Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Isoflavones and endothelial function

Abstract Dietary isoflavones are thought to be cardioprotective due to their structural similarity to oestrogen. Oestrogen is believed to have beneficial effects on endothelial function and may be one of the mechanisms by which premenopausal women are protected against CVD. Decreased NO production and endothelial NO synthase activity, and increased endothelin-1 concentrations, impaired lipoprotein metabolism and increased circulating inflammatory factors result from oestrogen deficiency. Oestrogen acts by binding to oestrogen receptors α and β. Isoflavones have been shown to bind with greater affinity to the latter. Oestrogen replacement therapy is no longer thought to be a safe treatment for prevention of CVD; isoflavones are a possible alternative. Limited evidence from human intervention studies suggests that isoflavones may improve endothelial function, but the available data are not conclusive. Animal studies provide stronger support for a role of isoflavones in the vasculature, with increased vasodilation and endothelial NO synthase activity demonstrated. Cellular mechanisms underlying the effects of isoflavones on endothelial cell function are not yet clear. Possible oestrogen receptor-mediated pathways include modulation of gene transcription, and also non-genomic oestrogen receptor-mediated signalling pathways. Putative non-oestrogenic pathways include inhibition of reactive oxygen species production and up regulation of the protein kinase A pathway (increasing NO bioavailability). Further research is needed to unravel effects of isoflavones on intracellular regulation of the endothelial function. Moreover, there is an urgent need for adequately powered, robustly designed human intervention studies in order to clarify the present equivocal findings.
Single gate p-n junctions in graphene-ferroelectric devices

Graphene's linear dispersion relation and the attendant implications for bipolar electronics applications have motivated a range of experimental efforts aimed at producing p-n junctions in graphene. Here we report electrical transport measurements of graphene p-n junctions formed via simple modifications to a PbZr0.2Ti0. 8O3 substrate, combined with a self-assembled layer of ambient environmental dopants. We show that the substrate configuration controls the local doping region, and that the p-n junction behavior can be controlled with a single gate. Finally, we show that the ferroelectric substrate induces a hysteresis in the environmental doping which can be utilized to activate and deactivate the doping, yielding an “on-demand” p-n junction in graphene controlled by a single, universal backgate.
Distribution of microbial biomass, production, respiration, dissolved organic carbon and factors controlling bacterial production across a geostrophic front (Almeria-Oran, SW Mediterranean Sea)

Microbial distribution and activities were examined in relation to the hydrodynamic conditions in the Almeria-Oran frontal area (AOF), SW Mediterranean Sea, during winter. The main objectives were to explore factors limiting bacterial growth and activities (production, ectoenzymatic activity, utilization and respiration of amino acids) in regard to dissolved organic carbon (DOC) stocks and lability in different parts of the Almeria-Oran front-jet system. The vertical distribution of total chl a, bacterial abundance and production reflected the density profiles, with a deepening of the top of the pycnocline from 25 (front) to 120 m (gyre). At the frontal site, most bacterial production was concentrated within the first 20 m (up to 19.8 nmol C l -1 h -1 ), at the boundary between the jet and Mediterranean waters, whereas bacterial abundance peaked in a wider layer (40 m) in the jet core (up to 15 × 10 5 bacteria ml -1 ). Integrated bacterial production ranged from 5.7 to 17.9 mmol C m -2 d -1 in the 0 to 200 m layer in the meander of the Atlantic jet and in its associated anticyclonic gyre, com- pared to 4.3 to 5.8 mmol C m -2 d -1 in typical Mediterranean waters. Heterotrophic bacteria were lim- ited by phosphorus in the surface layers of the front and Mediterranean waters. Shipboard experi- ments using < 0.8 µm filtered seawater incubated in the dark showed a high growth potential of the heterotrophic bacteria within the jet and the jet-gyre boundaries. Increased DOC accumulation (from 12 to 21 µM excess DOC = surface minus deep refractory DOC) occurred at the jet-gyre boundaries. From the jet towards the gyre, the decrease in potential ectoaminopeptidase activity was less than that of bacterial production, indicating that there was a greater dependence on polymeric DOC. Only the typical Mediterranean site, outside of the jet and gyre influences, was clearly net heterotrophic.
Banks in International Trade Finance: Evidence from the U.S.

