Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Introduction of the interleukin-10 gene into mice inhibited bleomycin-induced lung injury in vivo.

Interleukin (IL)-10 has been shown to reduce many inflammatory reactions. We investigated the in vivo effects of IL-10 on a bleomycin-induced lung injury model. Hemagglutinating virus of Japan (HVJ)-liposomes containing a human IL-10 expression vector (hIL10-HVJ) or a balanced salt solution as a control (Cont-HVJ) was intraperitoneally injected into mice on day -3. This was followed by intratracheal instillation of bleomycin (0.8 mg/kg) on day 0. Myeloperoxidase activity of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and tumor necrosis factor-alpha mRNA expression in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cells on day 7 and hydroxyproline content of the whole lung on day 21 were inhibited significantly by hIL10-HVJ treatment. However, Cont-HVJ treatment could not suppress any of these parameters. We also examined the in vitro effects of IL-10 on the human lung fibroblast cell line WI-38. IL-10 significantly reduced constitutive and transforming growth factor-beta-stimulated type I collagen mRNA expression. However, IL-10 did not affect the proliferation of WI-38 cells induced by platelet-derived growth factor. These data suggested that exogenous IL-10 may be useful in the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis.
Application of Raman microscopy for spin-phonon coupling and magnon excitation study in nanocrystals

There is a wild variety of Raman scattering techniques which may be used for characterization of phononphonon and spin-phonon interaction in nanocrystals. For magnetic nanocrystals, Raman microscopy is a useful tool to probe the spin-phonon coupling and exchange energy between antiferromagnetic next-nearestneighboring magnons in nanocrystals below the Neel temperature. This study shows that multi-magnon configurations were determined from the confocal Raman scattering factor, revealing a relative energy state that correlated with superexchange coupling strength.
Expert Panel on Social, Environmental and Economic Performance of Cotton Production (SEEP) FACTORS INFLUENCING THE USE OF PESTICIDES IN COTTON IN BRAZIL 1. Cotton Pests in Brazil

Cotton, a plant of the Malvaceae family, is cultivated today in Brazil in three macro regions: the North– Northeast (the states of Tocantins, Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas and Bahia); the Midwest (the states of Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul and Goiás); and the Southeast (the states of São Paulo, Paraná and Minas Gerais). In all these states all the different production systems are found, from very small family farming units of <4 ha, small farming units of <100 ha, and large farming units of >1,000 ha. The larger cotton growers tend to use a higher level of technology; work health and safety monitoring; BMP (best management practices); IPM (insect pest management); and a better level of environmental monitoring.
The industrial revolution in national context: Europe and the USA

Notes on contributors Acknowledgements General maps and graphs Introduction Mikula Teich and Roy Porter 1. The British industrial revolution Phyllis Deane 2. France Francois Crouzet 3. The industrial revolution in Belgium Herman van der Wee 4. Industrialisation in the Netherlands J. L. van Zanden 5. German industrialisation Richard Tilly 6. Switzerland Bruno Fritzsche 7. Italy in the longue duree: the return of an old first-comer Carlo Poni and Giorgio Mori 8. A latecomer: the modernisation of the Spanish economy, 1800-1990 Gabriel Tortella 9. The industrial revolution in Sweden Bo Gustafsson 10. Austria: industrialisation in a multinational setting Herbert Matis 11. The industrial revolution: Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia Milan My ka 12. Hungary: a semi-successful peripheral industrialisation Ivan T. Berend 13. The industrial revolution and the countries of southeastern Europe in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries Ljuben Berov 14. Industrial revolution in Russia Roger Munting 15. Revolutions and continuities in American development William N. Parker 16. The industrial revolution - an overview Sidney Pollard Index.
Ablation of the Cardiac-Specific Gene Leucine-Rich Repeat Containing 10 (Lrrc10) Results in Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Leucine-rich repeat containing 10 (LRRC10) is a cardiac-specific protein exclusively expressed in embryonic and adult cardiomyocytes. However, the role of LRRC10 in mammalian cardiac physiology remains unknown. To determine if LRRC10 is critical for cardiac function, Lrrc10-null (Lrrc10−/−) mice were analyzed. Lrrc10− /− mice exhibit prenatal systolic dysfunction and dilated cardiomyopathy in postnatal life. Importantly, Lrrc10−/− mice have diminished cardiac performance in utero, prior to ventricular dilation observed in young adults. We demonstrate that LRRC10 endogenously interacts with α-actinin and α-actin in the heart and all actin isoforms in vitro. Gene expression profiling of embryonic Lrrc10−/− hearts identified pathways and transcripts involved in regulation of the actin cytoskeleton to be significantly upregulated, implicating dysregulation of the actin cytoskeleton as an early defective molecular signal in the absence of LRRC10. In contrast, microarray analyses of adult Lrrc10−/− hearts identified upregulation of oxidative phosphorylation and cardiac muscle contraction pathways during the progression of dilated cardiomyopathy. Analyses of hypertrophic signal transduction pathways indicate increased active forms of Akt and PKCε in adult Lrrc10−/− hearts. Taken together, our data demonstrate that LRRC10 is essential for proper mammalian cardiac function. We identify Lrrc10 as a novel dilated cardiomyopathy candidate gene and the Lrrc10−/− mouse model as a unique system to investigate pediatric cardiomyopathy.
Stress induction of clpC in Bacillus subtilis and its involvement in stress tolerance

