Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Selective Activation of mGlu4 Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors Is Protective against Excitotoxic Neuronal Death

Activation of group III metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR4, mGluR6, mGluR7, and mGluR8) has been established to be neuroprotectivein vitro and in vivo. To disclose the identity of the receptor subtype(s) that exert(s) the protective effect, we have used group III agonists in combination with mGluR4 subtype-deficient mice (−/−). In cortical cultures prepared from wild-type (+/+) mice and exposed to a toxic pulse of NMDA, the selective group III agonist (+)-4-phosphonophenylglycine [(+)-PPG] reversed excitotoxicity with an EC50 value of 4.9 μm, whereas its enantiomer (−)-PPG was inactive. This correlated closely with the potency of (+)-PPG in activating recombinant mGluR4a. In cortical neurons from −/− mice, (+)-PPG showed no protection against the NMDA insult up to 300 μm, whereas group I/II mGluR ligands still retained their protective activity. Classical group III agonists (l-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyrate andl-serine-O-phosphate) were also substantially neuroprotective against NMDA toxicity in +/+ and heterozygous (+/−) cultures but were inactive in −/− cultures. Interestingly, −/− cultures were more vulnerable to low concentrations of NMDA and showed higher extracellular glutamate levels compared with +/+ cultures. We have also examined neurodegeneration induced by intrastriatal infusion of NMDA in wild-type or mGluR4-deficient mice. Low doses of (R,S)-PPG (10 nmol/0.5 μl) substantially reduced NMDA toxicity in +/+ mice but were ineffective in −/− mice. Higher doses of (R,S)-PPG were neuroprotective in both strains of animals. Finally, microdialysis studies showed that intrastriatal infusion of NMDA increased extracellular glutamate levels to a greater extent in −/− than in +/+ mice, supporting the hypothesis that the mGluR4 subtype is necessary for the maintenance of the homeostasis of extracellular glutamate levels.
Obesity prevention in early adolescence: student, parent, and teacher views.

BACKGROUND Obesity is a significant health problem among today's youth; however, most school-based prevention programs in this area have had limited success. Focus groups were conducted with seventh- to eighth-grade students, parents, and teachers to provide insight into the development of a comprehensive program for the prevention of adolescent obesity: the Teen Eating and Activity Mentoring in Schools project (TEAMS). METHODS Questions addressed (1) beliefs about the relationship between early adolescent behavior and health; (2) early adolescents' physical activity habits, preferences, influences, and barriers; (3) early adolescents' dietary habits, preferences, influences, and barriers; and (4) recommendations for interventions to promote physical activity and healthy eating in early adolescence. RESULTS Qualitative analyses revealed that early adolescents had a good understanding of the relationship between their behavior and their health, although they had a limited understanding of what constitutes healthy eating. Youth participants reported preferences for a number of healthy foods and physical activities, but identified numerous barriers preventing their engagement. The major difference between students, parents, and teachers reflected the operation of the fundamental attribution error with early adolescents attributing their unhealthy behaviors to situational factors, teachers blaming parents, and parents blaming their children. CONCLUSIONS Implications of these findings for the development of school-based, integrated strategies for obesity prevention among early adolescents are discussed.
Synthesis, Characterization and Environmental Applications of ZnO Based Nanostructures

