Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interaction of flavones and their bromoacetyl derivatives with NAD(P)H:quinone acceptor oxidoreductase.

Flavones are a new type of inhibitor of NAD(P)H:quinone acceptor oxidoreductase (DT-diaphorase, EC 1.6.99.2). To further characterize the flavone binding site, three bromoacetyl derivatives of flavones, i.e., 7-bromoacetylflavone, 5-hydroxyl-7-bromoacetylflavone, and 7,8-dibromoacetylflavone, have been synthesized. These compounds have been found to be potent inhibitors that inactivate the rat quinone reductase in a time-dependent manner, suggesting that they can be used as affinity labels for the enzyme. Among the three bromoacetyl derivatives, 7,8-dibromoacetylflavone is the most potent inhibitor; however, its labeling of the quinone reductase is the least stable, so that the enzyme regains activity after a short incubation. In contrast, the inactivation of the quinone reductase by 5-hydroxyl-7-bromoacetylflavone is stable. Accordingly, this flavone derivative is the most suitable compound for labeling the flavone binding site of the enzyme. Electrospray mass spectrometry has been applied to demonstrate that 5-hydroxyl-7-bromoacetylflavone labels this enzyme in a stoichiometric manner.
Data Requisites for Transformer Statistical Lifetime Modelling—Part I: Aging-Related Failures

Statistical lifetime models are regarded as an important part of the replacement management of power transformers. The development of transformer lifetime models, however, is hindered by the lack of failure data since most of the transformer fleets have not yet completed their first lifecycle. As researchers realized the importance of survival data, lots of lifetime models are developed based on failure data together with survival data. This paper analyzes the effect of survival data on the accuracy of lifetime models through a series of Monte Carlo simulations. It has been proved that the accuracy of lifetime models can be improved by taking the survival data into account. However, the degree of improvement is greatly confined by the censoring rate and the sample size of the collected lifetime data. Practical implications of the simulation results and suggestions on measures to further improve the accuracy of lifetime models are subsequently provided.
Ziprasidone-induced spontaneous orgasm

Neuroleptic treatment in schizophrenic patients has been associated with sexual dysfunction, including impotence and decreased libido. Spontaneous ejaculation without sexual arousal during typical antipsychotic treatment is a rare condition that has been described with zuclopentixol, trifluoperazine, and thiothixene. Here, we are reporting a case of spontaneous orgasm with ziprasidone in a bipolar patient. This patient began to repeatedly experience spontaneous sexual arousal and orgasm, which she had never experienced in the past. Ziprasidone might be causing an increase in sexual orgasm by 5-HT2 receptor antagonism, which preclinical evidence suggests that it facilitates dopamine release in the cortex.
The Working Memory Networks of the Human Brain

Working memory and short-term memory are closely related in their cognitive architecture, capacity limitations, and functional neuroanatomy, which only partly overlap with those of long-term memory. The author reviews the functional neuroimaging literature on the commonalities and differences between working memory and short-term memory and the interplay of areas with modality-specific and supramodal representations in the brain networks supporting these fundamental cognitive processes. Sensory stores in the visual, auditory, and somatosensory cortex play a role in short-term memory, but supramodal parietal and frontal areas are often recruited as well. Classical working memory operations such as manipulation, protection against interference, or updating almost certainly require at least some degree of prefrontal support, but many pure maintenance tasks involve these areas as well. Although it seems that activity shifts from more posterior regions during encoding to more anterior regions during delay, some studies reported sustained delay activity in sensory areas as well. This spatiotemporal complexity of the short-term memory/working memory networks is mirrored in the activation patterns that may explain capacity constraints, which, although most prominent in the parietal cortex, seem to be pervasive across sensory and premotor areas. Finally, the author highlights open questions for cognitive neuroscience research of working memory, such as that of the mechanisms for integrating different types of content (binding) or those providing the link to long-term memory. NEUROSCIENTIST 13(3):257—267, 2007.
Anticancer Activity of Selected Phenolic Compounds: QSAR Studies Using Ridge Regression and Neural Networks

