Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Radiation Hormesis: Historical Perspective and Implications for Low-Dose Cancer Risk Assessment

Current guidelines for limiting exposure of humans to ionizing radiation are based on the linear-no-threshold (LNT) hypothesis for radiation carcinogenesis under which cancer risk increases linearly as the radiation dose increases. With the LNT model even a very small dose could cause cancer and the model is used in establishing guidelines for limiting radiation exposure of humans. A slope change at low doses and dose rates is implemented using an empirical dose and dose rate effectiveness factor (DDREF). This imposes usually unacknowledged nonlinearity but not a threshold in the dose-response curve for cancer induction. In contrast, with the hormetic model, low doses of radiation reduce the cancer incidence while it is elevated after high doses. Based on a review of epidemiological and other data for exposure to low radiation doses and dose rates, it was found that the LNT model fails badly. Cancer risk after ordinarily encountered radiation exposure (medical X-rays, natural background radiation, etc.) is much lower than projections based on the LNT model and is often less than the risk for spontaneous cancer (a hormetic response). Understanding the mechanistic basis for hormetic responses will provide new insights about both risks and benefits from low-dose radiation exposure.
Event-Specific Cannabis Use and Cannabis Use Motives

ABSTRACT Background: Specific events such as Mardi Gras (MG) and St. Patrick's Day (SPD) have been identified as high-risk events for cannabis use. Further, some campuses may have traditions that are associated with more event-specific cannabis use. Objectives: Campus A has specific traditions regarding MG whereas Campus B has specific traditions regarding SPD and these campuses are differentially related to event-specific cannabis use (Buckner, Henslee, & Jeffries, 2015). Yet, little work has identified individual difference variables related to high-risk cannabis use events. Methods: Current cannabis using undergraduates (N = 154) at two campuses completed an online survey of event-specific cannabis use motives, cannabis use, and cannabis-related problems. Results: Campus A endorsed more MG-specific social and enhancement motives than Campus B. Campus A reported more socially, enhancement, coping, conformity, and expansion motivated cannabis use on MG than on SPD, whereas Campus B reported more socially and enhancement motivated cannabis use on SPD than on MG. Campus A was indirectly related to more MG-specific cannabis use through MG-specific social and enhancement motives. Conclusions/Importance: Event-specific cannabis motives are differentially related to specific high-risk cannabis use events and may be important therapeutic targets.
Decrypting the Cipher Texts of RSA with Public-Key

The RSA is based on a trapdoor one-way function which is easy to compute but is most hard to revert without knowing the trapdoor. A cryptanalysis, presented in this paper, consists in finding a new decrypt key which plays the same role of the original trapdoor. To find this new decrypt key we must seek the maximum degree of ciphering function composition in a given modulus N. The maximum degree (d_max) is obtained by applying the ciphering function to a restricted set of residues in the modulus N. We then define the new decrypt key by (e). Thanks to this new key, we can decrypt any cipher text for a given modulus. The interest of this cryptanalysis, contrary to factorization, is that the search of the decrypt key is independent from the modulus size.
Effects of statins in patients with chronic kidney disease: meta-analysis and meta-regression of randomised controlled trials

