Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increased Cerebral Glucose‐6‐Phosphate Dehydrogenase Activity in Alzheimer's Disease May Reflect Oxidative Stress

Abstract: The activities of the hexose monophosphate pathway enzymes glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase and 6‐phosphogluconate dehydrogenase were measured at autopsy in control and Alzheimer's disease brains. Enzyme activities did not vary between different areas of brain and were unaltered by age. In Alzheimer's disease, the activities of both enzymes were increased, the glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase activity being almost double the activity of normal controls. We propose that this increased enzyme activity is a response to elevated brain peroxide metabolism.
An integrated optical transient sensor

The implementation of a compact continuous-time optical transient sensor with commercial CMOS technology is presented. In its basic version, this sensor consists of a photodiode, five transistors and a capacitor. The proposed circuit produces several output signals in parallel. These include a sustained, logarithmically compressed measure of the incoming irradiance, half-wave rectified and thresholded contrast-encoding measures of positive and negative irradiance transients, and a signal that shows a combination of the sustained and the bidirectional transient response. The particular implementation reported in this work responds to abrupt irradiance changes with contrasts down to less than 1% for positive transients and 25% for negative transients. Circuit modifications leading to more symmetric contrast thresholds around 5% are also described. Due to their compactness these transient sensors are suitable for implementation in monolithic one- or two-dimensional imaging arrays. Such arrays may be used to sense local brightness changes of an image projected onto the circuit plane, which typically correspond to moving contours.
Optimal Guiding Catheter Length for Endovascular Coiling of Intracranial Aneurysms in Anterior Circulation in Era of Flourishing Distal Access System

Purpose To determine the minimum required guiding catheter length for embolization of various intracranial aneurysms in anterior circulation and to analyze the effect of various patient factors on the required catheter length and potential interaction with its stability. Materials and Methods From December 2016 to March 2017, 90 patients with 93 anterior circulation aneurysms were enrolled. Three types of guiding catheters (Envoy, Envoy DA, and Envoy DA XB; Codman Neurovascular, Raynham, MA, USA) were used. We measured the in-the-body length of the catheter and checked the catheter tip location in the carotid artery. We analyzed factors affecting the in-the-body length and stability of the guiding catheter system. Results The average (±standard deviation) in-the-body length of the catheter was 84.2±5.9 cm. The length was significantly longer in men (89.1±5.6 vs. 82.1±4.6 cm, P<0.001), patients older than 65 years (87.7±7.8 vs. 82.7±4.2 cm, P<0.001), patients with a more tortuous arch (arch type 2 and 3) (87.5±7.4 vs. 82.7±4.4 cm, P<0.001), and patients with a distal aneurysm location (distal group) (86.2±5.0 vs. 82.7±6.1 cm, P=0.004). A shift in the tip location was noted in 19 patients (20.4%); there was no significant different among the 3 catheters (P=0.942). Conclusion The minimum required length of a guiding catheter was 84 cm on average for elective anterior-circulation aneurysm embolization. The length increased in men older than 65 years with a more tortuous arch. We could reach a higher position with distal access catheters with little difference in the stability once we reached the target location.
A Two-Stage Approach for Improving the Convergence of Least-Mean-Square Adaptive Decision-Feedback Equalizers in the Presence of Severe Narrowband Interference

It has previously been shown that a least-mean-square (LMS) decision-feedback filter can mitigate the effect of narrowband interference (L.-M. Li and L. Milstein, 1983). An adaptive implementation of the filter was shown to converge relatively quickly for mild interference. It is shown here, however, that in the case of severe narrowband interference, the LMS decision-feedback equalizer (DFE) requires a very large number of training symbols for convergence, making it unsuitable for some types of communication systems. This paper investigates the introduction of an LMS prediction-error filter (PEF) as a prefilter to the equalizer and demonstrates that it reduces the convergence time of the two-stage system by as much as two orders of magnitude. It is also shown that the steady-state bit-error rate (BER) performance of the proposed system is still approximately equal to that attained in steady-state by the LMS DFE-only. Finally, it is shown that the two-stage system can be implemented without the use of training symbols. This two-stage structure lowers the complexity of the overall system by reducing the number of filter taps that need to be adapted, while incurring a slight loss in the steady-state BER.
Cardiovascular Excitatory Effects of Adenosine in the Nucleus of the Solitary Tract

