Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Qualitative Meta-Analysis Reveals Consistent Effects of Atrazine on Freshwater Fish and Amphibians

Objective The biological effects of the herbicide atrazine on freshwater vertebrates are highly controversial. In an effort to resolve the controversy, we conducted a qualitative meta-analysis on the effects of ecologically relevant atrazine concentrations on amphibian and fish survival, behavior, metamorphic traits, infections, and immune, endocrine, and reproductive systems. Data sources We used published, peer-reviewed research and applied strict quality criteria for inclusion of studies in the meta-analysis. Data synthesis We found little evidence that atrazine consistently caused direct mortality of fish or amphibians, but we found evidence that it can have indirect and sublethal effects. The relationship between atrazine concentration and timing of amphibian metamorphosis was regularly nonmonotonic, indicating that atrazine can both accelerate and delay metamorphosis. Atrazine reduced size at or near metamorphosis in 15 of 17 studies and 14 of 14 species. Atrazine elevated amphibian and fish activity in 12 of 13 studies, reduced antipredator behaviors in 6 of 7 studies, and reduced olfactory abilities for fish but not for amphibians. Atrazine was associated with a reduction in 33 of 43 immune function end points and with an increase in 13 of 16 infection end points. Atrazine altered at least one aspect of gonadal morphology in 7 of 10 studies and consistently affected gonadal function, altering spermatogenesis in 2 of 2 studies and sex hormone concentrations in 6 of 7 studies. Atrazine did not affect vitellogenin in 5 studies and increased aromatase in only 1 of 6 studies. Effects of atrazine on fish and amphibian reproductive success, sex ratios, gene frequencies, populations, and communities remain uncertain. Conclusions Although there is much left to learn about the effects of atrazine, we identified several consistent effects of atrazine that must be weighed against any of its benefits and the costs and benefits of alternatives to atrazine use.
Improving the delivery of continuous renal replacement therapy using regional citrate anticoagulation.

AIMS Regional citrate anticoagulation during acute renal replacement therapy (RRT) effectively prevents extracorporeal thrombosis and avoids bleeding risk. There have been a number of citrate anticoagulation protocols published; but a simple and predictable scheme with standardized components and procedures, as well as clearly defined citrate pharmacokinetics, is needed for continuous RRT (CRRT) that is now used frequently in the critical care setting. The present study sets forth methodology with standardized blood flow and dialysate composition, and with citrate and calcium infusions that are quantitatively linked to extracorporeal blood flow rate--a predictable and easily replicated CRRT paradigm. MATERIALS AND METHODS CRRT using continuous venovenous hemofiltration with dialysis (CVVHD) was standardized using 150-200 ml/min blood flow, calcium-free dialysate with only moderate sodium (135 mEq/l) and bicarbonate (28 mEq/l) concentrations, and ultrafiltration limited to that needed for overall fluid balance in the intensive care unit. Citrate infusion (ACD-A solution) into the extracorporeal blood and calcium repletion in blood returned to the patient were proportional to blood flow. Anticoagulation was accomplished by keeping extracorporeal ionized calcium below 0.4 mM/l. Filter performance, citrate removal and changes in calcium, sodium and alkali were evaluated longitudinally. RESULTS CVVHD using this protocol delivered urea clearance exceeding 2 l/h (48 l/d) when filter function was sustained. Filter longevity was markedly improved using citrate when compared with standard heparin anticoagulation, and nursing time spent on initiating and troubleshooting CRRT was approximately halved using this protocol. Sieving coefficients for urea, creatinine and citrate were approximately 0.9 and were sustained through nearly 3 days of filter use. Citrate clearance and removal were quantitatively linked to dialysate and ultrafiltration flow, resulting in 35-50% direct removal of the citrate-calcium chelate and reduced systemic citrate load. Serum tonicity and acid-base status were not problematic. The only notable side effect was modest calcium accumulation that necessitated reduction in calcium repletion rate. CONCLUSIONS CVVHD is well suited to regional citrate anticoagulation. The present protocol is straightforward and predictable, with minor metabolic consequences that can be anticipated and adjusted. These results commend regional citrate anticoagulation to wider application.
Bisphenol A Inhibits Voltage-Activated Ca2+ Channels in Vitro: Mechanisms and Structural Requirements

