Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Protective effects of pentadecapeptide BPC 157 on gastric ulcer in rats.

AIM To investigate the protective effects of gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157 on acute and chronic gastric ulcers in rats and to compare the results in therapy of human gastric ulcers by different administration methods. METHODS Gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157 was administered (initial single or continuous administration) into rats either intragastrically or intramuscularly before (induced acute gastric ulcer) or after (induced chronic gastric ulcer) the applications of inducing agents, and each animal was sacrificed to observe the protective effects of BPC 157 on gastric ulcers. RESULTS Both intramuscular (im) and intragastric (ig) administration of BPC 157 could apparently reduce the ulcer area and accelerate the healing of induced ulcer in different models and the effect of im administered BPC 157 was better than that of ig. The rats treated with higher dosages (400 ng/kg, 800 ng/kg) of BPC 157 (im and ig) showed significantly less lesion (P<0.01 vs excipient or saline control), the inhibition ratio of ulcer formation varied between 45.7% and 65.6%, from all measurements except 400 ng/kg BPC 157 in pylorus ligation induced model (P<0.05), in which the inhibition rate was 54.2%. When im administered (800 ng/kg BPC 157) in three models, the inhibition ratio of ulcer formation was 65.5%, 65.6% and 59.9%, respectively, which was better than that of famotidine (its inhibition rate was 60.8%, 57.2% and 34.3%, respectively). Continuous application of BPC 157 (in chronic acetate induced gastric ulcer) could accelerate rebuilding of glandular epithelium and formation of granulation tissue (P<0.05 at 200 ng/kg and P<0.01 at 400 ng/kg and 800 ng/kg vs excipient or saline control). CONCLUSION Both im and ig administered gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157 can apparently ameliorate acute gastric ulcer in rats and antagonize the protracted effect of acetate challenge on chronic ulcer. The effect of im administration of BPC 157 is better than that of ig, and the effective dosage of the former is lower than that of the latter.
Wikipedia as Multilingual Source of Comparable Corpora

This article describes an automatic method to build comparable corpora from Wikipedia using Categories as topic restrictions. Our strategy relies of the fact Wikipedia is a multilingual encyclopedia containing semi-structured information. Given two languages and a particular topic, our strategy builds a corpus with texts in the two selected languages, whose content is focused on the selected topic. Tools and corpora will be distributed under free linceses (General Public License and Creative Commons).
Female sexual function during pregnancy and after childbirth.

INTRODUCTION Healthy sexual function during pregnancy and after childbirth is one of the cornerstones for couples to evolve from partners to parents. AIM The aim of our review is to evaluate the available evidence and define present knowledge about female sexual function during pregnancy and after childbirth. METHODS PubMed was searched for articles on sexual function during pregnancy and after childbirth, published from 1960 up to date. The most relevant articles have been reviewed and included. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The main outcome is the review of the effect of pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum on female sexuality. RESULTS A total of 48 articles which specifically addressed this topic were included. Sexual function was found to have a significant global decline during pregnancy, particularly in the third trimester and this persisted for 3-6 months following delivery. The lack of adequate information about sex in pregnancy and concerns about the possible adverse obstetric outcomes are the most relevant factors responsible for the avoidance of sexual activity during pregnancy. Breast-feeding, dyspareunia, and postpartum pelvic floor dysfunction were reported as possible causes for the delay in resuming sexual intercourses after childbirth. CONCLUSIONS Couples should be informed about the decline of libido, desire and orgasm, commonly encountered during pregnancy, particularly in the last trimester, and puerperium which may lead to reduction in sexual intercourse frequency.
Reducing Annotation Workload Using a Codebook Mapping and Its Evaluation in On-Line Handwriting

The training of most of the existing recognition systems requires availability of large datasets labeled at the symbol level. However, producing ground-truth datasets is a tedious work. Two repetitive tasks have to be chained. One is to select a subset of strokes that belong to the same symbol, a next step is to assign a label to this stroke group. In this paper, we discuss a framework to reduce the human workload for labeling at the symbol level a large set of documents based on any graphical language. A hierarchical clustering is used to produce a codebook with one or several strokes per symbol, which is used for a mapping on the raw handwritten data. Evaluation is proposed on two different datasets.
Capacitor-Clamped, Three-level GaN-Based DC–DC Converter With Dual Voltage Outputs for Battery Charger Applications

