Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hypothalamic digoxin and brain function

Background and objectives: The study assessed the biochemical differences between right hemispheric-dominant and left hemispheric-dominant individuals. The chemical hemispheric-dominance in various systemic and neuropsychiatric diseases was also studied. Methods: The isoprenoid metabolites, digoxin, dolichol and ubiquinone, glycoconjugate metabolism, free radical metabolism and the RBC membrane composition, were studied in individuals with differing hemispheric-dominance. The digoxin levels and RBC membrane Na+-K+ATPase activity were also studied in systemic and neuropsychiatric diseases. Results: The results showed that right hemispheric-dominant individuals had elevated digoxin levels, increased free radical production and reduced scavenging, increased tryptophan catabolites and reduced tyrosine catabolites, increased glycoconjugate levels and increased cholesterol : phospholipid ratio of RBC membranes. Left hemispheric-dominant individuals had the opposite patterns. This patterns could be correlated with various systemic and neuropsychiatric diseases. Conclusion: Right hemispheric-dominance represents a hyperdigoxinaemic state with membrane sodium–potassium ATPase inhibition. Left hemispheric-dominance represents the reverse pattern with hypodigoxinaemia and membrane sodium–potassium ATPase stimulation. Hemispheric-dominance could predispose to various systemic and neuropsychiatric diseases.
The relationship between hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction and arterial oxygen tension in the intact dog.

The relationship between the magnitude of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (h.p.v.) and arterial oxygen tension (Pa,O2) has been studied in intact anaesthetized dogs. Radioactive 133Xe was infused continuously into the inferior vena cava. A tracheal divider made it possible to vary the inspired gas composition to each lung independently. With constant ventilation the 133Xe in the mixed expired gas from each lung was proportional to the blood flow to that lung. Unilateral ventilation of the left lung with 7% oxygen produced a diversion of blood flow away from the lung and a reduction in Pa,O2. Repeated hypoxic stimuli produced a progressively greater reduction in the blood flow to the hypoxic lung and a progressive increase in Pa,O2. Administration of a beta‐adrenergic agonist, dobutamine hydrochloride, during ventilation of the left lung with 7% oxygen, resulted in an increased blood flow to the left lung and a further decrease in Pa,O2. Addition of CO2 to the inspired gas resulted in an increased diversion of blood flow away from the hypoxic lung but a decrease in Pa,O2. Respiratory alkalosis induced by over‐ventilation decreased the hypoxic vasoconstriction and increased Pa,O2 slightly. However acid‐base changes induced by infusion of 1 N‐lactic acid or 8.4% NaHCO3 had no significant effects on the magnitude of the hypoxic vasoconstriction, or on Pa,O2, during hypoxic ventilation of the left lung. The magnitude of hypoxic vasoconstriction and Pa,O2 in the experiments described in 3, 4 and 5 above were positively correlated (r = 0.885), showing that the vasoconstriction may help to maintain Pa,O2. It is suggested that the effects of CO2 on h.p.v. and Pa,O2 may be explained largely by the changes in alveolar oxygen pressure (PA,O2) which are secondary to changes in PA,CO2.
Possibilities of anaerobic treatment of crude glycerol from biodiesel production

Work was focused on possibilities of biogas production from a crude glycerol. This material is by-product of biodiesel production. In the work results of crude glycerol treatment in the laboratory mixed reactor and in the laboratory UASB reactors are described. Results from long-term co-digestion of maize silage and crude glycerol in full scale anaerobic reactor at biogas plant are also discussed. From this work resulted that the operation of mesophillic anaerobic degradation of crude glycerol as the only organic substrate is feasible; the process operation is very sensible to organic over-loading of reactor. The laboratory anaerobic mixed reactor achieved stable operation at the organic loading rate of 4 kg/m.d (COD) with ca 980 ml of biogas production per ml of dosed glycerol. The laboratory UASB reactor inoculated with granular sludge achieved stable operation at the organic loading rate of 6.5 kg/m.d with ca 840 ml of biogas production per ml of dosed glycerol. Inoculation of the UASB reactor with suspended biomass showed that this type sludge is not suitable for this purpose because of sludge flotation during reactor operation. Long term processing of crude glycerol in the full scale biogas plant for anaerobic treatment of maize silage showed that crude glycerol is suitable co-substrate. Evaluated specific production of biogas from crude glycerol was about 0.89 m per 1 kg of crude glycerol added. Dose of crude glycerol which represents only 5.2 % of overall dose to biogas plant produces almost 15 % of overall biogas production. Use of this co-substrate has significant influence on positive economical balance of biogas plant.
The potential pitfalls of using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl to characterize antioxidants in mixed water solvents