Phenol and its congeners are known to induce caspase‐mediated apoptosis activity and cytotoxicity on various cancer cell lines. Apoptosis, scavenging of radicals, antioxidant, and pro‐oxidant characteristics are primarily responsible for the antitumor activities of phenolic compounds. Quantitative structure–activity relationship studies on the cellular apoptosis and cytotoxicity of phenolic compounds have been investigated recently by Selassie and colleagues (J Med Chem;48:7234, 2005) wherein models were developed for various carcinogenic cell lines. These quantitative structure–activity relationship models are based on few experimentally obtained physicochemical parameters such as Verloop’s sterimol descriptor, hydrophobicity, Hammett electronic parameter, and octanol/water partition coefficient. The paper deals with structure–activity relationships of phenols and its derivatives for the development of predictive models from the standpoint of theoretical structural parameters and ridge regression methodology. The quantitative structure–activity relationship studies developed here for the caspase‐mediated apoptosis activity and cytotoxicity on murine leukemia cell line (L1210), human promylolytic cell line (HL‐60), human breast cancer cell line (MCF‐7), parenteral human acute lymphoblastic cells (CCRF‐CEM), and multidrug‐resistant subline of CCRF‐resistant to vinblastine (CEM/VLB) cells utilize physicochemical molecular descriptors calculated solely from the structure of phenolic compounds under investigation along with the descriptors used by Selassie and group. It is seen that such quantitative structure–activity relationships can provide a better quality predictive model for the phenolic compounds. The biological activities of the nine sets of phenolic compounds have been calculated based on ridge regression analysis that clearly gives a better significant correlation compared to the activities predicted by Selassie and co‐workers. Counter‐propagation artificial neural network studies have been introduced in the present investigation for a better understanding of multidimensional rational patterns in more complex data sets. The counter‐propagation artificial neural network studies were performed on the same data set and with the same descriptors as have been carried out in developing ridge regression models and the result of counter‐propagation neural network models produces very interesting findings in terms of leave‐one‐out test. Finally, an attempt has been made for a comparative study of the relative effectiveness of linear statistical methods versus nonlinear techniques, such as counter‐propagation neural networks in modeling structure–activity studies of the phenolic compounds.
Using Current Steering to Increase Spectral Resolution in CII and HiRes 90K Users

Objectives: The HiResolution Bionic Ear has the capability of creating virtual spectral channels using current steering. Through simultaneous delivery of current to pairs of adjacent electrodes, it is hypothesized that the effective locus of stimulation can be steered to sites between the contacts by varying the proportion of current delivered to each electrode of the pair. Thus, theoretically, many intermediate regions of stimulation can be created with fine control over the proportion and amplitude of current delivered to each electrode. This study investigated the number of spectral channels—or different pitches—that could be resolved by adult users of the CII and HiRes 90K cochlear implants when current steering was applied to three pairs of electrodes along the implanted array. Design: Subjects were postlinguistically deafened adults recruited from the general CII and HiRes 90K user populations at 11 participating study sites. After loudness balancing and pitch ranking electrode pairs (2 and 3, 8 and 9, 13 and 14), an adaptive paradigm was used to estimate the number of intermediate pitch percepts that could be heard for each pair when current steering was implemented. Those data were used to estimate the potential number of spectral channels for each electrode pair. Results: Data from 57 implanted ears indicated that the numbers of spectral channels per electrode pair ranged from one (subjects who could not tell the electrodes apart) to 52 (an individual who had 52 different pitch percepts for the midarray pair of electrodes). The average numbers of spectral channels that could be distinguished were 5.4 for the basal electrode pair, 8.7 for the midarray electrode pair, and 7.2 for the apical electrode pair. Assuming that the average numbers of spectral channels for these three electrode pairs were representative of the entire 16-contact array, the potential total numbers of spectral channels could be estimated. For the 57 ears, the number of potential channels ranged from 8 to 466, with an average of 93. Conclusions: The HiResolution Bionic Ear has the ability to steer current through simultaneous stimulation of adjacent electrode contacts. These data show that the majority of subjects perceive additional spectral channels other than those associated with stimulation of the fixed electrodes when current steering is implemented. The results suggest that the average cochlear implant user may have significantly more place-pitch capability than is exploited presently by cochlear implant systems. Current steering will be implemented in a wearable sound-processing strategy that can deliver up to 120 spectral channels to CII and HiRes 90K recipients. The new strategy takes advantage of untapped capabilities of the CII/HiRes 90K implanted electronics and will be implemented through software, with no additional surgery required. It is anticipated that the improved spectral resolution offered by current steering will lead to better speech perception in noise and improved music appreciation.
Evidence for strain‐specific protective immunity against blood‐stage parasites of Plasmodium cynomolgi in toque monkey

We have conducted experiments to test the induction of strain‐specific protective immunity against Plasmodium cynomolgi infections in toque monkeys. Plasmodium cynomolgi is closely related biologically and genetically to the human malaria parasite, P. vivax. Two groups of monkeys were immunized against either of two strains of P. cynomolgi, namely PcCeylon and Pc746, by giving two successive drug‐cured infections with asexual blood‐stage parasites of one or the other strain, 12‐weeks apart. To test for strain‐specific protective immunity these infection‐immunized monkeys were challenged 8 weeks later with a mixture of asexual blood‐stage parasites of both strains. A pyrosequencing‐based assay was used to quantify the proportion of parasites that survived in the challenge infections. The assay was based on a SNP within the P. cynomolgi Merozoite Surface Protein‐1 gene. Compared to their behaviour in nonimmunized monkeys, the growth of parasites of the homologous (immunizing) strain in mixed‐strain challenge infections in the immunized monkeys were reduced relative to that of the nonimmunizing strain. These results indicate the development of blood infection‐induced strain‐specific protective immunity against P. cynomolgi in toque monkeys. The work prepares for using genetic analysis to identify target antigens of strain‐specific protective immunity in this host and malaria parasite combination.
Dry Needling versus Acupuncture: The Ongoing Debate