Banks play a critical role in facilitating international trade, in particular by reducing the risk of trade transactions. This paper uses unique information on the trade finance business of U.S. banks to document new empirical patterns. The data reveal that banks' trade finance claims differ substantially across destination countries. They are hump-shaped in country credit risk and increase with the time to import of a destination market. The extent to which trading partners use bank guarantees also varies systematically with global conditions, expanding when aggregate risk is higher and funding is cheaper. The response of bank trade finance to changes in these macro factors is heterogeneous, however. In countries with intermediate levels of credit risk, which rely the most on bank guarantees, bank trade finance adjusts the least. We show that a modification of the standard model of payment contract choice in international trade is needed to rationalize these empirical findings.
Knowledge about and Attitudes to GMOs among Students from Various Specializations

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are a hot topic for debate among researchers from a wide range of scientific disciplines – in particular, agriculture, biotechnology and environmental protection. The debate, however, is not limited to science. GMOs are also discussed in the mass media, giving rise to extreme emotions, both positive and negative. Without entering the argument between the supporters and opponents of GMOs, this paper addresses the following questions. How do future experts in agriculture, biotechnology and environmental protection approach the topic of GMOs? Do they have similar or dramatically different views on this subject? What do they know about GMOs? Is their knowledge related to their attitudes? University students specializing in those three disciplines can be considered as future experts in the field, and so a questionnaire survey was conducted among them to answer the above questions. The results show that agricultural, biotechnology and environmental protection students differ in their attitudes to and knowledge about GMOs.
Synthesis of large and homogeneous single crystals of water-bearing minerals by slow cooling at deep-mantle pressures

Abstract The presence of water in the Earth’s deep mantle is an issue of increasing interest in the field of highpressure mineralogy. An important task for further advancing research in the field is to create homogeneous single crystals of candidate deep-mantle water-bearing minerals of 1 mm or larger in size, which is required for applying them for the time-of-flight (TOF) single-crystal Laue diffraction method with a third-generation neutron instrument. In this study, we perform several experiments to demonstrate an improved methodology for growing hydrous crystals of such large sizes at relevant transition zone and lower-mantle conditions via very slow cooling over a maximum period of 1 day. Successfully synthesized crystals using this methodology include dense hydrous magnesium silicate (DHMS) phase E, hydrous wadsleyite, hydrous ringwoodite, and bridgmanite (silicate perovskite). It is also demonstrated that these hydrous crystals can be grown from deuterium enriched starting materials in addition to those having a natural hydrogen isotope ratio. Magnitudes of chemical and crystallographic heterogeneities of the product crystals were characterized by comprehensive analysis of X‑ray precession photography, single-crystal X‑ray diffraction (SCXRD), field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA), secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), powder X‑ray diffraction (PXRD), and TOF neutron powder diffraction (TOF-NPD). The product crystals were confirmed to be inclusion free and crystallographically homogeneous. Compositional and isotopic differences of major elements and hydrogen isotope abundances were lower than 1 and 3%, respectively, among intracrystals and intercrystals within each recovered sample capsule. Phase E crystals up to 600 μm in the largest dimension were grown at a constant temperature of 1100 °C kept for 3 h. Using a lattice parameter-to-temperature relation of phase E, the thermal gradient in the sample capsules for the phase E synthesis has been evaluated to be 20 °C/mm. Hydrous wadsleyite crystals up to 1100 μm in the largest dimension were grown at 1390 °C with a temperature reduction of 70 °C during heating for 10 h. Hydrous ringwoodite crystals up to 1000 μm in the largest dimension were grown at around 1400 °C with a temperature reduction of 110 °C during heating for 12 h. Bridgmanite crystals up to 600 μm in the largest dimension were grown at 1700 °C with a temperature reduction of 30 °C during heating for 12 h. A TOF single-crystal diffraction instrument has been successfully used for analyzing one of the hydrous wadsleyite crystals, which demonstrated that single crystals appropriate for their expected usage are created using the method proposed in the present study.
A Case for Globalizing Undergraduate Education and Student Learning at Colleges of Agriculture

