Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Albumin and Hydroxyethyl Starch Modulate Oxidative Inflammatory Injury to Vascular Endothelium

BackgroundHuman serum albumin is used clinically to maintain colloid osmotic pressure and is viewed to serve an antioxidant role in the vascular compartment via binding of redox-active metal complexes, transport of nitric oxide, and the oxidant-scavenging reactions of the single thiol of human serum albumin, cys34. Because of these potentially desirable adjunctive actions, we evaluated the purity and thiol redox state and compared the relative effects of clinically available 25% human serum albumin preparations with a starch-derived colloid, 6% hydroxyethyl starch, in in vitro models of inflammatory vascular injury. MethodsBovine aortic endothelial cell responses to chemical, enzymatic, and cell-derived reactive inflammatory mediators in the presence of human serum albumin or hydroxyethyl starch were assessed. ResultsThe cys34 thiol of fresh human serum albumin preparations was 70–85% oxidized and contained a population of human serum albumin (approximately 25% of total) having the cys34 resistant to reduction by 2-mercaptoethanol and NaBH4. Treatment of bovine aortic endothelial cells with human serum albumin dose-dependently protected from HOCl-mediated 14C-adenine release, with this protective effect of human serum albumin not dependent on protein thiol status. Addition of human serum albumin to cell media provided no protection from the cytotoxic actions of peroxynitrite and xanthine oxidase-derived reactive species. Binding of activated polymorphonuclear leukocytes to bovine aortic endothelial cells was significantly amplified by hydroxyethyl starch and inhibited by human serum albumin administration. The binding of neutrophil-derived myeloperoxidase to bovine aortic endothelial cells, a mediator of multiple oxidative and nitric oxide-consuming reactions, was also inhibited by human serum albumin and enhanced by hydroxyethyl starch. ConclusionsClinical human serum albumin preparations show modest intrinsic non-thiol-dependent antiinflammatory properties in vitro, a phenomenon that was not observed with hydroxyethyl starch.
Acute pulmonary toxicity following inhalation exposure to aerosolized VX in anesthetized rats

ABSTRACT This study evaluated acute toxicity and pulmonary injury in rats at 3, 6 and 24 h after an inhalation exposure to aerosolized O-ethyl S-[2-(diisopropylamino)ethyl] methylphosphonothioate (VX). Anesthetized male Sprague-Dawley rats (250–300 g) were incubated with a glass endotracheal tube and exposed to saline or VX (171, 343 and 514 mg×min/m3 or 0.2, 0.5 and 0.8 LCt50, respectively) for 10 min. VX was delivered by a small animal ventilator at a volume of 2.5 ml × 70 breaths/minute. All VX-exposed animals experienced a significant loss in percentage body weight at 3, 6, and 24 h post-exposure. In comparison to controls, animals exposed to 514 mg×min/m3 of VX had significant increases in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) protein concentrations at 6 and 24 h post-exposure. Blood acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was inhibited dose dependently at each of the times points for all VX-exposed groups. AChE activity in lung homogenates was significantly inhibited in all VX-exposed groups at each time point. All VX-exposed animals assessed at 20 min and 3, 6 and 24 h post-exposure showed increases in lung resistance, which was prominent at 20 min and 3 h post-exposure. Histopathologic evaluation of lung tissue of the 514 mg×min/m3 VX-exposed animals at 3, 6 and 24 h indicated morphological changes, including perivascular inflammation, alveolar exudate and histiocytosis, alveolar septal inflammation and edema, alveolar epithelial necrosis, and bronchiolar inflammatory infiltrates, in comparison to controls. These results suggest that aerosolization of the highly toxic, persistent chemical warfare nerve agent VX results in acute pulmonary toxicity and lung injury in rats.
Effect of heat generation on mixed convection of micropolar Casson fluid over a stretching/shrinking sheet with suction

The problem of mixed convection involving the micropolar Casson fluid over a stretching/shrinking sheet is scrutinized in this study. The sheet is considered permeable with the inclusion of suction. The effect of heat generation is also taken into account. A set of suitable similarity variables is employed to reduce the governing partial differential equations to the ordinary differential equations. The built in bvp4c function in Matlab is utilized to solve the resulting ordinary differential equations. Elucidation of numerical results for the skin friction coefficient, Nusselt number and temperature profiles are presented through graphs for a certain range of governing parameters. The existence of non-unique solutions (dual solutions) are also discovered in this study. Final conclusion has been drawn on the effect of variations in suction parameter, Biot number and heat generation parameter and on the flow and heat transfer characteristics. Stability analysis reveals that the first solution is stable while the second solution is unstable.
Distribution of Plasmodium ovale in the eastern, western and northern regions of Uganda.

