Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Morphology predicts suction feeding performance in centrarchid fishes

SUMMARY Suction feeding fish differ in their capacity to generate subambient pressure while feeding, and these differences appear to relate to morphological variation. We developed a morphological model of force transmission in the fish head and parameterized it with measurements from individual fish. The model was applied to 45 individuals from five species of centrarchid fishes: Lepomis macrochirus, Lepomis punctatus, Lepomis microlophus, Micropterus salmoides and Pomoxis nigromaculatus. Measurements of epaxial cross-sectional area, epaxial moment arm, buccal area and buccal area moment arm were combined to estimate pressure generation capacity for individual fish. This estimation was correlated with pressure measured in fish feeding on elusive prey to test the model's ability to predict pressure generation from morphology. The model explained differences in pressure generation found among individuals (P<0.001, r2=0.71) and produced a realistic estimate of normalized muscle stress during suction feeding (68.5±6.7 kPa). Fish with smaller mouths, larger epaxial cross-sectional area and longer epaxial moments, such as L. macrochirus (bluegill sunfish), generated lower pressures than fish with larger mouths, smaller cross-sectional area and shorter moments, such as M. salmoides (largemouth bass). These results reveal a direct trade-off between morphological requirements of feeding on larger prey (larger mouth size relative to body depth) and the ability to generate subambient pressure while suction feeding on elusive prey.
Mass Screenings at Mass Participation Events: MedFest at Special Olympics

MedFest events offer preparticipation physical evaluations to Special Olympics athletes. This free service can occur as free-standing events or can take place during Special Olympics Games. The goals of MedFest are to screen for conditions that are potentially life threatening or disabling or may predispose the athlete to injury or illness. The medication, cardiac, and neurologic histories are essential components of the evaluation. The majority of athletes screened during a MedFest event will be cleared for sports participation, but many will require some type of referral for further care. It is important for the organizers of the MedFest to have prearranged protocols to ensure that the athletes efficiently receive the required evaluations.
Bone marrow cells carrying the env‐pX transgene play a role in the severity but not prolongation of arthritis in human T‐cell leukaemia virus type‐I transgenic rats: a possible role of articular tissues carrying the transgene in the prolongation of arthritis

Transgenic rats carrying the env‐pX gene of human T‐cell leukaemia virus type‐I (env‐pX rats) were immunized with type II collagen (CII), and chronological alterations of arthritis were compared with findings of collagen‐induced arthritis (CIA) in wildtype Wistar–King–Aptekman–Hokudai (WKAH) rats. Arthritis induced by CII in env‐pX rats was more severe and persisted longer than CIA in WKAH rats. To determine whether the phenomenon is caused mainly by the transgene‐carrying lymphocytes or articular tissues, we immunized lethally irradiated env‐pX and WKAH rats with reciprocal bone marrow cell (BMC) transplantation. A severe but transient arthritis was induced by CII in WKAH rats reconstituted by env‐pX BMC (w/tB/CII rats). On the other hand, in env‐pX rats reconstituted by WKAH BMC, arthritis persisted longer than in w/tB/CII rats, although the degree was less at an early phase after CII immunization. These findings suggest that articular tissues rather than the BMCs carrying the env‐pX transgene play a role in the prolongation of arthritis in env‐pX rats, although BMCs carrying the transgene are associated with the severity of arthritis. When inflammatory cytokines in synovial cells isolated from env‐pX rats before they developed arthritis were examined, interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) was detected at a higher level than in synovial cells from WKAH rats, thus suggesting the critical role of IL‐6 in env‐pX arthritis.
INFLUENCE OF DRINKING A PROBIOTIC FERMENTED MILK BEVERAGE CONTAINING BIFIDOBACTERIUM ANIMALIS ON THE SYMPTOMS OF CONSTIPATION.

