Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using magnetic materials to harvest microalgal biomass: evaluation of harvesting and detachment efficiency

ABSTRACT Using naked iron oxide (Fe3O4) and yttrium iron oxide (Y3Fe5O12) nanoparticles as flocculants, the harvesting efficiency of Chlorella vulgaris biomass was investigated. The harvesting process includes two steps, which are the separation of microalgae from the culture solution with the magnetic nanoparticles and then the separation of the algae from the magnetic nanoparticles. The optimal dosages and pH values for the magnetic harvesting of microalgal biomass were determined. Results showed that Y3Fe5O12 nanoparticles were more efficient in microalgal biomass harvesting than Fe3O4 nanoparticles. In an effort to achieve more than 90% of harvesting efficiency, optimal dosages for Fe3O4 and Y3Fe5O12 to harvest microalgal biomass were 10 and 2.5 g/L, while the appropriate pH values were 6.2 and 7.3, respectively. The harvesting efficiency of Fe3O4 and Y3Fe5O12 nanoparticles increased as the pH value decreased. The experimental results also showed that under a higher pH value Fe3O4 nanoparticles were much easier to be separated from the flocs than Y3Fe5O12. 62.9% of Fe3O4 nanoparticles could be de-attached from the aggregates, when the floc pH value reached 12.3.
Talk that works: the rise of cognitive behaviour therapy

Some people who are troubled seek referral to a counsellor or psychotherapist. “It helps me to get things in perspective,” they say, “It really works. ”1 Are such “treatments” specific—that is, do they produce improvement faster than could be expected from natural recovery or from talking through problems with a supportive friend? Judging by advertisements in the local press, a wide range of therapies is now on offer, from plain psychotherapy to exotic varieties like “astrological archetypal counselling. ” While people can spend their own money on whatever they wish, just what psychotherapeutic procedures should responsible doctors prescribe for their troubled patients, once they have made the appropriate diagnosis? Cochrane popularised the use of the randomised placebo controlled trial as the preferred means of deciding which treatments were specifically effective for which disorders, and governments and other funders of health care now require data from a series of such trials before deciding which new drugs they will license and subsidise. Searching the mental health literature, and setting a threshold for effectiveness, our group has recently completed reviewing those disorders in which a specific psychotherapy exceeded that threshold, and …
Incidence of poultry diseases in different seasons in Khushab district, Pakistan -

A field study was conducted to determine the prevalence of various poultry diseases in broilers and layers at Khushab district in Pakistan. The prevalence study was conducted in 360 poultry farms. Diagnosis of diseases in poultry was done based on history, clinical signs, post-mortem examination, cultural, and biochemical characterization. Overall, incidence of Newcastle disease (ND) was found as the highest (avg. 7.85%) in broiler, followed by Fowl typhoid (avg. 6.58%), Mycoplasma (avg. 5.68%), Escherichia coli infection (avg. 5.52%), Coccidiosis (avg. 4.59%), Mycotoxicosis (avg. 4.56%), Infectious Bursal Disease (IBD; avg. 2.84%), Infectious coryza (avg. 2.50%), Hydropericardium syndrome (HPS; avg. 1.67%), and Infectious bronchitis (IB; avg. 1.59%). The period during April to June appeared to be comparatively safer for the broilers as low incidence of disease was recorded at this period. In case of layers, incidence of ND was the highest (avg. 7.92%), followed by Fowl typhoid (avg. 6.97%), Mycotoxicosis (avg. 5.52%), Coccidiosis (avg. 4.75%), IBD (avg. 3.17%), Mycoplasmosis (avg. 3.0%), Infectious coryza (avg. 2.52%), Fowl cholera (avg. 1.52%), IB (avg. 0.90k%), E. coli infection (avg. 0.73%), and HPS (avg. 0.46%). For layers, the period during January to March appeared to be safer. In conclusion, diversified diseases are prevalent in both layers and broilers. Thus, proper vaccination practices, brooding arrangements, preventive measures, and biosecurity practices are recommended.
ts1-Induced spongiform encephalomyelopathy: physical forms of high-mobility DNA in spinal cord tissues of paralyzed mice are products of premature termination of reverse transcription

