Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fatores que modificam a função congnitiva e motora na doença de Parkinson : um estudo sobre a influência do jogo de dominó

A doenca de Parkinson (DP) e caracterizada por acinesia, rigidez e tremor de repouso. Flutuacoes clinicas sao comumente observadas nessa afeccao e nao sao bem compreendidas. Tais flutuacoes, provavelmente, guardam relacao com o estado de neurotransmissao dopaminergica e com influencias de outros sistemas de neurotransmissores. Casos de jogo compulsivo foram descritos na DP e tem sido associados ao uso de agonistas dopaminergicos. Sabe-se que a via dopaminergica desempenha um papel fundamental no sistema de recompensa e tem sido implicada no reforco positivo apos o jogo. A pratica de jogos tem tambem sido associada a melhora da cognicao em pessoas idosas. O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar a influencia aguda do jogo de domino sobre a atividade motora e a memoria na DP. Nos avaliamos as caracteristicas socio-demograficas da populacao, o estado da funcao motora atraves da Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale parte III, a presenca de sintomas depressivos atraves do Inventario de Depressao de Beck (IDB), a memoria de trabalho atraves do Teste de Stroop parte III e o desempenho motor atraves do teste de caminhada e de digitacao rapida. O experimento consistiu na realizacao de um jogo de domino, entre 8 e 9 horas da manha. Os testes de memoria e desempenho motor foram realizados antes e apos o jogo. Apos a realizacao ou nao do jogo os pacientes foram classificados entre os grupos perdedor, vencedor e controle respectivamente. O estudo foi realizado no Ambulatorio de Disturbios do Movimento do HU da Faculdade de Medicina da UFC. Quarenta pacientes consecutivos, sendo 27 homens (67,5%) com idade entre 48 e 84 anos (63,2±8,5), com Hoehn &Yahr entre I e III foram avaliados. Na amostra estudada, 28 casos (70%) apresentavam sintomas depressivos (IDB>10). O grupo controle consistiu de 13 individuos que permaneceram sentados sem jogar. Quatorze pacientes foram vencedores e 13 foram perdedores. Nao houve diferenca estatisticamente significante entre os grupos quanto a idade, duracao da doenca, indice de massa corporea, dose de levodopa, uso de alcool, fumo, historico familiar de DP, presenca de sintomas depressivos e habitos de jogar jogos de azar. Uma paciente em uso de agonista dopaminergico referiu compulsao por jogos de azar. Os pacientes vencedores apresentaram melhor desempenho no teste de memoria de trabalho (p=0,002) e digitacao rapida (p= 0,01). Os perdedores apresentaram uma tendencia de melhora da caminhada apos o experimento. Em conclusao, nosso estudo mostra que a pratica de um jogo de domino se associa a melhora da memoria de trabalho e da atividade motora (avaliada pelo teste de digitacao rapida) em individuos com DP. Tais achados podem ser explicados pela liberacao de dopamina que ocorre apos o jogo atraves do sistema de recompensa.
Strait Answers from a Twisted Isthmus

For millions of years, the continental biotas of North and South America developed in nearly complete mutual isolation. By contrast, marine biotas of what are today the western Atlantic and eastern Pacific mixed freely in the broad, deep seaways between the two continents. A geographical transformation beginning in middle Miocene time and culminating in the destruction of the straits and in the formation of a continuous land bridge linking the continents changed these relationships fundamentally. The story of this transformation and of the response of tropical America's biotas to it forms the subject of fourteen datapacked chapters of a volume put together by Jeremy Jackson, Ann Budd, and Anthony Coates, the leaders of the Panama Paleontology Project (PPP). Why should we care about the recent geological and biological history of tropical America? There is, of course, the narrative itself, full of complexity and unsolved puzzles; but the events surrounding the formation of the land bridge also confront us with fundamental questions about biological diversity and its controls. Just what constitutes a barrier to gene flow among populations? How can we recognize a barrier? How and when does isolation among populations result in speciation? What happens to ecosystems when barriers among them fall? How does ecosystem structure affect extinction, speciation, and invasion? How does a changing configuration of land and sea affect climate, and what repercussions do local changes in geography have on climates and biotas worldwide? The telling of history is a wide-ranging and complex undertaking. Historians need a temporal framework in which to place events, as well as accounts of participants—their names, genealogies, interactions, and everyday lives—set in the context of geography and environment. Basic questions cannot be answered satisfactorily without a well-documented stratigraphy, taxonomy, and phylogeny; and these nuts and bolts of paleontology can't be used to erect a comprehensive structure without critical evidence derived from sedimentology, geochemistry, functional morphology, and the chronicles of daily life written in the accreted skeletons of animals. The great achievement of the PPP editors is that, just as the land bridge has linked biotas with separate histories and traditions, fruitful links have been established between disciplines among which mutual ignorance and skepticism have been historically all too common.
Olfactory reactions in the brain of the hedgehog

