Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modelling of drug permeation in human skin in vitro from ﬁnite dose applications

Purpose: To model and interpret drug distribution in the dermis and underlying tissues after topical application which is relevant to the treatment of local conditions. Methods: We created a new physiological pharmacokinetic model to describe the effect of blood flow, blood protein binding and dermal binding on the rate and depth of penetration of topical drugs into the underlying skin. We used this model to interpret literature in vivo human biopsy data on dermal drug concentration at various depths in the dermis after topical application of 6 substances. This interpretation was facilitated by our in vitro human dermal penetration studies in which dermal diffusion coefficient and binding were estimated. Results: The model shows that dermal diffusion alone cannot explain the in vivo data and blood and/or lymphatic transport to deep tissues must be present for almost all of the drugs tested. Conclusion: Topical drug delivery systems for deeper tissue delivery should recognise that blood/ lymphatic transport may dominate over dermal diffusion for certain compounds.
False-Positive Aspergillus Galactomannan Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Results In Vivo during Amoxicillin-Clavulanic Acid Treatment

ABSTRACT Positive Platelia Aspergillus test results were observed in consecutive serum samples from an immunocompromised host during amoxicillin-clavulanic acid treatment, and a correlation between plasmatic amoxicillin concentration and galactomannan optical density index was observed. Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid vials tested positive for galactomannan but were negative for Aspergillus DNA.
An interlaboratory comparison of dosimetry for a multi-institutional radiobiological research project: Observations, problems, solutions and lessons learned

Abstract Purpose: An interlaboratory comparison of radiation dosimetry was conducted to determine the accuracy of doses being used experimentally for animal exposures within a large multi-institutional research project. The background and approach to this effort are described and discussed in terms of basic findings, problems and solutions. Methods: Dosimetry tests were carried out utilizing optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dosimeters embedded midline into mouse carcasses and thermal luminescence dosimeters (TLD) embedded midline into acrylic phantoms. Results: The effort demonstrated that the majority (4/7) of the laboratories was able to deliver sufficiently accurate exposures having maximum dosing errors of ≤5%. Comparable rates of ‘dosimetric compliance’ were noted between OSL- and TLD-based tests. Data analysis showed a highly linear relationship between ‘measured’ and ‘target’ doses, with errors falling largely between 0 and 20%. Outliers were most notable for OSL-based tests, while multiple tests by ‘non-compliant’ laboratories using orthovoltage X-rays contributed heavily to the wide variation in dosing errors. Conclusions: For the dosimetrically non-compliant laboratories, the relatively high rates of dosing errors were problematic, potentially compromising the quality of ongoing radiobiological research. This dosimetry effort proved to be instructive in establishing rigorous reviews of basic dosimetry protocols ensuring that dosing errors were minimized.
Crop and field boundary influences on the activity of a wide range of beneficial invertebrate groups on a split conventional/organic farm in northern England

Abstract Activity of 12 beneficial invertebrate groups was assessed in 2005 and 2006 on a farm in northern England split into conventional and organic management halves, using pitfall and pan traps set in both crops and field boundaries. Management, crop and boundary structure influences on invertebrate activity were assessed, as was the relationship between crop and boundary type. Classification of crop and boundary assemblages produced three and two groups, respectively, in both years. Organic arable crops had well-defined assemblages in both years; and, while grass and grass/clover fields were separated from conventional arable fields in 2005, there was mixing in 2006. One boundary group, in both years, was dominated by conventional arable fields with tall herbaceous boundary vegetation. The other group had more organic arable and grassy fields with shorter boundary vegetation. Redundancy analyses showed that a number of groups (Cantharidae, Coccinellidae, Syrphidae, Ichneumonidae, Braconidae, Proctotrupoidea, Lycosidae) were more active in organic arable fields with more Staphylinidae in conventional arable crops and no obvious trend with Carabidae, Hemiptera, Neuroptera and Linyphiidae. Activity of some groups, especially Coccinellidae, Syrphidae and parasitic wasps, was strongly related to weed cover. Staphylinidae were most active in tall herbaceous boundaries by conventional arable crops with more of a number of groups (Cantharidae, Coccinellidae, parasitic wasps) in short herbaceous boundaries by organic arable crops. Organic management produced most differences in aerially-dispersed invertebrates, and management had a profound effect on activity in field boundaries. Possible management prescriptions to increase invertebrate activity include changing sowing times, weed cover manipulation and field boundary and margin management.
Hardware accelerated shaders using FPGA's

