Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Origine et transfert de la matière organique particulaire dans les écosystèmes littoraux macrotidaux

Les apports de matiere organique par les rivieres aux oceans constituent une importante source de carbone, mais la quantite de carbone organique terrigene dans les oceans semble tres faible. Ce paradoxe conduit a une interrogation sur le role des zones littorales dans le piegeage et/ou le transport du materiel tellurique. Cette these a pour objectif de determiner l'origine de la matiere organique particulaire (MOP), les principaux processus qui la controlent, ainsi que de qualifier les transferts continent - zone littorale - ocean pour deux sites representatifs d'ecosystemes littoraux macrotidaux d'Europe occidentale : la Baie de Seine et la Rade de Brest. La Baie de Seine est un systeme largement ouvert sur les eaux d'une mer epicontinentale (la Manche) et qui recoit les apports d'un grand fleuve. En periode productive, la biomasse phytoplanctonique y est elevee. La Rade de Brest, alimentee par des fleuves cotiers, est un systeme semi-ferme qui recoit les eaux de l'Ocean Atlantique ; comparativement a la Baie de Seine, la biomasse phytoplanctonique y est faible. L'approche utilisee dans le cadre de cette etude est experimentale. La strategie mise en place consiste en des suivis spatiaux (des eaux douces aux eaux marines lors de situations clefs du cycle biogeochimique annuel des ecosystemes) et en des suivis temporels (a differentes stations de references) de la MOP des eaux de surface. Elle s'inscrit notamment dans les programmes PNEC (IFREMER/CNRS) - chantier Baie de Seine et SOMLIT (INSU, CNRS) - Rade de Brest. L'echantillonnage a ete effectue de 1997 a 1999 dans chacun des deux sites par l'intermediaire de cinq campagnes mi-lourdes, six courtes campagnes et plus d'une centaine de sorties en mer.
How health insurance affects the delivery of health care in developing countries

Financial crisis is a common state of affairs in the government health sector of many developing countries, and an increasing number are considering implementing user charges and insurance programs to shift some of the financial burden for health services away from direct budget allocations by a health ministry. Although they are often implemented as ways of mobilizing additional resources, prices and insurance also affect the allocation of health resources by changing the signals sent to producers and consumers of health services. Changes in incentives engendered by these alternative financing programs, therefore, have implications for the efficiency and equity of health services delivery, in addition to their more obvious impact on revenues. This paper examines institutional aspects of insurance programs in four developing countries - Brazil, China, Korea, and Zaire - and assesses the impact of each on the efficiency and equity of the health sector. Much attention is given to insurance reimbursement of hospitals because these represent the largest component of national health expenditures and are the focal point for much of the activity in the sector. The case study countries were selected because their hospitals are financed largely, and in descriptions of their health financing systems exit. Understanding how alternative financing programs have distorted the allocation of health resources and how these distortions might be mitigated is important for these countries and others considering changes to their present system of health care financing.
Mammalian Period represses and de-represses transcription by displacing CLOCK–BMAL1 from promoters in a Cryptochrome-dependent manner

Significance The mammalian circadian clock is controlled by a transcription-translation feedback loop consisting of transcriptional activators circadian locomotor output cycles kaput (CLOCK)–brain and muscle Arnt-like protein-1 (BMAL1), which function as a complex at E/E'-box elements, and repressors Cryptochrome 1 (CRY1)/CRY2 and PER1/PER2. CRYs repress upon binding as CRY–CLOCK–BMAL1–E-box complexes. Period proteins (PERs) repress by removing the heterotrimeric complexes from the E-box. We report here that in the Cry1 promoter, the CRY1–CLOCK–BMAL1–E-box complex represses a transcriptional activator acting in cis, and removal of the heterotrimeric complex by PER2 de-represses the transcriptional activator. ChIP-seq and RNA-seq experiments identified other genes also de-repressed by PER2. These data clarify the role of PER2 and reveal the level of complexity in regulation of Cry1 and other circadian-controlled genes. The mammalian circadian clock is based on a transcription-translation feedback loop (TTFL) consolidated by secondary loops. In the primary TTFL, the circadian locomotor output cycles kaput (CLOCK)–brain and muscle Arnt-like protein-1 (BMAL1) heterodimer acts as the transcriptional activator, and Cryptochrome (CRY) and Period (PER) proteins function as repressors. PER represses by displacing CLOCK–BMAL1 from promoters in a CRY-dependent manner. Interestingly, genes with complex promoters may either be repressed or de-repressed by PER, depending on the particular promoter regulatory elements. Here, using mouse cell lines with defined knockout mutations in clock genes, RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, and reporter gene assays coupled with measurements of DNA–protein interactions in nuclear extracts, we elucidate the dual functions of PER as repressor and de-repressor in a context-dependent manner.
Creating a Large Multi-Layered Representational Repository of Linguistic Code Switched Arabic Data