Bisphenol A (BPA), a high volume production chemical compound attracts growing attention as a health-relevant xenobiotic in humans. It can directly bind to hormone receptors, enzymes, and ion channels to become biologically active. In this study we show that BPA acts as a potent blocker of voltage-activated Ca2+ channels. We determined the mechanisms of block and the structural elements of BPA essential for its action. Macroscopic Ba2+/ Ca2+ currents through native L-, N-, P/Q-, T-type Ca2+ channels in rat endocrine GH3 cells, mouse dorsal root ganglion neurons or cardiac myocytes, and recombinant human R-type Ca2+ channels expressed in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells were rapidly and reversibly inhibited by BPA with similar potency (EC50 values: 26–35 μM). Pharmacological and biophysical analysis of R-type Ca2+ channels revealed that BPA interacts with the extracellular part of the channel protein. Its action does not require intracellular signaling pathways, is neither voltage- nor use-dependent, and does not affect channel gating. This indicates that BPA interacts with the channel in its resting state by directly binding to an external site outside the pore-forming region. Structure-effect analyses of various phenolic and bisphenolic compounds revealed that 1) a double-alkylated (R-C(CH3)2-R, R-C(CH3)(CH2CH3)-R), or double-trifluoromethylated sp3-hybridized carbon atom between the two aromatic rings and 2) the two aromatic moieties in angulated orientation are optimal for BPA’s effectiveness. Since BPA highly pollutes the environment and is incorporated into the human organism, our data may provide a basis for future studies relevant for human health and development.
Dependence of Nuclear Transparency for Exclusive 0 Production

A. Airapetian, N. Akopov, Z. Akopov, M. Amarian, V.V. Ammosov, A. Andrus, E. C. Aschenauer, W. Augustyniak, R. Avakian, A. Avetissian, E. Avetissian, P. Bailey, V. Baturin, C. Baumgarten, M. Beckmann, S. Belostotski, S. Bernreuther, N. Bianchi, H. P. Blok, H. Böttcher, A. Borissov, M. Bouwhuis, J. Brack, A. Brüll, I. Brunn, G. P. Capitani, H. C. Chiang, G. Ciullo, M. Contalbrigo, G. R. Court, P. F. Dalpiaz, R. De Leo, L. De Nardo, E. De Sanctis, E. Devitsin, P. Di Nezza, M. Düren, M. Ehrenfried, A. Elalaoui-Moulay, G. Elbakian, F. Ellinghaus, U. Elschenbroich, J. Ely, R. Fabbri, A. Fantoni, A. Fechtchenko, L. Felawka, B. Fox, J. Franz, S. Frullani, Y. Gärber, G. Gapienko, V. Gapienko, F. Garibaldi, E. Garutti, D. Gaskell, G. Gavrilov, V. Gharibyan, G. Graw, O. Grebeniouk, L. G. Greeniaus, W. Haeberli, K. Hafidi, M. Hartig, D. Hasch, D. Heesbeen, M. Henoch, R. Hertenberger, W. H. A. Hesselink, A. Hillenbrand, Y. Holler, B. Hommez, G. Iarygin, A. Izotov, H. E. Jackson, A. Jgoun, R. Kaiser, E. Kinney, A. Kisselev, K. Königsmann, H. Kolster, M. Kopytin, V. Korotkov, V. Kozlov, B. Krauss, V. G. Krivokhijine, L. Lagamba, L. Lapikás, A. Laziev, P. Lenisa, P. Liebing, T. Lindemann, W. Lorenzon, N. C. R. Makins, H. Marukyan, F. Masoli, F. Menden, V. Mexner, N. Meyners, O. Mikloukho, C. A. Miller, Y. Miyachi, V. Muccifora, A. Nagaitsev, E. Nappi, Y. Naryshkin, A. Nass, K. Negodaeva, W. -D. Nowak, K. Oganessyan, H. Ohsuga, G. Orlandi, S. Podiatchev, S. Potashov, D. H. Potterveld, M. Raithel, D. Reggiani, P. Reimer, A. Reischl, A. R. Reolon, K. Rith, G. Rosner, A. Rostomyan, D. Ryckbosch, I. Sanjiev, I. Savin, C. Scarlett, A. Schäfer, C. Schill, G. Schnell, K. P. Schüler, A. Schwind, J. Seibert, B. Seitz, R. Shanidze, T. -A. Shibata, V. Shutov, M. C. Simani, K. Sinram, M. Stancari, M. Statera, E. Steffens, J. J. M. Steijger, J. Stewart, U. Stösslein, H. Tanaka, S. Taroian, B. Tchuiko, A. Terkulov, S. Tessarin, E. Thomas, A. Tkabladze, A. Trzcinski, M. Tytgat, G. M. Urciuoli, P. van der Nat, G. van der Steenhoven, R. van deVyver, M. C.Vetterli, V.Vikhrov, M. G.Vincter, J.Visser, M. Vogt, J. Volmer, C. Weiskopf, J. Wendland, J. Wilbert, T. Wise, S. Yen, S. Yoneyama, B. Zihlmann, H. Zohrabian, and P. Zupranski
On a buffering hypothesis in 802.11 analytic models

