Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Immediate and residual effects of low-dose nandrolone decanoate and treadmill training on adipose and reproductive tissues of male Wistar rats

Abstract Context: Residual effects after nandrolone decanoate (ND) treatment are not reported. Objective: Immediate and residual effects of low-dose ND and treadmill training were investigated. Materials and methods: Male rats were trained and/or ND-treated for four weeks and the assessments were made after this period or four weeks later. Results: The groups did not differ in final plasma glucose or AUC of the ivGTT, but hyperinsulinemia was noticed in some trained/treated groups. Training with ND increased muscle mass and ND decreased the reproductive structures. Decreased fat with training was reversed by detraining. Discussion: The anabolic action of ND on skeletal muscle was enhanced by training. Fat and lipid changes were more linked to training/detraining, but the effects of ND on the reproductive structures persisted after treatment. Conclusions: The effects of training on fat and muscle were not maintained after detraining, but low-dose ND had persistent effects on the reproductive structures.
Procalcitonin: A Novel Cardiac Marker with Prognostic Value in Acute Coronary Syndrome

Procalcitonin (PCT) is implicated as an inflammatory marker in early atherosclerosis. In order to investigate the clinical consequences of increased PCT levels in acute coronary syndrome (ACS), 77 patients (29 with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction [MI], 34 with ST-elevation MI and 14 with unstable angina pectoris) were included and followed up for 6 months. The PCT levels were determined at initial presentation and within 48 h of admission. Five patients died during hospitalization and their PCT levels within 48 h of admission were significantly higher than survivors (n = 72) (0.588 ± 0.56 versus 0.399 ± 1.33 ng/ml, respectively). The PCT levels within 48 h post-admission in the nine patients who died within 6 months were also significantly higher compared with the survivors (0.451 ± 0.44 versus 0.406 ± 1.37 ng/ml, respectively). It is concluded that higher PCT levels within 48 h post-admission may reflect an inflammatory state that is associated with increased early and 6-month mortality.
Nonlinear optimal reliable control of constrained polynomial systems

This paper studies the optimal fault tolerant control (FTC) problem for polynomial systems with guaranteed cost in the presence of actuator faults. The consider fault mode is a multi-model framework of the typical aberration in actuator effectiveness. To transform the FTC design problem into a semi-definite programming (SDP), a novel technique is presented by optimizing an index of the effect of the nonlinear terms in the formulated HJI inequalities. Combined with other performance indexes, the multiobjective optimization problem can be numerically computed by using sum of squares method (SOS) in a reliable and efficient way. A numerical example is given to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Determinants of early mortality and benefits of lamivudine therapy in patients with hepatitis B virus‐related decompensated liver cirrhosis

Summary Chronic hepatitis B infection (HBV) is a major health problem worldwide. The prognosis is grave for patients with HBV‐related decompensated liver cirrhosis (LC). We evaluated the effectiveness and the determinants of early mortality of lamivudine treatment in patients with HBV‐related decompensated LC. Thirty patients with HBV‐related decompensated LC and active viral replication were treated with lamivudine 100 mg daily for a median duration of 9 months. Among these patients, five patients died within 3 months. Two patients were lost to follow‐up at week 8 and 9. One patient was treated for <6 months. Twenty‐two patients were treated over 6 months. Univariate analysis revealed that the total bilirubin (P = 0.008), prothrombin time (P = 0.004), Child–Turcotte–Pugh score (P = 0.005), the model of efd‐stage liver disease score (P = 0.004) and stage III hepatic encephalopathy (P = 0.001) were predictive factors of early mortality. Multivariate analysis revealed that the independent factor associated with early mortality was stage III encephalopathy. Among 22 patients, liver function improved markedly after lamivudine therapy. Of the nine hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)‐positive patients, three had HBeAg seroconversion. Two patients had YMDD mutant and virological breakthrough at 41 and 46 weeks. One of the two had hepatocellular carcinoma and died of hepatic failure at week 125; the other received adefovir and is doing well. Lamivudine appeared to have benefits in viral suppression and significant improvement in liver function in patients with HBV‐related decompensated LC. As noted in prior studies, poor baseline liver function is associated with a poor prognosis in Asian patients with decompensated HBV cirrhosis treated with lamivudine.
Escherichia coli Sequence Type 131 as a Prominent Cause of Antibiotic Resistance among Urinary Escherichia coli Isolates from Reproductive-Age Women

