Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Alteration of Endothelin 1, MCP-1 and Chromogranin A in patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing pulmonary vein isolation

Background The relation between arrhythmias and stress is known. The aim of our current study was to elucidate whether plasma levels of previously described stress parameters are altered in highly symptomatic patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) per se and in patients undergoing ablation therapy by pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). Methods 96 patients with AF undergoing PVI were recruited. Plasma levels of Endothelin-1 (ET-1), MCP-1 and Chromogranin-A (CGA) were measured before and three months after ablation completed with clinical follow-up with respect to AF recurrence. Additionally, we examined 40 healthy age- and sex-matched volunteers as a reference. Results Symptomatic AF patients showed increased levels of ET-1 compared to healthy controls (2.62pg/ml vs. 1.57pg/ml; p<0.01). Baseline levels of ET-1 were higher in patients presenting with AF after PVI (2.96pg/ml vs. 2.57pg/ml;p = 0.02). The temporal comparison revealed decreased ET-1 levels in patients without (2.57pg/ml vs. 2.33pg/ml; p<0.01) and unchanged ET-1 levels in patients with AF after PVI. Baseline MCP-1 was increased in AF patients vs. controls (268pg/ml vs. 227 pg/ml; p = 0.03). Both groups, with and without AF after PVI, showed an increase of MCP-1 compared to baseline (268pg/ml vs. 349pg/ml;p<0.01; 281pg/ml vs. 355pg/ml;p = 0.03). CGA was lower in AF patients compared to healthy controls (13.8ng/ml vs. 25.6ng/ml;p<0.01). Over time patients without AF after PVI showed an increase of CGA (14.2ng/ml vs. 20.7ng/ml;p<0.01). No change was observed in patients with AF after PVI. Conclusion Our study demonstrated dysregulated levels of ET-1, MCP-1 and CGA in symptomatic AF patients. We could demonstrate an association between ET-1 to presence or absence of AF. Furthermore, we could show that a decrease of ET-1 as well as an increase of CGA after PVI, representing a trend towards control cohort levels, were both associated with restoration of sinus rhythm. These results provide new insights into the role of stress-related biomarkers in AF and AF treatment by ablation therapy.
MALDI-TOF Mass Array Analysis of RASSF1A and SERPINB5 Methylation Patterns in Human Placenta and Plasma1

Differences in DNA methylation patterns between placenta and blood cells of pregnant women have been suggested as potential biomarkers for noninvasive prenatal diagnostic strategies, including for common obstetrical complications, such as preeclampsia. New findings in epigenetic origins of fetal or placental disorders may improve our ability for optimal management of these conditions. Using a novel high-throughput mass spectrometry on matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass array, we compared the quantitative methylation changes of RASSF1 and SERPINB5 (also known as MASPIN) genes in placenta and plasma samples. We analyzed the methylation status of a total of 3569 CpG dinucleotides on these two genes in 83 different samples: 50 plasma samples (20 from pregnant women and 30 from nonpregnant women) and 33 placenta tissue samples (25 from normal pregnancies and eight from preeclamptic pregnancies). The aim of this study was to assess the utility of epigenetic changes as biomarkers for noninvasive prenatal diagnostic procedures. Using a two-way hierarchical cluster analysis, significantly different methylation levels of the RASSF1 gene were found between placenta (normal and preeclamptic) and plasma samples of pregnant women. Although the SERPINB5 gene was hypomethylated in placenta DNA more than in plasma DNA, it did not demonstrate significant differences between studied groups. The MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry analysis of placenta and plasma DNA methylation patterns may serve as a tool for the study of gender-independent biomarkers in noninvasive prenatal diagnosis.
Voice Symptoms in Patients with Autoimmune Disease

