Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of NO-Donors on Thrombus Formation and Microcirculation in Cerebral Vessels of the Rat

Summary Sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1), are known to liberate nitric oxide (NO). In this study the effects of SNP and SIN-1 on thrombus formation in rat cerebral arterioles and venules in vivo were assessed using a helium-neon (He-Ne) laser. SNP infused at doses from 10 Μg/kg/h significantly inhibited thrombus formation in a dose dependent manner. This inhibition of thrombus formation was suppressed by methylene blue. SIN-1 at a dose of 100 Μg/kg/h also demonstrated a significant antithrombotic effect. Moreover, treatment with SNP increased vessel diameter in a dose dependent manner and enhanced the mean red cell velocity measured with a fiber-optic laser-Doppler anemometer microscope (FLDAM). Blood flow, calculated from the mean red cell velocity and vessel diameters was increased significantly during infusion. In contrast, mean wall shear rates in the arterioles and venules were not changed by SNP infusion. The results indicated that SNP and SIN-1 possessed potent antithrombotic activities, whilst SNP increased cerebral blood flow without changing wall shear rate. The findings suggest that the NO released by SNP and SIN-1 may be beneficial for the treatment and protection of cerebral infarction
Indonesian president candidates 2014 sentiment analysis by using Twitter data

The purpose of this research is to find the opinion on Twitter about the 2014 president candidates and find the correlation between the opinion on Twitter and on digital newspaper. To perform this, tweets are extracted. Some tweets will be labelled president candidates name and the positive and negative sentiment for the training set. A training will be conducted to test whether the training set is enough to perform classification or not. The next step is to calculate the sentiment results and compare to the results from digital newspaper by using a web-based application called Tirto. Deep analysing conducted to analyse the relation between the issues on Twitter and on digital newspaper.
Temporal Variation in Mycophagy and Prevalence of Fungi Associated with Developmental Stages of Dendroctonus ponderosae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Abstract Mycophagy by bark beetles is widespread. However, little is known regarding which developmental stages of bark beetles actually feed on fungi. To study this question, we sampled fungi associated with Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) throughout development in naturally attacked trees. Isolations of fungi were made from phloem adjacent to brood and from brood exoskeletons and guts. Overall, the incidence of fungi with individual brood increased as brood development progressed. Grosmannia clavigera (Robinson-Jeffrey and Davidson) Zipfel, de Beer and Wingf. and Ophiostoma montium (Rumbold) von Arx exhibited generally opposing trends in prevalence. G. clavigera was most likely to be found in phloem adjacent to prewintering third- and postwintering fourth-instar larvae. O. montium was most likely to be found in phloem adjacent to eggs, first-instar larvae, pupae, and teneral adults. In contrast to isolations made from phloem, fungi isolated from brood guts and exoskeletons were not observed to shift in prevalence. First- and third-instar larvae were often observed migrating to older portions of their galleries, indicating that they do not spend all of their time feeding at, and extending, the apex of the gallery. Our results suggest that not only are D. ponderosae brood in contact with and feeding on fungi throughout development, but also, that during development, contact of brood with a particular fungus is likely to change. Such temporal shifts in fungal symbionts may be environmentally driven and have important implications in how these fungi interact with their hosts within and across generations.
Induction of Long-Term Lipopolysaccharide Tolerance by an Agonistic Monoclonal Antibody to the Toll-Like Receptor 4/MD-2 Complex

ABSTRACT We have established an agonistic monoclonal antibody, UT12, that induces stimulatory signals comparable to those induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) through Toll-like receptor 4 and MD-2. UT12 activated nuclear factor κB and induced the production of proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in peritoneal exudative cells. In addition, mice injected with UT12 rapidly fell into endotoxin shock concomitant with the augmentation of serum TNF-α and IL-6 levels, followed by death within 12 h. On the other hand, when the mice were pretreated with a sublethal dose of UT12, the mice survived the subsequent lethal LPS challenges, with significant suppression of serum TNF-α and IL-6, indicating that UT12 induced tolerance against LPS. This effect of UT12 was maintained for at least 9 days. In contrast, the tolerance induced by LPS continued for less than 3 days. These results illuminate a novel potential therapeutic strategy for endotoxin shock by the use of monoclonal antibodies against the Toll-like receptor 4/MD-2 complex.
Compensation of disturbances in multi-machine power systems caused by perturbation of mechanical input power