ABSTRACT The recent emergence of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli sequence type 131 (ST131) has coincided with an increase in general antibiotic resistance of E. coli, suggesting that ST131 has a contributing role in resistance. However, there is little information about the contribution of ST131 to different clinical syndromes or the basis for its impressive emergence and epidemic spread. To investigate this, we studied 953 E. coli isolates from women of reproductive age in the central west region of New South Wales, Australia, including 623 urinary isolates from patients with cystitis (cystitis isolates) (n = 322) or pyelonephritis (pyelonephritis isolates) (n = 301) and 330 fecal isolates from healthy controls. The characteristics studied included ST131 clonal group status, resistance to different antibiotics, presence of virulence factor (VF) genes, and biofilm production. As expected, fecal isolates differed significantly from urinary (cystitis and pyelonephritis) isolates in most of the studied characteristics. Antibiotic resistance was significantly more common in ST131 than in non-ST131 isolates. Both antibiotic resistance and ST131 were more common in pyelonephritis than cystitis isolates and least so among fecal isolates. Within each source group, individual VF genes were more prevalent and VF scores were higher for ST131 than for non-ST131 isolates. For ST131 only, the prevalences of most individual VF genes and VF scores were the lowest in the fecal isolates, higher in the cystitis isolates, and highest in the pyelonephritis isolates. Biofilm production was strongly associated with ST131 status and antibiotic resistance. These results clarify the distribution of the ST131 clonal group and its epidemiological associations in our region and suggest that it exhibits both enhanced virulence and increased antibiotic resistance compared with those of other urinary tract infection (UTI) and fecal E. coli isolates from women of reproductive age.
Narrow Band FLIP for Liquid Simulations

The Fluid Implicit Particle method (FLIP) for liquid simulations uses particles to reduce numerical dissipation and provide important visual cues for events like complex splashes and small‐scale features near the liquid surface. Unfortunately, FLIP simulations can be computationally expensive, because they require a dense sampling of particles to fill the entire liquid volume. Furthermore, the vast majority of these FLIP particles contribute nothing to the fluid's visual appearance, especially for larger volumes of liquid. We present a method that only uses FLIP particles within a narrow band of the liquid surface, while efficiently representing the remaining inner volume on a regular grid. We show that a naïve realization of this idea introduces unstable and uncontrollable energy fluctuations, and we propose a novel coupling scheme between FLIP particles and regular grid which overcomes this problem. Our method drastically reduces the particle count and simulation times while yielding results that are nearly indistinguishable from regular FLIP simulations. Our approach is easy to integrate into any existing FLIP implementation.
Growth phase‐associated changes in the proteome and transcriptome of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG in industrial‐type whey medium

The growth phase during which probiotic bacteria are harvested and consumed can strongly influence their performance as health‐promoting agents. In this study, global transcriptomic and proteomic changes were studied in the widely used probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG during growth in industrial‐type whey medium under strictly defined bioreactor conditions. The expression of 636 genes (P ≤ 0.01) and 116 proteins (P < 0.05) changed significantly over time. Of the significantly differentially produced proteins, 61 were associated with alterations at the transcript level. The most remarkable growth phase‐dependent changes occurred during the transition from the exponential to the stationary growth phase and were associated with the shift from glucose fermentation to galactose utilization and the transition from homolactic to mixed acid fermentation. Furthermore, several genes encoding proteins proposed to promote the survival and persistence of L. rhamnosus GG in the host and proteins that directly contribute to human health showed temporal changes in expression. Our results suggest that L. rhamnosus GG has a highly flexible and adaptable metabolism and that the growth stage during which bacterial cells are harvested and consumed should be taken into consideration to gain the maximal benefit from probiotic bacteria.
Day-of-the-week returns and mood: an exterior template approach