BACKGROUND Constipation is a chronic problem in many patients all over the world. OBJECTIVE - To evaluate the effect of consumption of a probiotic fermented milk beverage containing Bifidobacterium animalis on the symptoms of constipation. METHODS - This randomized, double-blind controlled trial included 49 female patients aged 20 to 50 years and diagnosed with constipation according to the ROME III criteria (Diagnostic Criteria for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders) and the Bristol Stool Form Scale. The patients were randomized into two groups: the intervention group received the probiotic fermented milk beverage and the control group received non-probiotic milk. Participants were instructed to ingest 150 mL of the beverages during 60 days. At the end of this period, patients were assessed again by the ROME III criteria and Bristol scale. The Wilcoxon test was used to evaluate pre and post-intervention results of the ROME III criteria and Bristol scale. The statistical significance level was considered as 5% ( P ≤0.05). RESULTS - The intervention group showed improvement in the following criteria: straining during a bowel movement ( P <0.001), feeling of incomplete evacuation ( P <0.001) and difficulty in passing stool ( P <0.014), in addition to Bristol scale results ( P <0.001). In the control group, improvements were observed in the following criteria: straining during a bowel movement ( P <0.001), feeling of incomplete evacuation ( P <0.001) and difficulty in passing stool ( P <0.025), in addition to Bristol scale results ( P <0.001). No statistically significant post-intervention differences were observed between the two groups for the Rome III criteria and Bristol scale. CONCLUSION - The results show that the consumption of milk resulted in the improvement of constipation symptoms, regardless of the probiotic culture.
The new SI and the fundamental constants of nature

The launch in 2019 of the new international system of units is an opportunity to highlight the key role that the fundamental laws of physics and chemistry play in our lives and in all the processes of basic research, industry and commerce. The main objective of these notes is to present the new SI in an accessible way for a wide audience. After reviewing the fundamental constants of nature and its universal laws, the new definitions of SI units are presented using, as a unifying principle, the discrete nature of energy, matter and information in these universal laws. The new SI system is here to stay: although the experimental realizations may change due to technological improvements, the definitions will remain unaffected. Quantum metrology is expected to be one of the driving forces to achieve new quantum technologies of the second generation.
Sobre el ejercicio democrático del control judicial de las leyes

Six theories of the democratic legitimacy of judicial review are entertain: originalism, moral lecture, textualism, judicial minimalism, the reinforcement theory of representation and a particular theory of deliberative democracy. The debate among theories is best seen as a debate of the fi nal authority in a political system vis-a-vis a debate on the justifi cation of a robust model of constitutional review. The aceptance of a robust model is underpin on the assumption that judges will review law guided by the ideal of deliberative democracy. However, there are good reasons to think that judges will not guide their resolutions by said ideal, thus, the fi nal authority of a political system must always be the Congress.
Practitioner review: A critical perspective on gene-environment interaction models--what impact should they have on clinical perceptions and practice?

BACKGROUND Psychiatric disorders run in families, and early twin, family and adoption studies confirmed that this was due in part to shared genetic inheritance. While candidate gene studies largely failed to reliably identify genetic variants associated with psychiatric disorders, genome-wide association studies are beginning to do so. However, the proportion of phenotypic variance explained remains well below what would be expected from previous heritability estimates. SCOPE We review possible reasons for this 'missing heritability', and whether incorporating gene by environment interactions into our models will substantially improve our understanding of the aetiology of psychiatric disorders, and inform clinical perceptions and practice. FINDINGS We discuss potential limitations of the gene by environment interaction approach. In particular, we discuss whether these are likely to be a major contributor to psychiatric disorders at the level of the specific interaction (as opposed to at an aggregate level). CONCLUSIONS Gene by environment interaction studies offered initial promise that a far greater proportion of phenotypic variance could be explained by incorporating measures of environmental exposures into genetic studies. However, in our opinion, there are few (if any) clear examples of gene by environment interactions in psychiatry, and their scope for informing either our understanding of disease pathology or clinical practice remains limited at present.
Functional interaction between the human cytomegalovirus 86-kilodalton IE2 protein and the cellular transcription factor CREB

