Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cardiometabolic comorbidities and rheumatic diseases: Focus on the role of fat mass and adipokines

Introduction Patients with rheumatic diseases are at an increased risk of mortality and fatal cardiovascular events. Several rheumatic diseases (rheumatoid arthritis [RA], osteoarthritis [OA], ankylosing spondylitis [AS], and systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE]) have been associated with an increase in the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Visceral fat accumulation and incompletely clarified genetic determinants have been suggested to play an essential role in the development of the coexistent disorders in the metabolic syndrome, such as hyperglycemia, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and proinflammatory states, which will determine an increased risk of developing CVD. The predisposition to coexist for these risk factors suggests a single etiologic basis. However, although traditional cardiovascular risk factors (sex, smoking, dyslipidemia, age, and hypertension) have been involved in the pathogenesis of CVDs in patients with rheumatic diseases, such features do not clearly and fully account for the enhanced cardiovascular risk in this population. Metabolic syndrome and obesity or, much more correctly, pathologic alteration of fat mass, is likely the link between CVDs and rheumatic diseases. Indeed, the incidence of CVDs is increased when obesity (and associated clinical metabolic manifestations such as hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and forced sedentary style) is present in patients with rheumatic disorders. Although it has been recently evidenced that dysfunctional adipose tissue secretes inflammatory mediators that are able to influence relevant tissue for rheumatic diseases such as cartilage and synovium, this review summarizes recent evidence on the central role of adipokines, specifically leptin and adiponectin, produced by fat tissue in the modulation of CVDs in the general population, but also analyzes the role of adipokine in a special environment that is represented by rheumatic diseases (Figure 1).
Principal components methods for narrow‐sense heritability in the analysis of multidimensional longitudinal cognitive phenotypes

Genetic association studies of longitudinal cognitive phenotypes are an alternate approach to discovering genetic risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the standard linear mixed model approach is limited in the face of multidimensional longitudinal data and multiple genotypes. In this setting, the principal components of heritability (PCH) approach may increase efficiency by deriving a linear combination of phenotypes to maximize the heritability attributable to a particular genetic locus. The current study investigated the performance of two PCH methods, the Principal Components of Heritability Association Test (PCHAT) and C2BAT, in detecting association of the known AD susceptibility allele APOE‐ϵ4 with cognitive function at baseline and decline in cognition over time.
TUBULO-VILLOUS ADENOMA OF FIRST PART OF DUODENUM-AN UNUSUAL PRESENTATION

Tubulo-villous tumours of the duodenum are rare tumours which account for less than 1% of duodenal neoplasms, 88% of which are located in the second part of duodenum. The remaining 12% are equally distributed in first and third part of the duodenum [1, 2] . A high rate of malignant transformation complicates management with surgical treatment options ranging from wide local excision to radical pancreaticoduodenectomy [1] . A case of duodenal villous adenoma of the first part of duodenum
Sirozlu Hastalarda Atrial Natriüretik Peptidin Kardiyak Fonksiyonlar Üzerine Etkisi

Sirozlu ve portal hipertansiyonlu (PH) hastalarda kan volümündeki anormal da ğılım ve nörohümoral de ğişikliklerden dolayı hemodinami bozulmaktadır. Dü şük sistemik vasküler direnç, kan volümünün e şitsiz dağılımı splanknik vasodilatasyonun ve sirotik kardiyomiyopati diye tanımlanan kardiyak fonksiyon bozukluklarının gelişmesinde. Sistolik ve diastolik fonksiyonlar Sirozlu Hastalarda Atrial Natriüretik Peptidin Kardiyak Fonksiyonlar Üzerine Etkisi
Estudo de confiabilidade aplicado à otimização da operação em tempo real de redes de abastecimento de água