Gallium nitride (GaN) heterojunction field-effect transistors are an enabling technology for high-density converter design. This paper proposes a three-level dc-dc converter with dual outputs based on enhancement-mode GaN devices, intended for use as a battery charger in aircraft applications. The charger can output either 28 or 270 V, selected with a jumper, to satisfy the two most common dc bus voltage requirements in airplanes. It operates as an LLC converter in the 28 V mode and as a buck converter in the 270 V mode. In both operation modes, the devices can realize zero voltage switching (ZVS). With the chosen modulation method, the converter can realize automatic voltage balancing of the flying capacitor and the frequency doubling function to act as an interleaved converter. For the LLC mode, the resonant frequency is twice the switching frequency of primary-side switches, and for the buck mode, the frequency of the output inductor current is also twice the switching frequency. This helps to reduce the size of magnetics while maintaining a low switching loss. Also, the converter utilizes a matrix transformer, with resonant parameters designed to reduce conduction loss and avoid ZVS failure. The operating principle of the converter is analyzed and then experimentally verified on a 1.5-kW prototype with 1 MHz resonant frequency.
Expression of plasmid-encoded aad in Clostridium acetobutylicum M5 restores vigorous butanol production

Mutant M5 of Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824, which produces neither butanol nor acetone and is deficient in butyraldehyde dehydrogenase (BYDH), acetoacetate decarboxylase, and acetoacetyl-coenzyme A:acetate/butyrate:coenzyme A-transferase activities, was transformed with plasmid pCAAD, which carries the gene aad (R. V. Nair, G. N. Bennett, and E. T. Papoutsakis, J. Bacteriol, 176:871-885, 1994). In batch fermentation studies, aad expression restored butanol formation (84 mM) in mutant M5 without any acetone formation or any significant increase in ethanol production. The corresponding protein (AAD) appeared as a ca. 96-kDa band in a denaturing protein gel. Expression of AAD in M5 resulted in restoration of BYDH activity and small increases in the activities of acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, butanol dehydrogenase, and ethanol dehydrogenase. These findings suggest that BYDH activity in C. acetobutylicum ATCC 824 resides largely in AAD, and that AAD's primary role is in the formation of butanol rather than of ethanol.
ERK‐1 MAP kinase prevents TNF‐induced apoptosis through bad phosphorylation and inhibition of Bax translocation in HeLa Cells

Extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 signaling is involved in tumor cell survival through the regulation of Bcl‐2 family members. To explore this further and to demonstrate the central role of the mitochondria in the ERK1/2 pathway we used the HeLa cellular model where apoptosis was induced by tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and cycloheximide (CHX). We show that HeLa cells overexpressing ERK‐1 displayed resistance to TNF and CHX. HeLa cells overexpressing a kinase‐deficient form of ERK‐1 (K71R) were more sensitive to TNF and CHX. In the ERK‐1 cells, Bad was phosphorylated during TNF + CHX treatment. In the HeLa wt cells and in the K71R clones TNF and CHX decreased Bad phosphorylation. ERK‐1 cells treated with TNF and CHX did not release cytochrome c from the mitochondria. By contrast, HeLa wt and K71R clones released cytochrome c. Bax did not translocate to the mitochondria in ERK‐1 cells treated with TNF + CHX. Conversely, HeLa wt and K71R clones accumulated Bax in the mitochondria. In the HeLa wt cells and in both ERK‐1 transfectants Bid was cleaved and accumulated in the mitochondria. The caspase‐8 inhibitor IETD‐FMK and the mitochondrial membrane permeabilization inhibitor bongkrekic acid (BK), partially prevented cell death by TNF + CHX. Anisomycin, a c‐Jun N‐terminal kinases activator, increased TNF‐killing. The ERK‐1 cells were resistant to TNF and anisomycin, whereas K71R clones resulted more sensitive. Our study demonstrates that in HeLa cells the ERK‐1 kinase prevents TNF + CHX apoptosis by regulating the intrinsic mitochondrial pathway through different mechanisms. Inhibition of the intrinsic pathway is sufficient to almost completely prevent cell death. J. Cell. Biochem. 108: 1166–1174, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The CDX 2 transcription factor regulates furin expression during intestinal epithelial cell differentiation