ts1 is a temperature-sensitive mutant of Moloney murine leukemia virus that causes hind-limb paralysis in mice. In tissues of the central nervous systems of paralyzed moribund FVB/N mice, a major component of the unintegrated viral DNA of ts1 consists of highly mobile physical forms of viral-specific DNA (HM DNA). Previous studies with ecotropic virus-specific polarity probes showed that the gp70-coding region of the env gene in the HM DNA was minus-sense single-stranded DNA. The physical forms of the HM DNA have now been characterized in more detail with additional ecotropic virus-specific probes that hybridized to the p15E-coding region of the env gene and two locations within the U3 region of the long terminal repeat. Two major classes of HM DNA were found: class I molecules consist of short minus-sense single-stranded DNA; class II molecules are partial DNA duplexes that are longer than the class I molecules. The two classes of HM DNA molecules are intermediate products of reverse transcription of the viral RNA of ts1. Since tissues that are infected with cytopathic retroviruses may contain high levels of unintegrated viral DNA, the HM DNA may have a role in inducing neurodegeneration in the central nervous systems of mice that are infected with ts1.
Laminar and cellular localization of cytochrome oxidase in the cat striate cortex

Cytochrome oxidase (C.O.) was histochemically localized in the cat striate cortex at the light and electron microscopic levels. The results indicate that the oxidative metabolic activity within the cat striate cortex may vary between (1) different laminae, (2) neurons and glia, (3) different neuron types, (4) dendrite and soma of the same cell, (5) different types of dendrites, (6) different segments of the same dendrite, and (7) different classes of symmetric and asymmetric axon terminals. Maximal laminar C.O. staining was localized within geniculoreceptive layer IV. Darkly reactive neurons include the large (presumed corticotectal) pyramids of layer V, and various classes of large and medium‐sized presumed GABAergic nonpyramidal cells sparsely distributed throughout layers II–VI. The small and medium‐sized pyramids of layers II, III, V, and VI, as well as many of the smaller presumed GABAergic neurons, were only lightly or moderately reactive. The darkly reactive neurons tended to be those that received convergent or proximally localized asymmetric axosomatic synapses, implying that they are strongly driven by excitatory synaptic input. The darkly reactive nonpyramids resembled those that form GAD+, symmetric axosomatic synapses with pyramidal cells. The dark reactivity of the symmetric synaptic terminals indicates that they mediate strong inhibition of neuronal discharge. The dark reactivity of a class of large asymmetric terminals in layer N is likely to represent highly active geniculocortical terminals. The predominant distribution of elevated C.O. reactivity in dendrites is correlated with reported sites of (1) convergent excitatory synaptic input, (2) maximal field potentials, (3) highly active ion transport, and (4) Na+,K+‐ATPase.
Spatial and temporal distribution of the adherens-junction-associated adhesion molecule A-CAM during avian embryogenesis.

A-CAM (adherens-junction-specific cell adhesion molecule) is a calcium-dependent adhesion molecule which is associated with intercellular adherens junctions in various tissues (Volk & Geiger, 1986, J. Cell Biol. 103, 1441-1450 and 1451-1464). In the present report, we have investigated the distribution of A-CAM during avian morphogenesis by immunofluorescence microscopy and immunoblotting. A-CAM appeared at the onset of gastrulation on developing mesodermal and endodermal cells and was then expressed on tissues derived from the three primary germ layers. During embryonic life, A-CAM was constitutively expressed in a number of tissues including the central and peripheral nervous system, myocardium, muscles, notochord, skin and lens whereas it was found transiently in many tissues ranging from the nephritic tubules and the endoderm of visceral arches to ectodermal placodes. In the adult, in addition to the nervous system, A-CAM was restricted to the skin, lens, heart and testis, and exhibited an apparent molecular weight higher than the one found in the embryo. The prevalence and cell-surface modulation of A-CAM could frequently be correlated with morphogenetic events such as mesenchyme condensation into epithelia or cell clusters (e.g. formation of the somitic epithelium, kidney tubules and peripheral ganglia), dissociation of epithelia (e.g. dissociation of the somitic epithelium and segregation of neural crest from the neural tube), separation of cell populations (e.g. fibroblasts and myotubes in the heart) and reorganizations of epithelia (e.g. neurulation). In addition, using electron microscopy, the expression of A-CAM on the surface of aggregating and separating cells could be correlated with the formation and disappearance of adherens junctions. This precisely scheduled control of A-CAM correlated with early morphogenetic events during embryogenesis suggests that this CAM could play a crucial role in these processes.
Effect of Spatial Differences in Microbial Activity, pH, and Substrate Levels on Methanogenesis Initiation in Refuse

