Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of levodopa

The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of levodopa are dominated by two features: the short plasma half‐life of the drug and the portion of the antiparkinsonian response that parallels the plasma levodopa levels, the so‐called short‐duration response. These features are the basis of motor fluctuations that complicate long‐term therapy with levodopa. Motor fluctuations will predictably improve with measures that prolong the elevations of plasma levodopa or prolong the efficacy of dopamine synthesized from exogenous levodopa. Because dyskinesia is closely linked to the short‐duration response and conceivably part of the short‐duration response, it is less clear that dyskinesia will be improved by therapeutic strategies that reduce motor fluctuations. © 2008 Movement Disorder Society
Ultrasonographic appearance of primary and metastatic canine hepatic tumors. A review of 48 cases.

Forty‐eight cases of dogs with primary and metastatic hepatic neoplasia were reviewed to determine if a predictable relationship between sonographic appearance and neoplastic cell type could be found. A focal mass was almost always a hepatocellular carcinoma (14 of 15) and 71% of these were hyperechoic. Focal or multifocal hyperechoic masses were most likely to be carcinomas (14 of 15). Focal or multifocal mixed neoplasms were most likely to be carcinomas (6 of 7). Two distinct patterns of lymphosarcoma were found: diffuse, mildly hyperechoic (6/11) and multifocal, hypoechoic (5/11). No neoplastic cell‐type predictions could be made for focal or multifocal hypoechoic lesions. Diffuse fine or coarse patterns with minimal architectural distortions could be mistaken for normal or degenerative processes. However, in the presence of increased serum liver enzyme values, these subtle sonographic changes would warrant a liver biopsy to differentiate neoplastic infiltrate from non‐neoplastic infiltrative and degenerative processes.
PHASE SOLUBILITY STUDIES OF THE INCLUSION COMPLEXES OF REPAGLINIDE WITH β-CYCLODEXTRIN AND β-CYCLODEXTRIN DERIVATIVES

The present study is intended to evaluate the possibilities to improve repaglinide - an oral antidiabetic drug - solubility in water, based on inclusion complexes formation with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), hydroxypropyl β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) and randomly methylated β-cyclodextrin (RAMEB), respectively, and also to estimate their composition and apparent stability constants, K st , from the phase-solubility diagrams. We have noticed that the phase solubility diagram for the repaglinide ‐ HP-β-CD inclusion complex is A type, while those of repaglinide - β-CD and RAMEB are B type. Taking into account the lipophilicity of the zwitterionic structure of repaglinide, all determinations were performed in buffered phosphate solutions (pH 6). The phase-solubility diagrams indicate an enhancement of the repaglinide solubility in the presence of β-CD, as well as its derivatives, HP-β-CD and RAMEB in different extents, related to the type of cyclodextrin. Rezumat Studiul prezentat are ca scop evaluarea posibilităţilor de crestere a solubilităţii in apă a repaglinidei (antidiabetic oral) prin intermediul formării unor complecsi de incluziune cu β-ciclodextrina (β-CD), hidroxipropil β-ciclodextrina (HP-β-CD) si β-ciclodextrina metilată aleator (RAMEB) si, de asemenea, determinarea, din diagramele de fazăsolubilitate, a rapoartelor de combinare si a constantelor aparente de stabilitate, K st . Diagrama de fază-solubilitate in cazul complexului de incluziune repaglinidă ‐ HP-β-CD este de tip A, in timp in cazul complecsilor repaglinidei cu β-CD si RAMEB, diagramele de fază-solubilitate sunt de tipul B. Ţinând cont de lipofilia structurii amfionice a repaglinidei, toate determinările au fost realizate in soluţii tampon fosfat (pH=6). Diagramele de fază ‐ solubilitate indică o crestere a solubilităţii repaglinidei in prezenţa βciclodextrinei, precum si a derivaţilor acesteia, HP-β-CD si RAMEB, in proporţii care variază in funcţie de tipul ciclodextrinei.
piRPheno: a manually curated database to prioritize and analyze human disease related piRNAs