Using detailed statistical analysis of data taken from simulations and test-bed experiments, we have recently reported the inappropriateness of a queue-decoupling approximation that has been implicitly adopted by many distinct authors to incorporate queueing behavior in analytic models of finite load 802.11 networks. In the present paper we show that this flawed hypothesis leads to network throughput prediction errors in the presence of stations with asymmetric offered loads. We suggest that care should be taking in drawing deductions from models that adopt this hypothesis and that further modeling innovation is necessary.
EPIDEMIOLOGY OF MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS IN PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Introduction: Musculoskeletal disorders represent a significant problem of modern society which are more pronounced in young people and school children. Etiology of these disorders is found in inadequate ergonomic conditions, too heavy school bag, school furniture inadequate to age, poor posture, sedentary lifestyle, reduction of physical activity and lack of exercise. Material and methods: This cross-sectional study included 1315 pupils aged 8- 12 years. As a method was used “cluster sample” in the selection of subjects. The survey was conducted by questionnaire containing information on the demographic and individual characteristics of participants (age, gender, class), the manner and style of life and the performance of school tasks, followed by standardized Nordic questionnaire. The following parameters were measured: body height and weight for each student, and the weight of full and empty school bag that students that day brought to class. Results: The incidence of musculoskeletal pain regardless of localization was 48%. There is a statistically significant correlation between acute pain in the right shoulder and total weight of school bags, duration of caring the bag in school and time of wearing bag from school to home but not with the manner in which school bag was carried. Acute pain in the right shoulder and acute neck pain were significantly associated with the duration of sitting in school or in front of a computer at home. Acute pain in the shoulder negatively correlated with BMI percentile value of the respondents. Acute pain in the neck is also significantly associated with the weight of a full school bags, as well as time spent sitting at home doing homework. Acute back pain is statistically significantly correlated with the weight of school bags and duration of sitting periods in school. Conclusion: The prevalence of musculoskeletal pain, particularly chronic pain in school children aged 8-12 years is high. Weight of school bags, manner in which the bag is carried to and from school, duration of carrying bags, time spent sitting in the school and in front of the computer, duration of sitting and posture during homework, body mass index are ergonomic reasons for the development of musculoskeletal pain.
Mutations in LRP 5 , FZD 4 , TSPAN 12 , NDP , ZNF 408 , or KIF 11 Genes Account for 38 . 7 % of Chinese Patients With Familial Exudative Vitreoretinopathy

Citation: Rao F-Q, Cai X-B, Cheng F-F, et al. Mutations in LRP5, FZD4, TSPAN12, NDP, ZNF408, or KIF11 genes account for 38.7% of Chinese patients with familial exudative vitreoretinopathy. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2017;58:2623–2629. DOI: 10.1167/iovs.16-21324 PURPOSE. Familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) is a severe hereditary retinal disorder characterized by defects in retinal vascular development. To date, six genes have been reported to be responsible for this disease, including LRP5, FZD4, TSPAN12, NDP, ZNF408, and KIF11. The purpose of our study was to investigate the genetic defects in Chinese patients with FEVR through mutational analyses of 31 pedigrees.
Computing and Systems Technology Division

