Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Excretion of Bupropion in Breast Milk

OBJECTIVE: To measure the excretion of bupropion and its metabolites in breast milk. A secondary objective was to determine whether the drug accumulated in the nursing infant. CASE SUMMARY: Milk and plasma samples were collected from a woman taking bupropion 300 mg/d in divided doses who was breastfeeding her 14-month-old son. A single plasma sample was collected from the infant. RESULTS: After a 100-mg dose, the peak bupropion breast milk concentration measured at two hours was 0.189 (μg/mL. Milk-to-plasma ratios ranged from 2.51 to 8.58 over a six-hour interval. Two of three metabolites also were measured in milk. Bupropion and its metabolites were not detected in the single plasma sample obtained from the infant. CONCLUSIONS: Bupropion accumulates in human breast milk in concentrations much higher than in maternal plasma. Two metabolites are also excreted into the milk. Neither bupropion nor its metabolites were detected in the infant's plasma, indicating that accumulation did not occur in this infant.
Nano-plasmonic antennas in the near infrared regime

Plasmonic nano-antennas constitute a central research topic in current science and engineering with an enormous variety of potential applications. Here we review the recent progress in the niche of plasmonic nano-antennas operating in the near infrared part of the spectrum which is important for a variety of applications. Tuning of the resonance into the near infrared regime is emphasized in the perspectives of fabrication, measurement, modeling, and analytical treatments, concentrating on the vast recent achievements in these areas.
Please Scroll down for Article Connection Science Variable Binding by Synaptic Strength Change Variable Binding by Synaptic Strength Change

This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution , reselling , loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material. Variable binding is a difficult problem for neural networks. Two new mechanisms for binding by synaptic change are presented, and in both, bindings are erased and can be reused. The first is based on the commonly used learning mechanism of permanent change of synaptic weight, and the second on synaptic change which decays. Both are biologically motivated models. Simulations of binding on a paired association task are shown with the first mechanism succeeding with a 97.5% F-Score, and the second performing perfectly. Further simulations show that binding by decaying synaptic change copes with cross talk, and can be used for compositional semantics. It can be inferred that binding by permanent change accounts for these, but it faces the stability plasticity dilemma. Two other existing binding mechanisms, synchrony and active links, are compatible with these new mechanisms. All four mechanisms are compared and integrated in a Cell Assembly theory.
Woodchuck hepatitis virus surface antigen induces nitric oxide synthesis in hepatocytes: possible role in hepatocarcinogenesis.

Woodchuck hepatitis virus surface antigen (WHsAg) stimulated hepatocytes in culture to produce nitric oxide (NO.), as evidenced by the accumulation of nitrite in the medium. NO. synthesis by hepatocytes was positively correlated with WHsAg concentration. WHsAg-induced NO. synthesis was inhibited by NG-monomethyl-L-arginine and anti-WHsAg antibody. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of an increase in NO. formation by a viral antigen. These data, when considered in the light of the known genotoxicity of NO., raise the possibility that viral hepatitis increases the risk of liver cancer by increasing the production of NO. Long-term elevated production of NO. free radicals due to stimulation by WHsAg in chronic hepatitis may directly cause reactions with cellular DNA leading to mutagenesis, as well as the formation of hepatocarcinogenic N-nitroso compounds. This provides a new mechanism by which hepatitis B virus infection might hypothetically increase the risk of liver cancer.
Systematic Exploration of Energy-Efficient Application-Specific Network-on-Chip Architectures

Network-on-Chip (NoC), a new System-on-Chip paradigm, has been proposed as a solution to mitigate complex on-chip interconnection problems. NoC architectures are able to accommodate a large number of IP cores in the same chip implementing a set of complex applications. Especially, custom NoC topologies are able to further increase application’sperformance due to their adaptiveness. In this paper, we present a systematic methodology for generating an energy efficient application-specific NoC architecture. The methodology framework consists of the following steps: 1) greedy application partitioning, 2) automatic topology generation and extensive exploration, and 3) an energy-aware router optimization so as to find the best architecture that meets applications requirements. Validation of the proposed framework was performed using four DSP/multimedia applications showing that energy-aware irregular NoCs can achieve on average 53% energy reduction, without violating applications timing constrains.
AMPK-Activated Protein Kinase Suppresses Ccr2 Expression by Inhibiting the NF-κB Pathway in RAW264.7 Macrophages

