Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The sensitivity of adrenal responses to synthetic adrenocorticotrophin in the conscious unrestrained calf.

1. Changes in cortisol and corticosterone output and blood flow from the adrenal gland have been determined in the conscious unrestrained calf during I.V. infusions of synthetic adrenocorticotrophin (Synacthen) at 0–5 ng‐kg(∓1) min‐ minus 1 (low dose), 5 ng‐kg‐ minus 1 (medium dose), 50 ng‐kg‐ minus 1 min‐ minus 1 (high dose) and 500 ng‐kg‐ minus 1 min‐ minus 1 (medium dose), 50 ng‐kg‐ minus 1 min‐ minus 1 (high dose) and 500 ng‐kg‐ minus 1 min‐ minus 1(very high dose). 2. Infusions at the low dose produced a rise in adrenal output of both cortisol and corticosterone to maximum values of approximately 100 and 30 ng‐kg‐ minus 1 min‐ minus 1 respectively. Mean output of both steroids was significantly increased within 5 min, reached a maximum within 10 min and had fallen to resting levels 10 min after the infusion was discontinued. 3. The effects of infusions at both the high and very high doses were closely similar; maximal cortisol outputs were within the range 600–800 ng‐kg‐ minus 1 min‐ minus 1 and corticosterone 350–500 ng‐kg‐ minus 1 min‐ minus 1 in both groups. 4. When the infusions were terminated, pronounced differences were observed in the rates at which steroid outputs declined. Basal levels were restored within 10 min following the low dose and within 60 min in medium dose animals, but both cortisol and corticosterone output were still elevated 2 hr after infusion in high dose animals. In calves infused at the very high dose, cortisol output did not fall significantly during 2 hr period. The ratio of cortisol: corticosterone released from the adrenal gland immediately before infusion (3–2 +/− 0–3) approximated to the proportions in which the two steroids were found in the arterial plasma, but fell progressively to a minimum (1–3 +/− 0–1) with increasing doses of Synacthen. Conversely, the ratio of the steroids in the arterial plasma was increased during infusions at the low dose, but not at the higher doses. 6. No significant change in adrenal blood flow occurred during Synacthen infusion in low dose animals despite the increase in steroid output. In medium dose animals blood flow through the gland rose during infusion by approximately 75 per cent while in both high and very high dose animals the flow increased by up to 300 percent. 7. In the three groups in which adrenal hyperaemia occurred, blood flow had fallen to within the resting range 45 min after infusion: in each case this fall was much more rapid than the fall in steroid output. No significant increase in aortic blood pressure or heart rate accompanied infusion of Synacthen, indicating that adrenal hyperaemia was dependent upon vasodilatation with the gland. 8. Administration of cycloheximide (10 mg/kg) by I.V. injection either before or during an infusion of Synacthen, inhibited steroidogenesis without affecting the vasodilator response.
Simulating an optical guidance system for the recovery of an unmanned underwater vehicle

The underwater environment is hazardous, remote, and hostile. Having a look and interacting in this environment is a challenge for a human supervisor. Moreover, to design an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV), or evaluate its performance in operation, access to the underwater world is required. A powerful way to visualize the behavior of the vehicle is to create a virtual world with all functionalities of the real world, and to operate the vehicle in this virtual world. This implementation of a virtual laboratory is an excellent way to perform meaningful simulations and complex system testing. In order to study the problem of UUV recovery by a submarine, simulations can be a great help. After the vehicle has finished its mission, it has to proceed to a predetermined rendezvous area to return to the submarine. When the UUV and submarine have detected each other, the recovery begins. The vehicle needs a very accurate guidance mode in order to steer itself to the recovery device. An additional guidance system coupled with a nominal navigation system may be a way to ensure safe vehicle navigation through the flow around the slowly moving submarine. When considering the different technological possibilities concerning the additional guidance system, a functional design approach leads to the choice of an optical technology. The assumptions for the optical guidance mode are that the UUV is fitted with a camera and a high-powered light is located at the edge of the recovery device. The principle is that the UUV tracks the highest intensity light source. A software program was designed, taking into account the physical phenomena occurring during the light propagation under the water, to simulate the kind of images that can be obtained from a camera. Because both camera optics and hydrodynamics response are simulated using high-resolution physics models, this virtual camera provides physically based sensor inputs to the robot software in the laboratory. The image synthesizer module is integrated with an underwater virtual world. A variety of simulations were performed, with varying light sources and positions, to verify proper guidance system operation during different UUV/submarine configurations. The results obtained during the simulations were used to create an optical guidance control mode. All the steps for designing such a simulated guidance system are described in this communication.
Attitudes and Adolescent Nonmarital Childbearing

