Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Alterations of antioxidant status in asymptomatic hypercholesterolemic individuals after resveratrol intake

Abstract High cholesterol is one of the risk factors for atherogenesis, leading to oxidative stress and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The focus of this study was to evaluate the role and the pathways of action of a natural antioxidant, resveratrol, in asymptomatic hypercholesterolemic (AHC) individuals. Forty healthy AHCs and normocholesterolemics (NCs) participated in the study. They received random-order resveratrol and placebo capsules for four weeks. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC), vitamin E and total cholesterol (TC) were measured at baseline and at the end of each intervention. Resveratrol provided a direct antioxidant effect in healthy NC individuals, but in AHC individuals, with a higher demand for antioxidant activity due to higher cholesterol levels, it acted by facilitating an increase in vitamin E. Our findings suggest that resveratrol acts synergistically with other antioxidants against oxidative stress and highlights the importance of hypercholesterolemic individuals consuming natural antioxidants instead of medications to reduce the risk of CVD, while the situation is still reversible.
Di-μ-chlorido-bis{[1,2-bis(pyridin-2-ylmethoxy)benzene-κ4 N,O,O′,N′]chloridocadmium}

In centrosymmetric dinuclear title compound, [Cd2Cl4(C18H16N2O2)2], the CdII atom is seven-coordinated in a pentagonal–bipyramidal environment defined by two N atoms and two O atoms from one ligand and three Cl− anions, two of which are bridging. A π–π interaction between adjacent pyridine rings [centroid–centroid distance = 3.773 (1) Å] further stablizes the dimer.
Preliminary screening of some Egyptian weeds for antimicrobial activity.

Eleven Egyptian weeds collected from the Menoufeya district were screened for phytochemical compounds effective against several representatives of bacteria and yeasts. It was found that Soxhlet benzene extracts, especially those of Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik. , were the most effective. Alkaloids and flavonoids of Capsella gave the highest antibiotic potencies and had the broadest antimicrobial spectra. It is suggested that these alkaloids might consist of yohimbine and ergocristine and the flavonoids included the flavone diosmin.
Alcohol, psychological conservatism, and sexual interest in male social drinkers.

Summary The present study investigated self-reported sexual interest following alcohol consumption in 48 male social drinkers ([Xbar] age = 19.7 years). A sexual interest questionnaire and Wilson's Psychological Conservatism Scale were administered in a pretest-posttest design. The results indicated that while self-reported sexual interest appeared to increase with alcohol doses, beliefs regarding the alcohol content of the drink may mediate this change. Moreover, conservatism and self-reported sexual interest were not significantly related, although the significant negative correlation between the antihedonism factor and sexual interest disappeared when . 8g/kg of alcohol was consumed.
Theory of nonequilibrium first-order phase transitions for stochastic dynamics

A dynamic definition of a first-order phase transition is given. It is based on a master equation description of the time evolution of a system. When the operator generating that time evolution has an isolated near degeneracy there is a first-order phase transition. Conversely, when phenomena describable as first-order phase transitions occur in a system, the corresponding operator has near degeneracy. Estimates relating degree of degeneracy and degree of phase separation are given. This approach harks back to early ideas on phase transitions and degeneracy, but now enjoys greater generality because it involves an operator present in a wide variety of systems. Our definition is applicable to what have intuitively been considered phase transitions in nonequilibrium systems and to problematic near equilibrium cases, such as metastability.
Broadly neutralizing antibodies: An approach to control HIV-1 infection

ABSTRACT Although available antiretroviral therapy (ART) has changed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 infection to a non-fatal chronic disease, the economic burden of lifelong therapy, severe adverse ART effects, daily ART adherence, and emergence of ART-resistant HIV-1 mutants require prospecting for alternative therapeutic modalities. Indeed, a growing body of evidence suggests that broadly neutralizing anti-HIV-1 antibodies (BNAbs) may offer one such feasible alternative. To evaluate their therapeutic potential in established HIV-1 infection, we sought to address recent advances in pre-clinical and clinical investigations in this area of HIV-1 research. In addition, we addressed the obstacles that may impede the success of such immunotherapeutic approach, suggested strategic solutions, and briefly compared this approach with the currently used ART to open new insights for potential future passive immunotherapy for HIV-1 infection.
Production and Characterization of Exopolysaccharide Produced by Alcaligenes Faecalis B 14 Isolated from Indigenous Soil

Exo-polysaccharides (EPS) are environment friendly natural polymers secreted by microorganisms in the surrounding medium. Due to the presence of unique structural composition, EPS shows diverse applications such as in food formulations, pharmaceutical, and cement based construction industry, etc. In the present investigation, the bacteria producing higher exopolysaccharide was screened among bacteria isolated from indigenous soil samples. The characterization of bacteria was done by biochemical and 16 S rDNA analysis. The investigation was done to determine the optimal variables of nutritional and environmental conditions to get maximum EPS production from the isolated bacteria. Glucose, yeast extract and MgSO4 enhanced the EPS yield at 30°C incubation temperature. Structural elucidation of the exo-polysaccharide was done using different spectroscopic techniques like H NMR, FTIR, and GC-MS. The monomeric composition of EPS contains glucose, rhamnose, glucuronic acid and mannose similar to welan gum. Exo-polysaccharide showed good emulsification property and viscosity that indicated its possible use as an additive in food industry.
Changes in immunoexpression of p53, Ki-67, Ets-1, APAF-1 and PTEN in serrated and conventional colon adenomas.

