Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
DNA damage and circulating cell free DNA in greenhouse workers exposed to pesticides

Pesticides widely used in agriculture and other applications have been linked to cancer and other diseases through several potential mechanisms. The goals of this study were to assess DNA damage in lymphocytes by the cytokinesis‐block micronucleus assay (CBMN), and to measure circulating cell free DNA (ccf‐DNA) in the blood of pesticide‐exposed greenhouse workers and matched controls living in the same area. CBMN was applied to peripheral blood lymphocyte samples taken at different times (spring and autumn) for each individual. We measured plasma ccf‐DNA levels using a Qubit® fluorometer. The results indicated that the MNL, BNMN, and NBUDs frequencies of pesticide‐exposed individuals were significantly higher than non‐exposed individuals. Apart from MNL, BNMN and CBPI, a season‐related effect was found for the NPB and NBUD frequencies. With MNL and BNMN as the dependent variables, multiple regression analysis showed that age and gender affected MN formation. The ccf‐DNA level in the pesticide‐exposed group was significantly higher than the control group. There was no seasonal variation regarding the free DNA amount. Ccf‐DNA in males was found to be higher than females. The MNL, BNMN, NPB, and CBPI did not correlate with the ccf‐DNA amount. It can be concluded that pesticide exposure can modulate DNA integrity via different mechanisms. Also, elevated levels of ccf‐DNA could be recommended as a biomarker of pesticide exposure. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 59:161–169, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Trophic effects of estradiol on fetal rat hypothalamic neurons.

Sex steroids play an important role in the development and functioning of the central nervous system (CNS); however, the mechanisms by which such hormones exert these effects are not well understood. We addressed the question as to whether sex steroids affect the development of the hypothalamus, at least in part, by acting as a trophic factor to modulate the number of neurons in the hypothalamus. To this end, primary hypothalamic cultures were prepared from the brains of embryonic (day 15) fetuses. Cultures received either 17 beta-estradiol (10(-12) M) or vehicle 6-h after seeding and everyday throughout the study. As early as 24 h later, cultures receiving 17 beta-estradiol had significantly more neurons (44%, p < 0.001) than the control cultures. This effect not only continued throughout the duration of the study, but the difference between the two groups increased so that after 5 days, 17 beta-estradiol-treated cultures had 209% more neurons than control cultures (p < 0.001). Thus, addition of 17 beta-estradiol to fetal hypothalamic cultures produced a significant increase in the number of neurons surviving in vitro. The presence of glia was not required for this phenomenon, since the number of neurons surviving in glial-free cultures was also significantly increased by the addition of 17 beta-estradiol. The neuron survival promoting effect of 17 beta-estradiol was saturable and could be blocked by the estrogen antagonist tamoxifen (10(-7) M). Testosterone (10(-10) M), but not the nonaromatizable androgen dihydrotestosterone (10(-10) M), could mimic the neuron survival-promoting effects of estradiol. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Functionalized Biomimetic Calcium Phosphates for Bone Tissue Repair

The design and development of novel materials for biomineralized tissues is an extremely attractive field of research where calcium phosphates (CaPs)–based materials for biomedical applications play a leading role. The biological performance of these compounds can be enhanced through functionalization with biologically active ions and molecules. This review reports on some important recent achievements in creating functionalized biomimetic CaP materials for applications in the musculoskeletal field. Particular attention is focused on the modifications of these inorganic compounds with bioactive ions, growth factors and drugs, as well as on recent trends in some important CaP applications as biomaterials – namely, as bone cements, coatings of metallic implants and scaffolds for regenerative medicine.
A new soft-switched high step-up DC-DC converter with dual coupled inductors

This paper introduces a new efficient high step-up dc-dc converter with a shared input path and dual series coupled inductors at the output. This converter is suitable for high power applications due to its shared input current that puts low current stresses on the low voltage side switches. The proposed converter uses active clamp circuits with a shared clamp capacitor for main switches. In addition to the active clamp circuit, the leakage energy is recycled to the output by the act of an integrated regenerative snubber. Both active and passive switching devices operate with soft-switching performance i.e. Zero Voltage Switching (ZVS) and Zero Current Switching (ZCS). Principle of operation and mathematical derivation are presented and verified through simulation and experimental results of a 1kW prototype.
Human cytomegalovirus vaccine development: Immune responses to look into vaccine strategy