The first case of Plasmodium ovale infection in Uganda was reported by Manson-Bahr & Muggleton.a To the best of our knowledge this is the only case which has been reported in the medical literature, although the infection has been recognized occasionally at Mulago Hospital, Kampala.b In the Medical Annual Reports of the Uganda Ministry of Health, P. vivax and P. ovale are not differentiated and they appear under the same heading of " tertian malaria ". Recently, in an extensive review of the areas of distribution of P. ovale in Africa, Lacan c mentioned that 6 cases were found in 1963 in Uganda, presumably in Kigezi district in the course of the malaria eradication pilot project. In 1964 malariometric surveys were started throughout the country in the course of the malaria preeradication programme with a view to gaining more knowledge on the distribution to malaria and its vectors. At the end of 1966 the surveys had covered the Eastern, Western and Northern Regions of the country. The Central Region, The Buganda Kingdom, remained temporarily excluded because of emergency regulations affecting that part of the country. During the same period, longitudinal surveys on the study of the annual cycle of malaria were carried out in Busoga district and Karamoja district, and slides continued to be collected from Kigezi district, where a malaria eradication pilot project had been in operation from 1959 to 1963.de e The examination of 128 016 slides collected by all these different activities showed evidence of 251 P. ovale infections. They are the subject of the present study.
Topology optimization of distributed flexure hinges with desired performance

ABSTRACT Traditional notch flexure hinges have been widely used in precision engineering, but the lumped notch configuration limits the range of motion. This article presents a synthesis method for designing flexure hinges with distributed configurations using topology optimization. In order to obtain a distributed configuration, an optimization model for the topology optimization of a distributed flexure hinge is developed first. The objective is to maximize the bending displacement while minimizing the axial displacement. The constraint for accomplishing the symmetry requirement is presented. Then flexure hinges having the desired performance are designed on the basis of a distributed configuration. In particular, this work offers optimization models for designing flexure hinges with prescribed compliances and with minimal parasitic motion. This method is implemented based on the popular Solid Isotropic Material with Penalization (SIMP) method, and a number of numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the validity of the proposed method. The results of the examples demonstrate that the flexure hinges obtained have distributed configurations and the desired performances (prescribed compliances or minimal parasitic motion).
Driving Fatigue Classification Based on Fusion Entropy Analysis Combining EOG and EEG

The rising number of traffic accidents has become a major issue in our daily life, which has attracted the concern of society and governments. To deal with this issue, in our previous study, we have designed a real-time driving fatigue detection system using power spectrum density and sample entropy. By using the wireless technology and dry electrodes for EEG collection, we further integrated virtual reality simulated driving environment, which made our study more applicable to realistic settings. However, the high accuracy of classification for driving fatigue has not been obtained. To measure the time series complexity of the EEG signal, we proposed a fusion entropy (sample entropy, approximate entropy, and spectral entropy) analysis method of EEG and EOG. First, a sample entropy was applied for feature extraction from the horizontal and vertical EOG. Second, an approximate entropy, sample entropy, and spectral entropy features of each sub-band of EEG are extracted. Third, feature fusion for sub-band is performed by canonical correlation analysis (CCA). Finally, the features of EOG and EEG are classified using a relevant vector machine (RVM). Twenty-two subjects participated in the driving fatigue experiments for a duration of 90 min. The results demonstrated that the fusion entropy analysis combining EOG and EEG could provide an alternative method for driving fatigue detection, and the average accuracy rate was up to 99.1 ± 1.2%. The authors further analyzed the effect of feature fusion in four sub-bands (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\delta $ </tex-math></inline-formula>, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\alpha $ </tex-math></inline-formula>, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\beta $ </tex-math></inline-formula>, and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\theta $ </tex-math></inline-formula>) and compared with every single sub-band on classification performance, it is proved that the former is superior to the latter presenting the proposed method can provide effective indicators for driving fatigue detection.
Expressão Diferencial de Genes Relacionados à Tolerância ao Estresse Salino (NaCl) em Arroz Vermelho (Oryza sativa L.)

