Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Acute and Chronic Chlamydia pneumoniae Infection in Pregnancy Complicated with Preeclampsia

Objective. To investigate whether Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cp) infection is more common in women whose current pregnancy is complicated with preeclampsia (PE) as compared to pregnant women without PE. Methods. Thirty pregnant women with PE and 30 pregnant women without PE were studied between 29 and 30 weeks of gestation. The presence of an acute or chronic Cp infection was determined by the estimations of serum IgG, IgM, and IgA Cp antibodies. Results. None of the women were diagnosed as having acute Cp infection. Prevalence of chronic Cp infection was 53 and 66% in the PE and control groups, respectively (X2, p = 0.068). Conclusion. Chronic Cp infection is not more common in women whose pregnancy is complicated with PE as compared to pregnant women without PE. Therefore, no association between Cp infection and PE can be established.
La navigation dans les bases d'images : prise en compte des attributs de texture. (Using Textures to Browse Image Databases)

Ce travail de recherche entre dans le cadre des systemes de recherche d’images par le contenu, en particulier la recherche par la texture. Le but de ce travail est de permettre a l’utilisateur de naviguer dans de grande base de donnees d’images sans formulation de requetes en un langage d’interrogation specifique. Pour atteindre cet objectif, nous avons reparti le travail en deux grands volets. Le premier volet concerne l’extraction et l’identification d’un modele de texture compose d’attributs pertinents. Pour atteindre cet objectif, nous avons propose d’etudier deux modeles de texture : les matrices de co-occurrences et les attributs de Tamura. La selection et la validation du modele caracteristique ont ete faites a partir de plusieurs applications que nous avons proposees dans le cadre de cette these apres reduction de la dimension de l’espace de representation des modeles de texture. Ensuite, la navigation s’effectue a l’aide de treillis de Galois avec une interface HTML tout en passant par une phase d’interpretation du modele de texture numerique en un modele semantique. Le probleme de transcription du numerique au semantique est considere comme un probleme de discretisation des valeurs numeriques continues. Un autre probleme se manifeste lorsque la taille de la base des images augmente, les performances du systeme de navigation se degradent. Pour pallier a ce probleme, nous proposons de creer des resumes qui de plus permettent de focaliser la recherche et la navigation sur un ensemble d’images cibles et non pas sur toute la base.
Design of Two Liquid Ibuprofen-Poloxamer-Limonene or Menthol Preparations for Dermal Administration

The purpose of our study was to prepare liquid forms of 20% ibuprofen in 30% poloxamer 407, while avoiding gel formation and to assess their drug diffusion-penetration (permeation) into the skin. Two series of poloxamer-based formulations were prepared, both containing ibuprofen and one of two terpenes: d-limonene and 1-menthol. A rheological characterization of all preparations made allowed their grouping in two modalities: gels and fluids. Data revealed a statistically superior enhanced permeation terpene-dependent of ibuprofen in fluid preparations, specially the one containing d-limonene. Cumulative permeation in 24 hr was 2500 μ g/cm2 and 4500 μ g/cm2 for the 1-menthol and d–limonene, respectively, for fluid preparations as compared with 2000 μ g/cm2 and 1600 μ g/ cm2 for d-limonene and 1-menthol on gels and only 1200 μ g/cm2 of the control solution (p < 0.05). Results postulate that a liquid 30% poloxamer-based preparation of ibuprofen with d-limonene is possible and that it may be useful as a topical preparation of ibuprofen.
Peri-implant disease: the basics.