Many studies have uncovered that piRNAs (PIWI-interacting RNA) are associated with a broad range of diseases and might be a novel type of biomarkers and targets for precision medicine. However, public resource of high-quality curated human disease-associated piRNAs remains unavailable. Therefore, we developed the piRPheno (http://www.biomedical-web.com/pirpheno) database to provide an up-to-date, interactive and extensible data reference for human piRNA-disease associations. piRPheno includes 9057 experimentally supported associations between 474 piRNAs and 204 diseases through a manual curation of publications. To prioritize the piRNA-disease associations, each association in piRPheno is assigned with a confidence score and clinical correlations based on the experimentally supported evidences. piRPheno is freely available with user-friendly interface and novel applications to enable easy exploration and analysis of the human disease related piRNAs.
The Effect of Dabigatran on the Kaolin-Activated Whole Blood Thromboelastogram

Dabigatran is a direct thrombin inhibitor, which is increasingly likely to be encountered in patients presenting for surgery. This study examines whether there is a consistent effect of dabigatran on the thromboelastogram (TEG) and whether this correlates with the effects of dabigatran on traditional coagulation parameters. Twenty patients taking dabigatran had blood sampled for kaolin-activated whole blood TEG analysis and routine coagulation testing. There was a statistically significant correlation between thrombin clotting time (TCT) and R-time (R=0.77, P=0.0001) and between activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and R-time (R=0.68, P=0.0013), but not between TCT and alpha-angle (R=-0.4232, P=0.071). Despite the moderate to high correlation between the TEG R-time and the TCT and APTT, there appeared to be no consistent effect of dabigatran on the TEG. These findings suggest that use of kaolin-activated whole blood TEG does not add additional benefit to traditional coagulation tests when monitoring the effect of dabigatran.
A compact surface plasmon resonance and surface-enhanced Raman scattering sensing device

This paper presents an optical device capable of the simultaneous measurement of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectrum, which provides information regarding the change in the dielectric constant of the binding analytes, and the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectrum, which yields analytical data regarding the structural changes of the analytes. SPR sensing is an established technology in the field of direct real-time analysis of biomolecular interactions such as antibodies/antigens, DNA hybridization, receptors/ligands, etc. Meanwhile, SERS sensing techniques represent a powerful means of acquiring and diagnosing structural information relating to analyte binding. This study adopts the attenuated total reflection (ATR) method and an Au nanocluster-embedded dielectric sensing film in developing a biosensor which integrates the SPR and SERS sensing techniques. The results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed multi-functional device in developing a detailed understanding of the mechanisms of biomolecular recognition.
Dust Mite Immunotherapy in Iraqi Patients with Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma

Respiratory allergy (allergic rhino conjunctivitis and allergic asthma), is community encountered medical condition that cause substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide [1]. Asthma is still remains a concerning and coasty epidemic that is largely unexplained [2]. In Iraq, both allergic rhinitis and asthma cause poor performance at work and school and diminished quality of life [3]. Suspected allergen(s) avoidance is the first-line treatment for these conditions. However, in many cases, exposure to a particular allergen cannot be completely avoided [4]. Pharmacotherapy, whether that reversing inflammation or controlling the effect of released mediators are not always fully effective or well tolerated [4]. Allergen immunotherapy is widely accepted as an efficacious treatment in allergic rhinitis and asthma [5-9]. Well characterized dust mite extracts have shown significant benefit by reducing symptoms, medication requirements and sensitivity to dust mite allergens [10]. Recent studies of specific immunotherapy using standardized extracts also showed improvement in symptoms, medication and bronchial hyperresponsiveness [10-13]. However, Adkinson et al [14] were unable to show any significant improvement in symptoms, medication use, peak flow rate, BHR or rate of asthma remission following multiple allergens SIT in asthmatic children.
Running title : Season-long and peak abundance relationship 1 2 Linear relationship between peak and season-long abundances in insects 3 4 5

5 Ksenia S. Onufrieva & Alexey V. Onufriev 6 Department of Entomology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA 7 Department of Computer Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA, Department of 8 Physics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA, Center for High End Computer Systems, 9 Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA, 10 *Correspondence: Ksenia Onufrieva, Department of Entomology, 216A Price Hall, Virginia 11 Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0319, USA. Phone: +1 540250-7428; Fax: +1 540231-9131 12 Email: ksenia@vt.edu 13
Primates--a natural heritage of conflict resolution.

