Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Salinity influences on the uptake of silver nanoparticles and silver nitrate by marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma)

With increasing use of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), concerns about their potential deleterious effects on aquatic ecosystems have increased. Most previous studies have focused on the toxicity of AgNPs while their bioavailability has been seldom investigated. The present study examined the effects of salinity on the aggregation kinetics as well as the bioavailability of commercial 80‐nm citrate‐coated AgNPs (c‐AgNPs) in the presence or absence of a nonionic surfactant (Tween 20) to marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma). In addition, the uptake of soluble Ag was quantified for comparison and for deducting the uptake of soluble Ag during AgNP exposure by applying a biokinetic model. The authors found that the addition of Tween 20 immediately slowed down the process of aggregation of AgNPs, and an elevated amount of Tween 20 (20 µM) kept AgNPs well dispersed, even in the 30‐psu salinity medium. Uptake rate constants (ku) of AgNPs were less than half the soluble Ag at low salinities (1 psu and 5 psu), while limited bioavailability of c‐AgNPs was observed at high salinities (15 psu and 30 psu). However, the Tween 20–stabilized AgNPs (t‐AgNPs) were accumulated by medaka at comparable rates as the soluble Ag, indicating the importance of dispersion for bioavailability of AgNPs in a highly ionic environment. The present study provided the first insight of the bioavailability of AgNPs to fish in a high‐ionic environment. More studies are needed to gain a full understanding of bioavailability of AgNPs in marine environments. Environ Toxicol Chem 2014;33:632–640. © 2013 SETAC
Preserved Capillary Density of Dorsal Finger Skin in Treated Hypertensive Patients with or without Type 2 Diabetes

Please cite this paper as: Aellen J, Dabiri A, Heim A, Liaudet L, Burnier M, Ruiz J, Feihl F, Waeber B. Preserved capillary density of dorsal finger skin in treated hypertensive patients with or without type 2 diabetes. Microcirculation 19: 554–562, 2012.
The temporal relationship between college women's alcohol consumption and victimization experiences.

BACKGROUND The primary objective of the study was to assess changes in the conditional probability of sexual and nonsexual victimization on days of any alcohol consumption compared with days of heavy and no alcohol consumption in a sample of college women. METHODS We used the Timeline Followback calendar method to assess daily alcohol consumption and concurrent daily incidents of sexual and nonsexual aggression over a 6-week period. RESULTS The odds of experiencing sexual aggression were 9 times higher on heavy days and 3 times higher on nonheavy days of alcohol consumption compared with days of no alcohol consumption. The odds of experiencing nonsexual aggression were more than 7 times higher on heavy days and nearly 3 times higher on nonheavy days of alcohol consumption compared with days of no alcohol consumption. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide evidence of a temporal association between college women's alcohol consumption and increased risk for victimization. In addition, use of the TLFB appears to be a reasonable and cost effective means for collecting daily data on alcohol consumption and victimization experiences among college women.
Determination of a splenic volumetric index by ultrasonic scanning.

In a prospective study carried out to determine spleen size by a rapid and simple ultrasonic method, 45 normal subjects, 20 men and 25 women, average age 54 +/‐ 17 years (range 17‐78) were studied. The three principal dimensions of the spleen, breadth, thickness, and height, were obtained with a compound scan technique; each dimension was measured at its largest point. The values obtained were multiplied by each other and the product arbitrarily divided by 27, which is the cube of the three values. This gave a splenic volumetric index (SVI), which, in 95 per cent of normal subjects, was between 8 and 34. There were no statistically significant differences related to age, sex, or morphotype when endomorphs, ectomorphs, and mesomorphs were examined. This SVI determination, based on standardized measurements, allows the distinction of normal from abnormal spleens in 10 minutes.
FOOT STRIKE PATTERNS OF RUNNERS AT THE 15‐KM POINT DURING AN ELITE‐LEVEL HALF MARATHON

