relation between the appearance—function shift and increased under-standing of the appearance—reality distinction.
Currently Used Low-Dose Pyrazinamide Does Not Increase Liver-Injury in the First Two Months of Tuberculosis Treatment.

OBJECTIVE In the 1950s, a high-dose (40-70 mg/kg/day) of pyrazinamide (PZA), was reported to cause drug-induced liver injury (DILI) at an unacceptable frequency. It remains unclear whether adding PZA (Z) at the currently accepted low-dose (20-25 mg/kg/day) for two months to a regimen of isoniazid (H) + rifampicin (R) + ethambutol (E) actually increases the risk of DILI. METHOD Smear-positive tuberculosis patients were treated with daily HRE or HRZE regimen under direct observation. We used three independent models. Model 1 was analyzed with a multivariate Cox-analysis using a pre-matched cohort. Next, propensity score matching was conducted using the nearest neighbor method with caliper of 0.03. Models 2 and 3 were analyzed by univariate and multivariate Cox-analyses, respectively, with the matched cohort. DILI was assessed based on the guidelines of the American Thoracic Society. RESULTS We reviewed the records of 383 patents (male, n=260; female n=123; mean age, 64±20 years). Among these patients, 75 patients were treated with HRE and 308 were treated with HRZE. DILI occurred in the first two months in 24% (18/75) and 8% (24/308) of the HRE-treated and HRZE-treated cases, respectively. In all three of the models, DILI was less frequent in patients treated with the HRZE regimen: Model 1, HR of 0.30 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.14-0.68, p=0.004); Model 2, HR of 0.37 (95%CI 0.14-0.96, p=0.041); and Model 3, HR of 0.34 (95%CI 0.12-0.94, p=0.038). CONCLUSION The addition of the currently accepted low dose (20-25 mg/kg/day) of PZA to the HRE regimen did not increase the incidence of DILI during the first two months of treatment.
Acidic saline‐induced pain as a model for experimental masseter myalgia in healthy subjects

Repeated injection of acidic saline into skeletal muscles of the leg in rodents induces a prolonged bilateral mechanical hyperalgesia that persists for up to 30 days and may be useful to model widespread muscle pain conditions. In this study, repeated injection of acidic (pH 3.3) saline solution into the masseter muscle of healthy human subjects was undertaken to determine if these injections are painful and whether they would induce a prolonged period of muscle sensitization to artificial and/or natural mechanical stimulation of the masseter and temporalis muscles.
Contraceptive failure and its subsequent effects in China: a two-stage event history analysis.

This study examined sociodemographic and contraceptive use factors that affect contraceptive failure (CF) during the first 8.5 years of contraceptive use and pregnancy outcomes in China. Data were obtained from complete fertility and contraceptive histories among 17,887 currently married women, aged 15-57 years, included in the 1988 Two-per-Thousand Fertility Survey. 4053 contraceptive use periods during 1980-88 ended in failure. The methods of Trussel and Hammerslough (1983) were used to estimate method-specific hazard models of CF. Findings of relative risk indicate that for male and female sterilization, duration of use and number of living children were determinants of CF among only rural couples. The rate of CF was greatest in the first few months and declined to almost zero after 36 months. Rural women with 3 or more children had a significantly higher rate of CF. The effect of female sterilization had a smaller effect on duration. Significant determinants of CF for mixed methods were duration of use, age at start of use, and number of living children. Risk of CF, after 1984, was lower by 18-32% depending upon method. 61.7% and 62.4% of CFs for male and female sterilization, respectively, resulted in live births. 45.0% of IUD CFs and under 25.0% of reversible method CFs resulted in live births. Number of living children was a significant determinant of a live birth outcome. More children was related to a greater risk of a live birth. The demographic impact of CFs varied by method and area of residence.
Molecular mechanisms involved in interleukin‐4‐induced human neutrophils: expression and regulation of suppressor of cytokine signaling