Rule- and template-based pattern-recognition methods are alternative ways to identify various patterns in stock prices alongside more traditional econometric tools. In this study, we generate an exterior template of mood scores from two perplexingly similar samples of mood scores 50 years apart. The mood scores template enables us to deploy a direct test of the behavioral explanation for the day-of-the-week effect. Our evidence shows that the day-of-the-week mood template is a potentially valid explanation of the day-of-the-week effect. Subperiod analysis suggests that the magnitude of the day-of-the-week effect has declined over time. That decline, however, is not uniform across size deciles and is more pronounced in larger capitalization deciles. There is no decline though in the ability of mood to explain the day-of-the-week effect.
Investigations and design of small-size printed antennas on a Reactive Impedance Substrate

In this paper we compare the performances of microstrip antennas printed on conventional substrate and on a Reactive Impedance Substrate, both of them being constituted with the same substrate layers. In particular we investigate the effects of the lateral size and number of reactive elements upon the antenna bandwidth and size of the radiating element. The impedance and radiation characteristics of two patch antennas with and without a RIS arrangement are also compared experimentally.
The Muturu: A rare sacred breed of cattle in Nigeria

The Muturu, a trypanotolerant cattle breed is probably one of the least known breed of cattle in West Africa. Little has been published on its distribution, management, morphological characteristics or biological performance. Early reports showed that the Muturu cattle were once widely distributed across the continent from Liberia, across the West African subregion, to Ethiopia. However, due to expansion of the Zebu population and rapid urbanization, the small bodied animal came under pressure and was found surviving in pockets of the savannahs and in the humid forest zones where it had the comparative advantage of trypanotolerance. The survival of the cattle in the humid and forest zones of Nigeria stems from the fact that the animal is still sacred in so many communities and its milk is widely used for medicinal purposes. In some states of Nigeria, the semi-feral Muturu are not tended but hunted when required for sacrifice. From a population size of 0.4 million heads in 1960, Akinwunmi and Ikpi, (1985) reported a decline in the population of the breed to 50–80 thousand in the late 1980s in Nigeria although RIMS (1992), reported a population growth to 115 172 heads. With limited data bank information on their adaptation and productivity, possible identification of genes that confer resistance to or tolerance of environmental stress in these animals will be of global significance.
Activation of defence reactions in Solanaceae: where is the specificity?

When a potential pathogen attempts to infect a plant, biochemical and molecular communication takes place and leads to the induction of plant defence mechanisms. In the case of efficient defence, visible symptoms are restricted and the pathogen does not multiply (incompatible interaction); when defence is inefficient, the plant becomes rapidly infected (compatible interaction). During the last 30 years, a growing body of knowledge on plant–pathogen interactions has been gathered, and a large number of studies investigate the induction of various plant defence reactions by pathogens or by pathogen‐derived compounds. However, as most papers focus on incompatible interactions, there is still a lack of understanding about the similarities and differences between compatible and incompatible situations. This review targets the question of specificity in Solanaceae–pathogen interactions, by comparing defence patterns in plants challenged with virulent or avirulent pathogens (or with pathogen‐associated molecular patterns from these). A special emphasis is made on analysing whether defence reactions in Solanaceae depend primarily on the type of elicitor, on the plant genotype/species, or on the type of interaction (compatible or incompatible).
Effects of plyometric training on passive stiffness of gastrocnemii and the musculo‐articular complex of the ankle joint

