Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biomarkers of Presbycusis and Tinnitus in a Portuguese Older Population

Introduction: Presbycusis or age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is a ubiquitous health problem. It is estimated that it will affect up to 1.5 billion people by 2025. In addition, tinnitus occurs in a large majority of cases with presbycusis. Glutamate metabotropic receptor 7 (GRM7) and N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) are some of the genetic markers for presbycusis. Objectives: To explore patterns of hearing loss and the role of GRM7 and NAT2 as possible markers of presbycusis and tinnitus in a Portuguese population sample. Materials and Methods: Tonal and speech audiometry, tinnitus assessment, clinical interview, and DNA samples were obtained from patients aged from 55 to 75 with or without tinnitus. GRM7 analysis was performed by qPCR. Genotyping of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in NAT2 was performed by PCR amplification followed by Sanger sequencing or by qPCR. Results: We screened samples from 78 individuals (33 men and 45 women). T allele at GRM7 gene was the most observed (60.3% T/T and 33.3% A/T). Individuals with a T/T genotype have a higher risk for ARHL and 33% lower risk for tinnitus, compared to individuals with A/A and A/T genotype, respectively. Being a slow acetylator (53%) was the most common NAT2 phenotype, more common in men (55.8%). Intermediate acetylator was the second most common phenotype (35.9%) also more frequent in men (82.6%). Noise exposed individuals and individuals with ‘high frequency’ hearing loss seem to have a higher risk for tinnitus. Our data suggests that allele AT of GRM7 can have a statistically significant influence toward the severity of tinnitus. Conclusion: For each increasing year of age the chance of HL increases by 9%. The risk for ARHL was not significantly associated with GRM7 neither NAT2. However, we cannot conclude from our data whether the presence of T allele at GRM7 increases the odds for ARHL or whether the A allele has a protective effect. Genotype A/T at GRM7 could potentially be considered a biomarker of tinnitus severity. This is the first study evaluating the effect of GRM7 and NAT2 gene in tinnitus.
Xlf1 Is Required for DNA Repair by Nonhomologous End Joining in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

The accurate repair of DNA double-strand breaks is essential for cell survival and maintenance of genome integrity. Here we describe xlf1+, a gene in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe that is required for repair of double-strand breaks by nonhomologous end joining during G1 phase of the cell cycle. Xlf1 is the ortholog of budding yeast Nej1 and human XLF/Cernunnos proteins.
Interaction of S-R Compatibility and the Rate of Gain of Information

Four school children of different ages and grades responded vocally at three levels of stimulus uncertainty (Hs) to visually presented Arabic numerals. S-R compatibility was greatest for the oldest child and least for the youngest. Reaction time (RT) was influenced by both Hs and S-R compatibility; the effect of Hs on RT was greatest where S-R compatibility was lowest.
Effect of local application of tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) oil gel on long pentraxin level used as an adjunctive treatment of chronic periodontitis: A randomized controlled clinical study

Background: Conventional non-surgical periodontal therapy has been proven to be an effective treatment for patients with chronic periodontitis. Tea tree oil (TTO) can be used as adjunct to conventional periodontal therapy in patient with chronic periodontitis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of adjunctive treatment of TTO on the clinical parameters and the level of pentraxin-3 (PTX3) in chronic periodontitis. Materials and Methods: A total of 40 patients with moderate to severe chronic periodontitis were divided into two groups, Group I received scaling and root planing (SRP) only, Group II received SRP and TTO gel. Clinical parameters were recorded and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) samples were collected from each subject for measuring PTX3 levels at baseline, 1, 3 and 6 months after treatment. Results: In all evaluation periods, there was statistically significant reduction in each of the studied clinical parameters and PTX3 level in Group II as compared with Group I. Conclusions: The local delivery of TTO gel in case of chronic periodontitis may have some beneficial effects to augment the results of the conventional periodontal therapy. Moreover, it places a focus on the value of monitoring GCF levels of PTX3 as a marker of periodontal tissue healing.
IWKNN: An Effective Bluetooth Positioning Method Based on Isomap and WKNN

Recently, Bluetooth-based indoor positioning has become a hot research topic. However, the instability of Bluetooth RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) promotes a huge challenge in localization accuracy. To improve the localization accuracy, this paper measures the distance of RSSI vectors on their low-dimensional manifold and proposes a novel positioning method IWKNN (Isomap-based Weighted -Nearest Neighbor). The proposed method firstly uses Isomap to generate low-dimensional embedding for RSSI vectors. Then, the distance of two given RSSI vectors is measured by Euclidean distance of their low-dimensional embeddings. Finally, the position is calculated by WKNN. Experiment indicates that the proposed approach is more robust and accurate.
Specific Docking of Apolipoprotein A-I at the Cell Surface Requires a Functional ABCA1 Transporter*

