Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Photosynthetic Toxicity and Oxidative Damage Induced by nano-Fe3O4 on Chlorella vulgaris in Aquatic Environment

With the rapid development of nanotechnology and widespread use of nanoproducts, concerns have arisen regarding the ecotoxicity of these materials. In this paper, the photosynthetic toxicity and oxidative damage induced by nano Fe3O4 on a model organism, Chlorella vulgaris (C. vulgaris) in aquatic environment, were studied. The results showed that Nano-Fe3O4 was toxic to C. vulgaris and affected its content of chlorophyll a, malonaldehyde and glutathione, CO2 absorption, net photosynthetic rate, superoxide dismutase activity and inhibition of hydroxyl radical generation. At higher concentrations, compared with the control group, the toxicity of nano-Fe3O4 was significantly different. It suggested that nano-Fe3O4 is ecotoxic to C. vulgaris in aquatic environment.
Combined Stochastic Optimization of Frequency Control and Self-Consumption With a Battery

Optimally combining frequency control with self-consumption can increase revenues from battery storage systems installed behind-the-meter. This paper presents an optimized control strategy that allows a battery to be used simultaneously for self-consumption and primary frequency control. Therein, it addresses two stochastic problems: 1) the delivery of primary frequency control with a battery and 2) the use of the battery for self-consumption. We propose a linear recharging policy to regulate the state of charge of the battery while providing primary frequency control. Formulating this as a chance-constrained problem, we can ensure that the risk of battery constraint violations stays below a predefined probability. We use robust optimization as a safe approximation to the chance-constraints, which allows to make the risk of constraint violation arbitrarily low, while keeping the problem tractable and offering maximum reserve capacity. Simulations with real frequency measurements prove the effectiveness of the designed recharging strategy. We adopt a rule-based policy for self-consumption, which is optimized using stochastic programming. This policy allows to reserve more energy and power of the battery on moments when expected consumption or production is higher, while using other moments for recharging from primary frequency control. We show that optimally combining the two services increases value from batteries significantly.
In vitro activity of ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin and levofloxacin against Mycobacterium tuberculosis

BACKGROUND The increasing incidence of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis necessitates therapeutic alternatives. The fluoroquinolones fulfill most of the criteria for an ideal class of antimycobacterial drugs. The aim of the present study was to determine to in vitro activities of ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, and levofloxacin against M. tuberculosis strains. METHODS Susceptibility to four antituberculous drugs used in first-line treatment of tuberculosis was tested in 100 strains isolated from clinical samples. Nineteen strains (19%) were resistant to at least one of the four antituberculous drugs and 13 were multidrug resistant. The in vitro antimycobacterial activity of ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, and levofloxacin was then determined against 100 M. tuberculosis strains using standard agar proportion dilution method. RESULTS Ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, and levofloxacin were active against all tested strains of M. tuberculosis in vitro. CONCLUSIONS Ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, and levofloxacin have relatively potent in vitro activity against M. tuberculosis. Further in vivo studies are needed to determine the role of these compounds in the treatment of tuberculosis, but use should be limited to special circumstances rather than first-line treatment.
Accumulation of splenic B1a cells with potent antigen-presenting capability in NZM2410 lupus-prone mice.

OBJECTIVE In order to shed light on the role of splenic B1 cells in disease pathogenesis in lupus-prone mice, this study was undertaken to determine how efficiently these cells can serve as antigen-presenting cells (APC) and to ascertain which murine lupus susceptibility loci dictate the expansion of these cells. METHODS Spleens and peritoneal cavities (PerC) of NZM2410 lupus-prone mice, as well as of control B6 and New Zealand white mice, were examined for the prevalence, surface phenotype, and possible anatomic location of B1 cells. The antigen-presenting ability of fluorescence-sorted splenic B1a cells was assessed. Levels of B1 cells were examined in B6 mice congenic for 4 different lupus susceptibility intervals. RESULTS NZM2410 lupus mice showed an expansion of splenic and PerC B1a cells at all ages. These cells expressed high levels of B71, B72, CD24, lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1, and intercellular adhesion molecule 1, and had the functional capability to serve as APC. Among the lupus susceptibility intervals studied, Sle2, but not Sle1, Sle3, or the H2 locus, affected the expansion of B1 cells. CONCLUSION These findings raise the possibility that the genetically determined expansion of splenic B1a cells in lupus-prone mice might contribute to disease pathogenesis by augmenting the presentation of autoantigens to pathogenic T cells.
Efficacy and Safety of Pancrelipase/Pancreatin in Patients With Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency and a Medical History of Diabetes Mellitus

