Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increased stability of mercapto alkane functionalized Au nanoparticles towards DNA sensing

The use of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) in bioassays is often hampered by their colloidal stability. In this study, gold nanoparticles coated with different mercapto alkanes were investigated towards their stability. Hereto, the effects of the alkane chain length (5–11 methylene groups), the type of functional end-group (–OH or –COOH) and the amount of incorporated poly-ethylene oxide units (none, 3 or 6) on the GNP stabilization was evaluated. Based on these results, an optimal mercapto alkane (HS(CH2)11PEO6COOH) was selected to increase the colloidal stability up to 2 M NaCl. Furthermore, it was proved that this mercapto alkane is ideally suited to enhance the stability of DNA functionalized GNPs in high electrolytic hybridization buffers. The effectiveness of these DNA functionalized GNPs was demonstrated in a sandwich assay using a surface plasmon resonance biosensor. The superior stability of these nanoparticles during hybridization may lead to enhanced biosensor technologies.
“Healthy-Start”: Outcome of an Intervention to Promote a Heart Healthy Diet in Preschool Children

Objective: We evaluated the effects of a preschool nutrition education and food service intervention “Healthy Start,” on two-to-five-year-old children in nine Head Start Centers in upstate NY. The primary objective was to reduce the saturated fat (sat-fat) content of preschool meals to <10% daily energy (E) and to reduce consumption of sat-fat by preschoolers to <10% E. Methods: Six centers were assigned to the food service intervention and three to control condition. Food service intervention included training workshops for cooks and monthly site visits to review progress towards goals. Child dietary intake at preschool was assessed by direct observation and plate waste measurement. Dietary intake at home was assessed by parental food record and telephone interviews. Dietary data were collected each Fall/Spring over two years, including five days of menus and recipes from each center. Dietary data were analyzed with the Minnesota NDS software. Results: Consumption of saturated fat from school meals decreased significantly from 11.0%E to 10.4%E after one year of intervention and to 8.0%E after the second year, compared with an increase of 10.2% to 13.0% to 11.4%E, respectively, for control schools (p < 0.001). Total caloric intake was adequately maintained for both groups. Analysis of preschool menus and recipes over the two-year period of intervention showed a significant decrease in sat-fat content in intervention preschools (from 12.5 at baseline to 8.0%E compared with a change of 12.1%E to >11.6%E in control preschools (p < 0.001)). Total fat content of menus also decreased significantly in intervention schools (31.0% to >25.0%E) compared with controls (29.9% to >28.4%E). Conclusions: The Healthy Start food service intervention was effective in reducing the fat and saturated fat content of preschool meals and reducing children’s consumption of saturated fat at preschool without compromising energy intake or intake of essential nutrients. These goals are consistent with current U.S. Dietary Guidelines for children older than two years of age.
Brain glucose: voltammetric determination in normal and hyperglycaemic rats using a glucose microsensor

PULSED voltammetry applied to glucose oxidase-coated carbon fibre electrodes (glucose sensor) was used for brain glucose determination in normal and streptozotocin-treated rats (experimental diabetes mellitus). Glucose levels increased in the frontal cortex of diabetic animals compared with the controls (+262%). Glucose levels were also increased in their CSF (+48%) and plasma (+64%), determined in ex vivo conditions. The validity of the glucose sensor determinations, as well as that of the experimental model of diabetes used, was checked using the Beckman glucose analyser and a radioimmunoassay for plasma insulin. Insulin, unlike glucose, was decreased in diabetic animals. The sensor described here ensures precise determinations and is suitable for use in experimental models where alterations in glucose metabolism occur.
Bordetella bronchiseptica expresses the fimbrial structural subunit gene fimA

The differential host species specificities of Bordetella pertussis, B. parapertussis, and B. bronchiseptica might be explained by polymorphisms in adherence factor genes. We have found that B. parapertussis and B. bronchiseptica, unlike B. pertussis, contain a full-length gene for the fimbrial subunit FimA. B. bronchiseptica expresses fimA in a BvgAS-dependent fashion.
Increase of Helicobacter pylori-associated corpus gastritis during acid suppressive therapy: implications for long-term safety.

