Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Rate based Congestion Control Mechanism Using Fuzzy Controller in MANETs

The traditional congestion control mechanism TCP, performs very poorly in MANETs Because there are a number of new challenges such as wireless link error, medium contention and frequent route failures in this kind of networks. In this paper, we propose a fuzzy adhoc rate-based congestion control (FARCC) to enhance the efficiency of network in MANETs. In FARCC, we use a rate-based transmission scheme using two fuzzy controller of zero order Takagi Sugeno Kang (TSK) model to congestion detection and congestion control. The FARCC sender adjusts data rate by receiving a feedback packet from FARCC destination. NS2-based simulation results show that FARCC outperforms ITP and ATP to achieve, in terms of throughput and fair resource allocation in AdHoc networks under random topology.
Synthesis, Characterization and Cytocompatibility of a Poly(diol-tricarballylate) Visible Light Photo-Cross-Linked Biodegradable Elastomer

The synthesis, characterization and in vitro cytocompatibility of a new family of photo-cross-linked amorphous poly(diol-tricarballylate) (PDT) biodegradable elastomeric polyesters are reported. The synthesis was based on the polycondensation reaction between tricarballylic acid and alkylene diols, followed by acrylation. The prepared and acrylated poly(diol-tricarballylate) (APDT) was characterized by means of FT-IR, 1H-NMR, GPC and DSC. Liquid-to-solid photo-curing was carried out by exposing the APDT to visible light in the presence of camphorquinone as a photoinitiator. The thermal properties, mechanical characteristics, sol content, long-term in vitro degradation and cytocompatibility of the prepared PDT elastomers were also reported. The mechanical and degradation properties of this new photocurable elastomer can be precisely controlled by varying the density of acrylate moieties in the matrix of the polymer, and through changes in the pre-polymer chain length. The use of visible light cross-linking, possibility of solventless drug loading, controllable mechanical properties and cytocompatibility of these new elastomers make them excellent candidates for use in controlled implantable drug-delivery systems of protein drugs and other biomedical applications.
Histological and ultrastructural changes in experimentally produced post‐vaccinial lymphadenitis in rabbits

Light and Electron microscopic alterations in lymph nodes after intradermal vaccinia virus inoculation are described. In the early stages the lymph nodes show a diffuse lymphoreticular proliferation associated with the appearance of peculiar large cells called reticulolymphoblasts. This appearance can be mistaken for malignant lymphoma. Later on, these changes are replaced by markedly hypertrophied lymphoid follicles which persist for long periods. These alterations can be mistaken for follicular lymphoma. Evidence is presented that reticulolymphoblasts are derived from transformed lymphocytes.
Microbiological effects of mouthrinses containing antimicrobials.

A number of mouthrinse formulations containing antimicrobials have been evaluated to determine their effectiveness as antiplaque and/or antigingivitis agents. These have included the bis-biguanides, phenols, quaternary ammonium compounds, oxygenating compounds, plant extracts, fluorides, antibiotics and antimicrobial combinations. These mouthrinses have often been tested as adjuncts to normal oral hygiene procedures as well as in the experimental gingivitis model. 2 agents in particularly, chlorhexidine gluconate and listerine, have been shown to both inhibit or reduce plaque accumulation and the severity of gingivitis. Chlorhexidine has been reported to reduce the accumulation of plaque by approximately 60% and the severity of gingivitis by 50-80% as determined by improvements in clinical indices. A 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate rinse resulted in significant reductions after both 3 and 6 months use in the numbers of total anaerobes, total aerobes, streptococci, and actinomyces recovered from supragingival plaque. Listerine has been reported to retard the development of plaque by 45 to 56% and to reduce existing plaque by 39 to 48%. Gingivitis scores were reduced as much as 59%. Microbial studies have shown that the effect of listerine is exerted against the total microbial mass and results in an overall decrease in both the biomass and the activity. Long-term use of neither mouthrinse, chlorhexidine or listerine, resulted in the emergence of opportunistic or oral pathogens. Preliminary data obtained following the use of a novel mouthrinse consisting of a combination of povidone-iodine and hydrogen peroxide appears promising. This combination was more effective than was more effective than either single component alone in reducing gingivitis scores. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Robustness and Compensation of Information Transmission of Signaling Pathways