ABSTRACT Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) causes considerable morbidity and disability in high risk, immunocompromised populations including recipients of solid organ transplants, and fetuses whose immune systems are not yet mature. Vaccines aimed at ameliorating the severity of disease and preventing HCMV infection can be categorized into two main approaches of vaccine design, with one focusing on virus modification and the other on individual antigens. However, no candidates in either class have been successful in achieving durable and protective immunity. Recent studies on the natural immune response provide new insight into HCMV vaccine strategy. In particular, studies have demonstrated that the incorporation of a pentameric complex is necessary for a vaccine to generate the potent neutralizing antibodies often seen in seropositive individuals. This review summarizes recent findings in the development of HCMV vaccines and key considerations that should be taken into vaccine design based on improved understanding of natural HCMV immunity.
Change of Biomedical Domain Terminology Over Time

: Biomedical text processing is relying heavily on terminological resources. Independently of the method used for creating terminologies, either automatically extracted from a domain corpus or human crafted, there is one aspect of which is rarely considered – that terms evolve over time. Terms in the domain literature change due to many factors: new factual evidence, proposing new hypothesis or denying old ones, a shift towards increasing specificity, variation in expression, different people working independently on the same novel phenomenon, etc. This paper reports an experimental investigation carried out on biomedical domain literature capturing how specific domain terminology changes over time.
Fixed‐bearing medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty restores neither the medial pivoting behavior nor the ligament forces of the intact knee in passive flexion

Medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is an accepted treatment for isolated medial osteoarthritis. However, using an improper thickness for the tibial component may contribute to early failure of the prosthesis or disease progression in the unreplaced lateral compartment. Little is known of the effect of insert thickness on both knee kinematics and ligament forces. Therefore, a computational model of the tibiofemoral joint was used to determine how non‐conforming, fixed bearing medial UKA affects tibiofemoral kinematics, and tension in the medial collateral ligament (MCL) and the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during passive knee flexion. Fixed bearing medial UKA could not maintain the medial pivoting that occurred in the intact knee from 0° to 30° of passive flexion. Abnormal anterior–posterior (AP) translations of the femoral condyles relative to the tibia delayed coupled internal tibial rotation, which occurred in the intact knee from 0° to 30° of flexion, but occurred from 30° to 90° of flexion following UKA. Increasing or decreasing tibial insert thickness following medial UKA also failed to restore the medial pivoting behavior of the intact knee despite modulating MCL and ACL forces. Reduced AP constraint in non‐conforming medial UKA relative to the intact knee leads to abnormal condylar translations regardless of insert thickness even with intact cruciate and collateral ligaments. This finding suggests that the conformity of the medial compartment as driven by the medial meniscus and articular morphology plays an important role in controlling AP condylar translations in the intact tibiofemoral joint during passive flexion. © 2017 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 36:1868–1875, 2018.
Electricity demand management by optimising the use of HVAC and HWS through AMI

The consumption of electricity is increasing with consistent increase in demand of electricity. Advance metering infrastructure (AMI) is a part of energy management system (EMS) that can pro-actively control the consumption of electricity by engaging with utilities for demand management in real-time. The analysis of the electricity consumption pattern of an Australian house is conducted in this study. The investigation reveals that Heat Ventilation Air conditioning (HVAC) and Hot Water System (HWS) consume approximately 50% of the total electricity consumption. Optimised utilization of these two systems efficiently using AMI can help in reduction of electricity consumption. The study also illustrate strong co-relation between carbon emission. Tweaking the temperature setting of HVAC and HWS can significantly help in reducting the carbon emission.
Determinants of Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 in South Asians with Ischaemic Stroke

To investigate the relationship of circulating plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) levels with features of insulin resistance and genotype at a single nucleotide insertion/deletion (4G/5G) polymorphism in the promoter region of the PAI-1 gene in 101 South Asian ischaemic stroke patients and 102 symptom-free reference subjects. The allele frequencies were 4G-0.51, 5G-0.49 and 4G-0.61, 5G-0.39 in patients and reference subjects, respectively. There was a significant association between PAI-1 promoter genotype and PAI-1 antigen levels in patients. Regression analysis with significant correlates in the model demonstrated age, gender and triglycerides in patients and fasting insulin and HDL cholesterol in reference subjects as independent predictors of PAI-1 antigen.
Protecting Real-Time GPU Kernels on Integrated CPU-GPU SoC Platforms

Integrated CPU-GPU architecture provides excellent acceleration capabilities for data parallel applications on embedded platforms while meeting the size, weight and power (SWaP) requirements. However, sharing of main memory between CPU applications and GPU kernels can severely affect the execution of GPU kernels and diminish the performance gain provided by GPU. For example, in the NVIDIA Tegra K1 platform which has the integrated CPU-GPU architecture, we noticed that in the worst case scenario, the GPU kernels can suffer as much as 4X slowdown in the presence of co-running memory intensive CPU applications compared to their solo execution. In this paper, we propose a software mechanism, which we call BWLOCK++, to protect the performance of GPU kernels from co-scheduled memory intensive CPU applications.
Reconfigurable Coplanar Waveguide (CPW) and Half-Mode Substrate Integrated Waveguide (HMSIW) Band-Stop Filters Using a Varactor-Loaded Metamaterial-Inspired Open Resonator

