Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Endothelial cell-derived exosomes protect SH-SY5Y nerve cells against ischemia/reperfusion injury

Cerebral ischemia is a leading cause of death and disability. A previous study indicated that remote ischemic postconditioning (RIP) in the treatment of cerebral ischemia reduces ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. However, the underlying mechanism is not well understood. In the present study, the authors hypothesized that the protective effect of RIP on neurological damage is mediated by exosomes that are released by endothelial cells in femoral arteries. To test this, right middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion with RIP was performed in rats. In addition, an I/R injury cell model was tested that included human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and SH-SY5Y cells. Both the in vivo and in vitro models were examined for injury. Markers of exosomes (CD63, HSP70 and TSG101) were assessed by immunohistochemistry, western blot analysis and flow cytometry. Exosomes were extracted from both animal serum and HUVEC culture medium and identified by electron microscopy. They investigated the role of endothelial cell-derived exosomes in the proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle, migration and invasion of I/R-injured SH-SY5Y cells. In addition, apoptosis-related molecules caspase-3, Bax and Bcl-2 were detected. RIP was determined to increase the number of exosomes and the expression levels of CD63, HSP70 and TSG101 in plasma, but not in brain hippocampal tissue. The size of exosomes released after I/R in HUVECs was similar to the size of exosomes released in rats subjected to RIP. Endothelial cell-derived exosomes partly suppressed the I/R-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, and inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion in SH-SY5Y nerve cells. Endothelial cell-derived exosomes directly protect nerve cells against I/R injury, and are responsible for the protective role of RIP in I/R.
Respirator and Hearing Protection Use in the Certified Safe Farm Program

ABSTRACT An evaluation was conducted on the results of the Certified Safe Farm controlled intervention program on a wide range of occupational health and safety outcomes. This report focuses on the outcomes of personal protective equipment (PPE) usage among one cohort of 438 Iowa (owner-operator) farmers in the Certified Safe Farm study during a 5-year period from 2004 to 2008. Intervention farmers reported an 11% increase in regular respirator usage and a 23% increase in regular use of hearing protection relative to comparison groups. Furthermore, it was revealed that personal factors such as smoking and low self-assessment of health status are associated with lower usage of PPE. The authors provide evidence that multiple modalities of intervention are more likely to affect safe behavior changes in the owner-operator farming population compared with single modality interventions. Further, farmers reported that personal factors such as smoking history and low self-assessment of health status are associated with lower usage of PPE.
Resource Allocation with Incomplete Information for QoE-Driven Multimedia Communications

Most existing Quality of Experience (QoE)-driven multimedia resource allocation methods assume that the QoE model of each user is known to the controller before the start of the multimedia playout. However, this assumption may be invalid in many practical scenarios. In this paper, we address the resource allocation problem with incomplete information where the realized mean opinion score (MOS) can only be observed over time, but the underlying QoE model and playout time are unknown. We consider two variants of this problem: 1) the form of the QoE model is known but the parameters are unknown; 2) both the form and the parameters of the QoE model are unknown. For both cases, we develop dynamic resource allocation schemes based on online test-optimization strategy. Simply speaking, one first spends appropriate time on testing the QoE model, then optimizes the sum of the MOS in the remaining playout time. The highlight of this paper lies in resolving the inherent tension between the test and optimization by jointly considering the uncertainties of QoE model and playout time. Furthermore, we derive tight bounds on the MOS loss incurred by the proposed schemes in comparison with the optimal scheme that knows the QoE model a priori and prove that the performance gap, as the playout time tends to infinity, asymptotically shrinks to zero.
Influence of fluorescence on screening decisions for oral mucosal lesions in community dental practices.

