Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
AMP deamination and purine exchange in human skeletal muscle during and after intense exercise

1 The present study examined the regulation of human skeletal muscle AMP deamination during intense exercise and quantified muscle accumulation and release of purines during and after intense exercise. 2 Seven healthy males performed knee extensor exercise at 64.3 W (range: 50–70 W) to exhaustion (234 s; 191–259 s). In addition, on two separate days the subjects performed exercise at the same intensity for 30 s and 80 % of exhaustion time (mean, 186 s; range, 153–207 s), respectively. Muscle biopsies were obtained from m.v. lateralis before and after each of the exercise bouts. For the exhaustive bout femoral arterio‐venous concentration differences and blood flow were also determined. 3 During the first 30 s of exercise there was no change in muscle adenosine triphosphate (ATP), inosine monophosphate (IMP) and ammonia (NH3), although estimated free ADP and AMP increased 5‐ and 45‐fold, respectively, during this period. After 186 s and at exhaustion muscle ATP had decreased (P < 0.05) by 15 and 19 %, respectively, muscle IMP was elevated (P < 0.05) from 0.20 to 3.65 and 5.67 mmol (kg dry weight)−1, respectively, and muscle NH3 had increased (P < 0.05) from 0.47 to 2.55 and 2.33 mmol (kg d.w.)−1, respectively. The concentration of H+ did not change during the first 30 s of exercise, but increased (P < 0.05) to 245.9 nmol l−1 (pH 6.61) after 186 s and to 374.5 nmol l−1 (pH 6.43) at exhaustion. 4 Muscle inosine and hypoxanthine did not change during exercise. In the first 10 min after exercise the muscle IMP concentration decreased (P < 0.05) by 2.96 mmol (kg d.w.)−1 of which inosine and hypoxanthine formation could account for 30 %. The total release of inosine and hypoxanthine during exercise and 90 min of recovery amounted to 1.07 mmol corresponding to 46 % of the net ATP decrease during exercise or 9 % of ATP at rest. 5 The present data suggest that AMP deamination is inhibited during the initial phase of intense exercise, probably due to accumulation of orthophosphate, and that lowered pH is an important positive modulator of AMP deaminase in contracting human skeletal muscle in vivo. Furthermore, formation and release of purines occurs mainly after intense exercise and leads to a considerable loss of nucleotides.
Effects of high dietary fibre diets formulated from by-products from vegetable and agricultural industries on plasma metabolites in gestating sows

The aim of the present study was to examine the biochemical influence of feeding high dietary fibre (DF) diets formulated from by-products from the vegetable and agricultural industries to sows during early to mid-gestation. The effect of feeding frequency (once vs. twice daily) on diurnal plasma metabolites patterns was also examined. The study included a total of 48 gestating sows from four blocks (12 gestating sows in each block). The sows were fed four different diets containing varying levels of starch (304–519 g/kg dry matter (DM)) and DF (171–404 g/kg DM) but with equal amounts of net energy. The low-DF diet (control) was based on barley and wheat, and the three high-DF diets formulated by replacing barley and wheat by pectin residue, sugar beet pulp and potato pulp, respectively. The experimental design comprised two periods of 4 weeks each. Half the sows were fed once daily at 08:00 h in the first period and twice daily at 08:00 and 15:00 h during the second period, and vice versa for the other half of the sows. Plasma samples from vena jugularis were collected by venipuncture at 07:00, 09:00, 12:00 and 19:00 h. Feeding high-DF increased plasma short-chain fatty acids (p = 0.02) and non-esterified fatty acids (p < 0.001). However, there was no clear effect of DF on glucose and insulin responses. A negative correlation between amount of DF in the diets and plasma creatine (R 2 = 1.00; diet effect: p = 0.02) suggested that plasma creatine concentrations was an indicator for the level of glucose–glycogen interchange. Furthermore, an explorative approach using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy-based metabonomics identified betaine (p < 0.001), dimethyl sulfone (DMSO2; p < 0.001) and scyllo-inositol (p < 0.001) as biomarkers for the different by-products; pectin residue was related to high plasma levels of DMSO2, sugar beet pulp to plasma betaine, DMSO2 and scyllo-inositol, and potato pulp to plasma DMSO2 and scyllo-inositol. In conclusion, replacing starch by DF affected surprisingly few metabolites in peripheral plasma. No negative effects were found in feeding pectin residue, sugar beet pulp or potato pulp for gestating sows as judged from the minor metabolic changes.
The lender of last resort in court