ZnO nanostructures have drawn a great attention from researchers worldwide for their unique chemical, physical, electrical, and optical properties in the recent years. One of the biggest advantages of ZnO is that it can be synthesized by a variety of methods, which also results in the richest family of its nanostructures with various dimensions among all materials. As an important metal oxide semiconductor, the nanostructured ZnO materials have been considered as the promising building blocks for nanodevices for a broad range of applications in catalysis, electronics and photonics. Therefore, realizing ZnO based materials with desired nanostructure and enhanced performance is essential in the research and applications of ZnO. The research reported in this thesis is mainly focused on the development of ZnO based nanostructures by facile and economic approaches, the analysis of their compositional, structural, and functional properties, the understanding of growth and behaviour mechanism of these nanostructures, and the study of their performance in environmental applications. Several characterization techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), Raman scattering, photoluminescence (PL) emission and Ultraviolet-visible light (UV-vis) spectra, have been applied in this research to verify the morphology, microstructure, chemical composition, growth process, crystal structure, defects and optical properties of various ZnO based nanostructures. One dimensional (1D) ZnO nanorod arrays were grown on glass substrates with ZnO seeds via a low temperature and ambient atmosphere hydrothermal method. The concentration of precursors can change the aspect ratio, surface roughness and the band gap energy of the nanorods. They were applied in the degradation of estrone, and the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) formed during photocatalysis process was detected by fluorescence analysis. The results revealed that the ZnO nanorod array produced from 25 mM reactants had the
An Improved Algorithm for Array Alignment

Reduction of interprocessor communication is crucial for efficiency of parallel computers. In data-parallel programs, the minimal requirement for reduction of communication is the alignment of array variables. Algorithms for automatic array alignment are therefore an important component of high level array language compilers. This paper presents a theoretical analysis and a heuristic solution for optimization of axis alignment in a general class of code segments. An existing method is used to determine the remaining alignment parameters. Experimental evidence from both synthetic and real code tests shows that the proposed method can find alignments of smaller cost in comparison to existing techniques.
Temporal distribution of trauma deaths: quality of trauma care in a developing country.

BACKGROUND Examination of the epidemiology and timing of trauma deaths has been deemed a useful method to evaluate the quality of trauma care. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality of trauma care in a regional trauma system and in a university hospital in Brazil by comparing the timing of deaths in the studied prehospital and in-hospital settings to those published for trauma systems in other areas. METHODS We analyzed the National Health Minister's System of Deaths Information for the prehospital mortality and we retrospectively collected the demographics, timelines, and trauma severity scores of all in-hospital patients who died after admission through the Emergency Unit of Hospital das Clinicas de Ribeirao Preto between 2000 and 2001. RESULTS During the study period, there were 787 trauma fatalities in the city: 448 (56.9%) died in the prehospital setting and 339 (43.1%) died after being admitted to a medical facility. In 2 years, 238 trauma deaths occurred in the studied hospital, and we found a complete clinical set of data for 224 of these patients. The majority of deaths in the prehospital setting were caused by penetrating injuries (66.7%), whereas in-hospital mortality was mainly because of blunt traumas (59.1%). The largest number of in-hospital deaths occurred beyond 72 hours of stay (107 patients-47%). CONCLUSION The region studied showed some deficiencies in prehospital and in-hospitals settings, in particular in the critical care and short-term follow-up of trauma patients when compared with the literature. Particularly, the late mortality may be related to training and human resources deficiency. Based on the timeline of trauma deaths, we can suggest that the studied region needs improvements in the prehospital trauma system and in hospital critical care.
Magnetic quantum ratchet effect in Si-MOSFETs

We report on the observation of magnetic quantum ratchet effect in metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistors on silicon surface (Si-MOSFETs). We show that the excitation of an unbiased transistor by ac electric field of terahertz radiation at normal incidence leads to a direct electric current between the source and drain contacts if the transistor is subjected to an in-plane magnetic field. The current rises linearly with the magnetic field strength and quadratically with the ac electric field amplitude. It depends on the polarization state of the ac field and can be induced by both linearly and circularly polarized radiation. We present the quasi-classical and quantum theories of the observed effect and show that the current originates from the Lorentz force acting upon carriers in asymmetric inversion channels of the transistors.
Linear Mandibular Measurements: Comparison between Orthopantomograms and Lateral Cephalograms