Adenosine is an inhibitory neuromodulator in several brain regions. In the nucleus tractus soUtarius (NTS), however, adenosine exerts excitatory cardiovascular effects. The purpose of the present study was to elucidate the involvement of other endogenous mechanisms that could contribute to the final hemodynamic response to adenosine in this nucleus. In normotensive Sprague-Dawley rats, intra-NTS microinjection of adenosine (23 nmol/60 nl) decreased blood pressure and heart rate. These effects were blocked by prior administration of the specific adenosine receptor antagonist l,3-dipropyl-8-p-sulfophenylxanthine (0.92 nmol) and by the two glutamate receptor antagonists kynurenic acid and glutamic diethylester. The specificity of the adenosine-glutamate interaction in the NTS was demonstrated with adrenergic and angiotensin receptor antagonists that did not affect the adenosine response and by experiments with glutamate receptor antagonists that did not affect nicotine actions in the NTS. Furthermore, an increase in glutamate levels was demonstrated during perfusion of adenosine through a microdiatysis probe in the NTS of anesthetized rabbits. These findings indicate that adenosine increases the release of glutamate in the NTS and, thus, are at variance with the concept of a "universal" inhibitory effect of adenosine in the central nervous system.
Microglial cell activation following retinal detachment: a comparison between species.

PURPOSE To compare the activation of microglia in response to retinal detachment in four species. METHODS Experimental detachments were created in cats, rabbits, and ground squirrels and the retinas harvested 1, 3, 7, or 28 days later. Retinal reattachments of 28 days in duration were also performed in cats following a 3-day detachment. Human tissue was obtained during reattachment surgery. Microglia and macrophages were labeled with the lectins Griffonia simplicifolia and Ricinus communis and the antibody CD11b. Müller cell and photoreceptor responses were followed immunocytochemically on the same tissue sections labeled with microglial markers. Images were collected by laser scanning confocal microscopy. RESULTS Lightly labeled microglia were observed primarily in the inner retina of control tissue. In the cat and rabbit, a progressive increase in the number of labeled cells occurred in the outer retina beginning at 1 day of detachment. In both long term human and cat detachments numbers of microglia were elevated throughout the retina. This is in contrast to the rabbit and ground squirrel retinas where microglial activation was dramatically diminished in longer term detachments. Presumptive macrophages (anti-CD11b labeled cells) occurred only in the subretinal space. Retinal reattachment in cats significantly attenuated the response except in areas of poor outer segment regeneration. CONCLUSIONS The robust microglial response to retinal detachment is an indicator of the importance of this cell type in the overall response of the retina. Our data suggest that the feline retina is a particularly appropriate model system for understanding this response in humans. Inhibiting the microglial response in that species should help us understand more precisely its potential role in photoreceptor survival in human pathology.
Shiga Toxin 2-Converting Bacteriophages Associated with Clonal Variability in Escherichia coli O157:H7 Strains of Human Origin Isolated from a Single Outbreak

ABSTRACT Shiga toxin 2 (Stx2)-converting bacteriophages induced from 49 strains of Escherichia coli O157:H7 isolated during a recent outbreak of enterocolitis in Spain were examined in an attempt to identify the variability due to the stx2-converting phages. The bacterial isolates were divided into low-, medium-, and high-phage-production groups on the basis of the number of phages released after mitomycin C induction. Low- and medium-phage-production isolates harbored two kinds of phages but released only one of them, whereas high-phage-production isolates harbored only one of the two phages. One of the phages, φSC370, which was detected only in the isolates with two phages, showed similarities with phage 933W. The second phage, φLC159, differed from φSC370 in morphology and DNA structure. When both phages were present in the same bacterial chromosome, as occurred in most of the isolates, only φSC370 was detected in the supernatants of the induced cultures. If φLC159 was released, its presence was masked by φSC370. When φSC370 was absent, large amounts of φLC159 were released, suggesting that there was some regulation of phage expression between the two phages. To our knowledge, this is the first description of clonal variability due to phage loss. The higher level of phage production was reflected in the larger amounts of Stx2 toxin produced by the cultures. Some relationship between phage production and the severity of symptoms was observed, and consequently these observations suggest that the virulence of the isolates studied could be related to the variability of the induced stx2-converting phages.
Learning of Sequential Finger Movements in Man: A Combined Kinematic and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Study