Odan, F.K. Study of Reliability applied to Real Time Optimization of Operation of Water Network Supply. (2013). 210 p. Thesis (Doctorate) – School of Engineer of São Carlos, University of São Paulo, São Carlos. This research project proposes the study of reliability applied to real time optimization of operation of water supply network (WSN). It is desired to obtain robust real time optimization of operation through the use of adequate techniques which accounts the inherent uncertainty of a real WSN. To accomplish the task it is necessary to associate to the optimization model a demand forecaster and a hydraulic simulator. The forecaster will produce the future demand for the planning horizon to serve as input for the simulator, so it is possible to obtain the optimized operation to meet the predicted demand. It was implemented the AMALGAM ("A Multialgorithm Genetically Adaptive Method”) to serve as optimization model as well as the necessary computational routine to link the EPANET hydraulic simulator as well as the demand forecaster based on DAN2. The developed model was applied to the sectors Eliana, Iguatemi and Martinez, which are part of the water system operated by the Autonomous Department of Water and Sewer (DAAE) of Araraquara, SP. The water network model was calibrated using data collected on field campaign to gather pressure and flow data. The optimized operation was compared to the operation from DAAE, resulting in reduction of energy consumption cost of 14%, 13% and 30% respectively for the sectors Eliana, Iguatemi and Martinez.
The Rho Kinase Pathway Regulates Mouse Adult Neural Precursor Cell Migration

Adult neural precursor cells (NPCs) in the subventricular zone (SVZ) normally migrate via the rostral migratory stream (RMS) to the olfactory bulb (OB). Following neural injury, they also migrate to the site of damage. This study investigated the role of Rho‐dependent kinase (ROCK) on the migration of NPCs in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, using neurospheres or SVZ explants, inhibition of ROCK using Y27632 promoted cell body elongation, process protrusion, and migration, while inhibiting NPC chain formation. It had no effect on proliferation, apoptosis, or differentiation. Both isoforms of ROCK were involved. Using siRNA, knockdown of both ROCK1 and ROCK2 was required to promote NPC migration and morphological changes; knockdown of ROCK2 alone was partially effective, with little/no effect of knockdown of ROCK1 alone. In vivo, infusion of Y27632 plus Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) into the lateral ventricle for 1 week reduced the number of BrdU‐labeled NPCs in the OB compared with BrdU infusion alone. However, ROCK inhibition did not affect the tangential‐to‐radial switch of NPC migration, as labeled cells were present in all OB layers. The decrease in NPC number at the OB was not attributed to a decrease in NPCs at the SVZ. However, ROCK inhibition decreased the density of BrdU‐labeled cells in the RMS and increased the distribution of these cells to ectopic brain regions, such as the accessory olfactory nucleus, where the majority differentiated into neurons. These findings suggest that ROCK signaling regulates NPC migration via regulation of cell‐cell contact and chain migration. STEM CELLS 2011;29:332–343
A high speed low power negative sensing architecture for 3D NAND Flash memory

A new sensing architecture aiming at negative threshold voltage detection for 3D NAND Flash memory cells is proposed. This sensing architecture does not need triple well devices and negative voltage supplies. In this architecture, we apply 2 V to source line (SL) rather than 0V which is always used in conventional method. We prove that this architecture is feasible by Technology Computer Aided Design (TCAD) simulation. We have also designed a sense amplifier (SA) to support the proposed sensing architecture. This SA has advantages including lower noise, 9.4% faster read speed, and 51.6% lower power consumption compared to the conventional counterpart.
Receptors for luteinizing hormone‐releasing hormone, somatostatin, prolactin, and epidermal growth factor in rat and human prostate cancers and in benign prostate hyperplasia

