Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Serum IL-6 level may have role in the pathophysiology of unexplained infertility.

PROBLEM The aim of this study was to compare the serum levels of interleukin (IL)-6 of women with unexplained infertility with fertile subjects. METHOD OF STUDY Serum IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) levels of 45 infertile and 44 fertile women on day 3 of menstrual cycle were assessed and compared for this prospective controlled study. RESULTS The mean serum IL-6 level was significantly higher in women with unexplained infertility, compared with fertile women (5.71 +/- 1.81 and 4.31 +/- 1.79, P < 0.001, Student's t-test). There was no significant difference in TNF-alpha level among the groups. CONCLUSION Significant difference in serum IL-6 levels between unexplained infertile and fertile women suggests that this cytokine may be involved in pathophysiology of unexplained infertility.
Fifty years of the asebia mouse: origins, insights and contemporary developments

First described as an alopecic spontaneous mutant mouse line lacking sebaceous glands in a publication in Science in 1965 by Allen H. Gates and Marvin Karasek, asebia mice soon became a popular tool for rodent sebaceous gland research. In addition to the study of sebaceous lipids, the original asebia mice and subsequent allelic mutations were widely employed to examine the influence of the sebaceous gland on hair growth, epidermal proliferation, dermal inflammation and skin carcinogenesis, among other aspects. With the identification of Scd1 gene mutations as the genetic basis of the asebia phenotype and with the advent of more refined methods for manipulating the mouse genome, asebia mice progressively lost importance. However, they contributed to, or even provided the initial spark for, several current research topics. These include the role of the sebaceous gland in hair shaft–sheath interaction and its significance for cicatricial alopecia, and the antimicrobial activity of sebum. Furthermore, mice with skin‐specific deletion of SCD1, which have increased energy expenditure and are protected from high fat diet‐induced obesity, provided novel insights into the crosstalk between the skin and peripheral tissues in maintaining energy homeostasis. In briefly reviewing its story, this commentary pays tribute to asebia mice and to the original publication in its golden anniversary year.
Multimodal Visualization and Analysis of Spectral and XCT Data

An increasing number of industrial applications demand a comprehensive analysis of both structural and chemical composition. Typically, non-destructive testing techniques focus on either structural or chemical characterization but do not deliver both. 3D X-Ray Computed Tomography (XCT) scans are well-suited for determining the internal and external structure of an object at high resolution. The attenuation value it delivers can however be the same or very similar for different materials. For a detailed chemical analysis XCT is therefore combined with spectral characterization techniques such as K-Edge Absorptiometry or Xray Fluorescence Spectroscopy. In this paper, we are extending a previously introduced framework for visualization and analysis of specimens scanned with these two modalities in multiple ways: For better understanding the dependencies between the spectral energy levels, we propose Spectral Similarity Maps. Spectral Functional Boxplots visualize the statistical distribution of the spectral data. The Spectrum Explorer improves the analysis of specimens of unknown composition. We demonstrate the usefulness of our techniques on several use cases. Figure 1. Introduced visualization methods. The upper middle shows a slice view of the XCT data. On the left side is the list of available reference spectra and the periodic table, both used for the interactive exploration of unknown elements. The bottom right shows a Functional Boxplot in the Spectrum View, and the upper right shows the Similarity Map. XCT Slice View Similarity Map Reference Spectra Spectrum View Periodic Table
Temporal associations between daily counts of fungal spores and asthma exacerbations

