Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Plasticité de l'excitabilité des neurones de la région CA1 de rat

Il a ete prealablement montre dans les neurones pyramidaux de CA1 qu'en plus d'une plasticite synaptique a long terme, les protocoles de tetanisation des afferences (HFS/LFS) induisent une plasticite synergique de l'integration des messages synaptiques. Dans ce contexte, nous avons aborde les questions suivantes: 1) des changements d'integration dendritiques sont-ils associes a la STDP ? 2) quels sont les mecanismes d'expression de la facilitation de l'integration observee apres la LTP ? et 3) dans quelle mesure l'activite synaptique induit des changements persistants de l'excitabilite des interneurones GABAergiques ? Nos resultats montrent que la regle preetablie de STDP pour la plasticite synaptique est aussi valide pour la plasticite de l'integration et decrit aussi parfaitement les changements de la relation amplitude/pente des PPSE observes en parallele. Ces changements sont specifiques de la voie synaptique activee et necessitent l'activation des recepteurs NMDA. La plasticite de l'integration met en jeu une regulation des conductances voltage-dependantes presentes a la surface neuronale. Une reduction locale dendritique, NMDAR-dependante du courant Ih est observee lors de l'augmentation d'integration associee a la LTP. En presence de bloqueurs pharmacologiques du courant Ih, la LTP est toujours presente mais la facilitation de l'integration n'est plus observee. Finalement, une facilitation de l'integration similaire a celle observee apres induction de la LTP est induite quand la conductance h est reduite dans la dendrite par la technique de courant impose dynamique en temps reel. Des changements de l'excitabilite neuronale ne sont pas restreints aux neurones pyramidaux et nous montrons qu'une augmentation de l'excitabilite intrinseque, dependante des recepteurs mGluR de type I est egalement observee dans certains interneurones GABAergiques de CA1 apres une HFS. Cette augmentation d'excitabilite pourrait permettre de maintenir l‘equilibre entre excitation et inhibition au sein du reseau hippocampique en facilitant le recrutement des interneurones a la suite d'episodes d'hyperactivite. Nos resultats montrent donc qu'en parallele des modifications de l'efficacite synaptique, des modifications de l'excitabilite intrinseque des neurones peuvent participer au processus de stockage de l'information et permettent egalement de maintenir l'activite neuronale a un niveau physiologique.
The public neglect of rheumatic diseases: insights from analyses of attendees in a musculoskeletal disease awareness activity

Objectives: To obtain data on the care received by individuals counselled during a public health awareness campaign on painful musculoskeletal conditions (MSC). Methods: Easy non-formal access to rheumatologists/pain specialists was offered using a mobile unit (Rheuma-Bus) at widely accessible sites. Clients were asked to assess their severity of pain using a 100 mm visual analogue scale (VAS). Age, gender, disease duration, diagnosis if known, current and previous treatment as well as tentative diagnoses assigned and recommendations given to each individual by the counselling physicians were recorded. Results: Average (SD) VAS pain rating was 59 (20.6) mm. Approximately 40% of clients had never consulted a physician for their condition before, but had lower pain scores than those who had seen a physician. Patients with inflammatory MSC had higher pain scores than those with non-inflammatory conditions. More than 2% of the clients had a newly detected inflammatory rheumatic disease. Conclusions: Many individuals having painful MSC seek medical help only when a very high threshold of pain is reached. Even while under treatment, the high mean pain scores suggest neglect of MSC that are not adequately recognised as important contributors to disability and decreased quality of life.
Identification of GtgE, a Novel Virulence Factor Encoded on the Gifsy-2 Bacteriophage of Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium

ABSTRACT The Gifsy-2 temperate bacteriophage of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium contributes significantly to the pathogenicity of strains that carry it as a prophage. Previous studies have shown that Gifsy-2 encodes SodCI, a periplasmic Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase, and at least one additional virulence factor. Gifsy-2 encodes a Salmonella pathogenicity island 2 type III secreted effector protein. Sequence analysis of the Gifsy-2 genome also identifies several open reading frames with homology to those of known virulence genes. However, we found that null mutations in these genes did not individually have a significant effect on the ability of S. enterica serovar Typhimurium to establish a systemic infection in mice. Using deletion analysis, we have identified a gene, gtgE, which is necessary for the full virulence of S. enterica serovar Typhimurium Gifsy-2 lysogens. Together, GtgE and SodCI account for the contribution of Gifsy-2 to S. enterica serovar Typhimurium virulence in the murine model.
Mass distribution of azithromycin for trachoma control is associated with increased risk of azithromycin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae carriage in young children 6 months after treatment.