BACKGROUND Quality of oral screening examinations is dependent upon the experience of the clinician and can vary widely. Deciding when a patient needs to be referred is a critical and difficult decision for general practice clinicians. A device to aid in this decision would be beneficial. The objective of this study was to to examine the utility of direct fluorescence visualization (FV) by dental practitioners as an aid in decision-making during screening for cancer and other oral lesions. METHODS Dentists were trained to use a stepwise protocol for evaluation of the oral mucosa: medical history, head, neck and oral exam, and fluorescent visualization exam. They were asked to use clinical features to categorize lesions as low (LR), intermediate (IR), or high (HR) risk and then to determine FV status of these lesions. Clinicians made the decision of which lesions to reassess in 3 weeks and based on this reassessment, to refer forward. RESULTS Of 2404 patients screened over 11 months, 357 initially had lesions with 325 (15%) identified as LR, 16 (4.5%) IR, and 16 (4.5%) HR. Lesions assessed initially as IR and HR had a 2.7-fold increased risk of FV loss persisting to the reassessment appointment versus the LR lesions. The most predictive model for lesion persistence included both FV status and lesion risk assessment. CONCLUSION A protocol for screening (assess risk, reassess, and refer) is recommended for the screening of abnormal intraoral lesions. Integrating FV into a process of assessing and reassessing lesions significantly improved this model.
Reconstitution of high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma from primary fallopian tube secretory epithelial cells

Fallopian tube secretory epithelial cells (FTSECs) have been suggested to be the source of high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC). Although several genetic alterations are known to be involved in HGSOC development, the minimal requirements remain unclear. We aimed to identify oncogenic mutations indispensable for HGSOC development in a stepwise model, using immortalized FTSECs. FTSECs were isolated from clinical samples and immortalized by overexpression of cyclin D1, CDK4R24C, and hTERT. Oncogenic mutations in the p53, c-Myc, and RAS/PI3K pathways were mimicked by lentiviral transduction. We found two distinct patterns of gene alteration essential for HGSOC development: p53/KRAS/AKT and p53/KRAS/c-Myc. Dominant-negative p53, alone or combined with oncogenic KRAS (KRASV12), constitutively active AKT (CA-AKT), and c-Myc, did not induce tumorigenesis in immortalized cells; however, overexpression of CA-AKT or c-Myc, along with dominant-negative p53 and KRASV12, conferred tumorigenic potential. Transformed FTSECs formed tumors in nude mice that were grossly, histologically, and immunohistochemically similar to human HGSOCs. Interestingly, mice harboring tumors with c-Myc amplifications displayed extensive metastases, consistent with the increased dissemination in their human counterparts. Thus, aberrant p53/KRASV12/c-Myc or p53/KRASV12/PI3K-AKT signaling was the minimum requirement for FTSEC carcinogenesis. The model based on this evidence could shed light on the early stages of HGSOC development.
Effects of 14 days of bed rest and following physical training on metabolic cost, mechanical work, and efficiency during walking in older and young healthy males

In this study, we investigated: i) the effects of bed rest and a subsequent physical training program on metabolic cost (Cw), mechanical work and efficiency during walking in older and young men; ii) the mechanisms underlying the higher Cw observed in older than young men.Twenty-three healthy male subjects (N = 16 older adults, age 59.6±3.4 years; N = 7 young, age: 23.1±2.9 years) participated in this study. The subjects underwent 14 days of bed rest followed by two weeks of physical training (6 sessions). Cw, mechanical work, efficiency, and co-contraction time of proximal muscles (vastus lateralis and biceps femoris) and distal muscles (gastrocnemius medialis and tibialis anterior) were measured during walking at 0.83, 1.11, 1.39, 1.67 m·s-1 before bed rest (pre-BR), after bed rest (post-BR) and after physical training (post-PT). No effects of bed rest and physical training were observed on the analysed parameters in either group. Older men showed higher Cw and lower efficiency at each speed (average +25.1 and -20.5%, P<0.001, respectively) compared to young. Co-contraction time of proximal and distal muscles were higher in older than in young men across the different walking speeds (average +30.0 and +110.3%, P<0.05, respectively). The lack of bed rest and physical training effects on the parameters analyzed in this study may be explained by the healthy status of both young and older men, which could have mitigated the effects of these interventions on walking motor function. On the other hand, the fact that older adults showed greater Cw, overall higher co-contraction time of antagonist lower limb muscles, and lower efficiency compared to the young cohort throughout a wide range of walking speed may suggest that older adults sacrificed economy of walking to improve stability.
Disrupting the blood–brain barrier by focused ultrasound induces sterile inflammation