The traditional notion of aggression as an antisocial instinct is being replaced by a framework that considers it a tool of competition and negotiation. When survival depends on mutual assistance, the expression of aggression is constrained by the need to maintain beneficial relationships. Moreover, evolution has produced ways of countering its disruptive consequences. For example, chimpanzees kiss and embrace after fights, and other nonhuman primates engage in similar "reconciliations. " Theoretical developments in this field carry implications for human aggression research. From families to high schools, aggressive conflict is subject to the same constraints known of cooperative animal societies. It is only when social relationships are valued that one can expect the full complement of natural checks and balances.
Catch‐up reproductive maturation in rural Tonga girls, Zambia?

To compare the timing of reproductive maturation among urban and rural Tonga girls in Zambia, anthropometric measures and Tanner stages of breast development were obtained. Subjects were 774 (282 rural, 492 urban) girls ages 6–18. Results indicate that rural girls are shorter and have smaller triceps and subscapular skinfolds than their urban counterparts. Median age at menarche for the entire sample, as estimated by probit analysis, was 14.8 years (95% CL = 14.34–15.40). Onset of breast development among urban girls was significantly younger than for the rural girls: 11.47 (95% CL 11.22–11.71) years vs. 13.15 (95% CL 12.40–14.15) years. In contrast, the two groups did not differ in timing of pubertal completion as assessed by median age for Tanner Breast Stage 5: 17.01 (95% CL 16.30–18.33) vs. 16.96 (95% CL 16.37–17.56) years. Predictors of pubertal onset, based on multivariate logistic regression, included dental maturation, height, and triceps skinfold. Triceps skinfold was the only significant predictor of pubertal completion. These results suggest that rural girls progress through puberty more rapidly than the urban girls despite their later start. This finding of maturational catch‐up contrasts with earlier urban/rural comparisons of girls as well as previous results among Gwembe boys, for which later pubertal onset is associated with longer duration of pubertal maturation. While the mechanism remains unclear, biocultural explanations suggest preferential feeding during adolescence as a source for rural girl's maturational catch‐up. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 16:658–669, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
REPORT: A MODEL FOR FLOWS IN CHANNELS, PIPES, AND DUCTS AT MICRO AND NANO SCALES

Rarefied gas flows in channels, pipes, and ducts with smooth surfaces are studied in a wide range of Knudsen number (Kn) at low Mach number (M) with the objective of developing simple, physics-based models. Such flows are encountered in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), in nanotechnology applications, and in low-pressure environments. A new general boundary condition that accounts for the reduced momentum and heat exchange with wall surfaces is proposed and its validity is investigated. It is shown that it is applicable in the entire Knudsen range and is second-order accurate in Kn in the slip flow regime. Based on this boundary condition, a universal scaling for the velocity profile is obtained, which is used to develop a unified model predicting mass flow rate and pressure distribution with reasonable accuracy for channel, pipe, and duct flows in the regime (0 Kn). A rarefaction coefficient is introduced into this two-parameter model to account for the increasingly reduced intermolecular collisions.
An APSO optimized BP neural network

In this paper, the limitations of conventional BP algorithm was analyzed, and to fasten the learning velocity of neural network and enhance its generalization capability, the APSO (adaptive particle swarm optimization) algorithm was introduced into BP network for the optimization of its weights and thresholds. To overcome its 'early maturity', the variance operation was made on particles owing bigger fitness values according to certain probability, and the inertia weights were dynamic changed during the iteration process. The algorithm was simulated on a nonlinear function regression problem, which shows that the improved PSO-BP algorithm has faster learning velocity and better generalization ability than conventional BP network. The simulation results prove that the APSO-BP algorithm can get over the limitations of the conventional BP network and is superior to it.
Malignant lymphoma arising in angio‐immunoblastic lymphadenopathy

