Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chrysophylum albidum fruit juice reverses erythrocytes ethylene glycol-induced toxicity inmale Wistar rats

In vivo antioxidant properties of Chrysophyllum albidum leaves has been reported, but studies on C. albidum fruit juice are scarce. In the current study, we investigated the antioxidant potential of C. albidum fruit juice on ethylene glycol-induced oxidative stress on the erythrocytes. Experimental design involved twenty five (25) male Wistar rats randomly divided into five (5) study groups. Group 1 was administered with normal saline (Control), groups 2-4 were poisoned with ethylene glycol and treated with 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 ml of C. albidum fruit juice respectively, and group 5 was poisoned with ethylene glycol, but not treated with C. albidum fruit juice. The results indicated that while there was a significant elevation (p < 0.05) in the level of lipid peroxidation product (MDA) in the group poisoned with ethylene glycol alone without treatment, lipid peroxidation levels were restored in the ethylene glycol poisoned rats that were treated with Chrysophyllum albidum fruit juice compared with the control. In addition, there were increases in the activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and catalase in all the groups except in the untreated group poisoned with ethylene glycol alone, where the enzymes activities were significantly (p < 0.05) reduced. We conclude therefore that C. albidum fruit juice possesses potent antioxidant property.
The molecular basis of HIV entry

Infection by HIV starts when the virus attaches to a susceptible cell. For viral replication to continue, the viral envelope must fuse with a cellular membrane, thereby delivering the viral core to the cytoplasm, where the RNA genome is reverse‐transcribed. The key players in this entry by fusion are the envelope glycoprotein, on the viral side, and CD4 and a co‐receptor, CCR5 or CXCR4, on the cellular side. Here, the interplay of these molecules is reviewed from cell‐biological, structural, mechanistic, and modelling‐based perspectives. Hypotheses are evaluated regarding the cellular compartment for entry, the transfer of virus through direct cell‐to‐cell contact, the sequence of molecular events, and the number of molecules involved on each side of the virus–cell divide. An emerging theme is the heterogeneity among the entry mediators on both sides, a diversity that affects the efficacy of entry inhibitors, be they small‐molecule ligands, peptides or neutralizing antibodies. These insights inform rational strategies for therapy as well as vaccination.
Document clustering based on diffusion maps and a comparison of the k-means performances in various spaces

A great challenge of text mining arises from the increasingly large text datasets and the high dimensionality associated with natural language. In this research, a systematic study is conducted in the context of the document clustering, using the recently introduced diffusion framework and some characteristics of the singular value decomposition. This study is three-fold. First, we propose to construct a diffusion kernel based on the cosine distance. Second, we compare the performances of the k-means algorithm in four different vector spaces: Salton space, latent semantic analysis space, diffusion space based on the cosine distance, and diffusion space based on the Euclidian distance. Third, we undertake a statistical study of the k-means algorithm in the LSA space and the diffusion space based on the cosine distance. In most of our experiments, k-means in diffusion space, based on the cosine distance performs better. In addition, the running time in this space is negligible compared to the time needed for k-means in Salton space.
Regulation of T Helper Cell Fate by TCR Signal Strength

T cells are critical in orchestrating protective immune responses to cancer and an array of pathogens. The interaction between a peptide MHC (pMHC) complex on antigen presenting cells (APCs) and T cell receptors (TCRs) on T cells initiates T cell activation, division, and clonal expansion in secondary lymphoid organs. T cells must also integrate multiple T cell-intrinsic and extrinsic signals to acquire the effector functions essential for the defense against invading microbes. In the case of T helper cell differentiation, while innate cytokines have been demonstrated to shape effector CD4+ T lymphocyte function, the contribution of TCR signaling strength to T helper cell differentiation is less understood. In this review, we summarize the signaling cascades regulated by the strength of TCR stimulation. Various mechanisms in which TCR signal strength controls T helper cell expansion and differentiation are also discussed.
Discovery of synergistic genetic network: A minimum spanning tree-based approach