OBJECTIVES Helicobacter pylori causes chronic active gastritis with predominant localization in the gastric antrum. This predisposes to development of mucosal atrophy, intestinal metaplasia, and eventually, gastric cancer. The effects of acid suppression on H. pylori infection and associated gastritis are unclear. However rapid development of atrophic gastritis has been consistently observed in a number of studies during low acid output. We therefore studied the histological features of antrum and corpus of the stomach before and during acid suppressive therapy. METHODS Fifty patients with either reflux esophagitis (n = 21), benign gastric ulcer (six patients), gastric erosions (three patients), or duodenal ulcer (20 patients) were treated for 8 wk with omeprazole 40 mg o.d. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy was performed pre-entry and at 8 wk. Biopsy specimens were sampled from the antrum and corpus for histology and cultures. RESULTS Seventeen H. pylori-negative patients had no histological signs of active gastritis, before or after therapy. Thirty-three H. pylori-positive patients showed predominant colonization and associated inflammation in the antrum before therapy. After therapy, however, the infection predominantly affected the corpus. The inflammation and bacterial colonization in the antrum significantly decreased, leading to negative antral cultures in 61% (20 of 33 patients). In contrast, the inflammation of the corpus mucosa significantly increased despite stable bacterial counts. CONCLUSIONS We conclude 1) that H. pylori testing in patients on profound acid suppressive therapy should be performed on combined corpus and antral specimens, and 2) that omeprazole therapy leads to a strong increase in corpus gastritis, which may explain the observed development of corpus atrophy in a substantial number of patients after several years of continuous acid suppressive treatment. Therefore, we suggest that patients in need of long-term acid suppressive therapy should receive bacterial eradication therapy if they are H. pylori positive.
Few intrinsic connections cross the hand‐face border of area 3b of New World monkeys

After long‐standing loss of afferents from the hand, the hand representation in area 3b of the somatosensory cortex of monkeys becomes responsive to touch on the face. Because the reactivation of deprived hand cortex by the face inputs could depend on axonal connections across the hand‐face border, we determined the extent of such connections in New World marmosets, owl monkeys, and squirrel monkeys. Small injections of anatomic tracers were placed in the hand or the face representations after these representations were identified by microelectrode recordings. The positions of retrogradely labeled neurons were plotted in processed brain sections cut parallel to the brain surface, and their locations were related to anatomic isomorphs of the hand and face representations revealed in adjacent brain sections stained for myelin. In these sections, the hand‐face border was clearly visualized as a myelin‐poor septum. The intrinsic connections of area 3b labeled by injections in either the hand or face representations were almost completely confined to their respective representation, and very few neurons projected across the border. In addition, neurons in the somatosensory thalamus labeled by injections in either face or hand representations were confined to either VPM, representing the face, or the hand subnucleus of VPL. Thus the reactivation of hand cortex by face stimulation does not depend on a previously existing network of intrinsic cortical connections across the hand‐face border, or mismatched thalamocortical projections. J. Comp. Neurol. 454:310–319, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Co‐occurring conditions associated with FMR1 gene variations: Findings from a national parent survey

Parents enrolling in a national survey of families of children with fragile X (FX) reported whether each of their children had been diagnosed or treated for developmental delay or eight conditions frequently associated with FX: attention problems, hyperactivity, aggressiveness, self‐injury, autism, seizures, anxiety, or depression. This article reports results for 976 full mutation males, 259 full mutation females, 57 premutation males, and 199 premutation females. Co‐occurring conditions were frequently reported for all FMR1 gene variations. The number of co‐occurring conditions experienced was strongly associated with parent reports of their child's ability to learn, adaptability, and quality of life. Most individuals with the full mutation experienced multiple co‐occurring conditions, with a modal number of 4 for males and 2 for females. Most (>80%) full mutation males and females had been diagnosed or treated for attention problems. Premutation males, when compared with a matched group of non‐FX males, were more likely to have been diagnosed or treated for developmental delay, attention problems, aggression, seizures, autism, and anxiety. Premutation females were more likely to have been diagnosed or treated for attention problems, anxiety, depression, and developmental delay. Clusters of conditions were identified, seeming to occur in an additive fashion. Self‐injury, autism, and seizures rarely occurred in isolation, but were more likely in individuals who also had problems with attention, anxiety, and hyperactivity. The findings provide a reference point for future studies on the prevalence and nature of co‐occurring conditions in FX; suggest the possibility that certain conditions cluster together; provide evidence that male and female carriers experience elevated rates of co‐occurring conditions compared with matched groups of non‐carrier children; and emphasize the importance of including an assessment of co‐occurring conditions in any clinical evaluation of individuals with abnormal variation in the FMR1 gene. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
In the final section we make a few remarks on the connections between this result and the theory of twisted sums , and make an observation about an old problem of Figiel