Objective To assess the prevalence and severity of voice symptoms in individuals with a diagnosis of autoimmune disease. Study Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting Study participants were recruited from a rheumatology tertiary referral clinic at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. Subjects and Methods A cross-sectional questionnaire analyzing 109 patients with autoimmune disease (rheumatoid arthritis, seronegative spondyloarthritis, connective tissue disease) and a control group of 41 patients with non-autoimmune disease (osteoarthritis/osteoporosis). Main outcome measures were the Voice Handicap Index–10 (VHI-10), xerostomia scale, acid reflux inquiry, and anxiety/depression scale. Results Patients with autoimmune disease were more likely to experience voice symptoms as assessed by the VHI-10 questionnaire (P = .0035). Subgroup analysis showed autoimmune patients were more likely to report voice symptoms regardless of whether they were on a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD; P = .0010) or non-DMARD (P = .017), suggesting autoimmune disease may be an independent risk factor from pharmacotherapy. Xerostomia was more common in an autoimmune population compared with the control group (P = .02). A positive correlation between xerostomia and VHI-10 scores was found for the DMARD group (Spearman rank coefficient = 0.49, P < .001). No significant difference in acid reflux inquiry (P = .44) or the anxiety/depression scale (P = .36) was found when comparing the autoimmune and control groups. Conclusion Patients with autoimmune disease have increased likelihood of voice symptoms when compared with a control population with non-autoimmune disease. Further prospective studies to elucidate the cause of voice disorder would be valuable.
Tracking the transformation and transport of arsenic sulfide pigments in paints: synchrotron-based X-ray micro-analyses

Realgar and orpiment, arsenic sulfide pigments used in historic paints, degrade under the influence of light, resulting in transparent, whitish, friable and/or crumbling paints. So far, para-realgar and arsenic trioxide have been identified as the main oxidation products of arsenic sulfide pigments. This paper shows that after photo-degradation, various oxidation and migration processes take place. Synchrotron radiation (SR) micro-X-ray fluorescence (μ-XRF) reveals arsenic to be distributed throughout the whole multi-layered paint system. Arsenic (As) K-edge micro-X-ray absorption near edge structure (μ-XANES) analyses indicate the presence of an intact AsxSy pigment, arsenite compounds (As3+; As2O3), and arsenate compounds (As5+); the latter are certainly present as calcium, lead, aluminium and iron arsenates. Sulfur (S) K-edge μ-XANES points to the conversion of the sulfide (S2−) group to a sulfate (SO42−) group, probably via an elemental sulfur (S0) or sulfoxide (S2+) compound. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and subsequent k-means clustering of multi-energy SR μ-XRF maps and μ-XANES were performed to identify the various arsenic species and visualize their distribution. The arsenates (As5+) are spread throughout the entire paint system and dominate the photo-degraded paint and ground layers, while the arsenite compounds (As3+) are located close to the intact arsenic sulfide pigment. The oxidation of arsenic trioxide into arsenates likely takes place in aqueous solutions. The presence of As5+ compounds in the paint systems indicates that the arsenic trioxide is dissolved by ambient water present in the paint. Arsenite and arsenate compounds are water soluble and are transported by water throughout the paint system. This knowledge is crucial for the conservation field, as this is the first time that (indirect) evidence of water transport within paintings has been given.
Time trends in childhood and adolescent obesity in England from 1995 to 2007 and projections of prevalence to 2015

Background The aim was to examine the 1995–2007 childhood and adolescent obesity trends and project prevalence to 2015 by age group and social class. Methods Participants were children aged 2–10 and adolescents aged 11–18 years from general population households in England studied using repeated cross-sectional surveys. Obesity was computed using international standards. Prevalence projections to 2015 were based on extrapolation of linear and non-linear trends. Results Obesity prevalence increased from 1995 to 2007 from 3.1% to 6.9% among boys, and 5.2% to 7.4% among girls. There are signs of a levelling off trend past 2004/5. Assuming a linear trend, the 2015 projected obesity prevalence is 10.1% (95% CI 7.5 to 12.6) in boys and 8.9% (5.8 to 12.1) in girls, and 8.0% (4.5, 11.5) in male and 9.7% (6.0, 13.3) in female adolescents. Projected prevalence in manual social classes is markedly higher than in non-manual classes [boys: 10.7% (6.6 to 14.9) vs 7.9% (3.7 to 12.1); girls: 11.2% (7.0 to 15.3) vs 5.4% (1.3 to 9.4); male adolescents: 10.0% (5.2 to 14.8) vs 6.7% (3.4 to 10.0); female adolescents: 10.4% (5.0 to 15.8) vs 8.3% (4.3 to 12.4)]. Conclusion If the trends in young obesity continue, the percentage and numbers of obese young people in England will increase considerably by 2015 and the existing obesity gap between manual and non-manual classes will widen further. This highlights the need for public health action to reverse recent trends and narrow social inequalities in health.
Experimental and theoretical investigations of the high current regime of an interferometric fiber-optic current sensor