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to perform exploratory analyses of the efficacy and safety of pancrelipase delayed-release capsules (Creon) in patients with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) with (n = 36) and without (n = 18) concurrent diabetes mellitus (DM). MethodsThis was a retrospective, post hoc, subgroup (±DM) analysis of a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of pancrelipase in patients with EPI due to chronic pancreatitis or pancreatectomy (total or partial). After a 5-day placebo run-in period (baseline), patients were randomized to pancrelipase (72,000 lipase units/meal, 36,000/snack) or placebo for 7 days. Outcomes included changes in coefficients of fat absorption (CFA) and nitrogen absorption (CNA) from baseline to the end of the double-blind period. ResultsMean changes in nutrient absorption were greater with pancrelipase versus placebo in patients with DM (CFA, 36.0% vs 7.5%, P < 0.0001; CNA, 33.4% vs 3.7%, P = 0.0002) and without DM (CFA, 25.2% vs 12.3%, P = 0.0326; CNA, 39.1% vs 17.6%, P = 0.1187). Diabetes mellitus was not significantly associated with outcomes for CFA (P = 0.0802) and CNA (P = 0.2934). Incidences of adverse events, including hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia, were similar in the pancrelipase and placebo arms. ConclusionsPancrelipase improved fat and protein absorption in patients with EPI due to chronic pancreatitis or pancreatectomy, with or without DM, and matched the safety profile previously reported.
Redox-Responsive Manganese Dioxide Nanoparticles for Enhanced MR Imaging and Radiotherapy of Lung Cancer

In this study, we synthesized manganese dioxide nanoparticles (MnO2 NPs) stabilized with biocompatible polymers (polyvinylpyrrolidone and polyacrylic acid) and analyzed their effect on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells with or without gefitinib resistance in vitro. MnO2 NPs showed glutathione (GSH)-responsive dissolution and subsequent enhancement in magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Of note, treatment with MnO2 NPs induced significant cytotoxic effects on NSCLC cells, and additional dose-dependent therapeutic effects were obtained upon X-ray irradiation. Normal cells treated with MnO2 NPs were viable at the tested concentrations. In addition, increased therapeutic efficacy could be achieved when the cells were treated with MnO2 NPs in hypoxic conditions. Therefore, we conclude that the use of MnO2 NPs in MR imaging and combination radiotherapy may be an efficient strategy for the imaging and therapy of NSCLC.
Patterns of mtDNA Diversity in Northwestern North America

The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroups of 54 full-blooded modern and 64 ancient Native Americans from northwestern North America were determined. The control regions of 10 modern and 30 ancient individuals were sequenced and compared. Within the Northwest, the frequency distribution for haplogroup A is geographically structured, with haplogroup A decreasing with distance from the Pacific Coast. The haplogroup A distribution suggests that a prehistoric population intrusion from the subarctic and coastal region occurred on the Columbia Plateau in prehistoric times. Overall, the mtDNA pattern in the Northwest suggests significant amounts of gene flow among Northwest Coast, Columbia Plateau, and Great Basin populations.
The Price of Risk on the African Frontier Stock Markets

ABSTRACT The Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM), and the Fama-French and Carhart models have been widely applied in the developed and most emerging markets; however, there is scant evidence of the viability of the models on the African Frontier Stock Markets (AFSMs). This study examines the viability of the models for a sample that pools securities across nine AFSMs, and whether or not the risk factors of these models command risk premium on the AFSMs. The paper provides evidence of the existence of the size, value and momentum effects on the AFSMs. In addition, the models only partly capture the returns to size and book-to-market sorted portfolios on the AFSMs. Also, the risk factors of these models generally, command marginally significant premium on the AFSMs. Caution should in general be exercised when applying these models on the AFSMs.
A Placebo-Controlled Randomized Double-Blind Study of Adjuvant Intrapleural BCG in Patients With Resected T1N0, T1N1, or T2N0 Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Adenocarcinoma, or Large Cell Carcinoma of the Lung: LCSG Protocol 771

