Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prenatal Exposure to Nicotine Affects Substance P and Preprotachykinin-A mRNA Levels in Newborn Rat

Prenatal nicotine exposure influences neuronal development including effects on several neurotransmitter systems. It also attenuates the ventilatory response to hypoxia, known to require a functional substance P-ergic system. Previous studies have shown that nicotine increases the risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) by 4-fold, and that SIDS-victims have elevated brainstem levels of substance P. We, therefore, studied the effect of prenatal nicotine exposure on the levels of substance P-like immunoreactivity by RIA in the brain in newborn rat pups. The expression of the substance P precursor preprotachykinin A mRNA was also determined by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction in carotid body, in petrosal/jugular and trigeminal ganglia, in cervical and lumbar dorsal root ganglia, and in the brainstem. We found that prenatal nicotine exposure increased levels of substance P-like immunoreactivity in the brainstem without changing levels in other parts of the brain or in the adrenals. Furthermore, mRNA levels were increased in the carotid bodies and in the petrosal ganglia, in contrast to the decreased levels in the cervical dorsal root ganglia. We conclude that nicotine causes alterations in the substance P-ergic system in the brainstem, possibly linked to the increased risk for SIDS after prenatal nicotine exposure.
Choroidal neovascular membrane inhibition in a laser treated rat model with intraocular sustained release triamcinolone acetonide microimplants

Aim: To determine if intravitreal microimplants containing triamcinolone acetonide (TAAC) inhibit experimental fibrovascular proliferation (FVP) induced by laser trauma in a rat as a model of choroidal neovascular membranes (CNVMs). Methods: 20 anaesthetised male Brown Norway rats received a series of eight krypton red laser lesions per eye (647 nm, 0.05 s, 50 μm, 150 mW). Three types of sterilised TAAC microimplant designs were evaluated: implant A consisting of 8.62% TAAC/20% polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix (by dry weight); implant B consisting of 3.62% TAAC/20% PVA matrix; and implant C consisting of a dual 8.62% TAAC/20% PVA matrix design combined with a central core (0.5 mm) of compressed TAAC to extend the implant release time. For each animal studied, one eye received one of the three aforementioned TAAC implant designs, while the fellow eye received a control implant consisting of PVA but without TAAC. The animals were sacrificed at day 35 and ocular tissues were processed for histological analysis. Serial histological specimens were methodically assessed in a masked fashion to analyse each laser lesion for the presence or absence of FVP; maximum FVP thickness for each lesion was measured from the choriocapillaris. Results: All three types of TAAC implants inhibited FVP relative to controls in a statistically significant fashion. In the eyes that received implant A (n = 8), the mean thickness of the recovered lesions (n = 36) measured 32 (SD 22) μm, compared to 52 (30) μm (p <0.005) for the recovered lesions (n = 40) from the fellow control eyes. In the eyes that received implant B (n = 6), the mean thickness of the recovered lesions (n = 31) measured 28 (15) μm, compared to 50 (29) μm (p <0.001) for the lesions (n = 19) recovered from the fellow control eyes. In the eyes that received implant C (n = 6), the mean thickness of the recovered lesions (n = 21) measured 39 (24) μm, compared to 65 (30) μm (p <0.001) for the lesions (n = 39) recovered from the fellow control eyes. Conclusions: All three of the tested TAAC microimplant designs produced potent inhibition of FVP in a rat model of CNVMs. There were no differences in inhibition of FVP between the three different types of implants evaluated. This study provides evidence that: (1) corroborates previous investigations that propose TAAC as a potential treatment for CNVMs in humans, and (2) demonstrates TAAC can be effectively delivered via long acting sustained release intraocular microimplants. It should be noted, however, that the FVP observed in this rat laser trauma may not reflect the CNVM observed in human with exudative age related macular degeneration (AMD).
Computational and experimental investigation of DNA repair protein photolyase interactions with low molecular weight drugs

This paper reports the previously unknown interactions between eight low molecular weight commercially available drugs (130–800 Da) and DNA repair protein photolyase using computational docking simulations and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) experiments. Theoretical dissociation constants, Kd, obtained from molecular docking simulations were compared with the values found from SPR experiments. Among the eight drugs analyzed, computational and experimental values showed similar binding affinities between selected drug and protein pairs. We found no significant differences in binding interactions between pure and commercial forms of the drug lornoxicam and DNA photolyase. Among the eight drugs studied, prednisone, desloratadine, and azelastine exhibited the highest binding affinity (Kd = 1.65, 2.05, and 8.47 μM, respectively) toward DNA photolyase. Results obtained in this study are promising for use in the prediction of unknown interactions of common drugs with specific proteins such as human clock protein cryptochrome. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Speciation reversal and biodiversity dynamics with hybridization in changing environments