Although Western medical acupuncture (WMA) is commonly practised in the UK, a particular approach called dry needling (DN) is becoming increasingly popular in other countries. The legitimacy of the use of DN by conventional non-physician healthcare professionals is questioned by acupuncturists. This article describes the ongoing debate over the practice of DN between physical therapists and acupuncturists, with a particular emphasis on the USA. DN and acupuncture share many similarities but may differ in certain aspects. Currently, little information is available from the literature regarding the relationship between the two needling techniques. Through reviewing their origins, theory, and practice, we found that DN and acupuncture overlap in terms of needling technique with solid filiform needles as well as some fundamental theories. Both WMA and DN are based on modern biomedical understandings of the human body, although DN arguably represents only one subcategory of WMA. The increasing volume of research into needling therapy explains its growing popularity in the musculoskeletal field including sports medicine. To resolve the debate over DN practice, we call for the establishment of a regulatory body to accredit DN courses and a formal, comprehensive educational component and training for healthcare professionals who are not physicians or acupuncturists. Because of the close relationship between DN and acupuncture, collaboration rather than dispute between acupuncturists and other healthcare professionals should be encouraged with respect to education, research, and practice for the benefit of patients with musculoskeletal conditions who require needling therapy.
Central Visual Pathways in Glaucoma: Evidence for Distal Mechanisms of Neuronal Self-Repair

Abstract: As in other age-related neurodegenerative diseases, progression of neurodegeneration in glaucoma involves early axonopathy. In glaucoma, this is marked by degradation of active transport along retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons projecting from the retina to the brain. In experimental systems, transport degradation occurs first in the most distal site in the RGC projection, the superior colliculus (SC) of the midbrain. Even as degradation progresses from one retinotopic sector to the next, important structures in the affected sectors persist, including synapses from RGC axon terminals onto SC neurons. This structural persistence is accompanied by focally increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor in hypertrophic SC astrocyte glia and defines a therapeutic window of opportunity. Thus, central brain structures in glaucoma may respond to disease-relevant stress by induction of mechanisms useful for maintaining retinal signals.
Nuclear Phytochrome A Signaling Promotes Phototropism in Arabidopsis[W][OA]

This article shows that the phytochrome A photoreceptor promotes reorientation of the hypocotyl toward blue light (phototropism) by regulating the expression of nuclear genes. It also shows that phytochrome A nuclear signaling events still operate in a mutant where phytochrome A does not significantly accumulate in the nucleus. Phototropin photoreceptors (phot1 and phot2 in Arabidopsis thaliana) enable responses to directional light cues (e.g., positive phototropism in the hypocotyl). In Arabidopsis, phot1 is essential for phototropism in response to low light, a response that is also modulated by phytochrome A (phyA), representing a classical example of photoreceptor coaction. The molecular mechanisms underlying promotion of phototropism by phyA remain unclear. Most phyA responses require nuclear accumulation of the photoreceptor, but interestingly, it has been proposed that cytosolic phyA promotes phototropism. By comparing the kinetics of phototropism in seedlings with different subcellular localizations of phyA, we show that nuclear phyA accelerates the phototropic response, whereas in the fhy1 fhl mutant, in which phyA remains in the cytosol, phototropic bending is slower than in the wild type. Consistent with this data, we find that transcription factors needed for full phyA responses are needed for normal phototropism. Moreover, we show that phyA is the primary photoreceptor promoting the expression of phototropism regulators in low light (e.g., PHYTOCHROME KINASE SUBSTRATE1 [PKS1] and ROOT PHOTO TROPISM2 [RPT2]). Although phyA remains cytosolic in fhy1 fhl, induction of PKS1 and RPT2 expression still occurs in fhy1 fhl, indicating that a low level of nuclear phyA signaling is still present in fhy1 fhl.
The impact of dietary fibers on dendritic cell responses in vitro is dependent on the differential effects of the fibers on intestinal epithelial cells.

