Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The role of central amygdala corticotropin-releasing factor in predator odor stress-induced avoidance behavior and escalated alcohol drinking in rats

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by avoidance of trauma-associated stimuli and amygdala hyperreactivity, and is highly co-morbid with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Our lab uses a predator odor (bobcat urine) stress model that produces conditioned avoidance of an odor-paired context in a subset of rats, mirroring avoidance symptoms that manifest in some but not all humans exposed to trauma. We previously showed that after predator odor stress, Avoiders exhibit escalated alcohol drinking, higher aversion-resistant operant alcohol responding, hyperalgesia, and greater anxiety-like behavior compared to unstressed Controls. We also showed that systemic antagonism of corticotropin-releasing factor-1 receptors (CRFR1) reduced escalation of alcohol drinking in rats not indexed for avoidance, that corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) infusions into the central amygdala (CeA) produced conditioned place avoidance in stress-naïve rats, and that intra-CeA infusion of a CRFR1 antagonist reduced hyperalgesia in Avoiders. Here, we show that avoidance behavior is persistent after repeated predator odor exposure and is resistant to extinction. In addition, Avoiders showed lower weight gain than Controls after predator odor re-exposure. In the brain, higher avoidance was correlated with higher number of c-Fos+ cells and CRF immunoreactivity in the CeA. Finally, we show that intra-CeA CRFR1 antagonism reversed post-stress escalation of alcohol drinking and reduced avoidance behavior in Avoiders. Collectively, these findings suggest that elucidation of the mechanisms by which CRFR1-gated CeA circuits regulate avoidance behavior and alcohol drinking may lead to better understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying co-morbid PTSD and AUD.
Simulation of flow across cancellous bone cubes to determine permeability

There are many technical difficulties when conducting direct permeation experiments to determine the permeability of cancellous bone. This attributed to the large range of results obtained in previous experimental investigations. In this study, we propose using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to overcome these difficulties. Our CFD models for the flow simulation across cancellous bone specimen were generated from micro-computed tomography image datasets. We studied the effects of dataset resolution on the results of CFD and have recommended a resolution no greater than 77.92microns. The possible visualizations of flow across microarchitecture are also presented. The permeability factor obtained in this study is within the wide range obtained from literature.
Chapter 4-Passive targeting in nanomedicine: fundamental concepts, body interactions, and clinical potential

Over the past few decades, researchers have been designing and applying nanoparticles for diagnosis and treatment of diseases inside the body. These in vivo biomedical applications of nanoparticles represent a major research area within the continuously growing field of nanomedicine. While it is a fascinating concept to use systemically administered nanoparticles inside the body for medical applications, development and clinical translation of nanomedicines are challenging. One of these challenges is delivery. Direct and efficient delivery of administered nanoparticles to diseased tissues and cells is required for most nanomedicines to ensure accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. However, biological barriers within the body, such as the mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS), limit nanoparticle delivery to diseased sites. To address this nanoparticle delivery challenge, researchers have been working on so-called “targeting” strategies. The goal of these strategies is to deliver nanoparticles preferentially to diseased tissues while minimizing their accumulation in healthy organs and cells. Such targeted delivery approaches may have several clinical benefits, including (1) reduced treatment-related side effects; (2) improved imaging and diagnosis; and (3) enhanced therapeutic outcomes. In this chapter, we focus on passive nanoparticle targeting strategies in the context of solid tumor management. This chapter begins with a brief introduction of nanomedicine (see Section 4.2), after which the journey of administered nanoparticles en route to malignant tissues and cells in the body is briefly explored (see Section 4.3). Section 4.4 provides a concise description of active and passive nanoparticle targeting strategies. In Section 4.5, we discuss fundamental concepts of passive nanoparticle targeting, including pathophysiological characteristics of solid tumors and nanoparticle design rules. Section 4.6 briefly explores limitations of passive nanoparticle targeting, and Section 4.7 explains nanoparticleebody interactions and biological barriers. We focus on clinical potential and relevance of passively targeted cancer nanomedicines in Section 4.8 and conclude our chapter with an outlook on how to further exploit the potential of this technology for biomedical applications (see Section 4.9).
A CONTACTLESS HAPTIC CANE FOR BLIND PEOPLE