A considerable fraction of the world's biodiversity is of recent evolutionary origin and has evolved as a by‐product of, and is maintained by, divergent adaptation in heterogeneous environments. Conservationists have paid attention to genetic homogenization caused by human‐induced translocations (e.g. biological invasions and stocking), and to the importance of environmental heterogeneity for the ecological coexistence of species. However, far less attention has been paid to the consequences of loss of environmental heterogeneity to the genetic coexistence of sympatric species. Our review of empirical observations and our theoretical considerations on the causes and consequences of interspecific hybridization suggest that a loss of environmental heterogeneity causes a loss of biodiversity through increased genetic admixture, effectively reversing speciation. Loss of heterogeneity relaxes divergent selection and removes ecological barriers to gene flow between divergently adapted species, promoting interspecific introgressive hybridization. Since heterogeneity of natural environments is rapidly deteriorating in most biomes, the evolutionary ecology of speciation reversal ought to be fully integrated into conservation biology.
A control system in an intelligent farming by using arduino technology

“Internet of Things” (IoT) is a technology that allows things to communicate and connect with each other. This will change the patterns and processes in both industry and agriculture towards higher efficiency. Particularly, agriculture is an important foundation of Thai economy. Consequently, we propose an intelligent farming system (IF) to improve the production process in planting. IF composes of two main parts which are a sensor system and a control system. In this paper, we focus on the control part which are watering and roofing systems of an outdoor farm based on the statistical data sensed from the sensor systems (including temperature, humidity, moisture and light intensity sensors) Since the sensed data would not be always accurate due to noises, we apply Kalman filtering to smooth the data before using as an input in our decision making process. For the decision making process, we do not consider only the sensed data, but also the weather information. A decision tree model is generated to predict the weather condition. Then, a set of decision rules based on both the sensed data and the predicted weather condition is developed to automatically make a decision on whether watering and roofing system should be on or off. Moreover, we also provide functions for users to manually control the watering and roofing systems via our mobile application.
FDR Control with Pseudo‐Gatekeeping Based on a Possibly Data Driven Order of the Hypotheses

We propose a multiple testing procedure controlling the false discovery rate. The procedure is based on a possibly data driven ordering of the hypotheses, which are tested at the uncorrected level q until a suitable number is not rejected. When the order is data driven, larger effect sizes are considered first, therefore selecting more interesting hypotheses with larger probability. The proposed procedure is valid under independence for the test statistics. We also propose a modification which makes our procedure valid under arbitrary dependence. It is shown in simulation that we compare particularly well when the sample size is small. We conclude with an application to identification of molecular signatures of intracranial ependymoma. The methods are implemented in an R package (someMTP), freely available on CRAN.
[Clinical trial of nifurtimox in human African trypanosomiasis].

Le nifurtimox a ete evalue pour le traitement de la trypanosomiase a T. gambiense au nord-ouest du Zaire. L'evaluation du traitement a ete basee sur les observations cliniques, les examens parasitologiques, le liquide cephalorachidien et les taux seriques d'immunoglobulines. 7 des 8 patients resistant a l'arsobal et 5 des 7 nouveaux patients ont ete consideres gueris apres 30 mois. Les taux seriques d'IgM restent cependant eleves apres une baisse initiale. L'anorexie et l'amaigrissement ont ete les effets secondaires les plus frequents
Hormone replacement therapy and lens opacities: the Salisbury Eye Evaluation project.

BACKGROUND Data suggest a possible protective effect against lens opacity with use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). However, no agreement exists on which opacity type is affected, and more exploration of the additional role of endogenous estrogen exposure is warranted. OBJECTIVE To determine whether HRT and the prevalence of different lens opacity types are associated after controlling for endogenous estrogen exposure. DESIGN AND SETTING Salisbury Eye Evaluation population-based prevalence survey of residents in an eastern US city. PARTICIPANTS One thousand two hundred thirty-nine women aged 65 through 84 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Nuclear, cortical, and posterior subcapsular opacity. RESULTS We found a protective association between nuclear opacity and current (odds ratio [OR], 0.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.3-0.7) and recent (OR, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.3-0.7) HRT use. Increasing number of births in younger women was also protective (test of trend, P =.05). Past HRT use protected against nuclear opacity only in women who had never been pregnant (OR, 0.2; 95% CI, 0.1-0.7). Past (OR, 0.2; 95% CI, 0.1-0.7) and current (OR, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.1-0.9) HRT use were associated with a lower prevalence of posterior subcapsular opacity. CONCLUSION A protective association between the use of HRT and nuclear and posterior subcapsular opacities is reported, which should be confirmed in prospective studies.
Impact of Reference Years on the Outcome of Multi-Objective Optimization for Building Energy Refurbishment

