Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of ethanol on the male hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis.

I. Introduction It is estimated that at least seven percent of the adult population in the United States are alcoholics or abuse alcohol (1). Considering the extent of the alcohol problem it is obvious that a basic understanding of the medical consequences of alcohol use and abuse is important. Gonadal dysfunction, as evidenced by decreased libido and impotence in the nonalcoholic drinker and infertility with gonadal atrophy in the alcoholic individual, is one of the more common problems. Data regarding the site or sites and the mechanisms of alcohol-induced gonadal and hypothalamic-pituitary toxicity are often conflicting. This article reviews our current knowledge about the effects of ethanol on male gonadal function. II. Evidence for Gonadal Failure and Estrogen Excess in Men with Alcoholic Cirrhosis Clinical gonadal failure, characterized by impotence, loss of libido, infertility, and testicular atrophy, is commonly observed in chronic alcoholics with cirrhosis of the liver. In addition, there are sig.
THE BENEFITS AND BARRIERS OF EXERCISE FOR THE PHYSICAL HEALTH OF OLDER WOMEN

Citing this paper Please note that where the full-text provided on King's Research Portal is the Author Accepted Manuscript or Post-Print version this may differ from the final Published version. If citing, it is advised that you check and use the publisher's definitive version for pagination, volume/issue, and date of publication details. And where the final published version is provided on the Research Portal, if citing you are again advised to check the publisher's website for any subsequent corrections.
A NEW METHOD FOR NOISE ELIMINATION FROM MEASURED FREQUENCY RESPONSE FUNCTIONS

K. Y. SANLITURK AND O. CAKAR Istanbul Technical University, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering 80191 Gumussuyu, Istanbul, TURKEY E-mail: sanliturk@itu.edu. tr It is inevitable that measured signals are contaminated with ‘noise’ when a data acquisition system is used for an experimental measurement. It is also well known in modal testing that the quality of measured Frequency Response Functions (FRFs) is adversely affected by noise originating from test environment as well as electronic devices. This situation often leads to serious difficulties in many applications as they require high quality FRF data. This paper presents a new method based on Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) for the elimination of noise from measured FRFs so as to improve the quality of the measured data. It is believed that method will enhance the accuracy as well as the success rate of various applications that rely on measured FRFs.
De-agglomeration of multi-walled carbon nanotubes via the use of a novel organic modifier : structure and mechanism

The present investigation has dealt with the investigation of ‘agglomeration’ behaviour of two types of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs; N-MWNTs and D-MWNTs), which primarily vary in the extent of chemical functionalities, average diameter and the extent of ‘agglomeration’. The variation in the properties has been influenced by the varying ‘agglomerated’ structure associated with the respective MWNTs. The ‘agglomerates’ strength of the corresponding MWNTs ‘agglomerates’ has been estimated via nano-indentation experiment. It has been observed that the work done to indent D-MWNTs ‘agglomerates’ (3910.3 x10 -8 erg) was higher as compared to indent N-MWNTs ‘agglomerates’ (2316.4 x10 -8 erg). In this context, a novel organic modifier; Li salt of 6-aminohexanoic acid (Li-AHA) has been introduced to facilitate the ‘de-agglomeration’ of the MWNTs in the aqueous medium. The stability of the aqueous dispersion of Li-AHA modified MWNTs has further been analyzed using UV-visible spectroscopic analysis and zeta potential measurement. An increase in Li-AHA concentration has facilitated the dispersion state of MWNTs in the aqueous medium. Furthermore, the mechanism of dispersion of the two types of MWNTs in the aqueous medium in the presence of Li-AHA has been proposed based on the electrostatic charge repulsion between the negatively charged Page 1 of 44 Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics P hy si ca lC he m is tr y C he m ic al P hy si cs A cc ep te d M an us cr ip t
[Reduced serotonin levels in platelet-free plasma of adolescents with externalizing behaviour problems].

OBJECTIVES A serotonergic dysfunction, in particular a reduced serotonergic neurotransmission in the frontal cortex and limbic brain regions, has been discussed in connection with the aetiology of aggressive and impulsive behaviour. Assessment of the activity in the central serotonergic system in children and adolescents is limited due to its technical complexity and ethical restrictions. Therefore, peripheral serotonergic parameters have been used as a model to obtain deeper insight into central serotonergic functions. The aim of this investigation is to examine the significance of plasma serotonin measurement with regard to behavioural problems in adolescents at risk for psychopathology. METHODS Within the framework of a prospective longitudinal study of children at risk, serotonin levels in platelet-free blood plasma were measured in a group of n = 10 adolescents aged 15 years with persistent externalizing behaviour (T-score > or = 60 on the "Externalizing Problems" scale of the CBCL) and in a control group of n = 20 mentally undisturbed adolescents. Groups were matched according to age and gender. Externalizing behaviour was assessed by means of a parent questionnaire, the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). RESULTS Significantly lower levels of plasma serotonin were found in adolescents with persistent behaviour problems than in the control group. Significant negative correlations between serotonin levels and the CBCL scales "Aggressive Behavior" and "Externalizing Problems" were obtained for the total sample. CONCLUSIONS Earlier findings that described a serotonergic deficit as a key mechanism in the manifestation of aggressive and antisocial behaviour are confirmed for adolescents at risk taken from a community sample.
Functional Analysis of the Drosophila Embryonic Germ Cell Transcriptome by RNA Interference

