Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Status of insecticide resistance and detoxifying enzyme activity of Aedes albopictus population in Sonitpur district of Assam, India

Sonitpur district, Assam (India) is well known for malaria incidence since many years. The extensive use of insecticides for the control of malaria and other vector species is being carried out for vector management. The insecticide resistance status of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) to DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane) and deltamethrin was studied in the Sonitpur district of Assam. Even today DDT is the most widely used insecticides for public health programs in India. Recent information on the level of resistance to DDT and deltamethrin in an Aedes mosquito population of North East India is scarce. Continued monitoring of insecticide resistance status and identification of the underlying mechanism of resistance in the Aedes mosquito population is of prime importance. Insecticide susceptibility assays were performed on wild-caught adult female Aedes albopictus mosquitoes to the discriminating doses of DDT (4%) and deltamethrin (0. 05%) recommended by the World health organization (WHO). In all study sites, mortality as a result of DDT varied from 40.2 to 80.2% as compared to 94.2% in the susceptible laboratory strain (S-lab), indicating that Ae. albopictus is resistant to DDT in all study sites except Gohpur. The species was found to be 100% susceptible to deltamethrin in all study sites. Results from biochemical assays demonstrated increased alpha esterase, beta esterase and glutathione - S-transferase activity of Aedes albopictus at all study sites. Therefore, alpha esterase, beta esterase and glutathione - S-transferase activity seems to be associated with mechanisms responsible for insecticide resistance in Ae. albopictus. The results presented here provide the first report and baseline information about the insecticide resistance status of Ae. albopictus in North East India, and associated information about biochemical mechanisms that are essential for monitoring the development of insecticide resistance in the area.
The Acid-Inducible asr Gene inEscherichia coli: Transcriptional Control by thephoBR Operon

ABSTRACT Escherichia coli responds to external acidification (pH 4.0 to 5.0) by synthesizing a newly identified, ∼450-nucleotide RNA component. At maximal levels of induction it is one of the most abundant small RNAs in the cell and is relatively stable bacterial RNA. The acid-inducible RNA was purified, and the gene encoding it, designated asr (for acid shock RNA), mapped at 35.98 min on the E. coli chromosome. Analysis of the asr DNA sequence revealed an open reading frame coding for a 111-amino-acid polypeptide with a deduced molecular mass of approximately 11.6 kDa. According to computer-assisted analysis, the predicted polypeptide contains a typical signal sequence of 30 amino acids and might represent either a periplasmic or an outer membrane protein. Theasr gene cloned downstream from a T7 promoter was translated in vivo after transcription using a T7 RNA polymerase transcription system. Expression of a plasmid-encodedasr::lacZ fusion under a nativeasr promoter was reduced ∼15-fold in a complex medium, such as Luria-Bertani medium, versus the minimal medium. Transcription of the chromosomal asr was abolished in the presence of aphoB-phoR (a two-component regulatory system, controlling the pho regulon inducible by phosphate starvation) deletion mutant. Acid-mediated induction of the asr gene in the Δ(phoB-phoR) mutant strain was restored by introduction of the plasmid with cloned phoB-phoR genes. Primer extension analysis of the asr transcript revealed a region similar to the Pho box (the consensus sequence found in promoters transcriptionally activated by the PhoB protein) upstream from the determined transcription start. The asr promoter DNA region was demonstrated to bind PhoB protein in vitro. We discuss our results in terms of how bacteria might employ the phoB-phoRregulatory system to sense an external acidity and regulate transcription of the asr gene.
Cultivation of immortalized human hepatocytes HepZ on macroporous CultiSpher G microcarriers.