We demonstrate that Field Programable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) can be used to accelerate shading of surfaces for production quality rendering (a task standard interactive graphics hardware is generally ill-suited to) by allowing circuits to be dynamically created at run-time on standard commercial logic boards. By compiling shaders to hardware descriptions, they can be executed on FPGA with the performance of hardware without sacriﬁcing the ﬂexibility of software implementations. The resulting circuits are fully pipelined, and for circuits within the capacity of the FPGA can shade MicroPolygons at a ﬁxed rate independent of shader complexity.
Quality of General Movements Is Related to White Matter Pathology in Very Preterm Infants

OBJECTIVE. Preterm infants are at an increased risk for abnormalities of general movements, which predict subsequent poor neurodevelopmental outcome. The cerebral lesion that predisposes the preterm infant to abnormal general movements remains unknown. The objective of this study was to determine the association between MRI-defined cerebral abnormalities and general movements at 1 and 3 months' corrected age in infants who were born very preterm. METHODS. Eighty-six preterm infants (<30 weeks' gestation) were prospectively recruited and underwent brain MRI at term-equivalent age to investigate the relationship between qualitative white and gray matter pathology and abnormality of general movements. Standardized videotaped recordings of general movements were obtained at 1 and 3 months postterm (±1 week) and scored without knowledge of the MRI findings. At 1 month corrected age, general movements of a writhing character were classified as normal or abnormal (poor repertoire, cramped synchronized, or chaotic). At 3 months' corrected age, fidgety general movements were classified as present or absent. RESULTS. At 1 month, 53 (62%) infants had abnormal general movements, 46 of whom had poor repertoire general movements and 7 of whom had cramped synchronized general movements. At 3 months, 23 (25%) infants had absent fidgety movements. At both 1 and 3 months of age, consistently abnormal general movement classifications were related to increasing white matter abnormality on MRI. In contrast, there were no significant relationships between general movement classifications and gray matter abnormalities, either individually or in total. CONCLUSION. The significant relationships between general movements at 1 and 3 months and cerebral white matter abnormalities on MRI in the very preterm infant support the concept that abnormal general movements reflect white matter injury.
The effects of music therapy for older people with dementia.

UNLABELLED The aim of this literature review is to explore how music therapy influences the behaviour of older people with dementia. BACKGROUND Music therapy is often informally used in residential care units to enhance communication, emotional, cognitive and behavioural skills in elderly patients diagnosed with dementia both nationally and internationally. However, in Ireland the benefits of music therapy have not been fully recognized. Many studies have been carried out to establish the effectiveness of music therapy on the behaviour of older people with dementia with positive findings. Music therapy should be welcomed into care of the elderly settings in Ireland and elsewhere; however, more research is required to validate the effects of this therapy as a holistic tool to build altruistic connections between carers and clients. METHOD A comprehensive review of nursing literature using the online databases CINAHL, PsycINFO and MEDLINE were carried out. The search was limited to articles in the English language and peer-reviewed journals dating 2003-2009. RESULTS Thirteen studies were reviewed and the majority of these studies reported that music therapy influenced the behaviour of older people with dementia in a positive way by reducing levels of agitation. The research further identified a positive increase in participants' mood and socialization skills, with carers having a significant role to play in the use of music therapy in care of the elderly nursing. However, methodological limitations were apparent throughout each of the studies reviewed. RECOMMENDATIONS With reference to clinical practice, the authors recommend the undertaking of further research to explore the effects of music therapy on the behaviour and wellbeing of older people with dementia.
Afferent and efferent synaptic conncetions sof somatostatin‐immunoreactive neurons in the rat fascia dentata