Interleukin‐4 (IL‐4) is a CD132‐dependent cytokine known to activate the Jak‐STAT pathway in different cells and cell lines. Although IL‐4 has been demonstrated previously to be an agonist in human neutrophils, its capacity to activate different cell signaling pathways in these cells has never been investigated. Two types of IL‐4 receptor (IL‐4R) exist: the Type I (CD132/IL‐4R1 heterodimer) and the Type II (IL‐4Rα/IL‐13Rα1 heterodimer). In a previous study, we demonstrated that neutrophils express the Type I receptor. Herein, using flow cytometry, we demonstrated that neutrophils, unlike U‐937 cells, do not express IL‐13Rα1 and IL‐13Rα2 and confirmed the expression of CD132 and IL‐4Rα on their surface. We also demonstrated that IL‐4 induced phosphorylation of Syk, p38, Erk‐1/2, JNK, Jak‐1, Jak‐2, STAT6, and STAT1 and that treatment of cells with the inhibitors piceatannol, SB203580, PD98059, or AG490 reversed the ability of IL‐4 to delay neutrophil apoptosis. Using RT‐PCR, we demonstrated for the first time that neutrophils express mRNA for all suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) members, namely SOCS1–7 and cytokine‐inducible Src homology 2 protein. It is interesting that IL‐4 increased expression of SOCS3 at the mRNA and protein levels. The effect of IL‐4 on SOCS3 protein expression was increased markedly when the proteasome inhibitor MG132 was added to the cultures, but this was inhibited by cycloheximide, suggesting that SOCS3 is de novo‐synthesized in response to IL‐4. We conclude that neutrophils express only the Type I IL‐4R on their surface and that IL‐4 signals via different cell signaling pathways, including the Jak/STAT/SOCS pathway.
Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Release and Antiplatelet Treatment with Low-Dose Acetylsalicylic Acid

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and β-thromboglobulin (β-TG) are released from alpha granules during platelet activation. PDGF may play a role in the development of atherosclerosis and the late restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). The effect of acetylsalicyclic acid (ASA) on PDGF release was studied in healthy volunteers before and twelve hours after ingestion of 300 mg ASA. PDGF, β-TG, and thromboxane B2(TxB 2) were measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA) in serum and in platelet rich plasma (PRP) after submaximal stimulation with collagen. TxB2 decreased sig nificantly from 0.9 ± 0.3 ng/(mL x 106 platelets) to 0.006 ± 0.005 ng/(mL x 10 6 platelets) (mean ± SD) in serum after ASA ingestion while PDGF and β-TG remained unchanged. Measurements in PRP after stimulation with collagen showed a significant decrease in PDGF (from 21.5 ± 1.4 pg/(mL x 106 plate lets) to 1.8 ± 4.1 (pg/mL x 106 platelets)), in β-TG (from 21.0 ± 13.3 ng/(mL x 10 6 platelets) to 2.2 ± 1.4 ng/(mL x 106 platelets)) and in TxB2 (from 143.6 ± 80.7 pg/(mL x 106 platelets) to 0.5 ± 0.6 pg/(mL x 106 platelets)) after treat ment with ASA. In conclusion low-dose ASA inhibits collagen-induced release of both β-TG and PDGF in PRP and TxB2-synthesis in PRP and serum.
Thermal Behavior of Residual Defects in Low-Dose Arsenic- and Boron-Implanted Silicon After High-Temperature Rapid Thermal Annealing

We investigated the thermal behavior of defects remaining in low-dose (<;1013 cm-2) arsenic- and boron-implanted Si after high-temperature (1100 °C) rapid thermal annealing (RTA). The defects remaining after RTA were characterized as vacancy-type defects, and confirmed to be created by nonequilibrium states that occur during the extremely rapid cooling step of the RTA sequence. They were gradually removed by applying additional furnace annealing (FA) (i.e., thermal equilibrium heating process) at 300-400 °C. At the range of 500-600 °C, however, carbon- and oxygen-related point defects were newly created. These defects were confirmed to be eliminated at 700 °C, and the crystal quality was significantly improved. When using a rapid thermal process for heat treatment after low-dose impurity implantation, it is necessary to apply an equilibrium thermal treatment at >700 °C to remove residual damage as well as to activate impurities.
Intravenous bone marrow stromal cell therapy reduces apoptosis and promotes endogenous cell proliferation after stroke in female rat

