Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Enteral insulin-like growth factor-I augments intestinal disaccharidase activity in piglets receiving total parenteral nutrition.

BACKGROUND Partial enteral nutrition is administered to infants on parenteral nutrition to stimulate intestinal function. Herein, the hypothesis that supplementation of partial enteral nutrition with insulin-like growth factor-I would augment intestinal development was investigated. METHODS One-day-old piglets (n = 29) were randomly assigned to five dietary treatment groups: 100% of energy as enteral formula, 100% of energy as total parenteral nutrition, or 80% parenteral nutrition/20% enteral formula supplemented with either 0, 0.2, or 1 mg/kg insulin-like growth factor-I for 7 days. Weight gain, intestinal weight, morphology, protein, and DNA content and disaccharidase activity and mRNA expression were assessed. RESULTS Parenterally fed piglets had similar whole body weight gain and serum hormone concentrations but reduced intestinal mucosal weight, villus height, and sucrase and lactase activity compared with 100% enterally fed pigs. Partial enteral nutrition alone increased mucosal weight and protein content, villus height, and disaccharidase activity compared with 100% parenterally fed piglets. No effect of the lower dose of insulin-like growth factor-I (0.2 mg/kg per day) was observed, but supplementing partial enteral nutrition with 1 mg insulin-like growth factor-I/kg further increased villus width and cross-sectional area and disaccharidase activity compared with partial enteral nutrition alone. Lactase mRNA expression was not affected by insulin-like growth factor-I, suggesting that the primary site of regulation of lactase by insulin-like growth factor-I occurs after transcription. CONCLUSIONS Enteral insulin-like growth factor-I augmented intestinal morphology and disaccharidase activity in parenterally fed piglets over that observed with partial enteral nutrition alone. Thus enteral insulin-like growth factor-I may represent an efficacious clinical adjunct to promote intestinal development of parenterally fed neonates.
Cathepsin K Activity-dependent Regulation of Osteoclast Actin Ring Formation and Bone Resorption*

Cathepsin K is responsible for the degradation of type I collagen in osteoclast-mediated bone resorption. Collagen fragments are known to be biologically active in a number of cell types. Here, we investigate their potential to regulate osteoclast activity. Mature murine osteoclasts were seeded on type I collagen for actin ring assays or dentine discs for resorption assays. Cells were treated with cathepsins K-, L-, or MMP-1-predigested type I collagen or soluble bone fragments for 24 h. The presence of actin rings was determined fluorescently by staining for actin. We found that the percentage of osteoclasts displaying actin rings and the area of resorbed dentine decreased significantly on addition of cathepsin K-digested type I collagen or bone fragments, but not with cathepsin L or MMP-1 digests. Counterintuitively, actin ring formation was found to decrease in the presence of the cysteine proteinase inhibitor LHVS and in cathepsin K-deficient osteoclasts. However, cathepsin L deficiency or the general MMP inhibitor GM6001 had no effect on the presence of actin rings. Predigestion of the collagen matrix with cathepsin K, but not by cathepsin L or MMP-1 resulted in an increased actin ring presence in cathepsin K-deficient osteoclasts. These studies suggest that cathepsin K interaction with type I collagen is required for 1) the release of cryptic Arg-Gly-Asp motifs during the initial attachment of osteoclasts and 2) termination of resorption via the creation of autocrine signals originating from type I collagen degradation.
Essential oils showing in vitro anti MRSA and synergistic activity with penicillin group of antibiotics.

This study was planned in order to investigate effective essential oils to inhibit in-vitro growth of Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). In this study using disc diffusion method anti MRSA activity of ten diverse essential oils extracted from traditional plants namely Thymus vulgaris L, Mentha pulegium, Ocimum sanctum, Mentha piperita, Cymbopogon citratus, Rosmarinus officinalis L. , Cortex cinnamom, Citrus nobilis x Citrus deliciosa, Origanum vulgare and Mentha sp. was examined. All the essential oils inhibited growth of S. aureus to different extent, by exhibiting moderate to elevated zones of inhibitions. Essential oils of cinnamon (Cortex cinnamomi) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris L) were observed to be the most powerful against MRSA strains used in this study. At lowest concentration of 25μl/ml essential oils comprehensible zone of inhibition was found 9±0.085mm and 8±0.051mm respectively, and at elevated concentrations there was a total decline in growth of MRSA and a very clear zone of inhibition was observed. A synergistic effect of essential oils in amalgamation with amoxicillin a Penicillin group of antibiotic was also examined. Interestingly a strong synergism was observed with oregano (Origanum vulgare) and pennyroyal mint (Mentha pulegium) essential oils, which were not so effective alone driven out to be important synergistic candidate. Our results demonstrated that essential oils of cinnamon and thyme can be used as potential antimicrobial agent against the Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections and Amoxicillin antibacterial activity can be enhanced using active constituents present in oregano and pennyroyal mint essential oils.
Mechanism of pathogenesis of imiquimod‐induced skin inflammation in the mouse: A role for interferon‐alpha in dendritic cell activation by imiquimod

