Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Testing PDR models against ISO fine structure line data for extragalactic sources

Abstract Studies of our own Galaxy and observations of external galaxies have suggested that stellar ultraviolet radiation can ionize vast volumes of a galaxy and that far-ultraviolet radiation impinging on neutral cloud surfaces is responsible for a large fraction of the observed far-infrared (FIR) spectral line emission that cools the gas (Crawford & al. (1985)). Fine structure (FS) emission lines can be used as tracers of nebular conditions such as density, excitation and ionization. By virtue of their different excitation potentials and critical densities, FS emission lines provide an insight into the energetics and chemical composition of the regions from which they originate. The far infrared [C ii]158 μm, [O i]145 μm and [O i]63 μm fine structure emission lines obtained with the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) from 35 extragalactic sources are examined to investigate the chemical abundances and large scales physical properties of these sources. Line fluxes are compared with a grid of PDR models previously computed using the UCL_PDR code. We overplotted our model predictions against flux ratios from the [C ii]158 μm and [O i]63 μm and 145 μm ISO LWS fluxes. In this section we will only discuss the sensitivity of the ratios to changes in the input parameters. We find that the average radiation field G0 is 60–8 × 102 and the average density nH 104−9 × 104 cm−3. While ionised carbon, because of its ionisation potential, can be found in both neutral gas and ionised gas clouds, species such as ionised nitrogen [N ii], with ionisation potential of 14.53 eV, can arise only from H ii regions. The 11 sources that have detections of both [C ii] 158 μm and [N ii] 122 μm have mean and median [C ii]158/[N ii]122 flux ratios of 10.2 and 5.9 respectively. A H ii region [C ii]158/[N ii]122 ratio of 1.6 implies that H ii region contribute only 16% (mean case) and 27% (median case) of the overall [C ii] 158 μm flux that is observed. We used the above predicted H ii region [C ii]158/[N ii]122 ratio of 1.6 along with the observed [N ii] 122 μm fluxes, to correct the observed [C ii] 158 μm flux of these 11 sources for H ii region contributions. We estimate that 10-60% of the [C ii] is excited in ionised regions. When accounting for the contribution to the [C ii] 158 μm by H ii regions we found that our models fitted better the observations. We modeled the oxygen emission line profile emitted from an ensemble of PDRs and found a clear [O i] 63 μm self-absorbed profile. We estimate that approximately 20-70% of the [O i] 63 μm intensity may be suppressed through oxygen self-absorption depending on the physical parameters of the PDR regions. This work has been submitted for publication to MNRAS, Vasta et al. (2009).
[Goal-oriented measurement of short-, medium- and long-term effects in pneumological rehabilitation].

UNLABELLED Assessment of goal-oriented short-, mean-, and long-term effects in pneumological rehabilitation: Despite of increasing quality in rehabilitation, the amount of treatment in pneumological rehabilitation has decreased by 40% in the last few years. A typical mark of quality is determination of individual objectives to reach a goal of therapy. METHODS In 566 patients (381 male, 185 female, mean age 47.0 year, body mass index 27.5 kg/m2) goals have been assessed by a questionnaire given at the beginning, the end, 6, and 12 months after rehabilitation. The effect size (ES) of single symptoms, defined as difference between initial and following score values, divided by their standard deviation was used as mild (ES < 0.4), mean (ES < 0.8), or strong (ES > = 0.8) effect. Only those patients were considered, who initially rated for "often" and "very often" in a single symptom. RESULTS At the end of rehabilitation the effect size was strong in 22 of 24 symptoms, mainly nocturnal symptoms. After 12 months 9 symptoms still revealed strong, and 12 mean effect sizes. These mainly again concerned nocturnal symptoms as palpation of the heart, breathlessness, cough, sweating, and headache, but even diurnal tiredness, spontaneously falling asleep, and lack of concentration revealed ES > 0.8. Additionally in 46 patients, who were incapable for work in more than 6 weeks the year before rehabilitation, a reduction of 81 days off job was measured in the year after rehabilitation. DISCUSSION The definition of aims of therapy is a mark of quality, and ES proves as a sensitive instrument of assessment, giving remarkable effects even one year after medical rehabilitation.
Molecular detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and semen quality of sexual partners of infertile women