SCOPE In the present study, the direct interaction of commonly consumed fibers with epithelial or dendritic cells (DCs) was studied. METHODS AND RESULTS The fibers were characterized for their sugar composition and chain length profile. When in direct contact, fibers activate DCs only mildly. This was different when DCs and fibers were co-cultured together with supernatants from human epithelial cells (Caco spent medium). Caco spent medium enhanced the production of IL-12, IL-1Ra, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, MCP-1 (monocyte chemotactic protein), and MIP-1α but this was strongly attenuated by the dietary fibers. This attenuating effect on proinflammatory cytokines was dependent on the interaction of the fibers with Toll-like receptors as it was reduced by Pepinh-myd88. The interaction of galacto-oligosaccharides, chicory inulin, wheat arabinoxylan, barley β-glucan with epithelial cells and DCs led to changes in the production of the Th1 cytokines in autologous T cells, while chicory inulin, and barley β-glucan reduced the Th2 cytokine IL-6. The Treg-promoting cytokine IL-10 was induced by galacto-oligosaccharides whereas chicory inulin decreased the IL-10 production. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that dietary fibers can modulate the host immune system not only by the recognized mechanism of effects on microbiota but also by direct interaction with the consumer's mucosa. This modulation is dietary fiber type dependent.
Nogo-A and Nogo Receptor Expression in Demyelinating Lesions of Multiple Sclerosis

A myelin-associated neurite outgrowth inhibitor, Nogo-A, plays a key role in inhibition of axonal regeneration following injury and ischemia in the central nervous system (CNS). Because axonal injury is a pathologic hallmark of multiple sclerosis (MS), we have investigated the expression of Nogo-A and its receptor NgR in four MS and 12 non-MS control brains by immunohistochemistry. Nogo-A expression was markedly upregulated in surviving oligodendrocytes at the edge of chronic active demyelinating lesions of MS and ischemic lesions of acute and old cerebral infarction, whereas NgR expression was greatly enhanced in reactive astrocytes and microglia/macrophages in these lesions when compared with their expression in the brains of neurologically normal controls. Nogo-A and NgR were also identified in a subpopulation of neurons. In contrast, Nogo-A was undetectable in reactive astrocytes and microglia/macrophages and NgR was not expressed on oligodendrocytes in any cases examined. Western blot analysis and double labeling immunocytochemistry identified the constitutive expression of NgR in cultured human astrocytes. These results suggest that Nogo-A expressed on oligodendrocytes might interact with NgR presented by reactive astrocytes and microglia/macrophages in active demyelinating lesions of MS, although biologic effects caused by Nogo-A/NgR interaction among glial cells remain unknown.
Using phoebus data transfer accelerator in cloud environments

The quality of data exchange in cloud computing applications relies on the connection performance between user clients and their cloud storage providers, and is often dependent on the wide area network (WAN) properties among data centers. For certain classes of applications, it can be crucial to provide an end-to-end solution that accelerates large data transfers and improves overall user experience. The development and deployment of WAN optimization technology has been investigated for improving application performance in heterogeneous, multi-domain environments. WAN optimization devices and services implement a number of approaches for performance improvement, and one key insight is that in contrast to traditional end-to-end TCP connections, middleboxes that segment and optimize transport-layer connections can improve the performance of wide area data transfers. In the context of dynamic cloud computing environments, there is an obvious target for implementations of WAN optimization as Network Function Virtualization (NFV), where the flexibility of virtualized cloud environments can be exploited. This paper describes recent developments and experimentation of our Phoebus WAN accelerator framework. We introduce a software suite that includes new Phoebus clients that operate with the Phoebus Gateway network. We test and discuss virtualizing Phoebus Gateways to provide acceleration services in cloud data transfers. Use cases and performance evaluations are conducted on FutureGrid and Internet2 testbeds, and we demonstrate the effectiveness of a virtualized Phoebus deployment.
Endogenous Interleukin‐10 is Required for the Defervescence of Fever Evoked by Local Lipopolysaccharide‐Induced and Staphylococcus Aureus‐Induced Inflammation in Rats

We tested the hypothesis that endogenous interleukin (IL)‐10 limits the fever induced by a Gram‐negative bacterial toxin (Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide, LPS) and a Gram‐positive bacterial toxin (Staphylococcus aureus), when these toxins are injected into a subcutaneous air pouch (i.po.) in rats. Injection of LPS or S. aureus caused fevers that were reduced in amplitude and duration by simultaneous administration of rat recombinant IL‐10. The inhibition of fever by IL‐10 was accompanied by a significant reduction in the toxin‐evoked increases in concentrations of immunoreactive IL‐6 at the site of inflammation and of IL‐6 and IL‐1 receptor antagonist in the circulation. Conversely, neutralisation of endogenous IL‐10 in the pouch increased the amplitude and dramatically increased the duration of toxin‐evoked fever, and augmented toxin‐induced increases in pouch tumour necrosis factor‐α, IL‐1β, and especially IL‐6. Our data support a crucial regulatory role for endogenous IL‐10 in limiting the fever responses during both Gram‐negative and Gram‐positive infections.