Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Depletion of Uric Acid Due to SLC22A12 (URAT1) Loss-of-Function Mutation Causes Endothelial Dysfunction in Hypouricemia.

BACKGROUND Uric acid (UA) serves as an antioxidant in vascular endothelial cells. UA transporter 1 (URAT1) encoded by SLC22A12 is expressed in the kidney and vessels and its loss of function causes hypouricemia. The purpose of this study was to examine whether there is any endothelial dysfunction in patients with hypouricemia. METHODS AND RESULTS Twenty-six patients with hypouricemia (<2.5 mg/dl) and 13 healthy control subjects were enrolled. Endothelial function was evaluated using flow-mediated dilation (FMD). mRNA of UA transporters expressed in cultured human umbilical endothelial cells (HUVEC) was detected on RT-PCR. There was a positive correlation between FMD and serum UA in the hypouricemia group. URAT1 loss-of-function mutations were found in the genome of 21 of 26 patients with hypouricemia, and not in the other 5. In the hypouricemia groups, serum UA in homozygous and compound heterozygous patients was significantly lower than in other groups, suggesting that severity of URAT1 dysfunction may influence the severity of hypouricemia. Thirteen of 16 hypouricemia subjects with homozygous and compound heterozygote mutations had SUA <0.8 mg/dl and their FMD was lower than in other groups. HUVEC do not express mRNA of URAT1, suggesting the null role of URAT1 in endothelial function. CONCLUSIONS Depletion of UA due to SLC22A12/URAT1 loss-of-function mutations causes endothelial dysfunction in hypouricemia patients.
Scientific Literacy Skills of Seventh Grade Junior High School (SMP Negeri) Students in North Labuhanbatu Regency

This research was conducted to describe scientific literacy skills, to know the comparison of scientific literacy skills based on geography and to see the relationship of scientific attitudes on the dimensions of content, context and process of junior high school students in North Labuhanbatu Regency. Sample used was 180 students, taken by using purposive sampling technique. Data collection techniques were conducted using science literacy tests, science process skill observation sheets and scientific attitude questionnaire. The result showed that scientific literacy skills of junior high school students in North Labuhanbatu Regency was 60,3 (low). As for scientific literacy skills based on dimension, obtained value of content dimension 50,2, context 53,3, process 62,01 and science attitude 58,6. Based on geography there was no difference in scientific literacy skills of students whom live in town or village, both in low category. Furthermore, to know the relation between dimension of scientific attitude toward content dimension, context and process, correlation test and regression test was done as follow-up test. The value of rcount relationship of scientific attitudes with content was 0.611, rcount relationship of scientific attitudes to context was 0.478, and rcount scientific attitude toward process was 0.882. Correlation test showed that there was a close relationship between dimensions of scientific attitude towards dimensions of content, context, and process and the correlation was positive. The results indicated that teachers, school and education authorities in regency need to make improvements in the learning process to improve student’s science literacy.
Blood Pressure Among Very Low Birth Weight (<1.5 kg) Young Adults

Our objective was to compare the blood pressure of 20-y-old very low birth weight (VLBW; <1.5 kg) individuals with that of normal birth weight (NBW) control individuals. The population included 195 VLBW (92 female and 103 male) and 208 NBW (107 female and 101 male) individuals who were born between 1977 and 1979. Independent effects of birth weight status (VLBW versus NBW) and within the VLBW cohort of intrauterine growth (birth weight z score) were examined via multiple regression analyses. VLBW individuals had a higher mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) than NBW control individuals (114 ± 11 versus 112 ± 13 mm Hg). SBP for VLBW female infants was 110 ± 9 versus NBW 107 ± 12 and for VLBW male individuals was 118 ± 11 versus NBW 117 ± 11 mm Hg. After adjustment for gender, race, and maternal education, the difference in SBP between VLBW and NBW individuals was 1.9 mm Hg but was 3.5 mm after also adjustment for later size (20-y weight and height z scores), which reflects catch-up growth. For female individuals, the difference in SBP between VLBW and NBW individuals was significant both unadjusted and adjusted for later size, whereas for male individuals, the difference was significant only after adjustment for later size. Intrauterine growth did not have a significant effect on SBP within the VLBW group, even after adjustment for later size. VLBW individuals, specifically female individuals, have a higher SBP than NBW control individuals. This is not explained by intrauterine growth failure.
RNA Interference as a tool to study the function of MAD2 in mouse oocyte meiotic maturation