Identification of gene interactions is one of the very well-known and important problems in the field of genetics. However, discovering synergistic gene interactions is a relatively new problem which has been proven to be as significant as the former in genetics. Several approaches have been proposed in this regard and most of them depend upon information theoretic measures. These approaches quantize the gene expression levels, explicitly or implicitly and therefore, may lose information. Here, we have proposed a novel approach for identifying synergistic gene interactions directly from the continuous expression levels, using a minimum spanning tree (MST)-based algorithm. We have used this approach to find pairs of synergistically interacting genes in prostate cancer. The advantages of our method are that it does not need any discretization and it can be extended straightway to find synergistically interacting sets of genes having three or more elements as per the requirement of the situation. We have demonstrated the relevance of the synergistic genes in cancer biology using KEGG pathway analysis and otherwise.
Schaetzung der Anzahl von taeglichen Ladevorgaengen von Elektroautos in Stadtbezirken

Obwohl in den letzten Jahren eine immer groessere Anzahl von Elektroautos von verschiedenen Herstellern am Markt verfuegbar ist, konnte bis jetzt nicht geklaert werden, wie ein bedarfsgerechter Aufbau einer oeffentlichen Ladeinfrastruktur gewaehrleistet werden kann. Das Modell schaetzt die Anzahl von taeglichen Ladevorgaengen in einzelnen Stadtbezirken. Zu diesem Zweck wurde ein Verfahren entwickelt, das unterschiedliche Gruppen wie private und gewerbliche Nutzer getrennt betrachtet. Dabei werden individuelle Eigenschaften dieser, wie zum Beispiel Lade- und Fahrtzielverhalten, beachtet. Dieses Modell wird anschliessend vereinfacht auf die Landeshauptstadt Muenchen angewendet und fuer ein Verbreitungsszenario von Elektromobilitaet ausgewertet. (A) (Beitrag zu HEUREKA '14 "Optimierung in Verkehr und Transport" 2014 in Stuttgart.)
Teaching children with autism to seek information: acquisition of novel information and generalization of responding.

A time delay procedure was used to teach 3 children with autism to ask the question "What's that? " when novel stimuli were presented during an instructional task. Once the ability to ask the question was acquired, the children's ability to learn novel information by asking the question was assessed. The children were then taught to ask the question within a less structured context. All three studies used a multiple baseline across participants. Generalization was assessed in a different room, to a new person, and to novel stimuli. All of the children learned to ask the question within the instructional context, while on a walk in the school building, and to request information about three-dimensional objects. The acquisition of novel information was consistent for receptive and expressive tests for 2 of the children, with varied results for the 3rd. These studies indicate that children with autism can be taught to ask questions that lead to the acquisition of new information.
Performance Analysis of Spatial Modulation OFDM System with N-Continuous Precoder

In this paper, N-continuous (NC) precoding is first combined with spatial modulation (SM) - orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) system for sidelobe suppression, and the bit-error rate (BER) performance of the considered system is analyzed over fading channels. On the one hand, the introduced interference of the NC precoder is modeled and analyzed for SM-OFDM, so as to achieve the theoretical BER performance. On the other hand, we show that the simulation results support the theoretical analysis in different parameter configurations of the considered NC precoded SM-OFDM system.
Binding of blood proteins to carbon nanotubes reduces cytotoxicity

