Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Acute colonic ischaemia in rats results in long‐term structural changes without alterations of colonic sensitivity

Colonic ischaemia and mast cells have been involved in the pathophysiology of the functional gastrointestinal disorder irritable bowel syndrome, although the cause–effect relationships remain unknown. We assessed long‐term histopathological and functional changes associated to an acute ischaemic episode (1 h) of the colon, followed by 8‐week recovery, in rats. Functional colonic alterations [sensitivity during colorectal distension (CRD), compliance and propulsive motility] were assessed regularly during the recovery. Colonic histopathology (presence of inflammation, morphometric alterations and variations in neuronal density in the enteric nervous system) 8‐week postischaemia was assessed. Following ischaemia, none of the functional parameters tested (motility, sensitivity and compliance) were affected. At necropsy, the colon presented an overall normal appearance with an increase in weight of the ischaemic area (mg/cm: 99 ± 6; P < 0.05 vs. control: 81 ± 4 or sham ischaemia: 81 ± 3). Histopathological evaluations revealed the presence of a local infiltrate of mast cells in the area of ischaemia (nb of mast cells: 142 ± 50; P < 0.05 vs. control, 31 ± 14 or sham ischaemia: 40 ± 16), without other significant alterations. Animals subjected to colonic ischaemia and treated 8 weeks later with the mast cell degranulator, compound 48/80, showed no changes in CRD‐related pain responses. These studies show that acute colonic ischaemia is associated with the presence of a long‐term local infiltration of mast cells, located within the serosa and muscle layers, despite the absence of functional changes, including colonic sensitivity. Considering the important pathophysiological functions of mast cells, the observed mast cell infiltration may be involved in ischaemia‐induced functional changes yet to be characterized.
Effects of unreliable automation in scheduling operator attention for multi-robot control

The present study investigates the effect of imperfect automation in a human multi-robot controlled environment with different principles for scheduling an operator's attention in a foraging task. The experiment compared a SJF-queue (shortest job first) presenting a single alarm at a time with an Open-queue which showed all current alarms. Two levels of automation reliability, high (90%) and low (50%), were examined in the study. Performance for the queue mechanisms was equivalent confirming that operator attention can be effectively directed to improve performance. Additionally, the higher reliability condition raised an operator's success rate for resolving robot failures and assisted the operator in allocating attention to emergent events in a timely manner. Although the more frequent alerts contributed to better performance operators experienced increased levels of workload.
Comparison of Pulsatile Perfusion and Cold Storage for Paired Kidney Allografts

Use of pulsatile perfusion to optimize outcomes in deceased donor kidney transplantation remains controversial. This study is a retrospective analysis of all cadaveric renal allografts procured locally by our center over a 3-year period. Kidney pairs were identified in which one kidney underwent pulsatile perfusion and transplantation at our center, whereas the contra-lateral kidney underwent cold storage and transplantation at another center. Eighty-eight percent of the exported kidneys were six-antigen matches. Study outcomes included 1-year graft and patient survival, delayed graft function, and need for posttransplant dialysis. Recipients had similar demographic and disease characteristics. Survival for pulsatile perfusion and cold storage were 95% and 88% (graft, P=0.43) and 98% and 90% (patient, P=0.36), respectively. The incidence of delayed graft function was 5% and 35% (P<0.01), whereas posttransplant dialysis was 5% and 30% (P<0.01), for pulsatile perfusion and cold storage, respectively. These data support routine use of pulsatile perfusion.
Human argininosuccinate synthetase minigenes are subject to arginine-mediated repression but not to trans induction