This study is based upon 48 patients with angio‐immunoblastic lymphadenopathy and 36 patients whose lymph nodes revealed, in addition to angio‐immunoblastic lymphadenopathy (AILD), histologic features interpreted as malignant lymphoma of the immunoblastic type in the diagnostic biopsy. Progression into immunoblastic lymphoma (IL) was observed in 35%, or eight, of the 23 patients with AILD in whom follow‐up biopsies or autopsy were performed. Multiple clusters or islands of compactly arranged large lymphoid cells constituted the initial histologic evidence of IL. Subsequent tissue examination revealed progression of the disease in the form of diffuse replacement of lymph nodes by the neoplastic cellular proliferation. No significant differences in the past history, clinical or laboratory findings were observed between the patients with AILD and those whose lymph node biopsies were interpreted as AILD + IL. These two groups differed greatly, however, with respect to rate of complete remission following either prednisone or chemotherapy, or both (63% for AILD vs. 26% for AILD + IL; p = 0.01); median survival (35 months for AILD vs. six months for AILD + IL; p = 0.0004); incidence of malignant lymphoma at autopsy (20% for AILD vs. 82% for AILD + IL; p < 0.005); and the finding of extranodal malignant lymphoma at autopsy (10% in AILD vs. 64% in AILD + IL; p < 0.025). In the AILD group, median survival of patients who had complete remission after prednisone was significantly longer than that of patients who had partial or no remissions (p = 0.02) and the same was true for patients who were given chemotherapy (p < 0.003). In the AILD + IL group, a similar difference in the median survival was observed in patients treated with chemotherapy (p < 0.007), but not in those treated with prednisone (p = 0.31).
A reconfigurable H-shape antenna for wireless applications

This paper presents a novel H-Shaped reconfigurable microstrip patch antenna fed by a Grounded Coplanar Waveguide (GCPW) for wireless applications. The uniqueness in the presented antenna design relies in the ability to select the number of operating frequencies electronically by using a varactor diode. The antenna structure consists of coplanar waveguide (CPW) input with an H-shape printed on a PCB and a varactor diode for reconfigurability. By electronically varying the value of the diode capacitance, the antenna can operate in a single band mode to cover Global Position System (GPS), a dual band mode to cover GPS and Global System for Mobile communications (GSM1900) or a three-band mode to cover GPS, GSM1900 and Bluetooth or Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN).
Correlation of Fat Mass Index and Fat-Free Mass Index with percentage body fat and their association with hypertension among urban South Indian adult men and women

Background: The assessment of Fat Mass and Fat-Free Mass indices provides valuable information about changes in body composition. Aim: To identify cut-off points for Fat Mass Index (FMI) to predict an upper limit of percentage body fat of men (25%) and women (30%) for defining obesity and its association with hypertension. Subjects and methods: A total of 436 men and 596 women were included in the study. Fat mass was calculated using skin-fold measurements. FMI cut-off points to predict an upper limit of percentage body fat of 25% (men) and 30% (women) for defining obesity were assessed using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: ROC curve analysis indicated that the level of FMI was 6.59 kg/m2 in men and 6.64 kg/m2 in women at 25% and 30% body fat, respectively. Risk estimation for hypertension with FMI indicated high risk of hypertension in men (OR: 3.4, CI: 2.1–5.5) as well as in women (OR: 5.3, CI: 2.3–12.4). Conclusion: The level of FMI was 6.6 kg/m2 in men and women predicted at upper limits of 25% and 30% body fat, respectively, for defining obesity.
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition in Embryonic Development, Tissue Repair and Cancer: A Comprehensive Overview

The epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a central role in both normal physiological events (e.g., embryonic development) and abnormal pathological events (e.g., tumor formation and metastasis). The processes that occur in embryonic development are often reactivated under pathological conditions such as oncogenesis. Therefore, defining the regulatory networks (both gene and protein levels) involved in the EMT during embryonic development will be fundamental in understanding the regulatory networks involved in tumor development, as well as metastasis. There are many molecules, factors, mediators and signaling pathways that are involved in the EMT process. Although the EMT is a very old topic with numerous publications, recent new technologies and discoveries give this research area some new perspective and direction. It is now clear that these important processes are controlled by a network of transcriptional and translational regulators in addition to post-transcriptional and post-translational modifications that amplify the initial signals. In this review article, we will discuss some key concepts, historical findings, as well as some recent progresses in the EMT research field.
Vitamin C intake and the risk of preterm delivery.