The identification of defects in ABCA1 as the molecular basis of Tangier disease has highlighted its crucial role in the loading with phospholipids and cholesterol of nascent apolipoprotein particles. Indeed the expression of ABCA1 affects apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I)-mediated removal of lipids from cell membranes, and the possible role of ABCA1 as an apoA-I surface receptor has been recently suggested. In the present study, we have investigated the role of the ABCA1 transporter as an apoA-I receptor with the analysis of a panel of transfectants expressing functional or mutant forms of ABCA1. We provide experimental evidence that the forced expression of a functional ABCA1 transporter confers surface competence for apoA-I binding. This, however, appears to be dependent on ABCA1 function. Structurally intact but ATPase-deficient forms of the transporter fail to elicit a specific cell association of the ligand. In addition the diffusion parameters of membrane-associated apoA-I indicate an interaction with membrane lipids rather than proteins. These results do not support a direct molecular interaction between ABCA1 and apoA-I, but rather suggest that the ABCA1-induced modification of the lipid distribution in the membrane, evidenced by the phosphatidylserine exofacial flopping, generates a biophysical microenvironment required for the docking of apoA-I at the cell surface.
Routing Scalable Bitcoin Payments Bachelor Thesis

With current block size limitations, Bitcoin does not scale to a level where it can be used in everyday life by the whole world. As remedy, off-blockchain solutions have been proposed. Bidirectional payment channels allow users to make secure payments with instant confirmation, unlike blockchain transactions whose confirmation takes several minutes. A network of payment service providers, connected by bidirectional micropayment channels, enables clients to make payments to each other that are routed over the network. In this thesis we propose a routing protocol that provides routing information exchange and payment routing.
Cu/Sn microbumps interconnect for 3D TSV chip stacking

The electronics industry is increasingly looking to 3D integration in order to address the ever continuing product needs of miniaturization and performance increase for future generation of ICs. Most of these integration schemes require multiple die stacking on top of each other. In this work, transient liquid phase (TLP) bonding technique using Cu-Sn intermetallic is used for die stacking. Fast die to wafer pick and place operation followed by collective bonding process is described here for bonding application. Low temperature stacking is also explored using solid metal bonding (SMB) process and the effect of various cleaning agents on the bonding interface is discussed. Finally, in this paper we report on die stacking using microbumps with dies containing through silicon visa (TSV).
Metabolite-biomarker investigations in the life cycle of and infection with Schistosoma

SUMMARY Schistosome infection is endemic in many Third World countries and affects an estimated 200 million individuals. Over the last few years, a number of investigations have focused on small molecule biomarkers of this infection. These studies were aimed at discovering key molecules relating to the life cycle of the parasite or deciphering metabolic change in the host during infection. In this review these studies are further divided into targeted approaches to find compounds and fingerprinting techniques i.e. metabonomics. A species-specific metabolite or group of biomarkers of the infection have yet to be discovered. For this reason a critical discussion contrasting with established diagnostic methods and future prospects are also provided.
Rubia cordifolia L. and Glycyrrhiza glabra L. Medicinal Plants as Potential Source of COX-2 Inhibitors

