Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of the pharmacokinetics of moxidectin and ivermectin after oral administration to beagle dogs

This study compares plasma disposition kinetics of ivermectin and moxidectin after oral administration to beagle dogs experimentally infected with the filarial parasite, Brugia pahangi. Sixteen dogs were selected and randomly allocated into two groups of eight dogs each. Animals in each group received either ivermectin or moxidectin by oral route at a dose of 250 µg/kg. Blood samples were collected from 0.5 h up to 56 days post‐treatment and the plasma was analysed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The obtained data were analysed by compartmental and non‐compartmental pharmacokinetic techniques. Peak plasma concentrations (Cmax) of 234.0 ± 64.3 ng/ml (mean ± SD) were obtained for moxidectin and 132.6 ± 43.0 ng/ml for ivermectin. The terminal elimination half‐life was significantly (p<0.01) longer in the moxidectin treated group (621.3 ± 149.3 h) than for ivermectin treated group (80.3 ± 29.8 h). A significantly (p< 0.01) larger Vss/F was obtained for moxidectin (19.21 ± 3.61 l/kg) compared with ivermectin (5.35 ± 1.29 l/kg). The mean estimates of CL/F of moxidectin and ivermectin were 0.0220 ± 0.00381 and 0.0498 ± 0.0179 l/h/kg, respectively. The comparative plasma disposition kinetics of ivermectin and moxidectin in dogs is reported for the first time. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of Dietary Protein Content on Growth of Juvenile Mussels, Mytilus trossulus (Gould 1850).

Juvenile mussels, Mytilus trossulus, were fed for 3 weeks on either low-protein (LP) algae, high-protein (HP) algae, or a combination of LP algae and protein microcapsules (PM). Growth rates of mussels fed a satiation ration of 27.5% body weight (bw; ash-free dry weight of algae/ash-free dry tissue weight of mussels) per day of LP algae (28% protein percent weight per weight) were significantly (P < 0.05) lower than growth rates of mussels fed a satiation ration (27.5% bw d-1) of HP algae (43% protein weight per weight). However, growth rates of mussels fed LP algae (27.5% bw d-1) supplemented with one of three different rations (6, 12 and 18% bw d-1) of PM increased proportionally to PM ration size. Mussels fed a diet containing LP algae with the highest level of PM supplementation grew at rates that were not significantly different from those of mussels fed a diet of HP algae alone. Growth rates of mussels fed LP algae alone were not improved if the ration of LP algae was increased (34.1% bw d-1), indicating that the positive growth response of mussels fed PM supplements was due to an increase in dietary protein content and not simply due to an overall increase in food (energy) availability. In addition, mussels fed LP algae had O/N ratios > 18, indicating that they were conserving dietary protein from catabolism; whereas mussels fed protein-rich diets had O/N ratios <10, indicating that they were catabolizing dietary protein. These results suggest that dietary protein contents below 40% w/w and dietary C/N ratios above 10 can qualitatively limit growth rates of juvenile M. trossulus.
Aurora kinases: novel therapy targets in cancers

Aurora kinases, a family of serine/threonine kinases, consisting of Aurora A (AURKA), Aurora B (AURKB) and Aurora C (AURKC), are essential kinases for cell division via regulating mitosis especially the process of chromosomal segregation. Besides regulating mitosis, Aurora kinases have been implicated in regulating meiosis. The deletion of Aurora kinases could lead to failure of cell division and impair the embryonic development. Overexpression or gene amplification of Aurora kinases has been clarified in a number of cancers. And a growing number of studies have demonstrated that inhibition of Aurora kinases could potentiate the effect of chemotherapies. For the past decades, a series of Aurora kinases inhibitors (AKIs) developed effectively repress the progression and growth of many cancers both in vivo and in vitro, suggesting that Aurora kinases could be a novel therapeutic target. In this review, we'll first briefly present the structure, localization and physiological functions of Aurora kinases in mitosis, then describe the oncogenic role of Aurora kinases in tumorigenesis, we shall finally discuss the outcomes of AKIs combination with conventional therapy.
Decay Rate Estimators and Their Performance for Blind Reverberation Time Estimation