Simple Signals? Cells process information about themselves and their surroundings through biochemical signaling pathways. Uda et al. (p. 5588) used a recently developed cytometric method to quantitate signaling through biochemical pathways in individual rat pheochromocytoma cells responding to growth factors. The signaling pathways studied provided about 1 bit of information, or only enough for a binary (on or off) decision. In spite of the simplicity, the results showed interactions between pathways with shared components. In some cases, information carried between inputs and intermediate outputs was less than that between the input and more “downstream” outputs, indicating that information was carried through multiple paths. Similarly, in the presence of pharmacological inhibitors of one pathway, others were able to compensate to allow robust transfer of information. Thus, in spite of noise and variation in signal intensities in individual cells, robust transfer of information from the growth factors was achieved. Information theory analysis of cell signaling reveals mechanisms for reliable cellular responses despite signal variability. Robust transmission of information despite the presence of variation is a fundamental problem in cellular functions. However, the capability and characteristics of information transmission in signaling pathways remain poorly understood. We describe robustness and compensation of information transmission of signaling pathways at the cell population level. We calculated the mutual information transmitted through signaling pathways for the growth factor–mediated gene expression. Growth factors appeared to carry only information sufficient for a binary decision. Information transmission was generally more robust than average signal intensity despite pharmacological perturbations, and compensation of information transmission occurred. Information transmission to the biological output of neurite extension appeared robust. Cells may use information entropy as information so that messages can be robustly transmitted despite variation in molecular activities among individual cells.
Male reproductive toxicity of sodium arsenite in mice

The effect of chronic oral exposure to arsenic on male mouse testicular and accessory sex organ weights, sperm parameters and testicular marker enzymes was studied. In addition, the distribution of arsenic in reproductive organs was measured using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Sodium arsenite administered to mice (Mus musculus) via drinking water at a dose of 53.39 βmol/L (4 ppm As) for 365 days caused a decrease in the absolute and relative testicular weight. However, epididymal and accessory sex organ weight was similar to control. The activities of marker testicular enzymes such as sorbitol dehydrogenase, acid phosphatase and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17β-HSD) were significantly decreased, but those of lactate dehydrogenase and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GT) were significantly increased. A decrease in sperm count and sperm motility, along with an increase in abnormal sperm, was observed in arsenite-exposed mice. A significant accumulation of arsenic in testes, epididymis, seminal vesicle and prostate gland was observed in treated animals. Thus long term exposure (365 days) at the dose level of 53.39 μmol/L sodium arsenite (4 ppm As), to which human beings are likely to be exposed via drinking water, may cause testicular and spermatotoxic effect.
Clinical Significance of the Detection of Thymidine Phosphorylase Activity in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinomas

In this study, we obtained fresh samples of tissue (tumors, adjacent normal mucosas, and metastatic lymph nodes) from 64 patients (metastatic lymph nodes were obtained from 16 patients) with esophageal cancer who underwent esophagectomy between 1993 and 1998. The thymidine phosphorylase (dThdPase) levels of tumors as determined by the ELISA method were compared with clinicopathological findings of tumors and were evaluated for their usefulness as a prognostic parameter for these patients. The dThdPase levels of tumors (221 ± 21 U/mg protein) and metastatic lymph nodes (253 ± 51 U/mg protein) were significantly higher than the dThdPase level of normal mucosas (53 ± 7 U/mg protein, p < 0.001). The dThdPase levels of tumors did not correlate with the histopathological grading of tumors, the depth of tumor invasion, and lymph node metastasis. The 3-year survival rate of 32 patients with a high level of dThdPase (42%) was not different from that of 32 patients with a low level of dThdPase (52%, p = 0.267). Moreover, the dThdPase level of tumors was not an independent prognostic factor for patients with esophageal cancer. These findings suggest that the level of dThdPase activity in esophageal cancers may not correlate with tumor progression and may not be a useful prognostic marker for patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
[Effect of cinobufagin on nuclear factor-kappaB pathway in HepG2 cells].