The problem of disturbances compensation in multi-machine power systems under parametric uncertainties and perturbed mechanical input power is considered. The solution is proposed for the case when only relative speed of each electrical generator is available for measurement. The proposed control algorithm synchronizes the multi-machine power system with the required accuracy in the normal mode and under symmetrical 3-phase short circuit faults which occur on transmission lines. Efficiency of the proposed scheme is illustrated by modeling of the three-machine power system.
Serotonergic innervation of the auditory brainstem of the Mexican free‐tailed bat, Tadarida brasiliensis

Anatomical and electrophysiological evidence suggests that serotonin alters the processing of sound in the auditory brainstem of many mammalian species. The Mexican free‐tailed bat is a hearing specialist, like other microchiropteran bats. At the same time, many aspects of its auditory brainstem are similar to those in other mammals. This dichotomy raises an interesting question regarding the serotonergic innervation of the bat auditory brainstem: Is the serotonergic input to the auditory brainstem similar in bats and other mammals, or are there specializations in the serotonergic innervation of bats that may be related to their exceptional hearing capabilities? To address this question, we immunocytochemically labeled serotonergic fibers in the brainstem of the Mexican free‐tailed bat, Tadarida brasiliensis. We found many similarities in the pattern of serotonergic innervation of the auditory brainstem in Tadarida compared with other mammals, but we also found two striking differences. Similarities to staining patterns in other mammals included a higher density of serotonergic fibers in the dorsal cochlear nucleus and in granule cell regions than in the ventral cochlear nucleus, a high density of fibers in some periolivary nuclei of the superior olive, and a higher density of fibers in peripheral regions of the inferior colliculus compared with its core. The two novel features of serotonergic innervation in Tadarida were a high density of fibers in the fusiform layer of the dorsal cochlear nucleus relative to surrounding layers and a relatively high density of serotonergic fibers in the low‐frequency regions of the lateral and medial superior olive. J. Comp. Neurol. 435:78–88, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Does Job Insecurity Hinder Innovative Work Behaviour? A Threat Rigidity Perspective

Current work life is characterized by globalization, technological changes and the aftermath of the economic recession, thereby increasing the need for organizations to be innovative to maintain their competitive position. At the same time, this turbulent organizational landscape gave rise to perceptions of job insecurity (JI), that is, the subjectively perceived likelihood of involuntary job loss. The present study investigates whether job insecurity relates to innovative work behaviour (IWB) and introduces threat rigidity theory as an explanatory framework for this relationship. Based on this theory, we propose a serial mediation model, in which job insecurity relates to an increase in irritation, which subsequently relates to a decrease in concentration, resulting in a decrease in both dimensions of IWB, namely idea generation and idea implementation. By means of survey data from 394 Dutch&#8208;speaking Belgian employees, we used structural equation modelling to compute our mediation analyses (bootstrapping method). Our findings are in line with threat rigidity theory, as the results demonstrate that the threat of job loss impairs employees' innovativeness through increased irritation and decreased concentration. This study contributes to job insecurity as well as IWB research, by introducing a process model that sheds light on job insecurity outcomes and antecedents of IWB.
Overactivation of the nuclear factor (erythroid‐derived 2)–like 2–antioxidant response element pathway in hepatocytes decreases hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury in mice

Hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) is a critical component of hepatic surgery. Oxidative stress has long been implicated as a key player in IRI. In this study, we examine the cell‐specific role of the nuclear factor (erythroid‐derived 2)–like 2 (Nrf2)–antioxidant response element pathway in warm hepatic IRI. Nrf2 knockout (KO) and wild‐type (WT) animals and novel transgenic mice expressing a constitutively active nuclear factor (erythroid‐derived 2)–like 2 (caNrf2) mutant in hepatocytes (AlbCre+/caNrf2+) and their littermate controls underwent partial hepatic ischemia or sham surgery. The animals were killed 6 hours after reperfusion, and their serum and tissue were collected for analysis. As compared to WT animals after ischemia/reperfusion (IR), Nrf2 KO mice had increased hepatocellular injury with increased serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, Suzuki score, apoptosis, an increased inflammatory infiltrate, and enhanced inflammatory cytokine expression. On the other hand, AlbCre+/caNrf2+ that underwent IR had significantly reduced serum transaminases, less necrosis on histology, and a less pronounced inflammatory infiltrate and inflammatory cytokine expression as compared to the littermate controls. However, there were no differences in apoptosis. Taken together, Nrf2 plays a critical role in our murine model of warm hepatic IRI, with Nrf2 deficiency exacerbating hepatic IRI and hepatocyte‐specific Nrf2 overactivation providing protection against warm hepatic IRI. Liver Transpl 22:91‐102, 2016. © 2015 AASLD.
Priming-Boosting Vaccination with Recombinant Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin and a Nonreplicating Vaccinia Virus Recombinant Leads to Long-Lasting and Effective Immunity

ABSTRACT Virus-specific T-cell responses can limit immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) transmission and prevent disease progression and so could serve as the basis for an affordable, safe, and effective vaccine in humans. To assess their potential for a vaccine, we used Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-Tokyo and a replication-deficient vaccinia virus strain (DIs) as vectors to express full-length gag from simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIVs) (rBCG-SIVgag and rDIsSIVgag). Cynomolgus macaques were vaccinated with either rBCG-SIVgag dermally as a single modality or in combination with rDIsSIVgag intravenously. When cynomologus macaques were primed with rBCG-SIVgag and then boosted with rDIsSIVgag, high levels of gamma interferon (IFN-γ) spot-forming cells specific for SIV Gag were induced. This combination regimen elicited effective protective immunity against mucosal challenge with pathogenic simian-human immunodeficiency virus for the 1 year the macaques were under observation. Antigen-specific intracellular IFN-γ activity was similarly induced in each of the macaques with the priming-boosting regimen. Other groups receiving the opposite combination or the single-modality vaccines were not effectively protected. These results suggest that a recombinant M. bovis BCG-based vector may have potential as an HIV/AIDS vaccine when administered in combination with a replication-deficient vaccinia virus DIs vector in a priming-boosting strategy.
Cost-effectiveness of interferon alfa-2b with and without ribavirin as therapy for chronic hepatitis C in Sweden.

BACKGROUND Recent trials have shown that treatment with a combination of interferon alfa-2b and ribavirin results in sustained loss of detectable hepatitis C-virus (HCV) RNA in a higher proportion of patients than treatment with interferon alone. Combination therapy, however, is two to three times as expensive as monotherapy. METHODS Based on data from recent randomized clinical trials and a previously published decision model, we developed a Markov model to estimate the cost-effectiveness of initial combination therapy with interferon and ribavirin versus interferon alone for previously untreated patients with chronic HCV infection in Sweden. Clinical praxis and quality adjustments were based on expert estimates and costs were gathered from different health care providers in Sweden. RESULTS Combination therapy for 24 or 48 weeks, compared to interferon alone, prolonged quality adjusted life expectancy by 0.5 to 1.1 years at marginal cost-effectiveness ratios of US$ 1,400 to US$ 6,000 per DQALY (discounted quality-adjusted life-year) for patients with genotype 1. In genotype 1, 48 weeks compared to 24 weeks of combination therapy prolonged quality adjusted life expectancy by 0.6 years at a marginal cost-effectiveness ratio of $US 9,800 per DQALY. For patients with genotype non-1, combination therapy for 24 or 48 weeks, compared to interferon alone, prolonged quality adjusted life expectancy by 2.3 years, with combination therapy for 24 weeks being money-saving. The results were robust in sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION Combination therapy with interferon and ribavirin increased quality-adjusted life expectancy and was cost-effective for patients with chronic hepatitis C.
Learning in Circles: The Power of a Humanizing Dialogic Practice