A member of the clpC subfamily of stress response-related Clp ATPases was cloned from Bacillus subtilis. The B. subtilis clpC gene was induced in response to various stresses, including heat shock. Its product was identified as a general stress protein (Gsp12) described previously. A dramatic increase in the amount of clpC mRNA immediately after exposure to multiple stresses suggested regulation on a transcriptional level. Induction by heat shock was independent of the alternative sigma factor SigB, indicating a new mechanism of heat shock induction in B. subtilis. A clpC insertional mutant had an impaired tolerance for heat shock and salt stress. Furthermore, the mutation triggered the formation of elongated cells, a phenomenon particularly pronounced during stress.
Assessing and Refining Myocardial Infarction Risk Estimation Among Patients With Human Immunodeficiency Virus: A Study by the Centers for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems

Importance Persons with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that is treated with antiretroviral therapy have improved longevity but face an elevated risk of myocardial infarction (MI) due to common MI risk factors and HIV-specific factors. Despite these elevated MI rates, optimal methods to predict MI risks for HIV-infected persons remain unclear. Objective To determine the extent to which existing and de novo estimation tools predict MI in a multicenter HIV cohort with rigorous MI adjudication. Design, Setting, and Participants We evaluated the performance of standard of care and 2 new data-derived MI risk estimation models in 5 Centers for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems sites across the United States where a multicenter clinical prospective cohort of 19 829 HIV-infected adults received care in inpatient and outpatient settings since 1995. The new risk estimation models were validated in a separate cohort from the derivation cohort. Exposures Traditional cardiovascular risk factors, HIV viral load, CD4 lymphocyte count, statin use, antihypertensive use, and antiretroviral medication use were used to calculate predicted event rates. Main Outcomes and Measures We observed MI rates over the course of follow-up that were scaled to 10 years using the Greenwood-Nam-D’Agostino Kaplan-Meier approach to account for dropout and loss to follow-up before 10 years. Results Of the 11 288 patients with complete baseline data, 6904 were white and 9250 were men. Myocardial infarction rates were higher among black men (6.9 per 1000 person-years) and black women (7.2 per 1000 person-years) than white men (4.4 per 1000 person-years) and white women (3.3 per 1000 person-years), older participants (7.5 vs 2.2 MI per 1000 person-years for adults 40 years and older vs < 40 years old at study entry, respectively), and participants who were not virally suppressed (6.3 vs 4.7 per 1000 person-years for participants with and without detectable viral load, respectively). The 2013 Pooled Cohort Equations, which predict composite rates of MI and stroke, adequately discriminated MI risk (Harrell C statistic = 0.75; 95% CI, 0.71-0.78). Two data-derived models incorporating HIV-specific covariates exhibited weak calibration in a validation sample and did not discriminate risk any better (Harrell C statistic = 0.72; 95% CI, 0.67-0.78 and 0.73; 95% CI, 0.68-0.79) than the Pooled Cohort Equations. The Pooled Cohort Equations were moderately calibrated in the Centers for AIDS Research Network of Clinical Systems but predicted consistently lower MI rates. Conclusions and Relevance The Pooled Cohort Equations discriminated MI risk and were moderately calibrated in this multicenter HIV cohort. Adding HIV-specific factors did not improve model performance. As HIV-infected cohorts capture and assess MI and stroke outcomes, researchers should revisit the performance of risk estimation tools.
Psychology of the Scientist: LXXXV. Research on Homosexuality: A Response to Schumm (and Herek)