This is a commentary on the rationale for globalizing programs in research and graduate education at agricultural universities. The case of U.S. land-grant universities is used to present the argument that globalizing research and graduate education has numerous advantages. However, the concepts may apply to agricultural universities in many countries. The authors make the case that the advantages for globalizing research and graduate education greatly outweigh any disadvantages and that globalization provides one strategy towards the continued improvement of research and graduate education at agricultural universities.
A MALAT1/HIF-2α feedback loop contributes to arsenite carcinogenesis

Arsenic is well established as a human carcinogen, but the molecular mechanisms leading to arsenic-induced carcinogenesis are complex and elusive. It is also not known if lncRNAs are involved in arsenic-induced liver carcinogenesis. We have found that MALAT1, a non-coding RNA, is over-expressed in the sera of people exposed to arsenite and in hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs), and MALAT1 has a close relation with the clinicopathological characteristics of HCC. In addition, hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-2α is up-regulated in HCCs, and MALAT1 and HIF-2α have a positive correlation in HCC tissues. During the malignant transformation of human hepatic epithelial (L-02) cells induced by a low concentration (2.0 μM) of arsenite, MALAT1 and HIF-2α are increased. In addition, arsenite-induced MALAT1 causes disassociation of the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) protein from HIF-2α, therefore, alleviating VHL-mediated HIF-2α ubiquitination, which causes HIF-2α accumulation. In turn, HIF-2α transcriptionally regulates MALAT1, thus forming a positive feedback loop to ensure expression of arsenite-induced MALAT1 and HIF-2α, which are involved in malignant transformation. Moreover, MALAT1 and HIF-2α promote the invasive and metastatic capacities of arsenite-induced transformed L-02 cells and in HCC-LM3 cells. The capacities of MALAT1 and HIF-2α to promote tumor growth are validated in mouse xenograft models. In mice, arsenite induces an inflammatory response, and MALAT1 and HIF-2α are over-expressed. Together, these findings suggest that the MALAT1/HIF-2α feedback loop is involved in regulation of arsenite-induced malignant transformation. Our results not only confirm a novel mechanism involving reciprocal regulation between MALAT1 and HIF-2α, but also expand the understanding of the carcinogenic potential of arsenite.
Auditory Brainstem Implantation in Neurofibromatosis Type 2: Experience From the Manchester Programme

Objective: To describe the experience of auditory brainstem implantation (ABI) in patients with Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2). Study Design: Retrospective case review. Setting: Tertiary referral centre. Patients: Implanted with a Cochlear ABI22 or ABI24M between 1994 and 2009 because of NF2 disease. Intervention(s): Rehabilitative. Main Outcome Measure(s): Surgical complication rate; audiological outcomes. Results: There were 50 primary ABI insertions in 49 patients, including 16 inserted at the time of first side tumor removal as a sleeper, and two revision repositionings which failed to improve outcome. Postoperatively three patients had cerebrospinal fluid leaks which did not require reoperation, one patient had meningitis, and eleven patients suffered either temporary or permanent lower cranial nerve dysfunction. Twenty-nine patients became full time users; a further 12 patients became non-users. Three patients died while their device was inactive. Five patients retain serviceable contralateral hearing. Audiological open set testing of users showed means of: environmental sounds discrimination 51%; phoneme discrimination: with ABI alone 22%/lip reading (LR) 45%/ABI with LR 65%; sentence testing: with ABI alone 13%/LR 19%/ABI with LR 54%. Conclusions: The majority of patients with NF2 implanted with an ABI find the device a useful aid to communication in conjunction with LR and in recognizing common environmental sounds. A small proportion gain open set discrimination. Almost a third of patients may end up as non-users. There is probably an increased risk of postoperative lower cranial nerve dysfunction so careful preoperative assessment is advised.
How does coaching help to support team working?