Background: Outdoor aeroallergens are one of a number of environmental factors thought to precipitate asthma exacerbations. Aims: To investigate the short term associations between daily fungal spore concentrations and indicators of daily asthma exacerbations in a large urban population. Methods: Daily counts of visits for asthma to family physicians and hospital accident and emergency (A&E) departments and emergency hospital admissions in London 1992–93 were compiled. Daily concentrations of fungal spores (30 species), daily average temperature, humidity, and concentrations of pollen and outdoor air pollution were also compiled. The analysis was restricted to the period when fungal spores were most prevalent (June to mid October). Non-parametric regression time series methods were used to assess associations controlling for seasonality, day of week, and meteorological factors. The sensitivity of the findings to the inclusion of pollen and air pollution into the models was also assessed. Results: In children aged 0–14 years the relative risks for increases in the number of A&E visits and hospital admissions associated with changes in fungal spore concentrations from the lower to upper quartiles were 1.06 (95% CI 0.94 to 1.18) and 1.07 (0.97 to 1.19) respectively. The addition of pollen or air pollutants had little impact on the observed associations. A number of individual spore taxa, in particular Alternaria, Epicoccum, Agrocybe, Mildews, and both coloured and colourless Basidiospores and Ascospores, were associated with increases in the number of emergency visits and hospital admissions for asthma, although the precision of these estimates were low. No evidence was found for associations in adults. Conclusions: Fungal spore concentrations may provoke or exacerbate asthma attacks in children resulting in visits to A&E departments and emergency hospital admissions. These findings were unlikely to be due to confounding by other environmental factors. The associations were comparable to those observed for ambient air pollution from similarly designed studies.
Adrenergic-adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate regulation of serotonin N-acetyltransferase activity and the temporal relationship of serotonin N-acetyltransferase activity synthesis of 3H-N-acetylserotonin and 3H-melatonin in the cultured rat pineal gland.

The regulation of serotonin N-acetyltransferase actiyity has been studied in cultured pineal glands. Addition of l-norepinephrine (NE) to cultures produces a 10- to 30-fold increase in enzyme activity after six hours of treatment. There is a plateau in enzyme activity for another six hours followed by a spontaneous decrease in enzyme activity to base-line values. NE can stimulate the enzyme over a range of 10-4 to 10-9 M concentratioin. Exposure to NE does not have to be constant for a long-term response. Exposure for as little as 15 minutes to NE produces about a 50% maximal response at six hours. The initial increase in N-acetyltransferase activity is blocked by cycloheximide. Cycloheximide treatment after a gland has been stimulated with NE does not cause a precipitous fall in enzyme activity but does prevent a further increase. Aliphatic amines. indoleamines. an imidazolamine and tyramine are ineffective in stimulating the enzyme. The relative potency of the compounds that stimulate enzyme activity is: l-NE DL-isoproterenol > l-epinephrine > DL-octopamine > d-norepinephrine > 3,4-dihydroxyphenylamine > l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine. The stimulation of enzyme activity is blocked by propranolol and is enhanced by phentolamine. This indicates that the receptor involved is a beta adrenergic receptor and that the response to beta adrenergic stimulation can be influenced by an alpha adrenergic mechanism. The effects of NE on N-acetyltransferase activity are mimicked by dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate (AMP), which is more effective than theophylline. Cyclic AMP is only slightly effective. The effects of dibutyryl cyclic AMP are blocked by cycloheximide but not by cyclic AMP. The stimulation of N-acetvltransferase by either NE or dibutyryl cyclic AMP is coincident in time and magnitude with the stimulation of the total production of 3H-N-acetylserotonin and 3H-melatonin by glands incubated with 3H-tryptophan. This study describes a striking number of similarities between the factors regulating pineal adenyl cyclase, cyclic AMP, radiolabeled melatonin production from radiolabeled tryptophan, and serotonin N-acetyl-transferase activity in cultured pineal glands. The findings add support to the hypothesis that melatonin production is regulated by the amount of N-acetylserotonin made available for O-methylation and that N-acetylserotonin production by serotonin N-acetyl-transferase is regulated by an adrenergic-cyclic AMP mechanism.
Contribution à la compréhension du processus d’élaboration de la stratégie des PME : deux études de cas

La litterature sur le management strategique des PME s’est, pendant longtemps, beaucoup interessee a l’importance de la planification strategique, mais ne s’est attachee que plus recemment a etudier le processus de decision, de formulation et de mise en oeuvre de la strategie (Ivanaj et Bayad, 2005). En particulier dans les PME, le processus d’elaboration de la strategie a une dimension ontologique fondatrice de l’identite de l’entreprise et a partir de laquelle elle projette et construit son avenir dans un processus dynamique et cumulatif. Cet article se concentre sur le processus d’elaboration de la strategie afin d’evaluer a quel point ce processus est contraint et afin de relever les facteurs qui peuvent l’influencer. Cette recherche est un effort de synthese des travaux evolutionnistes (Nelson et Winter, 1982, 2002) et constructivistes (Weick, 1995 ; Marmuse, 1999) centres sur le processus d’elaboration de la strategie et d’Emile-Michel Hernandez (2001) sur le modele entrepreneurial. A partir de ces travaux, nous avons construit un modele theorique que nous avons teste en realisant deux etudes de cas de type instrumental (Hlady Rispal, 2002) aupres de deux entreprises moyennes, un fabricant de cycles et une entreprise d’injection plastique. Au plan methodologique, cette recherche est donc fondamentalement exploratoire. L’objet de cette communication est de decrire et analyser le processus d’elaboration de la strategie de deux PME dans un systeme de contraintes et d’influences a la lumiere de notre modele theorique.
Quantity and Quality of Trabecular Bone in the Femur Are Enhanced by a Strongly Anabolic, Noninvasive Mechanical Intervention

