Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Correlation between Serum Levels of TNFR and IL6 with Treatment Response to Pegylated Interferon and Ribavirin Therapy in Chronic Hepatitis C Egyptian Patients

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects nearly 3%of the population worldwide and has emerged as major causative agent of liver disease, resulting in acute and chronic infections that can lead to intrahepatic lipid accumulation (steatosis) and progressive fibrosis of variable degrees and long–term progression to cirrhosis, liver failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Egypt has one of the highest HCV prevalence in the world (nearly 15% of the population). The combination of Pegylated interferon alpha (PEG-IFN α) and Ribavirin (RBV) is the approved and well accepted standard-of-care for chronic hepatitis C (CHC). It was reported that Interleukin 6(IL6) is associated with insulin resistance and interferon resistance, which may affect the outcome of antiviral treatment. Patients and methods: This study was conducted on 70 subjects. A. Group I: Included 20 healthy subjects aged 18-60 years old with no history of liver infection. B. Group II: Involved 50 Egyptian adult patients with chronic hepatitis C virus type-4 (HCV-4) infection. All the patients were subjected to clinical assessment. Height and weight were determined at baseline and body mass index (BMI) was calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared (weight in kilograms/height in meters). Liver enzymes including ALT (alanine aminotransferase), AST (aspartate amino transferase), serum albumin (Alb), serum bilirubin including total bilirubin (T BIL), prothrombin time (PT), complete blood count (CBC), fasting blood sugar, Alpha fetoprotein (AFP) andQuantitative detection of HCV-RNA in serum by real-time PCR were measured. Serum concentrations of both Tumor necrosis factor Receptor I (TNFR1) and Interleukin 6(IL6) before and after treatment using a commercially available Quantikine enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Results: The Mean values of IL6 level in responders and non-responders were308.88and 405.33Pg/ml, respectively. The Mean values of TNFRI in responders and non-responders were 59.197and 59.611Pg/ml, respectively . Regarding IL6 level, there was a statistically significant difference between responders and non-responders (P=0.000). Regarding to TNFRI level there was no significant difference between responders and non-responders (P < 0.05). The best cut-off point for IL6 was ≤260 with a sensitivity of 84%, a specificity of 82.9% and a positive predictive value of 78.1 %, negative predictive value of 77.7 %. The best cut-off point for TNFRI was >33 with a sensitivity of 78%, a specificity of 65.71% and a positive predictive value of 78.1 %, negative predictive value of 22.2 %. Conclusion: High serum level of IL-6 is associated with response failure to PEG-IFN/RBV therapy while TNFRI is not associated with the response to therapy. IL6 and TNFRI have a good predictive ability for the response to PEG-IFN α/ RBV and IL6 is a more sensitive and specific predictive factor than TNFRI
Phosphodiesterase-3 inhibition prevents the increase in pulmonary vascular resistance following inhaled nitric oxide withdrawal in lambs*

Objectives: To determine the effects of inhaled nitric oxide on endogenous cyclic adenosine monophosphate in the intact lamb, and to determine the potential role of cyclic adenosine monophosphate in the rebound pulmonary hypertension associated with nitric oxide withdrawal. Design: Prospective, placebo-controlled experimental study. Setting: University-based basic science research laboratory. Subjects: One-month-old lambs. Interventions: Six 1-month-old control lambs, and 6 milrinone- (phosphodiesterase-3 inhibitor) treated lambs, were mechanically ventilated. Inhaled nitric oxide (40 ppm) was administered for 24 hrs and then acutely withdrawn. Sequential peripheral lung biopsies were obtained before, during, and 2 hrs after withdrawing inhaled nitric oxide therapy. Measurements and Main Results: In control lambs, initiation of nitric oxide decreased left pulmonary vascular resistance by 29.6%, and withdrawal rapidly increased pulmonary vascular resistance by 77.1% (p < .05). Lung tissue cyclic adenosine monophosphate concentrations decreased by 25.3% during nitric oxide therapy (p < .05). In milrinone-treated lambs, nitric oxide decreased pulmonary vascular resistance by 26.6% (p < .05), but pulmonary vascular resistance was unchanged after acute withdrawal. Lung tissue cyclic adenosine monophosphate concentrations were preserved during nitric oxide therapy. Conclusions: Inhaled nitric oxide produces potent pulmonary vasodilation by activating soluble guanylate cyclase and increasing smooth muscle cell concentrations of guanosine-3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate. However, alterations in endogenous nitric oxide/guanosine-3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate during inhaled nitric oxide have been implicated in the clinically significant increases in pulmonary vascular resistance noted upon its acute withdrawal. Previous in vitro data suggest that exogenous nitric oxide/guanosine-3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate can also alter cyclic adenosine monophosphate concentrations via their effect on cyclic adenosine monophosphate production and metabolism. The current in vivo study demonstrates that lung tissue cyclic adenosine monophosphate concentrations are decreased during inhaled nitric oxide and suggests a role for decreased cyclic adenosine monophosphate in the rebound pulmonary hypertension noted upon inhaled nitric oxide withdrawal. Milrinone may be a useful adjunct therapy during inhaled nitric oxide to preserve cyclic adenosine monophosphate concentrations and prevent rebound pulmonary hypertension.
The kinetics of cellulose enzymatic hydrolysis