: Mobility is a big deal for visually impaired people and many of the devices already available on the market suffer for poor degree and form of the information provided to the user. In this paper a new way of codifying the information to the blind end user is suggested.The proposed strategy is aimed to move the focus of the electronic aids from an artificial way to codify the information to a natural form. In particular, the developed contactless haptic cane exploits smart signal processing paradigms and an actuator matrix to produce on the user hand palm a stimulus miming the sensation given by a conventional white cane bumping into a obstacle in the user path.
HYPER VERSION ISS-flation

Inflation may occur while rolling into the metastable supersymmetry-breaking vacuum of massive supersymmetric QCD. We explore the range of parameters in which slowroll inflation and long-lived metastable supersymmetry breaking may be simultaneously realized. The end of slow-roll inflation in this context coincides with the spontaneous breaking of a global symmetry, which may give rise to significant curvature perturbations via inhomogenous preheating. Such spontaneous symmetry breaking at the end of inflation may give rise to observable non-gaussianities, distinguishing this scenario from more conventional models of supersymmetric hybrid inflation.
Une étude d’efficacité multicentrique comparative du polysulfate de pentosane sodique versus carprofène dans le traitement de l’ostéoarthrose du chien (arthrose)

Cent quatre chiens présentant de l’ostéoarthrose (OA) ont été inclus dans une étude multicentrique randomisée comparative, menée en Allemagne en double aveugle versus produit de référence pour établir l’efficacité du médicament anti-arthrosique modifiant la maladie, le polysulfate de pentosane sodique (NaPPS – commercialisé sous le nom de CARTROPHEN VET en comparaison avec le produit de contrôle antiinflammatoire non stéroïdien, le carprofène (Rimadyl, Zenecarp) dans le traitement des signes cliniques de l’OA. L’efficacité a été évaluée par la réduction des signes cliniques d’OA, à savoir la boiterie et la douleur à la manipulation, par des vétérinaires pendant le traitement (semaines 1, 2, 3 et 4) et quatre semaines après l’arrêt du traitement (semaine 8). Il a été démontré qu’une injection sous-cutanée hebdomadaire de NaPPS à la dose de 3 mg/kg pendant quatre semaines et quatre semaines d’administration orale de carprofène à la dose de 4 mg/kg sont efficaces pour traiter l’OA avec des améliorations significatives dans tous les paramètres d’évaluation primaire, c'est-à-dire la boiterie, la douleur et le score orthopédique (p < 0,05). L’efficacité du NaPPS s’est maintenue plus longtemps que celle du carprofène avec une amélioration significative dans le score orthopédique à la semaine 8 (p = 0,013) suite au traitement NaPPS en comparaison avec carprofène.
Temporal Effects of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and cAMP on the Blood-Brain Barrier Solute permeability in vivo

To test the hypothesis that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) can transiently increase the blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability P as for peripheral microvessels, and elevation of 3,5cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) levels can inhibit the VEGF-induced acute hyperpermeability, we employed multiphoton microscopy to quantify the cerebral microvessel permeability P to varioussized solutes under VEGF and cAMP treatments. The cerebral microcirculation was observed through a section of frontoparietal bone thinned with a micro-grinder. Fluorescein (MW 376Da), FITC-dextran-20k, -70k, or Alexa Fluor 488-IgG in 1% BSA mammalian Ringer’s solution was injected into the cerebral circulation via the ipsilateral carotid artery by a syringe pump. Simultaneously, the temporal images were collected from the brain parenchyma ~100–200 μm below pia mater. P was determined from the rate of tissue solute accumulation around individual microvessels. Exposure to 1 nM VEGF transiently increased P to 2.2, 10.5, 9.8, and 12.8 times their control values, for fluorescein, dextran-20k, -70k, and IgG, respectively, within 30 s, and all returned to control in 2 min. After 20 min pretreatment of 2 mM cAMP analog, 8-bromo-cAMP, the initial increase by 1 nM VEGF was completely abolished in P to all solutes. The response pattern of P to VEGF and cAMP and the ratios of the peak to control values for rat cerebral microvessels are similar to those for rat mesenteric (peripheral) microvessels, except the ratios are higher in P of cerebral microvessels for the intermediate and large solutes. These results imply a new approach for delivering large therapeutic agents to brain.
Fast Image Reconstruction with an Event Camera