We show that if f : Bn -IRn is an e-quasi-isometry, with e < 1, defined on the unit ball Bn of Rn, then there is an affine isometry h : Bn -Rn with lIf(x) -h(x)|I < Ce(l+logn) where C is a universal constant. This result is sharp.
Double dissociation between visual recognition and picture naming: a study of the visual language connectivity using tractography and brain stimulation.

BACKGROUND Study of the corticosubcortical functional anatomy of reading and picture naming. OBJECTIVE To study the role of the left basal occipitotemporal area and its white matter pathways. METHODS Three patients underwent awake surgery for lesions in the left basal posterotemporal region with intraoperative electrostimulations. Intraoperative testing consisted of naming, reading, and recognition of symbols. Location of the stimulation sites was obtained by comparing the surgical cavity in the postoperative magnetic resonance imaging with the tags precisely located in each one of these sites seen on intraoperative photographs. RESULTS A double dissociation was elicited, inducing specific visual recognition and reading disturbances during stimulation in the left posterobasal temporal cortex, without naming impairment. Stimulation of the inferior part of the sagittal stratum (inferior longitudinal fascicle) generated the same response, while a specific picture-naming impairment, consisting of semantic paraphasia, was obtained when stimulating superiorly to this fascicle, over the lateral wall and roof of the ventricle (inferior fronto-occipital fascicle). CONCLUSION We propose the existence of a dual visual language route in the left dominant hemisphere. The first pathway seems to run basally, from the occipital lobe to the posterobasal temporal cortex, mediated by the left inferior longitudinal fascicle, subserving visual recognition. The second pathway might run superiorly and more medially, from the occipital pole directly to the frontal areas, and could be underlain by the inferior fronto-occipital fascicle, involved in naming (semantic processing). Such a model might have both fundamental and clinical implications for the selection of the tasks during awake mapping as well as for postsurgical rehabilitation.
EEG Depression and Germinal Layer Haemorrhage in the Newborn

ABSTRACT. Amplitude integrated EEG (aEEG) recordings from 32 mechanically ventilated infants, gestational age 32 weeks or less, were analysed. All recordings were started within 24 h of birth and continued for at least 50 h. Germinal layer haemorrhage (GLH) was diagnosed by repeated ultrasonography. In six infants neither GLH nor hypocalcaemia were diagnosed; aEEG in these infants rapidly became more active after birth: at 30 h of age continuous background activity was present for more than 20% of the time, and a seizure‐like pattern was exceptional. In seven infants without GLH but with hypocalcaemia and other signs of metabolic derangement, continuous background activity appeared later and seizure‐like activity was frequent. In the infants with GLH, depression of the background activity was apparent. This finding was particularly distinct in the presence of severe haemorrhages. Four infants developed GLH after 30 h of age. All these infants had depressed aEEG beforethe development of GLH, with less than 20% continuous activity at 30 h of age. In ten infants an analysis of the aEEG during the occurrence of GLH was possible. In six of these, cortical electrical activity decreased. Due to the limitation of GLH timing, it was not possible to decide whether this decrease closely preceded or followed GLH. We suggest that GLH primarily occurs in brains with a preceding metabolic and neurophysiologic abnormality, and that further functional deterioration is caused by the most severe haemorrhages.
Socio-demographic and obstetric factors associated with anaemia among pregnant women in Sokoto, North Western Nigeria