The skeleton's sensitivity to mechanical stimuli represents a critical determinant of bone mass and morphology. We have proposed that the extremely low level (<10 microstrain), high frequency (20‐50 Hz) mechanical strains, continually present during even subtle activities such as standing are as important to defining the skeleton as the larger strains typically associated with vigorous activity (>2000 microstrain). If these low‐level strains are indeed anabolic, then this sensitivity could serve as the basis for a biomechanically based intervention for osteoporosis. To evaluate this hypothesis, the hindlimbs of adult female sheep were stimulated for 20 minutes/day using a noninvasive 0.3g vertical oscillation sufficient to induce approximately 5 microstrain on the cortex of the tibia. After 1 year of stimulation, the physical properties of 10‐mm cubes of trabecular bone from the distal femoral condyle of experimental animals (n = 8) were compared with controls (n = 9), as evaluated using microcomputed tomography (μCT) scanning and materials testing. Bone mineral content (BMC) was 10.6% greater (p < 0.05), and the trabecular number (Tb.N) was 8.3% higher in the experimental animals (p < 0.01), and trabecular spacing decreased by 11.3% (p < 0.01), indicating that bone quantity was increased both by the creation of new trabeculae and the thickening of existing trabeculae. The trabecular bone pattern factor (TBPf) decreased 24.2% (p < 0.03), indicating trabecular morphology adapting from rod shape to plate shape. Significant increases in stiffness and strength were observed in the longitudinal direction (12.1% and 26.7%, respectively; both, p < 0.05), indicating that the adaptation occurred primarily in the plane of weightbearing. These results show that extremely low level mechanical stimuli improve both the quantity and the quality of trabecular bone. That these deformations are several orders of magnitude below those peak strains which arise during vigorous activity indicates that this biomechanically based signal may serve as an effective intervention for osteoporosis.
Computing Edge-Connectivity in Multigraphs and Capacitated Graphs

Given an undirected graph $G = ( V,E )$, it is known that its edge-connectivity $\lambda ( G )$ can be computed by solving $O( | V | )$ max-flow problems. The best time bounds known for the problem are $O( \lambda ( G ) | V |^2 )$, due to Matula (28th IEEE Symposium on the Foundations of Computer Science, 1987, pp. 249–251) if G is simple, and $O( | E |^{3/2} | V | )$, due to Even and Tarjan (SIAM J. Comput., 4 (1975), pp. 507–518) if G is multiple.An $O( | E | + \min \{ \lambda ( G ) | V |^2 ,p | V | + | V |^2 \log | V | \} )$ time algorithm for computing the edge-connectivity $\lambda ( G )$ of a multigraph $G = ( V,E )$, where $p ( \leqq | E | )$ is the number of pairs of nodes between which G has an edge, is proposed. This algorithm does not use any max-flow algorithm but consists only of $| V |$ times of graph searches and edge contractions. This method is then extended to a capacitated network to compute its minimum cut capacity in $O ( | V | | E | + | V |^2 \log | V | )$ time.
Varespladib (A-002), a Secretory Phospholipase A2 Inhibitor, Reduces Atherosclerosis and Aneurysm Formation in ApoE−/− Mice