Cultivation of the new immortalized hepatocyte cell line HepZ was performed with a 1:1 mixture of DMEM and Ham's F12 media containing 5% FCS. The cells were grown in their 40th passage in 100 mL and 1 L volumes in spinner flasks and in a bioreactor, respectively. For the production of adherently growing HepZ cells macroporous CultiSpher G gelatin microcarriers were used in various concentrations from 1 to 3 g/L. The cells were seeded in a density of 2 x 10(5) cells/mL when using a microcarrier concentration of 1 g/L and 5 x 10(5) cells/mL at a microcarrier concentration of 3 g/L. After 7 days of cultivation a maximum cell concentration of 4.5 x 10(6) cells/mL was obtained in the spinner culture using a microcarrier concentration of 1 g/L. With bubble-free aeration and daily medium exchange from day 7, 7.1 x 10(6) cells/mL were achieved in the bioreactor using a microcarrier concentration of 3 g/L. The cells exhibited a maximum specific growth rate of 0.84 per day in the spinner system and 1.0 per day in the bioreactor, respectively. During the growth phase the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity rose slightly up to values of 200 U/L. At the end of cultivation the macroporous carriers were completely filled with cells exhibiting a spherical morphology whereas the hepatocytes on the outer surface were flat-shaped. Concerning their metabolic activity the cells predominantly consumed glutamine and glucose. During the growth phase lactate was produced up to 19.3 mM in the spinner culture and up to 9.1 mM in the bioreactor. Maximal oxygen consumption was 1950 nmol/(10(6) cells. day). HepZ cells resisted a 4-day long chilling period at 9.5 degrees C. The cytochrome P450 system was challenged with a pulse of 7 microgram/mL lidocaine at a cell density of 4.5 x 10(6) cells/mL. Five ng/mL monoethylglycinexylidide (MEGX) was generated within 1 day without phenobarbital induction compared to 26 ng/mL after a preceded three day induction period with 50 microgram/mL of phenobarbital indicating hepatic potency. Thus, the new immortalized HepZ cell line, exhibiting primary metabolic functions and appropriate for a mass cell cultivation, suggests its application for a bioartificial liver support system.
A Case of decapitated spermatozoa in an infertile man

Summary A case of headless or decapitated spermatozoa of an infertile man is reported. The 33‐year‐old patient showed almost normal spermi‐ogram except for a high percentage (more than 90%) of headless spermatozoa. Both hypoosmotic swelling and zona‐free hamster egg tests showed that most headless spermatozoa appeared to be normal in their function as tails. The ultrastructure of the ejaculated spermatozoa was observed using a surface replica method and by conventional ultrathin sectioning. The headless spermatozoa were almost normal in structure except for the absence of the head. Tailless heads were rarely observed. Varieties of ultrastructural abnormalities were observed in spermatozoa heads. Among them, abnormalities in the nuclear membrane covering the posterior pole of the nucleus were prominent. The implantation fossa and the basal plate were not formed. Instead, the nuclear membrane with numerous nuclear pores was found in this region. The decapitation seemed to take place between the region of the basal plate and the proximal centriole.
Incremental learning method of Bayesian classification combined with feedback information

Owing to insufficiency of the training sets, the performance of the initial classifier is not satisfactory and can not track the users' needs. To the defect, the paper proposes an incremental learning method of Bayesian Classifier combined with feedback information. To improve representative ability of feedback feature subset, use an improved feature selection method based genetic algorithm to choose the best features from feedback sets to amend classifier. Analyze the performance of the algorithm by experiments. Experimental results show the algorithm optimizes the classification effect significantly and show better overall stability.
Striking regression of chronic radiotherapy damage in a clinical trial of combined pentoxifylline and tocopherol.