Event cameras are powerful new sensors able to capture high dynamic range with microsecond temporal resolution and no motion blur. Their strength is detecting brightness changes (called events) rather than capturing direct brightness images; however, algorithms can be used to convert events into usable image representations for applications such as classification. Previous works rely on hand-crafted spatial and temporal smoothing techniques to reconstruct images from events. State-of-the-art video reconstruction has recently been achieved using neural networks that are large (10M parameters) and computationally expensive, requiring 30ms for a forward-pass at 640 × 480 resolution on a modern GPU. We propose a novel neural network architecture for video reconstruction from events that is smaller (38k vs. 10M parameters) and faster (10ms vs. 30ms) than state-of-the-art with minimal impact to performance.
G-quadruplex DNA motifs in the malaria parasite Plasmodium 1 falciparum and their potential as novel antimalarial drug 2 targets 3 4 Running title : G-quadruplexes in Plasmodium falciparum

Running title: G-quadruplexes in Plasmodium falciparum 5 6 Authors 7 Lynne M. Harris, Katelyn R. Monsell, Florian Noulin, M. Toyin Famodimu, 8 Nicolas Smargiasso, Christian Damblon, Paul Horrocks, Catherine J. Merrick 9 Affiliations & Contact Information 10 Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Keele 11 University, Keele, Staffordshire, ST55BG, UK; 12 Molecular Systems Research Unit, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium; 13 Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine, Keele University, Keele, 14 Staffordshire, ST55BG, UK. 15 16 *Corresponding author: 17 c.merrick@keele.ac. uk (CJM) 18 Tel: (+44) 1782 734111 19
COMPACT LORENTZIAN MANIFOLDS WITHOUT CLOSED

We prove that every compact two-dimensional Lorentzian manifold contains a closed timelike or null geodesic. We then construct a two-dimensional example without any closed timelike geodesies and a three-dimensional example without any closed timelike or null geodesies. An elementary result of causal theory asserts that every compact Lorentzian manifold contains a closed timelike curve 7. In [2] the author established sufficient conditions for being able to deform 7 through timelike curves to a closed timelike geodesic. Previously, Tipler [8] had given somewhat more specialized criteria for the existence of a closed timelike geodesic. Neither of these results settles the question: Does every compact Lorentzian manifold contain a closed timelike geodesic? An answer in the affirmative would provide an analogue to the well-known Riemannian result that every compact Riemannian manifold contains a closed geodesic. In this note we prove the following THEOREM. Every compact two-dimensional Lorentzian manifold contains a closed timelike or null geodesic. We then construct a two-dimensional example without any closed timelike geodesies and a three-dimensional example without any closed timelike or null geodesies. The more general question as to whether every compact Lorentzian (or pseudoRiemannian) manifold contains a closed geodesic is, as far as we know, still open. (The examples alluded to above have closed spacelike geodesies.) PROOF OF THE THEOREM. The proof makes use of some standard concepts and results from the causal theory of Lorentzian manifolds for which [5, 6, 7, 1] are excellent references. Let M2 be a smooth compact manifold equipped with a Lorentzian metric g. By taking an appropriate finite covering of M2 we can assume M2 is orientable and time-orientable. Since M2 admits a Lorentzian metric it must have vanishing Euler characteristic, and hence is diffeomorphic to the 2-torus. Since every compact Lorentzian manifold contains a closed timelike curve, consideration of the space-time (M2,—g) shows that (M2,g) contains a smooth compact spacelike hypersurface E, which is the image of a smooth imbedding of S1. We take a moment to observe that E does not separate M2. Suppose to the contrary that it did. Then E bounds in M2 and hence the homology class determined by E is trivial in Hi(M2, Z). Since Hi(M2) is abelian, there is a standard isomorphism between Hi(M2, Z) and ni(M2) which shows that E is homotopic to a point. It follows that any component E of p_1(E), where (M2,p) is the universal covering Received by the editors September 10, 1985. 1980 Mathematics Subject Classification (1985 Revision). Primary 53C50; Secondary 53C22. ©1986 American Mathematical Society 0002-9939/86 $1.00+ $. 25 per page
0250b Lifestyle interventions for the treatment of women with gestational diabetes