The human argininosuccinate synthetase locus is subject to metabolite-mediated repression by arginine in some cultured cell lines. To gain insight into the mechanism underlying this regulation, chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) minigenes under the transcriptional control of the human argininosuccinate synthetase promoter were constructed and tested for regulation. When the minigenes were introduced into RPMI 2650 cells, a human cell line that shows sixfold regulation of the argininosuccinate synthetase gene, CAT expression was repressed three- to fivefold when arginine was present in the culture medium. A minigene containing only 149 base pairs of 5'-flanking sequence was expressed at similar levels and regulated to the same degree as one having approximately 3 kilobases of 5'-flanking sequence. Therefore, the cis-acting sequences required for the arginine-mediated repression are likely to be located within the region of the transcription initiation site. The arginine-mediated repression of the CAT minigenes was not observed in canavanine-resistant variants of RPMI 2650 cells, and therefore they showed the appropriate cell-type specificity. Cultured cells having 200-fold-increased levels of argininosuccinate synthetase can be selected by growth in medium containing the arginine analog canavanine. It was previously demonstrated that the increased expression of argininosuccinate synthetase in canavanine-resistant human lymphoblasts was due to a trans-acting mechanism. To gain further support for a trans-acting mechanism, we tested our CAT minigenes for the trans induction in canavanine-resistant variants of RPMI 2650 cells. Transfection of the CAT minigenes into RPMI 2650 cells and canavanine-resistant variants of this cell line yielded no difference in transient CAT expression. Furthermore, cloned canavanine-resistant variant cells having integrated copies of the CAT minigenes expressed CAT at similar levels as compared to the parental cell lines. Since these cell lines do exhibit arginine-mediated repression of CAT but not trans induction, these data indicate that the argine-mediated repression is a regulatory event that occurs independently of the trans induction.
Enhanced spectral efficiency for intensity modulated DWDM systems

The core of the global telecommunication network consists of wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical transmission systems. WDM is the technology of choice as it allows for a high spectral efficiency. We propose an effective way to counter the nonlinearities like Four Wave Mixing, Stimulated Raman Scattering, Stimulated Brillouin Scattering, Cross Phase Modulation to achieve high spectral efficiency for different intensity modulated DWDM systems. We propose the concept of non-uniform or unequal channel spacing and non-uniform power assignment between adjacent channels of the DWDM system. The different intensity modulation formats considered in this paper are NRZ, RZ, CSRZ and Duo-binary. A comparison of performance is also presented between these formats.
The Nitrogen Boil-Off Method for Measuring AC Losses in HTS Coils

We have developed a novel apparatus for applying a nitrogen boil-off method as a mean of making calorimetric measurements and allowing for simple measuring and evaluating of AC losses in HTS coils at liquid nitrogen temperature. With the ability to measure AC loss generated in superconductors directly, this method produces more reliable data than that obtained by general, electro-magnetic measurements. A sensitivity of about 0.1 W was achieved by improving sensitivity in measuring gas evaporation via the following three steps: (1) use of nonmetallic vessel, heat-insulated housing in which the sample is located; (2) optimization for sample vessel thickness and tube size; and (3) stabilization of evaporating gas emitted by the heater. It is widely expected that the proposed apparatus may be used for individual measurement of the magnetization loss and the transport current loss in HTS coils, as well as their total losses, in addition to the AC loss in irregularly shaped samples
Adolescent outcomes of childhood disorders: the consequences of severity and impairment.

OBJECTIVE To examine the adolescent consequences of clinical and threshold-level psychiatric disorders, with and without significant functional impairment; to predict serious emotional disturbance (SED: clinical-level diagnosis with impairment); and to examine sex differences in the consequences of emotional and behavioral disorders. METHOD 300 children aged 7 through 11 years were recruited from urban and suburban offices of a large health maintenance organization (HMO). Child and parent were interviewed at home using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC), version 1.3. Five to 7 years later, 278 (93%) of the sample were reinterviewed using the DISC-2.1. RESULTS There was considerable continuity of psychopathology, particularly in children with functional impairment. Behavioral disorders at every level of severity predicted adolescent SED in both sexes. For emotional disorders, girls but not boys with childhood SED had significantly higher levels of adolescent SED. CONCLUSIONS Childhood disorders falling below the level of severity required to meet criteria for treatment set by many HMOs or insurance companies nevertheless can carry a significantly increased risk for severe pathology years later. Functional impairment played an important role in the adolescent consequences of childhood psychiatric disorder.
A Novel Micromachined Claw Probe for the Electrical Testing of Microsolder Ball