Using sensitive multipoint micromethods, we estimated membrane receptors for [D‐Trp6]‐luteinizing hormone‐releasing hormone ([D‐Trp6]‐LH‐RH), somatostatin (SS‐14), human prolactin (hPRL), and epidermal growth factor (EGF) in experimental Dunning rat prostate cancers and in samples of normal human prostate, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and human prostate cancer (PC) obtained from biopsy, after prostatectomy, or at autopsy. In the Dunning R‐3327 rat prostate adenocarcinoma specimens, the receptors were characterized in untreated animals and following in vivo treatment with microcapsules of the agonist [D‐Trp6]‐LH‐RH and the somatostatin analog RC‐160. Two populations of binding sites were found for [D‐Trp6]‐LH‐RH, one with high affinity and low capacity and another with low affinity and high capacity. Treatment with [D‐Trp6]‐LH‐RH and RC‐160 alone or with the combination of these analogs increased the binding capacity (Bmax) of the low‐affinity binding sites for [D‐Trp6]‐LH‐RH and decreased Bmax for hPRL and EGF. Therapy with [D‐Trp6]‐LH‐RH also reduced Bmax of SS‐14 binding and dissociation binding constant of high‐affinity binding sites for [D‐Trp6]‐LH‐RH, whereas administration of RC‐160 or the combination treatment with both analogs increased Bmax of SS‐14 binding. These findings are compatible with the view that analogs of LH‐RH and SS‐14 might exert some direct inhibitory effects on the Dunning prostate cancer. Among 13 human BPH samples examined, only one had receptors for [D‐Trp6]‐LH‐RH, and seven specimens exhibited binding for prolactin. [D‐Trp6]‐LH‐RH receptors were found in all seven samples of human PC but not in any of the eight specimens of normal human prostate. All samples of normal human prostate, BPH, and human PC exhibited binding sites for EGF but not for SS‐14. Our findings on the membrane receptors in the human and rat prostate cancers raise the intriguing possibility that LH‐RH, acting as a growth factor, along with EGF and prolactin, might be involved in complex interactions that contribute to the promotion of prostate cancer in man.
Peroxynitrite generated in the rat spinal cord induces oxidation and nitration of proteins: Reduction by Mn (III) tetrakis (4‐benzoic acid) porphyrin

To determine whether peroxynitrite at the concentration and duration present after spinal cord injury induces protein oxidation and nitration in vivo, the peroxynitrite donor 3‐morpholinosydnonimine (SIN‐1) was administered into the gray matter of the rat spinal cord for 5 hr. The cords were removed at 6, 12, 24, and 48 hr after SIN‐1 exposure, immunohistochemically stained with antibodies to dinitrophenyl (DNP) and nitrotyrosine (Ntyr), markers of protein oxidation and nitration, respectively, and the immunostained neurons were counted. The percentages of DNP‐positive (P = 0.023–0.002) and Ntyr‐positive (P < 0.001 for all) neurons were significantly higher in the SIN‐1‐exposed groups than in the ACSF controls at each time, suggesting that peroxynitrite induced intracellular oxidation and nitration of proteins. The percentages of DNP‐ and Ntyr‐positive neurons were not significantly different over time in either SIN‐1‐ or ACSF‐exposed groups (P = 0.20–1.00). The percentage of DNP‐positive neurons was 7.6 ± 3% to 12 ± 4.2% at 6–24 hr, and it was 14 ± 2% to 19 ± 2% at 6–24 hr for Ntyr‐positive neurons after SIN‐1‐exposure, whereas both ranged over 2–3% in ACSF controls. Mn (III) tetrakis (4‐benzoic acid) porphyrin (MnTBAP, a broad‐spectrum scavenger of reactive species) significantly reduced the percentages of DNP‐ and Ntyr‐positive neurons (P = 0.04 and 0.002, respectively) compared to a SIN‐1‐exposed, untreated group at 24 hr after SIN‐1 exposure. There were no significant differences between MnTBAP‐treated and ACSF controls (P = 0.7 for DNP and 0.2 for Ntyr). These results further demonstrate peroxynitrite‐induced protein oxidation and nitration and the efficiency of MnTBAP in scavenging peroxynitrite. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Antibacterial Activity and Post-Antibiotic Effect of Flurithromycin Compared with Other Macrolides and Penicillins Against Periodontal Pathogens

Abstract In this study the authors examined the activity of flurithromycin compared to that of erythromycin, spiramycin and penicillin against 107 strains of various species supposed to cause periodontitis. The range of MICs of flurithromycin was: <0.06-2 mg/l for P. gingivalis (28 isolates), 0.06-2 mg/l for P. melaninogenica (7), 0.5-4 mg/l for P. intermedia (5), 0.25-8 mg/l for Prevotella sp. (8), 1-16 mg/l for F. nucleatum (14), 0.12-0.5 mg/l for W. recta (2), 0.5-32 mg/l for E. corrodens, 0.5-2 mg/l for B. forsythus (2); <0.06-64 mg/l for Peptostreptococcus sp. (11), <0.06-l mg/l for A. odon-tolyticus (11) and for A. naeslundii (7) and <0.06-16 mg/l for A. viscosus (7). Macrolide activity was ranked in decreasing order from flurithromycin to erythromycin to spiramycin. Beta-lactamase production was demonstrated in Prevotella sp. (20%) and in F. nucleatum (7%). Isolates which were β-lactamase negative but resistant to penicillin were found among Peptostreptococcus sp. and Actinomyces sp. A post-antibiotic effect of 2 hours was seen for flurithromycin on P. gingivalis and E. corrodens. The good in vitro activity of flurithromycin against bacteria supposed to cause periodontitis suggests clinical potential in the treatment of these diseases.
Priority-based squash reducing methods in thread level speculation

