Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The complete mitochondrial genome of the Mongolian gerbil, Meriones unguiculatus (Rodentia: Muridae: Gerbillinae)

Abstract The complete mitochondrial genome of the Mongolian gerbil, Meriones unguiculatus, was sequenced. The 16,360 bp long genome has 37 genes typical for rodent mitogenomes, including 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and 13 protein-coding genes. The total GC content of the mitochondrial genome is 36.96% with the base composition of 32.61% A, 23.71% C, 13.24% G, and 30.44% T. Translational terminators of three genes (cytb, cox3, and nad4) were generated by the addition of 3′ A residues to the mRNA. This novel rodent mitochondrial genome will provide comparable information for understanding the rodent mitochondrial evolution.
A comparison of fibrinogen measurement methods with fibrin clot elasticity assessed by thromboelastometry, before and after administration of fibrinogen concentrate in cardiac surgery patients

BACKGROUND: Fibrinogen concentrate administration can be guided by measuring fibrinogen concentration or quality of the fibrin‐based clot. This study compared different fibrinogen concentration measurement methods with maximum clot firmness (MCF) of the fibrin clot, assessed by thromboelastometry (FIBTEM), in 33 cardiovascular surgery patients receiving fibrinogen concentrate for hemostatic therapy.
Fibrillar prion peptide (106–126) and scrapie prion protein hamper phagocytosis in microglia

The inflammatory response in prion diseases is dominated by microglial activation. As macrophages of the central nervous system, the phagocytic capacity of microglia is well recognized, and it is possible that microglia are involved in the removal and processing of amyloid fibrils, thus preventing their harmful effect. We have analyzed the effects of a synthetic peptide of the human prion protein, PrP(106–126), which can form fibrils, and the pathogenic form of prion protein, PrPsc, on phagocytosis in microglia isolated from neonatal rat brain cultures. To some extent, fibrillar PrP(106–126) is internalized and processed. However, both synthetic prion peptide PrP(106–126) in a fibrillar form and pathogenic prion protein PrPsc severely hamper the phagocytic activity as measured by the uptake of beads by microglia. At a concentration that does not induce microglial death, PrP(106–126) reduced the number of beads internalized and altered their cytoplasmic distribution. This effect was not due to decreased binding of beads to the cell surface, nor restricted to specific classes of receptors. Although the PrP(106–126) did not prevent F‐actin and Rac1 accumulation at sites of particle engulfment, it appeared to interfere with a later step of the internalization process. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
New criteria for sepsis-induced coagulopathy (SIC) following the revised sepsis definition: a retrospective analysis of a nationwide survey

Objective Recent clinical studies have shown that anticoagulant therapy might be effective only in specific at-risk subgroups of patients with sepsis and coagulation dysfunction. The definition of sepsis was recently modified, and as such, old scoring systems may no longer be appropriate for the diagnosis of sepsis-associated coagulopathy. The aim of this study was to evaluate prognostic factors in patients diagnosed with sepsis and coagulopathy according to the new sepsis definition and assess their accuracy in comparison with existing models. Design Retrospective analysis of the nationwide survey for recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin. Setting General emergency and critical care centres in secondary and tertiary care hospitals. Participants We evaluated the prognostic value of the newly proposed diagnostic criteria for sepsis-induced coagulopathy (SIC). A total of 1498 Japanese patients with sepsis and coagulopathy complications who were treated with recombinant thrombomodulin were analysed in this study. Main outcome measures The platelet count, prothrombin time (PT) ratio, fibrinogen/fibrin degradation products, systemic inflammatory response syndrome score and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score obtained just before the start of treatment were examined in relation to the 28-day mortality rate. Results The platelet count, PT ratio and total SOFA were independent predictors of a fatal outcome in a logistic regression model. A SIC score was defined using the three above-mentioned variables with a positivity threshold of 4 points or more. The SIC score predicted higher 28-day mortality rate compared with the current Japanese Association for Acute Medicine-disseminated intravascular coagulation score (38.4%vs34.7%). Conclusion The SIC score is based on readily available parameters, is easy to calculate and has a high predictive value for 28-day mortality. Future studies are warranted to evaluate whether the SIC score may guide the decision to initiate anticoagulant therapy.
Stem cells, niches and cadherins: a view from Drosophila