The 86-kDa IE2 protein (IE86) of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) has been described as a promiscuous transactivator of viral, as well as cellular, gene expression. Investigation of the mechanism used by IE86 to activate gene expression from the early UL112/113 promoter of HCMV revealed the existence of three binding sites for IE86 located between nucleotides -290 and -120 relative to the transcriptional start site (H. Arlt, D. Lang, S. Gebert, and T. Stamminger, J. Virol. 68:4117-4125, 1994). As shown previously, deletion of these target sites resulted in a reduction of IE86-mediated transactivation by approximately 70%. The remaining promoter, however, could still be stimulated about 40-fold, indicating the presence of an additional responsive element within these sequences. Here, we provide evidence that a binding site for the cellular transcription factor CREB can also act as a target for IE86 transactivation. By DNase I protection analysis, a binding sequence for CREB could be detected between nucleotides -78 and -56 within the respective promoter region. After in vitro mutagenesis of this CREB-binding site within the context of the entire UL112/113 promoter, a marked reduction in transactivation levels was evident. Moreover, when individual CREB-binding sites were positioned upstream of a minimal, TATA box-containing UL112/113 promoter, they were able to confer strong IE86 responsiveness, whereas a mutated sequence did not exert any effect. In far Western blot and pull-down experiments, a direct interaction of IE86 with the cellular transcription factor CREB could be observed. The in vivo relevance of this in vitro interaction was confirmed by using various GAL4 fusion proteins in the presence or absence of IE86 which revealed a strong activation only in the presence of both a GAL4-CREB fusion and IE86. This shows that at least one specific member of the ATF/CREB family of transcription factors is involved in mediating transactivation by the HCMV IE86 protein.
Injurious ventilation induces widespread pulmonary epithelial expression of tumor necrosis factor-&agr; and interleukin-6 messenger RNA*

ObjectiveWe examined the hypothesis that injurious strategies of mechanical ventilation alter the expression and distribution within the lung of tumor necrosis factor-&agr; and interleukin-6 that are both duration and ventilation strategy dependent. SubjectsMale Sprague Dawley rats. InterventionsLungs from rats were preserved immediately after death or were randomized to ex vivo ventilation with either a) noninjurious ventilation; b) high end-inspiratory lung volume with positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP); c) high end-inspiratory lung volume without PEEP; or d) intermediate lung distension without PEEP, for periods ranging from 30 mins to 3 hrs. Measurement and Main ResultsChanges in cytokines were assessed by in situ hybridization, immunocytochemistry, simultaneous in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry, Northern analysis, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Whereas minimal expression of tumor necrosis factor-&agr; and interleukin-6 mRNA was found in lungs subjected to noninjurious ventilation, the three injurious strategies resulted in a diffuse increase in expression of tumor necrosis factor-&agr; and interleukin-6. The principal cells involved were the bronchial, bronchiolar, and alveolar epithelium. The changes in tumor necrosis factor-&agr; mRNA and protein expression were dependent on both duration of ventilation and the ventilation strategy used. ConclusionsThe vast pulmonary epithelium is a major contributor to ventilation-induced changes in cytokine production and may play an important role in the pathogenesis of lung injury and systemic sequelae in ventilated subjects.
The economic consequences of irritable bowel syndrome: a US employer perspective.