The aim of this study was to determine whether somatostatin (SS)‐immunoreactive neurons of the rat fascia dentata are involved in specific excitatory circuitries that may result in their selective damage in modeis of epilepsy. Synaptic connections of SS‐immunoreactive neurons were determined at the electron microscopic level by using normal and colchicine pretreated rats. Vibratome sections prepared from both fascia dentata of control animals and from rats that had received an ipsilateral lesion of the entorhinal cortex cortex 30‐36 hours before sacrifice were immunostained for SS by using a monoclonal anatibody (SS8). Correlated light and electron microscopic analysis demonstrated that many SS‐immunoreactive neurons in the hilus send dendritic processes into the outer molecular layer of the fascia dentata, and dendrites of the same neurons occupy broad areas in the dentate hilar area. The majority of SS‐immunoreactive axon terminals form symmetric synapses with the granule cell dendrites in the outer molecular laayer and also innervate deep hilar neuronns. Via their dendrites in the outer molelcular layer, the SS‐immunoreactive neurons receive synaptic inputs from perforant pathway axons which were identified by their anaterograde degeneration following entorhinal lesions. The axons from the entorhinal cortex are the first segment of the main hippocampal excitatory loop. The hilar dendrites of the same SS‐immunoreactive cells establish synapses with the mossy axon collaterals which represent the second member in this excitatory neuronal chain. These observations suggest that SS‐immunoreactive neurons in the dentate hilar area amay be driven directly by their perforant path synapses and via the granule cells which are known to receive a dense innervation from the entorhinal cortex. These observations demonstrate that SS‐immunoreactive neurons in the hilar region of integerated in the main excitatory impulse flow of the hippocampal formation.
Receptor mechanisms of antipsychotic drug action in bipolar disorder – focus on asenapine

The atypical antipsychotic drugs are considered a first-line treatment for mania in bipolar disorder with many having a proven superiority to the classical mood stabilisers. This review addresses the pharmacological mechanisms underlying this therapeutic efficacy, as well as those mechanisms considered responsible for the adverse effects of antipsychotic drugs, with a particular focus on the recently introduced asenapine. The high efficacy in bipolar mania of haloperidol, a relatively selective dopamine D2-like receptor antagonist, indicates that the one common receptor mechanism underlying antipsychotic effects on mania is antagonism at the D2 receptor. Serotonin receptors are implicated in antidepressant response, and relief of depressed mood in mixed states is likely to involve drug effects at one, or more likely several interacting, serotonin receptors. Asenapine shows a unique breadth of action at these sites, with potential effects at clinical doses at 5HT1A, 1B, 2A, 2C, 6 and 7 receptors. Antagonism at alpha2 adrenoceptors may also be involved. Adverse effects include those classically associated with dopamine D2 receptor blockade, the extrapyramidal side effects (EPS), and which are relatively diminished in the atypical (in comparison with the conventional) antipsychotics. A variety of protective mechanisms against EPS associated with different drugs include low D2 affinity, D2 partial agonism, high 5-HT2A and 2C antagonism. Similar effects at the D2 and 5-HT2C receptors may underlie the low propensity for hyperprolactinaemia of the atypicals, although the strong prolactin-elevating effect of risperidone reflects its relatively high blood/brain concentration ratio, a consequence of it being a substrate for the p-glycoprotein pump. Weight gain is a further concern of antipsychotic treatment of bipolar disorder which is particularly severe with olanzapine. Histamine H1, alpha1 adrenergic and particularly 5-HT2C receptors are implicated in this effect, although the lower propensity for weight gain shown by asenapine which, like olanzapine, binds to these receptors, indicates that other protective receptor mechanisms, or subtle differences in the 5-HT2C receptor-mediated effects, may be important. Of other peripheral and central effects, the pharmacological basis of sedation (H1 receptors) and postural hypotension (alpha1 adrenoceptors) are rather better understood. The relative benefits of atypical antipsychotics like asenapine can be understood from their receptor pharmacology, and this understanding is key to the future development of improved treatment for bipolar disorder.
Subacute Effects of the Thiodicarb Pesticide on Target Organs of Male Wistar Rats: Biochemical, Histological, and Flow Cytometry Studies