THOUGH many parts of the brain have been studied by recording their electrical activity there have been few attempts to apply this method to the 'olfactory regions. One reason may be that smell is not an important sense in man; another is that in mammals the olfactory parts of the brain are covered by the neopallium and are therefore difficult to expose. The difficulty is not insuperable, however, and varies from one species to another. The present work arose from the observation that in the hedgehog the olfactory bulb and the pyriform lobe are large and easily accessible 'and show a well-defined electrical activity related to olfactory stimulation. The same kind of activity has also been found in the cat. In several respects the olfactory discharge in the mammal resembles that found by Adrian & Ludwig [1938] in the olfactory tract of fish, though there are differences due to the periodic character of the stimulus and to a greater tendency to synchronization in the discharge.
A framework for measuring quality in the emergency department

There is increasing concern that medical care is of variable quality, with variable outcomes, safety, costs and experience for patients. Despite substantial efforts to improve patient safety, some studies suggest little evidence of reductions in adverse events. Furthermore, there is limited agreement about what outcomes are expected and whether increased expenditure results in a real improvement in outcome or experience. In emergency medicine, many countries have developed specific indicators to help drive improvements in patient care. Most of these are time based and there is a lack of consensus regarding which indicators are high priority and what an appropriate framework for measuring quality should look like.
A critical assessment of the performance criteria in confirmatory analysis for veterinary drug residue analysis using mass spectrometric detection in selected reaction monitoring mode.

Besides the identification point system to assure adequate set-up of instrumentation, European Commission Decision 2002/657/EC includes performance criteria regarding relative ion abundances in mass spectrometry and chromatographic retention time. In confirmatory analysis, the relative abundance of two product ions, acquired in selected reaction monitoring mode, the ion ratio should be within certain ranges for confirmation of the identity of a substance. The acceptable tolerance of the ion ratio varies with the relative abundance of the two product ions and for retention time, CD 2002/657/EC allows a tolerance of 5%. Because of rapid technical advances in analytical instruments and new approaches applied in the field of contaminant testing in food products (multi-compound and multi-class methods) a critical assessment of these criteria is justified. In this study a large number of representative, though challenging sample extracts were prepared, including muscle, urine, milk and liver, spiked with 100 registered and banned veterinary drugs at levels ranging from 0.5 to 100 µg/kg. These extracts were analysed using SRM mode using different chromatographic conditions and mass spectrometers from different vendors. In the initial study, robust data was collected using four different instrumental set-ups. Based on a unique and highly relevant data set, consisting of over 39 000 data points, the ion ratio and retention time criteria for applicability in confirmatory analysis were assessed. The outcomes were verified based on a collaborative trial including laboratories from all over the world. It was concluded that the ion ratio deviation is not related to the value of the ion ratio, but rather to the intensity of the lowest product ion. Therefore a fixed ion ratio deviation tolerance of 50% (relative) is proposed, which also is applicable for compounds present at sub-ppb levels or having poor ionisation efficiency. Furthermore, it was observed that retention time shifts, when using gradient elution, as is common practice nowadays, are mainly observed for early eluting compounds. Therefore a maximum retention time deviation of 0.2 min (absolute) is proposed. These findings should serve as input for discussions on the revision of currently applied criteria and the establishment of a new, globally accepted, criterion document for confirmatory analysis. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Intérêt des séquences de transfert de magnétisation pour l’évaluation de l’activité des fistules périnéales dans la maladie de Crohn