This article reviews the design and findings of LCSG Protocol 771, a randomized double-blind comparison of postoperative adjuvant intrapleural bacillus Calmette-Gueerin (BCG) against saline solution placebo control in 473 patients with resected T1N0, T1N1, or T2N0 nonsmall cell lung cancer. Patients were randomized from August 30,1977, through October 20,1980, and follow-up ended on January 1, 1990. There was no evidence of improved survival or time to recurrence among patients given BCG in contrast to earlier promising findings. A calculation suggests that false-positive results due to chance are not uncommon in small preliminary studies, indicating the need for larger confirmatory trials such as LCSG Protocol 771. Other contributions from this Protocol are also reviewed, including data on BCG toxicity, immunologic effects, patterns of recurrence, and identification of prognostic risk groups.
Optical tomography-measured retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in normal latinos.

PURPOSE To measure retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in normal Latinos using optical coherence tomography (OCT). METHODS Three hundred twelve Latino participants, aged 40 years or more, underwent a detailed ophthalmic examination, including measurement of visual acuity, intraocular pressure, visual field perimetry, and stereoscopic optic disc photography. None of the participants had any evidence of ocular hypertension, glaucoma, or other ocular disease. Nine scans were performed on one eye of each participant by optical coherence tomography (OCT Model 2000; Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, CA, software version A 6.1): three circumferential peripapillary scans and six radial scans of the macula. The average RNFL thicknesses in the peripapillary region and macula were measured. A paired t-test and linear regression analyses were used to analyze the data. RESULTS The mean age of the participants was 52 years (range, 40-79 years). The average peripapillary RNFL thickness 1.74 mm from the center of the disc was 132.7 +/- 14.4 micro m, and the average macular RNFL thickness was 44.8 +/- 14.8 micro m. The average macular retinal thickness was 173 +/- 28.5 micro m. The average peripapillary RNFL thickness in the four quadrants was as follows: superior 157.7 +/- 17.8 micro m, nasal 109.3 +/- 19.1 micro m, inferior 159.8 +/- 18.9 micro m, and temporal 102.5 +/- 19.0 micro m. There were no gender-related differences in macular or peripapillary RNFL thickness (P = 0.12 and P = 0.35, respectively). The average macular and peripapillary RNFL thickness was thinner in older Latinos than in younger Latinos (P = 0.04 and P = 0.0001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Regional and age-related differences in the peripapillary and macular RNFL thickness should be considered when diagnosing and monitoring individuals with diseases that affect the RNFL.
Touch-Screen Stimulation for Automated Verification of Touchscreen-Based Devices

This paper presents an approach to stimulation of the touch-screen as part of the automated system for smart phone and tablet verification. Stimulation is performed in two ways: by touching the screen with the long conductor connected to the ground and by stimulating the screen with orthogonal conductive lines. The conductor is disconnected from the screen electrically, with the use of a transistor. Controlling the on/off state of the transistor controls whether the conductor touches the screen or not. The capacitance of the conductor is enough to change the structure of the electric field such that the touch-screen controller senses the touch when the conductor is connected to the screen, which happens when the transistor is turned on. The system was tested using different touch areas. It showed a clear increase in touch frequency detected by the controller when the transistor is turned on.
Serum bilirubin and antioxidant levels in first degree relatives of patients with ischemic heart disease and normal subjects.