Thiodicarb, a carbamate pesticide widely used on crops, may pose several environmental and health concerns. This study aimed to explore its toxicological profile on male rats using hematological, biochemical, histopathological, and flow cytometry markers. Exposed animals were dosed daily at 10, 20, or 40 mg/kg/body weight (group A, B, and C, respectively) during 30 d. No significant changes were observed in hematological parameters among all groups. After 10 d, a decrease of total cholesterol levels was noted in rats exposed to 40 mg/kg. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity increased (group A at 20 d; groups A and B at 30 d) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (group B at 30 d) activity significantly reduced. At 30 d a decrease of some of the other evaluated parameters was observed with total cholesterol and urea levels in group A as well as total protein and creatinine levels in groups A and B. Histological results demonstrated multi-organ dose-related damage in thiodicarb-exposed animals, evidenced as hemorrhagic and diffuse vacuolation in hepatic tissue; renal histology showed disorganized glomeruli and tubular cell degeneration; spleen was ruptured with white pulp and clusters of iron deposits within red pulp; significant cellular loss was noted at the cortex of thymus; and degenerative changes were observed within testis. The histopathologic alterations were most prominent in the high-dose group. Concerning flow cytometry studies, an increase of lymphocyte number, especially T lymphocytes, was seen in blood samples from animals exposed to the highest dose. Taken together, these results indicate marked systemic organ toxicity in rats after subacute exposure to thiodicarb.
Orienting India : Interwar Internationalism in an Asian Inflection, 1917-1937

‘Orienting India: Interwar Internationalism in an Asian Inflection, 1917-1937’ is an intellectual history of (Pan-) Asianist individuals, initiatives and movements in South Asia in the years between the two world wars. The First World War, the Bolshevik Revolution and the establishment of the League of Nations all gave a strong impetus to individuals and movements who sought to operate internationally. Within this proliferation of internationalist activism, Indian artists, intellectuals, activists, feminists, religious revivalists, trade unionists, and others framed their thoughts and actions on an Asian scale. Their projects for Asian unification ranged from specific causes, such as drawing international attention to the dismal working conditions in Asian industries, to political unification in a future Asian federation. In examining these different expressions of Asianism, this study seeks to demonstrate that (Pan-) Asianism was an important part of the Indian public sphere in the interwar years, and that this regionalist enthusiasm occurred across the political and religious spectrum.
A survey on design of self-powered wireless sensor network

Supporting sensor application over wireless sensor node (WSN) is more challenging than over any other sensor due to the absence of a convenient way to maintenance the sensor node, especially in changing of energy source (batteries). In this paper, we solve this problem by using the ambient energy source (solar), design the efficient power conversion, and low-power consumption in WSN system. Some modifications have been introduced considering the differences between wired and wireless network. The modifications also consider the differences wide of WSN for detection. Simulation study is carried out using PSPICE to demonstrate the performance of the power conversion mechanism. MPLAB is used for the proposed logical control (PIC). We show that the proposed mechanism outperforms the wireless sensor node reception and transmission in every situation (different levels of darkness).
A Potential Mechanism for Cu2+ Reduction, β-Cleavage, and β-Sheet Initiation Within The N-Terminal Domain of the Prion Protein: Insights from Density Functional Theory and Molecular Dynamics Calculations