Väljamäe, P. 2002. The kinetics of cellulose enzymatic hydrolysis: implications of the synergism between enzymes. Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis. Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Science and Technology 781. 54 pp. Uppsala. ISBN 91-554-5479-8. The hydrolysis kinetics of bacterial cellulose and its derivatives by Trichoderma reesei cellulases was studied. The cellulose surface erosion model was introduced to explain the gradual and strong retardation of the rate of enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose. This model identifies the decrease in apparent processivity of cellobiohydrolases during the hydrolysis as a major contributor to the decreased rates. Both enzyme-related (non-productive binding) and substrate-related (erosion of cellulose surface) processes contribute to the decrease in apparent processivity. Furthermore, the surface erosion model allows, in addition to conventional endo-exo synergism, the possibility for different modes of synergistic action between cellulases. The second mode of synergism operates in parallel with the conventional one and was found to be predominant in the hydrolysis of more crystalline celluloses and also in the synergistic action of two cellobiohydrolases. A mechanism of substrate inhibition in synergistic hydrolysis of bacterial cellulose was proposed whereby the inhibition is a result of surface dilution of reaction components (bound cellobiohydrolase and cellulose chain ends) at lower enzyme-tosubstrate ratios. The inhibition of cellulases by the hydrolysis product, cellobiose, was found to be strongly dependent on the nature of the substrate. The hydrolysis of a low molecular weight model substrate, such as para-nitrophenyl cellobioside, by cellobiohydrolase I is strongly inhibited by cellobiose with a competitive inhibition constant around 20 μM, whereas the hydrolysis of cellulose is more resistant to inhibition with an apparent inhibition constant around 1.5 mM for cellobiose.
Stereo Matching Method and Height Estimation for Unmanned Helicopter

The research and development of autonomous unmanned helicopters has lasted for more than one decade. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are very useful for aerial photography, gas pollution detection, rescue or military applications. UAVs could potentially replace human beings in performing a variety of tedious or arduous tasks. Because of their ubiquitous uses, the theory and applications of UAVs systems have become popular contemporary research topics. There are many types of UAVs with different functions. Generally UAVs can be divided into two major categories, fixed-wing type and rotary-wing type. The fixed-wing UAVs can carry out long-distance and high-altitude reconnaissance missions. However, flight control of fixed-wing UAVs is not easy in low-altitude conditions. Conversely, rotary-wing UAVs can hover in low altitude while conducting surveys, photography or other investigations. Consequently in some applications, the rotary-wing type UAVs is more useful than the fixed-wing UAV. One common type of rotary-wing type UAVs is the AUH (Autonomous Unmanned Helicopter). AUHs have characteristics including of 6-DOF flight dynamics, VTOL (vertical taking-off and landing) and the ability to hover. These attributes make AUHs ideal for aerial photography or investigation in areas that limit maneuverability.
RXRγ gene is expressed by discrete cell columns within the alar plate of the brainstem of the chicken embryo