With the potential wide uses of nanoparticles such as carbon nanotubes in biomedical applications, and the growing concerns of nanotoxicity of these engineered nanoparticles, the importance of nanoparticle–protein interactions cannot be stressed enough. In this study, we use both experimental and theoretical approaches, including atomic force microscope images, fluorescence spectroscopy, CD, SDS-PAGE, and molecular dynamics simulations, to investigate the interactions of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with human serum proteins, and find a competitive binding of these proteins with different adsorption capacity and packing modes. The π-π stacking interactions between SWCNTs and aromatic residues (Trp, Phe, Tyr) are found to play a critical role in determining their adsorption capacity. Additional cellular cytotoxicity assays, with human acute monocytic leukemia cell line and human umbilical vein endothelial cells, reveal that the competitive bindings of blood proteins on the SWCNT surface can greatly alter their cellular interaction pathways and result in much reduced cytotoxicity for these protein-coated SWCNTs, according to their respective adsorption capacity. These findings have shed light toward the design of safe carbon nanotube nanomaterials by comprehensive preconsideration of their interactions with human serum proteins.
Melanoma cell lines from different stages of progression and their biological and molecular analyses

The biological and molecular characteristics of cell lines from metastatic melanomas have been extensively studied but less is known about cells from the biologically earliest stage of primary melanoma. The overall success rate of establishing permanent cell lines from such lesions is only 10% of that for biologically late primary or metastatic melanomas, although our laboratory now has eight cell lines available. The cells are immortal but show reduced or no proliferation in soft agar and immunodeficient mice when compared with primary melanomas from the biologically advanced vertical growth phase. Metastatic melanoma cell lines from patients with familial melanoma or xeroderma pigmentosum are biologically similar to those from patients with spontaneous melanomas. Irrespective of the malignant stages, deletions and mutations can occur in exons 1–3 of the p16INK4A gene. DNA fingerprinting was then employed to demonstrate the uniqueness of individual cell lines and to confirm the identity of cell lines derived from same patients. These cell lines are an excellent resource to investigate melanoma progression.
Interprofessional Education Using a Palliative Care Simulation

This quasi-experimental pretest-posttest study measured self-efficacy, attitudes toward physician-nurse collaboration, and interprofessional competencies as outcomes of a palliative care simulation. Based on experience level, teams of participants, 1 consisting of nursing/medical students and the other of nursing/medical health care professionals, completed a palliative care simulation as part of their education. Self-efficacy and attitudes toward physician-nurse collaboration were measured before and after simulation. Interprofessional competency was measured during the simulation. The results revealed a significant improvement in the previously mentioned measures, and interprofessional competency scores varied by profession and evaluator.
PK11195 binding to the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor as a marker of microglia activation in multiple sclerosis and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Activated glial cells are implicated in regulating and effecting the immune response that occurs within the CNS as part of multiple sclerosis (MS) and its animal model experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). The peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) is expressed in glial cells. We examined the utility of using in vitro and in vivo ligand binding to the PBR as a measure of lesion activity in autoimmune CNS demyelinating diseases. Applying a combined autoradiography and immunohistochemical approach to spinal cord and brain tissues from mice with EAE, we found a correlation at sites of inflammatory lesions between [3H]‐PK11195 binding and immunoreactivity for the activated microglial/macrophage marker Mac‐1/CD11b. In MS tissues, [3H]‐PK11195 binding correlated with sites of immunoreactivity for the microglial/macrophage marker CD68, at the edges of chronic active plaques. Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with [11C]‐PK11195 showed ligand uptake only at sites of active MS lesions defined by magnetic resonance imaging criteria. Our results indicate the potential to develop markers suitable for both in vitro and in vivo use, which will serve to help correlate phenotypic and functional properties of cells which participate in disease or injury responses within the CNS. J. Neurosci. Res. 50:345–353, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Single-point model of MIMO-UWB indoor systems using time-reversal transmission