This paper presents a micromachined claw probe with electroplating nickel for microsolder ball electrical testing applications. The suspension claw structure consists of two bridges and four curved cantilevers, which have a flexible spring constant in a small region. The out-of-plane claw-probe unit was fabricated using silicon bulk micromachining, titanium deposition, and nickel electroplating processes. The typical bending cantilever structure, made by nickel electroplating, had a thickness of 6.5 μm, a width of 10 μm, and a length of 80 μm. The maximum out-of-plane deflections of the fabricated 40 × 40 claw-probe array were approximately 50 ± 1.2 μm, under the effect of residual tensile stress of 923 MPa. For the probing test of the microsolder ball with a diameter of 200 μm, under the contact force of 1.75 mN, the measured path resistance was about 30 Ω, and the moving stroke of the microsolder ball was 14 μm. The extendable overdrive stroke was over 30 μm, after probe contact with the microsolder ball, and obvious damage was not observed on the surfaces of the claw probe except for several slight scrapes on the sidewall of the microsolder ball. This probe card is potentially capable of providing a very large number of micromachined probes in an array format and can also satisfy the requirements for a fine-pitch ball grid array and low-cost wafer-level testing.
Canthal Indices of Urhobo and Itsekiri Ethnic Groups

Canthal index is an important component of craniofacial anthropometry. Craniofacial anthropometry is vital in making a precise and systematic measurement of human skull. One thousand (1000) adults comprising 500 males and 500 females were used for this study. Five hundred (500) comprising 250 males and 250 females were from either Urhobo or Itsekiri ethnic group of Delta state. All the subjects were drawn from Warri in Delta State. The subjects were measured for inner and outer canthal distances using a non stretchable plastic ruler and the canthal index was calculated. The results showed that Urhobo males and females had inner canthal distances of 3.40cm and 3.00cm respectively, outer canthal distances of 13.10cm and 12.10cm and mean canthal indices of 24.38 and 29.38 respectively while Itsekiri males and females had inner canthal distances of 3.50cm and 3.30cm respectively ,outer canthal distances of 12.90cm and 11.40cm and mean canthal indices of 26.03 and 27.07 respectively . Canthal index in Urhobo female is larger than that of Itsekiri female and canthal index in Itsekiri male is larger than urhobo male (p<0.05) using Z-test. The canthal index in the two ethnic groups was sexually dimorphic. This study will be useful in anthropology and medicine most especially in craniofacial surgery.
Influence of the microwave technology on solid dispersions of mefenamic acid and flufenamic acid

The present studies were undertaken to develop solvent-free solid dispersions (SDs) for poorly soluble anti-inflammatory drugs mefenamic acid (MA) and flufenamic acid (FFA) in order to enhance their in vitro dissolution rate and in vivo anti-inflammatory effects. The SDs of MA and FFA were prepared using microwaves irradiation (MW) technique. Different carriers such as Pluronic F127® (PL), Eudragit EPO® (EPO), polyethylene glycol 4000 (PEG 4000) and Gelucire 50/13 (GLU) were used for the preparation of SDs. Prepared MW irradiated SDs were characterized physicochemically using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infra-red (FT-IR) spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The physicochemical characteristics and drug release profile of SDs were compared with pure drugs. The results of DSC, TGA, FT-IR, PXRD and SEM showed that SDs were successfully prepared. In vitro dissolution rate of MA and FFA was remarkably enhanced by SDs in comparison with pure MA and FFA. The SDs of MA and FFA prepared using PEG 400 showed higher drug release profile in comparison with those prepared using PL, EPO or GLU. The dissolution efficiency for MA-PEG SD and FFA-PEG SD was obtained as 61.40 and 59.18%, respectively. Optimized SDs were also evaluated for in vivo anti-inflammatory effects in male Wistar rats. The results showed significant % inhibition by MA-PEG (87.74% after 4 h) and FFA-PEG SDs (81.76% after 4 h) in comparison with pure MA (68.09% after 4 h) and pure FFA (55.27% after 4 h) (P<0.05). These results suggested that MW irradiated SDs of MA and FFA could be successfully used for the enhancement of in vitro dissolution rate and in vivo therapeutic efficacy of both drugs.
Cognitive Factors that Maintain Social Anxiety Disorder: a Comprehensive Model and its Treatment Implications