Objective: To investigate the reliability of length measurements of the mandible by comparing orthopantomograms (OPTs) with lateral cephalograms. Design: Observational study. Setting: OPTs and lateral cephalograms were taken of 20 human dry skulls. Four orthodontists and four maxillofacial surgeons located landmarks on all radiographs using a computer program for cephalometric measurements. Intraobserver and interobserver variability in locating landmarks was assessed, as well as positioning of the skulls prior to radiography between the x-ray assistants. Magnification differences between the left and right side of the mandible on the OPT were determined for five skulls. Kappa statistics were used to calculate the intraclass correlation coefficient for intraobserver and interobserver differences. An F test was used to assess differences between methods and between type of observer. Results: No significant differences were found in the magnification factor of the left and right side of the mandible. Compared with a lateral cephalogram, the OPT had comparable reliability in measuring mandibular distances condylion-gonion, gonion-menton, and condylion-menton. No significant differences were observed between the x-ray assistants in taking the OPTs and lateral cephalograms or in repositioning the skulls. Significant differences were found between orthodontists and maxillofacial surgeons for landmark measurements. Conclusion: An OPT is as reliable as a lateral cephalogram for linear measurements of the mandible (condylion-gonion, gonion-menton, and condylion-menton).
Lisdexamfetamine in the treatment of adolescents and children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is one of the most common neurobehavioral disorders defined by developmentally inappropriate levels of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Symptoms begin in childhood and may persist into adolescence and adulthood. Currently available pharmacological treatment options for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents include stimulants that are efficacious and well tolerated; however, many of these preparations require multiple daily dosing and have the potential for abuse. Lisdexamfetamine dimesylate, the first prodrug stimulant, was developed to provide a longer duration of effect. It demonstrates a predictable delivery of the active drug, d-amphetamine, with low interpatient variability, and has a reduced potential for abuse. A literature search of the MEDLINE database and clinical trials register from 1995–2011, as well as relevant abstracts presented at annual professional meetings, on lisdexamfetamine dimesylate in children and adolescents were included for review. This article presents the pharmacokinetic profile, efficacy, and safety of lisdexamfetamine dimesylate for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and, more recently, in adolescents.
Reinforcing Mechanical Strength of Electrospun Chitosan Nanofibrous Scaffold Using Cellulose Nanofibers

In this study, cellulose nanofibers (CNF) was used as a reinforcing material to improve mechanichal strenght of chitosan nanofibrous scaffold. Chitosan scaffolds with different amount of CNF ranging 5.0-20.0 Wt. % were fabricated by adding CNF to chitosan solutions before electrospinning. Both the tensile strength and tensile modulus of the scaffolds were increased as a result of CNF addition. An increase of 4.3 fold (from 2.9±0/02 to 12.7±0/4 MPa) in tensile strength and 4.04 fold (from 86.5±1.7 to 349.5±19.4 P) in Young's modulus were observed after addition of 15 wt. % CNF. The microscopy studies showed that the diameter of the electrospun fibers decreased with the addition of CNF. The diameter decreased from 175± 7 nm to 100±29 nm when 15 wt% CNF were added. Evaluation of cell adhesion by SEM showed that fibroblast cells not only can attachment on the surface of NFC reinforced scaffolds but also can infilterate inside the scaffolds. In addition, the nanocomposite schaffols dose not show any cytotoxic effect using MTT assay.
Analysis of Small-bowel Capsule Endoscopy Reading by Using Quickview Mode: Training Assistants for Reading May Produce a High Diagnostic Yield and Save Time for Physicians

Goal: The aim was to investigate the clinical utility of RAPID Access 6.5 Quickview software and to evaluate whether preview of the capsule endoscopy video by a trained nurse could detect significant lesions accurately compared with endoscopists. Background: As reading capsule endoscopy is time consuming, one possible cost-effective strategy could be the use of trained nonphysicians or newly available software to preread and identify potentially important capsule images. Study: The 100 capsule images of a variety of significant lesions from 87 patients were investigated. The minimum percentages for settings of sensitivity that could pick up the selected images and the detection rate for significant lesions by a well-trained nurse, two endoscopists with limited experience in reading, and one well-trained physician were examined. Results: The frequency of the selected lesions picked up by Quickview mode using percentages for sensitivity settings of 5%, 15%, 25%, and 35% were 61%, 74%, 93%, and 98%, respectively. The percentages for sensitivity significantly correlated (r=0.78, P<0.001) with the reading time. The detection rate by the nurse or the well-trained physician was significantly higher than that by the physician with limited capsule experience (87% and 84.1% vs. 62.7%; P<0.01). The clinical use of Quickview at 25% did not significantly improve the detection rate. Conclusions: Quickview mode can reduce reading time but has an unacceptably miss rate for potentially important lesions. Use of a trained nonphysician assistant can reduce physician’s time and improve diagnostic yield.
Soft-Input Soft-Output Non-Coherent Detection for Differential Space-Time Block Code Systems