Because social science is “messy,” just about any criticism of any work—including our efforts—has validity. But the empiricist principle is more important than a theoretical search for perfection in research. The findings from our 1983–1984 nationwide random survey are superior to earlier efforts and similar enough to those reported by the 1992 nationwide random survey conducted by University of Chicago investigators, the 1994 British effort, and the 1996 NHSDA to suggest all approximate “a similar truth about reported sexuality. ”
A minimal gene set for cellular life derived by comparison of complete bacterial genomes.

The recently sequenced genome of the parasitic bacterium Mycoplasma genitalium contains only 468 identified protein-coding genes that have been dubbed a minimal gene complement [Fraser, C.M. , Gocayne, J.D. , White, O. , Adams, M.D., Clayton, R.A. , et al. (1995) Science 270, 397-403]. Although the M. genitalium gene complement is indeed the smallest among known cellular life forms, there is no evidence that it is the minimal self-sufficient gene set. To derive such a set, we compared the 468 predicted M. genitalium protein sequences with the 1703 protein sequences encoded by the other completely sequenced small bacterial genome, that of Haemophilus influenzae. M. genitalium and H. influenzae belong to two ancient bacterial lineages, i.e., Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, respectively. Therefore, the genes that are conserved in these two bacteria are almost certainly essential for cellular function. It is this category of genes that is most likely to approximate the minimal gene set. We found that 240 M. genitalium genes have orthologs among the genes of H. influenzae. This collection of genes falls short of comprising the minimal set as some enzymes responsible for intermediate steps in essential pathways are missing. The apparent reason for this is the phenomenon that we call nonorthologous gene displacement when the same function is fulfilled by nonorthologous proteins in two organisms. We identified 22 nonorthologous displacements and supplemented the set of orthologs with the respective M. genitalium genes. After examining the resulting list of 262 genes for possible functional redundancy and for the presence of apparently parasite-specific genes, 6 genes were removed. We suggest that the remaining 256 genes are close to the minimal gene set that is necessary and sufficient to sustain the existence of a modern-type cell. Most of the proteins encoded by the genes from the minimal set have eukaryotic or archaeal homologs but seven key proteins of DNA replication do not. We speculate that the last common ancestor of the three primary kingdoms had an RNA genome. Possibilities are explored to further reduce the minimal set to model a primitive cell that might have existed at a very early stage of life evolution.
The Water Relations of Snails and Slugs

1. Weight fluctuations, like those previously recorded for Helix pomatia , are shown by Arion ater and Limax flavus . 2. The fluctuations are shown by slugs receiving water but no food. 3. Slugs receiving food but no water lose weight very rapidly and die in a few days. The loss of weight is due mainly to evaporation of water through the skin.
Achieving glycemic goal with initial versus sequential combination therapy using metformin and pioglitazone in type 2 diabetes mellitus

