Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Droplet expulsion from the respiratory tract.

The aerial transmission of infection involves three separate stages: production, transport, and reception of infective particles. The site of reception of a particle in the respiratory tract depends largely upon the size of the particle ( 1) . In the case of tuberculosis, for example, the airborne particles responsible for the initiation of infection are most probably of minute dimensions, of the order of a few microns (2). Aerial transport is also dependent upon particle size; only very small particles are maintained in aerial suspension for any length of time (3). The production of particles with infective potential is less well understood than is transport or reception. While Hare ( 4) has suggested that most infective particles are dispersed from the skin or clothing of the infector, it seems probable that for certain diseases, particularly tuberculosis, the infective particle of most importance is the droplet nucleus, derived by evaporation from droplets expelled directly into the air from the respiratory tract (5). A number of methods have been used in the past to determine the numbers and sizes of droplets expelled from the respiratory tract during various respiratory maneuvers (6--9). Methods involving light scattering have yielded useful information, but the resolution available using this method 1s somewhat limited. Duguid (7) conducted a series of experiments in which a marker microorganism or a dye was introduced into the mouth, and respiratory maneuvers were made into a closed chamber. Expelled particles were recovered by impaction, by settling, or by air sampling, and were recognized by the dye stain or by the growth of organisms. Buckland and Tyrrell (9) studied the dispersal of
Expression profiles and functional associations of endogenous androgen receptor and caveolin‐1 in prostate cancer cell lines

In prostate cancer (PCa) patients, the protein target for androgen deprivation and blockade therapies is androgen receptor (AR). AR interacts with many proteins that function to either co‐activate or co‐repress its activity. Caveolin‐1 (Cav‐1) is not found in normal prostatic epithelium, but is found in PCa, and may be an AR co‐regulator protein.
On the Price of Satisficing in Network User Equilibria

When network users are satisficing decision makers, the resulting traffic pattern attains a satisficing user equilibrium, which may deviate from the (perfectly rational) user equilibrium. In a satisficing user equilibrium traffic pattern, the total system travel time can be worse than in the case of the perfectly rational user equilibrium. We show how bad the worst-case satisficing user equilibrium traffic pattern can be compared with the perfectly rational user equilibrium. We call the ratio between the total system travel times of the two traffic patterns the price of satisficing, for which we provide an analytical bound. We compare the analytical bound with numerical bounds for several transportation networks.
The impact of privacy concerns on trust, attitude and intention of using a search engine: an empirical analysis

Search engines make use of sophisticated information technologies for collecting personal search information from the searchers. The users believe that misuse or unauthorised disclosure of their personal search information to third parties create threat to their privacy. This paper empirically examines the impact of privacy concerns on trust, attitude and intention of using a search engine. Research hypotheses were evolved and tested by empirical data collected from users of various search engines. The questionnaire survey was administered with 235 users and statistical analysis was done on a total of 199 usable responses. The major findings of the study are: i) user's privacy concern negatively influences trust, attitude and intention of using a search engine; ii) the negative effects of privacy concerns could be controlled by creating a positive attitude and building trust over the targeted search engine. A discussion of the implications of these findings for practice and research are given along with conclusions.
Effects of Putative Neurotransmitters of the Carotid Body on its Own Glomus Cells

Carotid body glomus cells produce and release acetylcholine (ACh), catecholamines, and neuropeptides, and there is biochemical evidence that these cells possess receptors for these substances. Thus, we studied the effects of cholinergics [ACh, nicotine (Nic), bethanechol (BN)] and peptides [met‐enkephalin (ME), substance P (SP)] on the membrane potential (Em), voltage noise (Erms), and input resistance (R0) of glomus cells. Sliced carotid bodies (for cell visualization) of cats, rabbits, and mice were used.
Suppression of reproduction in water-deprived mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus).

