Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MicroRNA regulates human vitamin D receptor

Most of the biological effects of 1α,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) are elicited by the binding to vitamin D receptor (VDR), which regulates gene expression. Earlier studies reported no correlation between the VDR protein and mRNA levels, suggesting the involvement of posttranscriptional regulation. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression through translational repression or mRNA degradation. A potential miR‐125b recognition element (MRE125b) was identified in the 3′‐untranslated region of human VDR mRNA. We investigated whether VDR is regulated by miR‐125b. In luciferase assays using a plasmid containing the MRE125b, the antisense oligonucleotide for miR‐125b significantly increased (130% of control) the reporter activity in KGN cells, whereas the precursor for miR‐125b significantly decreased (40% of control) the reporter activity in MCF‐7 cells, suggesting that miR‐125b functionally recognized the MRE125b. By electrophoretic mobility shift assays, it was demonstrated that the overexpression of miR‐125b significantly decreased the endogenous VDR protein level in MCF‐7 cells to 40% of control. 1,25(OH)2D3 drastically induced the CYP24 mRNA level in MCF‐7 cells, but the induction was markedly attenuated by the overexpression of miR‐125b. In addition, the antiproliferative effects of 1,25(OH)2D3 in MCF‐7 cells were significantly abolished by the overexpression of miR‐125b. These results suggest that the endogenous VDR level was repressed by miR‐125b. In conclusion, we found that miR‐125b posttranscriptionally regulated human VDR. Since the miR‐125b level is known to be downregulated in cancer, such a decrease may result in the upregulation of VDR in cancer and augmentation of the antitumor effects of 1,25(OH)2D3. © 2009 UICC
Sleep disturbances in HIV-seropositive patients.

To the Editor. — Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infects the central nervous system and is associated with neurological and psychiatric disease. 1,2 Neuropsychological disorders may appear as the primary or only manifestation of HIV infection. 3 Sleep/wake disturbances have been reported among HIV-seropositive individuals. To provide a better understanding of the etiology of sleep complaints, a pilot study that evaluated sleep variables was performed. Study. — Eight asymptomatic HIV-seropositive patients (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot) (group A) and four HIV-seronegative and culture-negative patients (group B) were included. Patients with neuropsychiatric diseases were excluded. All were homosexual and did not differ in life-styles. None were sleep-deprived "shift workers" and none were taking medications known to affect sleep. None abused intravenous drugs or alcohol and none used sedatives or narcotics. An interview, written questionnaires, and a standardized polysomnogram (sleep study) were administered to provide objective measurements of sleep. A two-sample t test was
Partial Purification and Some Properties of Brassica napus Lipase

Abstract Lipase (triacylglycerol acylhydrolase EC 3.1.1.3) from rape (Brassica napus cv. Ceres) was isolated from cotyledons of dark-grown seedlings. The enzyme was partially purified by poly ethylene glycol precipitation. Delipidation of the lipase with n-hexane was required prior to further purification by anion exchange chromatography and size exclusion chromatography. A purification factor of 337 was ultimately achieved and the purification process was monitored by SDS-PAGE. Here, at least two protein bands with molecular masses of 62 and 64 kD a respectively were found in the active fraction obtained by size exclusion chromatography. Sodium deoxycholate was found to stimulate the lipase activity, but appeared to cause aggregation of the enzyme. It was not possible to estimate the isoelectric point of the dialyzed rape lipase due to the high molecular mass of the aggregates. Two simple methods to detect lipase activity directly on polyacrylamide gel were applied. No esterase activity was found by using p-nitrophenyl acetate as substrate.
Memory training in normal and demented elderly populations: the E-I-E-I-O model.