There are various recommendations by many coaches regarding foot landing techniques in distance running that are meant to improve running performance and prevent injuries. Several studies have investigated the kinematic and kinetic differences between rearfoot strike (RFS), midfoot strike (MFS), and forefoot strike (FFS) patterns at foot landing and their effects on running efficiency on a treadmill and over ground conditions. However, little is known about the actual condition of the foot strike pattern during an actual road race at the elite level of competition. The purpose of the present study was to document actual foot strike patterns during a half marathon in which elite international level runners, including Olympians, compete. Four hundred fifteen runners were filmed by 2 120-Hz video cameras in the height of 0.15 m placed at the 15.0-km point and obtained sagittal foot landing and taking off images for 283 runners. Rearfoot strike was observed in 74.9% of all analyzed runners, MFS in 23.7%, and FFS in 1.4%. The percentage of MFS was higher in the faster runners group, when all runners were ranked and divided into 50 runner groups at the 15.0-km point of the competition. In the top 50, which included up to the 69th place runner in actual order who passed the 15-km point at 45 minutes, 53 second (this speed represents 5.45 m·s-1, or 15 minutes, 17 seconds per 5 km), RFS, MFS, and FFS were 62.0, 36.0, and 2.0%, respectively. Contact time (CT) clearly increased for the slower runners, or the placement order increased (r = 0.71, p ≤ 0.05). The CT for RFS + FFS for every 50 runners group significantly increased with increase of the placement order. The CT for RFS was significantly longer than MFS + FFS (200.0 ± 21.3 vs. 183.0 ± 16 millisecond). Apparent inversion (INV) of the foot at the foot strike was observed in 42% of all runners. The percentage of INV for MFS was higher than for RFS and FFS (62.5, 32.0, and 50%, respectively). The CT with INV for MFS + FFS was significantly shorter than the CT with and without INV for RFS. Furthermore, the CT with INV was significantly shorter than push-off time without INV for RFS. The findings of this study indicate that foot strike patterns are related to running speed. The percentage of RFS increases with the decreasing of the running speed; conversely, the percentage of MFS increases as the running speed increases. A shorter contact time and a higher frequency of inversion at the foot contact might contribute to higher running economy.
A full-wave model of a piezo-electric fluid sensor using lateral field excitation

In the presented work a piezoelectric fluid sensor featuring both electrodes on one face of the piezoelectric disc (LFE electrode arrangement) is efficiently modeled as a layered structure in the spectral domain. The interaction of piezoelectric disc and sample liquid, which is not fully manageable in an analytical way or too comprehensive for FEM, is modeled in a full-wave fashion by the method. In this contribution, the modeling approach is demonstrated and the mass loading effect of the electrodes is accounted for by a perturbation method. Furthermore the electric field distribution within the sensor is illustrated.
Corpus Callosum Size and Neuropsychologic Impairment in Adolescents who Were Born Preterm

Prematurity is associated with cerebral abnormalities that might account for poorer cognitive performance. The aim of our study was to investigate the correlations between corpus callosum reductions and neuropsychologic performance in adolescents who were born preterm. Twenty-five subjects born before 33 weeks' gestation were compared with 25 subjects born at term and of similar age, gender, and sociocultural status. All subjects underwent magnetic resonance imaging and neuropsychologic examinations. Premature subjects performed worse than controls in global cognitive functioning, verbal memory, and verbal fluency. Corpus callosum measurements showed a global reduction owing mainly to thinning in the splenium, posterior midbody, and genu. Corpus callosum size significantly correlated with gestational age, Wechsler Performance IQ, and memory performance. These results suggest that cerebral growth during infancy does not compensate for corpus callosum reduction and that this reduction reflects neuropsychologic deficit. The cognitive impairment can arise from the paucity of the complex interneuronal connections owing to fiber damage, particularly myelinated fibers. (J Child Neurol 2006;21:406—410; DOI 10.2310/7010.2006.00106).
Protein antigens of Streptococcus mutans: purification and properties of a double antigen and its protease-resistant component