Anaemia is a problem of global public health importance. This case control study investigated the prevalence and socio-economic factors associated with anaemia in UDUTH Sokoto, Nigeria. A total of 403 women attending ANC in in Sokoto, Nigeria constituted the subjects. Controls included 200 aged-matched and non-pregnant women. Haematocrit and the haemoglobin concentration was determined using the Swelab haematology analyzer. Subjects were aged 18-44 years with mean age of 32.32 ± 10.60. The mean haematocrit and haemoglobin levels were significantly lower among pregnant subjects (29.63 ± 3.4 and 9.7 ± 1.1) compared to non – pregnant controls (38.33 ± 5.4 and 12.75 ± 1.8) (p=0.001). Out of the 403 women, 228 (55.6%) were anaemic while 175 (43.4%) were non anaemic. Anaemia was significantly lower among highly educated (p= 0.034) and marginally higher among less-remunerated subjects (p=0.678). Anaemia was significantly higher among pregnant women in polygamous relationships (p= 0.01) and among multigravidae women (p= 0.04). This study indicates a high prevalence of anaemia among pregnant women in Sokoto, Nigeria. We advocate that routine haemoglobin be included in antenatal care protocol of pregnant women, that targeted iron supplementation, antihelminthic therapy, use of insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs) and intermittent preventive treatment (IPTp) be implemented.
Radiologic Findings in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy of Non-Tumoral Origin

In so-called temporal lobe seizures, the first phenomenon is often a smell, a taste, a sound, an illusion or a hallucination, dizziness, a sensation in the epigastrium rising upwards behind the sternum, loss of contact or lack of awareness, often with some type of automatic behavior. Seizures of this pattern usually come from the parts of the brain in and just above the middle fossa, i. e. the temporal lobe, the insula (island of Reil) and the adjacent parts of the frontal and parietal lobes. The electroencephalogram usually is reported as showing a lesion of the temporal lobe. The electrocorticogram sometimes shows a lesion deep in the temporal lobe (uncus, hippocampus and amygdaloid nucleus). In other cases it shows a lesion on the surface of the temporal lobe and in still other cases it shows a lesion of the adjacent parts of the frontal or parietal lobes or the insula. Many different lesions may produce so-called temporal lobe seizures. They can be divided into two broad groups, tumors (gliomas, meningiomas, angiomas, etc) and non-tumoral lesions (hamartomas, areas of gliosis, nongliomatous cysts, etc). In the second group, the temporal lobe may appear grossly normal yet the neurosurgeon may get the impression that it is tough and sclerotic. In many of these cases, the pathologist finds 'incisural sclerosis' but in others the brain appears microscopically normal. In spite of this, temporal lobectomy often produces good results.
Care of sexually transmitted infections in the Nordic countries

This article presents an overview of the epidemiology and control of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the Nordic countries. These countries have succeeded in controlling gonorrhoea and syphilis, and the incidence of HIV infection is low. However, during the last few years the incidence of all STIs has increased, although from very low levels. Genital chlamydial infection is still prevalent, and is also increasing. Dermatovenereologists are responsible for the specialized care of STIs, but family doctors and gynaecologists are responsible for the management of a great portion of STIs.
Named Entity Disambiguation over Texts Written in the Portuguese or Spanish Languages

This article addresses the problem of disambiguating named entities, in text documents, towards entries in a knowledge base like Wikipedia. The proposed approach uses supervised learning to sort candidate knowledge base entries for each entity mentioned in a text, and then to classify the entry ranked in the first position as either the correct disambiguation or not. We present results with Portuguese and Spanish texts for a wide range of models and configuration options. Our experiments attest to the effectiveness of supervised learning methods in this specific task, showing that out-of-the-box algorithms and relatively simple features can achieve a high accuracy.
The New NHS: commentaries on the white paper: Encouraging responsibility: different paths to accountability