Spindle checkpoint proteins control entry into anaphase and chromosome segregation. As a member of spindle checkpoint proteins, MAD2 takes a central role in the regulation of anaphase onset and genome integrity. Here, we used MAD2 siRNA transfection approach to study MAD2 functions during mouse oocyte meiotic maturation in vitro. Real‐time PCR and laser scanning confocal microscopy showed that we successfully downregulated MAD2 transcript and protein expression. We further demonstrated that MAD2 downregulation resulted in a shortened duration of meiosis I and meiotic spindle abnormality, suggesting the function of MAD2 in mouse oocyte meiotic maturation. We also showed that MAD2 interference to some extent decreased GVBD rate, but increased apoptosis in mouse oocytes. In conclusion, our study shows that siRNA transfection is an effective tool to study MAD2 functions, and our results provide further evidence for the role of MAD2 as a spindle checkpoint protein in mouse oocytes. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 74: 116–124, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The relative efficacy of two levels of a primary care intervention for family members affected by the addiction problem of a close relative: a randomized trial.

OBJECTIVES A randomized trial to compare two levels of an intervention (full versus brief) for use by primary health-care professionals with family members affected by the problematic drug or alcohol use of a close relative. DESIGN A prospective cluster randomized comparative trial of the two interventions. SETTING A total of 136 primary care practices in two study areas within the West Midlands and the South West regions of England. PARTICIPANTS A total of 143 family members affected by the alcohol or drug problem of a relative were recruited into the study by primary health-care professionals. All recruited family members were seen on at least one occasion by the professional delivering the intervention and 129 (90 %) were followed-up at 12 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Two validated and standardized self-completion questionnaires measuring physical and psychological symptoms of stress (Symptom Rating Test) and behavioural coping (Coping Questionnaire) experienced by the family members. It was predicted that the full intervention would show increased reduction in both symptoms and coping when compared to the brief intervention. RESULTS The primary analysis adjusted for clustering, baseline symptoms and stratifying variables (location and professional group) showed that there were no significant differences between the two trial arms. The symptom score at follow-up was 0.23 [95% confidence interval (CI): -3.65, +4.06] higher in the full intervention arm than in the brief intervention arm, and the coping score at follow-up was 0.12 (95% CI: -5.12, +5.36) higher in the full intervention arm than in the brief intervention arm. CONCLUSIONS A well-constructed self-help manual delivered by a primary care professional may be as effective for family members as several face-to-face sessions with the professional.
Prescription for Interoperability: Power System Challenges and Requirements for Interoperable Solutions

Energy policies, both present and future, are creating a substantial transformation of the electrical power grid and pose significant challenges to the transmission and distribution IT systems needed to control and manage this grid. As more critical business processes are automated and new devices and systems added to achieve the smart grid vision of the future, the challenge rapidly becomes one of having too much data from a variety of new and incompatible sources but too little information.
The Ability of the Multiple Mini-Interview to Predict Preclerkship Performance in Medical School

Problem Statement and Background. One of the greatest challenges continuing to face medical educators is the development of an admissions protocol that provides valid information pertaining to the noncognitive qualities candidates possess. An innovative protocol, the Multiple Mini-Interview, has recently been shown to be feasible, acceptable, and reliable. This article presents a first assessment of the technique's validity. Method. Forty five candidates to the Undergraduate MD program at McMaster University participated in an MMI in Spring 2002 and enrolled in the program the following autumn. Performance on this tool and on the traditional protocol was compared to performance on preclerkship evaluation exercises. Results. The MMI was the best predictor of objective structured clinical examination performance and grade point average was the most consistent predictor of performance on multiple-choice question examinations of medical knowledge. Conclusions. While further validity testing is required, the MMI appears better able to predict preclerkship performance relative to traditional tools designed to assess the noncognitive qualities of applicants.
Physiologically-based Pharmacokinetic Modelling for the Reduction of Animal Use in the Discovery of Novel Pharmaceuticals

