Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Do different mechanisms underlie two anxiogenic effects of systemic nicotine?

&NA;&agr;7 Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (&agr;7 nAChRs) and 5‐hydroxytryptamine 1A (5‐HT1A) receptors have been implicated in the anxiogenic effects of centrally administered nicotine, but the receptors that mediate the anxiogenic effects of systemic nicotine are not known. This study explored whether competitive nAChR antagonists [dihydrobeta‐erythroidine (DH&bgr;E), 4 mg/kg, and methyllycaconitine (MLA), 5 mg/kg], and a 5‐HT1A receptor antagonist (WAY 100635, 0.5 and 1 mg/kg) could block the effects of two anxiogenic doses of nicotine in the social interaction test of anxiety. The anxiogenic effect of 0.1 mg/kg nicotine, given 5 min before the test, was blocked by DH&bgr;E and WAY 100635, establishing roles for &agr;4&bgr;2 nAChRs and 5‐HT1A receptors. None of the antagonists could block the effect of 0.45 mg/kg nicotine, given 30 min before the test, precluding firm conclusions about the mechanisms underlying this anxiogenic effect. However, there was evidence for a role of &agr;7 nAChRs in mediating an endogenous anxiogenic tone, since MLA itself had an anxiolytic effect that was blocked by both doses of nicotine. Thus, both &agr;7 and &agr;4&bgr;2 nAChRs might have a role in mediating the anxiogenic effects of nicotine. Behavioural Pharmacology 14:323‐329 © 2003 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Migration of formaldehyde and melamine monomers from kitchen- and tableware made of melamine plastic

Migration of one or both formaldehyde and/or melamine monomers was found in seven of ten tested melamine samples bought on the Danish market. The samples were a bowl, a jug, a mug, a ladle, and different cups and plates. No violation of the European Union-specific migration limits for melamine (30 mg kg−1) and formaldehyde (15 mg kg−1) was found after three successive exposures to the food stimulant 3% acetic acid after 2 h at 70°C. To investigate the effects of long-term use, migration tests were performed with two types of cups from a day nursery. Furthermore, medium-term use was studied by ten successive exposures of a plate to 3% acetic acid for 30 min at 95°C. The results indicate that continuous migration of formaldehyde and melamine takes place during the lifetime of these articles. The molar ratio of released formaldehyde to melamine was seen to decrease from 12 to about 5. This indicates that, first, the migration of residual monomers is most important, but in the long-term, breakdown of the polymer dominates. Two CEN methods were used to determine the concentration of monomers: a spectrophotometric method for formaldehyde and a UV-HPLC method for melamine.
Individual heterogeneity in the returns to schooling: instrumental variables quantile regression using twins data

Abstract. Considerable effort has been exercised in estimating mean returns to education while carefully considering biases arising from unmeasured ability and measurement error. Recent work has investigated whether there are variations from the “mean” return to education across the population with mixed results. We use an instrumental variables estimator for quantile regression on a sample of twins to estimate an entire family of returns to education at different quantiles of the conditional distribution of wages while addressing simultaneity and measurement error biases. We test whether there is individual heterogeneity in returns to education and find that: more able individuals obtain more schooling perhaps due to lower marginal costs and/or higher marginal benefits of schooling and that higher ability individuals (those further to the right in the conditional distribution of wages) have higher returns to schooling consistent with a non-trivial interaction between schooling and unobserved abilities in the generation of earnings. The estimated returns are never lower than 9 percent and can be as high as 13 percent at the top of the conditional distribution of wages but they vary significantly only along the lower to middle quantiles. Our findings may have meaningful implications for the design of educational policies.
The Natural History of HIV-1 Infection in Young Thai Men After Seroconversion