In Drosophila melanogaster, primordial germ cells are specified at the posterior pole of the very early embryo. This process is regulated by the posterior localized germ plasm that contains a large number of RNAs of maternal origin. Transcription in the primordial germ cells is actively down-regulated until germ cell fate is established. Bulk expression of the zygotic genes commences concomitantly with the degradation of the maternal transcripts. Thus, during embryogenesis, maternally provided and zygotically transcribed mRNAs determine germ cell development collectively. In an effort to identify novel genes involved in the regulation of germ cell behavior, we carried out a large-scale RNAi screen targeting both maternal and zygotic components of the embryonic germ line transcriptome. We identified 48 genes necessary for distinct stages in germ cell development. We found pebble and fascetto to be essential for germ cell migration and germ cell division, respectively. Our data uncover a previously unanticipated role of mei-P26 in maintenance of embryonic germ cell fate. We also performed systematic co-RNAi experiments, through which we found a low rate of functional redundancy among homologous gene pairs. As our data indicate a high degree of evolutionary conservation in genetic regulation of germ cell development, they are likely to provide valuable insights into the biology of the germ line in general.
Cardiac preconditioning protects against irreversible injury rather than attenuating stunning.

The purpose of this experiment was to determine if cardiac preconditioning (PC) mediates protection by attenuating stunning or preventing irreversible injury. Inherent in the definition of myocardial stunning is the ability to respond to catechol stimulation after ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Irreversibly injured myocardium cannot respond to catechols. We hypothesized that alpha 1-adrenergic-stimulated PC is mediated through a functional protection against reversible injury. We investigated this hypothesis in the isolated, buffer-perfused rat heart subjected to global ischemia (20 min, 37.5 degrees C) and reperfusion (40 min). The PC group received an alpha 1-adrenergic stimulus (norepinephrine, 0.5-1.0 microM, 2 min) 10 min prior to ischemia. Control hearts were perfused normoxically for 80 min. Developed pressure (DP) and heart rate were recorded continuously. To determine maximal myocellular function, all hearts received a beta-adrenergic pathway stimulus (forskolin (FSK), 100 microM bolus) at end reperfusion. The ability to improve DP in response to FSK was indicative of reversible dysfunction (stunning). Failure to attain the maximal DP established in normoxic controls was utilized as a measure of irreversible dysfunction. Recovery was assessed as a percentage of initial DP. The results suggest that (1) PC protects against an I/R injury (recovery: I/R, 50.1%; PC + I/R, 76.0%; P < 0.05); (2) all groups exhibit reversible dysfunction (all increased DP in response to FSK); (3) when maximally stimulated, I/R hearts are unable to develop pressures similar to those of normoxic controls, suggesting irreversible injury; and (4) PC hearts, however, attained similar maximal pressures compared to controls. We conclude that alpha 1-adrenergic PC improves postischemic cardiac function by preventing irreversible injury. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Big Data: A Survey - The New Paradigms, Methodologies and Tools

For several years we are living in the era of information. Since any human activity is carried out by means of information technologies and tends to be digitized, it produces a humongous stack of data that becomes more and more attractive to different stakeholders such as data scientists, entrepreneurs or just privates. All of them are interested in the possibility to gain a deep understanding about people and things, by accurately and wisely analyzing the gold mine of data they produce. The reason for such interest derives from the competitive advantage and the increase in revenues expected from this deep understanding. In order to help analysts in revealing the insights hidden behind data, new paradigms, methodologies and tools have emerged in the last years. There has been a great explosion of technological solutions that arises the need for a review of the current state of the art in the Big Data technologies scenario. Thus, after a characterization of the new paradigm under study, this work aims at surveying the most spread technologies under the Big Data umbrella, throughout a qualitative analysis of their characterizing features.
Geochemistry and geodynamic implications the Trans-Himalayan of magmatic rocks arc from