This study used logit models to provide new evidence on the relationship between adolescent nonmarital childbearing and self-esteem, locus of control, and attitudes towards women's family roles, school, and work The sample was drawn from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, a nationally representative data base containing information on attitudes obtained before nonmarital childbearing occurred. The evidence shows that higher self-esteem and more positive attitudes toward school have been associated with a lower probability of nonmarital childbearing. These are the effects predicted by theory. Locus of control was not systematically related to nonmarital childbearing. Attitudes towards work and towards family and gender roles were also unrelated to nonmarital childbearing. Educational expectations appeared to mediate a small part of the attitudinal effects. Controlling for those effects, higher educational expectations tended to reduce the probability of nonmarital childbearing, but their impact was not statistically significant.
Mental stress elicits sustained and reproducible increases in skin sympathetic nerve activity

Mental stress (MS) is a known trigger of myocardial infarction and sudden death. By activating the sympathetic nervous system, MS may have deleterious effect on the cardiovascular system but this process is not completely understood. The primary aim of this study was to quantify the effect of MS on skin sympathetic nerve activity (SSNA). The secondary aim was to determine the reproducibility of SSNA to MS within a given day and ~1 week later. Ten subjects (26 ± 1 year) performed two bouts of mental arithmetic lasting 3 min. The bouts were separated by 45 min. One week later the subjects returned to repeat MS. All experiments were conducted in the supine posture during the morning hours. To maintain neutral skin temperature, each subject wore a custom suit (34–35°C). Skin blood flow and sweat rate were measured on the dorsal foot. MS elicited a marked increase in SSNA within the first 10 sec (184 ± 42%; P < 0.01) in all subjects, which was less during the remaining period of MS, but remained elevated (87 ± 20; P < 0.01). The pattern of responses to MS was unchanged during the second bout (10 sec, 247 ± 55%; 3 min average, 133 ± 29%) and during the retest 1 week later (10 sec, 196 ± 55%; 3 min average, 117 ± 36%). MS did not significantly affect cutaneous vascular conductance or sweat rate during any trial. In summary, MS elicits robust and reproducible increases in SSNA in humans, which may be followed over time to observe alterations in the regulation of the autonomic nervous system.
Dementia in Parkinson's disease: a 20-year neuropsychological study (Sydney Multicentre Study)

Objective To determine whether neuropsychological measures differ between patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) who acquire dementia within 10 years of disease onset versus those who acquire dementia later in the disease course, using data from the longitudinal Sydney Multicentre Study of PD. Methods The Sydney Multicentre Study of PD is a cohort of 149 community-living de novo patients with idiopathic PD studied over a 20-year period. Detailed clinical and neuropsychological tests were administered at baseline and at 3, 5, 10, 15 and 20 years, and the dementia status was assessed at each time point. For the present study, the pattern of longitudinal neuropsychological measures was compared between PD patients with the onset of dementia in the middle (5–10 years, mid-stage PD dementia, N=20) or late (>10 years, late-stage PD dementia, N=10) disease stages using analysis of variance and multiple linear regression modelling, and the relationship between age and dementia onset assessed using survival statistics. Results Mid-stage PD dementia patients were differentiated from late-stage PD dementia patients by having greater deficits in vocabulary skills prior to and at dementia onset. The pattern of cognitive deficits following dementia onset are similar, and there is no difference in the age of dementia onset between the different PD groups. Conclusions These data suggest that the evolution of dementia within PD occurs at around 70 years of age, regardless of the time of PD onset, and affects cognitive domains in a similar way, although patients with earlier-onset PD have a preserved linguistic ability prior to dementia onset.
Diagnostic usefulness of the GenoType MTBDRplus assay for detecting drug-resistant tuberculosis using AFB smear-negative specimens with positive TB-PCR result