A soft-input soft-output non-coherent detection algorithm is proposed for multi-antenna systems, where differential space-time block code is employed. The proposed algorithm aims to calculate a posteriori probabilities of the information bits by means of forward and backward message passing of the BCJR approach. The proposed algorithm can exploit the soft information effectively with the aid of the bidirectional message passing mechanism. In addition, the proposed algorithm can be exploited in conjunction with channel decoding to obtain an effective iterative detection and decoding approach. In view of low implementation complexity, the application of the proposed scheme is instantiated with the ultra-wideband impulse radio (UWB-IR) systems. Simulations show that the proposed approaches improve detection performance for UWB-IR systems.
Management of Locally Advanced Primary and Recurrent Rectal Cancer

Treatment for patients with locally advanced and recurrent rectal cancer differs significantly from patients with rectal cancer restricted to the mesorectum. Adequate preoperative imaging of the pelvis is therefore important to identify those patients who are candidates for multimodality treatment, including preoperative chemoradiation protocols, intraoperative radiotherapy, and extended surgical resections. Much effort should be made to select patients with these advanced tumors for treatment in specialized referral centers. This has been shown to reduce morbidity and mortality and improve long-term survival rates. In this article, we review the best treatment options for patients with locally advanced and recurrent rectal cancer. We also emphasize the necessity of a multidisciplinary team, including a radiologist, radiation oncologist, urologist, surgical oncologist, plastic surgeon, and gynecologist in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with these pelvic tumors.
Reversible absorptive defects in anticonvulsant megaloblastic anaemia

Two cases of anticonvulsant megaloblastic anaemia are described, showing features of unusual interest. Though both cases were apparently deficient in folic acid, the Figlu tests were negative. One patient had an extremely low serum B12 concentration apparently associated with defective B12 absorption due to deficiency of intrinsic factor, and both showed impaired intestinal absorption of D-xylose. There was, however, no evidence of permanent gastro-intestinal dysfunction, and the absorptive defects disappeared completely after treatment with folic acid. Possible reasons for the findings are discussed. It is suggested that absorptive defects produced by the drugs may play some part in initiating anticonvulsant megaloblastic anaemia, and that once deficiencies of haemopoietic factors are established, a vicious circle may be set up owing to the effects of these deficiencies on the gastro-intestinal tract.
Biofilm penetration, triggered release and in vivo activity of inhaled liposomal amikacin in chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infections.

OBJECTIVES Chronic infections of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients are intractable antibiotic targets because of their biofilm mode of growth. We have investigated the biofilm penetration, mechanism of drug release and in vivo antimicrobial activity of a unique nanoscale liposomal formulation of amikacin designed specifically for nebulization and inhaled delivery. METHODS Penetration of fluorescently labelled liposomes into sputum or P. aeruginosa (PA3064) biofilms was monitored by a filter assay and by epifluorescence or confocal scanning laser microscopy. Amikacin release in vitro and rat lung levels after inhalation of nebulized material were measured by fluorescence polarization immunoassay. A 14 day agar bead model of chronic Pseudomonas lung infection in rats was used to assess the efficacy of liposomal amikacin versus free aminoglycosides in the reduction of bacterial count. RESULTS Fluorescent liposomes penetrated readily into biofilms and infected mucus, whereas larger (1 microm) fluorescent beads did not. Amikacin release from liposomes was mediated by sputum or Pseudomonas biofilm supernatants. Rhamnolipids were implicated as the major releasing factors in these supernatants, active at one rhamnolipid per several hundred lipids within the liposomes. Inhaled liposomal amikacin was released in a slow, sustained manner in normal rat lungs and was orders of magnitude more efficacious than inhaled free amikacin in infected lungs. CONCLUSIONS Penetration of biofilm and targeted, sustained release from liposomes can explain the superior in vivo efficacy of inhaled liposomal amikacin versus free drug observed in a 14 day infection model. Inhaled liposomal amikacin may represent an important therapy for chronic lung infections.
Shelter proximity and affect among homeless smokers making a quit attempt.