Topical application of imiquimod (IMQ), a Toll‐like receptor (TLR)7 ligand, can induce and exacerbate psoriasis, a chronic inflammatory skin disorder. In a mouse model of IMQ‐induced psoriasis‐like skin inflammation, T‐helper (Th)17 cells and interleukin (IL)‐17/IL‐22‐producing γδ‐T cells have been shown to play a pivotal role. However, the mechanisms of induction of the Th17 pathway and development of psoriasis‐like skin inflammation by IMQ treatment remain unclear. In this study, we investigated pathogenic mechanisms of IMQ‐induced psoriasis‐like skin inflammation in mice. We first confirmed that, together with an increase in IL‐17 and IL‐22 production, application of IMQ to mouse skin induced the expression of cytokines required for activation of the Th17 pathway, and pro‐inflammatory mediators involved in the pathology of psoriasis. Analysis of Tlr7−/− mice demonstrated that most of the in vivo effects of IMQ were mediated via TLR7. In an in vitro study using plasmacytoid dendritic cells (DCs), IMQ induced production of interferon (IFN)‐α, IL‐23, IL‐6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α. Furthermore, when we analyzed in vitro‐generated bone marrow‐derived DCs with features similar to TNF‐α and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)‐producing DCs, IL‐23, IL‐6, IL‐1β, TNF‐α and iNOS/NO production was weakly induced by IMQ alone and further enhanced after co‐stimulation with IMQ and IFN‐α. These in vitro effects of IMQ were also mediated via TLR7 and the synergistic effect of IMQ, and IFN‐α was suggested to be caused by upregulation of TLR7 expression by IFN‐α. These results demonstrate part of the mechanism by which the Th17 pathway and psoriasis‐like skin inflammation are induced by IMQ and IFN‐α in a mouse model.
Cost Effective Routing Implementations for On-chip Networks

Arquitecturas de multiples nucleos como multiprocesadores (CMP) y soluciones multiprocesador para sistemas dentro del chip (MPSoCs) actuales se basan en la eficacia de las redes dentro del chip (NoC) para la comunicacion entre los diversos nucleos. Un diseno eficiente de red dentro del chip debe ser escalable y al mismo tiempo obtener valores ajustados de area, latencia y consumo de energia. Para disenos de red dentro del chip de proposito general se suele usar topologias de malla 2D ya que se ajustan a la distribucion del chip. Sin embargo, la aparicion de nuevos retos debe ser abordada por los disenadores. Una mayor probabilidad de defectos de fabricacion, la necesidad de un uso optimizado de los recursos para aumentar el paralelismo a nivel de aplicacion o la necesidad de tecnicas eficaces de ahorro de energia, puede ocasionar patrones de irregularidad en las topologias. Ademas, el soporte para comunicacion colectiva es una caracteristica buscada para abordar con eficacia las necesidades de comunicacion de los protocolos de coherencia de cache. En estas condiciones, un encaminamiento eficiente de los mensajes se convierte en un reto a superar. El objetivo de esta tesis es establecer las bases de una nueva arquitectura para encaminamiento distribuido basado en logica que es capaz de adaptarse a cualquier topologia irregular derivada de una estructura de malla 2D, proporcionando asi una cobertura total para cualquier caso resultado de soportar los retos mencionados anteriormente. Para conseguirlo, en primer lugar, se parte desde una base, para luego analizar una evolucion de varios mecanismos, y finalmente llegar a una implementacion, que abarca varios modulos para alcanzar el objetivo mencionado anteriormente. De hecho, esta ultima implementacion tiene por nombre eLBDR (effective Logic-Based Distributed Routing). Este trabajo cubre desde el primer mecanismo, LBDR, hasta el resto de mecanismos que han surgido progresivamente.
[Sleep and wakefulness].