The effects of water deprivation on reproduction and territorial scent marking in the Mongolian gerbil were studied. It was found that water deprivation produced no long-term effects on body weight in the gerbils but it did completely stop reproduction when both members of a pair or when only the female were deprived. Water deprivation did reduce the size of the males testis seminal vesicle and ventral scent gland size but reproduction did continue when only the male was deprived. When water was provided again reproductive function was recovered. It is concluded from these results that seasonal variations in water consumption may regulate seasonal breeding patterns in the wild gerbil population and that the access to a limited supply of water may be related to territoriality in the Mongolian gerbil.
Use case modelling for risk based maintenance management system

Utility companies are shifting their maintenance strategies from corrective or time-based to risk based. Meanwhile, the asset datasets which support these strategies are being migrated from spreadsheets to databases. As a first necessary step of this migration, the authors analyzes the requirements from risk based maintenance strategies add to the maintenance management software systems, through extending the use cases of existing software products. The main contribution and characteristic of these extensions is to provide “flexible information sharing”, i.e. facilitate the growing demands to exchange asset data among stakeholders for the future development of asset management systems.
Compensated back-channel TFTs in hydrogenated amorphous silicon

Compensated back-channel inverted staggered TFTs have been made in a-Si:H. Donor impurities were implanted to form a good source and drain ohmic contact followed by an acceptor implant to compensate the channel region. TFTs have been made with no degradation of channel mobility due to the implants and a leakage current between source and drain comparable with the best TFTs made using conventional etched back-channel technology.
Multislice MRI in assessment of myocardial perfusion in patients with single-vessel proximal left anterior descending coronary artery disease before and after revascularization.

BACKGROUND Our purpose was to use multislice MRI for detection of reversible myocardial ischemia and assessment of the effect of revascularization on tissue perfusion in patients with coronary artery disease. METHODS AND RESULTS Eleven patients with single-vessel proximal left anterior descending coronary artery disease were studied with MRI and thallium scintigraphy before and 3 months after revascularization. All patients had a reversible perfusion defect by scintigraphy before treatment. With a 1.5-T MR imager, IR-prepared turboflash images were acquired in three left ventricular short-axis planes during 0.05 mmol/kg Gd-DTPA bolus at rest and with dipyridamole-induced stress. Before treatment, stress increased enhancement slope in normal (6.4+/-4.4 to 7.4+/-5.0 s(-1), P<. 04) and decreased it in underperfused (5.4+/-3.7 to 2.6+/-1.4 s(-1), P<. 02) regions, resulting in a contrast-to-noise ratio of 6.87+/-3.09 in underperfused myocardium. Revascularization normalized enhancement patterns of the formerly underperfused myocardium and decreased defect size both in scintigraphy (66+/-53 degrees to 8+/-12 degrees, P<.001) and MRI sections (49+/-41 degrees to 9+/-8 degrees, P<.001). Agreement of 85% in detection and correlation of 0.86 (SEE, 21 degrees, P<.001) in sizing perfusion defects was found between MRI and scintigraphy. CONCLUSIONS Multislice contrast-enhanced MRI can be used to detect myocardial perfusion defects in patients with coronary artery disease and in assessment of the effect of treatment on myocardial perfusion.
G protein βγ subunits inhibit TRPM3 ion channels in sensory neurons

Transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels in peripheral sensory neurons are functionally regulated by hydrolysis of the phosphoinositide PI(4,5)P2 and changes in the level of protein kinase mediated phosphorylation following activation of various G protein coupled receptors. We now show that the activity of TRPM3 expressed in mouse dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons is inhibited by agonists of the Gi-coupled µ opioid, GABA-B and NPY receptors. These agonist effects are mediated by direct inhibition of TRPM3 by Gβγ subunits, rather than by a canonical cAMP mediated mechanism. The activity of TRPM3 in DRG neurons is also negatively modulated by tonic, constitutive GPCR activity as TRPM3 responses can be potentiated by GPCR inverse agonists. GPCR regulation of TRPM3 is also seen in vivo where Gi/o GPCRs agonists inhibited and inverse agonists potentiated TRPM3 mediated nociceptive behavioural responses. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.26138. 001
Association study of the polymorphisms in the KISS1 gene with central precocious puberty in Chinese girls.