BACKGROUND The objective of this study was to measure the direct costs of treating irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and the indirect costs in the workplace. This was accomplished through retrospective analysis of administrative claims data from a national Fortune 100 manufacturer, which includes all medical, pharmaceutical, and disability claims for the company's employees, spouses/dependents, and retirees. METHODS Patients with IBS were identified as individuals, aged 18 to 64 years, who received a primary code for IBS or a secondary code for IBS and a primary code for constipation or abdominal pain between January 1, 1996, and December 31, 1998. Of these patients with IBS, 93.7% were matched based on age, sex, employment status, and ZIP code to a control population of beneficiaries. Direct and indirect costs for patients with IBS were compared with those of matched controls. RESULTS The average total cost (direct plus indirect) per patient with IBS was 4527 dollars in 1998 compared with 3276 dollars for a control beneficiary (P<.001). The average physician visit costs were 524 dollars and 345 dollars for patients with IBS and controls, respectively (P<.001). The average outpatient care costs to the employer were 1258 dollars and 742 dollars for patients with IBS and controls, respectively (P<.001). Medically related work absenteeism cost the employer 901 dollars on average per employee treated for IBS compared with 528 dollars on average per employee without IBS (P<.001). CONCLUSION Irritable bowel syndrome is a significant financial burden on the employer that arises from an increase in direct and indirect costs compared with the control group.
The molecular underpinnings of prostate cancer: impacts on management and pathology practice

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a clinically heterogeneous disease and current treatment strategies are based largely on anatomical and pathological parameters. In the recent past, several DNA sequencing studies of primary and advanced PCa have revealed recurrent patterns of genomic aberrations that expose mechanisms of resistance to available therapies and potential new drug targets. Suppression of androgen receptor (AR) signalling is the cornerstone of advanced prostate cancer treatment. Genomic aberrations of the androgen receptor or alternative splicing of its mRNA are increasingly recognised as biomarkers of resistance to AR‐targeted therapies such as abiraterone or enzalutamide. Genomic aberrations of the PI3K–AKT axis, in particular affecting PTEN, are common in PCa, and compounds targeting different kinases in this pathway are showing promise in clinical trials. Both germline and somatic defects in DNA repair genes have been shown to sensitise some patients to therapy with PARP inhibition. In addition, abnormalities in mismatch‐repair genes are associated with response to immune checkpoint inhibition in other solid tumours and present a tantalising therapeutic avenue to be pursued. Aberrations in CDK4/6–RB1 pathway genes occur in a subset of PCas, may associate with differential sensitivity to treatment, and are likely to have clinical implications beyond prognostication. Inhibitors of CDK4/6 are already being tested in prostate cancer clinical trials. Furthermore, deletions of RB1 are strongly associated with a neuroendocrine phenotype, a rare condition characterized by a non‐AR‐driven transcriptomic profile. Finally, aberrations in genes involved in regulating the chromatin structure are an emerging area of interest. Deletions of CHD1 are not infrequent in PCa and may associate with increased AR activity and genomic instability, and these tumours could benefit from DNA‐damaging therapies. This review summarises how genomic discoveries in PCa are changing the treatment landscape of advanced CRPC, both by identifying biomarkers of resistance and by identifying vulnerabilities to be targeted. Copyright © 2016 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Imaging the structure of the human anxious brain: a review of findings from neuroscientific personality psychology

Abstract The emotion of anxiety represents one of the most studied topics in the neurosciences, in part due to its relevance for understanding the evolutionary development of the human brain and its role in the pathogenesis of psychopathological conditions. Structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) has enabled mapping of the anxious human brain and has contributed substantially to the understanding of anxiety. Alongside the fields of clinical psychology/psychiatry, personality psychology aims to support the research endeavor of mapping the anxious brain and has found that individual differences in anxiety-related personality dimensions such as Neuroticism or Harm Avoidance (measured by self-report) are correlated with gray and white matter volumes in different areas of the human brain. This review reveals that structures including parts of the frontal cortex (e.g., the orbitofrontal cortex) and the temporal lobe (e.g., the hippocampus) are often associated with trait anxiety, and it points out the inconsistencies that exist in the personality-sMRI literature on human anxiety. Consequently, we suggest new research strategies to overcome the inconsistencies. This review outlines how results from animal research can guide scientists in developing testable hypotheses in search of the anxious brain. Moreover, genetic imaging is presented as an interesting approach to mapping the anxious brain.
Intermittence detection in fretting corrosion studies of electrical contacts