Stem cells are essential for the correct development and homeostasis of adult organisms, as well as having obvious potential therapeutic importance. Analysis of the biology of stem cells and their regulatory microenvironment in adult organs has, however, been hindered by the rarity of these cells in mature tissues and by the lack of positive markers for them. The ovary of the Drosophila melanogaster female is a stem cell niche in which such analyses can be performed. The stromal cells of the microenvironment act as a regulatory centre to control the proliferation and differentiation of the germline stem cells, using several signalling molecules, among them the protein DPP – a Drosophila homologue of the human bone morphogenetic proteins BMP2 and BMP4. Recent work shows that DE-cadherin-mediated adhesion is used for the initial recruitment and posterior anchoring of the germline-derived stem cells in their niche.
Laboratory wash resistance of long‐lasting insecticidal nets

Long‐lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) may eliminate the need for retreatment of mosquito nets used for the control of malaria and other vector‐borne diseases. The efficacy of LLINs after repeated washing under laboratory conditions has been used to predict long‐lasting efficacy under field conditions. We evaluated under laboratory conditions the wash resistance of two LLINs (PermaNet® 1.0, Vestergaard‐Frandsen, Denmark; Olyset®, Sumitomo Chemical Co., Japan), two candidate LLINs (Dawa®, Siamdutch Mosquito Netting Co., Thailand; Insector, Athanor, France) and a net treated with a process designed to increase its wash resistance and compared them with conventionally treated nets (deltamethrin, 25 mg/m2). Nets of all six types were washed using a standard protocol and tested weekly using WHO cone bioassays with Anopheles gambiae (Kisumu strain). The PermaNet® 1.0 was the most wash resistant with >50% mosquito mortality in WHO cone bioassays after as many as 20 washes. The Dawa® net also retained some activity after repeated washing but exhibited wide variation in insecticide retention and biological activity. The remaining nets lost >90% of their biological activity after six washes as measured by 24‐h mortality of A. gambiae in WHO cone tests. After 20 washes, all nets lost >50% of their initial insecticide concentrations except for the Olyset® net. After 20 washes, nets were heated for 4 h at 60 °C to determine whether biological activity could be restored by heat‐assisted regeneration. Only the Olyset® net was regenerated by heating, with average mosquito mortality and knockdown in WHO cone tests rising to >90% after heating for 4 h at 60 °C. However, regeneration of the biological activity of Olyset® nets that had been washed three times did not occur at 30 °C or 35 °C after 12 weeks. The wash resistance of these LLINs corresponded well to their retention of biological activity observed in a field trial, suggesting that wash resistance may be a good predictor of the longevity of insecticidal activity of LLINs under field conditions.
[11C]Carbon Monoxide in Palladium- / Selenium-Promoted Carbonylation Reactions Synthesis of 11C-Imides, Hydrazides, Amides, Carboxylic Acids, Carboxylic Esters, Carbothioates, Ketones and Carbamoyl Compounds

[11C]Carbon monoxide in low concentrations has been used in palladium- or seleniummediated carbonylation reactions such as the synthesis of 11C-imides, hydrazides, amides, carboxylic acids, esters, carbothioates, ketones and carbamoyl compounds.In these reactions aryl iodides have been used in most cases. However, less reactive aryl triflate, chloride and bromides were activated using tetrabutylammonium iodide.The reactivities of nucleophiles may have influence on the radiochemical yield of the 11Clabelled compounds. Carboxyamination of aryl halides using aniline derivatives yielded 10% of the corresponding 11C-amide. However, the radiochemical yields increased significantly when the aniline derivatives were treated with lithium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide. In contrast, this reagent did not improve the radiochemical yields when primary amines such as methylamine and benzylamine were used. In these cases the radiochemical yields were improved by using pempidine.11C-Esterification usually gave low yields. However, the radiochemical yields of 11C-esters could be improved by using magnesium bromide and pempidine.An excess of ligand may have a significant impact on palladium-promoted carbonylation reaction. The radiochemical yields of 11C-ketones were improved when using excess amounts of tri-o-tolylphosphine. (13C)Carbon monoxide may be utilized for the synthesis of 13C-substituated compounds in order to confirm the position of 11C-labelling.
Homocyst(e)ine, Folate, and Vitamin B12 Status in a Cohort of Welsh Young People Aged 12–13 Years Old