BACKGROUND Coronary diseases appear to result from an overbalance between radical-generating, compared with radical-scavenging systems, a condition called as oxidative stress. Total antioxidant status (TAS) in human plasma reflects the balance between oxidants and antioxidants in each system. Bilirubin has been considered an antioxidant, with capacity to remove reactive species of oxygen. Present study tried to measure the total antioxidant status of first degree relatives of patients with IHD. Study also tried to evaluate the prognostic role of serum bilirubin in disease prevention or progression. METHODS Seventy five apparently healthy subjects in age group 20-50 years, comprising equal number of males and females, who were first degree relatives of ischemic heart disease patients, were included in the study. Family members were divided on the bases of their numbers, i.e., one family member (Group-A), 2 family members (Group-B) and more than 3 family members (Group-C). Study was cross sectional and carried out in a period of 6 months (Jun 2008-Jan 2009). Subjects with letter of consent were taken from general population. Seventy five healthy age matched people with no history of ischemic heart disease in family were taken as control. An overnight fasting blood sample was taken. Total antioxidant status was determined using a commercially available kit. Serum bilirubin was estimated by auto analyzer. RESULTS Family history of ischemic heart disease with serum bilirubin showed a significant negative correlation (p<0.05). But the values of TAS failed to show any significant correlation with the family history. It was observed that the value of serum bilirubin was decreased significantly (p<0.05) with an increased number of family members. Total antioxidant status failed to show any significant difference among all the three groups. CONCLUSION Our data demonstrated that reduced serum levels of bilirubin were seen in people with a higher prevalence of coronary artery disease in the family. The levels of serum bilirubin showed a downward trend with an increase in number of family members affected with ischemic heart disease. Present study failed to show a definite association of total antioxidant status with family history of ischemic heart disease. Additional studies are still necessary on large number of first degree relatives to confirm and demonstrate the association of these findings with clinical outcomes.
Staphylococcus aureus SufT: an essential iron‐sulphur cluster assembly factor in cells experiencing a high‐demand for lipoic acid

Staphylococcus aureus SufT is composed solely of the domain of unknown function 59 (DUF59) and has a role in the maturation of iron‐sulphur (Fe‐S) proteins. We report that SufT is essential for S. aureus when growth is heavily reliant upon lipoamide‐utilizing enzymes, but dispensable when this reliance is decreased. LipA requires Fe‐S clusters for lipoic acid (LA) synthesis and a ΔsufT strain had phenotypes suggestive of decreased LA production and decreased activities of lipoamide‐requiring enzymes. Fermentative growth, a null clpC allele, or decreased flux through the TCA cycle diminished the demand for LA and rendered SufT non‐essential. Abundance of the Fe‐S cluster carrier Nfu was increased in a ΔclpC strain and a null clpC allele was unable to suppress the LA requirement of a ΔsufT Δnfu strain. Over‐expression of nfu suppressed the LA requirement of the ΔsufT strain. We propose a model wherein SufT, and by extension the DUF59, is essential for the maturation of holo‐LipA in S. aureus cells experiencing a high demand for lipoamide‐dependent enzymes. The findings presented suggest that the demand for products of Fe‐S enzymes is a factor governing the usage of one Fe‐S cluster assembly factor over another in the maturation of apo‐proteins.
Stable Binding of ATF6 to BiP in the Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Response

ABSTRACT Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced activation of ATF6, an ER membrane-bound transcription factor, requires a dissociation step from its inhibitory regulator, BiP. It has been generally postulated that dissociation of the BiP-ATF6 complex is a result of the competitive binding of misfolded proteins generated during ER stress. Here we present evidence against this model and for an active regulatory mechanism for dissociation of the complex. Contradictory to the competition model that is based on dynamic binding of BiP to ATF6, our data reveal relatively stable binding. First, the complex was easily isolated, in contrast to many chaperone complexes that require chemical cross-linking. Second, ATF6 bound at similar levels to wild-type BiP and a BiP mutant form that binds substrates stably because of a defect in its ATPase activity. Third, ER stress specifically induced the dissociation of BiP from ER stress transducers while the competition model would predict dissociation from any specific substrate. Fourth, the ATF6-BiP complex was resistant to ATP-induced dissociation in vitro when isolated without detergents, suggesting that cofactors stabilize the complex. In favor of an active dissociation model, one specific region within the ATF6 lumenal domain was identified as a specific ER stress-responsive sequence required for ER stress-triggered BiP release. Together, our results do not support a model in which competitive binding of misfolded proteins causes dissociation of the BiP-ATF6 complex in stressed cells. We propose that stable BiP binding is essential for ATF6 regulation and that ER stress dissociates BiP from ATF6 by actively restarting the BiP ATPase cycle.
Posttraumatic stress in children exposed to family violence and single-event trauma.