Peri-implant disease includes the spectrum of conditions that affect the gingiva and underlying bone at the site of implant placement. Despite the tremendous growth in fixed implant utilization over the last two decades, few implant publications address the topic of peri-implant disease from an all-encompassing approach. This article summarizes current research on the topic and provides background on the risk factors, etiologies, and treatment for peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis.
Influence of global fluorination on chloramphenicol acetyltransferase activity and stability

Varied levels of fluorinated amino acid have been introduced biosynthetically to test the functional limits of global substitution on enzymatic activity and stability. Replacement of all the leucine (LEU) residues in the enzyme chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) with the analog, 5′,5′,5′‐trifluoroleucine (TFL), results in the maintenance of enzymatic activity under ambient temperatures as well as an enhancement in secondary structure but loss in stability against heat and denaturants or organic co‐solvents. Although catalytic activity of the fully substituted CAT is preserved under standard reaction conditions compared to the wild‐type enzyme both in vitro and in vivo, as the incorporation levels increase, a concomitant reduction in thermostability and chemostability is observed. Circular dichroism (CD) studies reveal that although fluorination greatly improves the secondary structure of CAT, a large structural destabilization upon increased levels of TFL incorporation occurs at elevated temperatures. These data suggest that enhanced secondary structure afforded by TFL incorporation does not necessarily lead to an improvement in stability. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
UC Santa Barbara UC Santa Barbara Previously Published Works Title The cognitive neuroscience of prehension : recent developments

Prehension, the capacity to reach and grasp, is the key behavior that allows humans to change their environment. It continues to serve as a remarkable experimental test case for probing the cognitive architecture of goal-oriented action. This review focuses on recent experimental evidence that enhances or modiWes how we might conceptualize the neural substrates of prehension. Emphasis is placed on studies that consider how precision grasps are selected and transformed into motor commands. Then, the mechanisms that extract action relevant information from vision and touch are considered. These include consideration of how parallel perceptual networks within parietal cortex, along with the ventral stream, are connected and share information to achieve common motor goals. On-line control of grasping action is discussed within a state estimation framework. The review ends with a consideration about how prehension Wts within larger action repertoires that solve more complex goals and the possible cortical architectures needed to organize these actions.
INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON OLFACTION AND TASTE T1r3 and α-Gustducin in Gut Regulate Secretion of Glucagon-like Peptide-1

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is an incretin hormone that underlies the augmented insulin release from the pancreas in response to glucose in the gut lumen more than to intravenous injected glucose (the “incretin effect”). GLP-1, found in enteroendocrine L cells of the gut, regulates appetite and gut motility and is released from L cells in response to glucose. GLP-1-expressing duodenal L cells also express T1r taste receptors, α-gustducin, and many other taste transduction elements. Knockout mice lacking αgustducin or T1r3 have deficiencies in secretion of GLP-1 and in the regulation of plasma levels of insulin and glucose. Gut-expressed taste-signaling elements underlie multiple chemosensory functions of the gut including the incretin effect. Modulating hormone secretion from gut “taste cells” may provide novel treatments for obesity, diabetes, and malabsorption.
Efficient Keyword Search on Structured and Semi-Structured Data from Relational Databases

Nowadays all Internet users use a search engine daily, performing a billion searches. The success of keyword search stems from what it does not require namely, a specialized query language or knowledge of the underlying structure of the data. Lack of standardization has resulted in contradictory results from different evaluations, and the copious discrepancies mix-up what advantages are proffered by different approaches. We also discuss applications that are built upon keyword search, such as keyword based database selection, query generation, and analytical processing. Finally we identify the challenges and opportunities of future research to advance the field. It presents the most general empirical routine appraisal of relational keyword search techniques to appear to date in the literature. Our results indicate that many existing search techniques do not provide adequate performance for realistic recovery tasks. And also explore the relationship between execution time and factors varied in previous evaluations; our analysis indicates that most of these factors have moderately little impact on performance.
Emotional well-being of close relatives to stroke survivors

