Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Endothelial Cell Replication and Vasculogenesis in the Developing Lung

In many organs and tissues, the cellular response to injury is associated with a reiteration of specific developmental processes. Studies have shown that, in response to injury, vascular wall cells in adult organisms express genes or gene products characteristic of earlier developmental states. Other genes, expressed preferentially in adult cells in vivo, are down-regulated following injurious stimuli. Complicating matters, however, are recent observations demonstrating that the vascular wall is comprised of phenotypically heterogeneous subpopulations of endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and fibroblasts. It is unclear how specific subsets of cells respond to injury and thus contribute to the vascular remodeling that characterizes chronic pulmonary hypertension. This review discusses vascular development in the lung and the cellular responses occurring in pulmonary hypertension; special attention is given to heterogeneity of responses within cell populations and reiteration of developmental processes.
Rheology and Aggregation of Cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) Mucilage in Solution

The mucilage obtained from cactus is commonly described as water-soluble pectin-like polysaccharide. Although few potential uses of this material have been described, it is not an industrial hydrocolloid. The objective of this study was to evaluate the rheological behavior of the polysaccharide isolated from the cladodes of Opuntia ficus-indica. The polymer had a weight average molecular mass (Mw) of 3 × 10 6 and a number average molecular mass (Mn) of 2.4 × 10 6 , with a polydispersity index (Mw/ Mn) of 1.4, as assessed by SEC-HPLC. Both Mw and Mn values exceeded those previously reported for the polysaccharide from O. ficus-indica. This overestimation of molecular mass may indicate extensive formation of large macromolecular aggregates in solution. The viscoelastic behavior of concentrated mucilage solutions (0.4% to 5.8% w/w; NaCl 0.1 M at 20°C) was investigated under sensitive dynamic mechanical spectroscopy and steady-shear rheological tests. Frequency (ω) dependence of the mechanical storage (Gʹ) and loss (Gʹʹ) mechanical moduli described spectra characteristic of an entangled network system where the polysaccharide is in the ``random coilʹʹ fully disordered conformational state. The viscous (Gʹʹ) response predominating over the elastic (Gʹ) one at low ω, which, at higher ω, behave like an elastic solid (Gʹ > Gʹʹ). However, under steady-shear deformation tests, shear- thinning curves deviated from the typical random-coil behavior well documented for many polysaccharides used as industrial thickeners. This behavior is rationalized also as a consequence of the formation of colloidal aggregates in agreement with SEC-HPLC evidence. The formation of these large aggregates may underlie some of the special functional properties already identified for the use of cactus mucilage in food and other products.
Poultry Litter Incineration as a Source of Energy: Reviewing the Potential for Impacts on Environmental Health and Justice

Legislation in North Carolina has mandated obtaining renewable energy from the incineration of poultry waste, resulting in proposals for three poultry-litter-fueled power plants statewide. This article summarizes environmental health and environmental justice issues associated with incineration of poultry waste for the generation of electric power. Emissions from poultry waste incineration include particulate matter, dioxins, arsenic, bioaerosols and other toxins; various components are associated with cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory illness, and other diseases. Industrial farm animal production tends to be concentrated in low-income, rural communities, where residents may be more vulnerable to air pollutants due to pre-existing diseases, other exposures and stressors, and poor access to medical services. These communities lack the political clout to prevent siting of polluting facilities or to pressure industry and government to follow and enforce regulations. Policies intended to reduce reliance on fossil fuels have the potential to increase environmental injustices and threats to environmental health.
Compact video signatures for near-duplicate detection on mobile devices

In this paper, we focus on generating compact but efficient video signatures on mobile devices so that users quickly know whether there are near-duplicates in the social network systems when they upload a video. For this, the proposed method employs the idea of inverted index that is one of the most popular text retrieval methods. Experimental results show that our method can achieve similar results compared with state-of-the-art method whereas it requires low memory and computation cost.
Family-witnessed resuscitation in emergency departments: doctors' attitudes and practices.