The present study investigates the induction of neurogenesis, reduction of apoptosis, and promotion of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) expression as possible mechanisms by which treatment of stroke with bone marrow stromal cells (MSCs) improves neurological functional recovery. Additionally, for the first time, we treated cerebral ischemia in female rats with intraveneous administration of MSCs. Female rats were subjected to 2 hr of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo), followed by an injection of 3 × 106 male (for Y chromosome labeling) rat MSCs or phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS) into the tail vein 24 hr after MCAo. All animals received daily injection of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU; 50 mg/kg, i.p.) for 13 days after treatment for identification of newly synthesized DNA. Animals were sacrificed at 14 days after MCAo. Behavioral tests (rotarod and adhesive‐removal tests) were performed. In situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, and terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase (TdT)‐mediated dUTP‐biotin nick‐end labeling (TUNEL) were performed to identify transplanted MSCs (Y chromosome), BrdU, bFGF, and apoptotic cells in the brain. Significant recovery of behavior was found in MSC‐treated rats at 7 days in the somatosensory test and at 14 days in the motor test after MCAo compared with control, PBS‐treated animals (P < .05). MSCs were found to survive and preferentially localize to the ipsilateral ischemic hemisphere. Significantly more BrdU‐positive cells were located in the subventricular zone (P < .05), and significantly fewer apoptotic cells and more bFGF immunoreactive cell were found in the ischemic boundary area (P < .05) of MSC‐treated rats than in PBS‐treated animals. Here we demonstrate that intravenously administered male MSCs increase bFGF expression, reduce apoptosis, promote endogenous cellular proliferation, and improve functional recovery after stroke in female rats. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Association of hyperthyroidism with serum leptin levels.

The present study was undertaken to determine whether thyroid hormones affect serum leptin levels in patients with hyperthyroidism. In 32 female patients with hyperthyroidism and 30 body mass index (BMI)-matched control subjects, there was no difference in serum leptin concentrations (9.0+/-1.0 v 8.2+/-0.9 microg/L). The serum leptin levels were compared with the expected values for serum leptin derived from the corresponding BMI with the formula for the control subjects (serum leptin [micrograms per liter] = 0.976 x BMI [kilograms per square meter] - 11.933, P < .001) and are expressed as the percent deviation (%leptin). There was a weak but significant positive correlation between serum free thyroxine (T4) levels and %leptin in the combined analysis of patients with hyperthyroidism and control subjects (r = .28, P < .05). Multiple regression analysis also revealed the independent contribution of free T4 levels to serum leptin. Antithyroid therapy ameliorated the hyperthyroidism and increased the BMI by 7.8% and the percent body fat by 9.9% in a subgroup of 21 patients with hyperthyroidism. However, serum leptin levels did not change during the 2-month therapeutic period (from 9.8+/-1.4 to 8.7+/-1.0 microg/L), and accordingly, %leptin significantly decreased from 133%+/-16% to 98%+/-11% (P < .05). A total of 6 months of observation in 12 hyperthyroid patients showed the same alterations in the anthropometric indexes, serum leptin, and %leptin. These results indicate that serum leptin is slightly increased in subjects with moderate hyperthyroidism, possibly due to the direct action of thyroid hormone, and the levels decline in accordance with the attainment of euthyroidism.
Cure Shrinkage Analysis of Green Epoxy Molding Compound with Application to Warpage Analysis in a Plastic IC Package

Finite element analysis (FEA) is widely used throughout the electronics industry to understand the thermal and thermo-mechanical behavior of electronic packages and interconnect during their manufacture and lifetime. After encapsulation, thermo-mechanical stress builds up within the package due to temperature coefficient of expansion mismatch between the respective materials within the package as it cools to room temperature. Due to the complexity and time consuming of the calculation, it is almost impossible for industry to carry out the numerical simulation using viscoelastic property which is the most close to the real material property of polymer material. However, FEA using temperature-dependent elastic property, temperature-dependent thermal expansion coefficient and accurate chemical cure shrinkage can help to improve the accuracy on the stress and warpage prediction. This study has developed an evaluation method for the chemical cure shrinkage based on the measurement of the warpage of bimaterial model. The results show that FEA simulations without chemical cure shrinkage fail to accurately predict the package warpage. On the other hand. FEA simulations with chemical cure shrinkage is outlined which show fair agreement with experimental measurements of package warpage over a range of temperatures.
Changes in gray-/white-matter ratios in the parahippocampal gyri of late-onset schizophrenia patients.