The occurrence of intermittences in electrical circuits can result in serious reliability problems particularly where low signal voltages and currents are used. It is well known that differential thermal expansion or vibration in electrical connectors can result in micromotion resulting in fretting corrosion. This can lead to an increase in contact resistance and eventual loss of electrical contact. The occurrence of electrical intermittences has been considered a precursor to contact failure associated with fretting corrosion and can cause disruption in digital circuit signals. We report the development of instrumentation that simultaneously measures the occurrence of electrical intermittences along with contact resistance during the fretting of electrical contacts. In addition, the measurement system records contact friction and normal force dynamically. Intermittences can be counted and timed with durations from 20 ns to milliseconds as a function of fretting cycles and correlated with the increase in contact resistance. All systems are integrated under LABVIEW computer control software. Measurements were made on Cu-Cu and Sn-Sn rider/flat combinations. Results will be interpreted in terms of the influence of wear debris on the electrical properties of the contacts.
An approach to evaluate the occurrence of flicker induced by electromechanical oscillations

In this paper, an approach to evaluate the occurrence of flicker induced by electromechanical oscillations is proposed. This approach employs the extended participation factors (EPF) to statistically quantify the presence of electromechanical modes in the dynamics of the terminal voltage of a distributed synchronous generator. Once the results obtained by the EPF indicate a high probability for the manifestation of the electromechanical mode in the terminal voltage of the distributed generator, an estimate for the probability of occurrence of flicker can be obtained.
Effects of path visibility on channel capacity of urban MIMO systems

Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) wireless communication technology has been expected to improve the channel capacity with a limited bandwidth for the future networks. Since the propagation environment or the propagation channel becomes very complex, it is difficult to simply estimate the channel capacity in urban MIMO systems. Hence, we introduce the characteristics of channel capacity in urban MIMO system by using a ray-tracing method. The simulation by this method with variable parameters can estimate various urban propagation characteristics and discriminate the effects of the urban model and antenna configurations. Moreover, we introduce path visibility, which is defined as the probability that at least one of the antenna elements of the mobile terminal (MT) can receive the direct wave when considering the downlink scenario, in order to make a measure in urban MIMO systems. It is represented in this study that the characteristics of the channel capacity can be figured out directly from the path visibility by the ray-tracing simulation. It also gives the guidance that the appropriate range of the base station (BS) antenna height can be determined from the path visibility.
Local and Remote Cooperation With Virtual and Robotic Agents: A P300 BCI Study in Healthy and People Living With Spinal Cord Injury

The development of technological applications that allow people to control and embody external devices within social interaction settings represents a major goal for current and future brain–computer interface (BCI) systems. Prior research has suggested that embodied systems may ameliorate BCI end-user’s experience and accuracy in controlling external devices. Along these lines, we developed an immersive P300-based BCI application with a head-mounted display for virtual-local and robotic-remote social interactions and explored in a group of healthy participants the role of proprioceptive feedback in the control of a virtual surrogate (Study 1). Moreover, we compared the performance of a small group of people with spinal cord injury (SCI) to a control group of healthy subjects during virtual and robotic social interactions (Study 2), where both groups received a proprioceptive stimulation. Our attempt to combine immersive environments, BCI technologies and neuroscience of body ownership suggests that providing realistic multisensory feedback still represents a challenge. Results have shown that healthy and people living with SCI used the BCI within the immersive scenarios with good levels of performance (as indexed by task accuracy, optimizations calls and Information Transfer Rate) and perceived control of the surrogates. Proprioceptive feedback did not contribute to alter performance measures and body ownership sensations. Further studies are necessary to test whether sensorimotor experience represents an opportunity to improve the use of future embodied BCI applications.