OBJECTIVE Ascorbic acid deficiency may lead to premature rupture of the membranes. STUDY DESIGN The study included a prospective cohort of pregnant women, aged >/=16 years, with singleton gestations who received care at one of four prenatal clinics in central North Carolina from 1995 through 1998. Vitamin C intake preconceptionally and during the second trimester was examined for its association with preterm delivery and subsets of preterm labor, premature rupture of the membranes, and medical induction in 2064 women. RESULTS Women who had total vitamin C intakes of <10th percentile preconceptionally had twice the risk of preterm delivery because of premature rupture of the membranes (relative risk, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.1, 4.5). This risk was attenuated slightly for second-trimester intake (relative risk, 1.7; 95% CI, 0.8, 3.5). The elevated risk of preterm premature rupture of the membranes was greatest for women with a low vitamin C intake during both time periods. CONCLUSION Because diet and supplement use are modifiable behaviors, corroboration of these findings would suggest a possible intervention strategy.
3 Analysing Software Repositories to Understand Software Evolution

Software repositories such as versioning systems, defect tracking systems, and archived communication between project personnel are used to help manage the progress of software projects. Software practitioners and researchers increasingly recognize the potential benefit of mining this information to support the maintenance of software systems, improve software design or reuse, and empirically validate novel ideas and techniques. Research is now proceeding to uncover ways in which mining these repositories can help to understand software development, to support predictions about software development, and to plan various evolutionary aspects of software projects. This chapter presents several analysis and visualization techniques to understand software evolution by exploiting the rich sources of artifacts that are available. Based on the data models that need to be developed to cover sources such as modification and bug reports we describe how to use a Release History Database for evolution analysis. For that we present approaches to analyse developer effort for particular software entities. Further we present change coupling analyses that can reveal hidden change dependencies among software entities. Finally, we show how to investigate architectural shortcomings over many releases and to identify trends in the evolution. Kiviat graphs can be effectively used to visualize such analysis results.
MONOAMINES AS POSSIBLE MEDIATORS IN THE REGULATION OF FAST AXOPLASMIC FLOW

—The effect of drugs which have been shown to alter monoamines in the CNS on the rate of fast axoplasmic flow of [3H]leucine labelled material in the rat sciatic nerve was examined. Drugs which deplete monoamines led to a decrease while those which increase the level of monoamines led to an increase in the rate of fast axoplasmic flow. Monoaminergic drugs were also found to alter the amount of [3H]leucine incorporated into spinal cord.
Design of a Swinging Arm Actuator for a Disk File

An integral disk enclosure that incorporates a novel head-positioning actuator concept is used in the IBM System/32 and in recently announced terminal controllers, such as the Retail Store Controller and the Communication Controller. Based on a swinging arm rather than the conventional linear carriage, the actuator presented the designers with opportunities to create a simplified mechanism and to gain advantages in reliability and cost. This paper describes the geometrical, structural, and electromechanical basis of the design.
Morphological and orthographic similarity in visual word recognition.

The differential impact of orthographic and morphological relatedness on visual word recognition was investigated in a series of priming experiments in Dutch and German. With lexical decision and naming tasks, repetition priming and contiguous priming procedures, and masked and unmasked prime presentation, a pattern of results emerged with qualitative differences between the effects of morphological and form relatedness. With lexical decision, mere orthographic similarity between primes and targets (e.g., keller-KELLER, cellar-ladle) produced negative effects, whereas morphological relatedness (e.g., kellen-KELLE, ladles-ladle) consistently resulted in facilitation. With the naming task, positive priming effects were found for morphological as well as for mere form similarity. On the basis of these results, a model of the lexicon is proposed in which information about word form is represented separately from morphological structure and in which processing at the form level is characterized in terms of activation of, and competition between, form-related entries.