Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reversible thioridazine-induced magnetic resonance imaging-documented pituitary enlargement associated with hyperprolactinemia.

OBJECTIVE To document a case of reversible thioridazine-induced pituitary enlargement associated with hyperprolactinemia in a patient with schizophrenia. METHODS We describe a 19-year-old woman with paranoid schizophrenia who was taking thioridazine (a phenothiazine), in whom hyperprolactinemia, galactorrhea, oligomenorrhea, and a reversible anatomic pituitary abnormality developed. Serial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies were used to assess the status of the pituitary gland during various pharmaceutical therapies. RESULTS Laboratory evaluation revealed increased serum prolactin (PRL) levels that ranged from 76 to 135 mg/L. Results of thyroid function tests were normal, and gonadotropins and estradiol levels were low, consistent with hyperprolactinemia. MRI revealed asymmetric enlargement of the right side of the pituitary gland. Discontinuing the thioridazine therapy resulted in normalization of the serum PRL and resolution of the pituitary abnormality. Subsequent worsening of the patient's psychiatric condition necessitated a course of electroconvulsive therapy and initiation of treatment with clozapine, a D4 dopamine receptor antagonist. At 1-year follow-up, at which time the patient was maintained on clozapine and was not taking thioridazine, both serum PRL levels and MRI findings remained normal. CONCLUSION Our patient was shown to have asymmetric pituitary enlargement associated with thioridazine-induced hyperprolactinemia, which reversed when use of the drug was discontinued. In patients with serum PRL levels in excess of 100 mg/L during antipsychotic drug therapy, evaluation for a prolactinoma is warranted.
Variability of Two Plaque Sampling Methods in Quantitation of Streptococcus mutans

The aim of this study was to determine the reproducibility of individual versus pooled plaque sampling of permanent first molars (PFM) to quantitate Streptococcus mutans (SM)/total streptococci (TS). Ten individual and pooled plaque samples were collected from 35 subjects, randomly assigned to individual-first or pooled-first group. Plaque samples were processed and quantified for SM and TS. SM/TS ratio was used to determine the reproducibility within two group samples. Mean percentage of SM/TS in both methods were not significantly different. However, within subject detection of SM was found to be significantly more sensitive for individual sampling method. Despite the lack of a difference between both methods for SM/TS quantitation, the difference in SM detection suggests that individual sampling is more sensitive.
AN EFFICIENT PILOT CARRIER CHANNEL ESTIMATION USING GENETIC ALGORITHM IN 4 G MIMO-OFDM SYSTEM

MIMO-OFDM (multiple input multiple output-orthogonal frequency division multiplexing) is an excellent technique used in modern wireless communication systems. It has excellent quality of high speed data/voice transmission with high spectral efficiency. The Least Square (LS) and Minimum Mean Square Error (MMSE) channel estimation are the most common methods presented by several researchers. Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT)-based channel estimation is introduced to minimize the receiver noise interference which cannot be possible in the LS and MMSE techniques. Also, Genetic Algorithm-based optimized 4G channel estimation is proposed in this paper to identify the best channel matrix from the existing LS, MMSE and DFT estimation algorithms. The simulation results clearly show that the performance of optimized GA-based DFT channel estimation is better than the LS and MMSE estimation.
Molecular diagnosis of pancreas carcinoma