Approaching living systems, aqueous solutions are appropriate to characterize antioxidants, whereas the frequently used standard 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) is insoluble in water. Therefore, mixed water–ethanol solvents were investigated using the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Two forms of DPPH were identified: at higher ethanol ratios a quintet spectrum characteristic of solutions, and at lower ratios, a singlet spectrum typical for solid DPPH, were found. Mixed solvents with 0–50% (v/v) water reproduced the same antioxidant equivalent points well and the reaction rate between DPPH and the antioxidant may increase considerably with increasing water ratios, as demonstrated using vitamin E as an antioxidant. But at still higher water ratios (70–90% (v/v)) the antioxidant activities dropped, since a part of the DPPH in the aggregated form does not react sufficiently with the antioxidants. Characteristics of the most common antioxidants were determined in ethanol or its 50% (v/v) aqueous solution.
Alteration of the Escherichia coli membrane by addition of bacteriophage T4 protein synthesized after infection

Many T4-induced proteins were found associated with the Escherichia coli membrane during infection. Some of these were apparently ionically bound, but many could be identified as integral parts of the inner and outer bacterial membranes by their selective solubilities in guanidine or Sarkosyl. The synthesis and insertion of these proteins into the bacterial membrane were temporally controlled and, once in the membrane, these proteins were stably integrated. Host membrane protein synthesis continued after infection of non-UV-irradiated cells, but was not present, if the cells were irradiated. There were no major redistribution or loss of bacterial proteins from E. coli membranes as a consequence of T4 infection.
Frequency Ratio of (199)Hg and (87)Sr Optical Lattice Clocks beyond the SI Limit.

We report on a frequency ratio measurement of a (199)Hg-based optical lattice clock referencing a (87)Sr-based clock. Evaluations of lattice light shift, including atomic-motion-dependent shift, enable us to achieve a total systematic uncertainty of 7.2×10(-17) for the Hg clock. The frequency ratio is measured to be νHg/νSr=2.629 314 209 898 909 60(22) with a fractional uncertainty of 8.4×10(-17), which is smaller than the uncertainty of the realization of the International System of Units (SI) second, i.e., the SI limit.
Unstructured Human Settlement Mapping with SAR Sensors

In this paper human settlement detection using SAR data is addressed, with stress on informal settlement analysis. We show that, even using coarse spatial resolution SAR data, it is possible to discriminate between structured and unstructured settlements. In particular, two approaches are proposed: a supervised procedure to exploit spatial patterns and backscatter intensity to discriminate between structured and unstructured kinds of human settlements, and an unsupervised procedure to detect human settlements in large area SAR images.
3 D model-based video mapping

Acquiring accurate and coloured 3D representations of underwater scenes is of prime importance in many applications such as ship hull inspection, offshore structure assessment, archaeology or the detection of hazards such as underwater mines. While video and laser-based 3D reconstruction approaches are limited to very short ranges, the use of SONAR sensors enable the recognition and localisation of man-made structures at centimetre-level. We combine mid-range SONAR mapping with video mapping onto a high-resolution CAD model of the object of interest. We apply this 3D model-based video mapping approach on field data gathered by AUV during lake trials. Through this experiment, we demonstrate the interest in using multi-modal sensing and reference CAD models to obtain high-resolution coloured 3D representations of man-made objects.
POPULATION STRUCTURE OF FRESHWATER FISHES I. GENETIC VARIATION OF BLUEGILL (LEPOMIS MACROCHIRUS) POPULATIONS IN MAN‐MADE RESERVOIRS

A recent resurgence of interest in the "genetic structure" of animal and plant populations is attributable to the strong theoretical foundations earlier laid by Wright, Malecot, Nei, Kimura, and others, coupled with the advent of empirical techniques (primarily electrophoresis) for monitoring population structure through time and space. Any population subdivision due to departures from panmixia may be termed "population structuring. " Deviations from panmixia may result from inbreeding, selection, or assortative mating due to behaviorally or environmentally imposed restrictions on migration or mating success. Significant structuring of local populations resulting from one or more of these factors has been demonstrated in herbaceous plants (Hamrick and Allard, 1972; Levin, 1975; Schaal, 1975; Schaal and Levin, 1976) and in a variety of animals ranging from snails (Selander and Kaufman, 1975) to insects (McKechnie et al., 1975; Taylor and Powell, 1977) to mammals (Kidd and CavalliSforza, 1974; Selander, 1970), including extensive works on man (Neel and Ward, 1972; Nei and Imaizumi, 1966; Workman and Niswander, 1970). Nonetheless, the relative importance of potential extrinsic barriers to migration in determining population structure, particularly in species with large numbers of mobile individuals, remains debatable (Ehrlich and Raven, 1969; Mayr, 1970). It seems ironic that a particularly suitable setting for analysis of population structure, the freshwater environment, has been almost totally ignored. Darlington (1957) and other zoogeographers clearly recognize analogies between drainage basins and terrestrial islands in effects on dispersal of their respective biotas. Even within drainage basins, well-defined habitats such as lakes are usually interspaced with alternative habitats which may be less favorable to particular species. The patchwork nature of freshwater habitats may have important consequences for the genetic structure and evolution of many species. Retreating Pleistocene glaciers left a pockmarked northern landscape and thousands of natural lakes. In the southern and central United States, beyond the glacial advance, the great majority of standing bodies of water are of man-made origin. Virtually every major river draining into the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico has been dammed, often repeatedly, to form reservoirs primarily for purposes of flood control, power production, and recreation. This practice has profoundly influenced the faunal compositions of southern drainages by direct and indirect effects of alterations in the relative proportions of standing and running waters. Furthermore, the dams themselves may be formidable barriers to dispersal of many freshwater organisms. In this study we analyze the microgeographic genetic structure of bluegill sunfish (Le-
How to Group Attributes in Multivariate Microaggregation