The family of secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) enzymes has been associated with inflammatory diseases and tissue injury including atherosclerosis. A-001 is a novel inhibitor of sPLA2 enzymes discovered by structure-based drug design, and A-002 is the orally bioavailable prodrug currently in clinical development. A-001 inhibited human and mouse sPLA2 group IIA, V, and X enzymes with IC50 values in the low nM range. A-002 (1 mg/kg) led to high serum levels of A-001 and inhibited PLA2 activity in transgenic mice overexpressing human sPLA2 group IIA in C57BL/6J background. In addition, the effects of A-002 on atherosclerosis in 2 ApoE−/− mouse models were evaluated using en face analysis. (1) In a high-fat diet model, A-002 (30 and 90 mg/kg twice a day for 16 weeks) reduced aortic atherosclerosis by 50% (P < 0.05). Plasma total cholesterol was decreased (P < 0.05) by 1 month and remained lowered throughout the study. (2) In an accelerated atherosclerosis model, with angiotensin II-induced aortic lesions and aneurysms, A-002 (30 mg/kg twice a day) reduced aortic atherosclerosis by approximately 40% (P < 0.05) and attenuated aneurysm formation (P = 0.0096). Thus, A-002 was effective at significantly decreasing total cholesterol, atherogenesis, and aneurysm formation in these 2 ApoE−/− mouse models.
TGF-β1 contributes to CD8+ Treg induction through p38 MAPK signaling in ovarian cancer microenvironment

CD8+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) contribute to cancer progression and immune evasion. We previously reported that CD8+ Tregs could be induced in vitro by co-culture of CD8+ T cells with the OC cell lines SKOV3/A2780. Here, we described the role of TGF-β1 in CD8+ Treg induction by the OC microenvironment. OC patients expressed high levels of TGF-β1, as did the co-culture supernatant from CD8+ T cells and SKOV3. Additionally, TGF-β1 levels were positively correlated with CD8+ Treg percentages in OC. Neutralization experiments, cytokine studies and proliferation assays revealed that the in vitro-induced CD8+Tregs depended at least partially on up-regulated expression of TGF-β1 to exert their suppressive function. CD8+ T cells cultured with SKOV3 exhibited marked activation of p38 MAPK than CD8+ T cells cultured alone, which could be inhibited by TGF-β1-neutralizing antibody. Moreover, the p38 specific inhibitor SB203580 dose-dependently blocked the TGF-β1 activated conversion of CD8+ T cells into CD8+ Tregs. These data suggested that in vitro-induction of CD8+ Tregs depended in part on TGF-β1 activation of p38 MAPK signaling. Therefore, p38 MAPK could be a therapeutic target in OC anti-tumor immunotherapy.
The influence of capsulation and lipooligosaccharide structure on neutrophil adhesion molecule expression and endothelial injury by Neisseria meningitidis.

Host inflammatory response to meningococcal infection is believed to be a major determinant of disease severity. Isogenic mutants of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B1940, which differ in expression of capsular polysaccharide and lipooligosaccharide (LOS), were used to examine host responses in a whole blood model of bacteremia and a model of endothelial injury. The parent organism caused significantly less neutrophil shedding of the adhesion molecule, L-selectin, than the three mutant organisms (P < .01) and was most resistant to the bactericidal activity of whole blood. Despite marked differences in bacterial adhesion to endothelial cells (P < .05), no damage was induced by organisms alone. Endothelial injury was observed when neutrophils were incubated with adherent, capsule-deficient organisms (P < .05). The degree of endothelial damage was related to the number of neutrophils adherent to the endothelium. Thus, bacterial capsulation and LOS structure can influence neutrophil activation and endothelial injury and, as such, may be important in the pathogenesis of meningococcal sepsis.
Abecarnil for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: a placebo-controlled comparison of two dosage ranges of abecarnil and buspirone.