Fernand-Pierre Gendron, Sébastien Mongrain, Patrick Laprise, Stéphanie McMahon, Claire M. Dubois, Mylène Blais, Claude Asselin,* and Nathalie Rivard* Canadian Institutes of Health Research Group on Functional Development and Physiopathology of the Digestive Tract, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, and Immunology Division, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
NADPH regeneration by glucose dehydrogenase from Gluconobacter scleroides for l-leucovorin synthesis.

A new process for (6S)-tetrahydrofolate production from dihydrofolate was designed that used dihydrofolate reductase and an NADPH regeneration system. Glucose dehydrogenase from Gluconobacter scleroides KY3613 was used for recycling of the cofactor. The reaction mixture contained 200 mM dihydrofolate, 220 mM glucose, 2 mM NADP, 14.4 U/ml dihydrofolate reductase, and 14.4 U/ml Glucose dehydrogenase, and the reaction was complete after incubation at pH 8.0, and 40 degrees C for 2.5 hr. With (6S)-tetrahydrofolate as the starting material, l-leucovorin was synthesized via a methenyl derivative. The purity of the l-leucovorin was 100%, and its diastereomeric purity was greater than 99.5% d.e. as the (6S)-form.
Empirical Study in the Critical Factors of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) Practice in the Taiwanese Electrical and Electronics Industries

This study aims to develop and validate a set of critical factors of green supply chain management (GSCM) practices that could be used by managers in implementing and adopting their own GSCM practices. A tentative list of critical factors of GSCM was developed based on a thorough and detailed analysis of the pertinent literature. A total of 300 questionnaires were mailed out, and 87 were returned, of which 84 were valid, representing a response rate of 28%. Using the data collected, the identified critical factors were conducted via appropriate tests to establish reliability and validity. Statistical tests demonstrated that four critical factors were valid, namely supplier management, product recycling, organization involvement and life cycle management. Additionally, the critical factors of GSCM practices validated in this work can help enterprises identify those areas of GSCM where acceptance and improvements will be made, and in prioritizing GSCM efforts
Expression of PUMA in Follicular Granulosa Cells Regulated by FoxO1 Activation During Oxidative Stress

Many studies have demonstrated that oxidative stress-induced apoptosis is a main cause of follicular atresia. Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced granulosa cell (GC) apoptosis is regulated by a variety of signaling pathways involving numerous genes and transcription factors. In this study, we found expression of the p53-upregulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA), a BH3-only Bcl-2 subfamily protein, in ovarian GCs during oxidative stress. By overexpression and knockdown of Forkhead box O1 (FoxO1), we found that FoxO1 regulates PUMA at the protein level. Moreover, as c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) has been shown to activate FoxO1 by promoting its nuclear import, we used a JNK inhibitor to reduce FoxO1 activation and detected decreased PUMA messenger RNA expression and protein levels during oxidative stress. In addition, in vivo oxidative stress-induced upregulation of PUMA was found following injection of 3 nitropropionic acid in mice. In conclusion, oxidative stress increases PUMA expression regulated by FoxO1 in follicular GCs.
The non-Gaussian dynamics of glycerol