Chlamydia trachomatis is considered as the bacterium that is more sexually transmitted as cause of male urethritis, epididymitis, orchitis and infertility. A total of 116 semen samples of men whose couples are infertile women were analysed. The quality of the semen was measured by standard procedures recommended by WHO while C. trachomatis was detected by the PCR assay. Thirty‐seven semen samples were positive for C. trachomatis (31.9%). Regarding semen analysis, no different values were observed between positive and negative samples to C. trachomatis. However, the presence of leucocytes and erythrocytes suggests an inflammatory process; however, these were high in negative samples to C. trachomatis. Furthermore, an association between low seminal volume at 1, 5 ml and the positivity to C. trachomatis was observed (OR=2, 1; CI95% 1,16‐3,07). The total semen volume is a contribution by the various accessory glands (this reflects the secretory activity of the glands); a low semen volume could be due to an obstruction of the ejaculatory duct or infection of accessory glands by C. trachomatis. More studies are necessary to identify the causes of a reduced semen volume.
The Function and Trafficking of Atg 8 during Autophagosome Formation by Zhiping Xie

Eukaryotic cells rely on autophagy to remove excess or damaged organelles and proteins. In this pathway, cytoplasmic materials are delivered to the lysosomes via double-membrane vesicles, the autophagosomes. The formation of autophagosomes, which involves the expansion and deformation of the precursor membrane sac, the phagophore, is catalyzed by the core autophagy machinery proteins at the phagophore assembly site (PAS). Previous studies have gradually discovered the order of assembly of the core autophagy machinery proteins at the PAS. In contrast, we know little about what these proteins do after PAS assembly. In this study, I first focused on how Atg8, one of the core machinery proteins, functions in autophagosome formation and demonstrated that (1) the amount of Atg8 at the PAS controls the size of autophagosomes produced and that (2) each round of autophagosome formation involves the recruitment of Atg8 to the phagophore and the subsequent deconjugation and release of Atg8 from this site. By tracing the trafficking of Atg8 in live cells, I established a temporal dissection of the autophagosome formation process. This allowed the examination of events at late stages of autophagosome formation and led to the further discovery that defects in Atg8 release not only arrest the existing autophagosome formation processes, but also prevent the regeneration of the PAS, which is necessary for sustained autophagosome formation. In addition, the data suggest that the release of Atg8 happens after the departure of Atg9 from the PAS, and that deconjugation of Atg8 is important in maintaining its correct localization. Furthermore, I developed two statistical methods for calculating the sizes of intracellular vesicles from sizes of their sections obtained through transmission electron microscopy. The methods were used to estimate the size of autophagic bodies, which is used in turn to estimate the area density of Atg8 molecules on the phagophore.
Hydrocortisone suppression of stress-induced adrenal 17-hydroxycorticosteroid secretion in dogs.

THE administration of adrenocortical hormones to intact rats has been shown to inhibit pituitary secretion of ACTH (1–4). Sydnor has recently reported that the increase in blood ACTH which occurs in adrenalectomized rats subjected to ether anesthesia is suppressed by the administration of large doses of hydrocortisone (5). In these previous investigations, ACTH activity was determined by alterations in either the weight or ascorbic acid concentration of adrenal glands of rats. Exposure to 20% CO2 (6) and the surgical trauma of adrenal vein cannulation (7) are two stimuli independently capable of producing increased pituitary-adrenal activity in pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs. In the present investigation the effect of these two stimuli upon the adrenocortical response in dogs with increased plasma concentrations of 17-hydroxycorticosteroids was studied. Adrenocortical function was determined by measuring 17-hydroxycorticosteroids in adrenal venous blood. This technique provides a direct and specific inde.
Semantic Web Development for Traditional Chinese Medicine

