Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nitric oxide in the adrenergic-and CRH-induced activation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

In this report we investigated the effect of 7-nitroindazole (7-NI), a specific neuronal inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) and L-NAME, a nonselective NOS inhibitor upon the adrenergic- and CRH-induced stimulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in nonanesthetized rats. 7-NI given i.p. and L-NAME administered i.c. v. considerably reduced ACTH and corticosterone secretion induced by phenylephrine (30 microg i.c.v.), an alpha(1)-adrenergic receptor agonist. These inhibitors also diminished the HPA response to isoprenaline (20 microg i.c.v.), a nonselective beta-adrenergic receptor agonist, and i.c. v. L-NAME significantly lowered the ACTH and corticosterone response to clenbuterol (10 microg i.c.v.), a selective beta(2)-adrenergic agonist. L-NAME abolished the noradrenaline (NA), an alpha- and beta-receptor agonist-evoked ACTH and corticosterone response, which was reversed by pretreatment with i.p. L-arginine, an endogenous NO substrate. 7-NI abolished the stimulatory action of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH 1 microg/kg i.p.) on ACTH but not corticosterone secretion. L-NAME only moderately diminished the CRH-induced ACTH secretion, suggesting that a major part of the CRH-induced HPA axis activation is of neuronal origin. Dihydropyridine, nifedipine, a specific L-type Ca(2+) channel blocker, inhibited significantly the CRH-induced ACTH and corticosterone response in rats exposed to 3 days crowding stress but not in rats under basal conditions. This finding indicates the strategic importance of Ca(2+) influx into the pituitary corticotrops to meet increased secretory requirement under stressful conditions. Collectively, our results point to complex functional relationship between NO, adrenergic agents CRH and Ca(2+) in the regulation of HPA axis activity.
The long term clinical course of acute deep vein thrombosis of the arm: prospective cohort study

The diagnosis and treatment of deep vein thrombosis of the arm are documented extensively.1 2 The long term clinical course of the condition is, however, poorly defined. Fifty three consecutive patients with a first, symptomatic deep vein thrombosis of the arm, confirmed by ultrasonography or venography—including six cases related to catheter insertion—were treated with high dose heparin, followed by at least three months of warfarin (targeted international normalised ratio 2.0-3.0) (table). View this table: Characteristics of the study patients (n=53). Values are numbers (percentages) of patients unless otherwise indicated Follow up visits were scheduled after three and six months, and then every six months up to five years. At each visit, patients underwent a clinical evaluation, for which we used a standardised scale previously validated in patients with venous thrombosis in the leg,3 4 and an ultrasound assessment of the affected venous segments. Each of five symptoms (heaviness, pain, itching, physical …
Different Signaling Pathways Stimulate a Disintegrin and Metalloprotease-17 (ADAM17) in Neutrophils during Apoptosis and Activation*

Background: Neutrophil ADAM17 (a disintegrin and metalloprotease-17) mediates the proteolytic release of receptors and soluble factors that regulate inflammation. Results: ADAM17 stimulation during Fas-induced neutrophil apoptosis requires caspase-8, Bid, and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species. Conclusion: Neutrophil ADAM17 stimulation occurs by different signal transduction pathways during activation and apoptosis. Significance: ADAM17 activation in apoptotic neutrophils may rapidly down-regulate their pro-inflammatory activity. ADAM17 is a membrane-associated metalloprotease that cleaves proteins from the surface of neutrophils and modulates the density of various receptors and adhesion molecules. The protease activity of ADAM17 is highly inducible and occurs upon neutrophil activation as well as apoptosis. At this time, little is known about the signal transduction pathway that promotes ADAM17 activity in neutrophils upon the induction of apoptosis. We show that caspase-8 activation, Bid cleavage, and the release of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species are sequential transduction components of the Fas signaling cascade that induces ADAM17. This is different from ADAM17 stimulation upon overt neutrophil activation, which requires MAPK p38 or ERK, but not caspases and reactive oxygen species. ADAM17 activity in apoptotic neutrophils may serve to inactivate select effector molecules that promote the pro-inflammatory activity of recruited neutrophils. For instance, TNFα receptors TNF-RI and TNF-RII are substrates of ADAM17, and we show that they are shed during apoptosis, decreasing neutrophil sensitivity to TNFα. Altogether, our findings provide significant new insights into the signal transduction pathway that stimulates ADAM17 during induced neutrophil apoptosis. ADAM17 induction during apoptosis may rapidly diminish neutrophil sensitivity to the inflammatory environment, complementing other anti-inflammatory activities by these cells during inflammation resolution.
Prevention of sporogony of Plasmodium vivax in Anopheles albimanus by steroids of Solanum nudum Dunal (Solanaceae)