An heuristic classification scheme for memory interventions is described as a 2 x 2 matrix. One dimension of the matrix addresses the use of internal versus external mnemonics, and the other dimension addresses the use of explicit (effortful/conscious) versus implicit (automatic/unconscious) learning. Most attempts at memory interventions in normal older populations, such as the use of mental imagery, fall within the explicit-internal cell of the matrix and require expenditure of large amounts of cognitive effort. As a result, memory interventions in normal older populations, even when "successful," usually produce results that are limited in their generalization and are usually not maintained over time. Such interventions are rarely attempted in demented populations. Interventions are described that require less effort and are representative of other cells in the classification matrix. These may be more effective for demented and normal elders. Information acquired through these alternative means may eventually be stored internally and become consciously available, often producing an "O! " or "aha" experience when the individual realizes a shift to internal, consciously available storage has taken place.
Virus-Based MicroRNA Silencing in Plants1[C][W][OPEN]

Virus-based microRNA silencing can be used for functional analysis of endogenous microRNAs in plants. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play pivotal roles in various biological processes across kingdoms. Many plant miRNAs have been experimentally identified or predicted by bioinformatics mining of small RNA databases. However, the functions of these miRNAs remain largely unknown due to the lack of effective genetic tools. Here, we report a virus-based microRNA silencing (VbMS) system that can be used for functional analysis of plant miRNAs. VbMS is performed through tobacco rattle virus-based expression of miRNA target mimics to silence endogenous miRNAs. VbMS of either miR172 or miR165/166 caused developmental defects in Nicotiana benthamiana. VbMS of miR319 reduced the complexity of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) compound leaves. These results demonstrate that tobacco rattle virus-based VbMS is a powerful tool to silence endogenous miRNAs and to dissect their functions in different plant species.
Health care worker disability due to latex allergy and asthma: a cost analysis.

OBJECTIVES The reported prevalence of occupational allergy to natural rubber latex is 8% to 17%, and that of latex-induced occupational asthma is 2.5% to 6%. Conversion of medical facilities to "latex-safe" can reduce employee sensitization, impairment, and disability. The purpose of this study was to determine the cost of a latex-safe approach, compared with that of continued latex glove use, and to identify the level of worker disability required to make the latex-safe approach financially preferable to a health care institution. METHODS The costs of 2 strategies--latex-safe vs the status quo--were calculated from the perspective of 3 health care institutions. A break-even point was calculated for each facility. RESULTS In all facilities, the cost of using nonlatex gloves exceeded the cost of using latex gloves. In all 3 facilities, however, 1% or fewer of those at risk would have to become fully disabled or fewer than 2% would have to become partially disabled for the continued use of latex gloves to exceed the cost of the latex-safe approach. CONCLUSION Health care facilities, regardless of size, are likely to benefit financially from becoming latex-safe even if latex-related disability levels are extremely low.
Prevalence and Determinants of Hypertension in Kashmir : A Cross Sectional Study Dr

Background: Increased life expectancy, urbanization, and its attendant life style changes, the overall epidemiological transition and a prolonged political turbulence in Jammu and Kashmir has exposed the population to multiple risk factors. This has given rise to numerous noncommunicable diseases including hypertension resulting in morbidity and mortality of various degrees. Given the complexity of the hypertension among the population both in rural and urban areas, the aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence and the correlates of hypertension in Community Development Block Budgam, Central Kashmir. Materials and methods: A community based cross sectional study was undertaken in which 554 subjects participated. WHO STEPS approach was used to collect data on sociodemographic characteristics including age, education, smoking habits, family history of hypertension, physical activity level, anthropometric and biochemical measurements. Data was statistically analysed using statistical package SPSS Windows version 16.0. Results: The mean age of the study population was 42.3 years and the age distribution was skewed with majority (75.42%) in 40-49 age range. Among the participants 198 constituting 34.12% were hypertensive with 74.07 % in the age group of 50-69 years. Prevalence of hypertension increased steadily with age and an increase from 6.66 % in the age range of 20-29 years to 54.69% in elderly (>60 years) was observed. The prevalence of hypertension was also related to body mass index and waist hip ratio. Besides BMI, age and diabetes, family history of high blood pressure and physical activity level were found strongly associated with hypertension with Odds ratio ranging between 1.57-2.19. A linear relationship was found between increase in hypertension and body mass index and waist hip ratio. Conclusion: These findings indicate that hypertension is a significant health problem in the study population. Modifiable factors identified to be associated with prevalence of hypertension such as obesity, overweight, physical activity level; smoking could be used in educational programme aimed at the detection and treatment of the affected population. Therefore, concerted efforts should be made to promote health education with emphasis on associated risk factors.
A global view of shifting cultivation: Recent, current, and future extent