Nowadays, various techniques and systems have been proposed for the implementation of wireless indoor localization systems. Recently, significant focus has been given to Multiple Input-Multiple Output (MIMO) implementations of Ultra-Wideband (UWB) systems, in order to enhance the localization precision while introducing high communication performance. The main disadvantages of such approaches are the high deployment cost and computational complexity, due to the increased data processing. These facts are compensated by adopting the Time Reversal (TR) transmission scheme, providing scaling capabilities and Spatial Focusing (SF) to the system, at the same time. In this paper, a 2 × 2 Multi-Antenna Time-Reversal Indoor Positioning (MATRIP) system model is proposed to track the mobile Blind Node (BN) in a harsh indoor environment, measuring its time-range from one fixed-position Anchor Node (AN). This kind of implementation overcomes the restrictions imposed by the legacy localization systems, regarding the minimum number of ANs of the system. The efficiency of the MATRIP system is demonstrated through simulation results evaluating the average localization error versus the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR), the Focusing Gain (FG), and the channel capacity.
Cancer in End-Stage Renal Disease: Potential Factors Involved

Increased incidence of cancer at various sites is observed in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). In particular, lymphomas and carcinomas of the kidney, prostate, liver and uterus show an enhanced prevalence in these subjects compared with the general population. A multitude of factors directly or indirectly associated with the renal disease and the treatment regimens may contribute to the increased tumor formation in these patients. Impaired function of the immune system and of DNA repair mechanisms as well as reduced antioxidant defense, accumulation of carcinogenic compounds partly due to reduced renal elimination as well as chronic infections and inflammations are found more frequently in patients with ESRD compared with the general population and may act in concert to accelerate malignant transformation and tumor formation.
Signal transduction pathways that regulate skeletal muscle gene expression.

The regulation of cellular functions by extracellular signaling molecules such as hormones, polypeptide growth factors, and neurotransmitters requires the generation of transient signals at the cell membrane, which are transmitted to the nucleus, where they result in short and long term changes in gene expression. One of the most common mechanisms for linking external signals to transcriptional responses is through protein kinase cascades that begin at cell surface receptors and culminate at transcription factors that coordinately regulate multiple target genes. Although changes in protein phosphorylation at the cell surface in response to receptor activation and the resulting alterations in expression of specific genes are well documented, the intermediate steps in signal transduction between the membrane and the nucleus are only beginning to be defined. Skeletal muscle cells are among the cell types whose properties are profoundly influenced by growth factors, hormones, and neurotransmitters. The recent identification of a small family of muscle-specific transcription factors that coordinately regulate gene expression in skeletal muscle and serve as targets for a variety of protein kinase cascades has revealed a potential end point for the cellular circuits that transduce signals from the cell membrane to the nucleus in muscle cells. This review will focus on evidence implicating protein kinases in the control of skeletal muscle cell growth, differentiation, and maturation. The possibility that muscle-specific transcription factors may serve as targets for protein kinase cascades will also be addressed, and several potential models to explain the regulation of muscle cell functions by protein kinases will be considered. For more comprehensive reviews on the regulation of muscle differentiation, the reader is referred to several recent reviews (l-5).
Polyglutamation of methotrexate with common polymorphisms in reduced folate carrier, aminoimidazole carboxamide ribonucleotide transformylase, and thymidylate synthase are associated with methotrexate effects in rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE Methotrexate (MTX) enters cells through the reduced folate carrier (RFC-1) and exerts part of its effects through polyglutamation to MTX polyglutamates (MTXPGs) and inhibition of 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide transformylase (ATIC) and thymidylate synthase (TS). We investigated the contribution of common genetic polymorphisms in RFC-1 (G80A), ATIC (C347G), and TS (28-bp tandem repeats located in the TS enhancer region [TSER*2/*3]) and of MTXPGs to the effect of MTX in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. METHODS The study was cross-sectional. All patients received MTX for at least 3 months. The numbers of tender and swollen joints, the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores for the physician's global assessment of disease activity, and the modified Health Assessment Questionnaire scores were collected. Using the VAS score for the physician's assessment of patient's response to MTX, the population of patients was dichotomized into responders to MTX (VAS score < or =2 cm) and nonresponders to MTX (VAS score >2 cm). A pharmacogenetic index was calculated as the sum of homozygous variant genotypes (RFC-1 AA + ATIC 347GG + TSER *2/*2) carried by the patients. MTXPG concentrations were measured in red blood cells (RBCs) by high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS The dose of MTX was not associated with the effects of MTX (P > 0.05). In contrast, increased RBC long-chain MTXPG concentrations (median 40 nmoles/liter; range <5-131 nmoles/liter) and an increased pharmacogenetic index were associated with a lower number of tender and swollen joints (P < 0.05) and a lower score for the physician's global assessment of disease activity (P < or = 0.001). Patients with RBC MTXPG levels of >60 nmoles/liter and carriers of a homozygous variant genotype were 14.0-fold (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 3.6-53.8) and 3.7-fold (95% CI 1.7-9.1), respectively, more likely to have a good response to MTX (P
Management of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis: clinical data in relation to disease demographics, bone mineral density and fracture risk