The N-terminal region of the native human prion protein encompasses four highly conserved octarepeats that each contain a single His, Pro, Gln, and Trp residue as well as several Gly residues. At neutral pH these repeats are capable of individually binding copper (Cu2+) ions, involving the His side chain and the backbone amide of the Gly residues. In addition, the two His residues at positions 96 and 111 are also capable of binding Cu2+. At low concentrations of the metal ion or at low pH, one Cu2+ may be bound by multiple His residues of the four octarepeats. This complex is known to be redox active, while none of the other Cu2+-bound complexes are. Using density functional theory and molecular dynamics calculations data demonstrated how this form of the protein could reduce Cu2+, through a process involving electron transfer from the Trp side chain. The reduced Cu gives rise to reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can lead to β‐cleavage of the prion protein chain at any of the Gly residues around position 90. Protein fragments of lengths similar to those arising from β-cleavage are predominantly found in both healthy and Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD)-affected brains. Models of Cu binding to the His96 and His111 residues also indicate that different modes of Cu2+ binding result in formation of stable beta-hairpin structures in this region of the protein. It is postulated that through interactions with the C-terminal part of the protein these hairpins may initiate misfolding and yield more stable β-sheet structures that might associate in the same fashion with additional prion proteins.
A qualitative study exploring parental accounts of feeding pre-school children in two low-income populations in the UK.

Good nutrition in the early years of life is essential, yet the diets of many pre-school children in the UK are known to be poor. Understanding the decisions parents make when feeding young children is very important in determining what type and nature of interventional support may be developed to promote good nutrition. The aim of this study was to explore using qualitative methods, parental perceptions of feeding their children in order to inform the development of a nutrition intervention. Focus groups (n = 33) and individual interviews (n = 6) were undertaken with parents, most of whom were attending children's centres in two deprived populations from one urban (Islington, north London) and one rural (Cornwall) location in England. Accounts of feeding pre-school children were primarily concerned with dealing with the practicalities of modern life, in particular the cost of food and the need to manage on a restricted household budget. Time pressures, a lack of perceived knowledge and confidence in preparing food and managing conflict over food choices between family members were also strong themes. Parents commonly reported differences between how they would like to feed their children and the reality of what they were able to do in their circumstances. These findings suggest that the poor eating habits of many pre-school children may be less a case of parental ignorance but rather the product of a range of coping strategies. Designing an intervention, which helps parents to build their confidence and self-efficacy, may enable them to make positive changes to their children's diets.
Implementation of a novel non-overshooting tracking control method on a LEGOR® Robot

Recently Schmid and Ntogramatzidis introduced a linear state feedback controller design method to avoid overshoot in the set-point tracking response of linear time invariant systems. In this paper we implement the design method on a three wheeled omni-directional robot, controlled with a LEGOR® NXT Mindstorm block. The proposed non-overshooting algorithm successfully moves the robot between two fixed points without any overshoot, demonstrating the practical effectiveness of the nonovershooting controller design.
Sustainability and Its Constraints in the Global Tourist Industry： Exploring the Dark Side in the Growth of International Tourism

This paper provides a brief overview of three problematic aspects of the trend towards globalization in the tourist industry: sex tourism, exploitation of minors, and environmental degradation in both the physical and social environments. This paper draws on the experience of fast-expanding tourist centres in Central America, in addition to worldwide compilations of published data. It suggests that underlying the specific problems of each of these three major aspects of globalized tourism, there exists a deeper malaise: its potential contribution to a deeper rift between “haves” and “have-nots”. Income inequality has clearly always existed; however, the awareness of such inequality may spread through the globalizing nature of international tourism. Such consciousness may lead to increasing resentment, despite the injection of tourist income into the local economy. One-way exploitation is thus distinguished from mutual exploitation, and in that context, “gringoitis” and social degradation are discussed. The possibility is explored that growth in global tourism is ultimately beneficial. However, the dark side of that growth needs further exposure. That is the aim of this paper.