Mosaic landscapes under shifting cultivation, with their dynamic mix of managed and natural land covers, often fall through the cracks in remote sensing–based land cover and land use classifications, as these are unable to adequately capture such landscapes’ dynamic nature and complex spectral and spatial signatures. But information about such landscapes is urgently needed to improve the outcomes of global earth system modelling and large-scale carbon and greenhouse gas accounting. This study combines existing global Landsat-based deforestation data covering the years 2000 to 2014 with very high-resolution satellite imagery to visually detect the specific spatio-temporal pattern of shifting cultivation at a one-degree cell resolution worldwide. The accuracy levels of our classification were high with an overall accuracy above 87%. We estimate the current global extent of shifting cultivation and compare it to other current global mapping endeavors as well as results of literature searches. Based on an expert survey, we make a first attempt at estimating past trends as well as possible future trends in the global distribution of shifting cultivation until the end of the 21st century. With 62% of the investigated one-degree cells in the humid and sub-humid tropics currently showing signs of shifting cultivation—the majority in the Americas (41%) and Africa (37%)—this form of cultivation remains widespread, and it would be wrong to speak of its general global demise in the last decades. We estimate that shifting cultivation landscapes currently cover roughly 280 million hectares worldwide, including both cultivated fields and fallows. While only an approximation, this estimate is clearly smaller than the areas mentioned in the literature which range up to 1,000 million hectares. Based on our expert survey and historical trends we estimate a possible strong decrease in shifting cultivation over the next decades, raising issues of livelihood security and resilience among people currently depending on shifting cultivation.
Structuration des documents par l'exploitation de la dynamique du regard chez l'homme : application aux documents web

Le document papier est un objet complexe et multiforme, porteur d'informations a plusieurs niveaux. Celui de la mise en page conditionne en grande partie la lisibilite du document. L'analyse et la comprehension de la mise en page se fait par l'intermediaire de l'extraction des structures (physique, fonctionnelle, logique). Notre projet repose sur l'etude des possibilites d'extension de certains concepts et de certaines definitions aux sites web dans l'intention de les assimiler, d'un certain point de vue, a des documents ayant une structure porteuse d'informations. Partant du site web considere comme un ensemble de pages et de liens hypertextes possedant une cohesion, nous montrons en quoi il s'apparente au document. Nous utilisons l'oculometrie (enregistrement du regard des utilisateurs face a un ecran) dans un travail experimental, d'abord sur des pages web identifiees a des documents numerises, puis sur des documents web. Ce travail de these ouvre le champ des connaissances du traitement informatique des documents tels que nous les connaissons a de nouvelles approches. Le concept multidisciplinaire du document web alliant reconnaissance des formes, point de vue de l'utilisateur et lisibilite permet finalement d'integrer le document web dans la classe des documents structures.
Early embryo cleavage is a strong indicator of embryo quality in human IVF.