The influence of non-perfect circularity of the left and right circular light waves of a reflective interferometric fiber-optic current sensor is theoretically and experimentally investigated for currents up to several 100 kA and temperatures from -40 to 80degC. By control of crucial parameters and appropriate packaging of the sensing fiber accuracy and repeatability within plusmn0.1% is achieved. Applications of the sensor are in high-voltage substations and in the electrolytic production of metals such as aluminum.
On the codimension of subalgebras of the algebra of matrices over a field

In this paper we provide an elementary and easy proof that a proper subalgebra of the matrix algebra $ \mathbb{K}^{n,n }$, with $n \geq3$ and $\mathbb{K}$ an arbitrary field, has dimension strictly less than $n^2-1$.
Metabolism of Benzo(a)pyrene by Human Epithelial and Fibroblastic Cells: Metabolite Patterns and DNA Adduct Formation

We demonstrate in cell culture that mammary epithelial cells from normal human breast specimens metabolize benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) and form adducts with the bases of their DNA more readily and at lower concentrations of BaP than do fibroblasts from the same specimens. BaP metabolism and adduct formation was determined in the same incubations with epithelial cells grown out in early passage from each of three specimens and with fibroblasts from one of these specimens. The metabolite pattern of the epithelial cells was indicative of preferential formation of 7, 8‐dihydrodiol‐9, 10‐dihydroepoxybenzo(a)pyrene the ultimate carcinogen. In contrast, fibroblasts formed mainly mono‐ and dihydroxide derivatives of BaP. The metabolite pattern from epithelial cells was compatible with the ease in which adducts between DNA and the diolepoxide of benzo(a)pyrene were formed. These results provide evidence that chemical carcinogens should be considered as possible factors in the induction of breast cancer in women.
Drug-resistant tuberculosis in human immunodeficiency virus infected persons in Italy. The Italian Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis Study Group.

OBJECTIVE To describe the prevalence and epidemiological-clinical characteristics of tuberculosis (TB) resistance to first-line drugs in Italian human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected subjects. DESIGN Prospective, observational multicenter (25 Centers of Infectious Diseases) study. Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains from 167 HIV co-infected subjects with TB (149 new cases, 18 relapses) were tested at a central laboratory for susceptibility to rifampin (R), isoniazid (H), pyrazinamide (Z), ethambutol (E) and streptomycin (S) and for DNA fingerprint type. Drug susceptibility results were related to patients' epidemiological, clinical and laboratory features. RESULTS Drug resistance patterns among new TB cases were as follows: R = 1%, Z = 6%, S = 8%, H + S = 3%, S + Z = 4%. TB resistant to at least R + H (MDR-TB) was detected in 36% of new cases due to an MDR-TB outbreak which was the largest thus far in Europe, involving 7/25 participating institutions, and was demonstrated by conventional and molecular epidemiology evidence. With multivariate analysis, MDR-TB was associated with hospital exposure to MDR-TB (OR = 39.3, P < 0.001) and previous use of anti-TB drugs (OR = 9.8, P = 0.008). CONCLUSION As drug-resistant tuberculosis in Italy is thus far relatively scarce, detection of a large MDR-TB epidemic among HIV-infected subjects was alarming. Aggressive control measures are urgently needed to prevent the spread of MDR-TB throughout the country and among the general population.
Effect of Stress Exposure on the Activation Pattern of Enkephalin‐Containing Perikarya in the Rat Ventral Medulla