There are several methods in the literature for the definition of weather data for building energy simulation and the most popular ones, such as typical meteorological years and European test reference years, are based on Finkelstein–Schafer statistics. However, even starting from the same multi-year weather data series, the developed reference years can present different levels of representativeness, which can affect the simulation outcome. In this work, we investigated to which extent the uncertainty in the determination of typical weather conditions can affect the results of building energy refurbishment when cost-optimal approach is implemented for the selection of energy efficiency measures by means of the NSGA-II genetic algorithm coupled with TRNSYS simulations. Six different reference years were determined for two north Italy climates, Trento and Monza, respectively in the Alpine and in the continental temperate regions. Four types of energy efficiency measures, related to both building envelope and HVAC system, were applied to six existing building typologies. Results showed how the choice of reference year can alter the shape of the Pareto fronts, the number of solutions included and the selection among the alternatives of the energy efficiency measures, for the entire front and, in particular, for energy and economic optima.
Gender and age differences in systemic lupus erythematosus. A study of 489 Greek patients with a review of the literature

We investigated whether gender and age influence the clinical course and outcome in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. Thus, we analyzed the clinical and laboratory data of 489 SLE patients at presentation and during follow-up. In addition, disease activity score (using the European Consensus Lupus Activity Measure, ECLAM) and organ damage index (using the Systemic Lupus International Collaboration Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index, DI) were measured. Furthermore, data from both sexes were analyzed according to the following age groups: < 55 years (younger group) and > 55 years (older group). There were 68 men and 421 women, giving a ratio of 1:7. We found no differences in the mean age, mean age at diagnosis, disease duration as well as duration of follow-up between men and women. Young men presented more frequently with serositis and discoid lesions, while women presented with Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) and malar rash. Regarding the laboratory findings, young women presented more often with anti-Ro(SSA) and anti-La(SSB) antibodies, while increased levels of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were found in old women. During follow-up, men had serositis and renal disease more frequently, while the women's group were found to complain of RP, photosensitivity and mucosal ulcers more frequently, especially in young women. Anemia, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia and elevated levels of ESR were also found more frequently in young women during follow-up. However, there were no significant differences concerning ECLAM and DI scores between the two gender groups. Using multiple logistic regression analysis, a statistically significant association of malar rash, discoid lesions, serositis, RP, anti-Ro(SSA)= La(SSB) and increased ESR with sex was found independently of age, while only malar rash showed a statistically significant association with age independentlyof sex. Thus, we conclude that gender influences the clinical expression of the disease independentlyof age, while both gender and age do not affect the overall damage score.
The effects of the WT1 gene on apoptosis and development‐related gene expression in porcine kidney fibroblasts and swine testis cells

The Wilm's tumor 1 gene (WT1) encodes zinc finger proteins that function as tumor suppressors, and play important roles in the development of the genito‐urinary system and other organs. Its precise function in the development of porcine tissues and organs, which is an attractive transplantation resource for certain human diseases, is still unclear. Here, we sought to define the role of WT1 in porcine kidney and testis tissues using porcine kidney fibroblasts (PKFs) and swine testis (ST) cells as in vitro models, both of which express WT1. The recombinant plasmids pLV3‐WT1 shRNA and pIRES2‐WT1‐EGFP were constructed to respectively down‐ and up‐regulate the WT1 gene in porcine cells. The role of WT1 in cell proliferation was investigated by RT‐PCR, immunocytochemical staining, apoptosis analysis, and Western blot. The pLV3‐WT1 shRNA dramatically reduced WT1 expression at both the transcription and protein levels. The down‐regulation of WT1 directly led to early cell apoptosis, and changes in Sf1, Sox9, and Gdnf gene expression in PKFs and ST cells. In contrast, up‐regulation of WT1 gave no obvious phenotype in ST cells. Our results demonstrate that WT1 is essential for the survival of PKFs and ST cells because it regulates apoptosis‐ and development‐related genes in the cells; however, no obvious effect was observed when WT1 was over‐expressed. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 80: 414–425, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Chordomas—ultrastructure and immunohistochemistry: a report based on the examination of six cases

Six chordomas (three classic and three chondroid) were examined ultrastructurally and with a panel of monoclonal antibodies. The three classic tumours showed the presence of desmosomes and intermediate filaments on electron microscopy, findings which gave a direct positive correlation when the tumours were stained with monoclonal antibodies against low molecular weight cytokeratin proteins. These results suggest that chordomas are essentially epithelial neoplasms and underline the fact that monoclonal antibodies to cytokeratins cannot be used in the differential diagnosis of classic chordoma vs carcinoma. Furthermore, the epithelial characteristics are lost as the tumour undergoes chondroid differentiation.
A Cognitive Model of How People Make Decisions Through Interaction with Visual Displays

