Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Penetration enhancer-containing vesicles (PEVs) as carriers for cutaneous delivery of minoxidil: in vitro evaluation of drug permeation by infrared spectroscopy

Recently, we carried out a research on new liposomal systems prepared by using in their composition a few penetration enhancers which differ for chemical structure and physicochemical properties. The penetration enhancer-containing vesicles (PEVs) were prepared by using soy lecithin and different amounts of three penetration enhancers, 2-(2-ethoxyethoxy) ethanol (Transcutol®), capryl-caproyl macrogol 8-glyceride (Labrasol®), and cineole.To study the influence of the PEVs on (trans)dermal delivery of minoxidil, in vitro diffusion experiments were performed through new born pig skin and the results were compared with that obtained applying the vesicular system without enhancer (control) after pretreatment of the skin with the various enhancers. In this study, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), attenuated total reflectance FTIR (ATR-FTIR) and FTIR imaging were used to evaluate the effective penetration of minoxidil in the skin layers and to discover the influence of the enhancer on the drug topical delivery. These analytical studies allowed us to characterize the drug formulations and to evaluate the vesicle distribution into the skin. Recorded spectra confirmed that the vesicle formulations with penetration enhancers promoted drug deposition into the skin.
Effectiveness of Protected Areas for Representing Species and Populations of Terrestrial Mammals in Costa Rica

Costa Rica has one of the greatest percentages (26%) of protected land in the world. The National Protected Areas System (NPAS) of Costa Rica was established in 1976 and currently includes >190 protected areas within seven different protection categories. The effectiveness of the NPAS to represent species, populations, and areas with high species richness has not been properly evaluated. Such evaluations are fundamental to understand what is necessary to strengthen the NPAS and better protect biodiversity. We present a novel assessment of NPAS effectiveness in protecting mammal species. We compiled the geographical ranges of all terrestrial Costa Rican mammals then determined species lists for all protected areas and the estimated proportion of each species’ geographic range protected. We also classified mammal species according to their conservation status using the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. We found almost complete representation of mammal species (98.5%) in protected areas, but low relative coverage (28.3% on average) of their geographic ranges in Costa Rica and 25% of the species were classified as underprotected according to a priori representation targets. Interestingly, many species-rich areas are not protected, and at least 43% of cells covering the entire country are not included in protected areas. Though protected areas in Costa Rica represent species richness well, strategic planning for future protected areas to improve species complementarity and range protection is necessary. Our results can help to define sites where new protected areas can have a greater impact on mammal conservation, both in terms of species richness and range protection.
Comparative Study of Preschool Children's Current Health Issues and Health Education in New Zealand and Japan.

In New Zealand and Japan, despite health education on food, exercise, and hygiene, children’s health is an important concern in preschools. This study investigated the relationship between children’s health and health education in New Zealand and Japan using a qualitative interpretative descriptive design method and semistructured interviews with preschool teachers. Major children’s health issues identified by preschool teachers in New Zealand were asthma, allergies, and dental hygiene. Although few preschool children are overweight in New Zealand, it becomes a serious concern in primary school. Identified as a suspected cause of children’s health problems was parents providing their children with sweet and/or unhealthy foods. Preschool teachers want parents to understand and implement health education, and they stated that parents’ education was necessary. In Japan, children’s health problems identified by teachers were allergies, food preferences, and sleep deprivation. The suspected causes included too much convenience, parents’ irregular lifestyles because they were busy, and parents’ depending on preschools to discipline children in ways that should be done at home. The goals for preschool health education were similar in New Zealand and Japan. The goals should be to obtain lifelong health knowledge, an ability to make wise health-related decisions in adulthood, and healthy lifestyle choices for themselves and their families. Some children’s health issues were beyond the scope of the abilities of individual preschools. Therefore, the entire nation and government should work together to cope with children’s health issues and health education.
Effect of n-alkane kinetics in rats on potency estimations and the Meyer-Overton hypothesis.