BACKGROUND Emerging evidence suggests that the mass distribution of azithromycin for trachoma control (MDA) may increase circulation of macrolide resistance in bacteria associated with severe pediatric infections in treated communities. METHODS We examined the effect of MDA on nasopharyngeal carriage of antibiotic-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae among 1015 young children living in rural Tanzania. MDA with a single dose of oral azithromycin was provided in 4 of 8 communities where trachoma prevalence was ≥10%. Isolates were tested for susceptibility to azithromycin (AZM) and commonly used antibiotics by disk diffusion and Etest. We calculated the proportion of antibiotic-resistant S. pneumoniae carriage at baseline and again 1, 3, and 6 months after treatment, and at comparable intervals in the untreated villages. RESULTS The proportion of AZM-resistant isolates was similar between groups at baseline (MDA: 35.8% vs non-MDA: 35.4%), however, this proportion was greater in the MDA group in all subsequent surveys. At 6 months, the percentage of AZM-resistant isolates was significantly higher in the MDA group (81.9% vs 46.9%, P < .001). The odds of AZM-resistant carriage was 5-fold greater in the MDA group (odds ratio, 4.95 [95% confidence interval, 3.23-7.61]). The proportion of isolates clinically resistant to AZM (minimum inhibitory concentration ≥16 µg/mL) was also significantly greater in the MDA group at 6 months (35.3% vs 12.4%, P < .006). CONCLUSIONS Mass distribution of a single dose of oral azithromycin for trachoma was associated with increased circulation of macrolide-resistant S. pneumoniae carriage among young children in the 6 months following treatment. It is crucial that changes in antibiotic resistance patterns and their clinical significance in the treatment of severe pediatric infections be assessed in future MDA trials.
Study on establishment of electric equivalent model for development of fuel cell emulator

Recently, fuel cells prevail around the world. A fuel cell emulator is needed when we design a power converter system including fuel cells. A new emulator which consist of two types of electrical circuits, a software controlled power source based on a Model A and a hardware circuit based on a Model B, is studied in this paper. The Model A emulates the steady-state characteristics and the Model B emulates the frequency characteristics of the internal impedance of the fuel cell. This paper proposes the constructive method of the two models. In addition, the output voltage waveforms of the real fuel cell and the proposed system when the power converter is connected and operated are observed and compared.
The Structure of a Cold-adapted Family 8 Xylanase at 1.3 Å Resolution

Enzymes from psychrophilic organisms differ from their mesophilic counterparts in having a lower thermostability and a higher specific activity at low and moderate temperatures. The current consensus is that they have an increased flexibility, enhancing accommodation and transformation of the substrates at low energy costs. Here we describe the structure of the xylanase from the Antarctic bacterium Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis at 1.3 Å resolution. Xylanases are usually grouped into glycosyl hydrolase families 10 and 11, but this enzyme belongs to family 8. The fold differs from that of other known xylanases and can be described as an (α/α)6 barrel. Various parameters that may explain the cold-adapted properties were examined and indicated that the protein has a reduced number of salt bridges and an increased exposure of hydrophobic residues. The crystal structures of a complex with xylobiose and of mutant D144N were obtained at 1.2 and 1.5 Å resolution, respectively. Analysis of the various substrate binding sites shows that the +3 and −3 subsites are rearranged as compared to those of a family 8 homolog, while the xylobiose complex suggests the existence of a +4 subsite. A decreased acidity of the substrate binding cleft and an increased flexibility of aromatic residues lining the subsites may enhance the rate at which substrate is bound.
Congenital glaucoma and brain stem atrophy as features of Aicardi–Goutières syndrome