The aim of this unique study was to consider the relationship between folate and vitamin B12 on homocyst(e)ine (Hcy) concentration in an apparently healthy cohort of Welsh young people. A cohort of 179, 12–13 year olds (88 boys and 91 girls) were measured for Hcy, folate, vitamin B12, adiposity, and dietary habits. Boys had significantly higher waist circumference and folate concentration than girls. Folate was negatively associated with Hcy in both sexes, whereas vitamin B12 was negatively associated with Hcy in boys only. Adiposity was not associated with Hcy. Folate was an independent predictor of Hcy in both sexes, whilst vitamin B12 was an independent determinant of Hcy in boys only. Familial history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors was identified in 69% of the children with elevated Hcy (≥ 8.5 μmol·L−1). Young people might be encouraged to increase their folate intake through diet, particularly by increasing their consumption of leafy vegetables and fruit. Further research is necessary to determine the exact contribution of genetics and diet on Hcy levels in young people, and whether Hcy levels during childhood and adolescence might influence future CVD risk.
Metabolism and functional effects of sphingolipids in blood cells

We examined the sphingolipid metabolism of peripheral blood cells, i.e. platelets, erythrocytes, neutrophils and mononuclear cells. A distinguishing characteristic of sphingolipid metabolism in these highly differentiated cells was their high sphingosine (Sph) kinase activity. The occurrence of [3H]sphingosine 1‐phosphate (Sph‐1‐P) from [3H]Sph (actively incorporated from the outside) in the blood cells was strong, long‐lasting, and independent of cell activation. Hence, the possibility of Sph‐1‐P playing a second messenger role is remote in these cells. About 40% of platelet Sph‐1‐P could be released extracellularly by 12‐O‐tetradecanoylphorbol 13‐acetate, possibly through mediation by protein kinase C. On the other hand, in erythrocytes, neutrophils and mononuclear cells a significant percentage of Sph‐1‐P formed inside the cell was discharged without stimulation, whereas the stimulation‐dependent release was marginal. In contrast to active [3H]Sph conversion to [3H]Sph‐1‐P, formation of [3H]sphingomyelin was barely detectable in the blood cells; this was especially true for anucleate platelets and erythrocytes. The Sph → Sph‐1‐P pathway may become predominant over the Sph → Cer → sphingomyelin pathway during late‐stage differentiation into platelets or erythrocytes. Sph and its methylated derivative, N,N‐dimethylsphingosine, induced apoptosis not only in neutrophils but also in mononuclear cells, whereas Sph‐1‐P elicited Ca2+ mobilization in platelets. Our results suggest that all blood cells may remove plasma Sph, which is harmful or suppressive to cellular functions, and change it into Sph‐1‐P, acting as the source of plasma Sph‐1‐P, which may play a variety of important roles in blood vessels.
Ethnicity, Political Systems, and Civil Wars

The effect of ethnic division on civil war and the role of political systems in preventing these conflicts are analyzed, using the importance of religious polarization and animist diversity to explain the incidence of ethnic civil war. Findings show that religious differences are a social cleavage more important than linguistic differences in the development of civil war, and being a consociational democracy significantly reduces the incidence of ethnic civil war.
Solution-derived 40 µm vertically aligned ZnO nanowire arrays as photoelectrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells

Well-aligned ZnO nanowire arrays with a long length of more than 40 µm were prepared successfully by using the polyethylenimine (PEI)-assisted preheating hydrothermal method (PAPHT). Several important synthetic parameters such as PEI content, growth time, preheating time and zinc salt concentration were found to determine the growth of ultralong ZnO nanowire arrays, including length, diameter, density and alignment degree. The photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of as-grown ultralong ZnO nanowire arrays revealed a UV emission and a yellow emission, which was attributed to the absorbed hydroxyl group based on the peak shift after annealing in various atmospheres. The performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) increased with increasing length of ZnO nanowire arrays, which was mainly ascribed to the aggrandized photocurrent and reduced recombination loss according to electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). A maximum efficiency of 1.3% for a cell with a short-circuit current density (Jsc) = 4.26 mA cm2, open-circuit voltage (Voc) = 0.69 V and (fill factor) FF = 0.42 was achieved with a length of 40 µm.
Characterization of Distinct Human Endometrial Carcinoma Cell Lines Deficient in Mismatch Repair That Originated from a Single Tumor*

