Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
[Characteristics of the cytostatic effects of oridonin in vitro].

The cytostatic effects of oridonin on the MGc80-3 human gastric adenocarcinoma cells in different proliferation stages were studied by colony-forming assay. An exposure of exponential-phase cells to oridonin for 1 or 24 h resulted in a threshold-exponential dose-survival curve. The plateau-phase cells exposed for the some periods of time seemed to be resistant to the drug. The synchronized cells caused by pretreatment with low-serum and hydroxyurea were exposed to oridonin 25 or 35 microg/ml for 1 h and there was no significant difference in the drug sensitivities between the different phases. These data suggest that oridonin seems to be a cyclespecific anticancer drug.
CItA: an L1 Italian Learners Corpus to Study the Development of Writing Competence

In this paper, we present the CItA corpus (Corpus Italiano di Apprendenti L1), a collection of essays written by Italian L1 learners collected during the first and second year of lower secondary school. The corpus was built in the framework of an interdisciplinary study jointly carried out by computational linguistics and experimental pedagogists and aimed at tracking the development of written language competence over the years and students’ background information.
Aluminide Coatings for Nickel Based Superalloys

Abstract A number of aluminide coatings have been developed which are modified by additional elements (noble metals, Cr and reactive elements such as Y and Hf). This results in a marked improvement in their corrosion resistance. In the present paper, aluminide coatings are reviewed. The hot corrosion and oxidation resistance of these coatings in laboratory and field tests under different conditions are studied.
The Inhibition of Sodium Currents in Myelinated Nerve by Quaternary Derivatives of Lidocaine

The inhibition of sodium currents by quaternary derivatives of lidocaine was studied in single myelinated nerve fibers. Membrane currents were diminished little by external quaternary lidocaine (QX). QX present in the axoplasm (<0.5 mM) inhibited sodium currents by more than 90%. Inhibition occurred as the sum of a constant, tonic phase and a variable, voltage-sensitive phase. The voltage-sensitive inhibition was favored by the application of membrane potential patterns which produce large depolarizations when sodium channels are open. Voltage-sensitive inhibition could be reversed by small depolarizations which opened sodium channels. One explanation of this observation is that QX molecules enter open sodium channels from the axoplasmic side and bind within the channels. The voltage dependence of the inhibition by QX suggests that the drug binds at a site which is about halfway down the electrical gradient from inside to outside of the sodium channel.
Hippo signaling in Drosophila: Recent advances and insights

The Hippo signaling pathway emerged from studies of Drosophila tumor suppressor genes, and is now appreciated as a major growth control pathway in vertebrates as well as arthropods. As a recently discovered pathway, key components of the pathway are continually being identified, and new insights into how the pathway is regulated and deployed are arising at a rapid pace. Over the past year and a half, significant advances have been made in our understanding of upstream regulatory inputs into Hippo signaling, key negative regulators of Hippo pathway activity have been identified, and important roles for the pathway in regeneration have been described. This review describes these and other advances, focusing on recent progress in our understanding of Hippo signaling that has come from continued studies in Drosophila. Developmental Dynamics 241:3–15, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Polarization control and its application to waveguide devices

Photonic integration has, by its nature as a planar technology, its own problems with the polarization of light. Without additional measures the performance of devices will become polarization dependent. Control of the polarization state can stabilize the operation of circuits. However, control also enables the use of polarization as an extra degree of freedom to obtain useful functionalities. In this paper an overview will be given of our work on polarization control in InP-based photonic integrated circuits. Furthermore, applications using these techniques will be discussed.
Chronic falciparum malaria causing massive splenomegaly 9 years after leaving an endemic area

A 28-year-old woman from Sudan who had lived for 9 years in Victoria, Australia, was diagnosed with falciparum malaria 2 months after splenectomy for massive splenomegaly of unknown cause. Chronic falciparum malaria can occasionally present years after leaving endemic areas in partially immune patients. It should be considered in such patients with presentations possibly related to malaria, including splenomegaly, anaemia, or a long history of intermittent fevers and chills.
A Space-Efficient Parallel Algorithm for Counting Exact Triangles in Massive Networks