Despite its centrality to Chinese culture and wide adoption in Chinese communities, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has rarely been the application domain of computational analysis in previous academic works. Here we present the ﬁrst systematic adoption of the state-of-the-art Semantic Web technologies in the codiﬁcation, management, and utilization of TCM information and knowledge resources. These technologies are proved effective in bridging the semantic gaps between a plurality of legacy and heterogeneous relational databases, enabling ontology-based query and search across database boundaries. A global herb-drug interaction network is constructed and represented in Semantic Web language, on which the semantic graph mining methodology is applied for discovering and interpreting interesting patterns. This deployed Semantic Web platform provides various innovative information retrieval and knowledge discovery services to the TCM domain experts with positive feedbacks. This project demonstrates Semantic Web’s advantages in connecting data across domain and community boundaries to facilitate inter-disciplinary and cross-cultural studies.
The importance of follow-up in patients with premature ejaculation.

INTRODUCTION Follow-up is an important aspect of managing patients with premature ejaculation (PE). However, there is limited information for the clinician on the optimal follow-up regimen in men with PE. At present, follow-up remains largely at the discretion of each treating physician. AIM The aim of this study was to provide an overview of follow-up in patients with PE. METHODS This study used a review of the literature and informed expert opinion. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The main outcome measures used by the study are the factors influencing follow-up in PE. RESULTS Following up with the patient is important to reconfirm the diagnosis, assess the patient's progress on treatment, monitor efficacy and side effects and, where necessary, make informed adjustments to treatment. In addition, follow-up sessions provide an opportunity to reeducate the patient, check that they remember the key information, fill in missing gaps in knowledge, and ensure that they are adhering to the correct dosing schedule. The frequency and duration of follow-up visits depend on a number of factors, such as the type and severity of PE, type of treatment, durability of response to PE treatment, the presence of comorbidities and individual partner/partnership issues. A cooperative and interested partner often has positive effects on treatment outcomes. Therefore, the partner should be encouraged to attend follow-up sessions for a better understanding of the impact of PE on their relationship and tailoring the treatment to suit the couple as a whole. CONCLUSIONS In clinical practice, follow-up forms an essential component of the overall management of PE to help ensure optimal treatment outcomes.
Metabolic regulation and adenyl cyclase activity of adrenocortical carcinoma cultured cells.

Summary In order that the mechanisms involved in the altered control of steroidogenesis by adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in the adrenal tumor 494 might be elucidated, various metabolic properties of this tumor maintained in tissue culture have been studied. It has been shown in the cultured cells that: ( a ) neither ACTH nor adenosine cyclic 3′,5′-monophosphate stimulates steroidogenesis; ( b ) the normal adrenal biosynthetic pathway from pregnenolone to corticosterone is intact; ( c ) the biosynthesis of deoxycorticosterone to corticosterone from pregnenolone is at a reduced level as compared to the normal adrenal cell, indicating a reduced 11β-hydroxylase activity; and ( d ) (20 S )-20-hydroxycholesterol can be converted to corticosterone, thus indicating a defect in the tumor system normally stimulated by ACTH to convert cholesterol to (20 S )-20-hydroxycholesterol. The adenylate cyclase activity of the cultured cells has been evaluated with an improved methodology. In confirmation of previous studies by others, it is herein shown that high concentrations of ACTH (460 milliunits) and epinephrine (10 -5 m) stimulate the activity of the whole homogenate 2.9-fold and 4.1-fold, respectively, whereas 20 mm fluoride has no effect on its activity. In addition it has been demonstrated that a partially purified particulate fraction of the cultured tumor cells containing plasma membrane was stimulated only 32% by ACTH, whereas the stimulation by epinephrine was 108% suggesting more sensitivity of the membrane receptor to epinephrine than to ACTH. Similarly, epinephrine significantly stimulated the adenylate cyclase activity of isolated nuclei, but no stimulation by ACTH was obtained. It is, therefore, proposed that distinct changes in tumor receptors have taken place. Such modified tumor receptors are at least as sensitive to epinephrine as they are to ACTH.
Retroviral Delivery of Platelet-Derived Growth Factor to Spinal Cord Progenitor Cells Drives the Formation of Intramedullary Gliomas