In this paper we report a cognitive model of how people make decisions through interaction. The model is based on the assumption that interaction for decision making is an example of a Partially Observable Markov Decision Process (POMDP) in which observations are made by limited perceptual systems that model human foveated vision and decisions are made by strategies that are adapted to the task. We illustrate the model by applying it to the task of determining whether to block a credit card given a number of variables including the location of a transaction, its amount, and the customer history. Each of these variables have a different validity and users may weight them accordingly. The model solves the POMDP by learning patterns of eye movements (strategies) adapted to different presentations of the data. We compare the model behavior to human performance on the credit card transaction task.
Discontinuous resistance change and domain wall scattering in patterned NiFe wires with a nanoconstriction

A nonlinear current-voltage (I-V) characteristic was observed in patterned NiFe wires with a central "bow-tie" point contact constriction. By passing a dc current through the wire, a sharp resistance drop was obtained for current densities in the range of 1.1-1.4/spl times/10/sup 7/ A/cm/sup 2/. This is attributed to current-induced domain wall drag, resulting in displacement of a domain wall away from the constriction. A maximum current-induced resistance change of 0.079% was obtained for a 100-nm constriction, which is comparable with the magnetoresistance due to domain wall scattering in NiFe.
Decrease in expenditures and selected nosocomial infections following implementation of an antimicrobial-prescribing improvement program.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate changes in antimicrobial use and expenditures and the rates of selected nosocomial infections due to resistant organisms associated with implementation of an antimicrobial-prescribing improvement program. DESIGN Before-after trial comparing 1992 (pre-program), 1993 (a transition year), and 1994 (after full implementation of the program). SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS Academic medical center, all patients and physicians. INTERVENTION An antimicrobial-prescribing improvement program with prior approval requirement for use of restricted agents. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Antimicrobial use and expenditures, rates of selected nosocomial infection marker events. RESULTS Between 1992 and 1994, there were substantial decreases in antimicrobial use, from 158,107 to 137,364 defined daily doses, and in expenditures from $2,486,902 ($24.01 per patient day) to $1,701,522 ($18.49 per patient day). After adjusting for changes in purchase prices and census days, we estimated savings attributable to the program of $279,573 in 1993 and $389,814 in 1994. In addition, we found significant decreases between 1992 and 1994 in the rates of enterococcal bacteremia (.34 vs .16 events per 1,000 patient days; P = .016), selected gram-negative bacteremia (.26 vs .11; P = .015), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization or infection (.66 vs .20; P < .0001), and Stenotrophomonas colonization or infection (.35 vs .17; P = .019). No significant change occurred in rates of nosocomial candidemia or Clostridium difficile toxin-positive diarrhea. Values for 1993 were intermediate between those of 1992 and 1994. CONCLUSION Implementation of an antimicrobial-prescribing improvement program was associated with substantial savings in antimicrobial use and expenditures and significant decreases in rates of selected nosocomial infections due to resistant organisms.
Hydrochloric Acid: Physiological Functions and Clinical Implications

Hydrochloric acid (HCl) secretion assists protein digestion by activating pepsinogen to pepsin, renders the stomach sterile against orally-ingested pathogens, prevents bacterial or fungal overgrowth of the small intestine, encourages the flow of bile and pancreatic enzymes, and facilitates the absorption of a variety of nutrients, including folic acid, ascorbic acid, beta-carotene, non-heme iron, and some forms of calcium, magnesium, and zinc. Numerous studies have shown acid secretion declines with advancing age and impaired HCl production and secretion is seen in a variety of clinical conditions. While the underlying etiological factors leading to impaired or complete lack of HCl secretion are not well understood, long term supplementation is safe and may be effective in certain patient populations and clinical conditions. (Alt Med Rev 1997; 2(2):116-127)
1 Effect of Pressure on the Structural and Electronic Properties of ZnS

We study the electronic and structural properties of zinc-sulphide (ZnS) under high pressure, using large unit cell method. We employ intermediate neglect of differential overlap calculations, with appropriate corrections to the band gap and zero point energy to the cohesive energy. The results are in reasonable agreement with available experimental data. The applied pressure on zinc-sulphide causes the following effect; an increase of the band gap, the valence bandwidth and the cohesive energy, and a decrease of the conduction bandwidth. This model predicts a decrease of the electronic occupation probability for the s and p orbital of sulfur with an increase of this probability for the s-orbital of zinc with the increase of pressure.