The role of specific mismatch repair (MMR) gene products was examined by observing several phenotypic end points in two MMR-deficient human endometrial carcinoma cell lines that were originally isolated from the same tumor. The first cell line, HEC-1-A, contains a nonsense mutation in the hPMS2 gene, which results in premature termination and a truncated hPMS2 protein. In addition, HEC-1-A cells carry a splice mutation in thehMSH6 gene and lack wild-type hMSH6 protein. The second cell line, HEC-1-B, possesses the same defective hMSH6locus. However, HEC-1-B cells are heterozygous at the hPMS2locus; that is, along with carrying the same nonsense mutation inhPMS2 as in HEC-1-A, HEC-1-B cells also contain a wild-type hPMS2 gene. Initial recognition of mismatches in DNA requires either the hMSH2/hMSH6 or hMSH2/hMSH3 heterodimer, with hPMS2 functioning downstream of damage recognition. Therefore, cells defective in hPMS2 should completely lack MMR (HEC-1-A), whereas cells mutant in hMSH6 only (HEC-1-B) can potentially repair damage via the hMSH2/hMSH3 heterodimer. The data presented here in HEC-1-B cells illustrate (i) the reduction of instability at microsatellite sequences, (ii) a significant decrease in frameshift mutation rate at HPRT, and (iii) the in vitro repair of looped substrates, relative to HEC-1-A cells, illustrating the repair of frameshift intermediates by hMSH2/hMSH3 heterodimer. Furthermore, the role of hMSH2/hMSH3 heterodimer in the repair of base:base mismatches is supported by observing the reduction in base substitution mutation rate at HPRT in HEC-1-B cells (hMSH6-defective but possessing wild-type hPMS2), as compared with HEC-1-A (hMSH6/hPMS2-defective) cells. These data support a critical role for hPMS2 in human MMR, while further defining the role of the hMSH2/hMSH3 heterodimer in maintaining genomic stability in the absence of a wild-type hMSH2/hMSH6 heterodimer.
Dietary intake of vitamins A, C, and E and the risk of colorectal adenoma: a meta-analysis of observational studies

To comprehensively summarize the association between dietary intake of vitamins A, C, and E and the risk of colorectal adenoma (CRA), the precursor of colorectal cancer, relevant studies were identified in MEDLINE and EMBASE up to 31 October 2012. Summary relative risks (SRRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled with a random-effects model. Between-study heterogeneity was assessed using Cochran’s Q and I2 statistics. A total of 13 studies with 3832 CRA cases were included in this meta-analysis. On the basis of the highest versus lowest analysis, dietary intake of vitamin C reduced the risk of CRA by 22% (SRRs 0.78, 95% CIs: 0.62–0.98). Subgroup analyses showed that this relation was not modified by BMI, smoking status, and dietary energy intake. Further, dietary intake of &bgr;-carotene was also inversely associated with the risk of CRA. However, dietary intake of vitamins A and E was not associated with the risk of CRA in overall and subgroup analyses (vitamin A: SRRs 0.87, 95% CIs: 0.67–1.14; vitamin E: SRRs 0.87, 95% CIs: 0.69–1.10). Our results indicate that dietary intake of vitamin C and &bgr;-carotene, but not vitamins A and E, could reduce the risk of CRA. However, these associations seem to be limited. Further investigation using large samples and a rigorous methodology is warranted.
A generalised hybrid multilevel modulation technique developed in case of non-integer ratio among the dc-link voltages

This paper proposes a new multilevel modulation technique designed to work with different dc-link voltage levels for each of the inverter employed in a cascade structure. This modulation technique belongs to the family of hybrid modulation techniques but it does not require that the dc-link voltage levels are in an integer ratio among them. Hence it is suited for both distributed generated multilevel converters fed by different renewable sources and UPFC, employing multilevel converters, where the regulation of the dc voltage levels can be used to meet different design requirements. Moreover the proposed generalized hybrid multilevel technique obtains optimal harmonic cancellation in respect to the carrier shifting technique that fails to eliminate some side-band harmonics due to the different dc-voltage levels. In this paper the new modulation technique is described, being compared with the traditional hybrid modulation technique, that in case of non-integer relation among the dc-links voltage levels fails in obtaining a proper first harmonic value, and with the carrier shifting technique that results in an higher harmonic content.
Comparative pharmacology of Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol and its metabolite, 11-OH-Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol.