Finding the number of triangles in a network (graph) is an important problem in mining and analysis of complex networks. Massive networks emerging from numerous application areas pose a significant challenge in network analytics since these networks consist of millions, or even billions, of nodes and edges. Such massive networks necessitate the development of efficient parallel algorithms. There exist several MapReduce and an only MPI (Message Passing Interface) based distributed-memory parallel algorithms for counting triangles. MapReduce based algorithms generate prohibitively large intermediate data. The MPI based algorithm can work on quite large networks, however, the overlapping partitions employed by the algorithm limit its capability to deal with very massive networks. In this paper, we present a space-efficient MPI based parallel algorithm for counting exact number of triangles in massive networks. The algorithm divides the network into non-overlapping partitions. Our results demonstrate up to 25-fold space saving over the algorithm with overlapping partitions. This space efficiency allows the algorithm to deal with networks which are 25 times larger. We present a novel approach that reduces communication cost drastically (up to 90%) leading to both a space-and runtime-efficient algorithm. Our adaptation of a parallel partitioning scheme by computing a novel weight function adds further to the efficiency of the algorithm. Denoting average degree of nodes and the number of partitions by d and P, respectively, our algorithm achieves up to O(P2)-factor space efficiency over existing MapReduce based algorithms and up to d-factor (approx.) over the algorithm with overlapping partitioning.
Clearing the Air? The Effects of Gasoline Content Regulation on Air Quality †

This paper examines the effects of U.S. gasoline content regulations on groundlevel ozone pollution. These regulations are costly and have been shown to fragment gasoline markets and raise prices paid by consumers. We provide the first comprehensive empirical estimates of the regulations’ air quality benefits. We exploit the fact that gasoline regulations vary by time and place of introduction, using both difference-in-difference and regression discontinuity designs. We show that federal regulations targeting the emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), one of the two main precursors to ozone, do not substantially improve air quality. This outcome is driven by the response of refiners to the regulation: minimizing the cost of abatement involves removing a type of VOC from gasoline that is not an important determinant of ozone pollution. In California, however, we show that precisely targeted regulations requiring the removal of VOCs particularly prone to forming ozone caused a significant improvement in air quality.
Spine Bone Mineral Density in Subjects after Renal Transplantation Compared with End-stage Renal Failure and Healthy Subjects

The aim of the study was to assess spine bone mineral density in 160 dialyzed subjects with end-stage renal failure, 81 patients after renal transplantation, and 148 controls. Spine bone mineral density [g/cm (2)] was measured by Lunar DPX-L (USA). Data analyses were performed using Statistica for Windows. In gender subgroups Z-score were significantly lower after transplantation than in controls (p<0.001), but not in subjects on dialysis. The mean value of Z-score in subjects after transplantation was significantly lower than in dialyzed patients. Z-score both in transplanted and dialyzed males were significantly lower than in females. Duration of dialysis, time since transplantation, and cumulative dose of steroids did not associate with values of spine bone mineral density (except for the negative association with dialysis duration time in males). In patients after transplantation, multiple stepwise regression analysis of spine bone mineral density and age, body size, parathormone, duration of dialysis, time after transplantation, and cumulative dose of steroids after transplantation have shown negative role of steroids use and positive role of parathormone and bone mass in males. Spine bone mineral density in dialyzed subjects was not decreased as compared with controls while the aggravation in skeletal status was observed after renal transplantation.
Calibrating nested sensor arrays with model errors

We consider the problem of direction of arrival (DOA) estimation based on a nonuniform linear nested array which can provide O(N2) degrees of freedom using only N sensors. Both subspace-based and sparsity-based algorithms require certain modeling assumptions, for example, exact known array geometry, including sensor gain and phase. In practice, however, the actual sensor gain and phase are often perturbed from their nominal values, which results in failure of the existing DOA estimation algorithms. In this paper, we investigate the self-calibration problem for perturbed nested arrays, proposing corresponding robust algorithms to estimate both the model errors and the DOAs. The partial Toeplitz structure of the covariance matrix is employed to estimate the gain errors, and the sparse total least squares is used to deal with the phase error issue. Additionally, for the first time, we extend the proposed approaches to calibrate general non-uniform linear arrays. Numerical examples are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed strategies.
Helicobacter pylori Infection among Patients with Dyspepsia and Intrafamilial Transmission

ABSTRACT Introduction Recurrence is an important problem after Helicobacter pylori infection, and intrafamilial transmission has an important role in recurrence. In this study, we aimed to investigate the significance of intrafamilial transmission for recurrence development after treatment as well as its usefulness in prevention. Materials and methods Of the 109 patients who had dyspepsia and underwent endoscopy, 74 patients had H. pylori infection and were enrolled in this study. Infected family members were also detected. Patients were randomly divided into groups I and II, with each group containing 37 individuals. In group I, patients and their infected family members were treated together at the same time. In group II, only the patients were treated. Treatment success was evaluated at the 1st month and evaluation for recurrence was carried out at the 6th month. Results Helicobacter pylori infection was detected in 67.8% of the patients with dyspepsia. Two patients in each group did not show up at the 1st month control. Eradication was achieved in 63 of the 70 patients (90.0%) who completed their treatment. After 6 months, patients with successful treatment had no recurrence in any of the 32 patients in group I. There were recurrence in 3 of the 31 patients (9.7%) in group II; however, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups (p = 0.113). Conclusion Our study showed that eradication treatment in patients and family members with H. pylori infection resulted in a decrease in the number of recurrences even though it was not statistically significant. How to cite this article Yalçin M, Yalçin A, Bengi G, Nak SG. Helicobacter pylori Infection among Patients with Dyspepsia and Intrafamilial Transmission. Euroasian J Hepato-Gastroenterol 2016;6(2):93-96.
Climate change and timing of avian breeding and migration: evolutionary versus plastic changes