The challenges of physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modelling and approaches to replacing the use of animals, in order to determine drug pharmacokinetics, are discussed. Reference is made to the limitations of in vivo animal studies in drug discovery. In particular, the ways in which animal studies contribute to drug attrition during the post-preclinical phase of testing are considered.
Clinical implications of hepatitis A virus ribonucleic acid detection and genotyping in acute liver failure in children in Argentina

Objectives: To investigate the detection of hepatitis A virus ribonucleic acid in patients with acute liver failure and to assess if the results have any clinical implications for the evolution of acute liver failure in children. Hepatitis A infection, a vaccine-preventable disease, is an important cause of acute liver failure in children in Argentina. Universal vaccination in 1-yr-old children was implemented in June 2005. Design: Observational study in which patients were divided into Group 1 consisting of positive hepatitis A virus ribonucleic acid and Group 2 consisting of negative hepatitis A virus ribonucleic acid. Setting: Pediatric intensive care unit in National Pediatric Hospital “Dr. J. P. Garrahan,” Buenos Aires, Argentina. Patients: Thirty-three patients with the diagnosis of acute liver failure secondary to hepatitis A virus infection and admitted to the Garrahan Pediatric Hospital between September 2003 and September 2005 were enrolled in the study. Twenty of these children were admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: Samples for total ribonucleic acid detection and genotyping were obtained from serum and/or stools on admission. We found positive hepatitis A virus ribonucleic acid in 13 patients and negative hepatitis A virus ribonucleic acid in 20 patients. The following clinical variables were evaluated: time of evolution, hospital stay, admission to the pediatric intensive care unit, pediatric intensive care unit stay, time on mechanical ventilation, criteria for orthotopic liver transplantation, and mortality. Characterization of the isolates did not reveal differences related to genotype; all cases were IA. No statistical significance was found as to the variables. However, positive hepatitis A virus ribonucleic acid showed lower percentages of pediatric intensive care unit admissions, criteria for orthotopic liver transplantation, number of orthotopic liver transplantation, and mortality than the group of patients with negative hepatitis A virus ribonucleic acid. Conclusions: Hepatitis A virus genotyping studies did not show any particularities, all cases were IA and, thus, apparent associations between genotype and the clinical presentation of acute liver failure could not be found.
Involvement of Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate in Nicotinic Calcium Responses in Dystrophic Myotubes Assessed by Near-plasma Membrane Calcium Measurement*

In skeletal muscle cells, plasma membrane depolarization causes a rapid calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum through ryanodine receptors triggering contraction. In Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a lethal disease that is caused by the lack of the cytoskeletal protein dystrophin, the cytosolic calcium concentration is known to be increased, and this increase may lead to cell necrosis. Here, we used myotubes derived from control and mdx mice, the murine model of DMD, to study the calcium responses induced by nicotinic acetylcholine receptor stimulation. The photoprotein aequorin was expressed in the cytosol or targeted to the plasma membrane as a fusion protein with the synaptosome-associated protein SNAP-25, thus allowing calcium measurements in a restricted area localized just below the plasma membrane. The carbachol-induced calcium responses were 4.5 times bigger in dystrophic myotubes than in control myotubes. Moreover, in dystrophic myotubes the carbachol-mediated calcium responses measured in the subsarcolemmal area were at least 10 times bigger than in the bulk cytosol. The initial calcium responses were due to calcium influx into the cells followed by a fast refilling/release phase from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. In addition and unexpectedly, the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor pathway was involved in these calcium signals only in the dystrophic myotubes. This surprising involvement of this calcium release channel in the excitation-contraction coupling could open new ways for understanding exercise-induced calcium increases and downstream muscle degeneration in mdx mice and, therefore, in DMD.
Nonoperative Treatment for Proximal Avulsion of the Rectus Femoris in Professional American Football