O arroz (Oryza sativa L.) e um dos principais produtos agricolas comercializados no mundo e o alimento basico para mais da metade da populacao mundial. Na regiao do Nordeste do Brasil o cultivo do arroz vermelho tem grande importância socio-economica, alem de ser um alimento integral e funcional associado a producao de compostos antioxidantes. Este grao apresenta alta variabilidade genetica e genes de resistencia a fatores bioticos e abioticos. Entretanto, o cultivo do arroz e suscetivel ao excesso de sais no solo. Neste contexto, no presente trabalho, objetivou-se estudar: (a) os parâmetros de crescimento vegetal sistema de classificacao SES, producao de fitomassa da parte aerea e da raiz, area foliar e comprimento da parte aerea e da raiz, em doze variedades de arroz vermelho com relacao a tolerância ao estresse salino (NaCl) e selecionar duas variedades, uma tolerante e outra suscetivel; (b) a expressao relativa de genes associados ao estresse salino OsHKT1;5, OsCIPK24, OsSOS1 e OsNHX1 em duas variedades de arroz vermelho selecionadas como tolerante e suscetivel ao estresse salino. Os estudos de crescimento vegetal foram realizados em sistema de cultivo hidroponico (IRRI), onde o tratamento de 100 mM de NaCl apresentou a maior reducao relativa dos parâmetros de crescimento vegetal quando comparado a 50 mM de NaCl. A massa fresca da parte aerea, a massa seca da parte aerea, o comprimento da parte aerea e a relacao da massa seca da raiz com a massa seca da parte aerea apresentaram correlacoes altamente significativas com o sistema de classificacao SES. Estes parâmetros permitiram a classificacao e selecao das variedades 0801 e 0903 como tolerante e suscetivel, respectivamente, durante a fase inicial do desenvolvimento vegetal. Os estudos de expressao relativa foram analisados atraves da expressao relativa do Cq comparativo (2-ΔΔCq) determinada apos a reacao de qPCR. Foi observado comportamento diferencial nas expressoes relativas medias dos quatro genes analisados entre as variedades de arroz vermelho tolerante (0801) e suscetivel (0903) no tratamento salino. Estas diferencas de expressao, respectivamente entre a variedade tolerante e suscetivel, nas folhas jovens foram provenientes dos genes OsCIPK24 (1,28 e 1,89 vezes) e OsHKT1;5 (1,53 e 1,70 vezes), ja nas folhas antigas estas diferencas foram determinadas para os genes OsSOS1 (-1,69 e 1,40 vezes) e OsCIPK24 (2,02 e 3,16 vezes). O gene OsNHX1 nao apresentou expressao diferencial entre as variedades tolerante e suscetivel, apresentando entretanto aumento da expressao relativa nas folhas antigas (media de 9,18 vezes) quando comparadas as folhas jovens (media de 2,02 vezes). A classificacao das variedades tolerante (0801) e suscetivel (0903) permitiu a identificacao de diferencas na expressao de genes relacionados ao estresse salino, contribuindo para elucidar os mecanismos que levam a diferenca no nivel de tolerância a salinidade destas variedades de arroz vermelho.
Effect of Lens Lesion on Neurite Outgrowth of Retinal Ganglion Cells in Vitro