The sporontocidal activity of three steroids (SN‐1, SN‐2 and SN‐4) from Solanum nudum Dunal (Solanaceae) was determined against naturally circulating isolates of Plasmodium vivax in Anopheles albimanus. Laboratory‐reared Anopheles albimanus mosquitoes were infected with P. vivax from gametocytemic blood of volunteers resident in Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca (Colombian Pacific Coast) by using an artificial membrane feeder. Prior to mosquito feeding, gametocytemic blood was centrifuged, plasma was separated, packed blood red cells were washed with RPMI 1640 and then resuspended in non‐immune AB serum, then the steroids were added at different doses. On day 7 after infection, the presence and number of oocysts in mosquitoes was determined. The steroid SN‐2 reduced the infection of mosquitoes by 90% and the mean number of oocysts by 60%. These data confirmed that the experimental steroid is capable of interrupting the sporogonic development of P. vivax in Anopheles albimanus. This experimental steroid has potential for transmission blocking in vivax malaria. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Recovery of New Agent from Patients with Acute Respiratory Illness

Summary A microbial agent, presumably a virus, was recovered from throat washings from a patient with primary atypical pneumonia in an epidemic of acute respiratory illness which occurred at Fort Leonard Wood during the winter of 1952-1953. This agent multiplies in human cell tissue cultures producing obvious cytopathogenic changes but not in common laboratory hosts. The patient whose throat washings yielded the virus de veloped specific neutralizing and complement-fixing antibodies for the agent. Other patients in the epidemic with primary atypical pneumonia (PAP) or undifferentiated acute respiratory disease (ARD) also developed antibodies for the agent but those cases with proved influenza A′ did not. A portion of the population maintains an antibody level against the new agent suggesting a rather general experience with it.
Using Modern Tools To Probe the Structure–Function Relationship of Fatty Acid Synthases

Fatty acid biosynthesis is essential to life and represents one of the most conserved pathways in nature, preserving the same handful of chemical reactions across all species. Recent interest in the molecular details of the de novo fatty acid synthase (FAS) has been heightened by demand for renewable fuels and the emergence of multidrug‐resistant bacterial strains. Central to FAS is the acyl carrier protein (ACP), a protein chaperone that shuttles the growing acyl chain between catalytic enzymes within the FAS. Human efforts to alter fatty acid biosynthesis for oil production, chemical feedstock, or antimicrobial purposes has been met with limited success, due in part to a lack of detailed molecular information behind the ACP–partner protein interactions inherent to the pathway. This review will focus on recently developed tools for the modification of ACP and analysis of protein–protein interactions, such as mechanism‐based crosslinking, and the studies exploiting them. Discussion specific to each enzymatic domain will focus first on mechanism and known inhibitors, followed by available structures and known interactions with ACP. Although significant unknowns remain, new understandings of the intricacies of FAS point to future advances in manipulating this complex molecular factory.
Design and validation of a 2.5 kW electric naval propulsion system with rim driven propeller

The paper describes the design and the experimental validation of an electric naval propulsion system with rim driven propeller. The electric naval propulsion system is submerged in water providing an effective cooling for the electric machine and thus achieving a high power density. The proposed slotless design of the permanent magnet (PM) machine allows a convenient way to protect the motors' active parts against water. For accurate prediction of PM machine electromagnetic performances, finite element method (FEM) was used.
Feminist identity, body image, and disordered eating

ABSTRACT Using data from a community-based sample (Project EAT-III), this study (N = 1241; mean age = 25.2) examined the relationship of feminist identity with body image and disordered eating. Feminist-identified women reported significantly higher body satisfaction than non-feminist women and women who did not identify as feminists but held feminist beliefs. However, feminist-identified women did not differ from non-feminist women in disordered eating. Women holding feminist beliefs and non-feminist women did not differ in body satisfaction. Our findings suggest that self-identification as a feminist may promote positive body image in young adult women, but may be insufficient to change behaviors.
Load sharing based on popularity in distributed video on demand systems

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in video on demand (VoD) systems. We study a distributed VoD system in which the videos are replicated according to their popularity. We present an algorithm to share the load in such a system efficiently and an analytical model that captures the performance of this algorithm, which we validate through simulations. This research shows that popularity is an essential parameter which can save storage without reducing performance by just replicating a few popular videos in all the servers.
Exogenous Endowment—Endogenous Reference Point

We develop a model in the presence of categories that creates a link between the agent’s exogenous endowment and an endogenous reference point. The reference point is the best feasible alternative in the endowment’s category. This reference generates a constraint set from which the final choice is made according to utility maximisation. The model predicts category bias, which generalises the status quo bias by attracting the agent to her endowment’s category but not necessarily to the endowment itself. We show that it accommodates recent experimental findings regarding the presence and absence of status quo bias in the realm of uncertainty. In a stylised financial setup, we show that it may lead to a risk premium even with risk-neutral agents.
Gestational diabetes in India: Science and society