This paper explores how coaching supports team working in an NHS hospital. Using a case study methodology, a multidisciplinary team were asked to reflect on and describe their experiences of being coached and how this supported them in working as a team. The findings demonstrate that team coaching supported team working in a number of interwoven ways and that seeing and understanding the human person behind the professional mask was a significant element in gluing the team together. It substantiates team coaching as an intervention in enhancing team working and highlights some of the elements that contributed to this.
Randomized double-blind clinical trial comparing topical and sub-Tenon's anaesthesia in routine cataract surgery.

BACKGROUND Several local anaesthetic techniques are available for cataract surgery. Recently, topical anaesthesia has gained in popularity. A randomized trial was designed to compare patient discomfort and intraoperative complications following routine cataract surgery under topical or sub-Tenon's anaesthesia. METHODS A randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled clinical trial of 210 patients assigned to either a sub-Tenon's group (sub-Tenon's anaesthesia with placebo topical balanced salt solution, n=140) or a topical anaesthesia group (topical anaesthesia with placebo sub-Tenon's injection of balanced salt solution, n=70) was carried out. All patients underwent phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation. Patients in the sub-Tenon's group received a single injection (3 ml) of a combination of lidocaine 2% (2 ml) and bupivacaine 0.75% (1 ml), and four doses of topical placebo (balanced salt solution). Patients in the topical anaesthesia group received four doses of topical proxymethocaine 0.5% and a placebo sub-Tenon's injection (3 ml) of balanced salt solution. No intracameral injection of local anaesthetic was given. A 10-point visual analogue pain scale was used preoperatively and for postoperative pain assessment immediately after the operation and 30 min postoperatively. The intraoperative complications in the two groups were recorded. RESULTS The mean pain score immediately after surgery was 2.42 (sd 2.2) in the sub-Tenon's group and 3.44 (2.3) in the topical anaesthesia group (P=0.0043). The mean pain score 30 min after surgery was 1.24 (1.7) in the sub-Tenon's group and 2.25 (2.2) in the topical anaesthesia group (P=0.0009). CONCLUSIONS Patients undergoing cataract surgery under topical anaesthesia experience more postoperative discomfort than patients receiving sub-Tenon's anaesthesia. Surgery-related complications were similar in both groups.
A Signaling Game Approach to Data Querying and Interaction

As most users do not precisely know the structure and/or the content of databases, their queries do not exactly reflect their information needs. The database management systems (DBMS) may interact with users and use their feedback on the returned results to learn the information needs behind their queries. Current query interfaces assume that users do not learn and modify the way way they express their information needs in form of queries during their interaction with the DBMS. Using a real-world interaction work-load, we show that users learn and modify how to express their information needs during their interactions with the DBMS and their learning is accurately modeled by a well-known reinforcement learning mechanism. As current data interaction systems assume that users do not modify their strategies, they cannot discover the information needs behind users’ queries effectively. We model the interaction between users and DBMS as a game with identical interest between two rational agents whose goal is to establish a common language for representing information needs in form of queries. We propose a reinforcement learning method that learns and answers the information needs behind queries and adapts to the changes in users’ strategies and prove that it improves the effectiveness of answering queries stochastically speaking. We propose two efficient implementation of this method over large relational databases. Our extensive empirical studies over real-world query workloads indicate that our algorithms are efficient and effective.
Clostridium difficile infection: main features and occurrence in domestic species in Brazil

Clostridium difficile is an emerging enteropathogen of humans and domestic animals. The bacterium was recently confirmed to be present in foals and dogs in Brazil, with some recent studies suggesting that C. difficile is one of the most important causes of piglet diarrhea in the country. Moreover, some reports also suggest the transmission of this microorganism between animals and humans, raising the possibility that C. difficile is a zoonotic disease. Therefore, the aim of the present review is to describe the main features of C. difficile infection in domestic animals and outline the occurrence of the disease in horses, dogs and pigs in Brazil.
Using Machine Learning to Assist Crime Prevention