Summary:The natural history and progression of HIV-1 infection in Thailand and other developing countries in Asia and Africa have not been well defined. Nevertheless, valid data are needed to evaluate the effects of interventions, which are designed to delay progression. We evaluated the progression to AIDS and death in 235 men who seroconverted during their 2 years of service in the Royal Thai Army. The men were conscripted at age 21 and seroconverted within a 6-month window during follow-up while in the military. The seroconverters were matched with men who were seronegative when discharged. Of the HIV-positive men, 156 (66.4%) were alive, 77 (32.8%) had died, and 2 (0.8%) could not be located 5–7 years after their seroconversion and discharge from the military. The 5-year survival rate was 82.3%; the median times to clinical AIDS and a CD4+ cell count of <200/μL was 7.4 years and 6.9 years, respectively. The mortality rate was 56.3 deaths per 1000 patient-years for HIV-positive men and 6.1 deaths per 1000 patient-years for HIV-negative men. Our data suggest a more rapid progression to AIDS and death after HIV-1 infection in young men in Thailand than has been reported for similarly aged cohorts in developed countries.
Prolonged Inhaled NO Attenuates Hypoxic, but Not Monocrotaline-Induced, Pulmonary Vascular Remodeling in Rats

In concentrations of 10-20 ppm, inhaled nitric oxide (NO) decreases pulmonary artery pressure and attenuates vascular remodeling in pulmonary hypertensive rats. Because NO is potentially toxic, it is important to know whether lower concentrations attenuate vascular remodeling produced by different etiologies. Therefore, we determined the effects of prolonged, small-dose inhaled NO administration on hypoxic and monocrotaline (MCT)-induced pulmonary vascular remodeling. Rats were subjected to normoxia, hypoxia (normobaric 10% oxygen), or hypoxia plus NO in concentrations of 50 ppb, 200 ppb, 2 ppm, 20 ppm, and 100 ppm for 3 wk. A second group of normoxic rats was given MCT (60 mg/kg intraperitoneally) alone or in the presence of 2, 20, and 100 ppm of NO. Subsequently, pulmonary artery smooth muscle thickness and the number of muscular arteries (percentage of total arteries) were determined. Right ventricular hypertrophy was determined by right to left ventricle plus septum weight ratio (RV/LV + S). Pulmonary artery smooth muscle thickness and the percent muscular arteries were increased by hypoxia and MCT. The hypoxic increase in thickness was attenuated by all concentrations of NO, with 100 ppm being greatest, whereas NO had no effect on MCT rats. NO attenuated the increase in percent muscular arteries in hypoxic but not MCT rats. The RV/LV + S was increased by hypoxia and MCT compared with normoxia. Hypoxia-induced RV hypertrophy was decreased by all concentrations of inhaled NO, although attenuation with 50 ppb was less than with 200 ppb, 20 ppm, and 100 ppm. In MCT rats 2 and 100 ppm NO increased RV hypertrophy, whereas 20 ppm had no effect. In conclusion, inhaled NO in concentrations as low as 50 ppb attenuates the pulmonary vascular remodeling and RV hypertrophy secondary to hypoxia. In contrast, concentrations as high as 100 ppm do not attenuate MCT-induced pulmonary remodeling. These results demonstrate that extremely low concentrations of NO may attenuate remodeling but that the effectiveness is dependent on the mechanism inducing pulmonary remodeling. Implications: The authors determined whether inhaled NO, a selective pulmonary vasodilator, attenuates pulmonary vascular remodeling caused by two models of pulmonary hypertension: chronic hypoxia and monocrotaline injection. Analysis of pulmonary vascular morphology suggests that very low concentrations of NO effectively attenuate hypoxic remodeling but that NO is not effective in monocrotaline-induced pulmonary remodeling.
Fungal–bacterial interactions and their relevance in health

Cross‐kingdom interactions between bacteria and fungi are a common occurrence in the environment. Recent studies have identified various types of interactions that either can take the form of a synergistic relationship or can result in an antagonistic interplay with the subsequent destruction or inhibition of growth of bacteria, fungi or both. This cross‐kingdom communication is of particular significance in human health and disease, as bacteria and fungi commonly colonize various human surfaces and their interactions can at times alter the outcome of invasive infections. Moreover, mixed infections from both bacteria and fungi are relatively common among critically ill patients and individuals with weak immune responses. The purpose of this review is to summarize our knowledge on the type of interactions between bacteria and fungi and their relevance in human infections.
A High-PDE, Backside-Illuminated SPAD in 65/40-nm 3D IC CMOS Pixel With Cascoded Passive Quenching and Active Recharge