Objective: To compare the well-being of stroke patients' relatives with that of a reference group, and to identify variables related to the well-being of the relatives. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Outpatient hospital department and patients' and relatives' own homes. Subjects: Fifty-four patients one year after a stroke and their closest relatives. A reference population consisted of 419 elderly people drawn at random from the census files. Outcome measures: Emotional well-being was assessed with the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-20), and the perceived burden attributed to the care of the patient with the Caregiver Strain Index (CSI). The personal and instrumental activities of daily life (PADL and IADL), motor and cognitive functions of the patients were assessed with standardized tests. Results: The relatives rated their well-being lower than the reference group rated theirs, the odds ratio (OR) being 5.6 (95% confidence interval (CI) 3.1–10) adjusted for age and gender. No association was found between the relatives' well-being and the motor, cognitive, PADL, IADL or other characteristics of the patients. Strong relationships were found between the CSI and the GHQ scores of the relatives, the OR (95% CI) for a poor GHQ score being 2.4 (1.6–3.7) for each unit increase in CSI, adjusted for gender. Conclusions: Emotional well-being is influenced when a close relative gets a stroke. This seems to relate more strongly to the perceived burden of care than to objective characteristics of the patient.
Predictors of outcome of anterior temporal lobectomy for intractable epilepsy

Objective: To identify presurgical and postsurgical factors that are independently predictive of the outcome of anterior temporal lobectomy (ATL) for intractable epilepsy. Background: There have been reports of prognostic studied 175 consecutive ATL patients who had at least 2 years of postsurgical follow-up. Significant factors on univariate analyses were subjected to stepwise logistic regression analysis. Results: On univariate analyses, two presurgical conditions were significantly associated with excellent seizure control at last follow-up: (1) unilateral hippocampal formation atrophy as detected on MRI and (2) all scalp interictal epileptiform discharges concordant with the location of ictal onset(p < 0.05). Three postsurgical factors that occurred during the first year were associated with excellent seizure outcome: the absence of interictal epileptiform discharges at 3 months, complete seizure control, and having only nondisabling seizures for those who did not become seizure free. Logistic regression analysis revealed the following to be independently predictive of excellent seizure control: MRI-detected unilateral hippocampal formation atrophy, concordant interictal epileptiform discharges, complete seizure control during the first postsurgical year, and having only nondisabling seizures during the first postsurgical year for those who did not become seizure free. Conclusions: Presurgical identification of unilateral hippocampal formation atrophy, or of interictal epileptiform discharges that are all concordant with the location of ictal onset, predict excellent outcome of ATL. However, the probability of excellent outcome is highest (94%) when both factors are present.
Adjoint models of mantle convection with seismic, plate motion, and stratigraphic constraints: North America since the Late Cretaceous

We apply adjoint models of mantle convection to North America since the Late Cretaceous. The present‐day mantle structure is constrained by seismic tomography and the time‐dependent evolution by plate motions and stratigraphic data (paleoshorelines, borehole tectonic subsidence, and sediment isopachs). We infer values of average upper and lower mantle viscosities, provide a synthesis of North American vertical motions (relative sea level) from the Late Cretaceous to the present, and reconstruct the geometry of the Farallon slab back to the Late Cretaceous. In order to fit Late Cretaceous marine inundation and borehole subsidence, the adjoint model requires a viscosity ratio across 660 km discontinuity of 15:1 (reference viscosity of 1021 Pa s), which is consistent with values previously inferred by postglacial rebound studies. The dynamic topography associated with subduction of the Farallon slab is localized in western North America over Late Cretaceous, representing the primary factor controlling the widespread flooding. The east coast of the United States is not stable; rather, it has been experiencing continuous dynamic subsidence over the Cenozoic, coincident with an overall eustatic fall, explaining a discrepancy between sea level derived from the New Jersey coastal plain and global curves. The east coast subsidence further constrains the mantle viscosity structure and requires an uppermost mantle viscosity of 1020 Pa s. Imposed constraints require that the Farallon slab was flat lying during Late Cretaceous, with an extensive zone of shallow dipping Farallon subduction extending beyond the flat‐lying slab farther east and north by up to 1000 km than previously suggested.
An actin‐binding function contributes to transformation by the Bcr‐Abl oncoprotein of Philadelphia chromosome‐positive human leukemias.