A surface protein antigen of Streptococcus mutans having two sets of antigenic determinants (antigens I and II) was purified by column chromatography from culture supernatants of S. mutans serotype c. The protease-resistant component, antigen II, was purified from pronase-digested antigen I/II. The antigens were analyzed chemically and immunologically, and their physicochemical properties were investigated. Antigen I/II consisted of more than 80% protein, and its peptide chain molecular weight was estimated to be 185,000. Antigen II consisted of approximately 60% protein, with a peptide chain molecular weight of 48,000. Antisera to antigens I/II and II were raised in rabbits and used to investigate the presence of the antigens in cells of other streptococci. This indicated that not only serotype c but also serotypes e and f possessed antigen I and II determinants, whereas serotypes a, d, and g possessed a determinant related to antigen I but not one related to antigen II.
EUS in preoperative staging of pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is believed to be highly accurate in the local (T) and nodal (N) staging of pancreatic cancer. However, there are scant data concerning the predictive value of EUS for resectability of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. This study was performed to determine the accuracy of TNM staging by EUS in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma and to evaluate the role of preoperative TNM staging by EUS for determining resectability in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. METHODS This is a retrospective review of a cohort of 89 patients evaluated preoperatively with EUS for pancreatic adenocarcinoma between January 1995 and December 1997. Preoperative TNM classification by EUS was compared with surgical and histopathologic TNM staging. Resectability rates were determined and compared with the preoperative TNM staging by EUS. RESULTS The overall accuracy of EUS for T and N staging was found to be 69% and 54%, respectively. The overall proportion of tumors that were deemed resectable by EUS and were actually found to be resectable during surgical exploration was 46%. The proportion of tumors staged as T4 N1, T4 N0, T3 N1 and T3 N0 by EUS that were found to be resectable during surgical exploration was 45%, 37%, 44% and 62%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS In a tertiary referral patient population, EUS is not as accurate as previously reported in the T and N staging of pancreatic cancer. EUS is also not predictive of resectability in stage T3 or T4 pancreatic cancer.
Effects of anterior‐tipped seating on respiratory function of normal children and children with cerebral palsy

The purpose of this study was to compare the respiratory parameters of tidal volume, respiration rate, and minute ventilation of a group of six normal children and a group of six children with spastic cerebral palsy, in response to two seat base positions: (1) flat, and (2) anterior-tipped. Respiratory inductance plethysmography was used to record respiratory parameters. The results demonstrated significant differences in tidal volume and minute ventilation between the groups in the anterior-tipped seat condition. No significant differences in respiratory parameters could be attributed to seat base position within either the normal or cerebral palsied subjects. Implications are discussed in relation to the anterior seat base design, group data analysis methods and individual data profiles, and the impact of these results for future research and practice.
Motor Rotation Is Essential for the Formation of the Periplasmic Flagellar Ribbon, Cellular Morphology, and Borrelia burgdorferi Persistence within Ixodes scapularis Tick and Murine Hosts

ABSTRACT Borrelia burgdorferi must migrate within and between its arthropod and mammalian hosts in order to complete its natural enzootic cycle. During tick feeding, the spirochete transmits from the tick to the host dermis, eventually colonizing and persisting within multiple, distant tissues. This dissemination modality suggests that flagellar motor rotation and, by extension, motility are crucial for infection. We recently reported that a nonmotile flaB mutant that lacks periplasmic flagella is rod shaped and unable to infect mice by needle or tick bite. However, those studies could not differentiate whether motor rotation or merely the possession of the periplasmic flagella was crucial for cellular morphology and host persistence. Here, we constructed and characterized a motB mutant that is nonmotile but retains its periplasmic flagella. Even though ΔmotB bacteria assembled flagella, part of the mutant cell is rod shaped. Cryoelectron tomography revealed that the flagellar ribbons are distorted in the mutant cells, indicating that motor rotation is essential for spirochetal flat-wave morphology. The ΔmotB cells are unable to infect mice, survive in the vector, or migrate out of the tick. Coinfection studies determined that the presence of these nonmotile ΔmotB cells has no effect on the clearance of wild-type spirochetes during murine infection and vice versa. Together, our data demonstrate that while flagellar motor rotation is necessary for spirochetal morphology and motility, the periplasmic flagella display no additional properties related to immune clearance and persistence within relevant hosts.
Controlled release of hepatocyte growth factor from a bovine acellular scaffoldfor vocal fold reconstruction