Recent studies have shown that lens lesion promotes axonal regeneration in the optic nerve of adult rats. In the present investigations, dissociated retinal ganglion cells (RGC) from intact postnatal (P) 9-11 rats showed spontaneous neurite outgrowth on laminin-1, in contrast to RGC from intact P14-adult rats. Neurite outgrowth from P9-14 RGC on laminin-1 was promoted by prior lens lesion and also during coculture with lesioned lenses. Neurite outgrowth from adult RGC following prior lens lesion, or in cocultures with lesioned lenses, required the presence of laminin-2. In media conditioned by lesioned lenses, the stimulatory effect on neurite outgrowth was still observed in the presence of K252a (trk receptor blocker) and mAb 228 (which blocks the effects of leukemia inhibitory factor and ciliary neurotrophic factor). Together, these results suggest the existence of a neuritogenic factor(s) associated with the lesioned lens that belongs to neither the neurotrophin nor the gp130 cytokine family.
Supply Chain Management Implementation in Perspective of Knowledge Transfer

In this paper we will propose an integrated application framework and implementation processes for solving problems of supply chain management in knowledge transfer aspect. The supply chain management not only is important in controlling business by itself, but also provides a new solution and opportunity for business in building e-Business competitive strategy. The SCM implementation often entails transferring the business knowledge incorporated in adopting organizations. The knowledge-based view of the firm suggests that knowledge is the firm's key resource for creating and sustaining economic rent. In this paper, we try to find out and discuss a framework that could solve the knowledge crash and knowledge conflicts problems of SCM integration. We propose enterprises suggestions to put efforts on solving conflicts in integration process, and to implement e-Business technology concerning organization's adaptive capability and knowledge transfer.
Referral of Patients with Suspected Hereditary Breast-Ovarian Cancer or Lynch Syndrome for Genetic Services: A Systematic Review

Background: Referral of individuals with suspected hereditary breast-ovarian cancer or Lynch syndrome for genetic services is very important as it allows effective surveillance and prevention strategies for these individuals and their family members. However, evidence to date indicates poor recognition of both hereditary cancer syndromes, and inappropriate or under referral of patients with suspected hereditary cancer syndromes for genetic services. In this review, we summarize the most common physician-related factors important for referral of these patients for genetic services. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in both PubMed and Embase for studies published from the earliest date possible until May 1, 2013. The search terms included MeSH and Emtree headings, and free-text words: “health knowledge, attitudes, practice”, “attitude of health personnel”, “clinical competence”, “family history”, “referral and consultation”, “health care availability”, “availability of health care”, “health care access”, “accessibility of health care”, “genetic services”, “genetic counseling”, “genetic testing”, “genetic predisposition to cancer”, “hereditary neoplastic syndromes”, “familial cancer”, “hereditary cancer”, “Lynch syndrome”, “hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome”, and “physicians”. Three reviewers abstracted data and assessed quality independently, with disagreement resolved by consensus. Results: The search revealed 202 discrete citations. One hundred and twelve articles were retrieved and 41 relevant citations were assessed. Of the 41 relevant studies, 18 assessed family history documentation, 29 assessed physicians’ knowledge, 19 assessed awareness of genetic services, 29 assessed physicians’ referral patterns, and only three investigated physicians’ ability to distinguish between low- and high-risk patients. Physicians demonstrated insufficient knowledge about hereditary cancer syndromes, particularly Lynch syndrome. Family history documentation was inadequate and lacked details for proper risk assessment, and physicians were more likely to refer patients directly to a genetic service when they were aware of such services. Conclusions: This review highlights the need to improve referral of high-risk individuals and their family members for genetic services.
The Ferrous-dioxy Complex of Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase

Nitric oxide synthases (NOS) are hemeproteins that catalyze oxidation of l-arginine to nitric oxide (NO) and citrulline. The NOS heme iron is expected to participate in oxygen activation during catalysis, but its interactions with O2 are not characterized. We utilized the heme-containing oxygenase domain of neuronal NOS (nNOSoxy) and stopped-flow methods to study formation and autooxidative decomposition of the nNOSoxy oxygenated complex at 10 °C. Mixing ferrous nNOSoxy with air-saturated buffer generated a transient species with absorption maxima at 427 and ∼560 nm. This species decayed within 1 s to form ferric nNOSoxy. Its formation was first order with respect to O2, monophasic, and gave rate constants fork on = 9 × 105 m −1 s−1 andk off = 108 s−1 for anl-arginine- and tetrahydrobiopterin (H4B)-saturated nNOSoxy. Omission of l-arginine and/or H4B did not greatly effect O2 binding and dissociation rates. Decomposition of the oxygenated intermediate was independent of O2 concentration and was either biphasic or monophasic depending on sample conditions. l-Arginine stabilized the oxygenated intermediate (decay rate = 0.14 s−1), while H4B accelerated its decay by a factor of 70 irrespective of l-arginine. The spectral and kinetic properties of the intermediate identify it as the FeIIO2 complex of nNOSoxy. Destabilization of a metallo-oxy species by H4B is unprecedented and may be important regarding the role of this cofactor in NO synthesis.
Handling missing DNA microarray data by kriging estimators