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the GenoType MTBDRplus assay in detecting drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) by using acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear-negative specimens with positive TB-PCR results. Methods The MTBDRplus assay was performed with 2 different categories of 117 samples, including AFB smear-positive specimens (n = 53) and AFB smear-negative specimens (n = 64), which exhibited positive TB-PCR results, at a single institution. The results were retrospectively compared with the results of the phenotypic drug susceptibility test (DST), for reference. Results A total of 105 tests were finally analyzed. Of these, 54 tests were conducted using AFB smear-negative specimens with positive TB-PCR results. The MTBDRplus assay for these 54 samples demonstrated a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 98%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 75%, and negative predictive value (NPV) of 100% in detecting rifampicin resistance. With these same species, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV values for the MTBDRplus assay were 83.3%, 97.9%, 83.3%, and 97.9%, respectively, for the detection of isoniazid resistance. The overall correlation between the MTBDRplus assay and phenotypic DST demonstrated excellent agreement for detection of rifampicin resistance (κ = 0.847) and for detection of INH resistance (κ = 0.812), respectively. Conclusions The MTBDRplus assay can be used effectively even on AFB smear-negative specimens from TB patients, when the TB-PCR is positive. This result might help clinicians to manage patients with suspected DR-TB in difficult situations.
Identification of proteins that interact with exon sequences, splice sites, and the branchpoint sequence during each stage of spliceosome assembly

We have carried out a systematic analysis of the proteins that interact with specific intron and exon sequences during each stage of mammalian spliceosome assembly. This was achieved by site-specifically labeling individual nucleotides within the 5' and 3' splice sites, the branchpoint sequence (BPS), or the exons with 32P and identifying UV-cross-linked proteins in the E, A, B, or C spliceosomal complex. Significantly, two members of the SR family of splicing factors, which are known to promote E-complex assembly, cross-link within exon sequences to a region approximately 25 nucleotides upstream from the 5' splice site. At the 5' splice site, cross-linking of the U5 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle protein, U5(200), was detected in both the B and C complexes. As observed in yeast cells, U5(200), also cross-links to intron/exon sequences at the 3' splice site in the C complex and may play a role in aligning the 5' and 3' exons for ligation. With label at the branch site, we detected three distinct proteins, designated BPS72,BpS70, and BPS56, which replace one another in the E, A, and C complexes. Another dynamic exchange was detected with pre-mRNA labeled at the AG dinucleotide of the 3' splice site. In this case, a protein, AG100,cross-links in the A complex and is replaced by another protein, AG75, in the C complex. The observation that these proteins are specifically associated with critical pre-mRNA sequence elements in functional complexes at different stages of spliceosome assembly implicates roles for these factors in key recognition events during the splicing pathway.
Epidemiology and control of Clostridium difficile infections in healthcare settings: an update