PURPOSE Radiation-induced fibrosis (RIF) remains the most morbid complication of radiotherapy because of the absence of spontaneous regression and the difficulty of patient management. RIF treatment with combined pentoxifylline (PTX) and tocopherol (Vit E) was prompted by recent advances in cellular and molecular biology that have improved researchers' understanding of radiation-induced late-injury mechanisms and by the excellent results from our previous human and animal studies. PATIENTS AND METHODS Forty-three patients (mean [+/- SD] age, 59 +/- 10 years) presenting with 50 symptomatic RIF areas involving the skin and underlying tissues were treated from April 1995 to September 1997. Patients had had radiotherapy for head and neck or breast cancer a mean period of 8.5 +/- 6.5 years previously. RIF developed in the first year after irradiation and gradually worsened, without spontaneous regression. The mean measurable surface area of RIF ([S]) at the time of this study ([S(0)]) was 42 +/- 34 cm(2). The initial Subjective Objective Medical management and Analytic (SOMA) injury evaluation score was 13.2 +/- 5.9 and included evidence of edema, plexitis, restricted movement, and local inflammatory signs. A combination of PTX (800 mg/d) and Vit E (1,000 IU/d) was administered orally for at least 6 months. RESULTS Treatment was well tolerated. All assessable injuries exhibited continuous clinical regression and functional improvement. Mean RIF surface area and SOMA scores improved significantly (P <.0001) at 3 months ([S(3)], -39%; [SOMA(3)], -22%), 6 months ([S(6)], -53%; [SOMA(6)], -35%), and 12 months ([S(12)], -66%; [SOMA(12)], -48%), and mean linear dimensions ([D]) diminished from the start of the study ([D(0)], 6.5 +/- 2.5 cm) to the end of treatment 12 months later ([D(12)], 4 +/- 2 cm). At the time of the treatment, we did not attempt to achieve the maximum effect, and the study was continued. CONCLUSION The PTX-Vit E combination reversed human chronic radiotherapy damage and, because no other treatment is presently available for RIF, should be considered as a therapeutic measure.
The role of endogenous opioids in moderate exercise training-induced enhancement of the secondary antibody response in mice.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Moderate exercise training (60%-80% of maximal oxygen uptake) enhances the secondary antibody response. The mechanism underlying this enhancement, however, has not been determined. In moderate doses, endogenous opioids such as enkephalins enhance antibody response. Furthermore, serum concentrations of endogenous opioids increase in response to exercise, and training programs augment this effect. Therefore, the enhancement of the secondary antibody response induced by moderate exercise may be brought about, in part, by endogenous opioids. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of naltrexone (an opioid antagonist) on the enhancement of secondary antibody response induced by moderate exercise in young mice. SUBJECTS AND METHODS C57BL/6 mice immunized to human serum albumin (HSA) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: naltrexone, placebo, or control (received no intervention). Then, the mice in each group were randomly assigned to either an exercise group (treadmill running at 15 m/min, 0ø slope, 5 days per week for 8 weeks) or a non-exercise group. At the end of 8 weeks, booster immunization was given, and the mice in the exercise group continued to exercise. Ten days later, when high levels of antibodies are produced in secondary antibody response, anti-HSA antibodies in serum were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS With naltrexone implantation, mice that exercised showed a depression of secondary antibody response as compared with mice that exercised and either received a placebo or did not receive any intervention. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Endogenous opioids may play a role in the enhancement of the secondary antibody response observed after moderate exercise.
Design and modeling of novel fibers for space division multiplexing

New fibers are being designed to carrying many spatially multiplexed signals, and thus drastically increase the capacity per fiber in long-haul communications. Current design research includes quite different approaches to managing the tradeoff between crosstalk and mode density. Fiber irregularity and length variation have a crucial on performance, and will ultimately determine the performance limits of space-division-multiplexing fibers.
Time-specific intraocular pressure curves in Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) with laser-induced ocular hypertension.

OBJECTIVE To detect and categorize time-specific variations in daytime intraocular pressure (IOP) found in Rhesus monkeys with laser-induced ocular hypertension. PROCEDURES Ten male monkeys with argon laser-induced ocular hypertension in one eye were anesthetized with ketamine hydrochloride, and the IOP measured in both eyes at 7 a.m., 7.30 a.m., and then hourly until 1 p.m. with a Tonopen trade mark XL applanation tonometer. Intraocular pressure time profiles for both eyes in each animal were developed. The means +/- SD of the IOPs for both eyes were calculated for the whole 6-h study period, and the values compared statistically. The difference between the lasered eye mean IOP standard deviation and the normal eye mean IOP standard deviation for each animal during the 6-h follow-up was also calculated and compared. RESULTS Mean IOP (+/- SD) in the glaucoma and normal eyes for the 10 animals during the 6-h study was 32.6 +/- 2.5 and 14.9 +/- 2.5 mmHg, respectively. The IOP was significantly higher in the experimental eye than in the normal eye (P = 0.0008). The mean IOP in the lasered eye did not significantly change during the study period, whereas a slight but significant increase in IOP of the normal eye over the study period was recorded (P = 0.003). The variance in IOP in the hypertensive eyes was considerably greater than that in the untreated control eyes. From 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. the IOP declined in five eyes and increased in the other five eyes with laser-induced ocular hypertension. CONCLUSIONS The time-specific IOP variation pattern in the daytime in the laser treated eyes is significantly greater than the variation in the normotensive eyes. This shows that in order to detect statistical differences between IOP variations induced by an IOP-reducing drug, and the exaggerated spontaneous IOP variations present in the laser-induced hypertensive eye, sufficient animals should be included in any study. Understanding the time-specific IOP variation present in a group of monkeys with laser-induced ocular hypertension is essential prior to using the model for the evaluation of IOP-reducing drugs.
Historias de mujeres filicidas inimputables por enfermedad mental