ABSTRACT The initiation of methanogenesis in refuse occurs under high volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration and low pH (5.5 to 6.25), which generally are reported to inhibit methanogenic Archaea. One hypothesized mechanism for the initiation of methanogenesis in refuse decomposition is the presence of pH-neutral niches within the refuse that act as methanogenesis initiation centers. To provide experimental support for this mechanism, laboratory-scale landfill reactors were operated and destructively sampled when methanogenesis initiation was observed. The active bacterial and archaeal populations were evaluated using RNA clone libraries, RNA terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP), and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Measurements from 81 core samples from vertical and horizontal sections of each reactor showed large spatial differences in refuse pH, moisture content, and VFA concentrations. No pH-neutral niches were observed prior to methanogenesis. RNA clone library results showed that active bacterial populations belonged mostly to Clostridiales, and that methanogenic Archaea activity at low pH was attributable to Methanosarcina barkeri. After methanogenesis began, pH-neutral conditions developed in high-moisture-content areas containing substantial populations of M. barkeri. These areas expanded with increasing methane production, forming a reaction front that advanced to low-pH areas. Despite low-pH conditions in >50% of the samples within the reactors, the leachate pH was neutral, indicating that it is not an accurate indicator of landfill microbial conditions. In the absence of pH-neutral niches, this study suggests that methanogens tolerant to low pH, such as M. barkeri, are required to overcome the low-pH, high-VFA conditions present during the anaerobic acid phase of refuse decomposition.
Thyroxine-binding prealbumin in thyrotoxicosis and hypothyroidism.

The serum concentrations of thyroxine-binding prealbumin (TBPA) have been determined quantitatively by an immunochemical method in patients with thyrotoxicosis and hypothyroidism. Low levels of TBPA were found in all patients with untreated thyrotoxicosis. Normal values were found in 8 of 10 cases of untreated hypothyroidism.
In vitro evaluation of the genotoxic and cytotoxic effects of artesunate, an antimalarial drug, in human lymphocytes

Artesunate is one of the main antimalarial drugs used in several countries. It is a semisynthetic compound derived from artemisinin, a substance extracted from the Chinese plant, Artemisia annua L. Despite the widespread use of artesunate as an antimalarial drug, there is a lack of data regarding its genotoxic effects in human lymphocytes. Therefore, in this study, we used the comet assay and micronucleus test to evaluate the possible genotoxic effects of artesunate in cultured human lymphocytes. In addition, cell death by necrosis and apoptosis was also assessed. Cells exposed to different concentrations of artesunate showed a significant concentration‐dependent increase (P < 0.05) in DNA damage index and micronuclei frequency. A significant increase in the frequency of apoptotic and necrotic cells was also observed. Our results showed that artesunate is a genotoxic and cytotoxic compound in cultured human lymphocytes. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. , 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Coping with the PSE syndrome in poultry meat

Introduction: PSE syndrome regards to meat defects. It is generally described as a major defect affecting the colour (paler than normal), the texture (softer than normal) and the water holding capacity (lower than normal) of the meat. All these quality issues are becoming a concern to the industry. PSE syndrome has first been described in pork mainly since the beginning of the 60’s and more recently (in the 90’s) in poultry, essentially in turkeys and chickens. In may 2007, a request (over the last 20 years) as “PSE meat” on the PubMed web site (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/) gave one hundred responses: 2/3 of them concerned pig and the remaining 1/3 poultry with 15 papers concerning turkeys and 15 concerning chickens. If the syndrome seems to be well described and understood in pork, it is not the same case in poultry because no definitive paper has yet been published to give a clear ethology of what is sometimes still called PSE-like syndrome. In this paper, we will try to draw what seems to be more or less clear with the PSE syndrome in poultry and first try to give an appropriate definition of it. Then, we will examine all the known consequences of its presence on meat quality and the related consequence for poultry industry. Finally, we will examine some possible hypotheses which have been investigated to explain its presence within certain flocks of birds.
Is There a Seasonal Pattern of Relapse in Bipolar Affective Disorders? a Dual Northern and Southern Hemisphere Cohort Study