BACKGROUND The development of effective and well-tolerated anxiolytic agents is an area of critical clinical importance. Abecarnil, a beta carboline, is a partial benzodiazepine-receptor agonist that has demonstrated promise as an anxiolytic agent. In this study, we examine the efficacy, safety, and discontinuation-related effects of abecarnil, buspirone, and placebo in the acute and long-term treatment of patients who have generalized anxiety disorder. METHOD This is a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of two dosages of abecarnil and buspirone. In total, 464 patients were randomized. After a placebo run-in week, patients entered a 6-week double-blind treatment period, followed by an optional 18-week maintenance period for treatment responders. After abrupt discontinuation of the acute or maintenance treatment, patients entered a 3-week placebo-substitution follow-up period. Treatment response was assessed with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety and the Clinical Global Impressions (CGI) Scale. RESULTS Compared with placebo, abecarnil showed significant anxiolytic activity early in the treatment period, particularly in the high-dosage group, though these differences did not maintain statistical significance at the end of the trial. Buspirone was associated with a slower onset of action and better symptom relief than placebo after 6 weeks of therapy. Withdrawal symptoms emerged in patients who abruptly discontinued abecarnil (particularly at the higher dosage) only in those receiving a longer duration of treatment. CONCLUSION The results of this study need to be understood in the context of a high placebo-response rate, which hampers the ability to demonstrate significant drug-placebo differences. This study suggests that abecarnil may be an effective anxiolytic agent; further attention is warranted to assess its spectrum of clinical effectiveness.
La justice entre les générations. Faut-il renoncer au maximin intergénérationnel?

Pour les tenants de l'egalitarisme du maximin, le contexte intergenerationnel constitue un triple defi.Primo, ce que requiert le maximin intergenerationnel ne se confond-il pas avec l'interdiction de la desepargne posee par une conception commutative de la justice comme reciprocite indirecte? Secundo, ne sommes-nous contraints de prendre au serieux, plus qu'ailleurs, les preoccupations aggregatives des utilitaristes afin d’eviter une « stagnation eternelle dans la misere» et ainsi de renoncer au maximin? Tertio, n'est-ce pas un contexte ou egalitarisme et maximin ne different pas dans leurs consequences pratiques? L'A. repond par la negative auxtrois questions. Il montre en particulier en quoi le l'egalitarisme du maximin s'ecarte d'une regle de non-desepargne. Il indique la maniere dont il importe de penser la justice entre generations de maniere proprement distributive et il examine la maniere dont le defi "aggregatif" peut etre releve.
Electronic Supplementary Information ( ESI ) for Soft Matter Prediction of polydisperse hard-sphere mixture behavior using tridis-perse systems

In our EDMD simulations we used a modification of the Event-Driven C++ code written by A. Donev et al.1,2, which is available for download at http://cherrypit.princeton. edu/Packing/C++/. In our work we consider, in the style of A. Donev3, Molecular Dynamics in a simple bounded simulation domain embedded in a Euclidean space of dimensionality d, defined by the lattice vectors, λ1,. , λd . The simulation domain, or unit cell, is a collection of points with d relative coordinates r in the interval [0,1], and corresponding Cartesian coordinates
Genetic Thinking in the Study of Social Relationships

For nearly a generation, researchers studying human behavioral development have combined genetically informed research designs with careful measures of social relationships such as parenting, sibling relationships, peer relationships, marital processes, social class stratifications, and patterns of social engagement in the elderly. In what way have these genetically informed studies altered the construction and testing of social theories of human development? We consider five points of entry where genetic thinking is taking hold. First, genetic findings suggest an alternative scenario for explaining social data. Associations between measures of the social environment and human development may be due to genes that influence both. Second, genetic studies add to other prompts to study the early developmental origins of current social phenomena in midlife and beyond. Third, genetic analyses promise to shed light on understudied social systems, such as sibling relationships, that have an impact on human development independent of genotype. Fourth, genetic analyses anchor in neurobiology individual differences in resilience and sensitivity to both adverse and favorable social environments. Finally, genetic analyses increase the utility of laboratory simulations of human social processes and of animal models.
Building Illness in the White-Collar Workplace

An increasing incidence of “building illness” is being noted among white-collar workers due to the high pollutant content of air in modern energy-efficient office buildings. These buildings are hermetically sealed, mechanically ventilated, and contain many materials that give off a variety of toxic fumes and aerosols. Severe outbreaks of illness have also been traced to ventilation problems in sealed hospital buildings. Similarly, tightly sealed and well insulated private homes present many sources of toxic pollutants to homemakers. Recent studies linking increases in the frequency and duration of respiratory illnesses with increasing pollution levels warn us that increases in indoor pollution levels should be avoided in the white-collar workplace, hospital, and private residence. Unfortunately, the cost of adequate ventilation of modern air-tight buildings is high. However, proper planning must be conducted to foresee and correct the impact of energy management policies on the livability and healthfulness of the indoor environment.