OBJECTIVE The kisspeptin/GPR54 pathway has been proven to be crucial in the process of puberty onset, yet the polymorphisms in the KISS1 gene and their relationships with central precocious puberty (CPP) have not been investigated. This study was performed to reveal the relationship between the gene and the disease. DESIGN AND METHODS 272 Chinese Han girls diagnosed to be CPP patients were recruited as Case Group I, 43 unrelated African women as Case Group II, and 288 unrelated normal Chinese Han girls as Control Group. Polymorphism scans of the KISS1 gene were performed for the first time by bidirectional resequencing of the whole gene in a subset of the patients, and then by ligase detection reaction some of the polymorphisms identified were typed in the two groups and the respective haplotypes were constructed. The relationships of the typed polymorphisms and the haplotypes with CPP were evaluated by an association study between genotypes and phenotypes. RESULTS By resequencing, eight polymorphisms were identified, five of which were typed forming 18 haplotypes. Although one novel nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphism substituting one amino acid in kisspeptin (P110T) was found to be statistically related to the disease (P = 0.025), no further supporting evidence has yet been found. The other polymorphisms and all the haplotypes were not found to be related. CONCLUSION The polymorphism scanning and typing of KISS1 uncovered several potentially meaningful polymorphisms, but the conclusion was not solid and further studies are necessary for function validation of these polymorphisms.
Effects of Lovastatin on High-Density Lipoprotein Subfractions in Hypercholesterolemic Patients with Peripheral Vascular Disease

The effects of lovastatin treatment on high-density lipoprotein subfractions (HDL2 and HDL 3) were investigated in 34 patients with severe peripheral vascular disease and type IIa or type IIb hyperlipoproteinemia by use of a density gradient ultracentrifugation method. Lovastatin therapy caused greater percentage changes in HDL2 than in HDL3. In HDL2 the increases of cholesterol, total lipid, apolipoprotein AI (apoAI) and apoliproprotein AII (apoAII) concentrations were 23% (p < 0.05), 28% (p < 0.01), 24% (p < 0.01) and 11 % (p < 0.01), respectively, in subjects with the type IIa phenotype. In patients with the type IIb phenotype the corresponding increases were 42% (p < 0.01), 44% (p < 0.01), 38% (p < 0.01) and 21% (p < 0.05), respectively. The apoAI/apoAII weight ratio in HDL2 rose by 11% and by 13% in type IIa and type IIb patients, respectively. The present results suggest that during lovastatin treatment the slight increase in serum HDL-cholesterol concentration was due, not to cholesterol enrichment by high-density lipoproteins, but more probably to an increase of the number of HDL particles. The observed changes were more pronounced in type IIb than in type IIa patients.
Skin vascular alterations in diabetes mellitus.

Many studies employing a variety of physiological techniques have demonstrated impaired responses on the part of the superficial smaller blood vessels of diabetics who had no evidences of large vessel disease. In 1930, Starr 1 performed "wheal tests" with histamine injected intracutaneously in the legs of stabilized diabetics. He found that in 50 diabetic patients without evidence of arteriosclerosis, 8 had markedly diminished and 17 had moderately diminished wheal formation (50% hyporeactive). In another group of 25 diabetic patients who had evidence of generalized arteriosclerosis but with excellent dorsalis pedis pulsations, 11 had markedly diminished and 9 had markedly decreased wheal responses (80% hyporeactors). Starr also noted that hyporeaction occurred but was reversible in patients with acidosis. In a more recent study, 7 out of 16 diabetics without demonstrable vascular disease showed inadequate temperature elevation of the skin of the toes after the intravenous administration of tolazoline hydrochloride (Priscoline), 2
Security and Privacy for the Internet of Drones: Challenges and Solutions