Microaggregation is one of the most employed microdata protection methods. It builds clusters of at least k original records, and then replaces these records with the centroid of the cluster. When the number of attributes of the dataset is large, one usually splits the dataset into smaller blocks of attributes, and then applies microaggregation to each block, successively and independently. In this way, the effect of the noise introduced by microaggregation is reduced, at the cost of losing the k-anonymity property. In this work we show that, besides the specific microaggregation method, the value of the parameter k and the number of blocks in which the dataset is split, there exists another factor which influences the quality of the microaggregation: the way in which the attributes are grouped to form the blocks. When correlated attributes are grouped in the same block, the statistical utility of the protected dataset is higher. In contrast, when correlated attributes are dispersed into different blocks, the achieved anonymity is higher, and so, the disclosure risk is lower. We present quantitative evaluations of such statements based on different experiments on real datasets.
Hearing impairment, work, and vocational enablement

Within the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF; WHO), participation in work is acknowledged as one of the major areas in life (D8). Difficulties that make it impossible for the person to optimally partake in work result in participation restriction. An increasing number of people with hearing loss are seeking help for occupational problems. Various studies identified issues that should be addressed in the management of employees with hearing loss and emphasized the importance of a tailored vocational enablement program. This paper describes a recently developed vocational enablement protocol (VEP) addressing the specific needs of those with hearing loss in the workforce. It is characterized by an integrated approach (occupational physician, otolaryngologist, audiologist, social worker/psychologist, speech-language pathologist). The goal is to facilitate participation in, and retention of, work. The protocol is currently implemented in a few audiological centers in the Netherlands. This paper presents data collected at the audiological center of the VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam. Thus far, 86 patients, aged 19 to 64 years (mean 48, SD 23), have completed the protocol. Experiences with the procedure are described, and recommendations for future practice and research are discussed.
Fluorescent CdSe/ZnS nanocrystal-peptide conjugates for long-term, nontoxic imaging and

Author(s): Chen, Fanqing; Gerion, Daniele | Abstract: One of the biggest challenges in cell biology is the imaging of living cells. For this purpose, the most commonly used visualization tool is fluorescent markers. However, conventional labels, such as organic fluorescent dyes or green fluorescent proteins (GFP), lack the photostability to allow the tracking of cellular events that happen over minutes to days. In addition, they are either toxic to cells (dyes), or difficult to construct and manipulate (GFP). We report here the use of a new class of fluorescent labels, silanized CdSe/ZnS nanocrystal-peptide conjugates, for imaging the nuclei of living cells. CdSe/ZnS nanocrystals, or so called quantum dots (qdots), are extremely photostable, and have been used extensively in cellular imaging of fixed cells. However, most of the studies about living cells so far have been concerned only with particle entry into the cytoplasm or the localization of receptors on the cell membrane. Specific targeting of qdots to the nucleus of living cells has not been reported in previous studies, due to the lack of a targeting mechanism and proper particle size. Here we demonstrate for the first time the construction of a CdSe/ZnS nanocrystal-peptide conjugate that carries the SV40 large T antigen nuclear localization signal (NLS), and the transfection of the complex into living cells. By a novel adaptation of commonly used cell transfection techniques for qdots, we were able to introduce and retain the NLS-qdots conjugate in living cells for up to a week without detectable negative cellular effects. Moreover, we can visualize the movement of the CdSe/ZnS nanocrystal-peptide conjugates from cytoplasm to the nucleus, and the accumulation of the complex in the cell nucleus, over a long observation time period. This report opens the door for using qdots to visualize long-term biological events that happen in the cell nucleus, and provides a new nontoxic, long-term imaging platform for cell nuclear processes.
Smallest detectable and minimal clinically important differences of rehabilitation intervention with their implications for required sample sizes using WOMAC and SF-36 quality of life measurement instruments in patients with osteoarthritis of the lower extremities.