The cerebral structures participating in learning of a manual skill were mapped with regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) measurements and positron emission tomography in nine healthy volunteers. The task was a complicated right‐hand finger movement sequence. The subjects were examined at three stages: during initial practice of the finger movement sequence, in an advanced stage of learning, and after they had learnt the finger movement sequence. Quantitative evaluation of video tapes and electromyographic records of the right forearm and hand muscles demonstrated that the finger movements significantly accelerated and became more regular. Significant mean rCBF increases were induced in the left motor hand area, the left premotor cortex, the left supplementary motor area, the left sensory hand area, the left supplementary sensory area and the right anterior lobe of the cerebellum. During the learning process significant depressions of the mean rCBF occurred bilaterally in the superior parietal lobule, the anterior parietal cortex and the pars triangularis of the right inferior frontal cortex. The mean rCBF increases in these structures during the initial stage of learning were related to somatosensory feedback processing and internal language for the guidance of the finger movements. These activations disappeared when the subjects had learnt the finger movement sequence. Conversely, the mean rCBF significantly rose during the course of learning in the midsector of the putamen and globus pallidus on the left side. It is suggested that during the learning phase of this movement sequence, the basal ganglia were critically involved in the establishment of the final motor programme.
The Preposition Project

Prepositions are an important vehicle for indicating semantic roles. Their meanings are difficult to analyze and they are often discarded in processing text. The Preposition Project is designed to provide a comprehensive database of preposition senses suitable for use in natural language processing applications. In the project, prepositions in the FrameNet corpus are disambiguated using a sense inventory from a current dictionary, guided by a comprehensive treatment of preposition meaning. The methodology provides a framework for identifying and characterizing semantic roles, a gold standard corpus of instances for further analysis, and an account of semantic role alternation patterns. By adhering to this methodology, it is hoped that a comprehensive and improved characterization of preposition behavior (semantic role identification, and syntactic and semantic properties of the preposition complement and attachment point) will be developed. The databases generated in the project are publicly available for further use by researchers and application developers.
Combined Proteomics/Genomics Approach Reveals Proteomic Changes of Mature Virions as a Novel Poxvirus Adaptation Mechanism

DNA viruses, like poxviruses, possess a highly stable genome, suggesting that adaptation of virus particles to specific cell types is not restricted to genomic changes. Cowpox viruses are zoonotic poxviruses with an extraordinarily broad host range, demonstrating their adaptive potential in vivo. To elucidate adaptation mechanisms of poxviruses, we isolated cowpox virus particles from a rat and passaged them five times in a human and a rat cell line. Subsequently, we analyzed the proteome and genome of the non-passaged virions and each passage. While the overall viral genome sequence was stable during passaging, proteomics revealed multiple changes in the virion composition. Interestingly, an increased viral fitness in human cells was observed in the presence of increased immunomodulatory protein amounts. As the only minor variant with increasing frequency during passaging was located in a viral RNA polymerase subunit and, moreover, most minor variants were found in transcription-associated genes, protein amounts were presumably regulated at transcription level. This study is the first comparative proteome analysis of virus particles before and after cell culture propagation, revealing proteomic changes as a novel poxvirus adaptation mechanism.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM DESTINATION THROUGH STAKEHOLDER COOPERATION

Sustainable development in tourism represents primary concept of development today. Tourism is a fast growing phenomenon and its sustainable development represents a necessity. Besides the positive economic outputs of tourism, we should also mention its negative impact on the particular destination, the environmental degradation to some extent, as well as socioeconomic elements of local community. Accordingly, multi-stakeholder concept in destination management should include all interest and influential groups in tourism development planning. Such integrated destination management connects all stakeholders independent from influence or interest powers to participate directly or indirectly in creating and implementing the quality tourism development. This concept's basic function is connecting and coordinating stakeholders with different interests within a tourist destination, in order to create quality product and a recognizable destination image, and to achieve a long-term sustainable competitiveness on the market. However, based on the stakeholder approach, the most emphasized issue in sustainable tourism development concept is the government that holds a key role in socioeconomic development. In this paper, we will research current involvement of stakeholders in Zadar County tourism development and examine their interest in future involvement in sustainable destination development. Based on the analysis of focus group research results, that included 87 interested stakeholders from all tourist segments, public services, local administration and self-government, and in comparison with the results of tourist demand research on the intentional sample of 1.697 tourists, we will draw conclusions on the level of stakeholder involvement and cooperation in creating the sustainable destination. The aim of this paper is to bring recommendations for harmonizing development directions of the sustainable destination in order to reduce differences among stakeholders. INTRODUCTION In recent years, sustainable development imposed itself as an essential goal of any human activity, regardless of its outcome. Economy growth and development problems are crucial, particularly in activities with continuous growth record. As one of those activities, tourism has shown concern for sustainable development at all levels. This came from the fact that besides the positive economic effects, tourism also had negative impact to a certain extent on some destinations, by degrading their environment and the socio-cultural elements of communities in these areas. Thus, a sustainable development comes as a condition for the existence of tourism. Sustainable development should ensure controlled development of tourism, without destruction or devastation of resources that are basis of tourism. It means that it should preserve use of those resources for future generations through …
Transcription Factor Repertoire of Necrotrophic Fungal Phytopathogen Ascochyta rabiei: Predominance of MYB Transcription Factors As Potential Regulators of Secretome