We present a complete pixel based on a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) fabricated in a backside-illuminated (BSI) 3D IC technology. The chip stack comprises an image sensing tier produced in a 65-nm image sensor technology and a data processing tier in 40-nm CMOS. Using a simple, CMOS-compatible technique, the pixel is capable of passive quenching and active recharge at voltages well above those imposed by a single transistor whilst ensuring that the reliability limits across the gate-source (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\text {V} _{\text {GS}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>), gate-drain (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\text {V} _{\text {GD}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) and drain–source (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\text {V} _{\text {DS}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) are not exceeded for any device. For a given technology, the circuit extends the maximum excess bias that SPADs can be operated at when using transistors as quenching elements, thus improving the SPAD sensitivity, timing performance, and photon detection probability uniformity. Implemented with 2.5-V thick oxide transistors and operated at 4.4-V excess bias, the design achieves a timing jitter of 95-ps full-width at half maximum, maximum photon detection efficiency (PDE) of 21.9% at 660 nm and 0.08% afterpulsing probability with a dead time of 8 ns. This is both the lowest afterpulsing probability at 8-ns dead time and the highest peak PDE for a BSI SPAD in a 3D IC technology to date.
Exploring Students Perceptions of Blogs During Teaching Practice Placements

From the onset, blogs served as personal social networking tools. More recently, blogs have facilitated the formation of online social networked communities and have thus expanded to more extensive uses in education. This paper explore the use of blogs to foster e-learning communities in empowering and supporting Post Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) students, who were learning to teach Economics education in open distance learning (ODL) environments. A “blog” for Economics education subject didactics students was created during their teaching practice period. Student teachers were encourage to post their views on the “Econblog” as a communicative platform to critically reflect on their learning processes as well sharing teaching practice experiences to enhance professional growth. Data collected was qualitative in nature, consisting of student teachers’ posting reflections and comments on the “blog”. Findings indicated that blog” as an e-learning tool promoted good relationships amongst student communities, support by exchanging ideas and information on teaching practice, provide opportunities to interact, entering into dialogue and reflective practice. Students alluded to challenges faced during teaching practice placements. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2013. v4n14p525
Tiopronin monolayer-protected silver nanoparticles modulate IL-6 secretion mediated by Toll-like receptor ligands.

AIMS Capped silver nanoparticles that can be coupled to a variety of molecules and biomolecules are of great interest owing to their potential applications in biomedicine. However, there are no data about their toxicity or functional effects on a key innate immune response, such as IL-6 secretion, after the engagement of the main group of pathogen-associated molecular patterns receptors, that is, the Toll-like receptors (TLRs). MATERIALS & METHODS N-(2-mercaptopropionyl)glycine (tiopronin)-capped silver (Ag@tiopronin) nanoparticles of a narrow sized distribution ( approximately 5 nm) were synthesized and characterized by transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman, (1)H-NMR and total correlation spectroscopy. Cytotoxicity was determined by lactate deshidrogenase and 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium assays in Raw 264.7 macrophages. IL-6 was measured by ELISA. RESULTS & DISCUSSION Ag@tiopronin nanoparticles have a narrow size distribution ( approximately 5 nm), high solubility and stability in aqueous environment with no cytotoxicity in terms of mitochondrial function or plasma-membrane integrity at concentrations as high as 200 microg/10(6) cells. Ag@tiopronin nanoparticles were not proinflammatory agents, but remarkably they specifically impaired the IL-6 secretion mediated by TLR2, TLR2/6, TLR3 or TLR9 stimulation in co-treatment experiments. However, in pretreatment experiments, nanoparticles enhanced the susceptibility of macrophages to inflammatory stimulation mediated by TLR2/1 and TLR2/6 specific ligands while severely impairing the IL-6 secretion activated by the TLR3 or TLR9 ligands. CONCLUSIONS Contrary to what is found for bare silver nanoparticles, Ag@tiopronin nanoparticles are noncytotoxic to macrophages. Ag@tiopronin nanoparticles showed differential effects on TLR signaling of a high degree of specificity, without proinflammatory effects by themselves. These effects have to be borne in mind when using bioconjugates of Ag@tiopronin nanoparticles for future medical applications.
[Research on the correlation of vascular endothelial growth factor and dendritic cell in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) on the differentiation, formation and function of the dendritic cell (DC) in peripheral blood of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). METHODS Flow cytometry was used to detect the number of DC in peripheral blood of 81 patients with OSCC, and ELISA applied to test serum VEGF concentration the OSCC patients, and immunohistochemistry used to observe the expression of VEGF in primary foci of 57 patients with OSCC. DC from CD-14 peripheral blood mononuclear cells were cultured with VEGF(165) in vitro to investigate the cytokine's effect on DC. RESULTS In comparison with controls [(325.70 +/- 117.54) ng/L], the level of serum VEGF [(764.33 +/- 263.64) ng/L] was significantly increased (P < 0.01) and the DC numbers was significantly decreased (P < 0.01) in patients with OSCC. There was a negative correlation between serum VEGF concentration and the level of DC (P < 0.01). The expression of VEGF in primary focus was positively correlated with serum VEGF concentration, but was negatively correlated with the level of peripheral blood DC (P < 0.01). DC cultured in vitro with VEGF(165) decreased the expression of CD-1a, CD-40, CD-80, CD-86, CD-83, HLA-DR, and revealed a lower ability of stimulating T lymphocyte proliferation but a higher ability of uptake, compared to controls. CONCLUSIONS The overexpressed VEGF in patients with OSCC might be one of the important reasons for blocking the differentiation and maturation of DC.
Forced Asset Sales and the Concentration of Outstanding Debt: Evidence from the Mortgage Market