There is an increasing sense of urgency to reconnect to the basic notion of a humanizing dialogic practice. A practice that prioritizes lived experiences and recognizes students and teacher as active, knowledgeable and insightful participants of the school community. Given the emphasis placed on test scores, assessments and other accountability measures, students and teacher voices are often omitted from the national dialogue on what is working and what needs to change in order to foster caring schools and responsive classrooms. Yet their voices are precisely the ones we need to hear from as any kind of educational reform efforts will directly impact them. Drawing on critical pedagogical theories, this article conceptually explores the power of a humanizing dialogic practice grounded on circle practice. Circle practice is a simple structured process of communication that helps participants re-connect with a joyous appreciation of themselves and others while making meaningful connections to both context and content.
Role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha activation in acute myocardial damage induced by isoproterenol in rats.

BACKGROUND Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) alpha is one of the subtypes of PPARs. It regulates metabolism of lipid and lipoprotein, as well as glucose homeostasis. In addition, PPARalpha influences cellular proliferation, inflammation, differentiation and apoptosis, which plays a vital role in cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role and mechanisms of PPARa activation in relation to acute myocardial damage induced by isoproterenol in rats. METHODS Thirty male Wister rats were randomly divided into control group, isoproterenol (Iso) injured group and fenofibrate (FF) treatment group. Acute myocardial damage caused by isoproterenol intraperitoneal injection induced ischemia was established. We determined the levels of creatine kinase (CK) and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) in serum as well as the concentrations of free fatty acids (FFA) in serum and myocardium. The mRNA expressions of PPARa, muscular type carnitine palmitransferase (M-CPT-I) and medium chain lipid acetyl coenzyme A dehydrogenase (MCAD) were analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS Compared with the control group, the levels of serum CK and LDH were significantly increased after FF and Iso treatments. Moreover, the concentrations of FFA in both serum and myocardium were obviously increased in the Iso group and FF group, while the mRNA expressions of PPARalpha, M-CPT-I and MCAD declined, respectively (P < 0.01). When compared with the Iso group, significant decreases in serum CK and LDH were observed in the FF group. The concentrations of FFA both in serum and myocardial tissue were markedly decreased in the FF group, while the expressions of PPARalpha, M-CPT-I and MCAD mRNA were increased (vs. Iso, P < or = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS The utilization of FFA was reduced in isoproterenol induced acute myocardial damage. PPARalpha activation by its activator fenofibrate may play a key role in energy metabolism in acute myocardial damage induced by isoproterenol in rats.
Desensitization Masks Nanomolar Potency of ATP for the P2X1 Receptor*

ATP-gated P2X1 receptors feature fast activation and fast desensitization combined with slow recovery from desensitized states. Here, we exploited a non-desensitizing P2X2/P2X1 chimera that includes the entire P2X1 ectodomain (Werner, P., Seward, E. P., Buell, G. N., and North, R. A. (1996) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 93, 15485–15490) to obtain a macroscopic representation of intrinsic receptor kinetics without bias arising from the overlap of channel activation and desensitization. From the stationary currents made amenable to analysis by this chimera, an EC50 for ATP of 3.3 nm was derived, representing a >200- and >7000-fold higher ATP potency than observed for the parental P2X1 and P2X2A receptors, respectively. Also, other agonists activated the P2X2/P2X1 chimera with nanomolar EC50 values ranging from 3.5 to 73 nm in the following rank order: 2-methylthio-ATP, 2′,3′-O-(4-benzoylbenzoyl)-ATP, α,β-methylene-ATP, adenosine 5′-O-(3-thiotriphosphate). Upon washout, the P2X2/P2X1 chimera deactivated slowly with a time constant (ranging from 63 to 2.5 s) that is inversely related to the EC50 value for the corresponding agonist. This suggests that deactivation time courses reflect unbinding rates, which by themselves define agonist potencies. The P2X2/P2X1 chimera and the P2X1 receptor possess virtually identical sensitivity to inhibition by the P2X1 receptor-selective antagonist NF279, a suramin analog. These results suggest that the P2X1 ectodomain confers nanomolar ATP sensitivity, which, within the wild-type P2X1 receptor, is obscured by desensitization such that only a micromolar ATP potency can be deduced from peak current measurements, representing an amalgam of activation and desensitization.
Evaluating #VetFinals: Can Twitter help students prepare for final examinations?