This study aimed to determine simultaneously the effects of plyometric training on the passive stiffness of the ankle joint musculo‐articular complex, the gastrocnemii muscle–tendon complex (MTC) and the Achilles tendon in order to assess possible local adaptations of elastic properties. Seventeen subjects were divided into a trained (TG) group and a control (CG) group. They were tested before and after 8 weeks of a plyometric training period. The ankle joint range of motion (RoM), the global musculo‐articular passive stiffness of the ankle joint, the maximal passive stiffness of gastrocnemii and the stiffness of the Achilles tendon during isometric plantar flexion were determined. A significant increase in the jump performances of TG relative to CG was found (squat jumps: +17.6%, P=0.008; reactive jumps: +19.8%, P=0.001). No significant effect of plyometric training was observed in the ankle joint RoM, musculo‐articular passive stiffness of the ankle joint or Achilles tendon stiffness (P>0.05). In contrast, the maximal passive stiffness of gastrocnemii of TG increased after plyometric training relative to CG (+33.3%, P=0.001). Thus, a specific adaptation of the gastrocnemii MTC occurred after plyometric training, without affecting the global passive musculo‐articular stiffness of the ankle joint.
Ultrastructure of the Male Reproductive System of Cotesia vestalis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) with Preliminary Characterization of the Secretions

The morphology and ultrastructure of testes and accessory glands along with the characterization of their secretions were investigated for a braconid species Cotesia vestalis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) using light and electron microscopes. The male internal reproductive system of this species is distinguished by a pair of testes, one vas deferens, and a pair of male accessory glands. The testes are separate, and the accessory glands are oval and not fused. It was observed that the secretory cells of testes have characteristic smooth and rough endoplasmic reticulum, and that the cytoplasm is filled with an array of granule droplets usually of two to three types. The secretory cells in the case of accessory glands are typified by the presence of microvilli on their apical cell surfaces and numerous mitochondria in their cytoplasm. SDS‐PAGE profile when performed depicted a similarity in most bands of the secretions from both testes and accessory glands, except for four proteins of which two were present only in testes, while the other two only appeared in accessory glands. Their molecular weights were 117 and 55 kDa for testes and 196 and 30 kDa for accessory glands, respectively. This study gives new insights into the intriguing features of male internal reproductive system and it especially constitutes the first report of its kind about the secretion properties of these organs in C. vestalis. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Intercomparison of Soil Moisture Retrieved from GNSS-R and from Passive L-Band Radiometry at the Valencia Anchor Station

In this paper, the SOMOSTA (Soil Moisture Monitoring Station) experiment on the intercomparison of soil moisture monitoring from Global Navigation Satellite System Reflectometry (GNSS-R) signals and passive L-band microwave radiometer observations at the Valencia Anchor Station is introduced. The GNSS-R instrument has an up-looking antenna for receiving direct signals from satellites, and a dual-pol down-looking antenna for receiving LHCP (left-hand circular polarization) and RHCP (right-hand circular polarization) reflected signals from the soil surface. Data were collected from the three different antennas through the two channels of Oceanpal GNSS-R receiver and, in addition, calibration was performed to reduce the impact from the differing channels. Reflectivity was thus measured, and soil moisture could be retrieved. The ESA (European Space Agency)-funded ELBARA-II (ESA L Band Radiometer II) is an L-band radiometer with two channels with 11 MHz bandwidth and respective center frequencies of 1407.5 MHz and 1419.5 MHz. The ELBARAII antenna is a large dual-mode Picket horn that is 1.4 m wide, with a length of 2.7 m with −3 dB full beam width of 12° (±6° around the antenna main direction) and a gain of 23.5 dB. By comparing GNSS-R and ELBARA-II radiometer data, a high correlation was found between the LHCP reflectivity measured by GNSS-R and the horizontal/vertical reflectivity from the radiometer (with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.83 to 0.91). Neural net fitting was used for GNSS-R soil moisture inversion, and the RMSE (Root Mean Square Error) was 0.014 m3/m3. The determination coefficient between the retrieved soil moisture and in situ measurements was R2 = 0.90 for Oceanpal and R2 = 0.65 for Elbara II, and the ubRMSE (Unbiased RMSE) were 0.0128 and 0.0734 respectively. The soil moisture retrievals by both L-band remote sensing methods show good agreement with each other, and their mutual correspondence with in-situ measurements and with rainfall was also good.
Obesity without sleep apnea is associated with daytime sleepiness.