Is the OMT program in violation of the ECB's mandate? This paper applies the economic argumentation put forth by the OMT's opponents and supporters before the Federal German Constitutional Court [Bundesverfassungsgericht] to the full allotment policy practiced by the ECB since October 2008. The comparison shows that if the OMT violates the ECB's mandate, the same holds for the full allotment policy. Ultimately, therefore, the ECB is not in court because of monetary financing, but rather as a lender of last resort. Accordingly, a court decision against the OMT would endorse an economic reasoning which contradicts 150 years of modern central bank history and would expose the euro area to the instabilities of financial markets. Such a monetary union is neither sustainable nor desirable.
Regional Expression of Multidrug Resistance Genes in Genetically Epilepsy‐prone Rat Brain after a Single Audiogenic Seizure

Summary: Purpose: The multidrug resistance (mdr) gene family encodes the drug transport macromolecule P‐glycoprotein (P‐gp), which contributes to the functionality of the blood–brain barrier. Recent evidence suggests that P‐gp–mediated drug extrusion may play a facilitatory role in refractory epilepsy. We investigated the regional expression of mdr genes in genetically epilepsy‐prone rat (GEPR) brain after a single audiogenic seizure.
Identity based signcryption for advanced metering infrastructure

In smart grid, Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system provides measuring, storing, analyzing, and utilizing energy consumption data. It enables a link between customers and electric power utilities. The AMI is also responsible for transmitting requests, commands, pricing-information and software updates from the authorized parties to the smart meters. As the AMI security threats from inside and outside grow exponentially; confidentiality, authentication, integrity and non-repudiation security services should be deployed to overcome possible threats. In this paper we give an overview on the main components and security requirements of the AMI and present possible security solutions. Then we propose an identity based security architecture, namely a signcryption scheme for smart metering infrastructure to provide necessary security services by taking advantage of identity based cryptography to ensure efficiency in addition to security through eliminating the cost for generation and managing certificates.
From demyelination to remyelination: The road toward therapies for spinal cord injury

Myelin integrity is crucial for central nervous system (CNS) physiology while its preservation and regeneration after spinal cord injury (SCI) is key to functional restoration. Disturbance of nodal organization acutely after SCI exposes the axon and triggers conduction block in the absence of overt demyelination. Oligodendrocyte (OL) loss and myelin degradation follow as a consequence of secondary damage. Here, we provide an overview of the major biological events and underlying mechanisms leading to OL death and demyelination and discuss strategies to restrain these processes. Another aspect which is critical for SCI repair is the enhancement of endogenously occurring spontaneous remyelination. Recent findings have unveiled the complex roles of innate and adaptive immune responses in remyelination and the immunoregulatory potential of the glial scar. Moreover, the intimate crosstalk between neuronal activity, oligodendrogenesis and myelination emphasizes the contribution of rehabilitation to functional recovery. With a view toward clinical applications, several therapeutic strategies have been devised to target SCI pathology, including genetic manipulation, administration of small therapeutic molecules, immunomodulation, manipulation of the glial scar and cell transplantation. The implementation of new tools such as cellular reprogramming for conversion of one somatic cell type to another or the use of nanotechnology and tissue engineering products provides additional opportunities for SCI repair. Given the complexity of the spinal cord tissue after injury, it is becoming apparent that combinatorial strategies are needed to rescue OLs and myelin at early stages after SCI and support remyelination, paving the way toward clinical translation. GLIA 2015;63:1101–1125
Inhibition of heparanase activity and tumor metastasis by laminarin sulfate and synthetic phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotides

Heparanase activity correlates with the metastatic potential of tumor cells. Moreover, the anti‐metastatic effect of non‐anti‐coagulant species of heparin and certain sulfated polysaccharides was attributed to their heparanase‐inhibiting activity. We investigated the effect of a chemically sulfated polysaccharide (laminarin), consisting primarily of beta‐1,3 glucan (sodium laminarin), and of synthetic phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotides, primarily phosphorothioate homopolymer of cytidine (SdC28), on heparanase activity and tumor metastasis. Investigation of the ability of tumor cells to degrade heparan sulfate in intact extracellular matrix revealed that heparanase activity expressed by B16‐BL6 mouse melanoma cells and 13762 MAT rat mammary adenocarcinoma cells was effectively inhibited by LS (50% inhibition at 0.2–1 μg/ml), but there was no inhibition by sodium laminarin up to a concentration of 50 μg/ml. Complete inhibition of the melanoma heparanase was obtained in the presence of 0.1 μM SdC28. A single i.p. injection of laminarin sulfate, but not of sodium laminarin, before i.v. inoculation of the melanoma or breast‐carcinoma cells inhibited the extent of lung colonization by the tumor cells by 80 to 90%. Similar inhibition was exerted by 0.1 μM SdC28. At the effective concentrations, both compounds had a small effect on proliferation of the tumor cells and on growth of the primary tumors in vivo. These results further emphasize the involvement of heparanase in tumor metastasis and the potential clinical application of diverse heparanase‐inhibiting molecules such as sulfated polysaccharides and synthetic polyanionic molecules. Int. J. Cancer 83:424–431, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Factors influencing optic nerve head biomechanics.

PURPOSE The biomechanical environment within the optic nerve head (ONH) may play a role in retinal ganglion cell loss in glaucomatous optic neuropathy. This was a systematic analysis in which finite element methods were used to determine which anatomic and biomechanical factors most influenced the biomechanical response of the ONH to acute changes in IOP. METHODS Based on a previously described computational model of the eye, each of 21 input factors, representing the biomechanical properties of relevant ocular tissues, the IOP, and 14 geometric factors were independently varied. The biomechanical response of the ONH tissues was quantified through a set of 29 outcome measures, including peak and mean stress and strain within each tissue, and measures of geometric changes in ONH tissues. Input factors were ranked according to their aggregated influence on groups of outcome measures. RESULTS The five input factors that had the largest influence across all outcome measures were, in ranked order: stiffness of the sclera, radius of the eye, stiffness of the lamina cribrosa, IOP, and thickness of the scleral shell. The five least influential factors were, in reverse ranked order: retinal thickness, peripapillary rim height, cup depth, cup-to-disc ratio, and pial thickness. Factor ranks were similar for various outcome measure groups and factor ranges. CONCLUSIONS The model predicts that ONH biomechanics are strongly dependent on scleral biomechanical properties. Acute deformations of ONH tissues, and the consequent high levels of neural tissue strain, were less strongly dependent on the action of IOP directly on the internal surface of the ONH than on the indirect effects of IOP on the sclera. This suggests that interindividual variations in scleral properties could be a risk factor for the development of glaucoma. Eye size and lamina cribrosa biomechanical properties also have a strong influence on ONH biomechanics.
New Hybrid SVPWM Methods for Direct Torque Controlled Induction Motor Drive for Reduced Current Ripple