UNLABELLED The balance between apoptosis and proliferation is tipped towards a decrease of apoptosis as the colonocyte progresses in the adenoma to carcinoma sequence of colon carcinogenesis. According to literature data, proteins like p53, Ki-67, APAF-1, Ets-1, PTEN contribute to inhibition of apoptosis and stimulation of proliferation. AIM Considering the complex interference among colorectal carcinogenetic mechanisms, our aim was to study the markers Ets-1 and APAF-1 relative to p53, Ki-67 and PTEN expression in colon adenomas/polyps (A/P). MATERIALS AND METHODS We performed immunohistochemistry on 99 colon A/P cases from the material of the Department of Pathology, Emergency County Hospital of Tirgu Mures, Romania. Secondary EnVision Flex/HRP (Horseradish peroxidase) (20 minutes) was used for signal amplification. RESULTS The majority of A/P show increased Ki-67, p53, Ets-1 expression, decreased APAF-1 expression and preserved PTEN expression. p53, Ki-67, Ets-1 and APAF-1 demonstrated statistically significant correlations with histological type and grade of dysplasia. We also observed that expression of these proteins in the intestinal crypts has a typical distribution according to histological type and grade of dysplasia. CONCLUSIONS In case of hyperplastic polyps APAF-1 expression decreases as p53 and Ki-67 expression increases, followed by a decrease in PTEN expression in serrated adenomas, and an increase of Ets-1 expression in conventional adenomas.
Prevalence and clinical characteristics of human respiratory syncytial virus in Chinese adults with acute respiratory tract infection†

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of respiratory tract illnesses worldwide. Although the prevalence and clinical manifestations of the two subtypes, RSV‐A and RSV‐B, have been studied in some detail in infants and young children, they have not been determined in adults. To evaluate the prevalence of the RSV subtypes and disease severity between RSV‐A and RSV‐B infections in adults, nasal and throat swabs that were collected from patients ≥15 years old who sought medical care for acute respiratory infections at the Fever Clinic of the Peking Union Medical College Hospital in Beijing, China between May 2005 and April 2010. The samples were tested for RSV infection using PCR and sequencing analysis. RSV was detected in 95 (1%) of the adult patients, of whom 53 (55.8%) were positive for RSV‐A and 42 (44.2%) for RSV‐B. The incidence of RSV infections increased with age (χ2 = 37.17, P = 1.66E−07). Demographic data and clinical manifestations of RSV‐A were similar to those of RSV‐B. Although RSV‐A and RSV‐B co‐circulated during the 2005–2006 and 2008–2009 seasons, RSV‐A was predominant in the 2006–2008 seasons, whereas RSV‐B was predominant in the 2009–2010 season. Upper respiratory tract infections were diagnosed in most RSV‐infected patients (n = 80, 84.2%), and three patients suffered from pulmonary infection. This is the first study to provide data on the prevalence and clinical manifestations of RSV subgroups among Chinese adults with fever and acute illness, over five successive epidemic seasons. J. Med. Virol. 85:348–353, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Impact of Gastric Acid Induced Surface Changes on Mechanical Impact of Gastric Acid Induced Surface Changes on Mechanical Behavior and Optical Characteristics of Dental Ceramics Behavior and Optical Characteristics of Dental Ceramics

A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the College of Dental Medicine of Nova University in Partial the Requirements ABSTRACT Objective . This study was conducted to test the impact of exposure to artificial gastric acid combined with toothbrush abrasion on the properties of dental ceramics. Earlier research has indicated that immersion in artificial gastric acid has caused increased surface roughness of dental ceramics. However, the combined effect of acid immersion and toothbrush abrasion and the impact of increased surface roughness on mechanical strength and optical properties has not been studied. Methods . Three commercially available ceramics were chosen for this study: feldspathic porcelain, lithium disilicate glass ceramic and monolithic zirconium oxide. The specimens (10 × 1 mm discs) were cut, thermally treated as required and polished. Each material was divided into four groups (n=8 per group): Control (no exposure), Acid only, Brush only, Acid + Brush. The specimens were immersed in artificial gastric acid (50 ml of 0.2% (w/v) Sodium chloride in 0.7% (v/v) Hydrochloric acid mixed with 0.16g of pepsin powder, pH=2) for 2 minutes Specimens were examined under SEM and an optical microscope for morphological changes. Color and translucency were measured using spectrophotometer CIELAB coordinates (L*, a* and b*); surface gloss was measured using a gloss meter. Surface roughness was measured using a stylus profilometer; biaxial strength was measured using an Instron mechanical testing machine. The data was analyzed by one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's HSD post hoc test (p<0.05). Results . Statistically significant changes were found for color, and surface roughness for and E.max samples. No statistically significant changes for any properties of zirconia samples.
Evidence for a fractional fractal quantum Hall effect in graphene superlattices