Background Gestational diabetes (GDM) is glucose intolerance, first recognised in pregnancy and usually resolving after birth. GDM is associated with both shortand long-term adverse effects for the mother and her infant. Lifestyle interventions are the primary therapeutic strategy for many women with GDM. Objectives To evaluate the effects of combined lifestyle interventions with or without pharmacotherapy in treating women with gestational diabetes. Search methods We searched the Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (14 May 2016), ClinicalTrials.gov, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (14th May 2016) and reference lists of retrieved studies. Selection criteria 0250b Lifestyle interventions for the treatment of women with gestational diabetes
A Comparison of TIMSS 2011 and PISA 2012 mathematics frameworks and performance for Ireland and Selected countries

Irish schools recently participated in two major international surveys of mathematics achievement – TIMSS 2011 and PISA 2012. These two surveys originate from different philosophies of mathematics education as reflected in their assessment frameworks and tests. This paper compares the two mathematics frameworks in terms of mathematical content and cognitive processes and in terms of the test results, particularly at the level of performance subscales, in the context of Irish mathematics curricula and results for selected countries including UK and Northern Ireland. Some concerns arising from this analysis are discussed along with recommendations which could inform curriculum review.
THE EFFECT OF USING GRAPE SEEDS MEAL AS NATURAL ANTIOXIDANT IN BROILER DIETS ENRICHED IN FATTY ACIDS, ON MEAT QUALITY

Poultry meat is among the products liable to oxidative deterioration due to their rather high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Winery by-products are rich in polyphenols, which lends them the capacity to enhance meat stability to oxidation, hence its quality. The 5-week feeding trial evaluated the effect of 2% grape seeds meal used as natural antioxidant in the diets for Ross 308 broiler chicks aged 14 days. The chicks were weighed individually and assigned to two groups (C and E), with 40 chicks per group, housed under normal conditions of temperature, with 36% humidity, and 23 h light regimen. The basal ingredients of the conventional diet were: corn, wheat, gluten, soybean meal and 2% flaxseeds meal, which is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. The broilers had free access to the feed and water. Six broilers per group were slaughtered at the age of 49 days and 6 samples of breast/ thigh meat per group were formed for subsequent analysis of the basic chemical composition and of the fatty acids profile by gas chromatography. Standardized methods were used to determine the main nutrients in the samples of raw feed ingredients, compound feeds and meat. The analytical data were compared by variance analysis (ANOVA and t test), using StatView for Windows (SAS, version 6.0). The results are expressed as mean values ± standard error. The grape seeds meal had 13.38% crude protein, 7.57% ether extractives, 18.98 MJ/kg, gross energy, 29.45 mg equivalent gallic acid/g sample and an antioxidant capacity of 143.31 mM Trolox equivalents/g sample. The bioproductive parameters recorded for the entire experimental period (14 49 days) were not significantly (P ≥ 0.05) different between groups. However, the total content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) was 13.43% higher in the broiler breast meat and 15.49% higher in the broiler thigh, compared to the control group. Higher concentrations were recorded for omega-3 PUFAs, by 10.02% in the breast meat and by 18.70% in the broiler thigh, compared to the control group. These results show that the use of 2% grape seeds meal in broiler diets improved the quality of meat. The main conclusion of this study is that the the higher concentration of omega-3 and omega-6 PUFAs in chicken meat from the experimental group is due to the dietary inclusion of 2% grape seeds meal, which inhibited the lipid degradation reactions, thus improving the meat quality.
Elects of Brain (B-Type) Natriuretic Peptide on Coronary Artery Diameter and Coronary Hemodynamic Variables in Humans: Comparison With Effects on Systemic llemodynamic Variables