Cellular protooncogenes, tumor suppressor genes (antioncogenes), and DNA mismatch repair mutators are generally the key molecular genetic biomarkers undergoing alterations during carcinogenesis, i.e., activation of oncogenes, inactivation of tumor suppressors, and DNA mismatch repair gene defects are essential events in cancer causation. In pancreas cancer, high incidence of oncogene K‐ras point mutations at the codon 12th is associated with premalignant and malignant transformation. Mutation in p53 tumor suppressor is also detected in pancreas adenocarcinoma. Concurrent loss of p53 and K‐ras function may contribute to the clinical aggressiveness of pancreas cancer. Microsatellite instability and DNA mismatch repair defects may represent new mutator phenotype for pancreas carcinogenesis. Mutation of cell cycle regulators, such as inhibitor of CDK4 or p16 tumor suppressor gene, is a new molecular event in pancreas cancer. Mutation of cyclin‐dependent kinases also may be involved in pancreas carcinogenesis. Loss or mutation of a new candidate tumor suppressor, DPC4 (deleted in pancreas carcinoma locus 4), is reported in pancreas cancer. The protein products of these gene mutations are potential tumor antigens, thus genotype expression can be detected by phenotype. Most of these emerging molecular genetic biomarkers are associated with regulation of cell growth and recognition, as well as gene expression, and may offer new insight into the cellular precursors to and genesis of pancreas cancer. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 11:225–231, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The polymeric immunoglobulin receptor: bridging innate and adaptive immune responses at mucosal surfaces

Summary: Secretory antibodies of the immunoglobulin A (IgA) class form the first line of antigen‐specific immune protection against inhaled, ingested, and sexually transmitted pathogens and antigens at mucosal surfaces. Epithelial transcytosis of polymeric IgA (pIgA) is mediated by the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR). At the apical surface, the extracellular ligand‐binding region of pIgR, known as secretory component (SC), is cleaved and released in free form or as a component of secretory IgA (SIgA). SC has innate anti‐microbial properties, and it protects SIgA from proteolytic degradation. Expression of pIgR is regulated by microbial products through Toll‐like receptor signaling and by host factors such as cytokines and hormones. Recent studies of the structure of the extracellular ligand‐binding domain of pIgR have revealed mechanisms by which it binds pIgA and other ligands. During transcytosis, pIgA has been shown to neutralize pathogens and antigens within intracellular vesicular compartments. The recent identification of disease‐associated polymorphisms in human pIgR near the cleavage site may help to unravel the mystery of how pIgR is cleaved to SC. The identification of novel functions for SC and SIgA has expanded our view of the immunobiology of pIgR, a key component of the mucosal immune system that bridges innate and adaptive immune defense.
Systemic administration of N‐acetylcysteine protects dopaminergic neurons against 6‐hydroxydopamine‐induced degeneration

The results of several in vitro studies have shown that cysteine prodrugs, particularly N‐acetylcysteine, are effective antioxidants that increase the survival of dopaminergic neurons. N‐acetylcysteine can be systemically administered to deliver cysteine to the brain and is of potential use for providing neuroprotection in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. However, it has also been reported that an excess of cysteine may induce neurotoxicity. In the present study, we injected adult rats intrastriatally with 2.5 μl of 6‐hydroxydopamine (7.5 μg) and N‐acetylcysteine (240 mM) or cysteine (240 mM) or intraventricularly with 6‐hydroxydopamine (200 μg) and subcutaneously with N‐acetylcysteine (10 and 100 mg/kg). We studied the effects of these compounds on both the nigrostriatal dopaminergic terminals and the surrounding striatal tissue. The tissue was stained with fluoro‐jade (a marker of neuronal degeneration) and processed by immunohistochemistry to detect tyrosine hydroxylase, neuronal and glial markers, and the stress protein heme‐oxygenase‐1. After intrastriatal injection, both cysteine and N‐acetylcysteine had clear neuroprotective effects on the striatal dopaminergic terminals, but also led to neuronal degeneration (as revealed by fluoro‐jade staining) and astroglial and microglial activation, as well as intense induction of heme‐oxygenase‐1 in astrocytes and microglial cells. Subcutaneous administration of N‐acetylcysteine also induced significant reduction of the dopaminergic lesion (about 30% reduction). However, we did not observe appreciable N‐acetylcysteine‐induced fluoro‐jade labeling in striatal neurons or any of the above‐mentioned changes in striatal glial cells. The results suggest that low doses of cysteine prodrugs may be useful neuroprotectors in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Aspirin and Salicylic Acid Do not Inhibit Methyl Jasmonate-inducible Expression of a Gene for Ornithine Decarboxylase in Tobacco BY-2 Cells