We provide evidence that lenders differ in their ex post incentives to internalize price-default externalities associated with the liquidation of collateralized debt. Using the mortgage market as a laboratory, we conjecture that lenders with a large share of outstanding mortgages on their balance sheets internalize the negative spillovers associated with the liquidation of defaulting mortgages and are thus less inclined to foreclose. We find that zip codes with higher concentration of outstanding mortgages experience fewer foreclosures, more renegotiations of delinquent mortgages, and smaller house prices declines. These results are not driven by prior local economic conditions, mortgage securitization or unobservable lender characteristics.
Acetabular cup migration: prediction of aseptic loosening.

We measured the proximal migration of 265 acetabular cups over seven years and correlated the findings with clinical outcome and acetabular revision for aseptic loosening. Cups which eventually became aseptically loose were shown to migrate more rapidly than successful cups. The average proximal migration at two years postoperatively for four groups of cups showed a monotonic relationship to the acetabular revision rate for aseptic loosening at 6.5 years. We conclude that acetabular cups which develop aseptic loosening as evidenced by pain, revision or screw fracture show increased proximal migration by one year, and that the ‘migration rate’ at two years can be used to predict the acetabular revision rate from aseptic loosening at 6.5 years.
Pulse pressure is associated with Alzheimer biomarkers in cognitively normal older adults

Objective: The current study examined the association between pulse pressure (PP) and CSF-based biomarkers for Alzheimer disease, including β-amyloid 1–42 (Aβ1–42) and phosphorylated tau (P-tau) protein, in cognitively normal older adults. Methods: One hundred seventy-seven cognitively normal, stroke-free older adult participants (aged 55–100 years) underwent blood pressure assessment for determination of PP (systolic − diastolic blood pressure) and lumbar puncture for measurement of CSF Aβ1–42 and P-tau. Pearson correlations and multiple linear regression, controlling for age, sex, APOE genotype, and body mass index, evaluated the relationship between PP and Alzheimer disease biomarkers. Results: PP elevation was associated with increased P-tau (r = 0.23, p = 0.002), reduced Aβ1–42 (r = −0.19, p = 0.01), and increased P-tau to Aβ1–42 ratio (r = 0.27, p < 0.001). After controlling for covariates, PP remained associated with P-tau (β = 0.18, p = 0.0196) and P-tau to Aβ1–42 ratio (β = 0.0016, p < 0.001) but was no longer associated with Aβ1–42 (β = −0.1, p = 0.35). Post hoc multivariate analyses indicated that increased PP was associated with all biomarkers in younger participants (aged 55–70 years) (Aβ1–42: p = 0.050; P-tau: p = 0.003; P-tau to Aβ ratio: p = 0.0007) but not older participants (aged 70–100 years). Conclusions: PP elevation is associated with increased CSF P-tau and decreased Aβ1–42 in cognitively normal older adults, suggesting that pulsatile hemodynamics may be related to amyloidosis and tau-related neurodegeneration. The relationship between PP and CSF biomarkers is age-dependent and observed only in participants in the fifth and sixth decades of life.
[Effects and mechanism of decorin on the proliferation of A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells in vitro].