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a common, distressing and persistent mental illness. Recent studies have identified a number of psychological factors that could explain the maintenance of the disorder. These factors are presented here as part of a comprehensive psychological maintenance model of SAD. This model assumes that social apprehension is associated with unrealistic social standards and a deficiency in selecting attainable social goals. When confronted with challenging social situations, individuals with SAD shift their attention toward their anxiety, view themselves negatively as a social object, overestimate the negative consequences of a social encounter, believe that they have little control over their emotional response, and view their social skills as inadequate to effectively cope with the social situation. In order to avoid social mishaps, individuals with SAD revert to maladaptive coping strategies, including avoidance and safety behaviors, followed by post‐event rumination, which leads to further social apprehension in the future. Possible disorder‐specific intervention strategies are discussed.
A majority of the cancer/testis antigens are intrinsically disordered proteins

The cancer/testis antigens (CTAs) are a group of heterogeneous proteins that are typically expressed in the testis but aberrantly expressed in several types of cancer. Although overexpression of CTAs is frequently associated with advanced disease and poorer prognosis, the significance of this correlation is unclear since the functions of the CTAs in the disease process remain poorly understood. Here, employing a bioinformatics approach, we show that a majority of CTAs are intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs). IDPs are proteins that, under physiological conditions in vitro, lack rigid 3D structures either along their entire length or in localized regions. Despite the lack of structure, most IDPs can transition from disorder to order upon binding to biological targets and often promote highly promiscuous interactions. IDPs play important roles in transcriptional regulation and signaling via regulatory protein networks and are often associated with dosage sensitivity. Consistent with these observations, we find that several CTAs can bind DNA, and their forced expression appears to increase cell growth implying a potential dosage‐sensitive function. Furthermore, the CTAs appear to occupy “hub” positions in protein regulatory networks that typically adopt a “scale‐free” power law distribution. Taken together, our data provide a novel perspective on the CTAs implicating them in processing and transducing information in altered physiological states in a dosage‐sensitive manner. Identifying the CTAs that occupy hub positions in protein regulatory networks would allow a better understanding of their functions as well as the development of novel therapeutics to treat cancer. J. Cell. Biochem. 112: 3256–3267, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Magnetoencephalography in the study of children with autism spectrum disorder

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a non‐invasive neuroimaging technique that provides a measure of cortical neural activity on a millisecond timescale with high spatial resolution. MEG has been clinically applied to various neurological diseases, including epilepsy and cognitive dysfunction. In the past decade, MEG has also emerged as an important investigatory tool in neurodevelopmental studies. It is therefore an opportune time to review how MEG is able to contribute to the study of atypical brain development. We limit this review to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The relevant published work for children was accessed using PubMed on 5 January 2015. Case reports, case series, and papers on epilepsy were excluded. Owing to their accurate separation of brain activity in the right and left hemispheres and the higher accuracy of source localization, MEG studies have added new information related to auditory‐evoked brain responses to findings from previous electroencephalography studies of children with ASD. In addition, evidence of atypical brain connectivity in children with ASD has accumulated over the past decade. MEG is well suited for the study of neural activity with high time resolution even in young children. Although further studies are still necessary, the detailed findings provided by neuroimaging methods may aid clinical diagnosis and even contribute to the refinement of diagnostic categories for neurodevelopmental disorders in the future.
Psychosocial effects of an Ebola outbreak at individual, community and international levels