Abstract: We examined the effects of acute and chronic psychogenic stress on the activation pattern of enkephalin‐containing perikarya in the rat ventrolateral medulla. Rats allocated to the chronic stress groups were subjected to 90 min of immobilization for 10 days. On the 11th day, the chronically stressed rats were exposed to homotypic (90‐min immobilization) or to heterotypic but still psychogenic (90‐min immobilization coupled to air jet stress) stress. The acute stress group was subjected once to an acute 90‐min immobilization. For each group, the rats were anesthetized either before stress (time 0) or 90, 180, and 270 min after the onset of stress. Brain sections were then processed using immunocytochemistry (Fos protein) followed by radioactive in situ hybridization histochemistry (enkephalin mRNA). Following immobilization, the acute group displayed a marked increase in the number of activated enkephalin‐containing perikarya within the paragigantocellularis and lateral reticular nuclei. This level of activation was sustained up to 180 min following the onset of the immobilization stress and had returned to baseline levels by 270 min from the initiation of the stress. However, this stress‐induced activation of enkephalin‐containing perikarya of the ventrolateral medulla was not seen following either homotypic or heterotypic stress in the chronically stressed group. These results provide evidence that enkephalin‐containing perikarya of the ventrolateral medulla may constitute a potential circuit through which they regulate some aspect of the stress responses. Conversely, this enkephalinergic influence from the ventrolateral medulla was shown to be absent following chronic stress exposure. This would suggest a decrease in enkephalin inhibitory input originating from the ventrolateral medulla, thereby allowing a neuroendocrine and/or autonomic response to chronic stress.
The MAC Resolvability Region, Semantic Security and Its Operational Implications

Building upon previous work on the relation between secrecy and channel resolvability, we revisit a secrecy proof for the multiple-access channel (MAC) from the perspective of resolvability. We then refine the approach in order to obtain some novel results on the second-order achievable rates. Establishing a conceptually simple converse proof for resolvability over the memoryless MAC, which relies on uniform continuity of Shannon's entropy with respect to the variational distance, we characterize the resolvability region. In a discussion of the operational meaning of the information theoretic concept of semantic security from the point of view of Ahlswede's General Theory of Information Transfer, we show some interesting implications on the resilience against a wide-ranging class of attacks even if no assumption can be made about the distributions of the transmitted messages. We then give details on how the resolvability results can be used to construct a wiretap code that achieves semantic security.
Estrogen augments the contribution of nitric oxide to blood pressure regulation in transgenic hypertensive rats expressing the mouse Ren-2 gene.

Transgenic rats carrying the mouse Ren-2 gene (Ren-2d)27 provide a unique model to study the interplay between the renin-angiotensin system and estrogen in the pathogenesis of hypertension. In this study we measured the effects of ovariectomy and estrogen replacement on blood pressure and the contribution of vascular endothelium relaxing factor, nitric oxide, in female transgenic hypertensive rats and normotensive Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Both groups of animals were either ovariectomized or sham-operated at 12 weeks of age. Ovariectomized rats were treated with either 17 beta-estradiol (70 micrograms/day) or placebo for 4 weeks, whereas sham-operated rats received placebo alone. Mean arterial blood pressure measured in conscious rats directly by an arterial catheter was significantly higher in ovariectomized rats, compared with ovariectomized rats given estrogen replacement therapy for both transgenic (167 +/- 5 v 154 +/- 4 mm Hg, P < .05) and SD rats (125 +/- 4 v 113 +/- 5 mm Hg, P < .05). The contribution of endothelium-derived nitric oxide to the maintenance of blood pressure was examined by acute systemic injection of NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA, 10 mg/kg). L-NMMA caused a significantly greater increase in blood pressure in sham-operated transgenic as compared to SD rats (34 +/- 3 v 14 +/- 3 mm Hg, P < .05). The response in ovariectomized transgenic rats was markedly reduced (13 +/- 3 mm Hg), reaching levels that were no different from sham-operated SD rats. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A Ca2+‐inhibited non‐selective cation conductance contributes to pacemaker currents in mouse interstitial cell of Cajal

Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) provide pacemaker activity in some smooth muscles. The nature of the pacemaker conductance is unclear, but studies suggest that pacemaker activity is due to a voltage‐independent, Ca2+‐regulated, non‐selective cation conductance. We investigated Ca2+‐regulated conductances in murine intestinal ICC and found that reducing cytoplasmic Ca2+ activates whole‐cell inward currents and single‐channel currents. Both the whole‐cell currents and single‐channel currents reversed at 0 mV when the equilibrium potentials of all ions present were far from 0 mV. Recordings from on‐cell patches revealed oscillations in unitary currents at the frequency of pacemaker currents in ICC. Voltage‐clamping cells to −60 mV did not change the oscillatory activity of channels in on‐cell patches. Depolarizing cells with high external K+ caused loss of resolvable single‐channel currents, but the oscillatory single‐channel currents were restored when the patches were stepped to negative potentials. Unitary currents were also resolved in excised patches. The single‐channel conductance was 13 pS, and currents reversed at 0 mV. The channels responsible were strongly activated by 10−7m Ca2+, and 10−6m Ca2+ reduced activity. The 13 pS channels were strongly activated by the calmodulin inhibitors calmidazolium and W‐7 in on‐cell and excised patches. Calmidazolium and W‐7 also activated a persistent inward current under whole‐cell conditions. Murine ICC express Ca2+‐inhibited, non‐selective cation channels that are periodically activated at the same frequency as pacemaker currents. This conductance may contribute to the pacemaker current and generation of electrical slow waves in GI muscles.
Controlling shareholders, audit committee effectiveness, and earnings quality : the case of Thailand

Assurance This study examines the associations of controlling shareholders and audit committee effectiveness with earnings quality. A sample of non-financial Thai listed firms is used in the study because Thailand provides a useful setting for the study of ownership concentration. A unique data set on the voting rights of controlling shareholders and audit committee characteristics is used to test the hypotheses of whether controlling shareholders and audit committees with strong governance characteristics affect the quality of earnings. Earnings quality is measured using (1) Basu's (1997) asymmetric timeliness measure of accounting conservatism, and (2) absolute abnormal accruals estimated from the Dechow and Dichev (2002) and the Jones (1991) models and its variations. Audit committee effectiveness is measured using a composite index comprising four audit committee characteristics. The empirical results show that firms with a controlling shareholder, on average, are associated with both lower accounting conservatism (lower earnings quality) and lower absolute abnormal accruals (higher earnings quality) than firms with no controlling shareholder. Further analysis shows that family-and the government-controlled firms and firms whose controlling shareholders have voting rights below 75%, in particular, are associated with lower accounting conservatism and absolute abnormal accruals. Although the results imply both lower and higher earnings quality for firms with a controlling shareholder compared to firms with no controlling shareholder, the lower (higher) absolute abnormal accruals (earnings quality) simply reflects less conservative accounting practice by firms with a controlling shareholder. The results provide no evidence that audit committees with strong governance characteristics are associated with earnings quality.
An Ultrascalable Solution to Large-scale Neural Tissue Simulation

Neural tissue simulation extends requirements and constraints of previous neuronal and neural circuit simulation methods, creating a tissue coordinate system. We have developed a novel tissue volume decomposition, and a hybrid branched cable equation solver. The decomposition divides the simulation into regular tissue blocks and distributes them on a parallel multithreaded machine. The solver computes neurons that have been divided arbitrarily across blocks. We demonstrate thread, strong, and weak scaling of our approach on a machine with more than 4000 nodes and up to four threads per node. Scaling synapses to physiological numbers had little effect on performance, since our decomposition approach generates synapses that are almost always computed locally. The largest simulation included in our scaling results comprised 1 million neurons, 1 billion compartments, and 10 billion conductance-based synapses and gap junctions. We discuss the implications of our ultrascalable Neural Tissue Simulator, and with our results estimate requirements for a simulation at the scale of a human brain.
Thyrotropin-releasing hormone reduces the plasma levels of beta-endorphin-like immunoreactivity in rats.

Effects of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) on the plasma beta-endorphin-like immunoreactivity (beta-Ep-LI) levels in rats have been studied. TRH (10 mg/kg) were injected i.v. , and the animals were serially decapitated. The plasma beta-Ep-LI levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. Effects of TRH on beta-Ep-LI release from the anterior pituitary were also investigated by means of an in vitro experiment. The beta-Ep-LI content in the hypothalamus, pituitary gland or adrenal gland did not change significantly after TRH injection. The plasma beta-Ep-LI levels decreased significantly in a dose-related manner with a nadir at 40 min after the injection. In the hypophysectomized rats, the plasma beta-Ep-LI levels were lower than that of the control, and did not change significantly after TRH injection. beta-Ep-LI release from anterior pituitary in vitro significantly decreased after the addition of TRH to medium. These findings suggest that TRH may act on the pituitary gland to reduce plasma beta-Ep-LI levels in rats.