BACKGROUND In order to decrease multiple birth rates without decreasing birth rates overall, it is important to increase the capability of selecting the most optimal embryos for transfer. It has been shown that human embryos which cleave early, i.e. complete the first mitotic division within 25-27 h post insemination, provide higher pregnancy and implantation rates. METHODS AND RESULTS In this prospective study, an evaluation of 10 798 scored embryos showed that early cleavage resulted in a significantly higher proportion of good quality embryos compared with late cleavage (62.5 versus 33.4%, P < 0.0001). When examining both day 2 and day 3 transfers together, early-cleaving embryos (306 transfers) gave rise to significantly higher rates of pregnancy/transfer (40.5 versus 31.3%, P = 0.0049), implantation (28.0 versus 19.5%, P = 0.0001) and birth/ongoing pregnancy (34.3 versus 24.0%, P = 0.0009) than did late-cleaving embryos (521 transfers). A stepwise logistic regression of all data showed that the total number of good quality embryos and female age were independent predictors of both pregnancies and birth. For intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) embryos, early cleavage was found to be an independent predictor of birth. CONCLUSIONS Early embryo cleavage is a strong biological indicator of embryo potential, and may be used as an additional embryo selection factor for ICSI embryos.
In vitro and in vivo activities of sparfloxacin, other quinolones, and tetracyclines against Chlamydia trachomatis

Sparfloxacin was more potent than other quinolones (tosufloxacin, lomefloxacin, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, fleroxacin, enoxacin, and norfloxacin) and as potent as minocycline and doxycycline in activity against Chlamydia trachomatis in vitro and in vivo. Sparfloxacin was more bactericidal than minocycline against C. trachomatis D/UW-3/Cx.
Synthesis of phenylazonaphtol-β-DO-glycosides , evaluation as substrates for beta-glycosidase activity and molecular studies

Background: Phenylazonaphtol-β-D-O-glycosides are alternative substrates for the detection of enzymatic activity of β-glycosidases which are involved in various important processes. These azoic compounds are currently exploited as prodrugs for colonic disease due the presence of β-glycosidase activity in the gut flora and therefore allowing the release of the drug at the specific site. Results: Phenylazonaphtol-β-D-O-glucoside 3a and galactoside 3b were prepared via diazonium salt conditions under weak acidic conditions which do not compromise the O-glycosidic bond stability, by coupling reaction between 2-naphtol sodium salt with aminoglycosides 1a and 1b. The resulting phenylazonaphtol glycosides 2a and 2b were deprotected affording the phenylazonaphtol glycosides 3a and 3b in quantitative yield. The galactoside glycoside 3b was assayed as substrate for in vitro β-galactosidase enzymatic activity showing strong absorbance after releasing of the azoic chromophore. Also, docking studies were performed to determine the best pose as well as the interactions between the ligand and the residues located at the active site. Conclusions: The methodology developed for synthesizing the phenylazonaphtol glycosides described proved to be convenient for generating azoic functionalities in the presence of glycosidic bonds and the glycosides suitable as alternative substrates and potentially useful prodrugs in the treatment of colonic diseases.
Exploring the Convergence of Mobile Computing with Cloud Computing

The advancements in computing have resulted in a boom of cheap, ubiquitous, connected mobile devices as well as seemingly unlimited, utility style, pay as one go computing resources, commonly referred to as cloud computing. It is desirable to have ubiquitous access to emails and information through mobile computing. More and more individuals are carrying smartphones and utilizing tablet PCs for business and personal use. The 2010 IBM Tech Trends survey predicted that cloud computing will overtake on-premise computing and mobile software application development will emerge as the most in-demand software application development through 2015. Accordingly, it is reasonable to predict that mobile cloud computing, the niche where these two areas merge, will also transpire as a dominant force in both the development and research arenas through 2015 with the convergence of smartphones, tablets, and cloud computing. This paper introduces and explores the convergence of mobile computing with cloud computing and cloudlets and discusses the challenges and growth prospects of this dynamic field.
The Effect of Preoperative Exercise on Total Knee Replacement Outcomes