Diabetes is a major public health problem in India with prevalence rates reported to be between 4.6% and 14% in urban areas, and 1.7% and 13.2% in rural areas. [1] India has an estimated 62 million people with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM); this number is expected to go up to 79.4 million by 2025. [1] Management of diabetes and its complications imposes a huge economic burden on the society; hence effective strategies are urgently needed to control this epidemic. Not surprisingly, in parallel with the increase in diabetes prevalence, there seems to be an increasing prevalence of gestational DM (GDM), that is, diabetes diagnosed during pregnancy. The prevalence of gestational diabetes has been reported to range from 3.8% in Kashmir,[2] to 6.2% in Mysore,[3] 9.5% in Western India[4] and 17.9% in Tamil Nadu. [5] In more recent studies, using different criteria, prevalence rates as high as 35% from Punjab[6] and 41% from Lucknow have been reported. [7] The geographical differences in prevalence have been attributed to differences in age and/or socioeconomic status of pregnant women in these regions. It is estimated that about 4 million women are affected by GDM in India, at any given time point. [8]
Late component ERPs are associated with three syndromes in schizophrenia

Previous studies have revealed various abnormalities in late-component ERP amplitude and latency in schizophrenia, considered as a diagnostic category. The aim of this study was to investigate the within-sample associations between late-component ERPs and three primary syndromes of schizophrenia Reality Distortion, Psychomotor Poverty and Disorganisation. Subjects included 40 schizophrenics and 40 age and sex matched nonpsychiatric controls. Auditory ERPs (N100, N200, P200, P300) were elicited using an auditory oddball paradigm. Between-group analyses of target data showed reduced N100, N200 and P300 amplitude, increased P200 amplitude and delayed N200 latency in schizophrenics compared to controls. For non-target data, schizophrenics showed similarly reduced N100 amplitude and delayed N200 latency. Within-group analyses of target data showed that the three syndromes (determined by principal component analysis of PANS ratings) were differentiated by ERP latency, but not amplitude (Disorganisation-delayed left hemisphere P200 and P300 latency; Reality Distortion earlier global, midline and left hemisphere N200 latency; Psychomotor Poverty delayed posterior N100 latency). Notably, only Disorganisation showed a divergent pattern of associations with non-target ERP data: reduced P200 amplitude and delayed N100 latency.
Classes of enteric nerve cells in the guinea‐pig small intestine

The guinea‐pig small intestine has been very widely used to study the physiology, pharmacology and morphology of the enteric nervous system. It also provides an ideal, simple mammalian preparation for studying how nerve cells are organised into functional circuits underlying simple behaviours. Many different types of nerve cells are present in the enteric nervous system and they show characteristic combinations of morphological features, projections, biophysical properties, neurochemicals, and receptors. To identify the different functional classes is an important prerequisite for systematic analysis of how the enteric nervous system controls normal gut behaviour. Based on combinations of multiple‐labelling immunohistochemistry and retrograde tracing, it has been possible to account quantitatively for all of the neurones in the guinea‐pig small intestine. This article summarises that account and updates it in the light of recent data. A total of 18 classes of neurones are currently distinguishable, including primary afferent neurones, motor neurones, interneurones, secretomotor and vasomotor neurones. It is now possible to take an individual nerve cell and use a few carefully chosen criteria to assign it to a functional class. This provides a firm anatomical foundation for the systematic analysis of how the enteric nervous system normally functions and how it goes wrong in various clinically important disorders. Anat Rec 262:58–70, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Formal verification of translation validators

Comme tout logiciel, les compilateurs, et tout particulierement les compilateurs optimisant, peuvent etre defectueux. Il est donc possible qu'ils changent la semantique du programme compile, et par consequent ses proprietes. Dans le cadre de developpement de logiciels critiques, ou des methodes formelles sont utilisees pour s'assurer qu'un programme satisfait certaines proprietes, et cela avant qu'il soit compile, cela pose un probleme de fond. Une solution a ce probleme est de verifier le compilateur en s'assurant qu'il preserve la semantique des programmes compiles. Dans cette these, nous evaluons une methode nouvelle pour developper des passes de compilations sures: la verification formelle de validateurs de traduction. D'une part, cette methode utilise la verification formelle a l'aide d'assistant de preuve afin d'offrir le maximum de garanties de surete sur le compilateur. D'autre part, elle repose sur l'utilisation de la validation de traduction, ou chaque execution du compilateur est validee a posteriori, une methode de verification plus pragmatique qui a permis de verifier des optimisations avancees. Nous montrons que cette approche nouvelle du probleme de la verification de compilateur est viable, et meme avantageuse dans certains cas, a travers quatre exemples d'optimisations realistes et agressives: le list scheduling, le trace scheduling, le lazy code motion et enfin le software pipelining.
Detection and classiﬁcation of threat agents via high‐content assays of mammalian cells