Several approaches for blind estimation of reverberation time have been presented in the literature and decay rate estimation is an integral part of many, if not all, of such approaches. This paper provides both an analytical and experimental comparison, in terms of the bias and variance of three common decay rate estimators; a straight-forward linear regression approach as well as two maximum-likelihood based methods. Situations with and without interfering additive noise are considered. It is shown that the linear regression based approach is unbiased if no smoothing is applied, and that the estimation variance in the absence of noise is constantly about twice that of the maximum-likelihood based methods. It is shown that the methods that do not take possible noise into account suffer from similar estimation bias in the presence of noise. Further, a hybrid method, combining the noise robustness and low computational complexity advantages of the two different maximum-likelihood based methods, is presented.
Replica-Exchange Accelerated Molecular Dynamics (REXAMD) Applied to Thermodynamic Integration

Accelerated molecular dynamics (AMD) is an efficient strategy for accelerating the sampling of molecular dynamics simulations, and observable quantities such as free energies derived on the biased AMD potential can be reweighted to yield results consistent with the original, unmodified potential. In conventional AMD the reweighting procedure has an inherent statistical problem in systems with large acceleration, where the points with the largest biases will dominate the reweighted result and reduce the effective number of data points. We propose a replica exchange of various degrees of acceleration (REXAMD) to retain good statistics while achieving enhanced sampling. The REXAMD method is validated and benchmarked on two simple gas-phase model systems, and two different strategies for computing reweighted averages over a simulation are compared.
Nanofabrication by scanning probe microscope lithography: A review

In addition to its well-known capabilities in imaging and spectroscopy, scanning probe microscopy (SPM) has recently shown great potentials for patterning of material structures in nanoscales. It has drawn the attention of not only the scientific community, but also the industry. This article examines various applications of SPM in modification, deposition, removal, and manipulation of materials for nanoscale fabrication. The SPM-based nanofabrication involves two basic technologies: scanning tunneling microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Major techniques related to these two technologies are evaluated with emphasis on their abilities, efficiencies, and reliabilities to make nanostructures. The principle and specific approach underlying each technique are presented; the differences and uniqueness among these techniques are subsequently discussed. Finally, concluding remarks are provided where the strength and weakness of the techniques studied are summarized and the scopes for technology improvement and future research are recommended.
Efficacy of ursodeoxycholic acid in treating intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) on pruritus, liver test results, and outcomes of babies born to women with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP). METHODS We performed a systematic review of 9 published, randomized controlled trials (3 double blinded) that compared the effects of UDCA to other drugs, placebo, or no specific treatment (controls) in patients with ICP. We analyzed data from 454 patients: 207 received only UDCA, 70 received only placebo, 42 received cholestyramine, 36 received dexamethasone for 1 week and then placebo for 2 weeks, 65 received S-adenosyl-methionine, and 34 received no specific treatment. To achieve consistency among end points, a standard questionnaire was sent to all corresponding authors. For each end point, we performed pooled analysis that compared the effects of UDCA with those of all controls and UDCA with those of placebos. RESULTS In pooled analyses that compared UDCA with all controls, UDCA was associated with total resolution of pruritus (odds ratio [OR], 0.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.07-0.74; P < .01), reduced pruritis (OR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.13-0.55; P < .0001), normalization of serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (OR, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.10-0.50; P < .001), decreased serum level of ALT (OR, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.11-0.52; P < .0001), reduced serum levels of bile acids (OR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.19-0.75; P < .001), fewer premature births (OR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.24-0.79; P < .01), reduced fetal distress (OR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.25-0.86; P < .01), less frequent respiratory distress syndrome (OR, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.12-0.74; P < .01), and fewer neonates in the intensive care unit (OR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.25-0.98; P = .046). In pooled analyses that compared the effects of UDCA with placebo, UDCA reduced pruritus (OR, 0.21; 95% CI, 0.07-0.62; P < .01), normalized (OR, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.06-0.52; P < .001) or decreased serum levels of ALT (OR, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.05-0.31; P < .0001), and reduced serum levels of bile acids (OR, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.12-0.73; P < .01). CONCLUSIONS Based on a meta-analysis, UDCA is effective in reducing pruritus and improving liver test results in patients with ICP; UDCA therapy might also benefit fetal outcomes.
Caveolar microdomains of the sarcolemma: compartmentation of signaling molecules comes of age.