OBJECTIVE Recent neuropathological studies have reported that late-onset schizophrenia patients exhibit a restricted limbic tauopathy, glial tangles (thorn-shaped astrocytes), scarce amyloid deposition, and preservation of hippocampal pyramidal cells. The present article is an attempt at finding a macroscopic correlate to the described pathology. METHODS A group of 13 normal-onset (<40 years) schizophrenic patients, 13 late-onset (>40 years) schizophrenia patients, and 8 comparison clients were studied, based on fulfillment of diagnostic criteria (e.g., DSM-III) and availability of suitable tissue. A computerized image analysis provided areal measurements of the hippocampal formation. Both hemispheres and two levels (mammillary bodies and lateral geniculate nucleus) were studied. In order to avoid corrections based on tissue shrinkage, results were expressed as ratios (e.g., parahippocampal gray/white matter). RESULTS Late-onset schizophrenic patients exhibit significant alterations in the gray-/white-matter ratio of the parahippocampal gyrus, affecting both hemispheres and all levels examined. This finding can best be explained by the preservation of gray matter and concomitant reduction of white matter in affected parahippocampal gyri. CONCLUSION The presence of neuritic changes, preservation of pyramidal cell numbers, and of areal diminution of the parahippocampal white matter can best be explained by a dying-back neuropathy.
Identification of early proteins of the human papilloma viruses type 16 (HPV 16) and type 18 (HPV 18) in cervical carcinoma cells.

We have sequenced 1730 bp of human papilloma virus type 18 (HPV 18) DNA containing the open reading frames (ORF) E6, E7, the N‐terminal part of E1 and, additionally, 120 bp of the N‐terminal part of L1. Based on these sequencing data, together with the human papilloma virus type 16 (HPV 16) DNA sequence published recently, we identified and cloned the ORF E6, E7, E1 and L1 of HPV 18 and the ORF E6, E7, E1, E4, E5, L2 and L1 of HPV 16 into prokaryotic expression vectors. The expression system used provides fusions to the N‐terminal part of the MS2 polymerase gene controlled by the heat‐inducible lambda PL promoter. Using the purified fusion proteins as immunogens we raised antisera against the proteins encoded by the ORF E6, E7 and E1 of HPV 18 as well as those encoded by the ORF E6, E7, E4 and L1 of HPV 16. By Western blot analysis we could show that the E7 gene product is the most abundant protein in cell lines containing HPV 16 or HPV 18 DNA. It is a cytoplasmic protein of 15 kd in the SiHa and the CaSki cell lines which contain HPV 16 DNA, and 12 kd in the HeLa, the C4‐1 and the SW756 cell lines which contain HPV 18 DNA. These results were confirmed by in vitro translation of hybrid‐selected HPV 16 and HPV 18 specific poly(A)+ RNA from SiHa, CaSki and HeLa cells. Additionally, these experiments led to the identification of an 11‐kd E6 and a 10‐kd E4 protein in the CaSki cell line as well as a 70‐kd E1 protein in HeLa cells.
Nut-like oil seeds: food for monkeys, chimpanzees, humans, and probably ape-men.

The hypothetical hyperrobust australopithecine gnathic nutcracker adaptation is reexamined in light of ecobotanical information on edible wild nuts provided by the flora of tropical and subtropical Africa. The nut producing species are tree-forms. Those of the forest region do not as a rule produce fruits with edible mesocarps. In contrast, the woodland savanna species (particularly in the Zambezian region) characteristically provide an important whole fruit, i.e., a nutritious mesocarp in addition to edible oil-rich nut seeds. These fruits drop from the tree before they are fully mature and go through the final ripening phase on the ground. They are important seasonal foods for a variety of vertebrates, including primates, elephants, and antelope. Altogether the nuts exhibit a broad range of toughness values, measured here as strength under compression. The woodland nuts are not as tough (177-934 kg force, breaking load) as those of the tropical forest (192-1,673 kg force). The seed-predators of the woodland species include squirrels, baboons, warthogs, and parrots. Paleoecological analyses indicate that it was the woodland nuts that were probably available to Australopithecus boisei and A. robustus. Preliminary estimates of adult male gnathic nut-cracking capabilities suggest that A. boisei could have orally cracked a significant portion of the woodland nuts. In spite of this, ecobotanical data indicate that we can probably reject the hypothesis that these hominids were year-round gnathic nut-cracking specialists. Both the indirect and direct evidence support this conclusion.
Combination treatment of vitamin C and desferrioxamine suppresses glomerular superoxide and prostaglandin E2 production in diabetic rats