C-C chemokine receptor 2 (Ccr2) is a key pro-inflammatory marker of classic (M1) macrophage activation. Although Ccr2 is known to be expressed both constitutively and inductively, the full regulatory mechanism of its expression remains unclear. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is not only a master regulator of energy homeostasis but also a central regulator of inflammation. In this study, we sought to assess AMPK’s role in regulating RAW264.7 macrophage Ccr2 protein levels in resting (M0) or LPS-induced M1 states. In both M0 and M1 RAW264.7 macrophages, knockdown of the AMPKα1 subunit by siRNA led to increased Ccr2 levels whereas pharmacologic (A769662) activation of AMPK, attenuated LPS-induced increases in Ccr2 expression in an AMPK dependent fashion. The increases in Ccr2 levels by AMPK downregulation were partially reversed by NF-κB inhibition whereas TNF-a inhibition had minimal effects. Our results indicate that AMPK is a negative regulator of Ccr2 expression in RAW264.7 macrophages, and that the mechanism of action of AMPK inhibition of Ccr2 is mediated, in part, through the NF-κB pathway.
Calculations of Non-equilibrium Effects in Nano-conductors

Calculations of Non-equilibrium Effects in Nano-conductors This thesis is concerned with the interplay between electrical current and vibrational and plasmonic excitations. The development of nano-scale devices for electronics relies on the ability to identify individual atoms and molecules as well as their geometry and electronic structure. In this thesis we show how measuring the noise can give information about the quantum nature of the device and relate the high frequency noise to light-emission . A first principle method is presented for calculating the light-emission and is utilized to calculate the light-emission from two STM experiments: An adatom on a Ag(111)surface and a C60 molecule on a Cu(111) surface. The calculated photon yield is found to agree with experiments for photons with energies below the applied bias (hω < eV). Inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy (IETS) serves as a powerful tool for non-destructive characterization. A new fast method for calculating the energy dependent IETS signal is presented, and applied to a one-level model revealing how a symmetric system can give rise to peak-dip features in the IETS. The new method is used to explain the IETS signal obtained for a 1,4-benzene-dithiol(BDT) molecule in a symmetric gold junction as a function of gate voltage. Gating molecules in 3D metal junctions is dicultdue to screening effects. On the other hand, graphene devices are routinely gated. Thus, we study the IETS signal from gated graphene nano ribbons (GNR). We study pristine GNRs with both zigzag and armchair chirality, and related the IETS signal to the phononic band structure. For the spin-polarized zigzag GNRs the role of the spin-polarization is investigated, revealing IETSas an indirect measurement of spin-polarization. Further, the role of impurities is explored, revealing the possibility of detecting defects in the hydrogen passivisation by IETS. Lastly a preliminary study of the heating due to the electrical current is described, investigating the effect of the deterministic current-induced forces, treated within the framework of the semi-classical generalized Langevin equation(SGLE). For a pristine zigzag ribbon the deterministic current-induced forces is seen to give rise to runaway modes. For an armchair ribbon with partly dehydrogenated edges the deterministic current-induced forces is seen to break the symmetry and increase the excess heating
Dual function of Bmpr1a signaling in restricting preosteoblast proliferation and stimulating osteoblast activity in mouse