sleep-wake cycle: its physiology and impact on health the evolutionary theory of sleep and wakefulness sleep and wakefulness browserfame how the circadian rhythm affects sleep, inside this issue maintenance of wakefulness test as a predictor of sleep sleep in the unresponsive wakefulness syndrome and neurochemistry of sleep and wakefulness assets maintenance for wakefulness testing (mwt) sleep and wakefulness disturbances in parkinson’s disease sleep wakefulness ncpdev practice parameters for clinical use of the multiple sleep the neurobiology of sleep and wakefulness neuropharmacology of sleep and wakefulness the clinics sniffing in infant rats during sleep and wakefulness the regulation of sleep and wakefulness by the sleep and wakefulness wenyen the international journal of sleepand wakefulness sleep and wakefulness pwcgba swallowing in sleep and wakefulness in adult cats central mechanisms of the sleep–wakefulness cycle control sleep and wakefulness vivoce sleep/wakefulness management in continuous/sustained wakefulness (not sleep) promotes generalization of word neuroendocrine correlates of sleep/wakefulness wakefulness and sleep explorable sleep and wakefulness during holy month of ramadan shining light on wakefulness and arousal the de lecea lab neuropharmacology of sleep and wakefulness sleep wakefulness 1st edition niraj to eat or to sleep? orexin in the regulation of feeding brain control of wakefulness and sleep brain control of neural correlates of wakefulness, sleep, and general the clinical use of the mslt and mwt sleep and wakefulness kugauk sleep and wakefulness guyver sleep and wakefulness justinshingles sleep and wakefulness correction in different seasons from sleep and wakefulness neppco lsd and tryptamine effects on sleep/wakefulness and circadian and wakefulness-sleep modulation of cognition in neural circuitry of wakefulness and sleep cell hypothalamic regulation of sleep and circadian rhythms sleep and wakefulness faheds functional anatomy of the sleep wakefulness cycle wakefulness sleep and wakefulness agmr arousal and regulatory systems: workshop proceedings june modeling sleep and wakefulness in the thalamocortical system wordsworthian wakefulness project muse sleep and wakefulness healthline
Alteration of Leucine Aminopeptidase from Streptomyces septatus TH-2 to Phenylalanine Aminopeptidase by Site-Directed Mutagenesis

ABSTRACT To tailor leucine aminopeptidase from Streptomyces septatus TH-2 (SSAP) to become a convenient biocatalyst, we are interested in Phe221 of SSAP, which is thought to interact with the side chain of the N-terminal residue of the substrate. By using saturation mutagenesis, the feasibility of altering the performance of SSAP was evaluated. The hydrolytic activities of 19 mutants were investigated using aminoacyl p-nitroanilide (pNA) derivatives as substrates. Replacement of Phe221 resulted in changes in the activities of all the mutants. Three of these mutants, F221G, F221A, and F221S, specifically hydrolyzed l-Phe-pNA, and F221I SSAP exhibited hydrolytic activity with l-Leu-pNA exceeding that of the wild type. Although the hydrolytic activities with peptide substrates decreased, the hydrolytic activities with amide and methyl ester substrates were proportional to the changes in the hydrolytic activities with pNA derivatives. Furthermore, based on a comparative kinetic study, the mechanism underlying the alteration in the preference of SSAP from leucine to phenylalanine is discussed.
Admittance-Based Voluntary-Driven Motion With Speed-Controlled Tremor Rejection

In the elderly, there have been reports of above 10% of the population being diagnosed with pathological tremor. Some patients find the conventional medical solutions, which primarily include medications and surgery, insufficient to treat their conditions. Technologies to mechanically suppress tremor have been proposed as a potential alternative. Robotic solutions for suppressing human tremor typically revolve around identifying and isolating the tremor motion component. This study proposes instead to only estimate the intentional movement and reject any disturbance that interferes with such an intended movement. By designing the control feedback such that motions other than the voluntary are rejected, the tremor component is attenuated. The controller components include an outer-loop admittance feedback loop and an internal velocity feedback loop. Additionally, a state feedback is utilized to improve the velocity tracking. To test the proposed approach, a benchtop tremor simulation device (TSD) was developed. The TSD consists of two motors, which, respectively, simulate the motion of a human joint and the suppressing action of a mechanical suppression system. A parametric stability analysis of the proposed tremor-suppression strategy is presented. A motion profile recorded from a person with tremor is used as human input in the TSD to experimentally validate the proposed tremor rejection strategy. Spectral analysis results show a 99.8% tremor reduction; the power reduction related to the voluntary movement is instead negligible (0.18%). Tracking of a velocity profile results in a small root-mean-square (rms) error (0.58 rad/s). The paper concludes by comparing the proposed approach to others presented in the literature.
Contribution à la conception d'un actionneur à aimants permanents et commutation électronique destiné à l'assistance électrique de direction pour automobile