Background Admission statistics for mania frequently show an increase in the summer. The present two-centre study was designed to test the hypothesis, in a representative sample of bipolar patients, that manic and depressive relapses show a seasonal pattern. Method Two cohorts of bipolar I patients, one in London, England (n = 86), the other in Dunedin, New Zealand (n = 58), were tracked retrospectively during 1985–88 and prospectively during 1989–91, with the onset of all relapses being carefully dated. Results In the London cohort there were 221 episodes of mania and 76 of depression; in the Dunedin cohort there were 201 of mania and 61 of depression. No consistent seasonal pattern of mania was detected in either centre. There was an autumn preponderance of depressive episodes in both centres. Conclusions Relapse of bipolar depression, but not of mania, appears to be determined in part by seasonal factors.
Comparison of cefoxitin disc diffusion test, oxacillin screen agar, and PCR for mecA gene for detection of MRSA.

UNLABELLED Cefoxitin is a potent inducer of the mecA regulatory system. It is being recommended for detection of methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) when using disk diffusion testing. The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy of cefoxitin disc diffusion test to characterize MRSA and compare it with oxacillin agar screening and detection of mecA gene by PCR. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fifty strains of S. aureus isolated from clinical samples were used in the study. Routine antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed including oxacillin disk. Oxacillin screen agar plates with 4% NaCl and 6 microg/ml of oxacillin were inoculated and interpreted as per standard guidelines. Cefoxitin disc diffusion test was performed using 30 microg disc and zone sizes were measured. PCR for amplification of the mecA gene was performed. RESULTS Out of the 50 isolates, 28 were found to be methicillin resistant by oxacillin disc diffusion test, 30 were resistant by oxacillin screen agar method, and 32 were resistant with cefoxitin disc diffusion. For these 32 isolates mecA gene was positive. CONCLUSION Results of cefoxitin disc diffusion test is in concordance with the PCR for mecA gene. Thus, the test can be an alternative to PCR for detection of MRSA in resource constraint settings.
Review of Operative vs. Non-Operative Management of Appendicitis in Pregnancy

The last decade has marked a paradigm shift in the care for acute appendicitis in children and non-pregnant adults. Although surgical management remains the safest treatment modality for perforated or complicated appendicitis, antibiotic therapy has been proven to be safe in adult and pediatric patients with non-perforated appendicitis. However, controversy exists for the type of surgery (laparoscopic vs. open) and the post-operative antibiotic regimens which result in optimal patient care of pregnant as well as non-pregnant adults. As several authors have begun to evaluate a non-operative strategy for treating acute appendicitis, whether with antibiotic therapy alone or combined with image-guided percutaneous drainage, others have retrospectively analyzed these strategies to pregnant women with abdominal pain. This collective review presents the epidemiology and diagnostic challenges of acute appendicitis in the pregnant patient and a review of the data that supports non-operative management in non-pregnant adults and pediatric patients as well as the limited data that supports non-operative management in pregnant adults.
Analgesic efficacy of i.m. alfentanil.