In Philadelphia chromosome‐positive human leukemias, which include chronic myelogenous leukemia and some acute lymphocytic leukemias, the c‐abl proto‐oncogene on chromosome 9 becomes fused to the bcr gene on chromosome 22, and Bcr‐Abl fusion proteins are produced. The Bcr sequences activate the Abl tyrosine kinase which is required for the transforming function of Bcr‐Abl. The Bcr sequences also enhance an F‐actin‐binding activity associated with c‐Abl. Here, we show that binding of c‐Abl and Bcr‐Abl proteins to actin filaments in vivo and in vitro is mediated by an evolutionarily conserved domain at the C‐terminal end of c‐Abl. The c‐Abl F‐actin‐binding domain contains a consensus motif found in several other actin‐crosslinking proteins. Mutations in the consensus motif are shown to abolish binding to F‐actin. Bcr‐Abl proteins unable to associate with F‐actin have a reduced ability to transform Rat‐1 fibroblasts and to abrogate the requirement for interleukin‐3 in the lymphoblastoid cell line Ba/F3. In transformed cells, Bcr‐Abl induces a redistribution of F‐actin into punctate, juxtanuclear aggregates. The binding to actin filaments has important implications for the pathogenic and physiological functions of the Bcr‐Abl and c‐Abl proteins.
Measuring IS User Satisfaction: Review and Implications

Demand for a means of measuring the success of information systems (IS) grew with the accelerated use of these systems. Defining success in this context is difficult. This paper reviews the literature on measuring IS user satisfaction, the most prevalent measure of IS success, and its implications. We present the problematic aspects of the IS user satisfaction tools, and discuss the need to develop up-to-date tools suitable for the sophisticated and complex systems developed today.
[Effects of pH on methanogenesis and methanogenic community in the cultures amended with acetate].

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of pH on methane production from acetate and the methanogenic community structures. METHODS Solutions of phosphate (PB), 2-hydroxyethyl (HEPES), NaHCO3/CO2 or piperazine-1,4-bisethanesulfonic acid (PIPES) were added into the methanogenic cultures, separately. The substrate consumption was determined by monitoring cumulative methane production, the methanogenic community structuresin the stationary-phase cultures were analyzed using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) of 16S rRNA gene fragments. RESULTS The period of lag phase of methane production in the PB addition culture (ca. 40 d) was much longer than that in other pH buffer cultures (20 - 24 d, P < 0.05). Approximate 88.3% of acetate was converted into methane in the NaHCO3/CO2 addition culture, while the value decreased to 77% - 81% in other pH buffer cultures (P < 0.05). The maximum specific methane production rate was similar between different pH buffer cultures (P > 0.05). The relative abundance of members of unclassified bacteria, Spirochaetaceae and uncultured WWE1 increased to (15.5 ± 9.4)%, (7.3 ± 4.6)% and (17.6 ± 6.3)%, respectively, in the NaHCO3/CO2 addition culture, while synergistaceae decreased to (8.9 ± 8.1)%. In archaeal domain, the acetotrophic methanogen related with Methanosaeta harundinacea became predominant (97 ± 2%) in the PB buffer culture, on the contrary, the concurrence of M. harundinacea, M. concilii and hydrogenotrophic methanogen related with Methanobacteriales were detected in the cultures amended with HEPES, PIPES and NaHCO3/CO2. CONCLUSION PB retarded the methane production in the acetatemethanogenic culture, NaHCO3/CO2 addition improve methane production from acetate, the pH buffers had not obvious effects on the maximum specific methane production rate of the cultures, the microbial community structures obviously changed along with PB and NaHCO3/CO2 addition. The research would help us to design suitable condition for the growth of methanogenic culture.
Naturopathic management of rheumatoid arthritis

Complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) are widely used by those with pain and/or musculoskeletal problems, and previous research has shown that high proportions of individuals with rheumatoid arthritis have used these therapies. One of the largest CAM modalities is that of naturopathy, which combines nutritional, herbal, and other complementary practices to treat such conditions. In this review, evidence is examined in relation to those factors which naturopaths believe are significant contributors to rheumatoid arthritis, and are hence the main focus of therapeutic management. These factors include food allergy, increased gut permeability, increased circulating immune complexes, excessive inflammatory processes, and increased oxidative stress. Naturopathic treatment attempts to alleviate symptoms by altering these factors through dietary modification, manipulation of dietary fats, and use of antioxidants and proteolytic enzymes. An understanding of the rationale for these treatments and evaluation of the evidence from their use in clinical settings will assist with the integration of complementary and conventional practices in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
Adult Roles in Community‐Based Youth Empowerment Programs: Implications for Best Practices

Current literature on community-based youth empowerment programs provides few specific operational descriptions of adult roles. This research addressed that gap by exploring the perspectives and experiences of adults actively engaged with youth empowerment programs. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews, field observations, and interactive group discussions with adult program leaders. The following dimensions of adults' work were identified: putting youth first; raising the bar for youth performance; creating the space and making things happen; being in relationships; exerting influence, control, and authority; and communicating and connecting with the broader community. These findings provide guidance for the development of best practices in community-based youth empowerment programs.
Bidirectional promoter in the hut(P) region of the histidine utilization (hut) operons from Klebsiella aerogenes

The hut(P) region (i.e., the region responsible for regulation of hutUH expression) of the Klebsiella aerogenes histidine utilization (hut) operons contains a bidirectional promoter. One transcript from this promoter encodes the hutUH operon; the role of the oppositely directed transcript is unknown, although it appears to be involved in regulating hutUH expression (A.J. Nieuwkoop, S.A. Boylan, and R.A. Bender, J. Bacteriol. 159:934-939, 1984). A 247-base-pair (bp) fragment containing hut(P) carries two RNA-polymerase-binding sites agree with the start sites of the two transcripts produced from hut(P) DNA in vitro and in vivo. The binding sites share a 4-bp region, suggesting that occupancy of the regulatory site precludes occupancy of the hutUH promoter, and vice versa. In the absence of positive effectors, the binding to the site responsible for hutUH transcription is weaker than the binding to the site responsible for regulation. The nucleotide sequence of the 250-bp fragment containing hut(P) contains two possible matches to the consensus sequence for Escherichia coli promoters, a better and worse match, corresponding in position to the stronger and weaker RNA-polymerase-binding sites, respectively. The sequence also contains a region similar to the consensus sequence for binding of the catabolite gene activator protein of E. coli. A sequence similar to the consensus for Ntr-dependent promoters was also found, overlapping both RNA-polymerase-binding sites, but it is not a functional promoter. Finally, an initiation codon preceded by a Shine-Dalgarno consensus sequence and followed by an open reading frame identifies a probable start of the hutU gene coding sequences.
Mesoporous silica‐based dosage forms improve bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs in pigs: case example fenofibrate

Mesoporous silicas (SLC) have demonstrated considerable potential to improve bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs by facilitating rapid dissolution and generating supersaturation. The addition of certain polymers can further enhance the dissolution of these formulations by preventing drug precipitation. This study uses fenofibrate as a model drug to investigate the performance of an SLC‐based formulation, delivered with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose acetate succinate (HPMCAS) as a precipitation inhibitor, in pigs. The ability of biorelevant dissolution testing to predict the in vivo performance was also assessed.
NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT STUDY OF MEMORY

The purpose of this review is to mention the importance of interest and research on cognitive processes in the history of the neurosciences, in this case the memory. From a neuropsychological perspective, the first considerations about memory up to the contemporary scientific study are detailed. So, the theories of neuroscience and their direct or indirect application in people’s daily life due to the contributions of this set of scientific disciplines are related.