A bovine acellular scaffold was found to facilitate tissue remodeling in a rat model of vocal fold injury, whereas hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) has been shown to have an antiscarring effect in the larynx. This study examined the loading and release kinetics of HGF in vitro, and the potential of the acellular scaffold as a timed-release system for the delivery of HGF in vivo. Bilateral wounds were created in the posterior vocal folds of 20 rats, with HGF-loaded acellular scaffolds implanted into the wounds unilaterally, and scaffolds without HGF implanted into the contralateral vocal folds as control. The rats were humanely sacrificed after 3, 7, 30, and 90 days and their larynges were examined histologically and immunohistochemically. Expressions of key matrix proteins in the vocal fold coronal sections were quantified by digital image analysis. Results demonstrated a gradual, sustained release of HGF for at least 7 days in vitro, consistent with the detection of glycosaminoglycans inherent of the scaffold. In rat vocal folds implanted with HGF-loaded scaffolds, apparently fewer inflammatory cells were observed 3 days after surgery when compared to the control. The mean relative densities of collagen III and hyaluronic acid were significantly lower than those of the control 7 days after surgery. Scaffold implants were apparently degraded by 3 months in all animals, with no evidence of fibrosis or calcification. These data suggested that the bovine acellular scaffold could be promising for the exogenous delivery of select growth factors in vivo.
Development of a  $Ka$-Band Wideband Circularly Polarized 64-Element Microstrip Antenna Array With Double Application of the Sequential Rotation Feeding Technique

A novel -band wideband circularly polarized 64-element microstrip antenna array is presented in this letter. It is developed with double application of the sequential rotation feeding technique. The array employs corner-truncated microstrip patches as the basic element, and then a four-element array as the subarray. By applying the sequential rotation technique twice to design the feed networks, a full 64-element array with good performance is obtained. A prototype of the full array was constructed and tested. The measurement results show that both the reflection coefficient of less than 10 dB and axial ratio of less than 3 dB have been achieved over a frequency band of 27-31 GHz; this corresponds to a wide bandwidth of 13.8%. Due to its planar configuration, the proposed array can find good applications in aerospace, radar, and communication systems.
Ubiquitin and neurofilament expression in anterior horn cells in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: possible clues to the pathogenesis

Cytoskeletal abnormalities are a prominent pathological feature of anterior horn cells in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and are thought to be involved in the process of motor neuron death. Skein–like filamentous inclusions have been detected by immunocytochemical staining for ubiquitin, a stress protein involved in targeting abnormal proteins for proteolysis. So far, identification of the target protein has been elusive. We have studied the ultrastructural localization of ubiquitin and neurofilaments by post–embedding immunogold staining. In skein–like arrays, strong ubiquitin labelling was concentrated on abnormally formed 15–20 nm filaments; neurofilament labelling was localized on 10 nm filaments adjacent or in continuity with the abnormal filaments. In addition, Bunina bodies were a major site of ubiquitin accumulation. Our results suggest that ubiquitinated filaments in skein–like inclusions might originate from abnormally aggregated neurofilament proteins, which are no longer recognized by antibodies to neurofilament epitopes. Furthermore, the presence of ubiquitin in Bunina bodies suggests that, in addition to its protective role, ubiquitin might be directly implicated in the mechanism of programmed neuronal death in ALS.
Profound functional and signaling changes in viable inflammatory neutrophils homing to cystic fibrosis airways