Purpose of review The epidemiology of Clostridium difficile infections (CDIs) has dramatically changed over the last decade in both North America and Europe. The objectives of this review are to highlight the recent epidemiological data and to provide an overview of the current knowledge of infection control measures. Recent findings Since 2003, many countries have reported increased incidence of CDI and outbreaks of severe cases of CDI. This trend is assumed to be due, in part, to the emergence and rapid spread of a ‘hypervirulent’ strain, known as 027/BI/NAP1. This strain has become endemic in many hospitals in North America and Europe. CDI rates have also increased in the community and new genotypes (e.g. PCR ribotype 078) are emerging in both humans and animals. To prevent cross-contamination and to reduce the incidence of CDI, infection control guidelines, based primarily on experience of hospitals during outbreaks, have been recently updated in Europe and the United States. CDI prevention relies on a bundle of measures including antimicrobial stewardship, prompt diagnosis, and the implementation of contact precautions. Currently, most of these measures have appeared effective in controlling outbreaks, but the best methods to reduce CDI incidence in settings of endemicity are still unknown. Summary The recent changes in CDI epidemiology have pushed infection control healthcare workers and scientific societies to revisit and update their guidelines for infection control.
Sluggish vagal brake reactivity to physical exercise challenge in children with selective mutism

Abstract Cardiovascular response patterns to laboratory-based social and physical exercise challenges were evaluated in 69 children and adolescents, 20 with selective mutism (SM), to identify possible neurophysiological mechanisms that may mediate the behavioral features of SM. Results suggest that SM is associated with a dampened response of the vagal brake to physical exercise that is manifested as reduced reactivity in heart rate and respiration. Polyvagal theory proposes that the regulation of the vagal brake is a neurophysiological component of an integrated social engagement system that includes the neural regulation of the laryngeal and pharyngeal muscles. Within this theoretical framework, sluggish vagal brake reactivity may parallel an inability to recruit efficiently the structures involved in speech. Thus, the findings suggest that dampened autonomic reactivity during mobilization behaviors may be a biomarker of SM that can be assessed independent of the social stimuli that elicit mutism.
Impulsive Testing of Individual Semicircular Canal Function

Abstract: In order to test the human angular vestibulo‐ocular reflex in the dynamic range of normal head movements, we measured 3‐dimensional compensatory eye‐movement responses to low‐amplitude (10–12°), high‐acceleration (3000–4000°/s/s), passive, manually delivered head rotations (head “impulses”) in the three planes of the semicircular canals in normal subjects, in subjects who had recovered from surgical unilateral vestibular deafferentation, and in patients after acute unilateral peripheral vestibulopathy, that is, from vestibular “neuritis. ” We found that canal‐plane head impulses away from an intact semicircular canal, that is, toward a lesioned semicircular canal, invariably produce a vestibulo‐ocular reflex with permanently low gain, typically less that 0.4 if the lesion is complete. These results are a necessary consequence of primary semicircular canal afferents being driven into inhibitory saturation by rapid angular accelerations. With practice, clinicians can learn to recognize the telltale compensatory saccades that patients with unilateral loss of semicircular canal function will make if asked to look at an earth‐fixed target during head impulses in any one of the three semicircular canal planes.
Design and implementation of machine vision for board game in lumen social robot system

Machine vision on Humanoid robot Nao, is homology with eye. The success of machine vision is heavily determined by interpretation process to get information of environment and object. This information will be used for decision making of robot action. On this research, machine vision will be applied for tictac- toe board game. This research will become stepping stone for machine vision method for robotic control. On this design and implementation, image interpretation, along with data communication and geometrical analysis will be processed to estimate position accurately and precisely. Furthermore, information is extracted from an image that made robot to recognize and interact with board game pawns. Decision making application will process information to give decision about game action of Nao Robot. The decision will be executed by robot's arm actuator. The system runs well during the testing when battling with human player.
Impact on process results of clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) applied to medication use: overview of systematic reviews