Similar to the prostanoid-mediated inflammatory response in mammals, jasmonate-mediated wound response in plant leaves is inhibited by salicylic acid (SA) or acetylsalicylate (aspirin). In tobacco BY-2 cells, expression of the gene for ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) involved in putrescine synthesis is rapidly inducible by methyl jasmonate (MeJA). A nuclear gene for ODC isolated from tobacco, gNtODC-1, was an intron-less gene and MeJA induced the expression of a GUS fusion gene with the gNtODC-1 promoter in transformed tobacco cells. Although SA alone did not induce the expression, 0.2 to 20 μM SA increased the MeJA-induced expression of the fusion gene to about two-fold. A similar increase was observed with aspirin but not with 3- or 4-hydroxybenzoic acids. SA at concentrations up to 200 μM did not inhibit the MeJA-induction of mRNAs for the GUS fusion gene and the endogenous gene for ODC.
Conformational and metal‐binding properties of androcam, a testis‐specific, calmodulin‐related protein from drosophila

Androcam is a testis‐specific protein of Drosophila melanogaster, with 67% sequence identity to calmodulin and four potential EF‐hand calcium‐binding sites. Spectroscopic monitoring of the thermal unfolding of recombinant calciumfree androcam shows a biphasic process characteristic of a two‐domain protein, with the apo‐N‐domain less stable than the apo‐C‐domain. The two EF hands of the C‐domain of androcam bind calcium cooperatively with 40‐fold higher average affinity than the corresponding calmodulin sites. Magnesium competes with calcium binding [Ka(Mg) ˜ 3 × 103 M−1]. Weak calcium binding is also detected at one or more N‐domain sites. Compared to apo‐calmodulin, apo‐androcam has a smaller conformational response to calcium and a lower α‐helical content over a range of experimental conditions. Unlike calmodulin, a tryptic cleavage site in the N‐domain of apo‐androcam remains trypsin sensitive in the presence of calcium, suggesting an altered calcium‐dependent conformational change in this domain. The affinity of model target peptides for androcam is 103‐105 times lower than for calmodulin, and interaction of the N‐domain of androcam with these peptides is significantly reduced. Thus, androcam shows calcium‐induced conformational responses typical of a calcium sensor, but its properties indicate calcium sensitivity and target interactions significantly different from those of calmodulin. From the sequence differences and the altered calcium‐binding properties it is likely that androcam differs from calmodulin in the conformation of residues in the second calcium‐binding loop. Molecular modeling supports the deduction that there are significant conformational differences in the N‐domain of androcam compared to calmodulin, and that these could affect the surface, conferring a different specificity on androcam in target interactions related to testis‐specific calcium signaling functions.
State and input simultaneous estimation for a class of nonlinear systems

This paper addresses the problem of estimating simultaneously the state and input of a class of nonlinear systems. Here, the systems nonlinear part comprises a Lipschitz nonlinear function with respect to the state and input, and a state-dependent unknown function including additive disturbance as well as uncertain/nonlinear/time-varying terms. Upon satisfying some conditions, the observer design problem can be solved via a Riccati inequality or a LMI-based technique with asymptotic estimation guaranteed. A numerical example is included for illustration. 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Reperfused myocardial infarction: contrast-enhanced 64-Section CT in comparison to MR imaging.