Blood neutrophils recruited to cystic fibrosis (CF) airways are believed to be rapidly killed by resident bacteria and to passively release elastase and other toxic by-products that promote disease progression. By single-cell analysis, we demonstrate that profound functional and signaling changes readily occur within viable neutrophils recruited to CF airways, compared with their blood counterparts. Airway neutrophils have undergone conventional activation, as shown by decreased intracellular glutathione, increased lipid raft assembly, surface mobilization of CD11b+ and CD66b+ granules, and increased levels of the cytoskeleton-associated phospho-Syk kinase. Unexpectedly, they also mobilize to the surface CD63+ elastase-rich granules, usually confined intracellularly, and lose surface expression of CD16 and CD14, both key receptors in phagocytosis. Furthermore, they express CD80, major histocompatibility complex type II, and the prostaglandin D2 receptor CD294, all normally associated with other lineages, which reflects functional reprogramming. This notion is reinforced by their decreased total phosphotyrosine levels, mirroring a postactivated stage, and increased levels of the phospho-S6 ribosomal protein, a key anabolic switch. Thus, we identified a subset of neutrophils within CF airways with a viable but dysfunctional phenotype. This subset provides a possible therapeutic target and indicates a need to revisit current paradigms of CF airway disease.
Flux Balance Analysis of a Genome‐Scale Yeast Model Constrained by Exometabolomic Data Allows Metabolic System Identification of Genetically Different Strains

A systems approach to biology requires a principled approach to pathway identification. In this study, the two nuclear petite yeast mutants K1Δpet191a and K1Δpet191ab and their parental industrial strain K1 were cultured in glucose‐containing microaerobic chemostats. Exometabolomic profiles were used to infer the differences in the fermentation characteristics and respiration capacity of the strains. The ability of the metabolite measurement information to describe genetically different strains was investigated using a genome‐scale yeast model. Flux balance analysis (FBA) of the model reveals that the objective function of minimal oxygen consumption enables the identification of the effect of genotypic differences when combined with the knowledge of the extracellular state of metabolism. The predicted decrease in oxygen consumption flux of K1Δpet191a and K1Δpet191ab strains with respect to the parental strain is about 80% and 100%, respectively, which coincides with the respiratory deficiencies of the strains. The expected increase in ethanol production rates in response to the decrease in the respiratory capacity was also predicted to be very close to the experimental values. This study shows the predictive power of the integrated analysis of genome‐scale models with exometabolomic profiles, since accurate predictions could be made without any information about the respiration capacity of the strains. The FBA approach thereby enables identification of responsive pathways and so permits the elucidation of the genetic characteristics of strains in terms of expressed metabolite profiles.
Chronic Widespread Pain in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis and the Relation Between Pain and Disease Activity Measures over the First 5 Years

Objective. To study the prevalence of chronic widespread pain (ChWP), chronic regional pain (ChRP), and fibromyalgia in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) followed for 5 years after inclusion, and to study the effect of pain on measures of disease activity and function. Methods. A questionnaire was sent to 1910 patients participating in the Better Anti-Rheumatic Pharmacotherapy study. The responders (73%) were divided into 3 groups according to the reported pain duration and distribution — patients having no chronic pain (NChP), ChWP, and ChRP. Outcome measures were the 28-joint Disease Activity Score (DAS28), the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), and C-reactive protein (CRP). Results. Thirty-four percent of respondents reported ChWP, 46% ChRP, and 20% NChP. Patients reporting ChWP were more often women and had more pain and tender joints at inclusion. From 6 months to 5 years of followup, mean DAS28, visual analog scale (VAS) pain, VAS global health, and HAQ were significantly higher in the ChWP group than in the other groups. However, all groups showed a similar pattern in swollen joint count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and CRP. From 12 months the ChWP group was treated with prednisolone to a greater extent than the ChRP group, and it had a rate of treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs similar to that of the ChRP group. Conclusion. ChWP is a common feature in RA, more associated with high values for variables related to pain such as the DAS28 and HAQ than to indicators of ongoing inflammation such as swollen joint count, ESR, and CRP. Patients with ChWP should be identified so that adequate treatment also of the noninflammatory pain may be instituted.