Neither lipophilicity nor vapor pressure of larger n-alkanes appear to correlate with their anesthetizing partial pressures in inspired gas. Such results suggest that the Meyer-Overton hypothesis and Ferguson's rule may not apply to these compounds. An alternative explanation might be that a large difference in inspired-to-arterial partial pressure exists, i.e., that the inspired partial pressure misrepresents the effective partial pressure. To test this explanation, we investigated the kinetics of five consecutive even-numbered n-alkanes (C2H6 to C10H22) in rats. The ratio of end-tidal-to-inspired (PA/PI), arterial-to-end-tidal (Pa/PA), and arterial-to-inspired (Pa/PI) partial pressures decreased with increasing carbon chain length, consistent with our separate finding that blood solubility increased. Using Pa/PI and the minimum inspired concentration (MIC) obtained previously, we calculated the true effective potency, minimum alveolar anesthetic concentration (MAC); of these n-alkanes as (Pa/PI)(MIC). This markedly improved, but did not perfectly correct, the correlation of MAC with lipid solubility (the Meyer-Overton hypothesis) and vapor pressure (Ferguson's rule). A coefficient of variation of 76.7% was found for the product of MAC and the olive oil/gas partition coefficient. More importantly, the correlation of the logarithm of MAC and oil solubility had a slope of -0.724 (i.e., deviated from -1.0), whereas the slope for eight conventional anesthetics was -1.046 (approached-1.0). These data imply that olive oil does not adequately mimic the nature of the anesthetic site of action of n-alkanes.
Cell Surface Amyloid β-Protein Precursor Colocalizes with β1 Integrins at Substrate Contact Sites in Neural Cells

Amyloid β-protein (Aβ), the principal constituent of the senile plaques seen in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), is derived by proteolysis from the β-amyloid precursor protein (βPP). The distribution and trafficking of cell surface βPP are of particular interest because some of these molecules are direct precursors of secreted Aβ and because the localization of βPP at the cell surface may be related directly to its physiological functions. Recently, we reported that, in cultured hippocampal neurons, cell surface βPP is preferentially expressed on axons in a striking discontinuous pattern. In this study, we describe the colocalization of cell surface βPP and integrins in primary cultured cells. In rat hippocampal neurons, cell surface βPP was colocalized selectively with α1β1 and α5β1 integrin heterodimers at these characteristic segmental locations. In rat cortical astrocytes, both cell surface βPP and β1 integrin were located at the cell periphery in the “spreading” stage shortly after plating. In “flattened” astrocytes cultured for several days, βPP was found in punctate deposits called point contacts. In these sites, βPP was colocalized with α1β1, but not with α5β1 integrin heterodimers, the latter of which were situated at focal contact sites. In both neurons and astrocytes examined after shearing, clathrin and α-adaptin were colocalized with βPP on the surface that directly contacts the substratum. These results are consistent with the putative role of βPP in cell adhesion and suggests that βPP either interacts with selected integrins or shares similar cellular machinery to promote cell adhesion.
Reference tissue models in the assessment of 11C‐DTBZ binding to the VMAT2 in rat striatum: A test‐retest reproducibility study

Dopaminergic PET imaging is a useful tool to assess the dopaminergic integrity and to follow‐up longitudinal studies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and reproducibility of different reference tissue‐based methods to determine the non‐displaceable binding potential (BPND) as a quantitative measure of 11C‐DTBZ binding to the VMAT2 in rat striatum using cerebellum as reference region. Eight healthy Wistar rats underwent two microPET scans at the age of 12 (test) and 20 weeks (retest). BPND was determined using the simplified reference tissue model, Logan reference tissue model, and multilinear reference tissue models (MRTMo and MRTM2). Additionally, a striatal‐to‐cerebellar‐ratio (SCR) analysis was performed. The reproducibility between the two scans was assessed using the interclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and the variability index. Repeatability indices showed acceptable ICC = 0.66 (SCR) to excellent ICC = 0.98 (MRTM2) reliability for this study and a variability ranging from 12.26% (SCR) to 3.28% (MRTM2). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on longitudinal studies for 11C‐DTBZ in rats using reference tissue methods. Excellent intersubject and intrasubject reproducibility was obtained with the multilinear reference MRTM2, suggesting this as the best method to compare longitudinal studies, whereas the SCR method had poor reliability. Logan method, however, is a method simple to compute that shows accurate reproducibility with a reasonable level of inter‐ and intra‐subject variability allowing crossover studies to follow‐up the uptake of 11C‐DTBZ in rat striatum.
Two-Stage Road Sign Detection and Recognition