An open ring resonator (ORR) loaded with a varactor diode is designed and implemented in order to achieve high-performance tunable band-stop filters in planar technology with a compact size. This varactor-loaded ORR (VLORR) is versatile. It allows a shunt connection with different planar waveguide sections. In this paper, it has been connected to a coplanar waveguide (CPW) and a half-mode substrate integrated waveguide (HMSIW). As a reverse bias voltage is applied to the VLORR, a continuous tuning over the resulting stop-band can be achieved. To illustrate the possibilities of the VLORR, three prototypes have been designed, fabricated, and characterized. The three prototypes show an outstanding performance, with a rejection level at the resonant frequency and a tuning range greater than 12 dB and 85%, respectively. This VLORR has high potential value in microwave communication systems to eliminate unwanted signals.
The Common Sense Model of Self-Regulation and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: integrating strategies to guide interventions for chronic illness

ABSTRACT Most health behaviour intervention efforts are adapted from the typical psychological treatment experience and may not take into serious consideration theories specifically developed to describe the process of adaptation to illness. This paper presents a proposal for the combination of a theory about the experience of and adaptation to illness, that is, the Common Sense Model of Self-Regulation (CSM), and an efficient psychological theory and therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Past combinations of CSM with cognitive or cognitive-behavioural interventions have focussed almost only on specific aspects of this model (mostly, illness representations and action plans) and left out other, equally important for a fruitful adaptation to illness, recommendations of the model (e.g., regarding the system coherence). Therefore, the development of the proposed combination is to try to match a broad array of the CSM aspects with the principles, intervention techniques and methods employed by ACT, in order to produce a ‘double-pillared’ intervention strategy that may prove especially effective for promoting patients’ adaptation to a chronic condition and enhancing their well-being and health.
The relationship between holding back from communicating about breast concerns and anxiety in the year following breast biopsy

ABSTRACT Purpose: Evidence suggests open communication about breast cancer concerns promotes psychological adjustment, while holding back can lead to negative outcomes. Little is known about the relationship between communication and distress following breast biopsy. Design/ Sample: Women (N = 128) were assessed at the time of breast biopsy and again one week and three, six, and 12 months post-result. Methods: Linear mixed modeling examined relationships between holding back and anxiety for women with benign results (n = 94) or DCIS/invasive disease (n = 34) following breast biopsy. Findings: Anxiety increased among women with a benign result engaging in high but not low or average levels of holding back. Holding back was positively associated with anxiety post-result in breast cancer survivors, with anxiety decreasing over time. Conclusions/ Implications: Interventions to enhance communication are warranted, and knowledge of the differences among women with benign results and/or DCIS/invasive disease may allow for the development of tailored interventions.
The complete mitochondrial genome of a medicinal insect Martianus dermestoides (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae)

Abstract In this study, the complete mitogenome sequence of Martianus dermestoides (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae) has been amplified and sequenced employing the long polymerase chain reaction method. The mitogenome, consisting of 15,434 base pairs (bp), had the typical invertebrate mitochondrial gene arrangement, including 13 protein-coding, 22 transfer RNAs, 2 ribosomal RNAs genes and a noncoding control region (CR). The CR of 798 bp length is rather compact and located between srRNA and tRNAiLe. The overall base composition of M. dermestoides is 40.97% for A, 18.53% for C, 31.13% for T and 9.38% for G, with a high AT bias of 72.09%. The complete mitogenome may provide useful DNA molecular data for further phylogenetic analyses for higher taxa of Tenebrionidae.
Effect of warning placement on the information processing of college students reading an OTC drug facts panel

ABSTRACT Objective: To compare three over-the-counter (OTC) Drug Facts panel versions for information processing optimization among college students. Participants: University of Houston students (N = 210) participated in a cross-sectional survey from January to May 2010. Methods: A current FDA label was compared to two experimental labels developed using the theory of CHREST to test information processing by re-positioning the warning information within the Drug Facts panel. Congruency was defined as placing like information together. Information processing was evaluated using the OTC medication Label Evaluation Process Model (LEPM): label comprehension, ease-of-use, attitude toward the product, product evaluation, and purchase intention. Results: Experimental label with chunked congruent information (uses-directions-other information-warnings) was rated significantly higher than the current FDA label and had the best average scores among the LEPM information processing variables. Conclusion: If replications uphold these findings, the FDA label design might be revised to improve information processing.
ANCLAJES DE CARRERA PROFESIONAL Y VALORES EN EL TRABAJO