Present study aims at understanding the genetic and tectonic relationship between the enclaves and enclosing granitoids, acidic volcanics and mafic dykes of the Ladakh plutonic complex . Similar rocks from Lhasa Block (Tibet) are also studied and compared. In terms of Si02 abundance , the enclaves vary in composition from basic to acidic but are predominantly andesitic-basalt . Mafic dykes intruding the Ladakh plutonic complex are of predominantly andesitic-basalt composition. Granitoids and acidic volcanics from Ladakh and Lhasa blocks are compositionally granodiorite, quartz monzonite and granite . They are predominantly meta-aluminous with slight peraluminous characters. The acidic volcanics, however, have K20/Na2O > 1. All these rocks show calc-alkaline characteristics with high A1203 abundance , their rare earth elements (REE) and multi-element patterns depict enrichment of large ion lithophile elements (LILE)-light REE (LREE) and depletion of high field strength elements (HFSE) including Nb , P and Ti. It is suggested that the enclaves in Ladakh plutonic complex probably represent the initial pulses of magmatism, in response to intra-oceanic northward subduction of Neo-Tethyan ocean beneath an immature arc. Subsequently huge pulses of granitoids were intruded as the arc matured , sutured with southern continental margin of Eurasian plate and the lithosphere thickened. The granitoids in turn were cut by mafic dykes and acidic volcanics probably representing the last significant episode of subduction related magmatism in this region. It is suggested that the youngest, highly siliceous acidic volcanics may represent melts generated by partial melting and/or dehydration of upper part of subducted north Indian continental lithosphere and southern Eurasian active margin wedge, subsequent to the closing of Neo-Tethyan ocean and collision of Indian and Eurasian plates.
Gating of single non-Shaker A-type potassium channels in larval Drosophila neurons

The voltage-dependent gating of transient A2-type potassium channels from primary cultures of larval Drosophila central nervous system neurons was studied using whole-cell and single-channel voltage clamp. A2 channels are genetically distinct from the Shaker A1 channels observed in Drosophila muscle, and differ in single-channel conductance, voltage dependence, and gating kinetics. Single A2 channels were recorded and analyzed at -30, -10, +10, and +30 mV. The channels opened in bursts in response to depolarizing steps, with three to four openings per burst and two to three bursts per 480-ms pulse (2.8-ms burst criterion). Mean open durations were in a range of 2-4 ms and mean burst durations in a range of 9-17 ms. With the exception of the first latency distributions, none of the means of the distributions measured showed a consistent trend with voltage. Macroscopic inactivation of both whole-cell A currents and ensemble average currents of single A2 channels was well fitted by a sum of two exponentials. The fast time constants in different cells were in a range of 9-25 ms, and the slow time constants in a range of 60-140 ms. A six-state kinetic model (three closed, one open, two inactivated states) was tested at four command voltages by fitting frequency histograms of open durations, burst durations, burst closed durations, number of openings per burst, and number of bursts per trace. The model provided good fits to these data, as well as to the ensemble averages. With the exception of the rates leading to initial opening, the transitions in the model were largely independent of voltage.
ONTEXT-AWARE C LUSTERING USING G LO V E AND K-MEANS

In this paper we propose a novel method to cluster categorical data while retaining their context. Typically, clustering is performed on numerical data. However it is often useful to cluster categorical data as well, especially when dealing with data in real-world contexts. Several methods exist which can cluster categorical data, but our approach is unique in that we use recent text-processing and machine learning advancements like GloVe and tSNE to develop a a context-aware clustering approach (using pre-trained word embeddings). We encode words or categorical data into numerical, context-aware, vectors that we use to cluster the data points using common clustering algorithms like K-means.
Achievable Rates for a Relay-Aided Interference Channel

We consider a two-user Gaussian interference channel with a relay. Specifically, two source-destination pairs and the relay share a single common channel, and the relay receives messages from both sources, and assists them in communicating the messages to their respective destinations. We propose two relaying schemes using "amplify-and-forward" (AF). For each of two modes considered, we characterize the achievable sum rate and present upper bounds as functions of relay locations.
O Sistema de "Targeted Vouchers" e seus efeitos

Este trabalho discute os beneficios do sistema de “ targeted vouchers ” vis-a-vis o atual. Ele analisa a experiencia chilena e enfatiza a importância do desenho apropriado do sistema de vouchers de maneira a alcancar os resultados esperados. A analise tambem sugere que a introducao do sistema de “ targeted vouchers ” pode enfrentar oposicao devido a duas consequencias potenciais de sua implementacao: a reducao no bem-estar de grupos especificos e o fechamento das universidades publicas menos eficientes.
Distinct Mechanisms Produce Functionally Complementary Actions of Neuropeptides That Are Structurally Related But Derived from Different Precursors