OBJECTIVES To explore the associations between shelter proximity and real-time affect during a specific smoking quit attempt among 22 homeless adults. METHODS Affect was measured via 485 smartphone-based Ecological Momentary Assessments randomly administered during the weeks immediately before and after the quit day, and proximity to the shelter was measured via GPS. Adjusted linear mixed model regressions examined associations between shelter proximity and affect. RESULTS Closer proximity to the shelter was associated with greater negative affect only during the post-quit attempt week (p = .008). All participants relapsed to smoking by one week post-quit attempt. CONCLUSIONS Among homeless smokers trying to quit, the shelter may be associated with unexpected negative affect/stress. Potential intervention applications are suggested.
Insulin catalyzes the curcumin-induced wound healing: An in vitro model for gingival repair

Objectives: Human gingival fibroblasts (hGFs) play a major role in the maintenance and repair of gingival connective tissue. The mitogen insulin with IGFs etc. synergizes in facilitating wound repair. Although curcumin (CUR) and insulin regulate apoptosis, their impact as a combination on hGF in wound repair remains unknown. Our study consists of: 1) analysis of insulin-mediated mitogenesis on CUR-treated hGF cells, and 2) development of an in vitro model of wound healing. Materials and Methods: Apoptotic rate in CUR-treated hGF cells with and without insulin was observed by AnnexinV/PI staining, nuclear morphological analysis, FACS and DNA fragmentation studies. Using hGF confluent cultures, wounds were mechanically created in vitro and incubated with the ligands for 48 h in 0.2% fetal bovine serum DMEM. Results: CUR alone showed dose-dependent (1–50 μM) effects on hGF. Insulin (1 μg/ml) supplementation substantially enhanced cell survival through up-regulation of mitogenesis/anti-apoptotic elements. Conclusions: The in vitro model for gingival wound healing establishes that insulin significantly enhanced wound filling faster than CUR-treated hGF cells over 48 h. This reinforces the pivotal role of insulin in supporting CUR-mediated wound repair. The findings have significant bearing in metabolic dysfunctions, e.g. diabetes, atherosclerosis, etc., especially under Indian situations.
Determinants and consequences of Facebook feature use

Despite explosive growth in the number of Facebook users, little research has investigated the use of different Facebook features. Thus, this study explored what motivates people to use various Facebook features as well as the social impact of using the website itself. Users with experience in both social interaction and social game features offered by Facebook were invited to participate in a survey. Our proposed research model was evaluated using the partial least-squares (PLS) method. Results show that social needs, enjoyment needs, and trend-following significantly influence the use of the social interaction features on Facebook, while immersion needs and achievement needs significantly influence the use of social games associated with the website. Interestingly, we found that different clusters of individuals have different sets of motivations. Furthermore, both social interaction features and social game features have positive correlations with social ties.
Advances in imaging of inflammatory breast cancer

The key roles of imaging in inflammatory breast cancer using mammography, sonography, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography/computed tomography to facilitate image‐guided biopsy for biomarker evaluation, delineate disease extent, diagnose distant metastases, and monitor response to therapy are described in this article. Cancer 2010;116(11 suppl):2755–7. © 2010 American Cancer Society.