There are multiple observations around the globe showing that in many avian species, both the timing of migration and breeding have advanced, due to warmer springs. Here, we review the literature to disentangle the actions of evolutionary changes in response to selection induced by climate change versus changes due to individual plasticity, that is, the capacity of an individual to adjust its phenology to environmental variables. Within the abundant literature on climate change effects on bird phenology, only a small fraction of studies are based on individual data, yet individual data are required to quantify the relative importance of plastic versus evolutionary responses. While plasticity seems common and often adaptive, no study so far has provided direct evidence for an evolutionary response of bird phenology to current climate change. This assessment leads us to notice the alarming lack of tests for microevolutionary changes in bird phenology in response to climate change, in contrast with the abundant claims on this issue. In short, at present we cannot draw reliable conclusions on the processes underlying the observed patterns of advanced phenology in birds. Rapid improvements in techniques for gathering and analysing individual data offer exciting possibilities that should encourage research activity to fill this knowledge gap.
Evasion of Innate Immunity by Dengue Virus Non-Structural Proteins through Interfereing with Type I Interferon Production and Jak/STAT Signaling

Dengue Virus (DENV), a mosquito-borne virus, is a member of the Flaviviridae family and transmits to humans through the bites of infected mosquitoes of the genus Aedes, most often Aedes aegypti (Ae. aegypti) and Ae. Albopictus. DENV includes four serotypes (DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, DENV-4) [1]. Generally, infected patients experience a spectrum of clinical diseases ranging from an acute debilitating self-limited dengue fever (DF) to a life-threatening syndrome, dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), dengue shock syndrome (DSS). At present, no specific antiviral drugs and vaccines are available against DENV. Therefore, DENV infections cause dramatic public health issues in more than 100 countries and regions, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions in the world. The geographic expansion of the vector contributes to a widespread of disease with various severities.
Intimate partner violence in orthopaedic trauma patients

Intimate partner violence (IPV) or domestic violence is a common and serious public health problem around the globe. Victims of IPV frequently present to health care practitioners including orthopaedic surgeons. Substantial research has been conducted on IPV over the past few decades, but very little research has focused on IPV in the field of orthopaedic surgery. Orthopaedic surgeons may be well positioned to help women who are experiencing IPV and position statements from both the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the Canadian Orthopaedic Association exist and provide guidance on the topic. This thesis originated from the lack of understanding of IPV in orthopaedic patients as well as the desire to develop a program for orthopaedic surgeons to assist IPV victims presenting to orthopaedic fracture clinics. The overarching purpose of this thesis was to conduct research to understand the opportunities and challenges facing orthopaedic surgeons in assisting IPV victims in their orthopaedic fracture clinics. The specific aims of this thesis were: 1) to investigate orthopaedic surgeons’, surgical trainees’, and medical students’ perceptions about IPV, 2) to determine the prevalence of IPV in orthopaedic fracture clinic patients, 3) to assess the barriers to and facilitators for screening for IPV in orthopaedic settings, and 4) to discuss the development of a screening program for IPV in orthopaedic fracture clinics.
Synthesis and Evaluation of Benzoxazolinonic Imidazoles and Derivatives as Non-steroidal Aromatase Inhibitors

New compounds were tested in vitro on aromatase activity in human placental and equine testicular microsomes. Equine aromatase, very well characterized biochemically, is used as a comparative model to understand the mechanism of aromatase inhibition. Among 15 molecules screened, 5 of them (11–15) strongly inhibit human and equine aromatases with IC50 values ranging from 13–85 nM and from 23–103 nM respectively. These results were corroborated by Ki/Km values. Moreover, spectral studies showed a type II spectrum with both enzymes, which is characteristic of an interaction between the nitrogen atom of the molecule and the heme of the cytochrome P450. Compound 12, which has the lowest IC50 and Ki/Km ratio, inactivates aromatase in a dose and time-dependent manner. This might be very important for the treatment of estrogen-dependent diseases such as breast cancer. Finally, MTT assays on E293 cells revealed that the molecules were not cytotoxic.
Investigating foaming solutions generated by NaOH extraction of plant materials