One property common to all chemical or biological threat agents is that they damage mammalian cells. A threat detection and classiﬁcation method based on the effects of compounds on cells has been developed. This method employs high‐content screening (HCS), a concept in drug discovery that enables those who practice cell‐based assays to generate deeper biological information about the compounds they are testing. A commercial image‐based cell screening platform comprising ﬂuorescent reagents, automated image acquisition hardware, image analysis algorithms, data management and informatics was used to develop assays and detection/classiﬁcation methods for threat agents. These assays measure a cell's response to a compound, which may include activation or inhibition of signal transduction pathways, morphological changes or cytotoxic effects. Data on cell responses to a library of compounds was collected and used as a training set. At the EILATox‐Oregon Workshop, cellular responses following exposure to unknown samples were measured by conducting assays of p38 MAP kinase, NF‐κB, extracellular‐signal related kinase (ERK) MAP kinase, cyclic AMPresponse element binding protein (CREB), cell permeability, lysosomal mass and nuclear morphology. Although the assays appeared to perform well, only four of the nine toxic samples were detected. However the system was speciﬁc, because no false positives were detected. Opportunities for improvement to the system were identiﬁed during the course of this enlightening workshop. Some of these improvements were applied in subsequent tests in the Cellomics laboratories, resulting in a higher level of detection. Thus, an HCS approach was shown to have potential in detecting threat agents, but additional work is necessary to make this a comprehensive detection and classiﬁcation system. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
PATTERN BENEATH THE CHAOS: THE EFFECT OF RECRUITMENT ON GENETIC PATCHINESS IN AN INTERTIDAL LIMPET

Gene exchange among widely separated areas characterizes many marine organisms with planktonic dispersal. From an evolutionary perspective, the essential feature of such dispersal is that recruits to local populations come from somewhere else. Thus, localized adaptation is not accumulated over time, and changes in the genetic composition of adults reflect single-generation effects of selection and recruitment. The most obvious effect of planktonic dispersal is the reduction of geographic variation in genetic composition (e.g., Scheltema, 1971, 1978), and low variances of allelic frequencies have been found to be associated with planktonic dispersal (e.g., Berger, 1973; Levinton and Suchanek, 1978; Winans,
Immunology, tumor markers, and pancreatic cancer

fluids and can be detected by radioimmunoassay and by other immuno-chemical methods. Some of these markers are carcinoembrvonic antigens (CEA), alpha-fetoproteins (and their variations), foetal sulphoglycoproteins, hormonal polypeptides, and carcinoplacental isoenzymes
Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching reveals regulation and distribution of connexin36 gap junction coupling within mouse islets of Langerhans

Gap junctions provide electrical coupling that is critical to the function of pancreatic islets. Disruptions to connexin36 (Cx36) have been suggested to occur in diabetes. No accurate and non‐invasive technique has yet been established to quantify changes in Cx36 gap junction coupling in the intact islet. This study developed fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) as a non‐invasive technique for quantifying Cx36 gap junction coupling in living islets. The study identified treatments that modulate gap junction coupling, confirmed that the cellular distribution of coupling throughout the islet is highly heterogeneous and confirmed that α cells and β cells do not form functional Cx36 gap junctions. This technique will enable future studies to examine the regulation of Cx36 gap junction coupling and its disruption in diabetes, and to uncover potential novel therapeutic targets associated with gap junction coupling.
Simulation of wave-energy converter with octagonal linear generator

To extract electrical energy from sea waves in a commercially and technologically acceptable manner, a number of issues have to be solved. Electricity generation by means of direct conversion of the oscillating gravitational potential energy of a floating buoy can be anticipated, provided a proper design of a generator could be made. This paper deals with the simulation of a novel design for a linear generator aimed for the extraction of energy from ocean waves. The ocean waves are modeled by 4-m-height sinusoidal waves with a characteristic period of 7 s. A wide range of the geometrical sizes, permanent magnets, stator winding, and spring forces acting on the buoy are possible. This paper presents simulations of octagonal three-phase linear generators in the 100-kW power range. The beneficial effects of a stator of octagonal shape are briefly investigated, but not studied in depth. The main emphases in the present study have been to decrease power fluctuations and suppress voltage harmonics. In conventional rotating machines, well-known measures are to use a fractional number of slots per pole and phase, and an additional method is to make the pole edges smoother. These methods are here simulated for the first time on a linear machine aimed for ocean wave-energy conversion and a substantial reduction in power fluctuations and voltage harmonics are predicted.