Objectif. L'objectif de notre travail etait d'evaluer la faisabilite de la sequence de transfert de magnetisation pour l’etude des fistules perineales chez les patients atteints de la maladie de Crohn, et d’etudier son apport pour l'evaluation de l'activite de la maladie. Materiels et methodes. Dans cette etude, 22 patients (âge moyen : 35,2 ans; extremes 17-53 ans) ont beneficie d’une IRM pelvienne 3 Tesla (General Electric) pour l’evaluation de fistules perineales. Les sequences du protocole standard etaient realisees : T2, T1 apres injection de gadolinium et diffusion auxquelles etaient ajoutees des sequences de transfert d’aimantation, avec une impulsion de saturation « off-resonance » de 800 et 1200 Hz. Le ratio de transfert de magnetisation (MTR) etait calcule pour chaque fistule pour ces deux valeurs. Les images etaient interpretees en consensus par deux radiologues. Les donnees morphologiques selon le score de Van Assche ainsi que les signes d’activite de la fistule par l’analyse du signal en diffusion et de la prise de contraste ont ete recueillis. Resultats. Tous les patients etaient atteints de la maladie de Crohn, 16 d’entre eux etaient sous anti-TNF-α. Le score de Van Assche moyen etait de 11,3 (extremes 4-21). Pour 17 patients, la fistule presentait un hypersignal T2, une prise de contraste et /ou un hypersignal diffusion et etait caracterisee comme active. Les sequences de transfert d’aimantation ont permis d’acquerir des images de bonne qualite avec une resolution spatiale satisfaisante pour l'evaluation des fistules perineales. Les MTR moyens a 800 et 1200 Hz etaient respectivement de 46,1 (extremes 12-68) et 33,2 (extremes 11-57). Le MTR a 800 Hz etait significativement plus bas dans les fistules non actives (moyenne 33,4), definies par l’absence d’hypersignal en diffusion, de prise de contraste et d’hypersignal T2 ; que dans les fistules actives (moyenne 49,9, p<0.003). Conclusion. L’imagerie de transfert de magnetisation pour l'evaluation des fistules perineales chez les patients atteints de la maladie de Crohn est faisable avec une qualite d'image satisfaisante et permet de discriminer les fistules perineales non actives de celles actives.
Cognitive impairment in the euthymic phase of affective disorder

Background. A review of studies of cognition in the euthymic phase of unipolar and bipolar affective disorder reveals diverging results. Methods. The study was designed as a controlled cohort study, with the Danish psychiatric case register of admissions used to identify patients and the Danish civil register to identify controls. Patients who were hospitalized between 19 and 25 years ago with an affective diagnosis and who at interviews fulfilled criteria for a primary affective unipolar or bipolar disorder, according to ICD-10, were compared with age- and gender-matched controls. Interviews and assessment of the cognitive function were made in the euthymic phase of the disorder. In all, 118 unipolar patients, 28 bipolar patients and 58 controls were included. Analyses were adjusted for differences in the level of education and for subclinical depressive and anxiety symptoms. Results. Patients with recurrent episodes were significantly more impaired than patients with a single episode and more impaired than controls. Also, within patients the number of prior episodes seemed to be associated with cognitive outcome. There was no difference in the severity of the dysfunction between unipolar and bipolar patients. Conclusions. Cognitive impairment in out-patients with unipolar and bipolar disorder appears to be associated with the number of affective episodes.
WIF1, a Wnt pathway inhibitor, regulates SKP2 and c-myc expression leading to G1 arrest and growth inhibition of human invasive urinary bladder cancer cells