Objective To analyse the benefits and harms of statins in patients with chronic kidney disease (pre-dialysis, dialysis, and transplant populations). Design Meta-analysis. Data sources Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Medline, Embase, and Renal Health Library (July 2006). Study selection Randomised and quasi-randomised controlled trials of statins compared with placebo or other statins in chronic kidney disease. Data extraction and analysis Two reviewers independently assessed trials for inclusion, extracted data, and assessed trial quality. Differences were resolved by consensus. Treatment effects were summarised as relative risks or weighted mean differences with 95% confidence intervals by using a random effects model. Results Fifty trials (30 144 patients) were included. Compared with placebo, statins significantly reduced total cholesterol (42 studies, 6390 patients; weighted mean difference −42.28 mg/dl (1.10 mmol/l), 95% confidence interval −47.25 to −37.32), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (39 studies, 6216 patients; −43.12 mg/dl (1.12 mmol/l), −47.85 to −38.40), and proteinuria (g/24 hours) (6 trials, 311 patients; −0.73 g/24 hour, −0.95 to −0.52) but did not improve glomerular filtration rate (11 studies, 548 patients; 1.48 ml/min (0.02 ml/s), −2.32 to 5.28). Fatal cardiovascular events (43 studies, 23 266 patients; relative risk 0.81, 0.73 to 0.90) and non-fatal cardiovascular events (8 studies, 22 863 patients; 0.78, 0.73 to 0.84) were reduced with statins, but statins had no significant effect on all cause mortality (44 studies, 23 665 patients; 0.92, 0.82 to 1.03). Meta-regression analysis showed that treatment effects did not vary significantly with stage of chronic kidney disease. The side effect profile of statins was similar to that of placebo. Most of the available studies were small and of suboptimal quality; mortality data were provided by a few large trials only. Conclusion Statins significantly reduce lipid concentrations and cardiovascular end points in patients with chronic kidney disease, irrespective of stage of disease, but no benefit on all cause mortality or the role of statins in primary prevention has been established. Reno-protective effects of statins are uncertain because of relatively sparse data and possible outcomes reporting bias.
An RS Image-Fusion Approach to Farmland Fertility

This paper addressed the problem of improving precision of farmland fertility remote sensing by developing optimum image-fusion system, which analyses the implementation of image-fusion system through interpretation-lattice and takes into account that the benefits of image-fusion are maximized and the risk of error farmland fertility recognition with remote sensing is minimized. We tested our RS image-fusion method with an application about monitoring farmland fertility that is based on several TM and SPOT images and local statistical data. This method is better able to estimate the farmland fertility level in comparison with only one single TM or SPOT image, the main method that was previously applied in this context.
Regular exercise during haemodialysis promotes an anti-inflammatory leucocyte profile

Abstract Background Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of mortality in haemodialysis (HD) patients and is highly predicted by markers of chronic inflammation. Regular exercise may have beneficial anti-inflammatory effects, but this is unclear in HD patients. This study assessed the effect of regular intradialytic exercise on soluble inflammatory factors and inflammatory leucocyte phenotypes. Methods Twenty-two HD patients from a centre where intradialytic cycling was offered thrice weekly and 16 HD patients receiving usual care volunteered. Exercising patients aimed to cycle for 30 min at rating of perceived exertion of ‘somewhat hard’. Baseline characteristics were compared with 16 healthy age-matched individuals. Physical function, soluble inflammatory markers and leucocyte phenotypes were assessed again after 6 months of regular exercise. Results Patients were less active than their healthy counterparts and had significant elevations in measures of inflammation [interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), intermediate and non-classical monocytes; all P < 0.001]. Six months of regular intradialytic exercise improved physical function (sit-to-stand 60). After 6 months, the proportion of intermediate monocytes in the exercising patients reduced compared with non-exercisers (7.58 ± 1.68% to 6.38 ± 1.81% versus 6.86 ± 1.45% to 7.88 ± 1.66%; P < 0.01). Numbers (but not proportion) of regulatory T cells decreased in the non-exercising patients only (P < 0.05). Training had no significant effect on circulating IL-6, CRP or TNF-α concentrations. Conclusions These findings suggest that regular intradialytic exercise is associated with an anti-inflammatory effect at a circulating cellular level but not in circulating cytokines. This may be protective against the increased risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality that is associated with chronic inflammation and elevated numbers of intermediate monocytes.
CORTISOL AND STRESS RESPONSES DURING A GAME AND PRACTICE IN FEMALE COLLEGIATE SOCCER PLAYERS