This study attempted to clarify the effects of human brain (B-type) natriuretic peptide on coronary artery diameter and coronary vascular resistance in humans. Background. Brain natriuretic peptide induces vasodilation in systemic circulation by activating particulate guanylate cyclase of the vascular smooth muscle. Methods. In 13 patients with normal coronary arteries and left ventricular function, brain natriuretic peptide was infused at 0.5 &kg body weight per min for 4 win into the left main coronary artery (six patients, Group X) or into the pulmonary artery (seven patients, Group B). Systemic hemodynamic variables and coronary sinus blood fiow were measured before and after the infusion. The lumen diameter of the left coronary artery was quantitatively measured. both groups (both p < 9.01 vs. baseline), and there was no difference in the effect behveen the groups. of coronary
Magnetic Materials and Systems: Domain Structure Visualization and Other Characterization Techniques for the Application in the Materials Science and Biomedicine

Magnetic structures have attracted a great interest due to their multiple applications, from physics to biomedicine. Several techniques are currently employed to investigate magnetic characteristics and other physicochemical properties of magnetic structures. The major objective of this review is to summarize the current knowledge on the usage, advances, advantages, and disadvantages of a large number of techniques that are currently available to characterize magnetic systems. The present review, aiming at helping in the choice of the most suitable method as appropriate, is divided into three sections dedicated to characterization techniques. Firstly, the magnetism and magnetization (hysteresis) techniques are introduced. Secondly, the visualization methods of the domain structures by means of different probes are illustrated. Lastly, the characterization of magnetic nanosystems in view of possible biomedical applications is discussed, including the exploitation of magnetism in imaging for cell tracking/visualization of pathological alterations in living systems (mainly by magnetic resonance imaging, MRI).
The Swedish Malaise Trap Project: A 15 Year Retrospective on a Countrywide Insect Inventory

Abstract The Swedish Malaise Trap Project (SMTP) is one of the most ambitious insect inventories ever attempted. The project was designed to target poorly known insect groups across a diverse range of habitats in Sweden. The field campaign involved the deployment of 73 Malaise traps at 55 localities across the country for three years (2003-2006). Over the past 15 years, the collected material has been hand sorted by trained technicians into over 300 taxonomic fractions suitable for expert attention. The resulting collection is a tremendous asset for entomologists around the world, especially as we now face a desperate need for baseline data to evaluate phenomena like insect decline and climate change. Here, we describe the history, organisation, methodology and logistics of the SMTP, focusing on the rationale for the decisions taken and the lessons learned along the way. The SMTP represents one of the early instances of community science applied to large-scale inventory work, with a heavy reliance on volunteers in both the field and the laboratory. We give estimates of both staff effort and volunteer effort involved. The project has been funded by the Swedish Taxonomy Initiative; in total, the inventory has cost less than 30 million SEK (approximately 3.1 million USD). Based on a subset of the samples, we characterise the size and taxonomic composition of the SMTP material. Several different extrapolation methods suggest that the material comprises around 20 million specimens in total. The material is dominated by Diptera (75% of the specimens) and Hymenoptera (15% of specimens). Amongst the Diptera, the dominant groups are Chironomidae (37% of specimens), Sciaridae (15%), Phoridae (13%), Cecidomyiidae (9.5%) and Mycetophilidae (9.4%). Within Hymenoptera, the major groups are Ichneumonidae (44% of specimens), Diaprioidea (19%), Braconidae (9.6%), Platygastroidea (8.5%) and Chalcidoidea (7.9%). The taxonomic composition varies with latitude and season. Several Diptera and Hymenoptera groups are more common in non-summer samples (collected from September to April) and in the North, while others show the opposite pattern. About 1% of the total material has been processed and identified by experts so far. This material represents over 4,000 species. One third of these had not been recorded from Sweden before and almost 700 of them are new to science. These results reveal the large amounts of taxonomic work still needed on Palaearctic insect faunas. Based on the SMTP experiences, we discuss aspects of planning and conducting future large-scale insect inventory projects using mainly traditional approaches in relation to more recent approaches that rely on molecular techniques.