We present our effort to create a large Multi-Layered representational repository of Linguistic Code-Switched Arabic data. The process involves developing clear annotation standards and Guidelines, streamlining the annotation process, and implementing quality control measures. We used two main protocols for annotation: in-lab gold annotations and crowd sourcing annotations. We developed a web-based annotation tool to facilitate the management of the annotation process. The current version of the repository contains a total of 886,252 tokens that are tagged into one of sixteen code-switching tags. The data exhibits code switching between Modern Standard Arabic and Egyptian Dialectal Arabic representing three data genres: Tweets, commentaries, and discussion fora. The overall Inter-Annotator Agreement is 93.1%.
A fast algorithm for music search by similarity in large databases based on modified Symetrized Kullback Leibler Divergence

State of the art on music similarity search is based on the pairwise comparison of statistical models representing audio features. The comparison is often obtained by the Symetrized Kullback-Leibler Divergence (SKLD). When dealing with very large databases (over one million items), usual search by similarity algorithms — sequential or exhaustive search — cannot be used. In these cases, optimized search strategies such as the M-tree reduces the search time but requires the dissimilarity measure to be a metric. Unfortunately, this is not the case of the SKLD. In this paper, we propose and successfully test on a large-scale a modification of the Symetrized Kullback-Leibler Divergence which allows to use it as a metric.
Acceptability and nitrogen utilisation of Tower and Erglu rapeseed meals by the growing pig.

Acceptability and nitrogen utilisation studies were made with diets containing barley and either extracted soy bean meal (SBM) or one of the two low glucosinolate extracted rapeseed meals Tower (TRSM) and Erglu (ERSM). In acceptability studies SBM, TRSM and ERSM were substituted isometrically at 20% in diets which were offered ad libitum for 8 weeks to pigs of 23 kg initial liveweight. There were four groups of four castrate male pigs, and four groups of four gilt pigs, per group, per diet. For the first 2 weeks intake per unit metabolic weight (W0.75) was greatest, but thereafter was least, for the SBM diet. In metabolism studies three diets were computed and fed so that 54.5 % of the daily intake of 170 g of crude protein was derived from SBM, TRSM or ERSM. Twelve caged castrate male pigs of 25 kg liveweight were fed on each diet. Apparent digestibility of crude protein was higher for the SBM diet compared with the TRSM (P 0.05) diets. Nitrogen retention decreased significantly from the SBM to the ERSM to the TRSM diets. In an individual feeding growth experiment, using 12 castrate male and 12 gilt pigs per diet, isonitrogenous diets based on SBM, TRSM and ERSM were fed, on a liveweight related basis, between 23 and 67 kg liveweight. The SBM fed pigs grew significantly faster and required significantly less crude protein per unit of gain than those fed TRSM and ERSM, between which there were no significant differences.
Proteomic and computational analysis of bronchoalveolar proteins during the course of the acute respiratory distress syndrome.