Objetivo: el objetivo general del presente trabajo es analizar historias de mujeres filicidas inimputables por enfermedad mental y determinar si existe una caracterizacion de este grupo, si el hecho tiene sentido y si se inscribe en las historias personales y familiares. Metodos: investigacion de tipo cualitativo mediante entrevistas semiestructuradas a mujeres filicidas del programa de inimputables del Ministerio de la Proteccion Social de Colombia. Desde 1997 al primer semestre de 2003, ocho casos son analizados. Se realizo entrevista, grabacion de audio y posterior categorizacion segun metodo deductivo e inductivo. Se presentan vinetas clinicas, datos generales y analisis de casos de tipo cualitativo. Se excluyeron mujeres imputables o en fase probatoria del proceso judicial. Las mujeres firmaron consentimiento informado, los datos obtenidos son confidenciales y no se utilizaran en los procesos, los cuales ya han sido fallados. Resultados: las pacientes de la muestra presentan las siguientes caracteristicas: edad adulta (promedio 26,5 anos), baja escolaridad, dependencia a figura masculina, devaluacion de rol femenino, historia de maltrato y ausencia o muerte de alguno de los padres. Se presentan dos casos de filicidio multiple y uno de neonaticidio. Las caracteristicas de los menores son variables, desde hijos deseados, hijo unico (1 caso), multiparidad (7 casos) hasta hijos no deseados. Las victimas son de ambos generos por igual. Conclusion: no existe un perfil unico de la madre, del hijo o del tipo de delito
Hand function tests are important and sensitive tools for assessment of treatment response in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Objectives: To assess the usefulness of hand function measurements in a study of treatment effects of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) blockers and to define the relationship between different hand function tests and also relate hand function to general disability and disease activity. Methods: The study group consisted of 49 patients with established rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who were followed for 1 year while on TNF inhibitors. Evaluation of hand function included Signals of Functional Impairment (SOFI), grip and pinch grip force, and the Grip Ability Test (GAT). General disability was assessed by the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and disease activity by the 28‐joint Disease Activity Score (DAS28). The standardized mean response (SMR) method was used to evaluate sensitivity to change for all hand tests using DAS28 and HAQ as external indicators of change. Results: HAQ, DAS28, grip and pinch grip force, and GAT showed a highly significant improvement over time (p<0.001). The improvement in SOFI was also significant (p<0.01). The correlations between the different hand tests varied between 0.45 and 0.72. All hand function tests were significantly related to HAQ but showed only weak correlations to DAS28. SOFI, grip force, and pinch grip force showed large sensitivity for improvement in DAS28 and HAQ (SMR = 0.8–0.9). GAT showed modest sensitivity (SMR = 0.6–0.7). Conclusions: Patients with advanced RA attained considerable improvement in hand function that was only partly reflected by measures of general disability and disease activity. Focused assessment of hand function is therefore important for optimal evaluation of treatment response.
Teaching on the run tips 5: teaching a skill

The Medical Journal of Australia ISSN: 0025-729X 20 September 2004 181 6 327-328©The Medical Journal of Australia 2004www.mja. com.auTeaching on the rununior doctors need to have the skills to competently perform awide range of procedures, and inability to do so is an importantstressor for a new doctor.
Effects of caffeine and adenine nucleotides on Ca2+ release by the sarcoplasmic reticulum in saponin‐permeabilized frog skeletal muscle fibres