A comparison of the psychologic and physiologic effects of intravenously administered Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta(9)-THC) and 11-hydroxy-Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (11-OH-Delta(9)-THC) was carried out in nine casual marihuana smokers. A marked tachycardia and psychologic "high" occurred within 3-5 min after the i.v. administration of 11-OH-Delta(9)-THC (1 mg) to all subjects. In contrast, the peak psychologic "high" was delayed 10-20 min after the i.v. administration of Delta(9)-THC (1 mg). There was some individual variation in response among subjects. Psychologic effects correlated well with plasma levels of unchanged [(3)H]11-OH-Delta(9)-THC. About 75% of the administered radioactive dose was excreted in urine (25%) and feces (50%) after [(3)H]11-OH-Delta(9)-THC administration. The disposition, excretion, and metabolism of [(3)H]11-OH-Delta(9)-THC appear to be similar to that previously reported after [(14)C]Delta(9)-THC administration. These findings, in conjunction with the marked psychologic high seen after 11-OH-Delta(9)-THC, suggest that in man, Delta(9)-THC, the active constituent in marihuana, is converted to 11-OH-Delta(9)-THC, which is in part responsible for the psychologic effects.
The use of diuretics in acute heart failure: Evidence based therapy?

The evidence base for the use of diuretics in acute heart failure is limited, with no large double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trials. However, their use as a first line treatment of acute heart failure is firmly established in clinical practice, and endorsed in clinical guidelines. Loop diuretics are typically the first line diuretic strategy for the treatment of acute heart failure. For patients with considerable fluid retention, there is some evidence that initial treatment with continuous infusion or boluses of high dose loop diuretic is superior to an initial lower dose strategy. In patients who are diuretic resistant, the addition of an oral thiazide or thiazide-like diuretic to induce sequential nephron blockade can be beneficial. Intravenous low-dose dopamine has also been used to assist diuresis and preserve renal function in such circumstances, but trials are underway to confirm the clinical value of this agent. Mechanical ultrafiltration has been used to treat patients with heart failure and fluid retention, but the evidence base is not secure, and its place in clinical practice is yet to be established.
Document Clustering in Antimicrobial Peptides Research

Antimicrobial peptides are small peptides encoded by genes. The research area of antimicrobial peptides has attracted intense attention in recent years because “their potential use in the cure of infectious diseases caused by pathogens that have become counteractive to traditional antibiotics” (Boman 1994). There exist huge amount of antimicrobial peptides research articles and this number is continuously increasing. Although some biomedical databases, such as PubMed, have been well established, they provide only query-based information retrieval and end-users need to manually find out relevant information from thousands of retrieved articles. The objective of this paper is to apply one of the text mining techniques, document clustering, which groups similar documents into clusters, to text documents collected from PubMed using keyword “antimicrobial peptides”. The results of our work can help researchers to discover meaningful groups of antimicrobial peptides articles in an efficient manner.
LabVIEW/MATLAB based simulator for grid connected PV system

In this study, LabVIEW and MATLAB/Simulink programs has used together to develop a simulator of grid connected photovoltaic system which has the maximum power point tracking ability. System consists of a photovoltaic module model, a DC/DC boost converter, a voltage source inverter, a maximum power point tracking algorithm and current controller. The photovoltaic panel and maximum power point tracking algorithm are modeled in LabVIEW and a string with ten serial connected modules is used as photovoltaic supply. The two-stage converter composed of a DC / DC and a voltage source inverter and inverter control structure have modeled in MATLAB/Simulink. These components of the system have communicated by using the simulation interface toolkit. PV panel has set according to the datasheets and has been tested by using maximum power point tracking algorithm for different irradiation and temperature conditions. Maximum power point and the instantaneous operating points have been stated on the current-voltage and power-voltage graphs plotted during the operation. This prepared simulator is sufficient for the pre-assessment about the amount of energy to be produced for the geographical planned to invest as well as it can be used for educational purposes.