The purpose of the present communication is to provide a critical overview of an evolving technology based on concepts from artificial intelligence, especially as it pertains to the computer-aided analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of chemical and biochemical processing systems. Within this scope we will examine the opportunities offered by this technology both in terms of new conceptual developments and in terms of the new facilities provided by flexible and friendly computing environments for process development, design, operations and control. Furthermore, we will briefly explore the practical implications in terms of educational requirements, hardware and software environments, all of which constitute major hurdles in harvesting the promises put forward by the explosively growing new technology.
Performance analysis of an LTE gateway for the IoT

In the Internet of Things (IoT) the edge devices often rely on gateways to connect to the Internet, to reduce costs and energy consumption. For those scenarios where the gateway itself does not have a wired Internet connection, LTE is a candidate solution due to its high spectral efficiency, bandwidth, and coverage. In this paper, the suitability of LTE for the interconnection of aggregated edge devices is investigated. The study is carried out under the assumption that the Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP), which is becoming increasingly popular, is used. The performance analysis is carried out through packet-level simulation with the open source simulator ns3.
Box-Wilson Design and Analysis for Extraction of Gelatin from Black Kingfish Skin

Gelatin is a derived, protein-based biopolymer used in nourishments to enhance consistency, strength, and flexibility. The aim of this research is to optimize the organic acid extraction of gelatin from fish skin. In this work, effect of parameters such as acid (based on its type) concentration (0.05-0.15 M), extraction temperature (40-60  C), and types of acid (formic, acetic and propionic acids) on extraction yield of gelatin was examined at constant extraction time of 7 d and skin to acid mass ratio of 1:20. Collagenous material was separated from fish skin, and a basic protein, collagen, was hydrolyzed to gelatin, a derived protein. Response surface methodology (RSM) based Box-Wilson design was used for optimization and the optimization results revealed that the maximum gelatin extraction of 11.91% was achieved at 0.1 M formic acid and 52  C. Thus, it would be concluded that the fish skin could be the potential feedstock for gelatin extraction.
Aspirin Use in Heart Failure: Is Low-Dose Therapy Associated With Mortality and Morbidity Benefits in a Large Community Population?

Background— Aspirin use in heart failure (HF) is controversial. The drug has proven benefit in comorbidities associated with HF; however, retrospective analysis of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor trials and prospective comparisons with warfarin have shown increased risk of morbidity with aspirin use. This study aims to evaluate the association of low-dose aspirin with mortality and morbidity risk in a large community-based cohort. Methods and Results— This was a retrospective cohort study of patients attending an HF disease management program. Aspirin use at baseline and its association with mortality and HF hospitalization in the population was examined. Of 1476 patients (mean age, 70.4±12.4 years; 63% men), 892 (60.4%) were prescribed aspirin. Low-dose aspirin (75 mg/d) was prescribed to 828 (92.8%) patients. Median follow-up time was 2.6 (0.8–4.5) years. During the follow-up period, 464 (31.4%) patients died. In adjusted analysis, low-dose aspirin use was associated with reduced mortality risk compared with nonaspirin use (hazard ratio=0.58; 95% confidence interval, 0.46–0.74), and this was confirmed by a propensity-matched subgroup analysis. Low-dose aspirin use was associated with reduced risk of HF hospitalization compared with nonaspirin use in the total population (adjusted hazard ratio=0.70; 95% confidence interval, 0.54–0.90). In adjusted analysis, there was no difference in mortality or HF hospitalization between high-dose aspirin users (>75 mg/d) and nonaspirin users. Conclusions— In this study, low-dose aspirin therapy was associated with a significant reduction in mortality and morbidity risk during long-term follow-up. These results suggest that low-dose aspirin may have a continuing role in secondary prevention in HF and underline the need for more trials of low-dose aspirin use in HF.
Simple technique for internal control of real-time amplification assays.