For more than two decades, investigators who have been studying signal transduction in the heart (and other tissues) have struggled to explain data implicating the existence of “compartmentation. ” The data have included evidence for selective effects of certain types of hormonal and neurotransmitter agonists on “downstream” events, in spite of their utilization of common “upstream” second messenger pathways.1 2 The concept of compartmentation arose, at least partially, as an explanation for such phenomena. Yet progress in defining the physical nature of these compartments has, until recently, been rather slow. One problem has been that the biochemical paradigm, which typically involves destroying cells, isolating subcellular fractions, and assaying enzymatic or other activity, is not particularly well suited for precise identification of signaling domains responsible for compartmentation. Consider the folly of this type of approach if one were to use it to identify each of the parts of an appliance, such as a television set. One would smash the appliance, breaking it down into smaller pieces and then attempt to assemble these “fractions” in order to try and learn the function of each component. Nevertheless, progress has recently accelerated in this area, in part because of evolving notions regarding the existence of specialized regions of the sarcolemmal membrane. Early work in a variety of cell types focused on the role of clathrin-coated pit regions that were involved in receptor-mediated endocytosis, in particular of transport proteins and certain receptors.3 More recently, such coated pit regions have been implicated in receptor-promoted internalization of G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs). 4 5 Another specialized region of the plasma membrane that has attracted increasing attention is the caveola, a specialized membrane invagination (“little cave”), whose morphology was originally described in the 1950s. These structures were first identified in endothelial cells and were described as having an …
Calcifying fibrous pseudotumor

A case of calcifying fibrous pseudotumor arising In the lngune of a 20‐year‐old Japanese female Is described. The patient had a well‐circumscrlbed subcutaneous mass measuring 2.0 cm In greatest diameter, which had been present for 3 months. Mlcroscoplcally. the tumor was not encapsulated but well defined. The tumor was composed largely of dense interwoven bundles of collagen. Uniform, elongated spindle cells were scattered among the collagenous bundles and showed a wavy pattern. Lymphoid follicles with germinal centers and an infiltration of lymphocytes and plasma cells wore intermingled. The tumor was characterized by the presonce of micracalcifications, chiefly dystrophic calcifications, throughout the Iesion. The spindle cells were diffusely positive for vimentin and α‐smooth muscle actin. They were uniformly nagative for desmin, muscle specific actin HHF35, frctor‐VII related antigen, S‐100 protein. neurofilament, cytokeratin CAM5.2, CD34, and CD31. By flow cytometry the tumor had a diplold DNA content with S‐phase fractions of 2.5%. The patient was well with no evidence of disease 2 months after excision.
Sexuality and Genetic Identity in theAgaricus Section Arvenses

ABSTRACT Twelve wild collections and one commercial strain were used to characterize breeding systems and to develop molecular identities in the Arvenses section of the genus Agaricus, which includes the “horse mushroom” A. arvensis. Two morphotypes were identified based on macro- and micromorphological features. However, not all collections could be delimited by conventional taxonomic characters. Sequencing of the small subunit intergenic spacer (ITS) region (368 to 370 bp) of the rRNA genes clearly resolved the 13 collections into two clusters consistent with the identified morphotypes. Single-spore progenies and mating type testers were established and used to test intra- and interstock compatibility. The two compatibility groups identified were consistent with ITS clusters. Compatibility group I stocks readily interbred within the constraints of a unifactorial heterothallic system with a multiallelic mating type factor. Compatibility group II had a more restricted breeding pattern, and interactions were difficult to predict on the basis of mating type. Morphological data, ITS sequences, and the ability to interbreed suggest that these collections are part of a complex of interrelated species. Single-spore, homokaryotic isolates from both compatibility groups were able to fruit in compost culture, and two of the collections may represent natural homokaryotic fruiting. We conclude that species from the section Arvenses have versatile unifactorial heterothallic life cycles that permit both interbreeding and homokaryotic fruiting.
themes Nuclear Receptors II . Intestinal corticosteroid receptors