We propose a road sign detection and recognition method using two-stage classification strategy. In the detection phase, geometric characters of road traffic signs, Hough transformation, corner detection, and projection are used to detect the exact position of the road sign in the image under noisy and complicated environment. In the recognition phase, convolution, radial basis function (RBF) neural network and K-d tree are used to recognize the road signs in two stages. Experimental results show that most road signs can be correctly detected and recognized by our proposed method with the accuracy of 95.5%. Moreover, the method is robust against the major difficulties of road sign detection and recognition. The proposed approach would be helpful for the development of intelligent driver support system and provide effective driving assistance message.
Electronic precompensation of intrachannel nonlinearities at 40 gb/s

Digital electronic precompensation of intrachannel nonlinearities is studied in a transmission system which consists of 100% dispersion-compensated spans. Different Mach-Zehnder-based transmitter structures are compared. Simulation results demonstrate that using a triple Mach-Zehnder modulator achieves effective compensation of intrachannel nonlinear effects at large launch powers
Transduction in Bacillus cereus by Each of Two Bacteriophages

The ability of phage CP-51 to mediate transduction both homologously and heterologously in some of its hosts was investigated. CP-51 was shown to transduce Bacillus cereus strains 6464, 9139, and T in addition to 569 which was reported earlier from this laboratory. Furthermore, CP-51 grown on B. thuringiensis was shown to transduce some mutants of B. cereus. During this investigation, a second transducing phage for B. cereus 569 was isolated from lysates of phage CP-51 grown on B. cereus 6464. This phage, designated CP-53, is carried by wild-type strain 6464 possibly as prophage. All auxotrophic mutants of B. cereus 569 tested, those requiring tryptophan, histidine, methionine, and leucine, were transduced to prototrophy by CP-53. Electron micrographs of the two phages revealed that CP-51 has a tail core surrounded by a contractile sheath and CP-53 has a long flexible tail without a contractile sheath. CP-53 is stable in the cold, whereas CP-51 is rapidly inactivated at 4 C.
In vivo activity of 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 and free fatty acid-induced insulin resistance.

INTRODUCTION Free fatty acids (FFAs) induce hepatic insulin resistance and enhance hepatic gluconeogenesis. Glucocorticoids (GCs) also stimulate hepatic gluconeogenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the FFA-induced hepatic insulin resistance is mediated by increased activity of hepatic 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11beta-HSD1), accompanied by elevated hepatic cortisol levels. METHODS Following a 10-h overnight fast, six healthy male volunteers were investigated. A euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamp was performed during lipid or saline infusion. To assess hepatic 11beta-HSD1 activity, plasma cortisol levels were measured after oral administration of cortisone acetate during lipid or saline infusion. In addition, 11beta-HSD activities were determined in vivo by calculating the urinary ratios of GC metabolites. RESULTS Lipid infusion increased FFAs (5.41 +/- 1.00 vs. 0.48 +/- 0.20 mmol/l; P < 0.005) and significantly increased insulin resistance [glucose infusion rate (GIR) 6.02 +/- 2.60 vs. 4.08 +/- 2.15 mg/kg/min; P < 0.005]. After lipid and saline infusions no changes in 11beta-HSD1 activity were found, neither by changes in cortisone acetate to cortisol conversion nor by differences in urinary free cortisol (UFF) or cortisone (UFE), 5beta-tetrahydrocortisol (THF), 5alpha-THF, cortisone (THE), UFF/UFE and (5alpha-THF + THF)/THE ratios. CONCLUSIONS We found no change in hepatic and whole-body 11beta-HSD1 activity during acute FFA-induced insulin resistance. Further studies are necessary to clarify whether 11beta-HSD1 in muscle and adipose tissue is influenced by FFAs and whether 11beta-HSD1 is involved in other conditions of insulin resistance.
Adolescent Substance Use and Family-Based Risk and Protective Factors: A Literature Review