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of cinobufagin on nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) pathway of liver cancer cell line HepG2. METHODS Dual-luciferase cis-reporting system was used to detect the relative value of pNF-kappaB-TA-luc upon tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) stimulation of NF-kappaB pathway. Western blotting was used to detect the protein level of NF-kappaB p65, and RT-PCR was used to detect the gene transcription level of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), a target downstream gene of NF-kappaB. RESULTS At the concentration of 0.25 and 0.5 microg/ml, cinobufagin significantly lowered the relative value of luciferase (P<0.05). The results of Western blotting showed that cinobufagin significantly suppressed the protein expression of NF-kappaB p65. The transcription level of ICAM-1 was reduced by different doses of cinobufagin. CONCLUSION The anti-cancer effect of cinobufagin may be related to its activity in inhibiting the activation of NF-kappaB pathway.
The role of endocannabinoids in pain modulation

The endocannabinoid system (ES) is comprised of cannabinoid (CB) receptors, their endogenous ligands (endocannabinoids), and proteins responsible for their metabolism. Endocannabinoids serve as retrograde signaling messengers in GABAergic and glutamatergic synapses, as well as modulators of postsynaptic transmission, that interact with other neurotransmitters. Physiological stimuli and pathological conditions lead to differential increases in brain endocannabinoids that regulate distinct biological functions. Furthermore, endocannabinoids modulate neuronal, glial, and endothelial cell function and exert neuromodulatory, anti‐excitotoxic, anti‐inflammatory, and vasodilatory effects. Analgesia is one of the principal therapeutic targets of cannabinoids. Cannabinoid analgesia is based on the suppression of spinal and thalamic nociceptive neurons, but peripheral sites of action have also been identified. The chronic pain that occasionally follows peripheral nerve injury differs fundamentally from inflammatory pain and is an area of considerable unmet therapeutic need. Over the last years, considerable progress has been made in understanding the role of the ES in the modulation of pain. Endocannabinoids have been shown to behave as analgesics in models of both acute nociception and clinical pain such as inflammation and painful neuropathy. The framework for such analgesic effects exists in the CB receptors, which are found in areas of the nervous system important for pain processing and in immune cells that regulate the neuro‐immune interactions that mediate the inflammatory hyperalgesia. The purpose of this review is to present the available research and clinical data, up to date, regarding the ES and its role in pain modulation, as well as its possible therapeutic perspectives.
S‐adenosylhomocysteine sensitizes to TNF‐α hepatotoxicity in mice and liver cells: A possible etiological factor in alcoholic liver disease

In alcoholic liver disease, tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNFα) is a critical effector molecule, and abnormal methionine metabolism is a fundamental acquired metabolic abnormality. Although hepatocytes are resistant to TNFα‐induced killing under normal circumstances, previous studies have shown that primary hepatocytes from rats chronically fed alcohol have increased TNFα cytotoxicity. Therefore, there must be mechanisms by which chronic alcohol exposure “sensitizes” to TNFα hepatotoxicity. S‐adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) is product of methionine in transsulfuration pathway and a potent competitive inhibitor of most methyltransferases. In this study, we investigated the effects of increased SAH levels on TNFα hepatotoxicity. Our results demonstrated that chronic alcohol consumption in mice not only decreased hepatic S‐adenosylmethionine levels but also increased hepatic SAH levels, which resulted in a significantly decreased S‐adenosylmethionine‐to‐SAH ratio. This was associated with significant increases in hepatic TNFα levels, caspase‐8 activity, and cell death. In vitro studies demonstrated that SAH‐enhancing agents sensitized hepatocytes to TNFα killing, and the death was associated with increased caspase‐8 activity, which was blocked by a caspase‐8 inhibitor. In addition, increased intracellular SAH levels had no effect on nuclear factor κB activity induced by TNFα. In conclusion, these results provide a new link between abnormal methionine metabolism and abnormal TNFα metabolism in alcoholic liver disease. Increased SAH is a potent and clinically relevant sensitizer to TNFα hepatotoxicity. These data further support improving the S‐adenosylmethionine‐to‐SAH ratio and removal of intracellular SAH as potential therapeutic options in alcoholic liver disease. Supplementary material for this article can be found on the HEPATOLOGYwebsite (http://interscience.wiley.com/jpages/0270‐9139/suppmat/index.html). (HEPATOLOGY 2004;40:989–997.)
Chronic Schizophrenic Disorder