BACKGROUND Resuscitation of patients occurs daily in emergency departments. Traditional practice entails family members remaining outside the resuscitation room. OBJECTIVE We explored the introduction of family witnessed resuscitation (FWR) as it has been shown to allow closure for the family when resuscitation is unsuccessful and helps them to better understand the last moments of life. RESULTS Attending medical doctors have concerns about this practice, such as traumatisation of family members, increased pressure on the medical team, interference by the family, and potential medico-legal consequences. There was not complete acceptance of the practice of FWR among the sample group. CONCLUSION Short-course training such as postgraduate advanced life support and other continued professional development activities should have a positive effect on this practice.The more experienced doctors are and the longer they work in emergency medicine, the more comfortable they appear to be with the concept of FWR and therefore the more likely they are to allow it. Further study and course attendance by doctors has a positive influence on the practice of FWR.
Advances in imaging of the solitary pulmonary nodule.

OBJECTIVE To review the radiological management of a solitary pulmonary nodule. DATA SOURCES MEDLINE literature search (1958-2002). STUDY SELECTION All review articles and original articles. Key words for the literature search were 'solitary pulmonary nodule' and 'imaging'. DATA EXTRACTION All relevant information and data. DATA SYNTHESIS The solitary pulmonary nodule remains a perennial problem in radiological practice, particularly with current trends using low-dose computed tomography to screen for lung cancer. Determining the likelihood of malignancy forms the basis of the radiological approach of a solitary pulmonary nodule. Several factors that influence risk analysis include morphological and enhancement characteristics of the solitary pulmonary nodule on imaging, stability of the nodule, age of patient, smoking history, and history of malignant disease. Other ancillary procedures and imaging techniques that assist in the evaluation of a solitary pulmonary nodule include fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography, technetium Tc 99m depreotide imaging, bronchoscopy with bronchioloalveolar lavage and biopsy, image-guided transthoracic needle aspiration biopsy, video-assisted thorascopic surgery, and thoracotomy. CONCLUSIONS The success of any radiological management of a solitary pulmonary nodule rests on careful clinical evaluation and risk stratification for malignancy before the implementation of appropriate imaging techniques.
Comparative studies of bile salts. A new type of bile salt from Arapaima gigas (Cuvier) (family Osteoglossidae).

1. Arapaima gigas bile salts were hydrolysed by alkali or cleaved with dioxan-trichloroacetic acid to give cholic acid, arapaimic acid, arapaimol-A and arapaimol-B. 2. I.r. , n.m. r. and mass spectroscopy and [alpha](D) measurements indicated that arapaimic acid and arapaimol-A and -B are respectively 2alpha,3alpha,7alpha,12alpha-tetrahydroxy-5beta,25in-cholestan-26-oic acid, 5beta,25R-cholestane-2beta,3alpha,7alpha,12alpha,26-pentol and 5beta-cholestane-2beta,3alpha,7alpha,12alpha,26,27-hexol. 3. Partial synthesis of 2beta,3alpha,7alpha,12alpha-tetrahydroxy-5alpha- and -5beta-cholan-24-oic acid and their spectral examination fully confirmed these conclusions. 4. A. gigas bile salts show primitive features in that they comprise alcohol sulphates and a C(27) acid; they are also specialized in showing 2beta-hydroxylation.
Arrhythmogenic left ventricular cardiomyopathy.