Exogenous bone morphogenetic proteins (Bmp) are well known to induce ectopic bone formation, but the physiological effect of Bmp signaling on normal bone is not completely understood. By deleting the receptor Bmpr1a in osteoblast lineage cells with Dmp1-Cre, we observed a dramatic increase in trabecular bone mass in postnatal mice, which was due to a marked increase in osteoblast number that was likely to be driven by hyperproliferation of Sp7+ preosteoblasts. Similarly, inducible deletion of Bmpr1a in Sp7+ cells specifically in postnatal mice increased trabecular bone mass. However, deletion of Smad4 by the same approaches had only a minor effect, indicating that Bmpr1a signaling suppresses trabecular bone formation through effectors beyond Smad4. Besides increasing osteoblast number in the trabecular bone, deletion of Bmpr1a by Dmp1-Cre also notably reduced osteoblast activity, resulting in attenuation of periosteal bone growth. The impairment in osteoblast activity correlated with reduced mTORC1 signaling in vivo, whereas inhibition of mTORC1 activity abolished the induction of protein anabolism genes by BMP2 treatment in vitro. Thus, physiological Bmpr1a signaling in bone exerts a dual function in both restricting preosteoblast proliferation and promoting osteoblast activity. Summary: The genetic deletion of Bmpr1a in mice reveals a dual function for BMP signaling in restricting preosteoblast proliferation and promoting osteoblast activity, probably via regulation of mTORC1.
Modulation of scatter factor/hepatocyte growth factor activity by cell-substratum adhesion.

Scatter factor/hepatocyte growth factor (SF/HGF) is a multifunctional growth and motility factor whose activities vary with cell type. Here, the composition of the substratum was found to profoundly alter the scattering activities of SF/HGF, but not its mitogenetic effects, in MDCK cells. Whereas enhancement of DNA synthesis and induction of cell flattening by SF/HGF were independent of substratum composition (i.e. occurred on both fibronectin and vitronectin surfaces), colony dispersion as a result of cell separation fails to occur or is markedly reduced on surfaces where vitronectin is the major adhesive ligand. Prolonged exposure of non-scattering cultures to SF/HGF resulted in cells at colony margins producing long protrusions, which indicate that the motility of these cells is stimulated but 'frustrated' by the lack of breakdown of cell-cell adhesion. Scattering therefore appears to comprise two major components: increased motility and breakdown of cell-cell adhesion. The pathway leading to the breakdown of cell-cell contacts is modulated by downstream signals from extracellular matrix receptors. When cultured on immobilised fibronectin, vitronectin or a surface containing both, colony dissociation correlates with the presence of fibronectin, suggesting that positive signals from fibronectin receptors are required for SF/HGF-induced cell separation. Comparison of the findings in this study with those of a recent report on the modulation of SF/HGF-induced tubulogenesis by ECM (Santos, O. F. P. and Nigam, S. K. (1993) Dev. Biol. 160, 293-302), where vitronectin in type-1 collagen gels alters the pattern of SF/HGF-induced MDCK tubule formation from highly branched to long and unbranched, suggests that cell motility enhancement leads to tubule formation whereas the breakdown of cell-cell adhesion is required for tubule branching.
Sustainable adobe bricks with construction wastes

The objective of this research was to manufacture sustainable adobe bricks from mixtures integrating clay excavation wastes, recycled binding aggregates from concrete having a particle size distribution of 0·96 mm and recycled mixed aggregates and binding wastes with a particle size distribution ranging from 0·64 mm to fines, wood cutting wastes and a liquid mixture of water and Opuntia ficus-indica (mucilage) extract as a natural additive. A sustainable manufacturing process was used in which the clay material typically used in the traditional manufacturing of adobe bricks was replaced by excavation wastes of originally unknown composition obtained during the construction of two buildings, in order to investigate whether various excavation wastes having appropriate clay contents can be used as raw materials for manufacturing sustainable adobe bricks. Before using these wastes, preliminary particle size distribution, plasticity and hardness tests were performed in order to determine the appropriate residu.
IMG ER: a system for microbial genome annotation expert review and curation