Background Avulsion of the rectus femoris origin is a rare injury. The only previous report of this injury in professional American football has been limited to the kicking athlete. Purpose To describe the incidence and treatment of proximal rectus femoris avulsion in the National Football League (NFL). Study Design Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods The NFL Injury Surveillance System (NFLISS) was reviewed for any proximal rectus femoris avulsion injuries from 1986 to 2006, including the type and mechanism of injury, player demographics, method of treatment, and time to return to play. The NFL team physicians and trainers were surveyed as to their experience with these injuries as well. Results A total of 11 cases of proximal rectus femoris avulsion were identified starting in 1997. These injuries occurred in athletes in a variety of positions. All of these were treated nonoperatively, and the mean return to play was 69.2 days. Conclusion Rectus femoris avulsions are uncommon injuries in the NFL, occurring about once a year in the entire league (once magnetic resonance imaging facilitated correct diagnosis of these injuries). Conservative treatment of these injuries usually results in return to play after 6 to 12 weeks. Clinical Relevance Proximal avulsions of the rectus femoris can be treated nonoperatively with a high degree of predictability for return to full, unrestricted participation in professional American football.
An analysis of a photovoltaic panel model: Comparison between measurements and analytical models

This paper focuses on an analysis of accuracy degree of a photovoltaic panel model. Therefore, a brief review of one-diode model having in view the main analytical equations of this model is presented in the paper. Based on this model and its required parameters evaluated based on the datasheet of panel, various simulation studies have been carried out in order to evaluate the influence of irradiance and temperature on the current-voltage and power-voltage characteristics curves. A comparison between values of the one-diode model and those obtained from real measurements, having in view the operational parameters of photovoltaic panel, has been also conducted in the paper.
Community-Level Patterns of Insect Herbivory in a Fragmented Atlantic Forest Landscape

ABSTRACT Insect herbivores largely affect plant population structure, community organization, and ecosystem functioning, but little is known on how insect herbivory is altered in human-modified landscapes. Here we assessed 3,566 woody seedlings inhabiting 20 Atlantic forest fragments (3-91 ha) in northeast Brazil to examine the extent to which standing levels of herbivory on woody seedlings correlated with forest fragment metrics (fragment area and distance to forest edge) and resource availability (pioneer plants). Overall, 78% of all seedlings and 36% of the 23,003 recorded leaves experienced injuries caused by folivorous insects, the bulk of them promoted by chewing insects (85.9% of damaged leaves). This insect guild removed 9.2 ±1.9 cm2 of foliar tissue per leaf, which represented 10.2 ±1.8% of the standing leaf area. Contrary to our expectations, frequency and magnitude of foliar damage by insects were statistically uncorrelated to either basic forest fragment metrics (fragment area, edge proximity) or resource abundance (percentage of pioneer seedlings). Our findings indicate that insect herbivory is a pervasive ecological process in fragmented landscapes. However, rather than being a function of simple fragment metrics or resource availability, its variation seems to be caused by a range of drivers, such as dispersal ability of folivorous insects and vulnerability of their parasitoids and predators to human disturbance.
The cellular factor TRP‐185 regulates RNA polymerase II binding to HIV‐1 TAR RNA.