The new Labour government came into power in May 1997 intent on abolishing the market in health care, correcting inequities in provision, and improving public input into the planning of services. To what extent does the new white paper achieve these aims? In particular, what are its implications for accountability within the service? One of the key issues facing the new health team was the linkage of accountability with money. The previous regime had made financial accountability the cornerstone of its reforms; all the leverage for change, whether in the creation of freestanding trusts or the power of fundholding, was invested in tight contractual arrangements. The new government is working from the premise that contracting wrought little positive change but drove only the bureaucracy of accounting and the increase of supply led services and is determined to change the “currency” of the NHS. In the new white paper accountability seems to follow two separate paths: clinical accountability, …
Teaching NeuroImages: Marked reduced apparent diffusion coefficient in acute multiple sclerosis lesion

A 24-year-old woman presented with sudden right-sided weakness and aphasia. Brain MRI was performed 5 hours after symptoms onset. On diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), the lesion showed a marked increase in signal intensity and an approximatively 70% mean apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) decline as compared with the contralateral hemispheric white matter (figure). The patient met …
Perinatal morphine I: Effects on synapsin and neurotransmitter systems in the brain

We have previously shown that rat perinatal exposure to morphine causes dopaminergic and met‐enkephalin (ME) and substance P (SP) changes in the striatum during the early postnatal period (Tenconi et al.: Int J Dev Neurosci 10:517‐526, 1992); in addition it increases the susceptibility to neurotoxic lesions and impairs regenerative capacity of the serotoninergic system (Gorio et al.: J Neurosci Res 34: 462‐471, 1993). Our study shows that ME and SP levels increase postnatally in several areas of the rat brain, reaching the highest values between 30 and 60 days, after which the peptide content subsides to lower levels. Perinatal exposure to morphine increases such ME and SP levels during the early stages of postnatal life. No effect of morphine on 5‐HT and NE is observed, while the dopaminergic system is mainly affected in the mesencephalon. The pre‐ and postnatal brain expression of synapsin I mRNA is gradually and progressively localized in discrete areas of the brain. In the brain of rats perinatally exposed to morphine, the abundance of synapsin I mRNA expression is markedly reduced. Therefore, perinatal exposure to morphine affects early postnatal synaptic development in the brain as shown by the altered peptidergic and monoaminergic content and by the reduced synapsin I mRNA expression. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Delay Analysis of Half Subtractor using CMOS and Pass Transistor Logic

In present day skill, designing of low power systems has emerged as one of the vital theme of electronic industries due to the point that, power consumption is drawing much of the absorption in any very large scale integration (VLSI) chip design. Design of low power circuit for high performance is the necessary main concern of VLSI technique. This paper presents designing of Half Subtractor using basic gates which are drawn by conventional CMOS and Pass Transistor Logics based on 45nm technology . In comparison between the conventional CMOS half subtractor and using Pass Transistor Logic the delay is 10.5% less in PTL"s half subtractor which is due to less number of transistors used in Pass Transistor Logic which in further has reduced the transistor count to 28.57%. Keywordssubtractor, pass transistor logic, digital circuits.
The relationship between the ITCZ and the Southern Hemispheric eddy‐driven jet

We study the effect of a thermal forcing confined to the midlatitudes of one hemisphere on the eddy‐driven jet in the opposite hemisphere. We demonstrate the existence of an “interhemispheric teleconnection,” whereby warming (cooling) the Northern Hemisphere causes both the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) and the Southern Hemispheric midlatitude jet to shift northward (southward). The interhemispheric teleconnection is effected by a change in the asymmetry of the Hadley cells: as the ITCZ shifts away from the Equator, the cross‐equatorial Hadley cell intensifies, fluxing more momentum toward the subtropics and sustaining a stronger subtropical jet. Changes in subtropical jet strength, in turn, alter the propagation of extratropical waves into the tropics, affecting eddy momentum fluxes and the eddy‐driven westerlies. The relevance of this mechanism is demonstrated in the context of future climate change simulations, where shifts of the ITCZ are significantly related to shifts of the Southern Hemispheric eddy‐driven jet in austral winter. The possible relevance of the proposed mechanism to paleoclimates is discussed, particularly with regard to theories of ice age terminations.