This paper presents novel hybrid SVPWM (HSVPWM) methods for direct torque controlled induction motor drives without angle estimation to reduce steady state ripple in current, torque and flux. The proposed PWM technique is designed based on the notion of stator flux ripple, which is a measure of line current ripple. Expressions for RMS ripple, over a sub-cycle are derived for each switching sequence in terms of reference voltage vector, imaginary switching times and sub-cycle duration. This analysis together with the THD performance is used to design new HSVPWM techniques, which result in reduction in THD. The proposed PWM methods simplify the control algorithm and also reduce the execution time. Also to improve the speed performance under uncertainties caused by load torque, a robust speed controller with an integral sliding switching surface is used. To validate the proposed method, the results are presented.
Collectivization in Yugoslavia

IKE all communist governments, the Yugoslav government undertook the collectivization of agricultural land. This collectivization is important for two reasons. First, it is the first communist collectivization program which suffered a major defeat. The Yugoslav government has had to accept the dissolution of many Peasant Work Cooperatives (PWC). The number of PWCs fell from 7,012 in 1950, to 1,258 in 1954, to 688 in 1955. Second, there has been widespread opinion in the West that collectivization in Yugoslavia was organized before 1948, and that collectivization collapsed thanks to the "pro-Western" position of the Yugoslav government after the so-called rupture between the Yugoslav communists and the Soviet Union. In reality, collectivization in Yugoslavia began in 1949, after the split with Moscow. Six months before this split there were 779 PWCs. Ten months later, in May 1949, there were 4,250 PWCs in Yugoslavia. However, the principal reason why collectivization in Yugoslavia is of current interest may be found in President Tito's statement of November 27, 1955, that the communist leaders had not renounced collectivization: ". for a socialist country there cannot be two production systems, socialist and capitalist-if they wish to realize socialism in full. " Will there now be a new offensive on the part of Yugoslav communists against the peasants and their agricultural property? Will there be a new drive for complete collectivization in Yugoslavia?
Turning Points 2000: Looking Back and Looking Forward

Seven years ago, in early November of 2000, we stood on a stage in the convention center in St. Louis, Missouri, in sight of the arch that marks St. Louis as the gateway to the American West. As the audience settled into their seats, we both glanced at the backdrop for our presentation—an enormous screen with a picture of the cover of a brand-new book, Turning Points 2000: Educating Adolescents in the 21st Century (Jackson & Davis, 2000a). That cover represented more than five years of work, and we were both excited and a bit nervous as we prepared to share what we had learned in those five years about schooling for young adolescents. The journal you hold in your hands represents the gateway to a new opportunity to share what we and others have learned about educating adolescents in the time since we stood on the stage in St. Louis. This new Middle School Journal department, Turning Points 2000: Lessons Learned, will feature articles that draw on the key themes from the book and link those themes to recent research, stories from the classroom, and emerging and current policies that significantly affect schooling for young adolescents. The articles in this new department will represent continuing opportunities to look forward through the lens of the Turning Points vision—ensuring success for every student. To set the stage for sharing lessons learned since the book’s publication, we will first briefly look back to describe why we wrote Turning Points 2000 and revisit the vision and recommendations that frame Turning Points 2000 and will guide the lessons learned to be featured in this new MSJ department. Then, this introductory article on lessons learned will highlight global studies in middle grades schools, featuring the International Studies Schools Network and the participating schools’ efforts to respond to the “world is flat” idea advanced by Friedman (2005) and others. Like this article’s account of global studies in the middle grades, the articles to come in this new department will consult the latest and best research, policy, and practice that would influence what we would say if we were to write Turning Points 2000 today.
New Clues in Celiac Disease Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, Clinical Manifestations, and Treatment

Celiac disease (CD) is an immune-mediated enteropathy triggered by the ingestion of gluten in genetically susceptible individuals. It is one of the most common lifelong disorders on a worldwide basis. Celiac enteropathy is the final consequence of an abnormal immune reaction, showing features of both an innate and an adaptive response to gluten prolamins. The clinical spectrum is wide, including cases with either typical intestinal or atypical extraintestinal features, and silent forms. The only available treatment consists in dietary exclusion of grains containing gluten. New pharmacological treatment are currently under scrutiny.
Modeling and simulation of Cu TSV electroplating for wafer-level MEMS vacuum packaging