Activation of HIV‐1 gene expression by the transactivator Tat is dependent on an RNA regulatory element located downstream of the transcription initiation site known as TAR. To characterize cellular factors that bind to TAR RNA and are involved in the regulation of HIV‐1 transcription, HeLa nuclear extract was fractionated and RNA gel‐retardation analysis was performed. This analysis indicated that only two cellular factors, RNA polymerase II and the previously characterized TAR RNA loop binding protein TRP‐185, were capable of binding specifically to TAR RNA. To elucidate the function of TRP‐185, it was purified from HeLa nuclear extract, amino acid microsequence analysis was performed and a cDNA encoding TRP‐185 was isolated. TRP‐185 is a novel protein of 1621 amino acids which contains a leucine zipper and potentially a novel RNA binding motif. In gel‐retardation assays, the binding of both recombinant TRP‐185 and RNA polymerase II was dependent on the presence of an additional group of proteins designated cellular cofactors. Both the TAR RNA loop and bulge sequences were critical for RNA polymerase II binding, while TRP‐185 binding was dependent only on TAR RNA loop sequences. Since binding of TRP‐185 and RNA polymerase II to TAR RNA was found to be mutually exclusive, our results suggest that TRP‐185 may function either alone or in conjunction with Tat to disengage RNA polymerase II which is stalled upon binding to nascently synthesized TAR RNA during transcriptional elongation.
High-Throughput Assays Using a Luciferase-Expressing Replicon, Virus-Like Particles, and Full-Length Virus for West Nile Virus Drug Discovery

ABSTRACT Many flaviviruses cause significant human disease worldwide. The development of flavivirus chemotherapy requires reliable high-throughput screening (HTS) assays. Although genetic systems have been developed for many flaviviruses, their usage in antiviral HTS assays has not been well explored. Here we compare three cell-based HTS assays for West Nile virus (WNV) drug discovery: (i) an assay that uses a cell line harboring a persistently replicating subgenomic replicon (containing a deletion of viral structural genes), (ii) an assay that uses packaged virus-like particles containing replicon RNA, and (iii) an assay that uses a full-length reporting virus. A Renilla luciferase gene was engineered into the replicon or into the full-length viral genome to monitor viral replication. Potential inhibitors could be identified through suppression of luciferase signals upon compound incubation. The antiviral assays were optimized in a 96-well format, validated with known WNV inhibitors, and proved useful in identifying a new inhibitor(s) through HTS of a compound library. In addition, because each assay encompasses multiple but discrete steps of the viral life cycle, the three systems could potentially be used to discriminate the mode of action of any inhibitor among viral entry (detected by assays ii and iii but not by assay i), replication (including viral translation and RNA synthesis; detected by assays i to iii), and virion assembly (detected by assay iii but not by assays i and ii). The approaches described in this study should be applicable to the development of cell-based assays for other flaviviruses.
Quasi-monostatic microwave imaging using multi-source illumination

In this paper, the principle and experimental results of quasi-monostatic frequency-swept microwave imaging of conducting objects using multi-source illumination are presented Images of scattering objects reconstructed from the experimental data measured in the frequency range 7.5GHz-12.5GHz are shown in good agreement with the scattering object geometries.
Smartwatch-Based Wearable EEG System for Driver Drowsiness Detection

Driver drowsiness is a major cause of mortality in traffic accidents worldwide. Many physiological signals have been proposed to detect driver drowsiness. Among these signals, an electroencephalographic (EEG) signal, which reflects the brain activities, is more directly related to drowsiness. Thus, many EEG-based driver drowsiness detection (DDD) models gained more and more attention in recent years. However, one limitation of these studies is that these models merely estimate discrete labels and, thus, did not allow for estimating the relative severity of driver drowsiness. This paper proposes a support vector machine-based posterior probabilistic model (SVMPPM) for DDD, aimed at transforming the drowsiness level to any value of 0~1 instead of discrete labels. A fully wearable EEG system which consists of a Bluetooth-enabled EEG headband and a commercial smartwatch was used to evaluate the proposed model in a real-time way. Twenty subjects who participated in a 1-h monotonous driving simulation experiment were used to develop this model with fifteen subjects for a building model and five subjects for a testing model. According to a video-based reference, the proposed system obtained an accuracy of 91.25% for an alert group (73 out of 80 data sets), 83.78% for an early-warning group (93 out of 111 data sets), and 91.92% for a full-warning group (91 out of 99 data sets). These results indicate that the combination of the proposed SVMPPM, the EEG headband, and the wrist-worn smart device constitutes an effective, simple, and inexpensive wearable solution for DDD.