With in situ hybridization assays, we mapped the distribution of retinoid X receptor γ (RXRγ) gene transcripts in the central nervous system of the chicken embryo. Previous studies have demonstrated the presence of RXRγ transcripts in migrating neural crest and in neural crest derivatives throughout the peripheral nervous system, implicating RXRγ as an early pan‐neural crest marker (Rowe et al. 1991 . Development 111:771–778), and in the retina (Hoover et al. 1998 . J Comp Neurol 391:204–213). Here we report the presence of RXRγ transcripts in discrete regions of the developing neural tube, within the hindbrain, the cerebellar plate, the optic tectum, and the diencephalon. At stage 10, when migrating neural crest expresses RXRγ transcripts, we detect no transcripts in the neural tube. By stage 13, RXRγ transcripts accumulate to detectable levels along the midline of the posterior optic tectum, where the neural crest‐derived sensory neurons of the mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus are located. By stage 15, RXRγ transcripts also appear in an intermittent longitudinal cell column within the mantle zone of the alar plate of the hindbrain, eventually extending into the cerebellar plate rostrally and into the cervical spinal cord caudally, with a gap at about rhombomere 3. By stage 19, transcripts appear in a discrete population of cells within the diencephalon. Expression in these cell populations continues until at least stage 22.5, when many neuron populations have been generated in the hindbrain. The localization of the RXRγ‐positive cells to the mantle zone suggests that they are postmitotic and are probably neurons. Their specific alar locations indicate that they reside within sensory columns and potential downstream targets, evidently corresponding to some of the central components of the trigeminal system. J. Comp. Neurol. 416:417–428, 2000.
Risk factors for transitions from normal to mild cognitive impairment and dementia

Objective: To identify risk factors associated with transitions from cognitively normal to various forms of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and then from MCI into early dementia with death as a competing state. Methods: Cognitive assessments from 554 subjects participating in a longitudinal study at the University of Kentucky AD Center were used to classify individuals into one of three transient states at any visit: cognitively normal, amnestic MCI, or mixed MCI. Between visits subjects could die or become demented. A series of polytomous logistic models were used to model transitions among these states over time and to determine how the log odds of these transitions vary with age, education, sex, family history of dementia, and APOE status. Results: Age affects all transitions among transient states as well as those to dementia or death. Presence of at least one apolipoprotein 4 allele affects transitions from cognitively normal into amnestic MCI or into dementia. At most 12 years of education affects transitions into mixed MCI. Transitions do not vary with sex or family history. Conclusion: Aside from age, the usual risk factors associated with conversion from cognitively normal into dementia are likely risk factors for transitions into mild cognitive impairment.
CYTOCHEMICAL EVIDENCE FOR THE APPARENT ABSENCE OF HISTONE IN THE CELLS OF CYANOPHYCEAE