We report on three children from two families with Aicardi–Goutières syndrome. All three had congenital glaucoma. Additionally, neuroimaging demonstrated significant brain stem atrophy in the affected sib‐pair. These features have not been previously described in Aicardi–Goutières syndrome and expand the phenotypic spectrum. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Analysis of Lyso-Globotriaosylsphingosine in Dried Blood Spots

Recently, lyso-globotriaosylsphingosine (lyso-Gb3) was found to be elevated in plasma of treatment naive male patients and some female patients with Fabry Disease (FD). This study tested whether lyso-Gb3 could be analyzed in dried blood spots (DBS) from filter cards and whether concentrations are elevated in newborn infants with FD. Lyso-Gb3 concentrations were analyzed in DBS following extraction using a novel HPLC-mass spectrometry (MS)/MS method. Lyso-Gb3 levels in DBS were above the lower limit of quantitation (0.28 ng/mL) in 5/17 newborn FD infants (16 males; range: 1.02-8.81 ng/mL), but in none of the newborn controls, in all 13 patients (4 males) with classic FD (range: 2.06-54.1 ng/mL), in 125/159 Taiwanese individuals with symptomatic or asymptomatic FD who carry the late onset α-galactosidase A (GLA) mutation c.936+919G>A (IVS4+919G>A) (3.75±0.69 ng/mL; range: 0.418-3.97 ng/mL) and in 20/29 healthy controls (0.77±0.24 ng/mL; range: 0.507-1.4 ng/mL). The HPLC-MS/MS method for analysis of lyso-Gb3 is robust and yields reproducible results in DBS in patients with FD. However, concentrations of lyso-Gb3 were below the limit of quantitation in most newborn infants with FD rendering this approach not suitable for newborn screening. In addition, most females with the late onset mutation have undetectable lyso-Gb3 concentrations.
Influence of Watertable Depth on Soil Sodicity and Salinity

In order to monitor the water table depth on soil profile salinity buildup, a field study was carried out during 2006-07. Wheat (Rabi) and Sorghum (Kharif) fodder were sown in with three treatments. The results showed that watertable depth lowered from 1.15m to 2.89 m depth at the end of experiment. With lower of watertable depth, pH, ECe and SAR decreased under crops both without and with gypsum and increased in fallowing. Soil moisture depletion was directly proportional to lowering of watertable. With the application of irrigation water (58cm) pH, ECe and SAR were reduced in cropped plots, reduction was higher in gypsum applied plots than non-gypsum plots. In case of fallowing, there was increase in pH, EC, while slight reduction occurred in SAR values. However, soil salinity showed an increasing upward trend under fallowing and its value in 0-30 cm soil layer was the highest amongst the treatments. Keywords—Aquifer, Soil Salinity, Soil sodicity, Water table
Invasion of bacteria into dentinal tubules. Experiments in vivo and in vitro.

Penetration of bacteria into the tubules of intact dentin exposed by fracture was compared in vitro in pairs of teeth, one of which in each pair was mounted with an intrapulpal hydrostatic pressure equivalent to 30 mm Hg. The teeth were incubated at 37°C for 21 days. Intra-pair comparisons in vivo were made of bacterial invasion into dentinal tubules beneath ground dentin surfaces and beneath fractured or acid-treated surfaces, which were exposed for 1 week. It was found that an outward fluid flow in the dentinal tubules due to intrapulpal pressure may mechanically hinder bacterial growth into the tubules. Of greater importance as an obstruction to bacterial invasion was the blocking of the outer apertures of the dentinal tubules by grinding debris. This barrier, however, seemed to be removed after some days and this would allow bacterial ingrowth into intact vital dentin. It is concluded that dentinal surfaces that have been left unprotected and are covered with plaque for some days should be treated as .
Use of warfarin for nonvalvular atrial fibrillation in nursing home patients.