BACKGROUND High-grade gliomas of the spinal cord are poorly understood tumors that are very commonly associated with bad outcomes. The transforming effects of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) on spinal cord glial progenitor cells may play an important role in the development of these tumors. OBJECTIVE To investigate the possible tumor-initiating effects of PDGF overexpression in the spinal cord, we delivered a PDGF retrovirus directly into the substance of the spinal cord. METHODS The spinal cords of wild-type adult rats were surgically exposed and injected with 106 colony-forming units of a green fluorescent protein-tagged, PDGF-expressing retrovirus. A control virus was injected to assess the cell types that become infected during retroviral delivery to the spinal cord. RESULTS It was observed that PDGF overexpression in the spinal cord causes morbidity from high-grade intramedullary glioma formation between 27 and 49 days after PDGF retrovirus injection. Retroviral transduction was highly efficient with 100% of injected animals displaying the tumor phenotype. The tumors produced were highly proliferative, were locally invasive, and displayed the immunophenotype of virus-targeted glial progenitor cells (Olig2+PDGFR+NG2+GFAP−). CONCLUSION PDGF is capable of driving glial progenitor cells within the adult spinal cord to form high-grade gliomas. Further investigation of PDGF signaling in the spinal cord is needed to better understand and treat these devastating tumors.
Chemical aspects of clustered DNA damage induction by ionising radiation.

Ionising radiation induces a variety of chemical modifications to DNA, ranging from simple, isolated lesions to clustered DNA damage, in which two or more lesions are formed within a few tens of base pairs by a single radiation track. Multiple lesions, e.g. tandem lesions and amplification of damage, may also be induced in DNA by reaction with a single hydroxyl radical. It has been proposed from biophysical modelling that clustered DNA damage is less repairable and therefore contributes to the biological severity of ionising radiation. In this review, some evidence is presented which indicates that non-double strand break (non-DSB) clustered DNA damage is induced in significant yield, relative to that of DSBs, in mammalian cells. Enzymatic processing of clustered DNA damage in synthetic oligonucleotides has been shown to be compromised, depending on the nature of the lesions present. The role of clustered DNA damage in the early stages of the development of radiation-induced carcinogenesis remains to be addressed.
How Opportunity Costs Decrease the Probability of War in an Incomplete Information Game

Abstract This article shows that the opportunity costs resulting from economic interdependence decrease the probability of war in an incomplete information game. This result is strongly consistent with existing empirical analyses of the inverse trade-conflict relationship but is the opposite of the conclusion reached by Gartzke, Li, and Boehmer, who reject the opportunity cost argument in a game-theoretic framework. As a result of our findings, one cannot dismiss the opportunity cost argument as the explanation why trading nations fight less. Instead our study reaffirms the central position of opportunity costs as the basis for the inverse trade-conflict relationship, thus implying that one need not rely on signaling.
Infection with Schistosoma mansoni prevents insulin dependent diabetes mellitus in non‐obese diabetic mice

The spontaneous development of insulin dependent diabetes mellitus in non‐obese diabetic (NOD) mice has been shown to be mediated by a Th1 response against beta cell antigens. It is known that in murine models of Schistosoma mansoni infection, egg production is associated with a switch from a Th1 to Th2 response. This subsequent dominance of a Th2 response in S.mansoni infected mice has been shown to influence the response to other infectious agents or antigens. We therefore determined whether infection with S.mansoni could influence the spontaneous incidence of insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) in NOD mice. Infection with this helminth significantly reduced the spontaneous incidence of IDDM. IDDM was also prevented by injecting parasite eggs alone. Because until relatively recently humans might expect to succumb to a variety of infectious agents, the current freedom from infection might permit the expression of a genetic predisposition to autoimmune pathology and be responsible for the increased incidence of IDDM.
Requirement for Pectin Methyl Esterase and Preference for Fragmented over Native Pectins for Wall-associated Kinase-activated, EDS1/PAD4-dependent Stress Response in Arabidopsis*