BACKGROUND Daytime sleepiness and fatigue is a frequent complaint of obese patients even among those who do not demonstrate sleep apnea. OBJECTIVE To assess in the sleep laboratory whether obese patients without sleep apnea are sleepier during the day compared with healthy controls with normal weight. METHODS Our sample consisted of 73 obese patients without sleep apnea, upper airway resistance syndrome, or hypoventilation syndrome who were consecutively referred for treatment of their obesity and 45 controls matched for age. All patients and healthy controls were monitored in the sleep laboratory for 8 hours at night and at 2 daytime naps, each for 1 hour the following day. RESULTS Obese patients compared with controls were sleepier during the day and their nighttime sleep was disturbed. During both naps, sleep latency, wake time after onset of sleep, and total wake time were significantly lower, whereas the percentage of sleep time was significantly higher in obese patients compared with controls. In contrast, during the nighttime testing, obese patients compared with controls demonstrated significantly higher wake time after onset of sleep, total wake time, and lower percentage of sleep time. An analysis of the relation between nighttime and daytime sleep suggested that daytime sleepiness in obese patients is a result of a circadian abnormality rather than just being secondary to nighttime sleep disturbance. CONCLUSIONS Daytime sleepiness is a morbid characteristic of obese patients with a potentially significant impact on their lives and public safety. Daytime sleepiness in individuals with obesity appears to be related to a metabolic and/or circadian abnormality of the disorder.
Effect of hypothermia on baroreflex control of heart rate and renal sympathetic nerve activity in anaesthetized rats

The present study investigated the effect of acute hypothermia on baroreflex control of heart rate (HR) and renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) by generating baroreflex logistic function curves, using bolus doses of phenylephrine and sodium nitroprusside, in anaesthetized male Wistar rats at a core temperature (Tb) of 37°C, during acute severe hypothermia at Tb= 25°C and on rewarming to 37°C. Comparisons were made between rats without (euthermic, n= 6) and with (acclimated, n= 7) prior exposure to lower ambient temperatures and shorter photoperiod, simulating adaptation to winter conditions. In both groups of rats, acute hypothermia to Tb= 25°C shifted the baroreflex‐RSNA curve slightly leftwards and downwards with decreases in the setpoint pressure and maximal gain, whereas it markedly impaired the baroreflex‐HR curve characterized by decreases in response range by ∼90% (P < 0.001), minimum response by ∼10% (P < 0.05) and maximum gain by ∼95% (P < 0.001), from that at Tb= 37°C. All parameters were restored to precooling levels on rewarming. Electrical stimulation of cardiac vagal efferents induced a voltage‐related bradycardia, the magnitude of which was partially reduced during acute hypothermia, and there was a significant prolongation of the electrocardiogram intervals indicating a delay in cardiac conduction. Mild suppression of baroreflex control of RSNA could contribute to hypothermic hypotension and may primarily reflect an effect of Tb on central drive. The marked attenuation of the baroreflex control of HR during hypothermia was likely to be due to an impairment of both the central and peripheral components of the reflex arc. Baroreflex control of RSNA and HR was similar between both groups of rats, which implied that the control was non‐adaptive on chronic cold exposure.
Venetoclax for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia

ABSTRACT Introduction: Venetoclax, an orally bioavailable inhibitor of BCL-2, was approved in 2016 by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients with 17p deletion [del(17p)], who have received at least one prior therapy. Areas covered: We focus on the mechanism of action of venetoclax and on the clinical trial data that led to the approval of venetoclax for CLL patients. We also review the studies in which this drug has being explored in combination with other anti-CLL drugs. Expert opinion: Data from early clinical trials have shown that venetoclax, as a single agent, is highly effective for relapsed/refractory CLL patients, including those cases with high-risk features. Furthermore, venetoclax seems to be an appropriate option for patients who progress on B-cell receptor (BCR) pathway kinase inhibitors. Venetoclax is also safe, with the most common serious adverse events being neutropenia. The risk of tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) can be reduced by a slow dose ramp-up, careful monitoring, and adequate prophylaxis. Ongoing trials will further clarify the safety and efficacy of venetoclax in combination with other drugs in both relapsed/refractory and untreated CLL patients.