The purpose of this study was to compare the cortisol responses from a regular season game and a typical practice session in female National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I collegiate soccer players. Eighteen players were assigned to 2 groups, 10 starters and 8 nonstarters, depending on their playing time. Salivary cortisol concentration, as well as competitive sport anxiety (somatic and cognitive anxiety, self-confidence), was monitored before and after 1 regular season game and 1 typical practice session. Although salivary cortisol levels increased postgame for both starters (+250%) and nonstarters (+140%), they increased to a greater extent for the starters. Practice salivary cortisol did not significantly change (p > 0.05). Cognitive and somatic anxiety was greater pre-and postgame when compared with the pre-and postpractice scores, respectively. These data clearly demonstrate the psychological and physiological differences between soccer competition and practice in collegiate women. It appears that both physiological and psychological variables combine to contribute to the large stress hormone response to an actual competitive game.
Coordination of Nuclear and Mitochondrial Genome Expression during Mitochondrial Biogenesis in Arabidopsisw⃞

Mitochondrial biogenesis and function require the regulated and coordinated expression of nuclear and mitochondrial genomes throughout plant development and in response to cellular and environmental signals. To investigate the levels at which the expression of nuclear and mitochondrially encoded proteins is coordinated, we established an Arabidopsis thaliana cell culture system to modulate mitochondrial biogenesis in response to sugar starvation and refeeding. Sucrose deprivation led to structural changes in mitochondria, a decrease in mitochondrial volume, and a reduction in the rate of cellular respiration. All these changes could be reversed by the readdition of sucrose. Analysis of the relative mRNA transcript abundance of genes encoding nuclear and mitochondrially encoded proteins revealed that there was no coordination of expression of the two genomes at the transcript level. An analysis of changes in abundance and assembly of nuclear-encoded and mitochondrially encoded subunits of complexes I to V of the mitochondrial inner membrane in organello protein synthesis and competence for protein import by isolated mitochondria suggested that coordination occurs at the level of protein-complex assembly. These results further suggest that expression of the mitochondrial genome is insensitive to the stress imposed by sugar starvation and that mitochondrial biogenesis is regulated by changes in nuclear gene expression and coordinated at the posttranslational level.
Practices of Freedom, selected writings on HIV/AIDS.

Since the mid-1980s, Simon Watney has been one of the leading voices in the international field of HIV/AIDS education. His monthly column on AIDS in Britain's "Gay Times" is the longest-running column of its kind in Europe, and he is actively involved in HIV/AIDS issues in the United States. His work constitutes a unique dialogue between European and American perspectives on the epidemic. "Practices of Freedom" brings together for the first time Watney's pioneering writings on topics ranging from gay men's Safer Sex education to racist coverage of AIDS in Africa in the international media, from the ethics of clinical drug trials to governmental policies concerning AIDS.Watney's voice--neither neutral nor detached--is that of an active and influential participant in the fight against AIDS. He offers a unique view of the ways in which gay men working in community-based organizations have attempted to provide reliable and up-to-date services and information regarding AIDS treatment and health. A leader in insisting on gay men's entitlements to education, care, and services, Watney was among the first to challenge the "de-gaying" of AIDS service organizations in the late eighties. He also devotes his attention to HIV/AIDS prevention work, research and treatment issues, and the wider cultural politics of the disease, including the role of language, television, and cinema. His analysis of the epidemic as it has unfolded provides a history of many of the major medical and political debates that have defined the course and extent of the crisis. "Practices of Freedom" demonstrates the failure of national institutions, from the government to the press, to understand and effectively fight this epidemic, and directs attention to the most urgent needs in American and international AIDS work. It will be an important primary resource, particularly in the United States, where effective community-based HIV/AIDS education tragically has often been neglected.
Magnetic Resonance Field Strength Effects on Diffusion Measures and Brain Connectivity Networks