1 The effect of caffeine and adenine nucleotides on the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ release mechanism was investigated in permeabilized frog skeletal muscle fibres. Caffeine was rapidly applied and the resulting release of Ca2+ from the SR detected using fura‐2 fluorescence. Decreasing the [ATP] from 5 to 0.1 mm reduced the caffeine‐induced Ca2+ transient by 89 ± 1.4 % (mean ± s.e.m., n= 16), while SR Ca2+ uptake was unaffected. 2 The dependence of caffeine‐induced Ca2+ release on cytosolic [ATP] was used to study the relative ability of other structurally related compounds to substitute for, or compete with, ATP at the adenine nucleotide binding site. It was found that AMP, ADP and the non‐hydrolysable analogue adenylyl imidodiphosphate (AMP‐PNP) partially substituted for ATP, although none was as potent in facilitating the Ca2+‐releasing action of caffeine. 3 Adenosine reversibly inhibited caffeine‐induced Ca2+ release, without affecting SR Ca2+ uptake. Five millimolar adenosine markedly reduced the amplitude of the caffeine‐induced Ca2+ transient by 64 ± 4 % (mean ± s.e.m., n= 11). The degree of inhibition was dependent upon the cytosolic [ATP], suggesting that adenosine may act as a competitive antagonist at the adenine nucleotide binding site. 4 These data show that (i) the sensitivity of the in situ SR Ca2+ channel to caffeine activation is strongly dependent upon the cytosolic [ATP], (ii) the number of phosphates attached to the 5′ carbon of the ribose ring influences the efficacy of the ligand, and (iii) removal of a single phosphate group transforms AMP from a partial agonist, to adenosine, which acts as a competitive antagonist under these conditions.
Objectively measured boar sperm motility parameters correlate with the outcomes of on-farm inseminations: results of two fertility trials.

Two fertility trials were undertaken to evaluate the relationship between boar semen quality and fertility (conception rate and litter size) after on-farm artificial insemination (AI). Trial 1 included 98 ejaculates from 27 boars, and trial 2 included 72 ejaculates from 26 boars. The semen quality was measured by computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) using the Hobson Sperm Tracker. Boar semen was diluted in a standard extender (Beltsville Thawing Solution, BTS), dispensed into 75 ml allquots each containing 1.5 x 10(9) spermatozoa and dispatched to farms by overnight mail for use by their normal AI procedures. Randomly selected 75 ml aliquots of semen from each boar were also sent to the institute of Zoology for CASA measurement. Prior to CASA analysis, the spermatozoa were recovered from the BTS using Percoll gradients, resuspended in trisbuffered saline media containing 40 mM Ca++, and incubated at 39 degrees C. Parameters of sperm motion were measured after 0, 2, 4, and 6 hours of incubation. Various multiple regression models based on measured motion parameters could account for up to 24% of the variation in litter size. Using logistic regression, highly significant (P < 0.0001) models explaining conception rate in terms of sperm motion were derived for trial 2 only. The change in sperm velocity during the first 2 hours of incubation and the magnitude of the velocity parameters after 2 hours were identified as the most consistent indicators of fertility. Other attributes of sperm quality, i.e., frequency of spontaneous acrosome reactions (AR) and ARs induced by ionophore A23187 or solubilized pig zona pellucida, were also examined. When the "within-trial" median litter size was used as a way of allocating ejaculates to "high" or "low" litter-size groups, higher litter size was associated with lower frequency of both spontaneous and induced AR. These results demonstrate that fertility information can be derived from the CASA analysis of boar semen provided it is combined with a period of incubation in capacitating conditions.
Speed—Accuracy Tradeoffs in Aimed Movements: Toward a Theory of Rapid Voluntary Action

As the speed of rapid aimed movements increases, their spatial accuracy typically decreases. The mathematic'al form of the speed-accuracy tradeoff depends on the type of movement task being performed. Several alternative hypotheses have been proposed to account for this dependence, including ones that make assumptions about feedback-guided corrective submovements and about the stochastic variability of underlying neuromotor force pulses. A new hybrid class of stochastic optimized-suhmovement models provides a way to integrate these past accounls in a unified theoretical framework. From the vantage point of this framework, the present chapter reviews the evolution of speed-accuracy tradeoff research and shows how a fresh per spective regarding the properties of elementary movement mechanisms may be obtained.