Bilateral palmar skin conductance and heart rate were measured throughout a series of psychological tests and during both sitting and ambulant social interactions in 14 right-handed men with chronic schizophrenic disorder and 12 healthy volunteers matched for age and handedness. Miniature radio telemetry equipment was used to collect the physiological data. The schizophrenic group was effectively unresponsive to 70-dB auditory stimuli, while all but one of the control group responded and habituated to a nil response by the tenth tone in sequence. The schizophrenic group showed some evidence of increased skin conductance activity at rest, and in socially demanding conditions skin conductance level and variability were increased in the right hand. The present group of electrodermal ‘non-responders' was not in general autonomically underactive. Asymmetry of skin conductance activity during social interaction may be a characteristic of chronic schizophrenic disorder.
An Ancient Bacterial Signaling Pathway Regulates Chloroplast Function to Influence Growth and Development in Arabidopsis[OPEN]

The signaling nucleotide guanosine tetraphosphate, a potent inhibitor of chloroplast gene expression, mediates chloroplast and nucleocytoplasmic cooperation during plant growth and development. The chloroplast originated from the endosymbiosis of an ancient photosynthetic bacterium by a eukaryotic cell. Remarkably, the chloroplast has retained elements of a bacterial stress response pathway that is mediated by the signaling nucleotides guanosine penta- and tetraphosphate (ppGpp). However, an understanding of the mechanism and outcomes of ppGpp signaling in the photosynthetic eukaryotes has remained elusive. Using the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, we show that ppGpp is a potent regulator of chloroplast gene expression in vivo that directly reduces the quantity of chloroplast transcripts and chloroplast-encoded proteins. We then go on to demonstrate that the antagonistic functions of different plant RelA SpoT homologs together modulate ppGpp levels to regulate chloroplast function and show that they are required for optimal plant growth, chloroplast volume, and chloroplast breakdown during dark-induced and developmental senescence. Therefore, our results show that ppGpp signaling is not only linked to stress responses in plants but is also an important mediator of cooperation between the chloroplast and the nucleocytoplasmic compartment during plant growth and development.
Phylogenetic Analysis of the Entire Genome of Influenza A (H3N2) Viruses from Japan: Evidence for Genetic Reassortment of the Six Internal Genes

ABSTRACT Nucleotide sequences of all eight RNA segments of 10 human H3N2 influenza viruses isolated during a 5-year period from 1993 to 1997 were determined and analyzed phylogenetically in order to define the evolutionary pathways of all genes in a parallel fashion. It was evident that the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase genes of these viruses evolved essentially in a single lineage and that amino acid changes accumulated sequentially with respect to time. In contrast, amino acid differences in the internal proteins were erratic and did not accumulate over time. Parallel analysis of the phylogenetic patterns of all genes revealed that the evolutionary pathways of the six internal genes were not linked to the surface glycoproteins. Genes coding for the basic polymerase-1, nucleoprotein, and matrix proteins of 1997 isolates were closest phylogenetically to those of earlier isolates of 1993 and 1994. Furthermore, all six internal genes of four viruses isolated in the 1995 epidemic season consistently divided into two distinct branch clusters, and two 1995 isolates contained PB2 genes apparently originating from those of viruses before 1993. It was apparent that the lack of correlation between the topologies of the phylogenetic trees of the genes coding for the surface glycoproteins and internal proteins was a reflection of genetic reassortment among human H3N2 viruses. This is the first evidence demonstrating the occurrence of genetic reassortment involving the internal genes of human H3N2 viruses. Furthermore, internal protein variability coincided with marked increases in the activity of H3N2 viruses in 1995 and 1997.
Comparative Bioavailability of Two Dexamethasone Tablet Formulations in Indonesian Healthy Volunteers