Significance Pulsed focused ultrasound (pFUS) with systemic microbubble (MB) infusion is a noninvasive technique that opens the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and is currently advocated for increasing drug or gene delivery in neurological diseases. The opening of the BBB by pFUS+MB resulted in immediate damage-associated molecular patterns that led to a sterile inflammation response within the parenchyma that lasted 24 h. Currently, pFUS+MB exposure is under consideration as an adjuvant in the treatment in malignancy or neurodegenerative disease. These results demonstrate that pFUS+MB induces a sterile inflammatory response compatible with ischemia or mild traumatic brain injury. Further investigation will be required before translation to clinical trials. MRI-guided pulsed focused ultrasound (pFUS) combined with systemic infusion of ultrasound contrast agent microbubbles (MB) causes localized blood–brain barrier (BBB) disruption that is currently being advocated for increasing drug or gene delivery in neurological diseases. The mechanical acoustic cavitation effects of opening the BBB by low-intensity pFUS+MB, as evidenced by contrast-enhanced MRI, resulted in an immediate damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) response including elevations in heat-shock protein 70, IL-1, IL-18, and TNFα indicative of a sterile inflammatory response (SIR) in the parenchyma. Concurrent with DAMP presentation, significant elevations in proinflammatory, antiinflammatory, and trophic factors along with neurotrophic and neurogenesis factors were detected; these elevations lasted 24 h. Transcriptomic analysis of sonicated brain supported the proteomic findings and indicated that the SIR was facilitated through the induction of the NFκB pathway. Histological evaluation demonstrated increased albumin in the parenchyma that cleared by 24 h along with TUNEL+ neurons, activated astrocytes, microglia, and increased cell adhesion molecules in the vasculature. Infusion of fluorescent beads 3 d before pFUS+MB revealed the infiltration of CD68+ macrophages at 6 d postsonication, as is consistent with an innate immune response. pFUS+MB is being considered as part of a noninvasive adjuvant treatment for malignancy or neurodegenerative diseases. These results demonstrate that pFUS+MB induces an SIR compatible with ischemia or mild traumatic brain injury. Further investigation will be required before this approach can be widely implemented in clinical trials.
Crystal Growth and Associated Properties of a Nonlinear Optical Crystal—Ba2Zn(BO3)2

Crystals of Ba2Zn(BO3)2 were grown by the top-seeded solution growth (TSSG) method. The optimum flux system for growing Ba2Zn(BO3)2 crystals was 2BaF2:2.5B2O3. The transmission spectra of a (100)-orientated crystal indicated an absorption edge of 230 nm. Powder second-harmonic generation measurement revealed that Ba2Zn(BO3)2 can achieve type-I phase matching behavior at the fundamental wavelengths of 1064 and 532 nm respectively. The second-harmonic generating efficiency is around 0.85 and 0.58 times that of β-BaB2O4 when radiated with 1064 and 532 nm lasers.
Histomorphometric Study of Sinus Bone Graft using Various Graft Material

The aim of this study was to evaluate histomorphometrically and compare the efficiency of various bone graft material and autogenous tooth bone graft material which were used in sinus bone graft procedure. Subjects were the 24 patients who had treated with sinus bone graft using lateral approach from October 2007 to September 2009 at SNUBH. The average age was years. All cases was taken after 4month of procedure and divided into 3 groups according to bone graft material. Group 1: autogenous tooth bone graft material, Group 2: OrthoblastII(integra lifescience corp. Irvine, US)+Biocera(Osscotec, seoul, korea), group 3: DBX(Synthes, USA)+BioOss(Geistlich Pharm AG, Wolhusen, Switzerland). Total 37 implant placement area were included and evaluated(7 in group 1, 10 in group 2, 20 in group 3). Evaluation of new bone formation, ratio of woven bone to lamellar bone, ratio of new bone to graft material were performed on each tissue section. Kruskal-Wallis test was used for statistical analysis(SPSS Ver. 12.0, USA). New bone formation were in group 1, in group 2, in group 3. There were no statistical significant differences between each groups. Ratio of woven bone to lamella bone were in group 1, in group 2, in group 3. Ratio of new bone to graft material were in group 1, in group 2, in group 3. After 4 month of healing period, all group showed favorable new bone formation and around graft material and implant. Within limitation of our study, it is suggested that autogenous tooth bone graft material might be used as novel bone graft material for sinus bone graft.
The Impact of the Dislocation Density, Lattice and Impurity Friction on the Dynamics of Expansion of a Dislocation Loop in FCC Metals