Aims: Increased oxidative stress may contribute to the development of diabetic nephropathy. Conversely, it has been proposed that enhanced glomerular production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) may be the cause of glomerular hyperfiltration in streptozotocin (STZ)‐induced diabetic rats. As the role of superoxide anion (O2–) production in early diabetic nephropathy is not fully understood, we investigated the effect of vitamin C and desferrioxamine treatment on glomerular O2– and PGE2 production in diabetic rats.
In Vitro Synthesis of the Chlorophyll Isocyclic Ring : Transformation of Magnesium-Protoporphyrin IX and Magnesium-Protoporphyrin IX Monomethyl Ester into Magnesium-2,4-Divinyl Pheoporphyrin A(5).

Developing chloroplasts of Cucumis sativus L. , cv Beit Alpha which were incubated with either Mg-protoporphyrin IX or Mg-protoporphyrin IX monomethyl ester in darkness produced a partially phototransformable protochlorophyllide species that was tentatively identified as Mg-2,4-divinyl pheoporphyrin a(5). S-Adenosylmethionine stimulated Mg-2,4-divinyl pheoporphyrin a(5) formation irrespective of the starting material used. In the case of Mg-protoporphyrin IX monomethyl ester, this stimulation was attributed to the need to remethylate substrate that had been hydrolyzed by an endogenous methylesterase which converts part of the added Mg-protoporphyrin IX monomethyl ester to Mg-protoporphyrin IX.NADP and NADPH stimulated the conversion of Mg-protoporphyrin IX to Mg-2,4-divinyl pheoporphyrin a(5). The conversion required oxygen and was half saturated at 50 micromolar dissolved O(2). The conversion was insensitive to inhibitors of iron-sulfur and heme-containing proteins, to Cu chelators, H(2)O(2), and peroxide scavengers. However, the conversion was extremely sensitive to phenazine methosulfate, methylene blue, and methyl viologen.A decrease of the plastids' ability to convert Mg-protoporphyrin IX to Mg-2,4-divinyl pheoporphyrin a(5) after lysis in 0.1 molar NaCl suggested a requirement for plastid integrity.
Regulatory Forum Opinion Piece*

We recently conducted a retrospective analysis of data collected from 29 Tg.rasH2 carcinogenicity studies conducted at our facility to determine how successful was the strategy of choosing the high dose of the 26-week studies based on an estimated maximum tolerated dose (MTD). As a result of our publication, 2 counterviews were expressed. Both counterviews illustrate very valid points in their interpretation of our data. In this article, we would like to highlight clarifications based on several points and issues they have raised in their papers, namely, the dose-level selection, determining if MTD was exceeded in 26-week studies, and a discussion on the number of dose groups to be used in the studies.
Non-invasive diagnosis of H pylori infection: evaluation of serological tests with and without current infection marker CIM.

AIM To evaluate the performance of commercially available immunochromatographic (ICT) and immunoblot tests covering the current infection marker CIM and conventional ELISA for the diagnosis of H pylori infection in adult dyspeptic patients. METHODS Consecutive non-treated dyspeptic patients undergoing diagnostic endoscopy were tested for H pylori infection by culture, rapid urease test, and histology of gastric biopsy specimens. Serum from 61 H pylori infected and 21 non-infected patients were tested for anti-H pylori IgG antibodies by commercial ELISA (AccuBind ELISA, Monobind, USA), ICT (Assure H pylori Rapid Test, Genelabs Diagnostics, Singapore), and immunoblot (Helico Blot 2.1, Genelabs Diagnostics, Singapore) assays. ICT and immunoblot kits cover CIM among other parameters and their performance with and without CIM was evaluated separately. RESULTS Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy of ELISA were 96.7%, 42.8%, 83.1%, 81.8%, and 82.9%, of ICT were 90.1%, 80.9%, 93.2%, 73.9%, and 87.8%, of ICT with CIM were 88.5%, 90.4%, 96.4%, 73.0%, and 89.0%, of immunoblot were 98.3%, 80.9%, 93.7%, 94.4%, and 93.9%, and of immunoblot with CIM were 98.3%, 90.4%, 96.7%, 95.0%, and 96.3%, respectively. CONCLUSION Immunoblot with CIM had the best performance. ICT with CIM was found to be more specific and accurate than the conventional ELISA and may be useful for non-invasive diagnosis of H pylori infection.