Time Cyanophyceac (blue-greens algae) are time niost. pninsit-ive group of piamsts. Their cells hack onganmized nmuclei with usucleoli ansd usuclear menubrasses, distinct chrommiosonies, Golgi bodies, amid nuitochmonmdnia, amid thus are niuch like those of bacteria. Moreover, hot h grim U S are characterise(l by lack of regular sexual neproductioss. Because time bacteria and (‘yanophyceae are alike ins mansy respects amid histommes mire usot present in the bacterial nsucheus (Belozersky, Symp. Quant. Biol. 12: 1, 1947; Zubay ammd Watsous, .1. Biophys. Biochem. (‘yto! . 5: 51, 1959), time preseumt insvestigation wsss umidertakems to deternsimse cytochemicahly whet her hsistommes are presemmt ims time cemitral body of tise blue-greens algae, Oscil! atoria, . -lphanocapsa, A nabaena, ausd Polycystis. Algal cells were placed oum slides amsd dried in air about 3 mimsutes before fixatimig amid stainsing. Cells were staimsed with alksihimue fast greemt after fixat.ioms in fonnnahins-acetic alcoisol (Alfert amid Geschwind, Proc. .Vat. Acad. Sci. 39: 991, 1953) or in methanol (De, The Nucleus, 4: 1), withs brons phessol blue after picnic acid fixations (Blocis amid Hew, J. Biophys. Biochem. (‘ytol. 7: 515, 1960) amid with ansns(iumiacal silver after fixatious ins acetate buffered mseutral 10% formmssuhins for 15 miniutes (Black anmd Ammsley, Science 143: 693, 1964), all of whicim are specific for isistomses uusder givess consditions. Ins all cases constrol slides of oumion roottip cells were prepared, fixed simmd stss i nied simultamseouslv withs time slides of algae. Nomme of the algae showed positive umuclear staiusissg with time above-messtiomsed staimss, wisereas mmuclei of root tip cells did. The stamusability of root tip mmumcheicams be removed by 0.01 N ilCl at 25#{176} C after 4 hours treatmeust in methanol-fixed materials (1)e, The Nucleus 4: 1, 1961). Thus, usimsg well-established specific stainsinmg procedures for histonse, the presenst study reveals that the central body of members of Cyanophyceae shows an appareust lack of isistones. 1mmhigher organisms, histomses are closely associated with 1)NA, yet the role of histomses ins nsuchei remainss obscure. However, very recenstly histones have beens considered specific repressors of gessetic activity so that only whems histones are removed cams 1)NA act as a primer for specific protein synthesis (Alhfrey et at., Proc. Nat. A cad. Sci. 4.9: 414, 1963; Bommner et al. Proc. Nat. .4cad. Sci. 50: 893, 1963). Thus they may play a major role ins differeustiatioms (Moore, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 50: 1018, 1963). Sinsce in bacteria amid in Cyanophyceac all cells are alike and there is no cellular differentiation, ins this light thse absence of nuclear histones is quite umusderstandable. Ous the other hand, it has i)een opinmed (Anderson et al., Ann. N. V. 1cad. Sci. 90: 486, 1960) that histonmes play ass importaust role ins chromosome coihinmg. The absensce of histonses ins bacteria and C’yanophyceae may from this point of view also explain the diffuse state of their ssuclear nmsatenial.
The Effect of Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis on Pregnancy and Dental Tissues in Mice

A LTHOUGH based primarily upon clinical evidence, the relationship of congenital abnormalities to prenatal disease, whether metabolic or infectious, has been established. 13 On the other hand, little information is available on the specific subject of prenatal influences on tooth development. That such a relationship is perhaps uncommon is evidenced by the apparent rarity of defects in deciduous teeth.4' However, since this contention is supported almost entirely by clinical observation and neglects the important consideration of histologic study, the question remains a moot one. Most studies have been necessarily conjectural in their evaluation of the placenta as a barrier to or pathway for agents that might be causally related to congenital abnormalities. It has been suggested that such virus diseases as rubella, rubeola, mumps, varicella, and herpes zoster are possibly of etiologic significance,6-8 but the mechanism by which they may initiate fetal defects is not established. Consideration must necessarily be given to the possibility of metabolic by-products of the maternal disease as well as actual transplacental infection. In either case, conclusive information has not been forthcoming from experimental studies due to the limited host range of these viruses. In order to further explore the question of prenatal influences on tooth development, it became necessary to consider other viruses that are pathogenic for the more common laboratory animals of choice. Unfortunately, most of these have not been demonstrated to be capable of placental passage. A previous study9 of vaccinia failed to confirm findings of others relative to intrauterine fetal infection. Consistent with the evidence for an apparent placental barrier to vaccinia virus was the finding of severe dental defects in the maternal rabbits and the absence of dental abnormalities in the young. It became of interest to pursue a similar direction of study with a virus definitely known to be capable of transfer from maternal to fetal circulation. As demonstrated by Traub,12 lymphocytic choriomeningitis in mice satisfies this requirement. It was further reported by Haas 13 that mice infected in utero retained active virus for long periods and, in turn, transmitted the infection to their offspring. There thus seems to be ample evidence that such congenitally acquired infection results in a prolonged viremia. On the other hand, inoculation of mature mice is followed by a rather short period of viremia and a consequent inability to transmit infection to offspring unless such inoculation is
Biochemical and physiological evidence that histamine is the transmitter of barnacle photoreceptors