This study compared the effects of preoperative physical therapy or general cardiovascular conditioning exercises with the routine procedure of no preoperative physical therapy on patients undergoing primary total knee replacement. Thirty patients were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups. Group 1 was the control group. Group 2 participated in a physical therapy program designed to strengthen the upper and lower limbs and improve knee range of motion. Group 3 participated in a cardiovascular conditioning program, consisting of arm ergometry, cycle ergometry, aquatic exercises, and aerobic activity. All patients were evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively using the Hospital for Special Surgery Knee Rating, the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale, and the Quality of Well Being instrument. Both experimental groups tolerated their respective exercise protocols extremely well. All 3 groups showed significant improvement postoperatively as measured by the Hospital for Special Surgery Knee Rating, the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale and the Quality of Well Being measurement scales. However, neither type of preoperative exercise added to the degree of improvement after surgery at any of the postoperative evaluations.
Maternal Morbidity in Cases of Placenta Accreta Managed by a Multidisciplinary Care Team Compared With Standard Obstetric Care

OBJECTIVE: To compare maternal morbidity in cases of placenta accreta managed by a multidisciplinary care team with similar cases managed by standard obstetric care. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of all cases of placenta accreta identified in the State of Utah from 1996 to 2008. Cases of placenta accreta were identified using International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9) codes for placenta accreta, placenta previa, and cesarean hysterectomy. Maternal morbidity was compared for cases managed by a multidisciplinary care team in two tertiary care centers and similar cases managed at 26 other hospitals using multivariable logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: One-hundred forty-one cases of placenta accreta were identified including 79 managed by a multidisciplinary care team and 62 cases managed by standard obstetric care. Women managed by a multidisciplinary care team were less likely to require large-volume blood transfusion (4 or more units of packed red blood cells) (43% compared with 61%, P=.031) and reoperation within 7 days of delivery for bleeding complications (3% compared with 36%, P<.001) compared with women managed by standard obstetric care. Women with suspected placenta accreta managed by a multidisciplinary team were less likely to experience composite early morbidity (prolonged maternal admission to the intensive care unit, large-volume blood transfusion, coagulopathy, ureteral injury, or early reoperation) than women managed by standard obstetric care (47% compared with 74%, P=.026). The odds ratio of composite early morbidity in women managed by a multidisciplinary team was 0.22, (95% confidence interval, 0.07–0.70) in the multivariable model. CONCLUSION: Maternal morbidity is reduced in women with placenta accreta who deliver in a tertiary care hospital with a multidisciplinary care team. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II
Extended lactation may improve cow health , productivity and reduce greenhouse gas emission from organic dairy cows

The concept of extended lactation should improve cow health and productivity while reducing greenhouse gas emissions per kg milk produced in high-yield organic dairy herds. This is achieved through fewer calvings per year and hence production of fewer replacement heifers. Combined with fewer days dry per cow per year, this will reduce the annual herd requirement for feed while maintaining milk production. This means average milk yield per feeding day (i.e. days lactating plus days dry) should remain the same. Cows will produce milk for the same number of lactations, and thus cows will have longer and more productive lives. Additionally, cow health may be improved as the majority of diseases occur around calving. An on-going project at Aarhus University aims at characterising those cows that can produce milk for an extended period of time, and those cows that cannot. Finally, the project will estimate the overall herd effect of this concept on farm economy and greenhouse gas emissions.
A Novel Energy Efficient Transmission gate Voltage Level Shifter for multi VDD systems

A new design of level-up and level-down shifter for low-power and high speed applications has been presented. Level-up and level-down operations can be perform by using the new well-organized Transmission gate Voltage Level Shifter (TVLS). In this paper a novel voltage level shifter have introduced that performs level-up shift or level-down shifts. In this, the circuit watch its input logic voltages and perform leve-up shift, when its input voltage is low and level-down shift when its input voltage is high. This TVLS constantly performs level-up shift from 0.4V to 1V and level-down shift from 1V to 0.4V. The schematic design has been design and simulated using 90nm CMOS process technology. In analysis of power and delay, TVLS has level-up and level-down average power consumption is 24.7145nW and with a propagation delay of 2.053ns has obtained at 1 MHz.