Adolescent substance use has become a serious concern nationwide. Although there are many ways of viewing adolescent substance use, family influence has been established as one of the strongest sources of risk and protection. A review of the literature indicated relevant theories for understanding adolescent substance use and specific family-based variables influencing adolescent substance use. In general, there seems to be a relationship between adolescent substance use and family-based risk and protective factors. Relevant theories identified in the literature review include family systems theory, social cognitive theory, social control theory, and strain theory. Specific family-based risk and protective factors include family relationships such as with siblings and parents and family characteristics such as ethnicity and religious backgrounds. Future implications for research and prevention/intervention in relation to family-based risk and protective factors are discussed.
Armaments decision-making: Are European states really different?

Abstract When states make decisions on armaments policy, it is generally agreed they try to achieve combinations of foreign, security, industrial, economic, and technological policy goals alongside equipping their armed forces as efficiently as possible. It is, however, consistently argued in both the defense-economics and EU-studies literature that for European states things are (or should be) different. This article contributes to this debate by bringing together these disparate literatures to critically examine the proposition that the existence of a semi-regionalized European defense economy fundamentally changes state calculations on armaments policy. It critically examines the two main claims made about behavioral change: that European states accept a liberalized European defense market governed by the EU and make armaments decisions on a value-for-money basis, or that defense interdependence is so advanced that European states no longer need to consider their national interests because these are subsumed in the European interest. The article then considers an alternative perspective, that state behavior has not changed but is restricted by the existence of a European defense market that, intentionally or not, works to protect the interests of the biggest European arms-producing states.
[Study on the validation of the computer science application's activity monitor in assessing the physical activity among adults using doubly labeled water method].

OBJECTIVE Using doubly labeled water method to validate the colmputer science application's activity monitor (CSA) in assessing physical activity of free-living adults in Beijing, in order to develop equations to predict total daily energy expenditure (TEE) and activity related energy expenditure (AEE) from activity counts (AC) and anthropometric variables. METHODS A total of 72 healthy adults (33 males and 39 females, mean age 43.6 +/- 4.0 yr) were monitored for 7 consecutive days by CSA. TEE was simultaneously measured using doubly labeled water method. Average AC (counts/min(-1)) was compared with TEE, AEE and physical activity level (PAL). RESULTS Physical activity determined by AC was significantly related to data on energy expenditures: TEE (r = 0.31, P < 0.01), AEE (r = 0.30, P < 0.05), and PAL (r = 0.26, P < 0.05). Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that TEE was significantly influenced by gender, fat-free mass (FFM) or BMI and AC (R(2) = 0.52 - 0.70) while AEE was significantly influenced by gender, FFM and AC (R(2) = 0.25 - 0.32). CONCLUSION AC from CSA activity monitor seemed a useful measure in studying the total amount of physical activity in free-living adults while AC significantly contributed to the explained variation in TEE and AEE.
A novel algorithm for distant aircraft detection

In this paper a novel algorithm for distant aircraft detection for visual sense-and-avoid for UAV is presented. The algorithm uses local edge density to partition the frame into two types of regions. The first type is the unstructured or homogeneous part like sky region and the second part where there is a structured background, like high contrast clouds or terrain regions. The airplanes are detected on the two types of regions with different strategies. The algorithm was planned to run in an embedded environment with low power consumption, thus it can be run onboard of a small or mid-size UAV. First steps towards the GPU implementation on the nVidia Jeston TK1 development board are done and also presented in the paper.
Childhood Predictors of Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Childhood Predictors of Adult Attention-Deﬁcit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Results from the World Health Organization World Mental Health Survey Initiative