Abstract Objective: To compare glycemic goal achievement (HbA1c < 7%) in type 2 diabetes patients receiving initial metformin plus pioglitazone combination therapy and initial metformin monotherapy augmented with pioglitazone in a cohort follow-up study. Research design and methods: Adult patients were identified from the Ingenix Impact database (01/01/99–03/31/07). Qualified patients had a baseline HbA1c ≥ 7%; a second laboratory value within 9 months; no other anti-diabetic prescriptions 6 months before or 30 days after treatment initiation; and continuous enrollment during baseline. The index date was the date on which the second medication was initiated. Goal achievement was compared independently at 6, 12 and 18 months using a chi-square test. Logistic regression was used to control for baseline differences. Last observation carried forward was used to impute missing HbA1c values. Sub-group analysis was conducted on patients with baseline HbA1c values between 7% and 9%, and >9%. Main outcome measures: The proportion of patients achieving glycemic goal at each specified time point. Results: A total of 179 patients received initial combination therapy and 347 patients received sequential therapy. A greater proportion of initial combination patients achieved the glycemic goal compared to sequential patients at months 6, 12 and 18 (66.5 vs. 49.6%; 65.9 vs. 48.1%; 65.9 vs. 48.4%, respectively; p < 0.001 for all). Logistic regression confirmed these findings (odds ratios [OR]: 3.18–3.31). Sub-group analysis showed a more pronounced advantage for aggressive initial combination treatment among patients with HbA1c > 9% (OR: 5.39–6.04) than among patients with HbA1c between 7% and 9% (OR: 2.28–2.79). Conclusions: Initial combination therapy patients are more likely to achieve glycemic control than sequential therapy patients, especially for patients with baseline HbA1c > 9%. This study is limited by the relatively small sample size and the frequency of HbA1c reporting. Future research could examine goal achievement using a larger sample and more complete laboratory data to confirm these findings.
Hepatics alterations and genotoxic effects of Croton cajucara Benth (SACACA) in diabetic rats.

CONTEXT Croton cajucara Benth is a plant found in Amazonia, Brazil and the bark and leaf infusions of this plant have been popularly used to treat diabetes and hepatic disorders. OBJECTIVES This study investigated effects hepatics alterations and genotoxic and antidiabetic effect of Croton cajucara Benth bark extracts treatment in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. METHODS Male Wistar rats were divided into six groups: control rats; control rats treated with Croton cajucara Benth extract during 5 and 20 days; diabetic rats, and diabetic rats treated with Croton cajucara Benth during 5 and 20 days. Diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (70 mg/kg). Eight weeks later we measured glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol and hepatic transaminases on blood. The bone marrow micronucleus assay was used to assess the genotoxic activity of Croton cajucara Benth. RESULTS Treatment with aqueous extrat of Croton cajucara was able to significantly reduce levels of triglycerides in diabetic animals, however, did not modify significantly the levels of glucose and cholesterol in these animals. There was no significant elevation in liver transaminases in the control group treated with Croton cajucara Benth, as there was no genotoxic effect of treatment in this model. Our results did not show a significant effect on glucose and cholesterol reduction, the treatment was able to significantly reduce triclycerides plasmatic level. There was no significant alterations on hepatic transferase in the animals from the control group treated with Croton cajucara Benth. It was observed no genotoxic effect of the treatment in the model studied. CONCLUSION In this study Croton cajucara bark extract showed absence of hepatotoxicity in this animal model and presented a hypolipidemic activity, and could be used to reverse dyslipidemia associated with diabetes and to prevent the cardiovascular complications that are very prevalent in diabetic patients.
An elastic contour matching model for tropical cyclone pattern recognition

In this paper, an elastic graph dynamic link model (EGDLM) based on elastic contour matching is proposed to automate the Dvorak technique for tropical cyclone (TC) pattern interpretation from satellite images. This method integrates traditional dynamic link architecture (DLA) for neural dynamics and the active contour model (ACM) for contour extraction of TC patterns. Using satellite pictures provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 120 tropical cyclone cases that appeared in the period from 1990 to 1998 were extracted for the study. An overall correct rate for TC classification was found to be above 95%. For hurricanes with distinct "eye" formation, the model reported a deviation within 3 km from the "actual eye" location, which was obtained from the aircraft measurement of minimum surface pressure by reconnaissance. Compared with the classical DLA model, the proposed model has simplified the feature representation, the network initialization, and the training process. This leads to a tremendous improvement of recognition performance by more than 1000 times.
Normal Circumstances, Literal Language, Direct Speech Acts, the Ordinary, the Everyday, the Obvious, What Goes without Saying, and Other Special Cases