The quest to map brain connectivity is being pursued worldwide using diffusion imaging, among other techniques. Even so, we know little about how brain connectivity measures depend on the magnetic field strength of the scanner. To investigate this, we scanned 10 healthy subjects at 7 and 3 tesla-using 128-gradient high-angular resolution diffusion imaging. For each subject and scan, whole-brain tractography was used to estimate connectivity between 113 cortical and subcortical regions. We examined how scanner field strength affects (i) the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the non-diffusion-sensitized reference images (b(0)); (ii) diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)-derived fractional anisotropy (FA), mean, radial, and axial diffusivity (MD/RD/AD), in atlas-defined regions; (iii) whole-brain tractography; (iv) the 113 × 113 brain connectivity maps; and (v) five commonly used network topology measures. We also assessed effects of the multi-channel reconstruction methods (sum-of-squares, SOS, at 7T; adaptive recombine, AC, at 3T). At 7T with SOS, the b0 images had 18.3% higher SNR than with 3T-AC. FA was similar for most regions of interest (ROIs) derived from an online DTI atlas (ICBM81), but higher at 7T in the cerebral peduncle and internal capsule. MD, AD, and RD were lower at 7T for most ROIs. The apparent fiber density between some subcortical regions was greater at 7T-SOS than 3T-AC, with a consistent connection pattern overall. Suggesting the need for caution, the recovered brain network was apparently more efficient at 7T, which cannot be biologically true as the same subjects were assessed. Care is needed when comparing network measures across studies, and when interpreting apparently discrepant findings.
The WIC Program: Background, Trends, and Economic Issues, 2009 Edition. Economic Research Report Number 73.

The mission of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is to safeguard the health of low-income women, infants, and children through age 4 who are at nutritional risk. WIC provides nutritious foods to supplement diets, nutrition education, and referrals to health care and other social services. Administered by USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), almost half of all infants and about a quarter of all children ages 1-4 in the United States participate in the program. WIC is USDA’s third-largest food and nutrition assistance program, accounting for 10 percent of total Federal spending on food and nutrition assistance. This report describes the WIC program—how it works, its history, program trends, and the characteristics of the population it serves. It also examines current issues facing WIC, focusing mainly on those with important economic implications.
Rapid Growth and Relative Decline: Modelling Macroeconomic Dynamics With Hysteresis

List of Tables - Acknowledgements - Introduction - PART 1: ECONOMIC MODELLING: SOME METHODOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS - Introduction - Economic Modelling and the Concept of Equilibrium - An Alternative Approach: Modelling with Hysteresis - PART 2: MODELLING MACROECONOMIC SYSTEMS WITH HYSTERESIS: GROWTH AND STRUCTURAL CHANGE IN CAPITALIST ECONOMIES - Introduction - A Model of Cumulative Causation - The Supply Side and Macroeconomic Performance I: Technological Evolution -The Supply Side and Macroeconomic Performance II: Institutional Evolution - PART 3: THE EVOLUTION OF A MACROECONOMY: GROWTH AND STRUCTURAL CHANGE IN THE BRITISH ECONOMY SINCE 1780 - Introduction - A Brief History of the British Economy Since 1780 - Technological Interrelatedness and Lock in the British Economy 1870-1930 - Institutional Hysteresis and the Performance of the British Economy after 1914 - Conclusion - References - Index
Innovative E-Learning Solutions and Environments for Small and Medium Sized Companies (SMEs)

Europe experienced one of the most difficult periods in the economic history. The economic recession seems to end in December 2009 but many European countries recover slowly and European companies particularly small and medium sized ones (SMEs) have difficulties in facing todays challenges. The requirements in working life increase: more knowledge is necessary as well as flexibility referring to a fast familiarization with new working environments.
The complete chloroplast genome of the Dendrobium strongylanthum (Orchidaceae: Epidendroideae)