Introduction: Glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP) is the most common type of secondary osteoporosis. Patient selection and the treatment choice remain to be controversial. None of the proposed management guidelines are widely accepted. We evaluate the available clinical data, the efficacy of current medication and we propose an overall algorithm for managing GIOP. Areas covered: This article provides a critical review of in vivo and clinical evidence regarding GIOP and developing evidence-based algorithm of treatment. Data base used includes MEDLINE® (1950 to May 2014). Expert opinion: Patient-specific treatment is the gold standard of care. Glucocorticoid (GC)-treated patients must comply with a healthy lifestyle and receive 1000 mg of calcium and at least 800 mg of Vitamin D daily. Bisphosphonate (BP) therapy is the current standard of care for prevention and treatment of GIOP. Most of bisphosphonates demonstrated benefit in lumbar bone mineral density (BMD) and some in hip BMD. Alendronate, risedronate and zoledronate showed vertebral anti-fracture efficacy in postmenopausal women and men. Scarce data however when compared head to head with BP efficacy. In post-menopausal women, early antiresorptive BP treatment appears to be efficient and safe. In premenopausal women and patients at high risk of fracture receiving long-term GC therapy however, teriparitide may be advised alternatively.
Targeting the cell wall of Mycobacterium tuberculosis: a molecular modeling investigation of the interaction of imipenem and meropenem with L,D-transpeptidase 2

The single crystal X-ray structure of the extracellular portion of the L,D-transpeptidase (ex-LdtMt2 – residues 120–408) enzyme was recently reported. It was observed that imipenem and meropenem inhibit activity of this enzyme, responsible for generating L,D-transpeptide linkages in the peptidoglycan layer of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Imipenem is more active and isothermal titration calorimetry experiments revealed that meropenem is subjected to an entropy penalty upon binding to the enzyme. Herein, we report a molecular modeling approach to obtain a molecular view of the inhibitor/enzyme interactions. The average binding free energies for nine commercially available inhibitors were calculated using MM/GBSA and Solvation Interaction Energy (SIE) approaches and the calculated energies corresponded well with the available experimentally observed results. The method reproduces the same order of binding energies as experimentally observed for imipenem and meropenem. We have also demonstrated that SIE is a reasonably accurate and cost-effective free energy method, which can be used to predict carbapenem affinities for this enzyme. A theoretical explanation was offered for the experimental entropy penalty observed for meropenem, creating optimism that this computational model can serve as a potential computational model for other researchers in the field.
Subtelomeric deletion of 12p: Description of a third case and review

Only 12 cases with a cytogenetically visible deletion of the short arm of chromosome 12 (12p) have been reported so far. The difference in clinical features observed in these patients indicates that there is no distinct phenotype associated with this short arm deletion, although the existence of a del(12p) syndrome was previously suggested. Besides those 12 reports, only two patients have been described with a subtelomeric 12p deletion; both present in the same family in which the son showed a mild phenotype of moderate mental retardation and behavioral problems and his carrier mother had no apparent phenotype. In this article, we describe the third known patient with a subtelomeric 12p deletion in a young boy with mental retardation and microcephaly, and review the literature. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.