MOTIVATION A rapidly increasing number of microbial genomes are sequenced by organizations worldwide and are eventually included into various public genome data resources. The quality of the annotations depends largely on the original dataset providers, with erroneous or incomplete annotations often carried over into the public resources and difficult to correct. RESULTS We have developed an Expert Review (ER) version of the Integrated Microbial Genomes (IMG) system, with the goal of supporting systematic and efficient revision of microbial genome annotations. IMG ER provides tools for the review and curation of annotations of both new and publicly available microbial genomes within IMG's rich integrated genome framework. New genome datasets are included into IMG ER prior to their public release either with their native annotations or with annotations generated by IMG ER's annotation pipeline. IMG ER tools allow addressing annotation problems detected with IMG's comparative analysis tools, such as genes missed by gene prediction pipelines or genes without an associated function. Over the past year, IMG ER was used for improving the annotations of about 150 microbial genomes.
Cryo-FIB Milling and Lift-Out for Preparation of Specimens for Cryo-TEM

Cryo-TEM is a well-established technique for investigating the near-native structure of thin frozenhydrated specimens. Specimens too thick for direct imaging, such as whole cells or tissues, must, however, be thinned prior to analysis in the cryo-TEM. Traditionally, cryo-ultramicrotomy served this function by slicing thin sections from larger samples using a diamond blade. This physical cutting process can, however, induce sectioning artifacts [2]. In this talk, we will discuss cryo-focused ion beam (cryo-FIB) techniques, which were developed more recently as alternative thinning methods.
Using constraints to manage long duration transactions in spatial information systems

Spatial information systems are employed to record the schematics of large networks for utilities and telecommunication organisations. Concurrent users access the spatial information systems to insert new designs, update designs and to record the current status of the network. Concurrency must be managed such that the data is not corrupted. This paper introduces a model for long duration transactions based on the use of integrity constraints. The model, called COLT (COnstraint-based Long Transaction), is domain-independent but is especially suitable for spatial information systems and domains where its intent naturally manifests constraints that relate data items. User-defined constraints and database integrity constraints are used both to specify the correctness criteria and to manage long duration ad-hoc transactions. The model is a generalisation of the traditional ACID transaction model. The approach enables the specification of the correctness criteria to be declarative and the user needs no knowledge of the semantics of other concurrently executing transactions. The COLT model is formally specified using the external actions of the I/O automata method and correctness is defined with respect to that method. Correctness is defined independent of implementation.
Chapter 4 – System of Systems 4.1 Introduction

Once dismissed as novel technology that would never be useful within a dynamic environment, uninhabited military vehicles (UMVs) are being developed in greater numbers and growing sophistication as the modern military strives for greater persistence over the battlefield, more real-time intelligence, and the ability to strike heavily defended targets. New system architectures designed for interoperability are being developed to integrate multiple platforms into a common mission control element giving the war-fighter access to a large volume of real-time information. Couple that with a geographically dispersed command and control structure and the UMV operator is faced with unique challenges as traditional inner-loop control tasks are replaced with battle management and command coordination consistent with an effects based, network centric environment. The end result is an entire set of new Human Factors related challenges facing developers to ensure successful human systems integration. Resolving issues associated with connectivity, knowledge and action consistency, and transfer of control have taken center stage along with traditional Human Factors issues related to information management, information processing, decision aiding, levels of autonomy, command and control, manpower and skills, and training. To be successful, these issues must be addressed during the early stages of systems engineering to ensure proper human-centered development of UMV systems within a system-ofsystems architecture.
American Journal of Epidemiology Original Contribution Cognitive Lifestyle and Long-term Risk of Dementia and Survival after Diagnosis in a Multicenter Population-based Cohort