A recent trend in both industry and research is the Internet of Drones, which has applications in both civilian and military settings. However, drones (also known as unmanned aerial vehicles) are generally not designed with security in mind, and there are fundamental security and privacy issues that need study. Hence, in this article, we study the architecture and its security and privacy requirements. We also outline potential solutions to address challenging issues such as privacy leakage, data confidentiality protection, and flexible accessibility, with the hope that this article will provide the basis for future research in this emerging area.
Developmental changes in choline‐ and ethanolamine‐containing compounds measured with proton‐decoupled 31P MRS in in vivo human brain

Cerebral phosphorylated metabolites, possibly involved in membrane and myelin sheath metabolism, were measured and quantified using proton‐decoupled 31P ({1H}‐31P) MRS in 32 children and 28 adults. Age‐dependent changes were determined for phosphorylethanolamine (PE), phosphorylcholine (PC), glycerophosphorylethanolamine (GPE), glycerophosphorylcholine (GPC), and phosphocreatine (PCr) concentrations. In the neonate, PE dominates the spectrum and decreases with age along with PC, whereas GPE, GPC, and PCr increase in concentration with postnatal age. PE (1.23 ± 0.13 mM) and GPE (0.57 ± 0.08 mM) co‐resonate with choline in 1H MRS. Together with PC (0.57 ± 0.12 mM) and GPC (0.94 ± 0.13 mM) these four metabolites accounted for all of the visible 1H MRS choline in normal adult brain. Children with diseases that affect myelination were found to have abnormal {1H}‐31P MRS. The new quantitative assay may provide novel insights in determining and monitoring normal and abnormal brain maturation noninvasively. Magn Reson Med 42:643–654, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Are subjective well-being measures any better than decision utility measures?

Abstract There are a number of substantial problems with using decision-based utility measures such as the time trade off and standard gamble to value improvements in health. Dolan (this issue) argues that because of these problems, it would be better to use measures of real experiences (subjective well being). We review evidence that supports criticisms of decision-based utility measures, whether provided by patients or non-patients. But we also review a number of substantial problems with currently used measures of subjective well-being, and point out that there is no definitive evidence that they represent any improvement over decision utility measures. We conclude with a call for expanded research into developing new tools for quantifying health-related quality of life that are more valid, more sensitive to changes in health status, and less biased.
Tubular sclerosis rather than the smear layer impedes dye penetration into the dentine of endodontically instrumented root canals.

AIM To evaluate the effect of different root canal irrigating regimes on dentine penetration of Patent Blue dye. METHODOLOGY Eighty extracted single-rooted human mandibular premolar teeth with narrow root canals were prepared using ProFile instruments. After each instrument, canals were irrigated with 1% sodium hypochlorite. Subsequently, teeth were randomly assigned to receive a 10 mL rinse of aqueous 17% (w/v) ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid or tap water for 2 or 10 min, followed by a final rinse with a 2% Patent Blue dye solution for 2 or 10 min (eight groups, n = 10 teeth per group). Teeth were then horizontally sectioned 3, 6 and 9 mm from the apex. Sections were digitally photographed and dye penetration was calculated as percentage of total dentine area using NIH Image J. Values were compared using one-way anova and Bonferroni correction with the alpha-type error set at <0.05. Representative tooth sections from all groups were further analysed using scanning electron microscopy. RESULTS No significant impact of irrigating protocols on dye penetration was found. Dye penetration was significantly (P < 0.001) greater in the coronal than middle, and in middle than in apical root thirds. When observed microscopically, irrigant penetration was independent of the presence of a smear layer, but was rather a function of tubular sclerosis. CONCLUSIONS Tubular sclerosis, a physiological phenomenon that starts in the third decade of life in the apical root region and advances coronally with age, was the main factor influencing penetrability of root dentine.
Midgut pseudotumors and the maintenance of tissue homeostasis: Studies on aging and manipulated stick insects