Transcription factors (TFs) are the key players in gene expression and their study is highly significant for shedding light on the molecular mechanisms and evolutionary history of organisms. During host–pathogen interaction, extensive reprogramming of gene expression facilitated by TFs is likely to occur in both host and pathogen. To date, the knowledge about TF repertoire in filamentous fungi is in infancy. The necrotrophic fungus Ascochyta rabiei, that causes destructive Ascochyta blight (AB) disease of chickpea (Cicer arietinum), demands more comprehensive study for better understanding of Ascochyta-legume pathosystem. In the present study, we performed the genome-wide identification and analysis of TFs in A. rabiei. Taking advantage of A. rabiei genome sequence, we used a bioinformatic approach to predict the TF repertoire of A. rabiei. For identification and classification of A. rabiei TFs, we designed a comprehensive pipeline using a combination of BLAST and InterProScan software. A total of 381 A. rabiei TFs were predicted and divided into 32 fungal specific families of TFs. The gene structure, domain organization and phylogenetic analysis of abundant families of A. rabiei TFs were also carried out. Comparative study of A. rabiei TFs with that of other necrotrophic, biotrophic, hemibiotrophic, symbiotic, and saprotrophic fungi was performed. It suggested presence of both conserved as well as unique features among them. Moreover, cis-acting elements on promoter sequences of earlier predicted A. rabiei secretome were also identified. With the help of published A. rabiei transcriptome data, the differential expression of TF and secretory protein coding genes was analyzed. Furthermore, comprehensive expression analysis of few selected A. rabiei TFs using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction revealed variety of expression patterns during host colonization. These genes were expressed in at least one of the time points tested post infection. Overall, this study illustrates the first genome-wide identification and analysis of TF repertoire of A. rabiei. This work would provide the basis for further studies to dissect role of TFs in the molecular mechanisms during A. rabiei–chickpea interactions.
Differences in first dose response to angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition in congestive heart failure: a placebo controlled study.

OBJECTIVE--To compare the first dose responses to low dose angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (captopril, enalapril, and perindopril) in elderly patients with stable chronic heart failure. DESIGN--Double blind, randomised, placebo controlled, parallel, group prospective study of elderly patients with stable chronic heart failure. SETTING--General hospital in-patient admissions for supervised diuretic withdrawal (24-48 hours) and the introduction of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor therapy. PATIENTS--48 unselected elderly (58-85 years) patients with symptomatic but stable chronic heart failure (New York Heart Association grades II-IV) confirmed by clinical history, examination, and cardiological investigations. Patients gave their written and informed consent to receive their initial treatment under double blind conditions; blood pressure was monitored and blood samples taken to measure the pharmacokinetic and neurohormonal responses. INTERVENTION--Patients were randomised to receive a daily oral dose of placebo, captopril (6.25 mg), enalapril (2.5 mg), or perindopril (2 mg). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Blood pressure and heart rate responses, drug concentration, and plasma renin and ACE activities. Differences between treatment groups were analysed by analysis of variance. RESULTS--The four randomised groups of patients had similar age, severity of heart failure (NYHA class), pretreatment diuretic dosage, plasma renin activity, and serum electrolyte state. Placebo treatment caused a modest but significant diurnal fall in blood pressure. Captopril produced a significant early (1.5 hours) and brief fall in blood pressure. The blood pressure fall with enalapril was later (4-10 hours), longer lasting, and was associated with significant slowing of supine heart rate. Though perindopril produced a similar plasma ACE inhibition to that produced by enalapril, it only caused changes in blood pressure that were similar to those caused by placebo. CONCLUSIONS--This controlled study is the first to indicate a qualitative difference in the acute response to angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors with similar structure and metabolism (that is, enalapril and perindopril). Low dose perindopril seems to be less likely to cause hypotension in patients with heart failure. The explanation for the differences is unclear but may reflect differential effects on local tissue angiotensin generation.