Abstract We tested the hypothesis that histamine is the transmitter released by barnacle photoreceptors. Median and lateral ocelli were incubated with 3H-histidine and found to synthesize 3H-histamine, identified by high-voltage electrophoresis. Synthesis could be blocked by the histidine decarboxylase inhibitor (S)-α-fluoromethylhistidine. Histamine was applied to 1-cells either by superfusion or by pressure ejection from a pipette (100 µM or 1 mM histamine) positioned close to the I-cell's soma. When bath-applied at concentrations ranging from 5–100 µM, histamine hyperpolarized the I-cell in a dose-dependent fashion and increased its conductance. At 100 µM, histamine abolished the I-cell's response to light. The response to a pulse of pressure-applied histamine was a hyperpolarization whose amplitude was graded with dose (determined by the duration of the pulse). This response persisted in concentrations of Co2+ and Cd2+ that blocked synaptic transmission from the photoreceptors. Cimetidine, an antagonist of mammalian H2 receptors, markedly decreased the cell's responses both to HA and to light at 100 µM and blocked both responses at 1 mM. Pyrilamine and triprolidine, H1 antagonists, had a complex effect on the I-cell's responses to histamine and to light. Neither H1 nor H2 antagonists, nor histamine itself, affected the voltage or light responses recorded in the presynaptic terminal region, or any phase of calcium-dependent action potentials induced in the terminal in the presence of tetraethylammonium ion. Thus, biochemical, immunocytochemical, and physiological evidence suggests that HA is the transmitter from these photoreceptors to the I-cells. Although gammaaminobutyric acid (GABA) is also present in the photoreceptors, it did not affect the I-cell's responses to light or to histamine when bath-applied at 100 µM. Thus, GABA does not appear to modulate transmission from the photoreceptor to the I-cell.
Perceptions of risk of cervical cancer and attitudes towards cervical screening: a comparison of smokers and non-smokers.

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to compare smokers' and non-smokers' perceptions of risks of cervical cancer and attitudes towards cervical screening. METHODS A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out in 722 women aged between 20 and 64 years. RESULTS While smokers perceived their relative risk of heart disease to be greater than that of non-smokers, they did not perceive their risks of cervical cancer to be greater. Smokers held less positive attitudes towards cervical screening than did non-smokers. Smokers and non-smokers did not differ in their intentions to attend for cervical screening: for both groups, intentions were very high. Using logistic regression analysis, both attitudes towards cervical screening [odds ratio (OR) 1.9; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.7-2.2] and perceived relative risk of developing cervical cancer (OR 1.5; 95% CI 1.0-2.1) were predictive of intentions to attend for screening, as well as educational level (OR 3.8; 95% CI 1.2-11.3) and marital status (OR 0.6; 95% CI 0.3-0.9). CONCLUSIONS Smokers seem unaware of their increased risks of cervical cancer and hence the increased value for them of regular smears. Evaluations are needed to determine the effectiveness of interventions delivered in the context of cervical screening aimed at (i) raising smokers' awareness of their increased risk of cervical cancer and (ii) stopping smoking.
Cervical spinal cord injury: tailoring clinical trial endpoints to reflect meaningful functional improvements

Cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) results in partial to full paralysis of the upper and lower extremities. Traditional primary endpoints for acute SCI clinical trials are too broad to assess functional recovery in cervical subjects, raising the possibility of false positive outcomes in trials for cervical SCI. Endpoints focused on the recovery of hand and arm control (e.g., upper extremity motor score, motor level change) show the most potential for use as primary outcomes in upcoming trials of cervical SCI. As the field moves forward, the most reliable way to ensure meaningful clinical testing in cervical subjects may be the development of a composite primary endpoint that measures both neurological recovery and functional improvement.
Driving principles of mobile microrobots for micro- and nanohandling

This paper presents newly developed mobile microrobots with high precision in the sub-micrometer range, while offering a macroscopic workspace. The main parts of the mobile microrobots, a mobile platform and a manipulator unit, are explained. The mobile platform's actuation is based on the slip-stick-principle. Because of new arrangement of the components promising characteristics have been investigated. Especially of interest is the low voltage needed to drive the actuators, because it makes possible the integration of batteries. A manipulation unit with actuators based on a combination of electric motors and piezoelectric actuators is described as well. Finally the future effort and outlook is discussed.