Many bioactive neuropeptides containing RFamide at their C terminus have been described in both invertebrates and vertebrates. To obtain insight into the functional logic of RFamide signaling, we investigate it here in the feeding system of Aplysia. We focus on the expression, localization, and actions of two families of RFamide peptides, the FRFamides and FMRFamide, in the central neuronal circuitry and the peripheral musculature that generate the feeding movements. We describe the cloning of the FRFamide precursor protein and show that the FRFamides and FMRFamide are derived from different precursors. We map the expression of the FRFamide and FMRFamide precursors in the feeding circuitry using in situ hybridization and immunostaining and confirm proteolytic processing of the FRFamide precursor by mass spectrometry. We show that the two precursors are expressed in different populations of sensory neurons in the feeding system. In a representative feeding muscle, we demonstrate the presence of both FRFamides and FMRFamide and their release, probably from the processes of the sensory neurons in the muscle. Both centrally and in the periphery, the FRFamides and FMRFamide act in distinct ways, apparently through distinct mechanisms, and nevertheless, from an overall functional perspective, their actions are complementary. Together, the FRFamides and FMRFamide convert feeding motor programs from ingestive to egestive and depress feeding muscle contractions. We conclude that these structurally related peptides, although derived from different precursors, expressed in different neurons, and acting through different mechanisms, remain related to each other in the functional roles that they play in the system.
Automating the P OWHEG method in S HERPA

A new implementation of the POWHEG method [1] into the Monte-Carlo event generator SHERPA [2] is presented, focusing on processes with a simple colour structure. Results for a variety of processes, namely ee → hadrons, deepinelastic lepton-nucleon scattering, hadroproduction of single vector bosons and of vector boson pairs as well as the production of Higgs bosons in gluon fusion serve as test cases for the successful realisation. The algorithm is fully automated such that for further processes only virtual matrix elements need to be included.
Transitioning From Cigarettes to Electronic Cigarettes Increases Alcohol Consumption

ABSTRACT Objective: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) are a nicotine delivery device that have recently been linked to alcohol use. Many individuals that smoke cigarettes transition to e-cigs as an alternative to cigarette use, despite potential negative health effects of e-cigs. No research to date has examined how former smokers that have transitioned to e-cigs differ from former smokers that do not use e-cigs, particularly in relation to alcohol use. Further, no research has examined how former smokers that use e-cigs regularly or socially may differ in alcohol consumption. Method: Using an online community dwelling sample (Former smokers N = 198, mean age = 34.70, SD = 11.45, 56.1% female, 78.3% Caucasian, 37.9% e-cig users), the present study assessed smoking status and alcohol use, with the latter assessed using a timeline followback calendar and the alcohol use disorder identification test (AUDIT). Results: In all former smokers, total drinks (b = 4.01, p = 0.02) and average drinks per drinking day (b = 0.61, p =.01) were both related to e-cig use status, with e-cig users reporting higher alcohol consumption. Among e-cig using former smokers, social users, but not regular users, showed positive relationships with AUDIT scores, b = 1.90, p =. 02, total drinks, b = 9.12, p <. 001, average drinks, b = 0.98, p =. 006, and hazardous drinking status, OR = 3.21, p =. 01. Conclusions: Findings suggest that: (1) former smokers who use e-cigs may have a potential for higher alcohol use; and (2) those who use e-cigs socially may be at heightened risk for hazardous patterns of alcohol consumption. This should be taken into consideration by healthcare providers.
Alcohol intake and risk of cancers of the colon and rectum.

The relationship between alcohol drinking (mainly wine) and risk of colon and rectal cancer was considered in a case-control study conducted between 1991 and 1996 in six Italian centers. Cases were 1,225 patients < 75 years of age with histologically confirmed cancer of the colon and 728 patients with cancer of the rectum; controls were 4,154 patients admitted to hospital for a wide spectrum of acute, nonneoplastic diseases. Compared with never drinkers, the odds ratios (OR) for current drinkers in the higher quintile of total alcohol intake (> 51.82 g ethanol/day) were 1.01 for colon cancer and 0.90 for rectal cancer, and those for ex-drinkers were 1.20 and 1.07, respectively. The OR for wine drinkers in the highest quartile of intake were 1.07 for colon cancer and 0.97 for rectal cancer. No association was found with duration of the habit, time since starting, or age at starting. Among ex-drinkers, no association appeared with time since stopping. No significant heterogeneity was found across strata of age at diagnosis, sex, education, smoking status, physical activity, family history of colorectal cancer, beta-carotene, vitamin C, coffee, total fiber and folate intake, and number of meals per day. No significant association appeared for various intestinal subsites.
Exploiting Network Structure to Detect Fake News

Motivation The spread of fake news and false information through social media has become an important topic since the 2016 elections. Most work in fake news detection uses purely text-based models to classify articles as fake news. In this project, we aim to analyze the network structure of news propagation and leverage relationships between users and articles in order to improve on text-based models.