RATIONALE Acute lung injury causes complex changes in protein expression in the lungs. Whereas most prior studies focused on single proteins, newer methods allowing the simultaneous study of many proteins could lead to a better understanding of pathogenesis and new targets for treatment. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to examine the changes in protein expression in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of patients during the course of the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). METHODS Using two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (DIGE), the expression of proteins in the BALF from patients on Days 1 (n = 7), 3 (n = 8), and 7 (n = 5) of ARDS were compared with findings in normal volunteers (n = 9). The patterns of protein expression were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA). Biological processes that were enriched in the BALF proteins of patients with ARDS were identified using Gene Ontology (GO) analysis. Protein networks that model the protein interactions in the BALF were generated using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS An average of 991 protein spots were detected using DIGE. Of these, 80 protein spots, representing 37 unique proteins in all of the fluids, were identified using mass spectrometry. PCA confirmed important differences between the proteins in the ARDS and normal samples. GO analysis showed that these differences are due to the enrichment of proteins involved in inflammation, infection, and injury. The protein network analysis showed that the protein interactions in ARDS are complex and redundant, and revealed unexpected central components in the protein networks. CONCLUSIONS Proteomics and protein network analysis reveals the complex nature of lung protein interactions in ARDS. The results provide new insights about protein networks in injured lungs, and identify novel mediators that are likely to be involved in the pathogenesis and progression of acute lung injury.
Classification of unit responses in the auditory cortex of the unanaesthetized and unrestrained cat

Although there have been many detailed studies of neural unit responses at lower levels of the auditory pathways, there have been relatively few at the cortical level. The majority of these have been carried out under anaesthesia (e.g. Thomas, 1952; Davies, Erulkar & Rose, 1954; Erulkar, Rose & Davies, 1956; Hind, Davies, Woolsey, Benjamin, Welkes & Thompson, 1960). The deleterious effect of anaesthesia on the responses of auditory cortical units has been well shown by Thomas (1952), Erulkar et al. (1956), and Katsuki, Murata, Suga & Takenaka (1959). Anaesthesia reduces the number of units encountered by a micro-electrode (Katsuki, Murata, et al. 1959) and reduces the capacity of units to respond to auditory stimuli (Thomas, 1952; Erulkar et al. 1956). Similar conclusions have been drawn from observations on other regions of the cortex (e.g. Renshaw, Forbes & Morison, 1940; Woldring & Dirken, 1950; Li & Jasper, 1953). Katsuki, Watanabe & Maruyama (1959) and Katsuki, Watanabe & Suga (1959) obtained data on the unanaesthetized immobilized cat, but only two series of studies appear to have been carried out on the intact unrestrained unanaesthetized animal: those of Katsuki, Murata et al. (1959), and Katsuki, Murata, Suga & Takenaka (1960) on the cat and monkey, respectively, and those of Hubel, Henson, Rupert & Galambos (1959), and Bogdanski & Galambos (1960) on the cat. The findings of these two groups of workers differ somewhat, especially in regard to the distribution of types of unit responses among the total population. The experiments we have carried out afford a further study, on a quantitative basis, in which we have tried to account for some of the differences which have been reported.
Test guideline. Behavioral toxicity testing in animal experiments according to section 9, para. 1, No. 2 of the Chemicals Act (Chemikaliengesetz) of the Federal Republic of Germany.

The German Chemicals Act requires that chemicals are tested for behavioral toxicity at stage 2 of the testing procedure, i.e. if more than 1000 annual tons are produced. For this purpose a guideline was developed according to which data on behavioral toxicity are to be collected, which are based on cageside observations during longterm exposure. The protocol covers outer appearance, as well as motor, sensory, autonomic and central nervous system functions. Data are to be reported in tabular form and should be evaluated by taking all aspects of the toxicological profile into account.
Characterization of Respiratory Exposures at a Microwave Popcorn Plant with Cases of Bronchiolitis Obliterans