L'analyse du cahier des charges d'un actionneur pour assistance electrique de direction a prouve la necessite d'obtenir un couple a faibles ondulations tout en respectant des contraintes importantes de prix de revient. La solution retenue est basee sur une machine a aimants sans pieces polaires alimentee par des courants de forme rectangulaire au moyen d'un onduleur de tension controle en courant. Pour concevoir un tel actionneur, des outils de conception ont ete mis en uvre. Ils concernent le calcul des grandeurs caracteristiques en fonction de la position du rotor, la determination des differentes configurations de bobinage et la prise en compte de lois de commande dans la simulation globale de l'actionneur. Un concept original a ete degage pour minimiser les ondulations de couple dues a la machine. Il consiste a mettre en uvre simultanement des aimants en forme de tuiles aimantees radialement, un nombre d'encoches fractionnaire et une utilisation partielle de l'encochage pour loger le bobinage. De plus, une technique de controle des courants a ete propose pour minimiser les ondulations de couple dues a l'alimentation electronique. La realisation et les essais d'une maquette probatoire ont permis de valider ce premier concept. D'autre part, la realisation d'un banc de simulation du systeme d'assistance electrique de direction et son exploitation ont permis d'apprehender le comportement d'un actionneur en situation. Enfin, un prototype a aimants ferrite repondant au cahier des charges a ete defini et dimensionne en prenant en compte les contraintes de fonctionnement et d'implantation
Predictive Value of Underweight Status for Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease With Claudication

We evaluated whether underweight status is associated with poor prognosis in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) with claudication, excluding critical limb ischemia. We identified 441 claudicants hospitalized for cardiovascular disease between 2005 and 2012. Patients were divided into 4 groups according to body mass index (BMI): an underweight group (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2; n = 48), a normal group (BMI = 18.5-25.0 kg/m2; n = 286), an overweight group (BMI = 25.0-30.0 kg/m2; n = 92), and an obese group (BMI ≥ 30.0 kg/m2; n = 15). The mean follow-up period was 3.5 ± 1.9 years. The underweight group had significantly lower levels of hemoglobin, albumin, estimated glomerular filtration rate, triglycerides, and hemoglobin A1c; higher levels of C-reactive protein and B-type natriuretic peptide; and a higher prevalence of hemodialysis. The incidence of all-cause death and cardiovascular death was significantly higher in the underweight group (underweight vs normal, 77.1% vs 33.0%; P < .001 and 43.3% vs 14.4%; P < .001, respectively). In a multivariate Cox analysis, underweight status was an independent predictor of all-cause death (hazard ratio, 2.53; 95% confidence interval, 1.58-4.18; P < .001). Therefore, promoting weight gain, as well as managing cardiovascular disease, may be important for underweight patients with PAD.
ATIVIDADE FITOQUÍMICA E ANTIOXIDANTE DA FOLHA ANNONA MURICATA L. FRENTE AO RADICAL ABTS

Annona muricata L. e conhecida popularmente como a gravioleira, e uma arvore que faz parte da familia das Annonaceae e tem sido utilizada amplamente pela medicina popular. Partindo desse principio o objetivo do presente trabalho foi avaliar a acao antioxidante da A. muricata L. , alem de comparar estes efeitos frente ao teste ABTS e ainda confirmar os componentes quimicos, atraves dos testes fitoquimicos especificos. Para analisar tais aspectos foram realizados os testes: ABTS, onde na verificacao da atividade antioxidante, observou-se que o extrato alcoolico obteve um melhor resultado quando verificada a capacidade de reduzir o radical ABTS. E tambem foi realizado o teste fitoquimico, com o qual foi possivel verificar que existe a presenca de alguns metabolitos secundarios como os taninos hidrolisaveis, alcaloides e saponinas. Diante dos resultados obtidos e possivel dizer que a graviola tem potencial antioxidante em altas concentracoes e a presenca dos metabolitos secundarios encontrados auxiliam no tratamento de algumas enfermidades, esses resultados adquiridos podem proporcionar a populacao, maiores informacoes a respeito dessa planta.
Approche Bayes-Markov et restauration d'images scintigraphiques