This thesis covers extraction of hay with NaOH to produce foaming solutions which might be used to substitute or reduce the need for, oil based surfactant in detergents. Extraction time, temperature and NaOH concentration were found to have varying levels of influence on the properties of the extract solutions. Models were constructed to describe their effects on the% mass extracted from the hay, as well as extract solution absorbance, viscosity, and contact angle using response surface, experimental design methodology. The hay extract foam was examined along with other types of foaming solutions, using cryogenic SEM. Hay, rice straw and horse chestnut leaf extract foams were found to be particle stabilised and interesting images were captured showing their microstructures. Foaming was found to be due to lignin-carbohydrate complexes in hay extract solutions and proteins in horse chestnut leaf extract solutions. Finally correlations were sought between foaming of hay extract solutions and their other properties, e.g. Foaming of the hay solutions is due to lignin derivatives, hence solution absorbance correlates positively with foaming; and foaming is improved by increased solution viscosity hence its positive correlation with solution viscosity and % mass extracted from hay.
Complex genetic architecture of Drosophila aggressive behavior

Epistasis and pleiotropy feature prominently in the genetic architecture of quantitative traits but are difficult to assess in outbred populations. We performed a diallel cross among coisogenic Drosophila P-element mutations associated with hyperaggressive behavior and showed extensive epistatic and pleiotropic effects on aggression, brain morphology, and genome-wide transcript abundance in head tissues. Epistatic interactions were often of greater magnitude than homozygous effects, and the topology of epistatic networks varied among these phenotypes. The transcriptional signatures of homozygous and double heterozygous genotypes derived from the six mutations imply a large mutational target for aggressive behavior and point to evolutionarily conserved genetic mechanisms and neural signaling pathways affecting this universal fitness trait.
Nucleolus organizer regions (AgNORs) and total tumor mass are independent prognostic parameters for treatment‐free period in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

The aim of our study was to evaluate whether the nucleolus organizer regions (AgNOR) of circulating lymphocytes in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) could predict the duration of the stable phase (treatment‐free period) of this disease. Age, sex, peripheral lymphoctes, hemoglobin, platelet count, Binet's stage, total tumor mass (TTM) and AgNOR pattern at diagnosis were assessed in 57 patients and compared with the time from diagnosis until patients fulfilled the criteria to start chemotherapy. In univariate Cox regression, Binet's stage, hemoglobin, number of peripheral lymphocytes, TTM and the percentage of lymphocytes containing one AgNOR cluster (circulating proliferative fraction) had predictive value. In the multivariate Cox model, only TTM and the percentage of cells with one AgNOR cluster were independent factors predicting the duration of the stable phase. Repetition of these analyses in 500 data sets created by bootstrap resampling confirmed the results . Summing up the percentage of lymphocytes with an AgNOR cluster and the TTM value, a simple prognostic index could be created to give information about the duration of the stable phase in CLL. Int. J. Cancer 89:440–443, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The role of institutions in rural-urban migration and urban unemployment in LDCs: with and without changing level of indebtedness of the peasantry.

The author attempts to formalize the role of push and pull factors in rural-urban migration and urban unemployment in Pakistan. Based on the Harris-Todaro framework, a model is developed that also includes perpetual indebtedness of the peasantry and a monopolistic moneylender. The analysis indicates that measures to control such migration could fail because the moneylender siphons off part of the benefits that are supposed to accrue to agricultural workers and thus increases the motivation to migrate.
Regulation of Neuroprotective Action of Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide in the Murine Developing Brain by Protein Kinase C and Mitogen‐Activated Protein Kinase Cascades: In Vivo and In Vitro Studies

Abstract: Intracerebral administration of the excitotoxin ibotenate to newborn mice induces white matter lesions mimicking periventricular leukomalacia, the most frequent brain lesion occurring in premature human babies. In this model, coinjection of vasoactive intestinal peptide prevents white matter lesions. In the present study, coadministration of ibotenate, vasoactive intestinal peptide, and selective transduction inhibitors showed that protein kinase C and mitogen‐associated protein kinase pathways were critical for neuroprotection. In vivo and in vitro immunocytochemistry revealed that vasoactive intestinal peptide activated protein kinase C in astrocytes and neurons, and mitogen‐associated protein kinase in neurons. In vitro neuronal transduction activation was indirect and required medium conditioned by astrocytes in which protein kinase C had been activated by vasoactive intestinal peptide. Although vasoactive intestinal peptide did not prevent the initial in vivo appearance of white matter lesion, it promoted a secondary repair of this lesion with axonal regrowth. Through protein kinase C activation, vasoactive intestinal peptide also prevented ibotenate‐induced white matter astrocyte death. These data support the following hypothetical model: Vasoactive intestinal peptide activates protein kinase C in astrocytes, which promotes astrocytic survival and release of soluble factors; these released factors activate neuronal mitogen‐associated protein kinase and protein kinase C, which will permit axonal regrowth.