The study of the role of various factors in plastic behavior of materials is carried out using a mathematical model that takes into account fundamental properties of deformation defects in a crystal lattice based on the continuum theory of dislocations. Calculations were performed for copper, nickel, aluminum, and lead using a specialized software system Dislocation Dynamics of Crystallographic Slip. It has been shown that a decrease in the density of dislocations from 1012 m-2 to 1011 m-2 leads to an increase in the dislocation path in 10−16 times, and the maximum velocity in 1.5−2 times in copper and nickel, by nearly 20% in aluminum, and practically remains unchanged in lead. A decrease in the lattice and impurity friction from 2 MPa to 0.1 MPa leads to a linear increase in the path and the maximum velocity of the dislocation by 10−25%.
Growth rings in cerrado woody species: occurrence and anatomical markers

Marcati, C.R. ; Oliveira, J.S. and Machado, S.R. Growth rings in cerrado woody species: occurrence and anatomical markers. Biota Neotrop. Sep/Dez 2006 vol. 6, no. 3 http://www.biotaneotropica. org.br/v6n3/pt/abstract? article+bn00206032006 ISSN 1676-0611 Growth ring occurrence was investigated in 48 representative species of cerrado in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. We characterized growth ring markers and described the growth layer structure of the basal portion of the most developed stem branches in woody plants. Growth rings were poorly defined in 33%, well defined in 61% and not discernable in 6% of the species studied. Various anatomical features were used as growth markers, such as: thick-walled latewood fibres; radially flattened latewood fibres; fibre zones; distended rays; marginal bands of axial parenchyma; marginal lines of parenchyma; and closeness of the narrow bands of scalariform parenchyma. In a single species, different growth ring markers often occurred together. Within growth layers, variations in the anatomical features were observed. Variations in the axial parenchyma distribution within growth rings in Vochysia cinnamomea, Qualea multiflora, V. rufa and V. tucanorum, wood are here reported for the first time. Variation in the distance of the axial parenchyma in narrow bands along the rays within growth layers in Annona coriacea, A. crassiflora, Diospyrus hispida and Roupala montana wood is also reported. Phenology and habit of the studied species were important aspects related to both growth ring presence and distinctness as well as to the anatomical features’ variations within growth layers.
Abnormal inflammation leads to maternal coagulopathies associated with placental haemostatic alterations in a rat model of foetal loss

Summary Spontaneous pregnancy loss is often associated with aberrant maternal inflammation and systemic coagulopathies. However, the role of inflammation in the development of obstetric coagulopathies is poorly understood. Further, questions remain as to whether systemic coagulo-pathies are linked to placental haemostatic alterations, and whether these local alterations contribute to a negative foetal outcome. Using a model of spontaneous foetal loss in which pregnant rats are given a single injection of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), we characterised the systemic maternal coagulation status following LPS administration using thromboelastography (TEG), a global haemostatic assay that measures the kinetics of clot formation. Systemic maternal coagulopathy was evident in 82% of LPS-treated rats. Specifically, we observed stage-I, -II, and -III disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and hypercoagulability. Modulation of inflammation through inhibition of tumour necrosis factor α with etanercept resulted in a 62% reduction in the proportion of rats exhibiting coagulopathy. Moreover, inflammation-induced systemic coagulopathies were associated with placental haemostatic alterations, which included increased intravascular, decidual, and labyrinth fibrin deposition in cases of DIC-I and hypercoagulability, and an almost complete absence of fibrin deposition in cases of DIC-III. Furthermore, systemic and placental haemostatic alterations were associated with impaired utero-placental haemodynamics, and inhibition of these haemostatic alterations by etanercept was associated with maintenance of utero-placental haemodynamics. These findings indicate that modulation of maternal inflammation may be useful in the prevention of coagulopathies associated with complications of pregnancy.
Development and Validation of Analytical Models for Diffuse Fluorescence Spectroscopy/Imaging in Regular Geometries