Sheppard, Karen E. Nuclear Receptors. II. intestinal corticosteroid receptors. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 282: G742–G746, 2002. First published January 16, 2002; 10.1152/ajpgi.00531. 2001. —Two corticosteroid receptors have been cloned; they are the glucocorticoid receptor and the mineralocorticoid receptor. These receptors are members of the steroid/thyroid/retinoid receptor family of nuclear transactivating factors, which are characterized by two highly conserved zinc fingers in the central DNA binding domain, a COOHterminal domain that encompasses the ligand binding site, and a variable NH2-terminal domain. In addition to these cloned receptors, other corticosteroid receptors have recently been identified in intestine. Steroid binding studies have identified two novel putative corticosteroid receptors in intestinal epithelia, and molecular cloning studies have detected two low-affinity receptors in small intestine that are activated by corticosteroids and induce CYP3A gene expression. This article focuses on the identification of these novel corticosteroid receptors and the potential role they may play in intestinal physiology.
Usefulness of ultrasonography in predicting pleural effusions > 500 mL in patients receiving mechanical ventilation.

STUDY OBJECTIVE To assess the accuracy of chest ultrasonography in predicting pleural effusions > 500 mL in patients receiving mechanical ventilation. DESIGN Prospective study. SETTING Surgical and medical ICU in a teaching hospital. PATIENTS Forty-four patients receiving mechanical ventilation with indications of chest drainage of a nonloculated pleural effusion. INTERVENTIONS Diagnosis of pleural effusion was based on clinical examination and chest radiography. Chest drainage was indicated when considered as potentially useful for the patient (hypoxemia and/or weaning failure). Sonograms were performed before drainage at the bedside, in the supine position, and measurements were performed at the end of expiration. Effusions were classified as > 500 mL or < or = 500 mL according to the drained volume. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS The drained volume ranged from 100 to 1,800 mL (mean, 730 +/- 440 mL [+/- SD]). The distance between the lung and posterior chest wall at the lung base (PLDbase) and the distance between the lung and posterior chest wall at the fifth intercostal space (PLD5) were significantly correlated with the drained volume (PLDbase, r = 0.68, p < 0.001; PLD5, r = 0.56, p < 0.001). A PLDbase > 5 cm predicted a drained volume > 500 mL with a sensitivity of 83%, specificity of 90%, positive predictive value of 91%, and negative predictive value of 82%. Interobserver and intraobserver percentages of error were, respectively, 7 +/- 6% and 9 +/- 6% for PLDbase, and 6 +/- 5% and 8 +/- 5% for PLD5. The PaO2/fraction of inspired oxygen ratio significantly increased after chest drainage in patients with collected volumes > 500 mL (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Bedside pleural ultrasonography accurately predicted a nonloculated pleural effusion > 500 mL in patients receiving mechanical ventilation using simple and reproducible measurements.
Soft kinetic data structures

We introduce the framework of soft kinetic data structures (SKDS). A soft kinetic data structure is an approximate data structure that can be used to answer queries on a set of moving objects with unpredictable motion. We analyze the quality of a soft kinetic data structure by giving a competitive analysis with respect to the dynamics of the system. We illustrate our approach by presenting soft kinetic data structures for maintaining classical data structures: sorted arrays, balanced search trees, heaps, and range trees. We also describe soft kinetic data structures for maintaining the Euclidean minimum spanning trees.
Induction of ovulation in the diestrous mouse by gonadotropins.