OBJECTIVE To examine posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other comorbid forms of psychopathology in a sample of children exposed to chronic abuse and single-event trauma. METHOD School-age children (N = 337) were assessed for exposure to traumatic events (family violence, violent crime, death or illness of someone close to child, accidents) and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Children and mothers received structured diagnostic interviews to assess child psychopathology. RESULTS Children from violent households were no more likely to report an extrafamilial traumatic stressor than children from nonviolent homes. Among the children reporting a traumatic event, 24.6% met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD. The leading precipitating event for PTSD symptoms was death or illness of someone close to the child (log odds = 4.3). Family violence, violent crime, but not accidents also resulted in PTSD. Children with PTSD displayed comorbidity across different symptom classes, most notably phobias and separation anxiety. CONCLUSIONS Both type I and type II trauma can result in PTSD in about one quarter of children. Children with posttraumatic stress symptoms had many other forms of comorbid psychopathology, indicating a global and diffuse impact of trauma on children.
Initial docking of ER‐derived vesicles requires Uso1p and Ypt1p but is independent of SNARE proteins

ER‐to‐Golgi transport in yeast may be reproduced in vitro with washed membranes, purified proteins (COPII, Uso1p and LMA1) and energy. COPII coated vesicles that have budded from the ER are freely diffusible but then dock to Golgi membranes upon the addition of Uso1p. LMA1 and Sec18p are required for vesicle fusion after Uso1p function. Here, we report that the docking reaction is sensitive to excess levels of Sec19p (GDI), a treatment that removes the GTPase, Ypt1p. Once docked, however, vesicle fusion is no longer sensitive to GDI. In vitro binding experiments demonstrate that the amount of Uso1p associated with membranes is reduced when incubated with GDI and correlates with the level of membrane‐bound Ypt1p, suggesting that this GTPase regulates Uso1p binding to membranes. To determine the influence of SNARE proteins on the vesicle docking step, thermosensitive mutations in Sed5p, Bet1p, Bos1p and Sly1p that prevent ER‐to‐Golgi transport in vitro at restrictive temperatures were employed. These mutations do not interfere with Uso1p‐mediated docking, but block membrane fusion. We propose that an initial vesicle docking event of ER‐derived vesicles, termed tethering, depends on Uso1p and Ypt1p but is independent of SNARE proteins.
Circulating levels of sex steroid hormones and risk of endometrial cancer in postmenopausal women

Experimental and epidemiological data support a role for sex steroid hormones in the pathogenesis of endometrial cancer. The associations of pre‐diagnostic blood concentrations of estradiol, estrone, testosterone, androstenedione, DHEAS and SHBG with endometrial cancer risk were investigated. A case‐control study was nested within 3 cohorts in New York (USA), Umeå (Sweden) and Milan (Italy). Cases were 124 postmenopausal women with invasive endometrial cancer. For each case, 2 controls were selected, matching the case on cohort, age and date of recruitment. Only postmenopausal women who did not use exogenous hormones at the time of blood donation were included. Odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated by conditional logistic regression. ORs (95% CI) for endometrial cancer for quartiles with the highest hormone levels, relative to the lowest were as follows: 4.13 (1.76–9.72), ptrend = 0.0008 for estradiol, 3.67 (1.71–7.88), ptrend = 0.0007 for estrone, 2.15 (1.05–4.40), ptrend = 0.04 for androstenedione, 1.74 (0.88–3.46), ptrend = 0.06 for testosterone, 2.90 (1.42–5.90), ptrend = 0.002 for DHEAS and 0.46 (0.20–1.05), ptrend = 0.01 for SHBG after adjustment for body mass index, use of oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy. The results of our multicenter prospective study showed a strong direct association of circulating estrogens, androgens and an inverse association of SHBG levels with endometrial cancer in postmenopausal women. The effect of elevated androstenedione and testosterone levels on disease risk seems to be mediated mainly through their conversion to estrogens, although an independent effect of androgens on tumor growth cannot be ruled out, in particular in the years close to diagnosis. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.