BACKGROUND Decorin is a member of the small proteglycans in extracellular matrix of tumor microenvironment, which is known to relate to the initiation, progression and growth of the tumor. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects and mechanism of decorin on the proliferation of A549 lung adenocarcinoma cell line in vitro. METHODS Lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549 was cultured with decorin in a wide range of concentration for different time. Cell activities were studied by MTT. The changes of cell cycle and apoptosis were analyzed by FCM. Decorin mRNA expression was detected by RT-PCR. P21 expression was determined by Western blot. TGF-β concentration in the culture supernatants was determined by ELISA. RESULTS The proliferation of A549 cell could be inhibited by decorin in vitro and the inhibition effect was the time- and dose-dependent relationship. Apoptosis of adenocarcinoma cell could be efficiently induced by decorin in a time/dose-dependent manner. Decorin could upregulate the intrinsic decorin mRNA and P21 protein expression, downregulate the TGF-β, and block cell cycle at G1 phase. CONCLUSIONS Decorin can inhibit adenocarcinoma cell proliferation and induce apoptosis of adenocarcinoma cells in vitro. The proliferation of A549 cell could be inhibited in vitro by decorin through the mechanism of increasing decorin mRNA, decreasing TGF-β, increasing P21 protein expression, inhibiting cell cycle and inducing cell apoptosis.
HPV vaccine acceptance, utilization and expected impacts in the US

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines represent a remarkable opportunity for the primary prevention of cervical cancer and other HPV-related diseases. With almost four years of vaccine availability now accrued in the United States (US.), data are beginning to accumulate about vaccine utilization patterns and how these may be affected by public opinions about the vaccines. This article describes the burden of HPV infection and related disease in the US, and reviews what is currently known about HPV vaccine utilization among adolescent and young adult females in this country. In addition, we report on emerging data on the personal and attitudinal factors that appear to influence HPV vaccine utilization and discuss how these data may be useful for designing future interventions to improve uptake of these vaccines. Finally, we re-examine cost-effectiveness studies of HPV vaccines, taking into account updated information on utilization of, and public attitudes about, these vaccines.
The Genetics and Neurochemistry of Schizophrenia and Addiction : Enhanced Options for Treatment Using Nicotinic Acid ( Vitamin B 3 )

e role of oxidative stress has been reviewed in a variety of psychiatric disorders, particularly schizophrenia and alcoholism (index cases), which are associated with de"ciency of protective enzymes: superoxide dismutase and catalase, respectively. e reported e#ectiveness of nicotinic acid in the treatment of schizophrenia and alcoholism appears to be due to enhanced levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), thereby opposing the deleterious e#ects of genetically determined neuronal oxidative stress, arguably an important "nal common pathway in schizophrenia and alcoholism. e potential for nicotinic acid supplementation to remit schizotypy (schizoid traits) in family members containing an index case has been proposed and such a case is described. is report hints at the potential role of nicotinic acid in remitting an array of psychiatric disorders linked genetically and biochemically to schizophrenia. 1 Email: drmaclean@hotmail.com
Genomic Investigation of the Role of Antibiotics As Signal Molecules in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Antibiotics have recently been shown to play a role as signaling molecules besides bacterial killing or growth inhibition. To understand antibiotic regulatory networks in bacteria, we investigated Pseudomonas aeruginosa gene expression profiles in response to subinhibitory concentrations of six antibiotics (ampicilin, kanamycin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, erythromycin, ciprofloxacin) by using a random promoter-luxCDABE reporter fusion library. Both common and unique responses to different antibiotics were observed, suggesting existence of both shared and unique regulatory pathways in P. aeruginosa . Total of 48 promoter clones were selected and further tested. They were regulated at least two-fold by at least one of the antibiotics. Among them, 17 promoters and the genes or operons driven by them activated by at least four antibiotics were identified by sequencing analysis. These genes/operons encode potential transcriptional regulators, components of ABC transporters, or unknown proteins. These results extended our knowledge of the global effect of antibiotics as signal molecules on gene expression, and the potential components of the genetic regulatory networks identified should facilitate further studies.