PURPOSE To prospectively compare 64-section multidetector computed tomography (CT) and cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for the early assessment of myocardial enhancement and infarct size after acute reperfused myocardial infarction (MI). MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was HIPAA compliant and was approved by the institutional review board. All participants gave written informed consent. Twenty-one patients (18 men; mean age, 60 years +/- 13 [standard deviation]) were examined with 64-section multidetector CT and cardiac MR imaging 5 days or fewer after a first reperfused MI. Multidetector CT was performed during the first pass of contrast material to assess myocardial perfusion and detect microvascular obstruction (no reflow). In 15 patients, a second scan was performed 7 minutes later to assess total infarct size by using delayed hyperenhancement. Early hypoenhancement and delayed hyperenhancement were compared between multidetector CT and cardiac MR imaging with Pearson correlation coefficient and Bland-Altman analysis. RESULTS Early hypoenhancement was recognized on all multidetector CT and cardiac MR images. Delayed hyperenhancement was observed with cardiac MR imaging at all examinations and with multidetector CT at 11 of 15 examinations. While signal intensity differences between hypoperfused and normal myocardium were comparable for first-pass multidetector CT and cardiac MR imaging, cardiac MR imaging had a far better contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) for delayed acquisitions than did CT (P < .001). Hypoenhanced areas (as a percentage of left ventricular mass) at first-pass multidetector CT (11% +/- 6) correlated well with those at first-pass cardiac MR imaging (7% +/- 4, R(2) = 0.72). Delayed-enhancement multidetector CT (13% +/- 9) correlated well with delayed-enhancement cardiac MR imaging (15% +/- 7, R(2) = 0.55). Quantification of delayed hypoenhancement (n = 12) had very good correlation between multidetector CT (4% +/- 4) and cardiac MR imaging (3% +/- 2) (R(2) = 0.85). CONCLUSION Early and late hypoenhancement showed good CNR and correlated well between multidetector CT and cardiac MR imaging.
Characterization and Dynamics of Agrarian Structures in Bouna, Northeast of Côte d'Ivoire

In order to better reproduction of the information that is as close as possible to reality, we have established a procedure for analyzing images based on visual interpretation and digital processing. In digital processing, supervised classification by maximum likelihood, based on a fieldwork allowed to discriminate elements of land. Recovery of geometric shapes by scanning fallow and bare soil from panchromatic Spot image yielded the map of agrarian structures. Different queries and statistical operations performed were used to assess the areas of agrarian structures. The analysis of the dynamics of agrarian structures showed that the period 1986 - 2000 was marked by environmental degradation, while the period 2000 - 2004 has seen a regeneration of the natural environment. Treatments applied to images and ensuing results indicate the feasibility of monitoring by remote sensing of agricultural structures in northeastern area of Cote d'Ivoire. This research shows that the Geographic Information System is an effective tool for the evaluation of agrarian structures. However, manual scanning of elements in the environment requires careful attention to avoid skewing the results.
The vector control inverter for a PV motor drive system implemented by a single chip DSP controller ADMC331

This paper presents the vector control inverter (VCI) for a photovoltaic (PV) motor drive system implemented by a single chip DSP controller ADMC331, using a current control voltage source inverter (CC-VSI), to control the motor drive system. The voltage (Vpv) and current (Ipv) values of PV at the maximum power point (MPP), which varies with different levels of light intensity, are used as commands to control both amplitude and frequency of flux (Ids) and torque (Iqs) producing current component of the stator current. The results of experiments show the response of the vector control drive system, which changes with light conditions, and is expressed in the line-current and speed of the motor. The proposed system can be applied to a PV water pumping system, which is a square load. The capacity of the PV water pump will be directly related to the motor's speed change, which changes with the MPP value of the PV for varying levels of insolation.
Attitudes Towards Mental Disorders and Mental Care in University Students

IT has been maintained that the problem of medical education is not simply to train more doctors, but to train doctors who can help their patients develop their faculty for self-understanding and an appropriate use of their own resources. This goal applies, of course, not only to doctors, but to all categories which come in contact with suffering people. To achieve this goal of education it is important, among other things, to know more about the potential care-taking individuals’ attitudes towards the patients they will take care of. Furthermore, since opinions among students probably reflect the milieu where they are living and studying, data collected among them could give indirect information about that milieu. Since in our work we often encounter a prejudiced attitude towards mental disorders and the care of the mentally ill, it seemed especially important to concentrate on attitudes in these areas.
Modeled size‐segregated wet and dry deposition budgets of soil dust aerosol during ACE‐Asia 2001: Implications for trans‐Pacific transport