3D integration and packaging with through silicon via (TSV) is a promising method to overcome the limitation of integration scale in Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) packaging. It is helpful to realize high density and reliability micro-devices. The technology of fabricating copper (Cu) TSVs by electroplating is applied to provide signal connection in vertical direction. However, the fabrication of defect-free and economical TSV is our destination. In this paper, the Cu deposition mechanism was analyzed and the process was expressed by a series of electrochemical equations. Finite element models (FEM) were built to simulate the double-sides Cu electroplating processes in wafer-level TSVs. Part of the 370μm thick and 100mm diameter double-sides polished silicon wafer model was built in the simulation. Simulation results show that defect-free Cu TSVs were achieved using optimized double-sided electroplating methods. Additives added in electrolyte affected the Cu deposition velocity and direction to a certain extent. Comparing to other common electroplating methods, double-sided electroplating was economy. Finally, Cu TSVs were successfully fabricated and applied to the vacuum packaging of MEMS.
Invoking Memories of Legendary African Women: A Reading of Rocha Chimera’s Trilogy Siri Sirini

Abstract This article examines how legendary representations enable reinterpretation of the histories of women in Africa. It shows that ascribing heroic and revolutionary qualities to re-membered African women seeks to significantly transform societal gender perceptions of women as victims of history. Through a critical reading of Rocha Chimera’s trilogy Siri Sirini (2013), I attempt to show that legendary representations transcend victimhood by envisioning women as capable of confronting injustices in a quest to establish a new order where human dignity for allcan be realised. I also indicate that the power of interpretation of histories enshrined in literary texts is vital because this power usually embodies particular political investments with, in this case, regard to gender relations. The article concludes that legendary representations reinterpret, rewrite, and reinvent women’s histories and significantly transform readers’ worldviews in regard to gender relations. Key words: Gender, Swahili women, Siri Sirini, patriarchy, hypermasculinity.
Phytochemical and Antioxidant Screening of Seed Extracts of Kenyan Custard Apple (Annona squamosa)

Medicinal plants have been the mainstay of traditional herbal medicine amongst rural dwellers worldwide since antiquity for their preventive and curative properties. Investigation of plants for phytochemicals and medicinal activities is imperative for the discovery of prospective novel molecules for medicinal use. This current analysis was aimed at screening the seed extracts of Annona squamosa for the presence of phytochemicals and their antioxidant activities. Extraction of the active components was through organic solvents; methanol, dichloromethane and methanol: dichloromethane blend in Soxhlet extractor and concentrated in a rotary evaporator. Investigation of phytochemicals was through standard qualitative screening procedures while antioxidant activities of the extract were evaluated through the radical scavenging effect of DPPH, H2O2 and the FRAP assay. Methanol was the most effective solvent in capturing phytochemicals including tannins, alkaloids, flavonoids, fixed oils and phenols. Dichloromethane captured only alkaloids and fixed oils. The antioxidant data obtained was assayed against that of the standard (Ascorbic acid). The methanolic extract was found to be the most potent extract with highest antioxidant activities followed by methanol: dichloromethane blend while dichloromethane portrayed the least potency. The highest DPPH radical scavenging was at 500mg/ml, while for H2O2 was at 1mg/ml while the highest FRAP activity was at 1mg/ml. Methanolic extracts were the most potent while dichloromethane extracts showed the least DPPH and H2O2 radical scavenging activities. Phenols appear have significantly contributed towards the antioxidant activity of the methanolic extracts and the alkaloids in dichloromethane extracts. Most of the inedible parts of commonly consumed fruits have not been studied for their antioxidant activity but the current assay demonstrates that seeds may be a promising source of antioxidants. This study shows that the seed extracts of Annona squamosa may be utilised therapeutically in the management of oxidative stress related disorders.