Epigenetic silencing of secreted wingless-type (Wnt) antagonists through hypermethylation is associated with tobacco smoking and with invasive bladder cancer. The secreted Wnt inhibitory factor-1 (WIF1) has shown consistent growth-inhibitory effect on various cancer cell lines. Therefore, we assessed the mechanisms of action of WIF1 by either restoring WIF1 expression in invasive bladder cancer cell lines (T24 and TSU-PR1) or using a recombinant protein containing functional WIF1 domain. Both ectopic expression of WIF1 and treatment with WIF1 domain protein resulted in cell growth inhibition via G1 arrest. The G1 arrest induced by WIF1 is associated with down-regulation of SKP2 and c-myc and up-regulation of p21/WAF1 and p27/Kip1. Conversely, reexpression of SKP2 in WIF1-overexpressing TSU-PR1 cells attenuated the WIF1-induced G1 arrest. Furthermore, inhibition of nuclear Wnt signaling by either dominant-negative LEF1 or short hairpin RNA of TCF4 also reduced SKP2 expression. The human SKP2 gene contains two TCF/LEF1 consensus binding sites within the promoter. Chromatin immunoprecipitation/real-time PCR analysis revealed that both WIF1 and dominant-negative LEF1 expression decreased the in vivo binding of TCF4 and β-catenin to the SKP2 promoter. Together, our results suggest that mechanisms of WIF1-induced G1 arrest include (a) SKP2 down-regulation leading to p27/Kip1 accumulation and (b) c-myc down-regulation releasing p21/WAF1 transcription. Additionally, we show that WIF1 inhibits in vivo bladder tumor growth in nude mice. These observations suggest a mechanism for transformation of bladder epithelium on loss of WIF1 function and provide new targets such as SKP2 for intervention in WIF1-deficient bladder cancer. [Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(2):458–68]
Quasi-scheduled optical path routing and wavelength assignment that uses expected traffic variation

We propose a novel dynamic optical network control scheme that consists of an initial design stage based on predicted traffic variation and a successive dynamic control stage for adaptation to prediction error. Numerical experiments verify that by combining the schedule based and following supplemental control to adjust the actual traffic, the propose algorithm can reduce the number of fibers in a wide range of traffic area compared with that without considering traffic variation prediction.
Automated AC (timing) characterization for digital circuit testing

One of the major requirements for testing VLSI devices is the validation of its timing specifications. Timing specifications would typically include frequency, propagation delays, minimum pulse width, phase offsets, setup time and hold time measurements. Although parametric specifications may exist for a nominal speed (frequency) of operation of the digital device, it may be necessary to characterize the device under test (DUT) to determine the highest operating frequency of the DUT and the required environmental parameters to run at the highest frequency. Characterization involves measurement of setup time, hold time and pulse width of the signals. In this paper, we have presented an automated AC (timing) characterization flow for digital circuit testing. We have recommended a STIL (Standard Tester Interface Language) like syntax for the timing tests. Various timing data (setup and hold time, propagation delay etc.) are measured in the first pass of the characterization process and are automatically back annotated to the timing test flow to reduce the total test cycle time. The approach will also help in finding the maximum operating frequency of the DUT and speed binning (i.e., sorting the devices based on their operating frequency).
Resistance to Russian Wheat Aphid Biotype 2 in CIMMYT Synthetic Hexaploid Wheat Lines

ABSTRACT The Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Kurdjumov) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), devastates wheat and barley production on all continents except Australia. Although D. noxia-resistant cultivars exist, virulent D. noxia populations exist in Asia, North America, and South America that have the ability to overcome resistance. In this study, synthetic hexaploid wheat genotypes created at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) were evaluated and characterized for resistance to North American biotype 2 (RWA2). Fewer RWA2 were produced on several genotypes, and D. noxia-induced leaf rolling and chlorosis were reduced on these genotypes as well. Aphid numbers were positively correlated with chlorosis and with leaf rolling. However, some genotypes were highly resistant to leaf rolling and chlorosis while supporting large RWA2 populations. There were negative correlations between leaf chlorosis and leaf dry weight (r = -0.267, df = 106, P = 0.006) and between aphid numbers and leaf dry weight (r = -0.297, df = 105, P = 0.002). These results indicate that chlorosis and aphid number individually explain at least 27% of the changes observed in leaf dry weights. Interestingly, there was no correlation between leaf rolling and leaf dry weight. The RWA2-resistant lines identified, which are also resistant to D. noxia populations in Mexico and to greenbug (Schizaphis graminum Rondani) biotype G, are strong candidates for use in improving the genetic diversity in bread wheat for resistance to different biotypes of both S. graminum and D. noxia.
Role of endotoxin in grain dust-induced lung inflammation in mice.