Abstract Twitter is increasingly used in education. In this article, Twitter was evaluated for its potential to aid veterinary students in their preparation for final examinations. “#VetFinals” revision sessions were facilitated by experts on a variety of topics. The initiative was evaluated through consideration of potential participants, session content and student experiences. In analysis of nine sessions, 52 students participated from eight veterinary schools. During a session, the facilitator tweeted 66 times on average, primarily asking a general question. Students on average tweeted 84 times, mostly in response to facilitators. They also asked novel questions and responded to fellow students. Focus groups and interviews with 11 students suggested that: sessions are useful for preparation/self-testing to succeed in exams; the facilitator and session style impact on learning; the sessions feel like personalized learning; there are elements of safety and exposure leading to some fear of tweeting; peer-learning promotes competition; a community of learners was formed; Twitter has become a part of normal professional life. Whilst not all students will take part in this type of social media use, many found it beneficial. The importance of the facilitator suggests the need for faculty development.
Partially exchangeable Hidden Markov Models

Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) have become increasingly popular in recent years in a wide range of applications. Special subclasses of HMMs have been extensively studied in various contexts. In this work we give a necessary and sufficient condition for a partially exchangeable sequence to be a countable HMM, i.e. a countably valued HMM with countable state space Markov chain. More precisely we show that a partially exchangeable sequence is a countable HMM if and only if it is a countable mixture of Markov chains. Our main theorem extends an old result of Dharmadhikari which proved that an exchangeable sequence is a countable HMM if and only if it is a countable mixture of i.i. d. sequences. The main technical tool we use to generalize Dharmadhikari's theorem is the Diaconis-Freedman extension of de Finetti's theorem to partially exchangeable sequences. It seems interesting to deepen the understanding of the connection between HMMs and mixtures of Markov chains, models widely used in applications, as this could lead to new approaches to solve inference problems for both classes. In particular the problem of estimating the memory of a mixture of Markov chains has motivated us to investigate the connection between HMMs and partially exchangeable stochastic sequences.
Correlates of drive for muscularity

Drive for muscularity (DM) is associated with anabolic steroid and supplement use, exercise dependence, eating pathology, and low self-esteem. However, only one study has examined how anthropometric measures are related to DM. To extend previous research, and to clarify the relationship between DM and anthropometric indices, 113 college-aged men completed self-report surveys and were assessed for body fat percentage, fat-free mass, and body mass index. We found that supplement use, exercise dependence, and self-esteem, but none of the anthropometric measures, correlated with DM. These results enhance our understanding of DM and can be used to develop interventions to decrease DM.
Scaling and Performance Analysis of MEMS Piezoelectric Energy Harvesters

Vibrational energy harvesters have been phenomenally adopted to absorb energy from mechanical vibrations and convert them into electrical energy. Power developed by such harvesters depends significantly on material properties and harvester geometry. Moreover, the power generated by micro-scale harvesters scales down rapidly. Hence, it is important to find scaling rules that ensure maximum power generation irrespective of the harvester size. In this paper, we derive an expression for the power generated by a piezoelectric harvester of a unimorph topology and show how this expression can be decomposed into five multiplicative factors representing size scaling, composition, inertia, material, and power factor (SCIMP). We present explicit expressions for each factor and show how these factors can be used for optimizing the performance of a harvester. The proposed factors provide an intuitive and insightful method for exploring an unwieldy multidimensional design space along five vectors that are particularly amenable to constraint-based choices a harvester designer has to make. The proposed method of analysis results in unique performance indices, enabling the comparison of harvester performance across different designs. We compute and compare the power developed by several MEMS harvesters reported in the literature using our method and show how this method can be used effectively for designing MEMS scale harvesters. [2016-0283]