BACKGROUND In real-time PCR assays, the most accurate way to identify false-negative results, e.g., those caused by PCR inhibitors, is to add to samples an internal control that will be coamplified with the target (e.g., pathogen) DNA. Current internal control procedures, however, which usually involve the introduction of a DNA fragment, are complex, time-consuming, and expensive. METHODS Single-stranded oligonucleotides, which contain little more than primer and probe binding sites, were used as internal controls in real-time PCR assays. Mismatches were included in the probe-binding region of the internal control oligonucleotide (ICO) to prevent probe-control hybridization during the fluorescence acquisition step of the PCR. Amplified ICOs were detected by melting point analysis. ICOs could be added directly to the sample material before DNA extraction. RESULTS To demonstrate the feasibility of the new approach, we designed ICOs for the LightCycler hybridization probe assays for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, hepatitis B virus, herpes simplex virus, and varicella zoster virus. In each case, the controls did not interfere with detection of the pathogen, but were clearly detectable during a subsequent melting point analysis. CONCLUSIONS A single-stranded oligonucleotide that mimics the target region of the pathogen but is clearly distinguishable from the target during melting point analysis can serve as a simple, cost-effective internal control for real-time amplification assays. Such control oligonucleotides are easy to design and inexpensive. A costly second probe system is not necessary. Moreover, the internally controlled assay uses only one fluorescence detection channel of the instrument, leaving the second channel free for multiplex applications.
Detecting and tracing leaked private phone number data in Android smartphones

Easy and open development environments of Android make itself not only as the most famous platform in the world but also as the most preferred platform for malicious users. In this paper, we propose a new approach to protect the private phone number data in smartphones from leaking and stealing through malicious applications. Our approach differently deals with trusted and suspicious applications and avoids the malfunctions of applications caused by security policy. Most of outstanding feature of our approach is that it can detect the leakage of the private phone number data, trace the leaked data and finally identify which application leaked them. Furthermore, it can minimize the damage owing to the data even though it is abused for cyber-crimes.
Far-Infrared Galaxies in the Far-Ultraviolet

In an effort to better understand the UV properties of ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIGs), and compare them to the rest-frame UV properties of high redshift submillimeter and Lyman-break galaxies, we have obtained far- and near-UV imaging observations (λeff = 1457 and 2364 Å, respectively) of two luminous infrared galaxies (LIGs-VV 114 and IC 883) and five ULIGs (IRAS 08572+3915, Mrk 273, IRAS 15250+3609, Arp 220, and IRAS 19254-7245) using the Hubble Space Telescope. All the galaxies were detected in both channels. UV light, both diffuse and from star clusters, can be traced to within the inner kiloparsec of the dominant near-IR nuclei. However, in general, the brightest UV sources are clearly displaced from the I-band and near-IR peaks by at least hundreds of parsecs. Furthermore, only 0.07%-7.3% of the total near-UV light is projected within the inner 500 pc radius, even though this is the same region where most of the bolometric energy is generated. All nuclei are highly obscured by dust. Even after correction for dust reddening, the global UV emission fails to account for the total bolometric luminosities of these systems by factors of 3-75. The discrepancy is much worse if only the central regions, where the bolometric luminosities are generated, are included. In two cases (VV 114 and IRAS 08572+3915), the merging companion galaxies are more prominent in the UV than the more IR luminous member. While all our galaxies show possible signatures of active galactic nucleus (AGN) activity, only IRAS 19254-7245 yields even a possible detection of an AGN in our UV images. Simple calculations show that all but one of our galaxies would be expected to drop below the detection thresholds of, e.g., the Hubble Deep Fields at redshifts between 1.5 and 3, and we find that ~2 of our five ULIGs would be selected as extremely red objects in this redshift range. A typical ULIG in our sample would be too faint to be detected at high redshift in the deepest current optical or submillimeter deep surveys. Only VV 114 has UV luminosity and color similar to Lyman-break galaxies at z ~ 3; the other galaxies would be too faint and/or red to be selected by current surveys. The low UV brightnesses of our ULIGs mean that they would not appear as optically bright (or bright ERO) submillimeter galaxy counterparts, although they might be similar to the fainter submillimeter galaxy counterparts.