Microarray gene expression data provide life science researchers with much more sensitive and detailed information about gene expression patterns than conventional methodologies for the purpose of facilitating gene recognition efforts. However, due to insufficient image resolution and noise generated during microarray experiments, gene expression matrices are frequently represented with missing elements. Methods for estimating missing microarray data are therefore needed to allow further analysis. In this paper, we present two kriging estimators for estimating missing values in DNA microarrays. These approaches can be useful for downstream analysis of microarray-based gene expression data.
Development of a force controlled robot for grinding, chamfering and polishing

This paper presents a force controlled robot system for grinding, chamfering and polishing in machining plants. To facilitate easy operations, a task-oriented robot language and a force control method for following the edges of workpieces have been developed. In the task-oriented robot language, a task is declared first by a task name, a tool code and a tool center point. The tool center point is a position in contact with a workpiece. These indexes and the force control motion command determine the parameters for the force control of the robot. The workpieces for grinding, chamfering, and polishing almost always differ their setting positions, their sizes and/or their shapes, even when the workpieces are the same parts in a machine. To cope with the workpiece difference, a tool moment control method, a skip function, and a round function have been developed. Experiments on chamfering of the edges of a part in an injection molding machine are reported.
Pharmacologic nephrectomy with chronic angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor treatment in renovascular hypertension in the rat.

Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor treatment in renovascular hypertension is associated with acute compromise of renal function in patients with bilateral renal artery stenosis or with arterial stenosis to a single functioning kidney. Recent evidence has suggested that renal function is also compromised in the stenosed kidney of patients with unilateral renal artery stenosis. The long-term consequence of this reduction in renal function is not known. We have studied the effect of chronic ACE inhibition with enalapril on renal structure and function in rats with the two-kidney one-clip model of renovascular hypertension. Four weeks after placement of a clip on the left renal artery, hypertensive rats were randomized to treatment with enalapril, minoxidil, or to a no treatment group. Twelve months later split kidney function was determined by chromium 51-labeled ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid clearance in surviving rats. Clearance of the clipped kidney was 0.0 ml/min (enalapril group), 0.26 +/- 0.23 ml/min (minoxidil group), and 0.74 +/- 0.13 ml/min (untreated group). The clipped kidney from the enalapril treated rats weighed much less than the minoxidil group or the untreated group (0.46 +/- 0.1 gm, 1.2 +/- 0.07 gm, and 1.14 +/- 0.10 gm, respectively). Enalapril treatment was stopped for 2 weeks in five rats. The clipped kidney remained small and nonfunctional. Histologic examination revealed marked interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy of the clipped kidneys from the enalapril treated group in contrast to minor changes in the minoxidil treated and untreated groups. After 12 months of treatment, survival in the enalapril group was 84%, 48% in the minoxidil group, and 15% in the untreated group. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Mixed Hardware and Software Embedded Signal Processing Methods for in-situ Analysis of Cardiac Activity

This paper presents the implementation of a combination of hardware and software signal processing methods on a wearable device for the continuous and long-term monitoring and analysis of cardiac activity during insitu experiments. Heart rate assessment and heart rate variability parameters are computed in real-time directly on the sensor, thus only few parameters are sent via wireless communication for power saving. Hardware method for heart rate measurement, and software methods for the calculation of time-domain and frequency-domain parameters of heart rate variability are described, and preliminary tests for the evaluation of the sensor are presented.