Background: Althoughitisknownthatchildhoodattention-deﬁcit/hyperactivitydisorder(ADHD)oftenpersistsintoadulthood,childhood predictors of this persistence have not been widely studied. Methods: Childhood history of ADHD and adult ADHD were assessed in 10 countries in the World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys.Logisticregressionanalysiswasusedtostudyassociationsofretrospectivelyreportedchildhoodriskfactorswithadultpersistenceamongthe629adultrespondentswithchildhoodADHD. Riskfactorsincludedage;sex;childhoodADHDsymptomproﬁles,severity,andtreatment;comorbidchild/adolescentDSM-IVdisorders;childhoodfamilyadversities;andchild/adolescentexposuretotraumaticevents. Results: An average of 50% of children with ADHD (range: 32.8%–84.1% across countries) continued to meet DSM-IV criteria for ADHD as adults. Persistence was strongly related to childhood ADHD symptom proﬁle (highest persistence associated with the attentional plus impulsive-hyperactive type, odds ratio [OR] (cid:1) 12.4, compared with the lowest associated with the impulsive-hyperactive type), symptom severity (OR (cid:1) 2.0), comorbid major depressive disorder (MDD; OR (cid:1) 2.2), high comorbidity ( (cid:1) 3 child/adolescent disorders in addition to ADHD; OR (cid:1) 1.7), paternal (but not maternal) anxiety mood disorder (OR (cid:1) 2.4), and parental antisocial personality disorder (OR (cid:1) 2.2). A multivariate risk proﬁle of these variables signiﬁcantly predicts persistence of ADHD into adulthood (area under the receiving operator characteristic curve (cid:1) . 76). Conclusions: A substantial proportion of children with ADHD continue to meet full criteria for ADHD as adults. A multivariate risk index comprising variables that can be assessed in adolescence predicts persistence with good accuracy.
Effect of Iterative Reconstruction on the Detection of Systemic Sclerosis-related Interstitial Lung Disease: Clinical Experience in 55 Patients.

PURPOSE To evaluate the effect of iterative reconstruction on the depiction of systemic sclerosis-related interstitial lung disease (ILD) when the radiation dose is reduced by 60%. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study was based on retrospective interpretation of prospectively acquired data over a 12-month period and approved by the institutional review board. The requirement to obtain informed consent was waived. Fifty-five chest computed tomographic (CT) examinations were performed in 38 women and 17 men (mean age, 55.8 years; range, 23-82 years) by using a dual-source CT unit with (a) both tubes set at similar energy (120 kVp) and (b) the total reference milliampere seconds (ie, 110 mAs) split up in a way that 40% was applied to tube A and 60% to tube B. Two series of images were generated simultaneously from the same dataset: (a) standard-dose images (generated from both tubes) reconstructed with filtered back projection (group 1, the reference standard) and (b) reduced-dose images (generated from tube A; 60% dose reduction) reconstructed with sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction (SAFIRE) (group 2). In both groups, the analyzed parameters comprised the image noise and the visualization and conspicuity of CT features of ILD. Two readers independently analyzed images from both groups. Results were compared by using the Wilcoxon test for paired samples; the 95% confidence interval was calculated when appropriate. RESULTS The mean level of objective noise in group 2 was significantly lower than that in group 1 (22.02 HU vs 26.23 HU, respectively; P < .0001). The CT features of ILD in group 1 were always depicted in group 2, with subjective conspicuity scores (a) improved in group 2 for ground-glass opacity, reticulation, and bronchiectasis and/or bronchiolectasis and (b) identical in both groups for honeycombing. The interobserver agreement for their depiction was excellent in both groups (κ, 0.84-0.98). CONCLUSION Despite a 60% dose reduction, images reconstructed with SAFIRE allowed similar detection of systematic sclerosis-related ILD compared with the reference standard.