Eight former workers from a microwave popcorn packaging plant were reported to have severe obstructive lung disease consistent with bronchiolitis obliterans. Investigations into respiratory exposures at this plant were done during August through November of 2000. Samples were collected to assess airborne particulate concentrations, particle size distributions, endotoxins, oxides of nitrogen, organic gases and vapors, and other analytes. Bulk corn and flavoring components were also analyzed for endotoxins and culturable bacteria and fungi. Workers in the microwave production areas of the plant were exposed to particulates and a range of organic vapors from flavorings. The particles were comprised largely of salt and oil/grease particles. Respirable dust concentrations (area plus personal) in the microwave mixer job category, the highest job exposure category in the plant, ranged from 0.13 milligrams per cubic meter of air (mg/m3) to a high of 0.77 mg/m3. Endotoxin concentrations were below 60 endotoxin units per cubic meter of air (EU/m3). Qualitative sampling for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the air detected over 100 different VOCs in the microwave area. The predominant compounds identified in the microwave mixing room included the ketones diacetyl, methyl ethyl ketone, acetoin, and 2-nonanone, and acetic acid. Diacetyl, the predominant ketone in the plant, was present in concentrations ranging from below detectable limits to 98 parts per million parts air by volume (ppm), with a mean of 8.1 ppm (standard deviation 18.5 ppm). The average ketone concentrations were highest in the microwave mixing room where the 10 area samples had a mean diacetyl concentration of 37.8 ppm (SD 27.6 ppm) and a mean acetoin concentration of 3.9 ppm (SD 4.3 ppm). These data show that workers involved in microwave popcorn packaging can be exposed to a complex mixture of VOCs from flavoring ingredients; animal studies show that diacetyl can cause airway epithelial injury, although the contributions of other specific compound(s) associated with obstructive respiratory disease in these workers is still unresolved.
CMOS Image Sensor and System for Imaging Hemodynamic Changes in Response to Deep Brain Stimulation

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a therapeutic intervention used for a variety of neurological and psychiatric disorders, but its mechanism of action is not well understood. It is known that DBS modulates neural activity which changes metabolic demands and thus the cerebral circulation state. However, it is unclear whether there are correlations between electrophysiological, hemodynamic and behavioral changes and whether they have any implications for clinical benefits. In order to investigate these questions, we present a miniaturized system for spectroscopic imaging of brain hemodynamics. The system consists of a 144 ×144, pixel pitch, high-sensitivity, analog-output CMOS imager fabricated in a standard 0.35 μm CMOS process, along with a miniaturized imaging system comprising illumination, focusing, analog-to-digital conversion and μSD card based data storage. This enables stand alone operation without a computer, nor electrical or fiberoptic tethers. To achieve high sensitivity, the pixel uses a capacitive transimpedance amplifier (CTIA). The nMOS transistors are in the pixel while pMOS transistors are column-parallel, resulting in a fill factor (FF) of 26%. Running at 60 fps and exposed to 470 nm light, the CMOS imager has a minimum detectable intensity of 2.3 nW/cm2, a maximum signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 49 dB at 2.45 μW/cm2 leading to a dynamic range (DR) of 61 dB while consuming 167 μA from a 3.3 V supply. In anesthetized rats, the system was able to detect temporal, spatial and spectral hemodynamic changes in response to DBS.
Treating Tobacco Dependence

Most cigarettes contain around 10 mg of nicotine, about 1 mg of which is actually absorbed by inhalation of smoke. An average smoker awakens in the morning with blood nicotine levels of less than 5 ng/ml (the half-life of nicotine is about two hours). Afternoon nicotine levels are generally in the range of 15-80 ng/ml. The typical nicotine boost from an afternoon cigarette is 10-15 ng/ml (Foulds et al, 1992). When a smoker inhales a puff of smoke and draws it into the lungs, it is transported in one concentrated bolus via the arterial circulation and reaches the brain in unmixed, undiluted form within about ten seconds. Recent studies have found that the nicotine concentration reaching the brain in these boli is around 100 ng/ml (Henningfield et al, 1990). A pack-a-day smoker receives about 70 000 of these nicotine hits per year. The most commonly reported acute subjective, physiological and biochemical effects of smoking a cigarette are summarised in Table 1.
Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection of the Brain: MR Imaging and Ultrasonographic Findings of Paraventricular Cysts