We have combined incoherent quasielastic neutron scattering experiments and atomistic molecular simulations to investigate the microscopic dynamics of glycerol moving away from the hydrodynamic limit. We relate changes in the momentum transfer (Q) dependence of the relaxation time to distinct changes of the single-particle dynamics. Going from small to large values of Q, a first crossover at about 0.5 Å−1 is related to the coupling of the translational diffusion dynamics to the non-Debye structural relaxation, while the second crossover at a Q-value near the main diffraction peak is associated with the Gaussian to non-Gaussian crossover of the short-time molecular dynamics, related to the decaging processes. We offer an unprecedented extension of previous studies on polymeric systems towards the case of the typical low-molecular-weight glass-forming system glycerol.
Sustainability as an emerging employment-policy issue? Perspectives from Finland

Abstract The state of the environment is deteriorating rapidly, and so is the resilience of societies and ecosystems, that is, their ability to absorb and adapt to adverse disturbances. The exchange between society and nature is mediated primarily through work, which makes it important to adjust current work cultures to meet the requirements of sustainability. An objective of this article is to highlight developments in one of the benchmark countries in the area of “sustainable working life” and to examine how the key actors in Finland view possibilities for promoting environmental sustainability, especially at the employment-policy level. The article also discusses whether the sustainability measures proposed by the key working-life actors are adequate from the perspective of resilience thinking. Despite heightened awareness of the importance of environmental issues, the promotion of environmentally sustainable work plays a rather limited role in today’s national employment-policy discussions. From a resilience perspective, the proposed sustainability measures fall short of providing the degree of adaptability needed to negotiate the consequences of environmental change and uncertainty.
Microparticles in deep venous thrombosis, antiphospholipid syndrome and Factor V Leiden

Microparticles (MPs) are blebs released from cellular surfaces during activation/apoptosis. They are procoagulant, pro-inflammatory and could contribute to pathogenesis of deep venous thrombosis (DVT). This study compared the number, cellular origin and procoagulant activity of MPs on DVT patients in different clinical situations: at diagnosis (n = 9, 5F/4M; mean age = 41.11), 1-3 years after warfarin withdrawal (n = 10, 7F/3M; mean age = 32.90), associated to antiphospholipid syndrome (APS; n = 11, 9F/2M; mean age = 33.82), or asymptomatic carriers of Factor V Leiden (FVL; n = 7, 7F/0M; mean age = 34.00) vs healthy controls (CTR). The quantification and characterization were performed by flow cytometry using CD235, CD61, CD45, CD31, CD14, CD45, anti-TF and Annexin V. The plasmatic procoagulant activity was investigated by prothrombin fragment 1 + 2 (F1 + 2) determination. The MPs procoagulant activity was analyzed by D-dimer (DD2) and Thrombin Generation Test (TGT) on a healthy pool of plasmas adjusted or not by their number (10,000 MPs). The MPs percentages were not different between the groups, but absolute number was increased in patients 1-3 years after warfarin withdrawal vs CTR (P = 0.02). There was no difference of the MPs cellular origin comparing patients to controls. TGT using 10,000 MPs was lower on these patients (P = 0.01). APS patients showed a reduction of plasmatic procoagulant activity (P = 0.004), but they were under warfarin therapy. DD2 in the presence of MPs, independently of its number, was higher in patients with DVT at diagnosis (P < 0.0001). MPs of patients with spontaneous DVT at diagnosis can promote coagulation activation demonstrated by increased DD2. Even the increased MPs from patients 1-3 years after thrombotic episode generated lower amount of thrombin, they can have a protective effect by activation of Protein C anticoagulant pathway.
Disturbance calculation based on space vector dot product: Applications to compensators

The ability to individually extract the many disturbances of the AC line currents or voltages is desirable for reference signal calculation algorithms employed in power conditioners, allowing improved utilization of the power converter. This paper proposes a novel algorithm based on the dot product of three dimensional space vectors in the abc coordinate system, for real time calculation of the instantaneous positive, negative and zero sequence components for each individual harmonic. It is presented the functionalities for compensating fundamental reactive power, selected current harmonics and current unbalances. This method is computationally simple and requires no coordinate transformation. The proposed algorithms are validated by simulation and experiments.
Site-Directed Mutagenesis Identifies a Molecular Switch Involved in Copper Sensing by the Histidine Kinase CinS in Pseudomonas putida KT2440