A 53-year-old white man was identified through family screening as having arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy caused by a frameshift mutation in the desmoplakin gene (DSP S1015fsX1017). Direct questioning revealed a previously undisclosed history of palpitations. The electrocardiogram (ECG) showed anterolateral T-wave inversion (Figure 1). Holter monitoring detected an asymptomatic 11-beat run of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia, 2 triplets, 11 couplets, and 1754 multifocal ventricular ectopics. These ectopics were of left ventricular (LV) origin when captured on 12-lead ECG. There were no late potentials on signal-averaged ECG. Figure 1. ECG …
Characterization of a Conjugate between Rose Bengal and Chitosan for Targeted Antibiofilm and Tissue Stabilization Effects as a Potential Treatment of Infected Dentin

ABSTRACT Bacterial biofilms and dentin structural changes are some of the major challenges in the management of infected dentin tissue. This study characterized a photosensitizer-conjugated chitosan with enhanced photodynamic efficacy against dental biofilms, as well as the ability to reinforce the postinfected dentin matrix in order to improve its mechanical and chemical stability. Rose Bengal-conjugated chitosan (CSRB) was synthesized using a chemical cross-linking method and characterized for photophysical, photobiological, and cytotoxicity properties. Its potential as an antibacterial and matrix-reinforcing agent on dentin collagen was also evaluated. Enterococcus faecalis as planktonic and in vitro biofilms was treated with CSRB and photodynamically activated with 5 to 60 J/cm2 green light. Dentin collagen was used for the CSRB cross-linking experiments and evaluated for chemical changes, resistance to enzymatic degradation, and mechanical properties. CSRB was a photosensitizer with efficient singlet oxygen yield. In vitro photoactivation gave higher fibroblast cell survival than did RB alone. CSRB showed significant antibiofilm photoinactivation (P < 0.01). The CSRB-cross-linked dentin collagen showed higher resistance to collagenase degradation and superior mechanical properties (P < 0.05). In summary, the photoactivated CSRB particles synthesized in this study may be a synergistic multifunctional treatment approach with lower cytotoxicity and effective antibiofilm activity as well as the ability to reinforce the dentin collagen to enhance resistance to degradation and improve mechanical properties. This may be a targeted treatment strategy to deal with infected dentin hard tissues in a clinical scenario, where both disinfection and structural integrity need to be addressed concomitantly.
Transgenic mice with immunoglobulin genes.

Immunoglobulin (Ig) genes encode antibody molecules expressed exclu­ sively in the B-Iymphocyte lineage. The most immature identifiable cells of the B-cell lineage, pre-B cells, give rise to B cells that differentiate terminally into antibody secreting plasma cells. Circulating antibody mol­ ecules are comprised of two identical light (L) chains and two identical heavy (H) chains. The expression of Ig genes is strictly regulated during development of B lymphocytes: At the pre-B-cell stage only Jl chain genes are expressed, while L chains begin to be synthesized at the B-cell stage (1, 2). Ig genes are unusual in that they are arranged in separate subgenes. The limiting step required for correct transcription of Ig genes is the assembly of H genes from three subgenes, variable (V), diversity (D), and constant (C), and of L genes from V and C (reviewed in 3). Since each of the three Ig loci (H, K, and 11.) consists of multiple V, (D), and J subgenes, a large number of different H and L genes can be assembled by joining of different combinations of the subgenes (3). Somatic hypermutability contributes additional diversity (4, 5). Thus, it can be estimated that thousands of different H and L chains are produced by an individual. Since millions of different H-L combinations exist, B lymphocytes are extremely heterogenous with respect to the antibodies expressed and conse­ quently to the antigens recognized. Lymphoid organs are a mixture of such highly diversified B cells, so it is impossible to study the development or immune response of a monoclonal B-cell lineage in the normal mouse. Malignant cell lines, such as myelomas in animals or cultured myeloma,
Omega-3 Fatty Acid Treatment, With or Without Cytidine, Fails to Show Therapeutic Properties in Bipolar Disorder: A Double-Blind, Randomized Add-on Clinical Trial