Purpose: Although the neuroradiological findings of congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection are well known, little has been reported concerning the imaging findings of paraventricular cysts occurring in patients with cytomegalovirus infection involving the brain. The purpose of this study is to describe the features of paraventricular cysts observed at MRI and ultrasonography. Materials and Methods: MR and ultrasonographic studies of ten patients with congenital cytomegalovirus infections involving the brain were retrospectively reviewed. Diagnosis was confirmed by positive culture of the virus in urine (n=4), the presence of CMV Ig G antibody (n=4), or positive CMV Ig M antibody (n=2), and on the basis of characteristic MR imaging findings. Initial MRI in all patients and initial ultrasonography in four of five with paraventricular cysts were performed. Three patients underwent follow-up MRI and ultrasonography for the evaluation of cystic change, and the size, location, bilaterality and morphology of the cysts were evaluated. Results: Bilateral paraventricular cysts averaging 15 (range. 10-23) mm in size were found in five of the ten patients (50%). They were adjacent to the foramen of Monro in three cases, the occipital horn in one, and the temporal horn in one. MR imaging showed that the fluid content of all cysts was of similar signal intensity to cerebrospinal fluid (T1-WI, hypointense; T2-WI, hyperintense). The ultrasonographic findings varied: there was one pure cyst and one with a thick wall and septations, and two contained complex fluid. In three patients, follow up MRI and ultrasonography showed that the cysts disappeared after 4-23 months. Conclusion: Although paraventricular cysts may appear at MRI to be purely cystic, ultrasonography may indicate that their contents are more complex, or that septations are present.
Differences in Response to Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Background: The benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are well recognized. However, whether individuals with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) benefit is less clear. Objectives: To evaluate the effects of pulmonary rehabilitation in subjects with IPF and compare their responses with a group of COPD subjects who underwent an identical program. Methods: For- ty-five subjects with IPF and 45 age- and Medical Research Council grade-matched COPD subjects were recruited. Subjects completed an 8-week outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation program. Dyspnea, peripheral muscle force, exercise capacity (6-min walk distance, 6MWD), activities of daily living, and health status (36-item short-form survey, SF-36) were assessed at baseline, immediately following and at 6 months following completion of the program. Results: Adherence to the program was similar in both groups. Significant improvements in dyspnea, muscle force, exercise capacity and ADL were observed in both groups (all p < 0.05); however, the magnitude of improvement in all outcomes was less in the IPF group [mean (95% CI) improvement in 6MWD, IPF 16.2 (7.1–25.4); COPD 53.1 (44.9–61.2)]. All domains of SF-36, with the exception of social function, improved (all p < 0.05) in the COPD group; however, there were no changes in SF-36 scores in the IPF group. The benefits were well maintained in the COPD group at 6 months, but, with the exception of the ADL score, the benefits were no longer present in the IPF group. Conclusions: Pulmonary rehabilitation in IPF produces only modest short-term gains in dyspnea, exercise capacity and ADL, but does not improve health status.
Angiotensin II Increases Expression of Cyclooxygenase-2: Implications for the Function of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

In vascular smooth muscle, increased expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) has emerged as an important mechanism for regulation of prostanoid synthesis influenced by vessel injury, cytokines, and growth factors. We have investigated how COX-2 participates in angiotensin II (ANG II)-mediated cell responses in cultured human vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). ANG II type 1 (AT1) receptors induce increased accumulation of COX-2, both at the mRNA and protein levels. ANG II increased transcription of the COX-2 gene; also, nuclear extracts from stimulated cells had increased NF-κ B binding to its DNA consensus sequence. ANG II-induced COX-2 expression was markedly blunted by inhibition of mitogen-activated protein kinase. Furthermore, the ANG II-induced increase in COX-2 protein abundance was attenuated by both the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) activator Wy-14,643 [pyrinixic acid; 4-chloro-6-(2,3-xylidino)-2-pyrimidinyl) thioacetic acid] and the PPARγ activator 15d-PGJ2 (15-deoxy-Δ12–14-prostaglandin J2). Not only did ANG II increase COX-2 expression and prostaglandin synthesis, ANG II-stimulated DNA synthesis and cell migration were dependent on COX-2 activity. PPARα and PPARγ activators inhibited ANG II-stimulated DNA synthesis and cell migration. These results suggest that ANG II enhances COX-2 expression at the transcription level; also, COX-2 activity plays an important role in mediating ANG II- induced proliferation and migration of VSMCs, suggesting the possibility of magnification of ANG II effects over time due to the induction of COX-2 expression. These results also demonstrate that both the α and γ type of PPAR activators inhibit COX-2 expression induced by angiotensin II in VSMCs which may have therapeutic significance in vascular diseases.