Resume ‐ Les images scintigraphiques sont utilisees dans nombreux domaines tels que la medecine nucleaire, le controle non destructif . Cependant, elles sont de qualite tres mediocre a cause de plusieurs sources de degradation. Nous proposons une restauration bas ee sur l’approche Bayes-Markov. La detection de discontinuites et la restauration des zones homogenes sont realisees efficacement par un modele markovien avec processus de ligne implicite. La qualite des images restaurees est mise en evidence par les mesures du contraste autour des transitions et d’uniformite dans les regions homogenes en comparaison avec deux autres methodes existantes.
Proliferación de linfocitos T humanos en relación coa expresión e localización de CD45RO

CD45RO e unha proteina transmembrana con actividade tirosin-fosfatasa involucrada en eventos primarios de sinalizacion via TCR en linfocitos T e que aparece asociada con outras proteinas importantes como CD26. A expresion de CD45RO e das moleculas que se asocian a ela esta regulada pola IL-12, unha citoquina proinflamatoria que participa no desenvolvemento da resposta Th1. Neste traballo estudase como os diferentes niveis de expresion de CD45RO (que se ven afectados pola coestimulacion dos linfocitos con distintas citoquinas e tamen pola accion de ADA), asi como a sua localizacion en microdominios raft de membrana plasmatica ou a sua asociacion con CD26, estan relacionados coas taxas de proliferacion en distintos tipos de linfocitos T humanos e a relacion que existe entre a expresion destas proteinas e os fenotipos efector e regulador dos linfocitos T.
Democratic Institutions and Exchange-rate Commitments

Since the collapse of the Bretton Woods system, countries have been able to choose from a variety of exchange-rate arrangements. We argue that politicians' incentives condition the choice of an exchange-rate arrangement. These incentives reflect the configuration of domestic political institutions, particularly electoral and legislative institutions. In systems where the cost of electoral defeat is high and electoral timing is exogenous, politicians will be less willing to forgo their discretion over monetary policy with a fixed exchange rate. In systems where the costs of electoral defeat are low and electoral timing is endogenous, politicians are more likely to adopt a fixed exchange-rate regime. Consequently, differences in domestic political systems can help account for variations in the choice of exchange-rate arrangements. We test this argument using constrained multinomial logit and binomial logit on a sample of twenty democracies over the period 1974–95. Domestic political institutions have a significant effect on exchange-rate regime choice, even after controlling for systemic, macroeconomic, and other political variables.
Late outcomes of mitral valve repair for floppy valves: Implications for asymptomatic patients.

OBJECTIVES We sought to evaluate the long-term results of mitral valve repair in patients with mitral regurgitation caused by floppy mitral valves and compare the outcomes of asymptomatic patients with those of symptomatic patients. METHODS A retrospective review of 488 consecutive patients who had mitral valve repair for floppy mitral valve disclosed 199 patients who were asymptomatic or had minimal symptoms and 289 patients who were symptomatic at the time of the operation. Asymptomatic patients were younger, had better ventricular function, had a lower incidence of coronary artery disease, and had higher rates of atrial fibrillation than symptomatic patients. RESULTS Survival at 15 years was 61% for all patients. Survival was 76% for asymptomatic patients, which was identical to that for the general population matched for age and sex, whereas the survival of symptomatic patients was 53% and significantly lower than that of the general population. Cox regression analyses validated by means of bootstrap methodology identified the following predictors of late death: age by increments of 5 years (risk ratio = 1.2), New York Heart Association functional classes 3 and 4 (risk ratio = 3.0), left ventricular ejection fraction of less than 40% (risk ratio = 2.7), preoperative stroke or transient ischemic attack (risk ratio = 3.1), previous cardiac operation (risk ratio = 4.6), and severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (risk ratio = 3.1). Freedom from reoperation at 15 years was 91%, and it was similar for asymptomatic and symptomatic patients. Freedom from mitral regurgitation of greater than 2+ at 15 years was 85% for all patients, 96% for asymptomatic patients, and 76% for symptomatic patients. CONCLUSIONS This study supports the recommendation of surgical intervention in asymptomatic patients with mitral regurgitation caused by a floppy mitral valve if mitral valve repair is feasible and associated with low operative mortality and morbidity.