Objective This study aimed to test the effects of omega-3 fatty acids (O3FA), given as fish oil capsules, with and without oral cytidine (CYT), a pyrimidine with reported preclinical and clinical antidepressant-like effects, in patients with bipolar disorder (BD). Methods A total of 45 outpatients with diagnosed BD (type I) according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition – Text Revision, were recruited for this 4-month, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, add-on study. Treatment groups were (1) oral CYT + O3FA, (2) placebo + O3FA, and (3) placebo + placebo control. O3FA was given 2 g twice a day and CYT was administered as 1 g twice a day. Results There was no statistically significant difference among the groups in the primary outcome: study retention. Clinical measures improved in all treatment groups, and there were no significant differences between groups, including change in probability of symptoms of depression or mania, change in positive ratings of depression or mania, or change in Global Assessment of Functioning scores. Neither CYT + O3FA nor placebo + O3FA treatment was superior to placebo treatment. Rather, there was a statistically nonsignificant trend for both groups treated with O3FA to do worse than the placebo group. Conclusions Despite preclinical studies suggesting that the effect of O3FA might be augmented with pyrimidines, add-on CYT did not substantially improve mood symptoms in BD. In addition, although a power analysis indicated that the sample size would be adequate to see beneficial effects similar to those previously reported, O3FA treatment by itself was not superior to placebo for BD.
Commuting patterns among Italian nurses: a cross-sectional study.

UNLABELLED Commuting is an additional burden that affects working stress, reduces leisure time and raises the risk of accidents. Little data are available about nurses' commuting patterns or the impact of commuting on their lives. OBJECTIVES The study aims to describe commuting patterns among Italian nurses and to explore possible associations with nurses' intention to change job. METHODS This is a cross-sectional study carried out in central Italy. Nurses were invited to participate through a variety of public measures. Those participating completed an online questionnaire available on a website established for this specific purpose. RESULTS Five hundred sixty-five nurses participated. The mean distance covered every day to go to work and back home is 30.8 km. A total of 43.3% of nurses cover 25 km or more every day to work; 5.7% cover 100 km or more. The mean time spent in commuting is 52.9 min daily. Furthermore, 14.5% of nurses spend every month commuting a time equal to or longer than the working time of 1 week. The mean monthly expenditure is 87.30 Euro (6% of mean salary). Nurses younger than 30 cover longer distances (P=0.0006), spend more time (P=0.001) and have higher expenditure (P=0.003) than their older colleagues. Willingness to change job seems associated with the use of public means of transportation (P=0.04). Nurses from the population under study cover longer distances, spend longer time in daily commuting and have higher monthly costs than the rest of the Italian workers' population. CONCLUSIONS Travelling to work represents a non-negligible burden for nurses, particularly for younger nurses. Nurses seem to have lesser opportunities to rest and to recover energies than other workers. The Italian nurses' recruiting system may have a role in explaining our data. Further studies are needed to investigate the impact of nurses' commuting on the healthcare system.
Familial study of suicidal behavior among adolescents in Slovenia.

The number of adolescents who attempt or complete suicide is increasing. Risk factors range from mental disorders, to problems at school, family problems, or difficulties in establishing relationships. A further important, and too often underestimated, risk factor for adolescent suicide is the presence of suicidal behavior in the adolescent's family. We investigated 184 high school adolescents in a region in Slovenia with a high suicide rate (30/100,000/year). They were questioned by means of an anonymous questionnaire about the presence of suicidal behavior in their relatives and about the presence of suicidal thoughts, plans, and acts in themselves. The results revealed that 13% of the adolescents studied had a relative who had attempted suicide and a further 9% of the adolescents had lost a relative due to suicide. About half of all females and almost a third of males had had suicidal thoughts (differences between sexes were statistically significant: chi2 = 6.13; p < .01). Attempted suicide among relatives was positively correlated with the presence of suicidal plans among adolescents (phi = 0.15; p < .05). This correlation proved to be even stronger and statistically more significant in men when we split the sample by gender. All variables (suicidal thoughts, suicidal plans, and suicide attempts) in the adolescent males positively correlated with attempted suicide among their relatives ((phi = 0.28, p < .01; phi) = 0.26, p < . 05; phi = 0.34, p < . 01; respectively). Our results speak in favor of a higher risk of suicidal behavior among adolescents with suicidal behavior in their families.
Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreaks in the Rocky Mountains: Regulators of Primary Productivity?