New advances in computational modeling and instrumentation in the past decade has enabled the use of electromagnetic radiation for non-invasive monitoring of the physiological state of biological tissues. The near infrared (NIR) light having the wavelength range of 600 nm 1000 nm has been the main contender in these emerging molecular imaging modalities. Assessment of accurate pathological condition of the tissue under investigation relies on the contrast in the molecular images, where the endogenous contrast may not be sufficient in these scenarios. The fluorescence (exogenous) contrast agents have been deployed to overcome these difficulties, where the preferential uptake by the tumor vasculature leads to high contrast, making this modality one of the biggest contenders in small-animal and soft-tissue molecular imaging modalities. In Fluorescence diffuse optical spectroscopy/imaging, this exogenous drug is excited by NIR laser light causing the emission of the fluorescence light. The emitted fluorescence light is typically dependent on the life time and concentration of the exogenous drug coupled with physiology associated with the tissue under investigation. As there is an excitation and emission of the light, the underlying physics of the problem is described by a coupled diffusion equations. These coupled diffusion equations are typically solved by advanced numerical methods, which tend to be computationally demanding. In this work, analytical solutions for these coupled partial differential equations (PDEs) for the regular geometries for both time-domain and frequency-domain cases
Effect of exposure delay of concrete into aggressive environment

Some regions in the world suffered since several years from environmental problems such as underground level water rising. Water table effects durability of concrete implantation in the underground by the ease of luckless chemical elements ingress mainly through concrete the foundations of structures such as sulfate, chloride, and acids. For that reason a lot of foundations structures were made with SRPC (sulfate resisting Portland cement). This study is a contribution to assess the effect of exposure delay of concrete into aggressive fields, as a kind of cure which protects concrete from aggressive factors and allows it to acquire the needed strength. The study has shown that concrete exposure delay into aggressive environment is not a kind of cure mainly for concrete made with SRPC. Concrete with SRPC immediately exposed to aggressive environment shows a better mechanical resistance than concrete that has known exposure delay.
Methane, nitrous oxide emissions and mitigation strategies for livestock in developing countries : a review

Methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) are two important greenhouse gases (GHGs) that are emitted into the atmosphere by livestock during the process of enteric fermentation and manure management. Developing countries produce a large quantity of those emissions, caused mainly by inefficient animal rearing systems, feed production and manure management. This paper outlines the CH4 and N2O emitted from livestock in developing countries and the mitigation actions that could be put in place to reduce atmospheric emissions and increase animal productivity. Emission intensity expresses emission (CO2 equivalents) per unit of product and describes it in relation to the capacity of local animals to produce from local resources. Developing countries are characterized by low production per animal and, consequently, high emission intensity. The emission intensity of dairy cattle in developing countries ranges from 2 to 9 kg CO2-eq/kg fat and protein corrected milk (FPCM) and in only a few cases is below 2 kg CO2-eq/kg FPCM. In sub-Saharan Africa, the average emission intensity is 7.5 kg CO2-eq/kg FPCM for dairy cattle, 71 kg CO2-eq/kg of carcass weight for beef cattle, 6.9 kg CO2-eq/kg FPCM for sheep and goats, and 5 kg CO2-eq/kg eggs for chickens. Taking into account the limited economic and technical resources in most developing countries, the application of appropriate mitigation tools is recommended to reduce the emissions of CH4 and N2O gases in the atmosphere. Increasing livestock productivity through selection and feeding is the most effective tool to reduce emission intensity.