An active cognitive lifestyle has been linked to dementia incidence and survival, but the separate and combined effects of its subcomponents are not clear. Data were derived from the Medical Research Council Cognitive Function and Ageing Study, a population-based study of 13,004 individuals in England and Wales first interviewed in 1991–1992 and followed over a 10-year period for dementia incidence and 12 years for mortality. A Cognitive Lifestyle Score (CLS), defined as a composite of cognitive activity including education, occupational complexity, and social engagement, was available for 12,600 individuals in 3 stages of life. A higher CLS was protective of dementia (odds ratio ¼ 0.6, 95% confidence interval: 0.4, 0.9). Sensitivity analyses found this main effect to be reliable and replicable even when considering just 2 components of the score, either education and occupation or education and late-life social engagement. No single CLS factor was associated with dementia incidence on its own. Survival differences did not reach statistical significance. Our data suggest that more years of education, as well as further stimulatory experiences in either midlife or late life. are necessary for a protective link with dementia incidence. There was little evidence of an effect of cognitive lifestyle on survival after dementia diagnosis. Epidemiologic studies provide strong evidence linking an enriched cognitive lifestyle with reduced dementia risk. For example, a meta-analysis of 22 studies revealed a relative risk reduction for incident dementia of 46% in those with more complex cognitive life experiences (odds ratio (OR) ¼ 0.54, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.49, 0.59) (1). Interestingly , despite differences in the way these factors have been measured, the relative effects of high versus low education (OR ¼ 0.53), occupational complexity (OR ¼ 0.56), and late-life leisure activities (OR ¼ 0.50), were highly consistent. Moreover, several more recent prospective studies have revealed a dose-dependent association (2), whereby dementia risk declines with each step of increasing cogni-tively loaded leisure activities (3–6). What is not clear is the relative importance of the different cognitive lifestyle components or their combinatorial interaction in relation to dementia incidence or survival after diagnosis. The Lifetime of Experiences Questionnaire (LEQ) was developed to measure cognitive lifestyle differences between individuals by integrating information on stimulatory educational, occupational, and cognitively loaded leisure activities across the life span (7). Higher LEQ scores independently predict an attenuated rate of cognitive decline over time, as well as a diminished rate of longitudinal hippo-campal atrophy …
Supply of sulphur to S-deficient young barley seedlings restores their capability to cope with iron shortage

The effect of the S nutritional status on a plant's capability to cope with Fe shortage was studied in solution cultivation experiments in barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Europa). Barley is a Strategy II plant and responds to Fe deficiency by secretion of chelating compounds, phytosiderophores (PS). All PS are derived from nicotianamine whose precursor is methionine. This suggests that a long-term supply of an inadequate amount of S could reduce a plant's capability to respond to Fe deficiency by limiting the rate of PS biosynthesis. The responses of barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Europa) plants grown for 12 d on Fe-free nutrient solutions (NS) containing 0 or 1.2 mM SO42−, was examined after 24 h or 48 h from transfer to NS containing 1.2 mM SO42−. After the supply of S was restored to S-deprived plants, an increase in PS release in root exudates was evident after 24 h of growth in S-sufficient NS and the increment reached values up to 4-fold higher than the control 48 h after S resupply. When S was supplied to S-deficient plants, leaf ATPS (EC 2.7.7.4) and OASTL (EC 4.2.99.8) activities exhibited a progressive recovery. Furthermore, root HvST1 transcript abundance remained high for 48 h following S resupply and a significant increase in the level of root HvYS1 transcripts was also found after only 24 h of S resupply. Data support the idea that the extent to which the plant is able to cope with Fe starvation is strongly associated with its S nutritional status. In particular, our results are indicative that barley plants fully recover their capability to cope with Fe shortage after the supply of S is restored to S-deficient plants.
A TRIGONOMETRIC PARALLAX OF Sgr B2

We have measured the positions of H2O masers in Sgr B2, a massive star-forming region in the Galactic center, relative to an extragalactic radio source with the Very Long Baseline Array. The positions measured at 12 epochs over a time span of one year yield the trigonometric parallax of Sgr B2 and hence a distance to the Galactic center of R0 = 7.9+0.8−0.7 kpc. The proper motion of Sgr B2 relative to Sgr A* suggests that Sgr B2 is ≈0.13 kpc nearer than the Galactic center, assuming a low-eccentricity Galactic orbit.