OBJECTIVE To assess warfarin sodium use and anticoagulant monitoring in nursing home patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF), according to American College of Chest Physicians Consensus Conference guidelines. DESIGN Retrospective, multicenter, point-prevalence study. SETTING Nursing homes in Minneapolis-St Paul, Minn. PATIENTS Nine-hundred two patients 60 years and older, from whom 69 with a diagnosis of NVAF and 16 with valvular atrial fibrillation (VAF) (control group) were identified. DATA COLLECTED Patient demographics and diseases, diagnostic tests for atrial fibrillation (AF), antithrombotic drugs and dosage, anticoagulant activity test results, other drugs, and drug allergies were determined by chart review and attending physician response to written communication from the nursing home's medical director and consultant pharmacist. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Prevalence of NVAF, VAF, and risk factors for thromboembolism and major bleeding, use of warfarin and other antithrombotic drugs for AF, anticoagulation control, and the relationship of warfarin dose with the recommended international normalized ratio (INR) and prothrombin time (PT). RESULTS Nonvalvular AF was documented in 7.6% of the patients. Most patients with NVAF were at an increased risk for stroke, yet only 20% without a conventional contraindication to warfarin use experienced anticoagulation; a greater proportion of patients with VAF experienced anticoagulation. The INR was within the recommended range for NVAF over a 6-month period 37% of the time and recommended PT, 52% of the time. An equal percentage of warfarin dose changes occurred in response to a PT ratio outside the recommended range as occurred with an INR outside the recommended range. CONCLUSIONS Many nursing home patients have NVAF with comorbid conditions that subject them to a greater than average risk for thromboembolic stroke. Warfarin is underused for stroke prophylaxis and often is not used according to the American College of Chest Physician guidelines. Physicians, nurses, and consultant pharmacists must be better informed about (1) known risk factors for thromboembolism and major bleeding to identify patients with AF who will most likely benefit from warfarin therapy, (2) maintaining an INR of 2 to 3, and (3) the need for small warfarin dose adjustments in elderly patients.
Clinical Use of Retrograde Amnesia Produced by Electroconvulsive Shock: A Conditioning Hypothesis *

Although electroconvulsive shock (ECS) has been in use therapeutically for almost forty years, studies establishing criteria for treatment and prediction of results in clinical practice are still lacking . A conditioning hypothesis to account for the therapeutic effects of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is advanced here, and a clinical study is reported which supports its validity. This may be the first clinical study to apply the principles of conditioning to ECT.
Stilboestrol (diethylstilbestrol) and the risk of ovarian cancer.

A follow-up survey of 908 women who had received 'Premarin' (conjugated equine oestrogen) for menopausal symptoms revealed 8 cases of ovarian cancer. This risk was 2 to 3 times greater than expected. The risk increased with the strength of premarin tablet usually taken, but not with the duration of use or total dose ingested. The excess risk of ovarian cancer in this group occurred primarily among 21 women who had also used stilboestrol (diethylstilbestrol). The results of this small trial are consistent with the increasing incidence of ovarian cancer in post-menopausal women in the U.S.A. , and with the occurrence of stilboestrol-induced ovarian neoplasms in dogs.
Evidence of cingulate motor representation in humans

Article abstract A 44-year-old man with a right frontal lobe tumor and intractable seizures underwent subdural grid evaluation before resection. The electrode locations were identified on a three-dimensional surface-reconstructed image of the brain after subdural grid placement. Electrical stimulation of electrodes placed over the right cingulate gyrus revealed evidence of tonic posturing of the left forearm and wrist and tonic extension of the left leg. This finding provides further evidence of a motor area in the cingulate gyrus in humans.
Multifunctional epoxy supports: a new tool to improve the covalent immobilization of proteins. The promotion of physical adsorptions of proteins on the supports before their covalent linkage.