To investigate the role of endotoxin in grain dust-induced airway inflammation, we reduced the endotoxin activity from extracts of corn dust (CDE), using three distinct methods, and determined the effect of endotoxin activity on the in vitro and in vivo inflammatory response to CDE. Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide solution (LPS) and CDE solution were separated into > 100-kDa and < 100-kDa fractions by ultracentrifugation. Endotoxin activity was predominantly present in the > 100-kDa fractions of the LPS and CDE solutions. Charged-membrane filtration of the > 100-kDa fractions of LPS and CDE resulted in the reduction of endotoxin activity by 99.9 and 80%, respectively. Treatment of the > 100-kDa fractions of LPS and CDE with polymyxin B-coated beads reduced the endotoxin activity by 96 and 89%, respectively. The untreated > 100-kDa fractions of LPS and CDE caused significantly greater (P < 0.01) release of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) from THP-1 cells in vitro compared with its respective < 100-kDa fraction or either of the treated (charged filter or polymyxin B) > 100-kDa fractions. Similarly, mice exposed to either of the untreated > 100-kDa fractions of LPS or CDE by inhalation developed significantly greater (P < 0.01) concentrations of lavage neutrophils and TNF-alpha in the lavage fluid compared with mice exposed to the respective < 100-kDa fraction or either of the treated > 100-kDa fractions. These results indicate that endotoxin is primarily responsible for the in vitro and in vivo inflammatory response to CDE.
Disassembling Protein Aggregates in the Yeast Cytosol

In all organisms studied, elevated temperatures induce the expression of a variety of stress proteins, among them small Hsps (sHsp). sHsps are chaperones that prevent the unspecific aggregation of proteins by forming stable complexes with unfolded polypeptides. Reactivation of captured proteins requires the assistance of other ATP-dependent chaperones. How sHsps and ATP-dependent chaperones work together is poorly understood. Here, we analyzed the interplay of chaperones present in the cytosol of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Specifically, we characterized the influence of Hsp104 and Ssa1 on the disassembly of Hsp26·substrate complexes in vitro and in vivo. We show that recovery of proteins from aggregates in the cell requires the chaperones to work together with defined but overlapping functions. During reactivation, proteins are transferred from a stable complex with Hsp26 to Hsp104 and Hsp70. The need for ATP-dependent chaperones depends on the type of sHsp·substrate complex. Although Ssa1 is able to release substrate proteins from soluble Hsp26·substrate complexes, Hsp104 is essential to dissociate substrate proteins from aggregates with incorporated sHsps. Our results are consistent with a model of several interrelated defense lines against protein aggregation.
Hyperhomocysteinemia and Immune Activation

Abstract Hyperhomocysteinemia is an established risk factor for atherosclerosis, thrombosis and other vascular diseases. Homocysteine auto-oxidation is considered to be crucially involved in the pathogenesis of these diseases. However, the question remains to be elucidated whether vitamin deficiency and homocysteine accumulation are causal for disease development or rather comprise a secondary phenomenon. Most diseases accompanied by hyperhomocysteinemia are also associated with ongoing activation of the immune system. In vitro experiments show homocysteine to accumulate in stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells. In patients with coronary heart disease, with rheumatoid arthritis and in patients with dementia, an association between cellular immune activation and homocysteine metabolism is found. Homocysteine concentrations not only correlate inversely with folate concentrations, they also show a positive relationship with concentrations of immune activation markers like neopterin. Moreover, in patients with various kinds of dementia, increased concentrations of serum peroxides, homocysteine and neopterin correlate with each other. Studies support a role of immune system activation in the development of hyperhomocysteinemia. Stimulation and proliferation of immune cells may lead to the production of reactive oxygen species that may oxidize antioxidants and oxidation-sensitive B-vitamins. An enhanced demand for antioxidants as well as folate and vitamin B12 may develop, together with hyperhomocysteinemia, despite sufficient dietary intake.