On May Day, 1977, Pat Kelly, an outfielder for the Baltimore Orioles, hit two home runs in a game against the California Angels. The Baltimore Sun devoted three columns to the story, in part because Kelly had rarely displayed such power (he had hit only five home runs in the entire previous season), but largely because of the terms in which he saw his accomplishment. In fact, he didn't see it as his at all but as the working through him of divine Providence. Two years previously Kelly had experienced a religious conversion. As he reports it, "I had been like a normal ballplayer. I was an extreme party-er, hanging around in bars and chasing all the women. But then this change came over me, and I have dedicated myself to Him. " The effects of this change are described by the Sun reporter, Michael Janofsky, whose comments betray some understandable exasperation:
Method for determining region boundaries for transient data comparison using Feature Selective Validation (FSV)

Data to be compared, such as transients, which is naturally segmented presents a particular set of problems for data comparison and validation in general. Two of the most challenging problems are (a) how to segment and weight the data so that the aspects that dominate the visual assessment also dominate the computed results; (b) how to ensure that the original data is not `engineered' to give a biased result by lengthening or shortening the `tails'. Previous studies have looked at performing this segmentation. However, only an average location of the boundaries was determined but there was a clear range of opinions being expressed by the expert users. This paper sets out an algorithmic approach to determining those pre- and post- transient regions, which depends only on the data and requires no visual intervention: thus providing an objective and repeatable method for determining those boundaries. The transition boundaries identified visually have some variation in their location, this paper presents a method to account for these interpretational differences and applies a Monte Carlo solution to provide a `quality distribution' of the comparisons.
Expression of Type II Chorionic Gonadotropin Genes Supports a Role in the Male Reproductive System

ABSTRACT Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a glycoprotein hormone essential to pregnancy. hCG is heterodimeric and functionally defined by its β subunit. hCGβ evolved from the β subunit of luteinizing hormone in two phases. In the first phase, type I genes (hCGβ3, -5, -7, and -8) acquired changes affecting gene expression and extending the proteins' C terminus. In the second phase, type II genes (hCGβ1 and -2) were formed by the insertion of a DNA element into the type I 5′ end. The insertion includes the small noncoding RNA gene snaR-G and has been predicted to drastically change the protein products encoded. We trace the insertion to the common ancestor of the African great apes and show that it contains transcription signals, including snaR-G. Type II transcripts are predominantly expressed in testis. Contrary to predictions, the product of the major mRNA splice form is hCGβ. A novel peptide is encoded by alternatively spliced transcripts. These findings support the view that type II genes evolved in African great apes to function in the male reproductive system.
The molecular basis of allergenicity: comparative analysis of the three dimensional structures of diverse allergens reveals a common structural motif

Background—Although a large number of allergens have been characterised, the structural, functional, and biochemical features that these molecules have in common, and that could explain their ability to elicit powerful IgE antibody responses, are still uncertain. Recently, there has been considerable interest in the role of the cysteine protease activity of the house dust mite allergen Der p 1 in biasing the immune response in favour of IgE production. Aims—To search for remote homologues of Der p 1 with sequences similar to the 30 conserved amino acids surrounding the catalytic cysteine residue (Cys34). Methods—Potential homologues were analysed by examining their three dimensional structures and multiple sequence alignments using the programs PROPSEARCH, ClustalW, GeneDoc, and Swiss Pdb Viewer. Results—Diverse allergens (for example, the plant cysteine protease papain, the transport protein lipocalin Mus m 1, and the ragweed allergen Amb a 5) have a similar structural motif; namely, a groove resembling the substrate binding groove of Der p 1. The groove is located inside an α–β motif, between an α helix on one side and an antiparallel β sheet on the other side. A similar common motif (a cysteine stabilised α–β fold) can also be found in some toxins and defensins. Conclusion—Allergens of diverse sources have a common structural motif, namely a groove located inside an α–β motif, which could potentially serve as a ligand binding site.