Thread level speculation (TLS) aggressively transforms long serial programme into multiple short parallel threads to significantly boost the performance of sequential programmes. But frequent squashing, which is caused by violation between multiple parallel threads, will greatly offset the benefits from parallelisation. Most existing works only focus on improving TLS scheme itself directly, such as preventing false-sharing, pre-computing or predicting values and so on. On the contrast, we realise that squashes are caused by messages whose arriving orders are violated. Thus, these squashes can be reduced by rearranging TLS messages. For reducing TLS squashes, in this paper, we first propose a priority-aware network-on-chip (NoC), which uses a priority-based packet arbitration policy to reorder messages at router. Further, we extend this priority scheme by employing prioritising policy into the directory for TLS system that uses directory-based cache coherence protocol. The extension results in a cost-less version. Experimental evaluation for five typical application kernels of SPEC2000 shows that our NoC approach reduces squashing rate by 22% in best case and 15% on average.
Micropaleontology in Petroleum Exploration

One of the aims of micropaleontological studies is to unravel the geological history of the surface of the earth in a manner that can be achieved as reliably, in relatively quick time and at the same time be economically be reasonable. Oil companies, who invest hugely in this high risk business of oil exploration, have undoubtedly gained much from micropaleontological studies. This is because of the reasonable accuracy and speed with which the results are delivered. The two most common uses are: biostratigraphy and paleoenvironmental analyses. Biostratigraphy is the differentiation of rock units based upon the fossils which they contain. Paleoenvironmental analysis is the interpretation of the depositional environment in which the rock unit formed, based upon the fossils found within the unit. There are many other uses of fossils besides these, including: paleoclimatology, biogeography, and thermal maturation.
Methotrexate-loaded SLNs prepared by coacervation technique: in vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo pharmacokinetics and biodistribution.

AIM Recently, 'coacervation' has been proposed as a new method to prepare fatty acid solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs). The aim of this work was to encapsulate methotrexate, a hydrophilic anticancer drug, within SLNs obtained by coacervation, through hydrophobic ion pairing and to evaluate the potential efficacy in in vitro and in vivo breast tumor models of drug-loaded nanoparticles. MATERIALS & METHODS Methotrexate-loaded SLN efficacy was evaluated in vitro towards MCF-7 and Mat B-III cell lines (human and murine breast tumor cell lines). Pharmacokinetics of drug-loaded nanoparticles was evaluated in male Wistar rats and biodistribution in a breast tumor model (Mat B-III) in female Fisher rats. RESULTS Drug-loaded SLNs showed an increased cytotoxicity towards MCF-7 and Mat B-III cell lines compared with free drug. After intravenous administration, drug plasmatic concentration was increased and a major drug accumulation within neoplastic tissue was shown when the drug was loaded in SLNs, compared with drug solution alone. Encapsulation of the drug within nanoparticles also increased its oral uptake after duodenal administration. CONCLUSION SLNs are promising vehicles for the delivery of methotrexate, since an increase of efficacy in vitro and a preferential accumulation in breast cancer in vivo were shown. Original submitted 29 October 2010; Revision submitted 19 March 2011.
SUPPLEMENTARY FEEDING OF GRAZING DAIRY COWS

In general,, pastures are the cheapest form of feed for dairy cows in Austl%lia and it is only during periods of exceptional feed shortage that cows dci. more than 50% of their intake from supplementary concentrates. Concen-. trates, however, are widely used to fill pasture feed gaps. Pastures vary widely throughout the year in quality as well as quantity and, in many circumstances, the feeding of supplements to grazing cows is necessary and economical.
Metopism: a Study of the Persistent Metopic Suture