Abstract Aim: To compare the bioavailability of two dexamethasone (CAS 50-02-2) tablet formulations–4 mg Dexmethsone® tablets as test formulation and 4 mg tablets of the originator product as reference formulation. Methods: The study was conducted according to an open-label, randomized two-way crossover design with a one-week washout period. Twenty-four volunteers received a single dose of two tablets of the two different dexamethasone formulations. Blood samples for pharmacokinetic profiling were taken up to 24 h after drug administration in fasting condition. Plasma concentrations of dexamethasone were determined with a validated HPLC method using an ultraviolet detector. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated from observed plasma concentration-time profiles. Result: The mean AUC0–t, AUC0–∞ and Cmax were 501.61 ng • h/ml, 518.88 ng • h/ml and 98.02 ng/ml, respectively for the test formulation and 507.10 ng • h/ml, 525.20 ng • h/ml and 97.82 ng/ml, respectively, for the reference formulation. The median Tmax for both formulations was 0.75 h. Plasma elimination half-lives (t1/2) were 3.44 h (test) and 3.38 h (reference). The point estimates and 90% confidence intervals (CI) for AUC0–t, AUC0–∞ and Cmax were 98.92% (94.62–103.41%), 98.80% (94.51–103.28%) and 100.20% (91.43–109.81%), respectively, satisfying the bioequivalence criteria of the European Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products and the US Food and Drug Administration guidelines. Conclusion: These results indicate that the two formulations of dexamethasone are bioequivalent and thus may be prescribed interchangeably.
The use of indirect calorimetry in the intensive care unit

Purpose of reviewThis review evaluates whether improvements have occurred in the value of predictive equations for use in designing nutritional therapeutic regimens in the ICU. The report also seeks to determine whether emerging strategies for nutrition therapy in the ICU change the need for an accurate measurement of energy requirements by indirect calorimetry. Recent findingsPredictive equations remain problematic for use in the critically ill patient. Inaccuracy of predictive equations introduces error in the design of a nutritional therapy regimen. The epidemic of obesity renders the calculations of requirements by predictive equations increasingly inaccurate at extremes of BMI. Certain patient populations appear to be hypometabolic, contradicting the traditional notion that critical illness increases energy expenditure. More recent data indicates that determination of which patients benefit from nutritional therapy may be based both on assessment of nutrition risk and delivery of sufficient nutrition therapy. SummaryThe role of indirect calorimetry in the ICU should be expected to increase in the near future, as predictive equations may be too inaccurate to identify the appropriate goals of nutrition therapy.
Factors affecting the productivity of the construction industry in Thailand: the project managers perception

There has been a lack of research in the construction industry in Thailand. The objectives of this paper are to identify factors affecting construction productivity in Thailand, and their potential for improvement. To do so, 34 project managers working in the construction industry in Thailand were asked to complete a structured questionnaire survey. The factors were ranked, using a relative importance index (RII), according to the project mangers’ perception of their levels of influence and their potential for improvement. Findings indicate that the top eight factors affecting construction productivity are: lack of material, incomplete drawings, inspection delay, incompetent supervisors, instruction time, lack of tools and equipment, poor communication and poor site conditions. However, the ranking of factors in respect of their potential for improvement did not correlate with their influence on productivity. To supplement the questionnaire data, in depth interviews were conducted with some project managers. This study forms the initial investigation of a more in-depth study of the Thailand construction industry, which aims to lead to overall productivity improvement.