Background: The wall-associated kinases (WAKs) serve as pectin receptors. Results: A pectin methyl esterase and two transcription factor mutants suppress a dominant WAK allele. Conclusion: De-esterification of pectin is required for WAK activation though EDS1 and PAD4. Significance: The results provide a mechanism for the state of pectins to activate two different pathways. The wall-associated kinases (WAKs) have a cytoplasmic protein kinase domain that spans the plasma membrane and binds pectin in the extracellular matrix of plants. WAKs are required for cell expansion during Arabidopsis seedling development but are also an integral part of the response to pathogens and stress that present oligogalacturonides (OGs), which subsequently bind to WAKs and activate a MPK6 (mitogen-activated protein kinase)-dependent pathway. It was unclear how WAKs distinguish native pectin polymers and OGs to activate one or the other of these two pathways. A dominant allele of WAK2 constitutively activates the stress response, and we show here that the effect is dependent upon EDS1 and PAD4, transcriptional activators involved in the pathogen response. Moreover, the WAK2 dominant allele is suppressed by a null allele of a pectin methyl esterase (PME3) whose activity normally leads to cross-linking of pectins in the cell wall. Although OGs activate a transcriptional response in wild type, the response is enhanced in a pme3/pme3 null, consistent with a competition by OG and native polymers for activation of WAKs. This provides a plausible mechanism for WAKs to distinguish an expansion from a stress pathway.
The Origin of Malignant Tumours

t0 t,pr? duced by adding a very large quantity of sperm the 'C a,1(^ violently shaking or pressing the ova; otilyreSUiting 'nrv;c wcrc "early all pathological, and a few normals were found. The triastcr type of division was produced by shaking the eggs immediately after fertilisation; these gave rise to a large number of normal as well as pathological embryos. The double spindle type occurred more rarely after the above procedure and gave rise to normal larvae, or at the most asymmetrical larvae. Boveri then showed that the pathological defects in dispermy were not due to the protoplasm, but to a wrong combination of the chromosomes in the nuclei. From these cells of the first division, daughter cells were formed that had a definitely abnormal chromatin-complex (chromatin bestand). Hauseinann later showed that the nucleus of the malignant cell also contained this abnormal chromatincomplex. Boveri now states that the malignant cell is
Life-like communication agent-emotion sensing character "MIC" and feeling session character "MUSE"

Why do people, regardless of age or gender, have an affinity for objects manifested in the human form? From the earthen figures of ancient times to mechanical dolls, teddy bears and robots, is it not true that man has conceived such objects in his imagination, then formed attachments and transferred emotions to them? In this paper, we address the issues of communication and esthetics of artificial life that possess this "human form" in modern society, both from artistic and engineering standpoints. An example is presented in which emotions are interpreted from human voices and emotional responses are triggered within the interactive setting of "MIC & MUSE". MIC is a cute male child who is an emotion communication character. MUSE is a goddess; she has the capability of musical communication.
Improving Glycemic Control in Adults With Diabetes Mellitus: Shared Responsibility in Primary Care Practices

Background. Primary care physicians provide care for most patients with diabetes mellitus, but few have the resources to achieve the level of glycemic control needed to avert complications Methods. Primary care physicians referred patients with unsatisfactory glycemic control, frequent hypoglycemia, or inadequate self-management to an endocrinologist-directed team of nurse and dietitian educators for a 3-month program of intensive diabetes care. Patients had at least weekly contact with a diabetes educator and received changes in insulin and/or other medication, coupled with extensive individualized instruction. The main outcome measurement was change in glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level at 3 months. Results. The first 350 patients who completed the program had overall mean decrease in HbA1c level of 1.7% (95% CI 1.4%-1.9%). Conclusions. Barriers to improving glycemic control may be overcome by establishment of a system of collaboration between primary care providers and endocrinologist-directed diabetes educators.