Multifunctional supports containing epoxy groups are here proposed as a second generation of activated supports for covalent immobilization of enzymes following the epoxy chemistry on any type of support (hydrophobic or hydrophilic ones) under very mild experimental conditions (e.g., low ionic strength, neutral pH values, and low temperatures). These multifunctional supports have been easily prepared by modifying a small fraction (10-20%) of the epoxy groups contained in commercial epoxy supports. In this way, additional groups that were able to physically adsorb proteins (e.g., cationic or anionic groups, metal chelate, phenyl boronate) are generated on the support surface. The covalent immobilization of proteins on these supports proceeds via their initial physical adsorption on the supports (via different structural features). Then, "intramolecular" covalent linkages between some nucleophilic groups of the adsorbed enzyme (e.g., amino, thiol, or hydroxy groups) and the dense layer of nearby epoxy groups on the support are established. This two-step covalent immobilization dramatically improves the very low reactivity of epoxy groups toward nonadsorbed proteins. In this way, all other relevant practical advantages of epoxy groups for protein immobilization (their high stability and their ability to form very strong linkages with several nucleophilic enzyme residues with minimal chemical modification) can be an object of universal exploitation. The use of these new multifunctional supports exhibits important advantages regarding immobilization of enzymes previously adsorbed on hydrophobic homofunctional epoxy supports: (i) hydrophilic supports can also be used for immobilization of industrial enzymes; (ii) immobilization can also be carried out at low ionic strength; (iii) every protein contained in crude extracts from Escherichia coli and Acetobacter turbidans can be immobilized by sequentially using a set of different supports; (iv) in most cases, each enzyme has been immobilized on different supports, orientated through different structural features and very likely involving different areas of its surface. For example, three industrial enzymes (penicillin G acylase, lipase, and beta-galactosidase) could be immobilized through different strategies yielding immobilized derivatives with very different activities. The best derivatives preserved 75-100% of activity corresponding to the soluble enzymes used for immobilization, while in some cases a particular immobilization protocol promoted the full inactivation of the enzyme.
Treatment of motor urge incontinence with clenbuterol and flavoxate hydrochloride

A controlled double‐blind trial is reported of the para‐sympatholytic drug, flavoxate hydrochloride, and the new sympatho‐mimetic drug, clenbuterol, in the treatment of 39 women with motor urge incontinence. The clinical results and the urodynamic findings of urethrocystomanometry after therapy showed clenbuterol to be very effective with few side effects.
Joint evaluation of survival and fertility in dairy cattle with a linear model

There is an intricate relationship between milk production, fertility and survival of cows, which is further confounded by management decisions on the farm. Holsteinization and selection for high milk production can be associated with reduction in cow fertility (Pryce et al., 1998; Silvia, 1998; Harris and Winkelman, 2000) because of its impact on physiological factors affecting reproduction such as energy balance, ovarian function, heat detection and conception in dairy cows (Buckley et al., 2000; Snijders et al., 2001; Westwood et al., 2002).
Zero dynamic excitation controller for multimachine power systems to augment transient stability and voltage regulation

This paper presents a new excitation controller design for multimachine power systems to augment transient stability and voltage regulation. To design the controller, zero dynamic design approach of feedback linearization is used which transforms the nonlinear power system model into a partially linear system, i.e., a reduced order linear system. Any linear controller design technique for reduced order linear system can be employed to enhance the stability of whole system provided that the internal dynamics of the systems are stable. In this paper, zero dynamic excitation control laws are derived for multimachine power systems whose performances are tested on 3 machine 11 bus two area system. Simulation results clearly indicate the performances of zero dynamic controller following large disturbances.
Cancer and Aging: From the Kinetics of Biological Parameters to the Kinetics of Cancer Incidence and Mortality a

Epidemiologic and biological data strongly support the existence of a strict link between cancer and aging. In spite of the relevance of the problem, there were numerous pitfalls in epidemiologic investigation until a few years ago. An apparent decrease of cancer incidence in old age was revealed to be a misconception based on lack of sufficient appreciation for changing population size. But not all problems are solved by using age-specific cancer incidence, as recently stressed by some authors. At very advanced ages a slowing of the rate of increase of age-specific cancer incidence is clearly demonstrated. These findings apparently clash with the majority of biological data and suggest that some mechanism may develop at advanced ages capable of decreasing cancer susceptibility. In this paper, it will be shown that just a slowing-down kinetics is predicted for cancer incidence by using a mathematical model of mortality kinetics recently proposed in the gerontologic field. The slowing of the increasing rate or even a decreasing trend of cancer incidence of an aging population is compatible with a continuously accelerating pace of loss of physiological capacity of the single subjects, as with advancing age there is a selection of individuals with better physiological functions.