ABSTRACT In the presence of copper, Pseudomonas putida activates transcription of cinAQ via the two-component system CinS-CinR. The CinS-CinR TCS was responsive to 0.5 μM copper and was specifically activated only by copper and silver. Modeling studies of CinS identified a potential copper binding site containing H37 and H147. CinS mutants with H37R and H147R mutations had an almost 10-fold reduced copper-dependent induction of cinAQ compared to the wild type.
Nonconventional on-board charger for electric vehicle propulsion batteries

Electric vehicles (EVs) are needed in densely populated urban areas to reduce air pollution. Battery chargers are needed to supply DC voltage to charge the high-energy battery parks used in EVs. This paper deals with an on-board battery charger arrangement that is fully based on the use of the power components of the EV motor drive. Desired features for EV battery chargers such as minimum volume, low cost, high efficiency, and high reliability are fully matched by means of the proposed solution. The proposed on-board charger arrangement has been installed on an electric scooter prototype being developed for the Far East markets. Design analysis and experimental results of the on-board charger prototype are presented.
Data extraction and preparation to perform a sentiment analysis using open source tools: The example of a Facebook fashion brand page

Social Media is a subject that is being very discussed in the present. The increasing availability of internet and the growth of Social Media platforms drove organizations attention to Opinion Mining and Sentiment Analysis. One of the most popular Social Media Platform is Facebook. In this Social Media Platform users/consumers can express their feelings with comments or with emotion buttons. With the functionalities of Facebook, they can criticize, praise, suggest or expect. The user's interactions with a brand page as posts, likes, shares or comments are getting more relevance in present days. The analysed data can give to decision-makers new approaches to run their business, understand their brand value against the competitors or even understand better what are the evaluations of customers or potential customers about the brand products or services. The purpose of this paper is to explain how to extract and prepare data collected in Facebook using open-source tools to perform a Sentiment Analysis.
Firm Agglomeration and Local Poverty Reduction: Evidence from an Economy in Transition

We examine the linkages between firm agglomeration and the welfare of households in Vietnam. We measured firm agglomeration by per capita firm output at the district level and household welfare by per capita income, expenditure, and poverty. We find that firm agglomeration helps households move from the informal sector to the formal sector. As a result, there is a positive effect of firm agglomeration on per capita income, per capita expenditure, and poverty reduction, albeit of a small and time-decreasing magnitude. The effect of firm agglomeration on per capita expenditure tends to be higher for households with men, younger, and more educated heads than households with women, older, and less educated heads. Households in rural areas and those that do not have crop land are more likely to benefit from firm agglomeration than those living in urban areas and having crop land.
High-dose desvenlafaxine in outpatients with major depressive disorder

Objective This study investigated the safety and efficacy of long-term treatment with high-dose desvenlafaxine (administered as desvenlafaxine succinate) in major depressive disorder (MDD). Methods In this multicenter, open-label study, adult outpatients with MDD aged 18–75 were treated with flexible doses of desvenlafaxine (200–400 mg/d) for ≤ 1 year. Safety assessments included monitoring of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs), patient discontinuations due to adverse events, electrocardiograms, vital signs, and laboratory determinations. The primary efficacy measure was mean change from baseline in the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression [HAM-D(17)] total score. Results The mean daily desvenlafaxine dose range over the duration of the trial was 267–356 mg (after titration). The most frequent TEAEs in the safety population (n = 104) were nausea (52%) and headache (41%), dizziness (31%), insomnia (29%), and dry mouth (27%). All TEAEs were mild or moderate in severity. Thirty-four (33%) patients discontinued from the study because of TEAEs; nausea (12%) and dizziness (9%) were the most frequently cited reasons. The mean change in HAM-D(17) total score for the intent-to-treat population (n = 99) was −9.9 at the last on-therapy visit in the last-observation-carried-forward analysis and −14.0 at month 12 in the observed cases analysis. Conclusion High-dose desvenlafaxine (200–400 mg/d) was generally safe and effective in the long-term treatment of MDD.