We have studied the analgesic, respiratory, cardiovascular and sedative effects of alfentanil 30 micrograms kg-1 i.m. in two experiments in six healthy volunteers. In the first experiment, recordings were made up to 120 min after injection. Thresholds (sensory and pain) and pain-related evoked potentials (amplitude and latency) to cutaneous argon laser stimulation were used for quantitative assessment of onset, efficacy and duration of analgesia. Pain was significantly reduced from 5 to 60 min after injection. The onset phase of analgesia was faster than the recovery phase. In the second experiment, the alfentanil-induced analgesia was antagonized by naloxone 0.4 mg i.v. The reaction time to pain was prolonged significantly 15 min after injection, whereas the latency of the pain-related potential remained constant. No clinically significant changes were observed in respiratory and cardiovascular measurements.
A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE DIMENSIONAL CHANGE OF THE DIFFERENT DENTURE BASES

Statement of problem. Acrylic resin is most commonly used for denture bases. However, acrylic resin has week points of volumetric shrinkage during polymerization that reduces denture fit. The expandability of POSS (Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane) containing polymer could be expected to reduce the polymerization shrinkage of denture bases and would increase the adaptability of the denture to the tissue. Purpose. The purpose of this study was to compare the dimensional stability in the conventional acrylic resin base, POSS-containing acrylic resin base, and metal bases. Materials and methods. Thirty six maxillary edentulous casts and dentures of different base were fabricated. Tooth movement and tissue contour change of denture after processing (resin curing, deflasking, decasting and finishing without polishing) and immersion in artificial saliva at 37°C for 1 week and 4 weeks were measured using digital measuring microscope and threedimensional laser scanner. Results. The results were as follows: 1. The conventional resin group showed significant (p<0.01) dimensional change throughout the procedure (processing and immersion in artificial saliva). 2. After processing, the metal group and POSS resin group showed lower linear and 3-dimensional change than conventional resin group (p<0.01). 3. There was no statistically significant linear and 3-dimensional change after immersion for 1 week and 4 weeks in metal and POSS resin group. 4. In all groups, the midline and alveolar ridge crest area presented smaller 3-dimensional change compared with vestibule and posterior palatal seal area after processing and soaking in artificial saliva for 1 week and 4 weeks (p<0.01). Conclusion. In this study, a reinforced acrylic-based resin with POSS showed good dimensional stability.
A Method for Integrating Multimedia Metadata Standards and Metadata Formats with the Multimedia Metadata Ontology

The M3O abstracts from the existing metadata standards and formats and provides generic modeling solutions for annotations, decompositions, and provenance of metadata. Being a generic modeling framework, the M3O aims at integrating the existing metadata standards and metadata formats rather than replacing them. This is in particular useful as today's multimedia applications often need to combine and use more than one existing metadata standard or metadata format at the same time. However, applying and specializing the abstract and powerful M3O modeling framework in concrete application domains and integrating it with existing metadata formats and metadata standards is not always straightforward. Thus, we have developed a step-by-step alignment method that describes how to integrate existing multimedia metadata standards and metadata formats with the M3O in order to use them in a concrete application. We demonstrate our alignment method by integrating seven different existing metadata standards and metadata formats with the M3O and describe the experiences made during the integration process.
Ageing of patients on chronic dialysis: effects on mortality--a 12-year study.

BACKGROUND During the last few decades the mean age of subjects on chronic dialysis (CD) significantly increased. The effects of these changes on mortality rates, causes of death, early and long-term predictors for mortality have not yet been clarified. We analysed this issue through a study performed over a period of 12 years. METHODS We studied 8977 patients enrolled on the Lazio Dialysis Registry (Italy) in 1995-2006. We analysed annual mortality rates, causes of death, probability and determinants of the survival. RESULTS The overall mortality rate was 14.6 deaths (95% CI: 14.2-14.9) per 100 person-years on CD, remaining essentially unchanged over the 12-year period, despite a 5-year increase in the median age. A reduction in mortality was found for patients >74 years from 29.8 (95% CI: 24.8-34.9) in 1995 to 22.5 (95% CI: 20.0-25.1) in 2006. No statistically significant differences were found over time in annual mortality rates by cause of death. The probability of survival was 0.86 1 year after starting dialysis and 0.33 after 12 years. We found a higher association between haematocrit levels, serum albumin, self-sufficiency and survival within 1 year of dialysis and between diabetes and survival after 1 year. CONCLUSIONS The finding that the mortality rate of CD patients did not change over the last 12 years, despite concomitant and significant ageing of patients, supports the public health policy of providing CD to very old subjects. The identification of the clinical factors that predict survival underlines the role of clinicians in preventing and treating these conditions after the start of CD.