Abstract The 2013–2016 Ebola outbreak in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone was the worst in history with over 28 000 cases and 11 000 deaths. Here we examine the psychosocial consequences of the epidemic. Ebola is a traumatic illness both in terms of symptom severity and mortality rates. Those affected are likely to experience psychological effects due to the traumatic course of the infection, fear of death and experience of witnessing others dying. Survivors can also experience psychosocial consequences due to feelings of shame or guilt (e.g. from transmitting infection to others) and stigmatization or blame from their communities. At the community level, a cyclical pattern of fear occurs, with a loss of trust in health services and stigma, resulting in disruptions of community interactions and community break down. Health systems in affected countries were severely disrupted and overstretched by the outbreak and their capacities were significantly reduced as almost 900 health-care workers were infected with Ebola and more than 500 died. The outbreak resulted in an increased need for health services, reduced quality of life and economic productivity and social system break down. It is essential that the global response to the outbreak considers both acute and long-term psychosocial needs of individuals and communities. Response efforts should involve communities to address psychosocial need, to rebuild health systems and trust and to limit stigma. The severity of this epidemic and its long-lasting repercussions should spur investment in and development of health systems.
Proximate composition, amino acid and fatty acid profiles of marine snail Rapana venosa meat, visceral mass and operculum.

BACKGROUND Rapana venosa (Rv), an important marine snail, demonstrates an increasing nutritional and economic importance. However, there is still limited information available on their nutritional composition. The present study highlights and provides new information on the proximate composition, amino acid and fatty acid profiles of different body parts of Rv, aiming for its better application and research. RESULTS The operculum contained a high amount of protein and flavor amino acids. The edible tissues, including meat and visceral mass, were valuable sources of essential amino acids (EAA) apart from methionine and cysteine. In addition, the meat contained high amount of taurine. Fatty acid analysis indicated that the edible tissues contained high amounts of ω3 fatty acids, especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (C20:5ω3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (C22:6ω3), and had a low ω6/ω3 fatty acid ratio. Interestingly, significantly higher concentrations of most nutritional elements such as fat, EAA, EPA and DHA, were found in the visceral mass compared to those in the meat. CONCLUSION The operculum of Rv may became a very interesting source for some protein and flavor peptide development, and the edible parts of Rv may be utilized for special dietary applications requiring high amounts of taurine, EPA, DHA and a lower ω6/ω3 fatty acid ratio. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.
Head Trauma–Related Deaths Among Preschool Children in Istanbul, Turkey

ObjectiveHead trauma takes place among the leading causes of mortality in children. This study aimed to determine the risk factors of head trauma–related deaths among children younger than 5 years in Istanbul, Turkey. Material and MethodsThis study was conducted using the records of the Morgue Department of the Council of Forensic Medicine in Istanbul. The records of cases autopsied between 2008 and 2012 were retrospectively investigated. Of all preschool children deaths, 203 head trauma–related deaths were included in the study. ResultsOf all, 117 (57.6%) were males and 86 (42.4%) were females. Most cases (107, 52.70%) were between the ages of 12 and 36 months. The most common mechanism of injury was “fall from a height” with 97 cases (47.78%), followed by “traffic accidents” (67, 33%) and “hit by falling objects” (19, 9.35%). Skull fracture was detected in 176 cases (86.69%), of which 81 (46.02%) were characterized with linear fracture. Furthermore, skull fracture was accompanied by 1 or more skeletal bone fracture in 64 cases. Retinal hemorrhage was investigated in 5 cases of suspected physical abuse and only 2 of them showed retinal hemorrhage findings. ConclusionsObtained findings revealed that fall from a height was the leading cause of death among unnatural deaths in children younger than 5 years. Domestic accident was found to be a significant risk factor in childhood deaths. Traffic fatalities were among leading causes of death in childhood in our country, likewise in all around the world. Children were found to be more vulnerable to traumas when they start to move around with incomplete motor skills. Therefore, education of parents in terms of child supervision and installing safety precautions toward preschool children will be helpful in preventing such injuries. On the contrary to some findings in the literature, more severe lesions were also prominent even in case of short-range falls from a height.