Hoy en dia las empresas intentan alcanzar una ventaja competitiva sostenible por medio de la gestion de sus activos estrategicos. Entre estos, el capital humano se ha revelado como uno de los mas importantes. Lograr un stock de capital humano, en terminos de habilidades, capacidades, conocimientos, competencias, motivacion, etc., alineado con la estrategia de la empresa y que, al mismo tiempo, se convierta en flujo, se transfiera en un determinado comportamiento es una necesidad de las empresas de cara a obtener y mantener un diferencial de rentabilidad frente a sus competidores . Sin embargo, un capital humano con estas caracteristicas ni se obtiene, ni se transfieren en comportamiento de manera espontanea y mecanica, precisa de una gestion de recursos humanos estructurada en configuraciones o sistemas de practicas de alto rendimiento basadas en obtener los comportamientos estrategicos de los empleados por medio del compromiso psicologico, mediante practicas de gestion de recursos humanos que giren alrededor de la formacion y desarrollo, la planificacion de carreras, los sistemas de participacion o la evaluacion orientada al comportamiento, entre otras (Gonzalez, 2002; 2004).
The Genomic Basis of Noise-induced Hearing Loss: A Literature Review Organized by Cellular Pathways

Objective: Using Reactome, a curated Internet database, noise-induced hearing loss studies were aggregated into cellular pathways for organization of the emerging genomic and epigenetic data in the literature. Data Sources: PubMed and Reactome.org, a relational data base program systematizing biological processes into interactive pathways and subpathways based on ontology, cellular constituents, gene expression, and molecular components. Study Selection: Peer-reviewed population and laboratory studies for the previous 15 years relating genomics and noise and hearing loss were identified in PubMed. Criteria included p values <0.05 with correction for multiple genes, a fold change of >1.5, or duplicated studies. Data Extraction and Synthesis: One-hundred fifty-eight unique HGNC identifiers from 77 articles met the selection criteria, and were uploaded into the analysis program at http://reactome.org. These genes participated in a total of 621 cellular interactions in 21 of 23 pathways. Cellular response to stress with its attenuation phase, particularly in response to heat stress, detoxification of ROS, and specific areas of the immune system are predominant pathways identified as significantly "overrepresented" (p values <0.1e-5 and false discovery rates <0.01). Conclusion: Twenty-one of 23 of the designated pathways in Reactome have significant influence on noise-induced hearing loss, signifying a confluence of molecular pathways in reaction to acoustic trauma; however, cellular response to stress, including heat shock response, and other small areas of immune response were highly overrepresented. Yet-to-be-explored genomics areas include miRNA, lncRNA, copy number variations, RNA sequencing, and human genome-wide association study.
Thrombin generation estimates the anticoagulation effect of direct oral anticoagulants with significant interindividual variability observed

&NA; Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are increasingly being used, primarily due to their drug stability and patient convenience. Although these drugs have been evaluated to be well tolerated in numerous clinical trials, their impact on in-vivo anticoagulation effect, variability and therapeutic drug level remains unknown. Hence, we aim to study the effect and variability of DOACs on thrombin generation via the calibrated automated thrombogram. Anonymized coagulation specimens from outpatients on warfarin were collected. Pooled normal plasma samples were spiked with increasing concentrations of dabigatran, rivaroxaban and apixaban. Similarly, plasma samples with normal coagulation profiles were spiked with two concentrations each of dabigatran, rivaroxaban and apixaban. Thrombin generation via calibrated automated thrombogram was run using the above samples and compared with a dataset of normal controls. Increasing international normalized ratio was associated with a reduction of endogenous thrombin potential (ETP) and thrombin peak and increasing lag time. Factor Xa inhibitors produced a flattened thrombin generation curve with a reduction of thrombin peak and relative preservation of ETP. Direct thrombin inhibitors produced a reduction of both ETP and thrombin peak and increasing lag time. Seventy-one citrated plasma samples (26 dabigatran, 21 rivaroxaban and 24 apixaban) were evaluated. The two concentrations produced a reduction of thrombin generation parameters with significant interindividual variability compared with neat plasma of 35–93, 13–31 and 18–71% and for dabigatran, rivaroxaban and apixaban, respectively. Thrombin generation can measure the anticoagulation effect of commonly used DOACs, with each drug having a unique thrombin generation profile. The variability noted using the same concentration suggests significant interindividual pharmacodynamic differences, which maybe relevant with respect to efficacy as well as bleeding side effects. Further delineation of the modifiers of interindividual differences is required in the in-vivo setting.