Stick insects (Carausius morosus) develop pseudotumors in aging adults. Pseudotumor formation starts at the M2 midgut region where an accumulation of stomatogastric nerve terminals is observed. Pseudotumors arise from dying columnar cells whose basal parts form an “amorphous substance” at the basement membrane whereas the apical parts, including the nucleus, are expelled into the gut lumen. The “amorphous substance” is ensheathed by hemocytes. These nodules, which do not melanize, characterize the phenotype of the pseudotumors. With age, cell death and pseudotumor infestation increases. It is shown that the maintenance of midgut tissue homoeostasis is disturbed and becomes more serious with growing pseudotumor incidence. The increased death rate of differentiated columnar cells is no longer compensated by the proliferation of regenerative cells, i.e., intestinal stem cells, in the midgut nidi. The appearance of “holes” in the intestinal wall is evidently a causative factor of premature death. Extirpation of the hypocerebral ganglion in young adults of the stick insect (before the onset of spontaneous pseudotumor formation) provokes the apoptosis of a large number of columnar cells within 24 h and the formation of pseudotumors that are histologically identical with spontaneous ones. We conclude that the stomatogastric nervous system plays a decisive role in the regulatory mechanism maintaining midgut tissue homeostasis. The possibility of experimentally manipulating the regulatory system provides a valuable tool for the exploration of extrinsic factors involved into the feedback circuitry of tissue homeostasis. The fact that comparable pseudotumors were observed in a number of orthopteromorphan species, where they could also be induced by the interruption of the stomatogastric nervous system, indicates that its role in tissue homoeostasis may be widespread in insects and possibly represent a general principle. J. Morphol. , 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Methodological approach to assess tractor stability in normal operation in field using a commercial warning device

Since Roll-Over Protective Structures (ROPS) are mandatory on tractors, the number of fatalities caused in the event of an upset is definitely reduced. Nevertheless, fatal accidents caused by machine loss of stability are still of great concern. In fact, despite ROPS have reduced injury to agricultural operators, tractor stability is still a complex issue due to its high versatility in use, especially considering normal operations in field, when interactions with the environment such as soil morphology and climatic conditions are involved, as well as interactions with operator skills and experience. With the aim of collecting data on different variables influencing the dynamics of tractors in field, a commercial device that allows the continuous monitoring of working conditions and the active configuration of the machines was fitted on standard tractors in normal operation at the experimental farm of the Bologna University. The device consists of accelerometers, gyroscope, GSM/GPRS, GPS for geo-referencing and a transceiver for the automatic recognition of tractor-connected equipment. A microprocessor processes data and provides information, through a dedicated algorithm requiring data on the geometry of the tested tractor, on the level of risk for the operator in terms of probable loss of stability and suggests corrective measures to reduce the potential instability of the tractor.
Feeding Vitamin C during Neonatal and Juvenile Growth Improves Learning and Memory of Rats

ABSTRACT We investigated the effects of feeding vitamin C (Vit C) during neonatal and juvenile growth on learning and memory of rats. Rats after delivery were randomly divided into four groups and treated. Group 1, control group, received normal drinking water. Groups 2–4 received Vit C 10, 100, and 500 mg/kg, respectively, from the first day. After 8 weeks, 10 male offspring of each group were randomly selected and tested in the Morris water maze (MWM) and passive avoidance (PA) tests. Finally, the brains were removed for biochemical measurement. In MWM, 10–500 mg/kg Vit C reduced the latency and traveled distance and increased time spent in the target quadrant. In PA, 10 and 100 mg/kg of Vit C increased the latency; 10–500 mg/kg of Vit C decreased the malondialdehyde (MDA) in the brain tissues and increased thiol and catalase (CAT) activity compared to the control group. We showed that feeding rats Vit C during neonatal and juvenile growth has positive effects on learning and memory.