Mixing interactions and superlattices Under the influence of an external magnetic field, the energies of electrons in two-dimensional systems group into the so-called Landau levels. In the cleanest samples, interactions among electrons lead to fractional quantum Hall (FQH) states. If such a system is then subjected to a superlattice potential, it is unclear whether the fragile FQH states will survive. To address this question, Wang et al. sandwiched graphene between two layers of hexagonal boron nitride. Transport measurements on the superlattice showed that some FQH states did survive. Furthermore, the interplay between interactions and the superlattice potential produced additional, anomalous states. Science, this issue p. 1231 Transport measurements are used to detect anomalous states in graphene/hexagonal boron nitride heterostructures. The Hofstadter energy spectrum provides a uniquely tunable system to study emergent topological order in the regime of strong interactions. Previous experiments, however, have been limited to low Bloch band fillings where only the Landau level index plays a role. We report measurements of high-mobility graphene superlattices where the complete unit cell of the Hofstadter spectrum is accessible. We observed coexistence of conventional fractional quantum Hall effect (QHE) states together with the integer QHE states associated with the fractal Hofstadter spectrum. At large magnetic field, we observed signatures of another series of states, which appeared at fractional Bloch filling index. These fractional Bloch band QHE states are not anticipated by existing theoretical pictures and point toward a distinct type of many-body state.
Ethanol‐induced redox imbalance in rat kidneys

This study reports the effects of long‐term ethanol consumption on kidney redox status, in terms of enzymatic mechanisms involved in regulating the cytosolic [NADH]/[NAD+] balance. Wistar rats were treated with ethanol (2 g/kg body weight/24 h) via intragastric intubation for 10 and 30 weeks, respectively. Ethanol administration induced an enhancement of alcohol dehydrogenase activities and affected the capacity of the kidney to prevent NADH accumulation in the cytosol. After 10 weeks, the excess of NADH was balanced by increased activities of malate dehydrogenase and aspartate transaminase. In the event of a longer period of ethanol intake, the kidney was not able to balance the NADH excess, even though an increase in malate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate transaminase, and alanine transaminase activities was noted. The electrophoretic analysis of alcohol dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase, and malate dehydrogenase isoforms revealed differences between control and ethanol‐treated animals. The results suggest that rat kidneys have a multicomponent metabolic response to the same daily dose of ethanol that functions to maintain the redox status and which varies with the length of the administration period. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 25:224–230, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/jbt.20379
Laplacian-based dynamic graph visualization

Visualizing dynamic graphs are challenging due to the difficulty to preserving a coherent mental map of the changing graphs. In this paper, we propose a novel layout algorithm which is capable of maintaining the overall structure of a sequence graphs. Through Laplacian constrained distance embedding, our method works online and maintains the aesthetic of individual graphs and the shape similarity between adjacent graphs in the sequence. By preserving the shape of the same graph components across different time steps, our method can effectively help users track and gain insights into the graph changes. Two datasets are tested to demonstrate the effectiveness of our algorithm.
Regulation of Transcription Factor Pdr1p Function by an Hsp70 Protein in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

ABSTRACT Multiple or pleiotropic drug resistance in the yeastSaccharomyces cerevisiae requires the expression of several ATP binding cassette transporter-encoding genes under the control of the zinc finger-containing transcription factor Pdr1p. The ATP binding cassette transporter-encoding genes regulated by Pdr1p include PDR5 and YOR1, which are required for normal cycloheximide and oligomycin tolerances, respectively. We have isolated a new member of the PDR gene family that encodes a member of the Hsp70 family of proteins found in this organism. This gene has been designated PDR13 and is required for normal growth. Overexpression of Pdr13p leads to an increase in both the expression of PDR5 and YOR1 and a corresponding enhancement in drug resistance. Pdr13p requires the presence of both the PDR1 structural gene and the Pdr1p binding sites in target promoters to mediate its effect on drug resistance and gene expression. A dominant, gain-of-function mutant allele ofPDR13 was isolated and shown to have the same phenotypic effects as when the gene is present on a 2μm plasmid. Genetic and Western blotting experiments indicated that Pdr13p exerts its effect on Pdr1p at a posttranslational step. These data support the view that Pdr13p influences pleiotropic drug resistance by enhancing the function of the transcriptional regulatory protein Pdr1p.
Your cheatin' heart.