Abstract Metopism, the persistence of the metopic suture in adulthood, is a clinically significant radiographic finding. In addition to masquerading as a fracture of the frontal bone, a persistent metopic suture may be associated with other clinically significant anatomical variations including frontal sinus abnormalities. Several geographically and craniofacially distinct populations have yet to be assessed for the prevalence of metopism. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of metopic sutures in adult crania of diverse populations among which scant research exists. A total of 505 adult crania were examined for the presence of a metopic suture. A total of 13 (2.57%) demonstrated metopism. Among subpopulations, metopism was present in 8.06% (5:62) of European crania, 15.38% (2:13) of East Asian crania, 2.20% (2:91) of Egyptian crania, and 2.86% (1:35) of Bengali crania. Metopism was also found in 1 Chilean, Roman, and Tchuktchi cranium, respectively. Metopism was not seen in crania from individuals of African (non-Egyptian) descent (0:62), Peruvians (0:144), Malayans (0:23), or Mexicans (0:23). Among sexes, metopism was present in 3.77% (8:212) of females and 1.79% (5:279) of males. The prevalence of metopism differs between populations and sexes. The results of this study provide anthropological, developmental, and clinical insight with regard to metopism.
Novel Targets for Developing Antiseizure and, Potentially, Antiepileptogenic Drugs

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder caused by abnormal changes in the functions of neuronal circuits and manifested by seizures. It affects patients of all age, substantially worsens the quality of life for the patients as well as their families, and imposes a huge economic burden on the healthcare system. Historically, efforts for discovering and developing antiseizure therapies have been focused on modulating the functions of receptors, transporters, and enzymes expressed by neurons. These drug development efforts have paid off, as we have over 25 antiseizure drugs available in the clinic. However, these drugs mainly provide symptomatic relief from seizures and often cause serious adverse effects. Importantly, almost one-third of patients with epilepsy do not have their seizures adequately controlled by available drugs. To address this problem, researchers are investigating cellular and molecular mechanisms fundamental to the optimal function of neuronal circuits. Evidence shows that disruptions in these mechanisms cause impairment in neuroglial interactions, uncontrolled inflammation, aberrant synaptogenesis, and neurodegeneration in genetic and acquired epilepsies. Many novel therapeutic targets have been identified to target these mechanisms for developing new antiseizure drugs. In addition, the field is exploring new drug targets which may impede the development of epilepsy. We have summarized some of these novel targets in this brief review.
Transcriptional regulation of myelin associated glycoprotein gene expression by cyclic AMP

The treatment of rat glioma C6 cells with 10μ isoproterenol (Ipt) for 4 days upregulated the expression of the myelin‐associated glycoprotein (MAG) gene by approximately 55‐fold over the control value. The constant presence of Ipt in the medium was required for the maximal upregulation, as time‐restricted exposures to the drug produced only partial, or no upregulation of the gene. No difference in the MAG mRNA stability could be detected in Ipt‐treated vs untreated cells indicating that the drug upregulates the MAG gene at transcriptional level. Serum (FCS) strongly attenuated the response of the MAG gene to Ipt.
Parallel JPEG Color Conversion on Multi-Core Processor

Multi-core processors have become the dominant market trend because they provide a great opportunity in increasing processing performance by exploiting various parallelisms. In JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) compression, color space conversion is one of the major kernels known as a computationally expensive module. This paper presents a fast solution for color space conversion with multi-core parallel computation. For this purpose, we utilize Threading Building Blocks (TBB), a runtime library based on C++, and OpenMP (Open Multi-processing), a shared programming language. A RGB image is transformed into a luminance-chrominance color space such as YCbCr. The implementation results show that parallel implementations achieve greater performance improvement regarding processing speed compared with the serial implementation.
Use of an Air Curtain to Reduce Heat Loss from an Inclined Open-Ended Cavity

The use of an air curtain directed across the aperture of an inclined open-ended cavity is examined as a method to reduce convective losses from a heated cavity. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were conducted in two-dimensions for a range of air curtain velocities and axial cavity orientations. The greatest relative reduction in convective losses with an air curtain resulted when the cavity aperture plane was vertical (i.e. horizontal cavity axis). For cavities whose axis was inclined to the horizontal, convective losses could still be lowered with an air curtain, but reduced jet velocities were required for optimum performance.