We consider the hypothesis that mountain pine beetles function as cybernetic regulators of primary productivity in ecosystems of lodgepole pine forest through their selective killing of dominant trees and the subsequent redistribution of resources. Following a recent major beetle outbreak in Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, surviving trees did grow significantly faster (P < .1); wood production was redistributed among canopy, subcanopy, and understory trees; and annual wood production per hectare usually returned to pre-attack levels or exceeded them within 10-15 yr. However, reconstructions of annual wood production over the last 70-80 yr indicate that the beetle outbreak did not reduce the variation in productivity; rather, the beetles introduced more variation than would have existed in their absence. Hence, our results do not support the hypothesis that the beetles function as cybernetic regulators (in the strict sense). Nevertheless, the beetle-pine system that we studied shows great resilience, and the effects of beetles on primary productivity do not appear to be as severe as conventional wisdom maintains. Annual wood production per hectare returned quickly to previous levels in the stands we studied, and associated ecological changes can be considered generally benign or even beneficial.
Widowhood in the Israeli Arab Muslim Society

Adjustment of Israeli Arab Muslim widows to the traumatic loss of their husbands was examined by comparing their reported ways of coping with those of married women of their community by means of the Two-Track-Bereavement Model. Participants included 93 widows and 86 comparable married women who were mostly middle aged and of middle class. We hypothesized that widows will express concurrently greater suffering and higher resilience to adverse life events compared with married women. It was hypothesized further that positive and close relations to a deceased husband will be reported by Arab widows as well as Arab married women. However, positive relationships of married women will correlate with their own coping supporting attributes, whereas positive relations of widows to their deceased husband will not be associated with their individual characteristics. Results indicated a fourfold factor structure of the bereavement and coping scale which differed from those obtained by Israeli Jewish women and generally supported these hypotheses. It appears that traumatic loss of a husband may enhance widows’ resilience.
Is it possible to improve neurodevelopmental abnormalities in Down syndrome?

Abstract Down syndrome (DS) is a genetic pathology caused by the triplication of human chromosome 21. Although individuals with DS have various medical problems, intellectual disability is the most invalidating aspect of the pathology. Despite numerous efforts, the mechanisms whereby gene triplication leads to the DS phenotype have not been elucidated and there are, at present, no therapies to rescue brain developmental alterations and mental disability in individuals with DS. In this review, we focused on the major defects of the DS brain, comparing data regarding humans with DS and mouse models for DS, and therapeutic interventions attempted on animal DS models. Based on the promising results of pharmacotherapies in these models, we believe that it is possible to conclude that tools to improve brain development in DS are now almost at hand. We now know that it is possible to rescue and/or improve neurogenesis, neuron maturation, connectivity, neurodegeneration and behavior. We believe that the knowledge gained in DS mouse models provides a rational basis to start new clinical trials in infants, children and adults with DS, exploiting drugs that have proved able to rescue various facets of the DS neurologic phenotype. It is not unreasonable to consider that the results of these trials may provide a positive answer to the question: ‘Is it possible to improve brain development in DS? ’.
Tat‐dependent occlusion of the HIV poly(A) site.

Retroviruses must ensure that poly(A) signals in the 3′ LTR are highly active, while identical signals in the 5′ LTR are inactive (occluded). In the case of HIV‐1, both promoter proximity in the 5′ LTR and U3 sequences in the 3′ LTR may contribute to this regulation. We have discovered a novel regulatory mechanism for poly(A) site occlusion in HIV‐1. When transcription initiation from the HIV promoter is activated by Tat, the HIV poly(A) site is specifically occluded, while other poly(A) sites are unaffected by Tat. Nucleotide signals associated with this Tat effect are immediately adjacent to the AAUAAA sequence of the HIV‐1 poly(A) signal. These data suggest that elongating RNA polymerase II, activated by Tat specifically occludes the HIV poly(A) site.