Troponins have taken the world by storm. In recent years we have been told that troponin assays are highly sensitive and specific, and that they predict future outcomes in patients with chest pain and acute coronary syndromes (ACS). These must be wonderful tests indeed. But the Diagnostic Challenge by Katis and Dias (see page 123) illustrates the difficulty of relying too heavily on any test for clinical decisionmaking. As is true for all tests, the interpretation of a troponin result depends on several factors — most importantly the clinical picture (a.k.a. the pre-test likelihood of the disease in question). In this case a patient with chest pain and ST elevation is shown to have significant elevation of cardiac troponin at multiple time points, but the final diagnosis is pericarditis. This may be disconcerting for physicians who depend on troponins to distinguish ACS from other causes of chest pain. The aim of this Commentary is to review the use of cardiac troponins in the diagnosis of myocardial ischemia and to discuss possible shortcomings of the test — particularly in the context of acute pericarditis.
Regression Graphics: Ideas for Studying Regressions Through Graphics

Introduction to 2D Scatterplots. Constructing 3D Scatterplots. Interpreting 3D Scatterplots. Binary Response Variables. Dimension--Reduction Subspaces. Graphical Regression. Getting Numerical Help. Graphical Regression Studies. Inverse Regression Graphics. Sliced Inverse Regression. Principles Hessian Directions. Studying Predictor Effects. Predictor Transformations. Graphics for Model Assessment. Bibliography. Indexes.
Influenza Vaccination: Incidence of Symptoms and Resulting Absenteeism in Hospital Employees

A convenience sample of hospital workers, those receiving influenza vaccine and those not receiving vaccine, were asked to complete questionnaires delineating the occurrence of symptoms (e.g., fever, headache, extreme tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, runny nose, stuffy nose, muscle aches) and absenteeism in the 7-day period post-vaccination if vaccinated. Those unvaccinated completed the questionnaire in a self-selected 7 consecutive day period during the study conducted from November 2004 to February 2005. Those receiving either Fluzone® or FluMist™ reported significantly fewer symptoms and related absenteeism than the unvaccinated group (p < .05). Administration of influenza vaccine did not result in higher rates of post-vaccination symptoms as compared to an unvaccinated group. Further, vaccinated employees did not experience higher absenteeism rates as a result of receiving either influenza vaccine. However, for those reporting absenteeism as a result of symptoms, mean absenteeism days were highest in the FluMist group (4.5 days) compared to the unvaccinated group (2.1 days) and the Fluzone group (1.9 days).
Young adult outcomes of children growing up with chronic illness: an analysis of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health.

OBJECTIVE To examine young adult outcomes in a nationally representative US cohort of young adults growing up with a chronic illness. DESIGN Secondary analysis of nationally representative data from wave III (in 2001) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. SETTING United States. PARTICIPANTS The analytic sample comprised 13 236 young adults aged 18 to 28 years at wave III. MAIN EXPOSURE Self-report of a chronic physical illness (asthma, cancer, diabetes mellitus, or epilepsy) in adolescence. Respondents with asthma or nonasthmatic chronic illness (cancer, diabetes mellitus, or epilepsy) were compared with individuals without these conditions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Self-report of high school graduation, ever having employment, currently having employment, living with a parent/guardian, and ever receiving public assistance. RESULTS Three percent of young adults had nonasthmatic chronic illness (cancer, diabetes, or epilepsy), and 16.0% had asthma. Most young adults with chronic illness graduated high school (81.3%) and currently had employment (60.4%). However, compared with healthy young adults, those with nonasthmatic chronic illness were significantly less likely to graduate high school, ever have had employment, or currently have employment and were more likely to receive public assistance. Compared with young adults with asthma, those with nonasthmatic chronic illness again had significantly worse young adult outcomes on all measures. CONCLUSIONS Most young adults growing up with a chronic illness graduate high school and have employment. However, these young adults are significantly less likely than their healthy peers to achieve these important educational and vocational milestones.
Association of Schools of Public Health

A Public Health Academic-Practice Partnership to Develop Capacity for Exercise Evaluation and Improvement Planning Author(s): Kate S. Wright, Michael W. Thomas, Dennis P. Durham Jr., Lillie M. Jackson, Leslie L. Porth and Mark Buxton Source: Public Health Reports (1974-), Vol. 125, Supplement 5: Public Health Preparedness (NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010), pp. 107-116 Published by: Association of Schools of Public Health Stable URL: http://www.jstor. org/stable/41557944 . Accessed: 22/05/2014 13:39