[1] Size-segregated budgets of soil dust aerosols in Asia for spring 2001 during ACE-Asia were investigated using the NARCM model [Gong et al., 2003b]. Simulated mass size distributions of dust deposition showed a similar size distribution to the dust emission fluxes over the source regions and a decreased peak corresponding to a 1–3 μm diameter range over downwind regions. The simulations suggest that dry deposition was a dominant dust removal process near the source areas and the removal of dust particles by precipitation was the major process over the trans-Pacific transport pathway, where wet deposition exceeded dry deposition by up to a factor of 10. The Asian dust deposition from the atmosphere to the North Pacific Ocean was correlated not only with precipitation over the North Pacific but also with the dust transport patterns. Variations of monthly Asian dust outflow were identified with the latitudinal center of transport at 38°N in March, 42°N in April, and 47°N in May. The monthly trans-Pacific transport patterns of Asian dust in spring were characterized. The transport axis extended around 30°N and 40°N from the east Asian subcontinent to the North Pacific in March. A zonal transport pathway around 40°N was well developed in April over the North Pacific and reached North America. However, the transport in May was separated into two pathways: an eastward zonal path over the North Pacific and a meridional path from the source regions to the northeast Asian continent. On the basis of the averaged dust budgets during spring 2001, it was found that the major sources of Asian dust were located in the desert regions in China and Mongolia with an estimated dust emission of 21.5 tons km−2, and the regions from the Loess Plateau to the North Pacific were sinks of soil dust aerosols with the Loess Plateau as the main sink for Asian dust.
In Vivo Function of a Differentiation Inhibitor, Id2

Cell differentiation is an essential process for the development of various cell types that constitute multicellular organisms. During development, the large family of factors bearing a helix‐loop‐helix (HLH) motif participates profoundly in this process and these factors serve as good experimental tools for investigating mechanisms underlying tissue‐specific differentiation. The HLH family includes both positive and negative regulators of cell differentiation: basic HLH (bHLH)‐type transcription factors and Id proteins, respectively. Following an exciting decade focusing on bHLH factors, advances achieved in studies of the inhibitory factors in the last couple of years have placed them in the front line of the research on differentiation and proliferation control. Here, we present and discuss recent results obtained using Id2 ‐deficient mice, which manifest intriguing phenotypes in various systems.
Cellular mechanisms in intestinal transfer of amino acids

Newey & Smyth (1960a) have shown that dipeptides present in the lumen of the intestine can enter the mucosal cells and undergo intracellular hydrolysis. The present work was undertaken to investigate these processes further. One problem was to determine whether entry of peptide could be accounted for by diffusion, or whether other processes were involved. If entry involves other processes, the question is raised as to the nature of these, and in particular their relationship to the mechanism for entry of amino acids. Having entered the cells the peptide is hydrolysed, and a further question arises about the mechanism of transfer of the amino acids liberated. While entry and hydrolysis of peptide can be shown to take place experimentally, it is not known how far these represent physiological processes. Quite apart, however, from the question whether peptide absorption plays a significant role in absorption of protein, the use of peptides has value from another point of view, in that it provides a means of getting amino acids inside the epithelial cells without these amino acids having entered as such. This offers a possibility of studying cellular mechanisms for amino-acid transfer, and of trying to separate different stages in aminoacid transfer by the cells. Preliminary accounts of this work have been given by Newey & Smyth (1960b, 1961).
Psychosocial aspects of coronary heart disease

ABSTRACT Attention is drawn to studies which throw doubt upon the importance of nutrition and smoking in the etiology of coronary heart disease (CHD). The main part of the review deals with psychosocial research in the field of CHD. A number of studies show that there is a clearcut association between life style, life events, social class, economic cycles, culture and CHD. The modern coronary epidemic is related to the economic boom which the US experienced during the 1940‐60s and which followed a decade later in Western Europe. The later decline of CHD is related to the economic stagnation that took place in the US at the end of the 1960s. Obviously, risk factors must be seen in a cultural perspective, and the moderating effects of social support should be taken into account.