Drug-related criminal activity is gradually rising in Taiwan and has a significant and negative social impact. This paper proposes a data-driven method based on &amp;#x22;broken windows&amp;#x22; theory and spatial analysis to analyze crime data using machine mining algorithms and thus predict emerging crime hotspots for additional police attention.The Deep Learning algorithm has been widely applied in several fields, include image recognition and natural language processing. With fine tuning, we find the Deep Learning algorithm provides better prediction results than other methods including Random Forest, and Na&amp;#xef;ve Bayes for potential crime hotspots. Furthermore, we improve model performance by accumulating data with different time scales. To validate experimental results, we visualize potential crime hotspots on a map, and observe whether the models can identify true hotspots. Finally, we discuss the applicability of this method, and present future research directions.
Identification of hsa-miR-21 as a target gene of tumorigenesis in neuroblastoma

MicroRNAs (miRNA) have a crucial role in tumorigenesis. We used genome-wide analysis of miRNA expression in neuroblastoma (NB) to identify novel targets for the further study of NB. Genome-wide analysis of miRNA expression in NB, fetal adrenal and normal adrenal tissues was conducted using a miRNAs microarray. The differential expressions of miRNAs were identified through fold-change filtering. Gene ontology and pathway analyses were performed using the standard enrichment computation method. Target miRNA correlated to embryonic development and tumorigenesis of NB was screened through bioinformatics. We found 30 miRNAs that were upregulated > 2-fold in the order NB > embryonic adrenal tissues > normal adrenal tissues. The predicted target genes of miRNAs involved in embryonic and tumorigenic related signal pathways were selected, including has-miR-21, -153, -155 and -24. The expression of has-miR-21 in NB tissues was significantly higher (P < 0.05) compared to fetal and normal adrenal tissues. Has-miR-21 is an important miRNAs related to embryonic development and the pathogenesis of NB.
Gold Nanoparticles for Brain Tumor Imaging: A Systematic Review

Background Demarcation of malignant brain tumor boundaries is critical to achieve complete resection and to improve patient survival. Contrast-enhanced brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the gold standard for diagnosis and pre-surgical planning, despite limitations of gadolinium (Gd)-based contrast agents to depict tumor margins. Recently, solid metal-based nanoparticles (NPs) have shown potential as diagnostic probes for brain tumors. Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) emerged among those, because of their unique physical and chemical properties and biocompatibility. The aim of the present study is to review the application of GNPs for in vitro and in vivo brain tumor diagnosis. Methods We performed a PubMed search of reports exploring the application of GNPs in the diagnosis of brain tumors in biological models including cells, animals, primates, and humans. The search words were “gold” AND “NP” AND “brain tumor. ” Two reviewers performed eligibility assessment independently in an unblinded standardized manner. The following data were extracted from each paper: first author, year of publication, animal/cellular model, GNP geometry, GNP size, GNP coating [i.e., polyethylene glycol (PEG) and Gd], blood-brain barrier (BBB) crossing aids, imaging modalities, and therapeutic agents conjugated to the GNPs. Results The PubMed search provided 100 items. A total of 16 studies, published between the 2011 and 2017, were included in our review. No studies on humans were found. Thirteen studies were conducted in vivo on rodent models. The most common shape was a nanosphere (12 studies). The size of GNPs ranged between 20 and 120 nm. In eight studies, the GNPs were covered in PEG. The BBB penetration was increased by surface molecules (nine studies) or by means of external energy sources (in two studies). The most commonly used imaging modalities were MRI (four studies), surface-enhanced Raman scattering (three studies), and fluorescent microscopy (three studies). In two studies, the GNPs were conjugated with therapeutic agents. Conclusion Experimental studies demonstrated that GNPs might be versatile, persistent, and safe contrast agents for multimodality imaging, thus enhancing the tumor edges pre-, intra-, and post-operatively improving microscopic precision. The diagnostic GNPs might also be used for multiple therapeutic approaches, namely as “theranostic” NPs.