Abstract Complete chloroplast genome sequence is very useful for studying the phylogenetic and evolution of species. In this study, the complete chloroplast genome of Dendrobium strongylanthum was constructed from whole-genome Illumina sequencing data. The chloroplast genome is 153 058 bp in length with 37.6% GC content and consists of two inverted repeats (IRs) of 26 316 bp. The IR regions are separated by large single-copy region (LSC, 85 836 bp) and small single-copy (SSC, 14 590 bp) region. A total of 130 chloroplast genes were successfully annotated, including 84 protein coding genes, 38 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the chloroplast genome of Dendrobium strongylanthum is related to that of the Dendrobium officinal.
Semantic Service Discovery using SAWSDL and SPARQL

Service discovery has always been a challenging task in the service oriented computing. Many approaches have already been put forward for the semantic service discovery or matchmaking task, where each approach uses it's own logical formalism for service descriptions and user goals (i.e. formalized user request). As formalized service descriptions and user requests are used by the matchmaking process, matchmaking algorithm has a tight coupling with the underlying formalism used to describe services and goals. In this paper, we will present how SAWSDL can be used to annotate service descriptions while being agnostic to one particular service modeling formalism. The main contribution of this paper is to extend SAWSDL based service descriptions with the definition of pre and post-conditions using SPARQL query language and OWL-S Schema. We will also show how SPARQL query language can be used to formulate user goals. As a next step, we will present the matchmaking algorithm and prototype based on the matching of SPARQL based conditions and user goals.
Recombinant neural progenitor transplants in the spinal dorsal horn alleviate chronic central neuropathic pain

Abstract Neuropathic pain induced by spinal cord injury (SCI) is clinically challenging with inadequate long-term treatment options. Partial pain relief offered by pharmacologic treatment is often counterbalanced by adverse effects after prolonged use in chronic pain patients. Cell-based therapy for neuropathic pain using GABAergic neuronal progenitor cells (NPCs) has the potential to overcome untoward effects of systemic pharmacotherapy while enhancing analgesic potency due to local activation of GABAergic signaling in the spinal cord. However, multifactorial anomalies underlying chronic pain will likely require simultaneous targeting of multiple mechanisms. Here, we explore the analgesic potential of genetically modified rat embryonic GABAergic NPCs releasing a peptidergic NMDA receptor antagonist, Serine1-histogranin (SHG), thus targeting both spinal hyperexcitability and reduced inhibitory processes. Recombinant NPCs were designed using either lentiviral or adeno-associated viral vectors (AAV2/8) encoding single and multimeric (6 copies of SHG) cDNA. Intraspinal injection of recombinant cells elicited enhanced analgesic effects compared with nonrecombinant NPCs in SCI-induced pain in rats. Moreover, potent and sustained antinociception was achieved, even after a 5-week postinjury delay, using recombinant multimeric NPCs. Intrathecal injection of SHG antibody attenuated analgesic effects of the recombinant grafts suggesting active participation of SHG in these antinociceptive effects. Immunoblots and immunocytochemical assays indicated ongoing recombinant peptide production and secretion in the grafted host spinal cords. These results support the potential for engineered NPCs grafted into the spinal dorsal horn to alleviate chronic neuropathic pain.
Cushing's Disease in a 5-Month Infant due to a Basophilic Microadenoma of the Pituitary Gland

We report a female patient who developed severe Cushing's disease during the fifth month of life due to a basophilic pituitary adenoma Histological findings showed a basophilic microadenoma of the pituitary gland, leading to the diagnosis of Cushing's disease. The infant died because of untreatable septic shock. The importance of the present report resides in the age of the child at diagnosis, and that it was the necropsy finding of microadenoma which clarified the cause of the Cushing's syndrome, since it was not diagnosed during life. Cushing's disease is most often diagnosed in children older than 7 years, and our patient was only 5 months old when we detected the pituitary adenoma, the earliest case diagnosed so far. Cushing's syndrome in pediatric patients has been rarely reported and most cases are due to functioning adrenal tumors, usually a malignant carcinoma but occasionally a benign adenoma. The present case shows that the pituitary of these patients should be investigated with important implications in terms of therapeutic approaches, such as pituitary radiotherapy, which can cure the patient when treatment is started very soon.