Objective: The purpose of this overview (systematic review of systematic reviews) is to evaluate the impact of clinical decision support systems (CDSS) applied to medication use in the care process. Methods: A search for systematic reviews that address CDSS was performed on Medline following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and Cochrane recommendations. Terms related to CDSS and systematic reviews were used in combination with Boolean operators and search field tags to build the electronic search strategy. There was no limitation of date or language for inclusion. We included revisions that investigated, as a main or secondary objective, changes in process outcomes. The Revised Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews (R-AMSTAR) score was used to evaluate the quality of the studies. Results: The search retrieved 954 articles. Five articles were added through manual search, totaling an initial sample of 959 articles. After screening and reading in full, 44 systematic reviews met the inclusion criteria. In the medication-use processes where CDSS was used, the most common stages were prescribing (n=38 (86.36%) and administering (n=12 (27.27%)). Most of the systematic reviews demonstrated improvement in the health care process (30/44 – 68.2%). The main positive results were related to improvement of the quality of prescription by the physicians (14/30 – 46.6%) and reduction of errors in prescribing (5/30 - 16.6%). However, the quality of the studies was poor, according to the score used. Conclusion: CDSSs represent a promising technology to optimize the medication-use process, especially related to improvement in the quality of prescriptions and reduction of prescribing errors, although higher quality studies are needed to establish the predictors of success in these systems.
Farnesyltransferase Inhibitors Alter the Prenylation and Growth-stimulating Function of RhoB*

Protein farnesyltransferase inhibitors (FTIs) inhibit Ras transformation and Ras-dependent tumor cell growth, but the biological mechanisms underlying these activities is unclear. In previous work, we presented support for the hypothesis that the anti-transforming effects of FTIs depend upon alterations in the function of RhoB, a member of the Rho family of proteins that regulate cytoskeletal actin, cell adhesion, and cell growth. A significant question that needed to be addressed was whether FTIs could directly alter the prenylation as well as the function of RhoB in cells. This issue is complex because farnesylated and geranylgeranylated forms of RhoB (RhoB-F and RhoB-GG) both exist in cells. Here, we show that RhoB farnesylation in vitro can be catalyzed by protein farnesyltransferase and that the peptidomimetic FTIl-739,749 inhibits the farnesylation of RhoB both in vitro and in intact cells. In drug-treated cells, the level of RhoB-GG increased in parallel with the decrease in RhoB-F. In addition to altering RhoB prenylation, l-739,749 suppressed RhoB-dependent cell growth. Taken together, the results suggest that the inhibitory effects of FTIs on RhoB function can be mediated by a relative loss of RhoB-F, a gain of RhoB-GG, or both. Our findings strengthen the causal link between RhoB inhibition and the anti-transforming effects of FTIs and indicate that differently prenylated forms of RhoB may have unique functions.
Marine landscapes and population genetic structure of herring (Clupea harengus L.) in the Baltic Sea

Numerically small but statistically significant genetic differentiation has been found in many marine fish species despite very large census population sizes and absence of obvious barriers to migrating individuals. Analyses of morphological traits have previously identified local spawning groups of herring (Clupea harengus L.) in the environmentally heterogeneous Baltic Sea, whereas allozyme markers have not revealed differentiation. We analysed variation at nine microsatellite loci in 24 samples of spring‐spawning herring collected at 11 spawning locations throughout the Baltic Sea. Significant temporal differentiation was observed at two locations, which we ascribe to sympatrically spawning but genetically divergent ‘spawning waves’. Significant differentiation was also present on a geographical scale, though pairwise FST values were generally low, not exceeding 0.027. Partial Mantel tests showed no isolation by geographical distance, but significant associations were observed between genetic differentiation and environmental parameters (salinity and surface temperature) (0.001 < P≤ 0.099), though these outcomes were driven mainly by populations in the southwestern Baltic Sea, which also exhibits the steepest environmental gradients. Application of a novel method for detecting barriers to gene flow by combining geographical coordinates and genetic differentiation allowed us to identify two zones of lowered gene flow. These zones were concordant with the separation of the Baltic Sea into major basins, with environmental gradients and with differences in migration behaviour. We suggest that similar use of landscape genetics approaches may increase the understanding of the biological significance of genetic differentiation in other marine fishes.