OBJECTIVE To discuss the concepts of the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) and the smallest detectable difference (SDD) and to examine their relation to required sample sizes for future studies using concrete data of the condition-specific Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and the generic Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form (SF-36) in patients with osteoarthritis of the lower extremities undergoing a comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation intervention. METHODS SDD and MCID were determined in a prospective study of 122 patients before a comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation intervention and at the 3-month followup. MCID was assessed by the transition method. Required SDD and sample sizes were determined by applying normal approximation and taking into account the calculation of power. RESULTS In the WOMAC sections the SDD and MCID ranged from 0.51 to 1.33 points (scale 0 to 10), and in the SF-36 sections the SDD and MCID ranged from 2.0 to 7.8 points (scale 0 to 100). Both questionnaires showed 2 moderately responsive sections that led to required sample sizes of 40 to 325 per treatment arm for a clinical study with unpaired data or total for paired followup data. CONCLUSION In rehabilitation intervention, effects larger than 12% of baseline score (6% of maximal score) can be attained and detected as MCID by the transition method in both the WOMAC and the SF-36. Effects of this size lead to reasonable sample sizes for future studies lying below n = 300. The same holds true for moderately responsive questionnaire sections with effect sizes higher than 0.25. When designing studies, assumed effects below the MCID may be detectable but are clinically meaningless.
A Novel Personalized TTP-free Location Privacy Preserving Method

This paper proposes a novel TTP(Trusted Third Party)-free location privacy preserving method. A cloaking region is used to hide the precise position of the location based service requestor (a mobile user). The cloaking region is formed through collaboration among neighbors. A mobile user can not only set personalized anticipated privacy requirements but also set minimum privacy requirements according to different contexts. The anticipated requirements will be satisfied if the time is allowed. Otherwise, the system will pursue the minimum standards for privacy requirements. This approach can satisfy k-anonymity, ldiversity and cloaking granularity simultaneously for privacy preserving.
Interruption of the cydB Locus inBrucella abortus Attenuates Intracellular Survival and Virulence in the Mouse Model of Infection

ABSTRACT Brucellosis is characterized by abortion in ruminants and a protracted undulant fever in humans, which often results in severe pathological manifestations. Scant information exists about the molecular mechanisms employed by Brucella abortus to combat host defenses or to persist and replicate within host cells. Transposon (Tn5) mutagenesis of B. abortus and the subsequent screening of mutants for sensitivity to killing in murine macrophages and in the mouse model led to the identification of mutants which were severely attenuated for intracellular survival. One group of mutants was interrupted incydB, a gene that is part of the cydABoperon encoding cytochrome bd oxidase, which catalyzes an alternate terminal electron transport step in bacterial respiration. The elevated affinity for molecular oxygen of this enzyme inEscherichia coli has suggested that it is involved in the protection of sensitive enzymatic activities such as those of hydrogenases and nitrogenases from damage. B. abortus cydB::Tn5 strains exhibited heightened sensitivity to the respiratory inhibitors zinc and azide, highly reactive oxygen species such as hydrogen peroxide, low pH, and attenuated virulence in the mouse model of infection. Virulence was restored by an intact copy of cydAB or by B. abortus genes encoding the oxidative radical-scavenging enzyme Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase or catalase. These results suggest a bifunctional role for the products of the cydAB operon, both in preventing the buildup of oxidative free radicals and in detoxifying the intracellular compartment, thus indicating the importance of these products in preventing intracellular destruction. Intracellular conditions that favor expression of thecydAB operon are under investigation and may be linked to the acid sensitivity also observed in this strain.
Evaluation of kinetic enzyme parameters by use of a small computer interfaced "Fast Analyzer"--an addition to automated clinical enzymology.

The evaluation of steady-state enzyme kinetic parameters such as Km, Vmax , and Ki is useful in clinical enzymology, particularly where they can be used for the detection of enzyme variants and to assess the type of isoenzymes and the extent of their abnormal activity. The multiple-cuvet parallel-analysis feature of the Fast Analyzer permits one to evaluate one or more enzymic parameters in a single rotor. Both on-line measurement of initial reaction velocities and rapid off-line reduction of statistical data can be obtained by using the small-computer interfaced Fast Analyzer. Estimates of error in determining these parameters are also obtained, for use in comparing results in future analyses. We discuss the programming approach for adapting both simple and more complex statistical nonlinear regression data-fitting routines to the Fast Analyzer’s computer. We illustrate how the analyzer may be used to determine simple kinetic parameters for placental alkaline phosphatase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and for the more complex "stripping out" of Km ’s and Vmax ’s for a heterogenous mixture of placental and intestinal alkaline phosphatase.