THE INDUCTION of ovulation in adult mice by a single injection of chorionic gonadotropin was reported by Burdick and Whitney (1941). Later Burdick et al (1943) developed this into an assay method. Using adult diestrous mice, and administering the hormone in a single subcutaneous injection, they found that 0.75 I.U. of chorionic gonadotropin induced ovulation in some cases within 24 hours, while 1 I.U produced ovulation in 100 per cent of the mice. They proposed a unit based on ovulation in 50 per cent of the animals. Although they did not test either pregnant mare's serum or pituitary extracts in adult diestrous mice, they found that in immature mice, chorionic gonadotropin was 2 to 4 times as effective as pregnant mare's serum when both were standardized in international units.
Themes of Maba Manuk Mbur Texts in Karonese Society

The objectives of this study were to describe and to analyze the themes of maba manuk mbur sentences in Karonese society. The research was conducted using the qualitative method and Systemic Functional Linguistics. The data obtained was analyzed. There are 38 sentences in this study . The focuses of the analysis were on the topical theme of maba manuk mbur texts in Karonese society . The results reveal of the 38 sentences in Karonese language, there are 6 (2.28 %) textual themes, and 1 (2,63 %) interpersonal theme. Topical theme has 13 (34.21 %) marked theme and 18 (47.36 %) unmarked themes. The most number of themes were topical themes, 18 elements (47,36%) as unmarked themes in Karonese language. The themes in the first position analyzed regarded to systemic functional linguistics.
Evaluation of p53 Immunohistochemical Expression Using Open-Source Software for Digital Image Analysis. A Tissue Microarray Study of Penile Squamous Cell Carcinomas

The addition of molecular biomarkers is needed to increase the accuracy of pathologic factors as prognosticators of outcome in penile squamous cell carcinomas (SCC). Evaluation of these biomarkers is usually carried out by immunohistochemistry. Herein we assess p53 immunohistochemical expression on tissue samples of penile SCC using freely-available, open-source software packages for digital image analysis. We also compared the results of digital analysis with standard visual estimation. Percentages of p53 positive cells were higher by visual estimation than by digital analysis. However, correlation was high between both methods. Our study shows that evaluation of p53 immunohistochemical expression is feasible using open-source software packages for digital image analysis. Although our analysis was limited to penile SCC, the rationale should also hold for other tumor types in which evaluation of p53 immunohistochemical expression is required. This approach would reduce interobserver variability, and would provide a standardized method for reporting the results of immunohistochemical stains. As these diagnostic tools are freely-available online, researchers and practicing pathologists could incorporate them in their daily practice without increasing diagnostic costs.
Face Tracking and Recognition in Videos : HMM Vs KNN

The problem of tracking and recognizing faces in real-world, noisy videos is addressed. While traditional face recognition is typically based on still images, face recognition from video sequences has become popular recently. This work describes a new method to perform face recognition from video sequences. Faces are detected, tracked and recognized in a video sequence using Hidden Markov Model and K-Nearest Neighbor. Feature extraction for tracking and recognition is performed by Principal Component Analysis. This process also allows locating and extracting facial feature regions around the eyes, nose and mouth. Identity of the tracked subject is established by fusing pose-discriminant and person-discriminant features over the duration of a video sequence. This leads to a robust video-based face recognizer with the state-of-the-art recognition performance. The quality of tracking and face recognition on real-world noisy videos as well as the standard Honda/UCSD database is tested.
Aspect-specification based on structural type information

Aspects developed in aspect-oriented systems often need to hook onto multiple objects that share common structural characteristics - such as attributes and operations. In strongly-typed aspect-oriented systems like AspectJ these objects need to be of common type so that pointcuts may designate them and pieces of advice may interact with them. Such type-systems are typically based on nominal types, therefore, aspects cannot interact with objects according to their structural information in a common way. This paper argues that specifying aspects based on a nominal type system is not sufficient and shows that aspect-specifications based on structural characteristics overcome this problem. A corresponding extension of the nominal type systems is proposed and illustrated by means of structural types and compound types.