The association of chronic inflammation with development of human cancer is well recognized. There are number of reports of involvement of inflammatory process in the initiation and progress of cancer. The search for selective inhibitors of Cyclooxygenase-2 isoenzymes and that too from natural origin is considerably important. Rubia cordifolia L. and Glycyrrhiza glabra L. find an important place in the Ayurvedic system of medicine. Several secondary plant metabolites were isolated from roots of R. cordifolia and rhizomes of G. glabra and were investigated for the COX-2 inhibitory activity using Cayman COX (ovine) inhibitory screening assay. A few molecules showed potent COX-2 inhibitory activity which may serve as lead molecules for cancer chemoprevention studies.
Cell cycle and genetic requirements of two pathways of nonhomologous end-joining repair of double-strand breaks in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, an HO endonuclease-induced double-strand break can be repaired by at least two pathways of nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) that closely resemble events in mammalian cells. In one pathway the chromosome ends are degraded to yield deletions with different sizes whose endpoints have 1 to 6 bp of homology. Alternatively, the 4-bp overhanging 3' ends of HO-cut DNA (5'-AACA-3') are not degraded but can be base paired in misalignment to produce +CA and +ACA insertions. When HO was expressed throughout the cell cycle, the efficiency of NHEJ repair was 30 times higher than when HO was expressed only in G1. The types of repair events were also very different when HO was expressed throughout the cell cycle; 78% of survivors had small insertions, while almost none had large deletions. When HO expression was confined to the G1 phase, only 21% were insertions and 38% had large deletions. These results suggest that there are distinct mechanisms of NHEJ repair producing either insertions or deletions and that these two pathways are differently affected by the time in the cell cycle when HO is expressed. The frequency of NHEJ is unaltered in strains from which RAD1, RAD2, RAD51, RAD52, RAD54, or RAD57 is deleted; however, deletions of RAD50, XRS2, or MRE11 reduced NHEJ by more than 70-fold when HO was not cell cycle regulated. Moreover, mutations in these three genes markedly reduced +CA insertions, while significantly increasing the proportion of both small (-ACA) and larger deletion events. In contrast, the rad5O mutation had little effect on the viability of G1-induced cells but significantly reduced the frequency of both +CA insertions and -ACA deletions in favor of larger deletions. Thus, RAD50 (and by extension XRS2 and MRE11) exerts a much more important role in the insertion-producing pathway of NHEJ repair found in S and/or G2 than in the less frequent deletion events that predominate when HO is expressed only in G1.
Growth factors in preimplantation mammalian embryos.

It has been hypothesized for some time that secretions of the oviduct and uterus are involved in stimulating cell proliferation in preimplantation mammalian embryos and promotion of early differentiation events that lead to successful implantation. At least some of the regulatory factors present within uterine secretions are growth factors that can act along a paracrine pathway by binding to specific receptors on embryonic cells. A list of polypeptide growth factors present in uterine tissues and fluids has been previously published by Brigstock et al. (1989) and along with those reported in this review, includes EGF, TGF-alpha, insulin, IGF-I, IGF-II, IGF-BPs, acidic and basic FGF, and CSF-1. The early embryo itself produces a number of growth factors and receptors. A summary of those covered in this review, including temporal aspects of their expression, is contained in Table 2.1. Most of the data are from studies on mouse embryos but where, possible, we have also included reports for other mammalian embryos. Taken together with the factors present in oviduct and uterine secretions, it is clear that preimplantation embryos reside in an environmental milieu in which they are exposed to growth factors of many kinds and that regulatory pathways at the autocrine, juxtacrine, and paracrine levels may all be operating. From a functional point of view, many of the factors we have reviewed have been shown to be able to enhance development when added to medium for culture of preimplantation embryos. The exact circuit or pathway and mechanism through which they exert their effects remain, for the most part, to be elucidated. None the less, a number of general features regarding growth factor function during preimplantation development have emerged. There appears to be a redundancy of gene products within several growth factor families, all of which can stimulate cell proliferative or metabolic events when added exogenously to preimplantation embryos in culture. Perhaps, then, in addition to functions of growth factors acting singly on their specific receptors, combinations of factors are important for induction of a specific developmental response. We have included many examples of synergistic actions of growth factors during preimplantation development in the previous sections. It is also possible that the result of combinations of factors may involve a process of interference whereby exposure of embryonic cells to one growth factor may compromise its ability to bind and respond to another. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Hyperglycaemia enhances renal magnesium excretion in Type 1 diabetic patients

Magnesium depletion is a common feature of diabetes mellitus, apparently related to glycaemic control. The aim of the study was to investigate the isolated effect of hyperglycaemia upon renal magnesium excretion. Urinary magnesium excretion rates were measured in 10 patients with Type 1 diabetes mellitus on two different days with different levels of blood glucose concentration but equal plasma insulin concentration. On a hyperglycaemic day, an i.v. infusion of 20% glucose was started at the end of a euglycaemic baseline period, increasing blood glucose concentration from 5.3 mmol/L to 12.3 mmol/L. There was no major glucosuria. On the hyperglycaemic day the renal magnesium excretion and clearance were raised by a factor of 2.4 compared to the euglycaemic day. Plasma magnesium concentration decreased 3% during hyperglycaemia. In conclusion, blood glucose excursions influence magnesium homeostasis independently of insulin levels in Type 1 diabetic patients. This effect is primarily due to an increased renal magnesium clearance during hyperglycaemia.
ALVIN VOLKMAN AND

Acquired resistance in tuberculosis (1), brucellosis (2), listeriosis (3), and salmonellosis (4) is primarily cell mediated. The macrophages, which act as effectors of this type of antimicrobial immunity are derived mainly from circulating monocytes (5). The abundance of macrophages in tissue lesions may be due in part to the state of delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) 1 which develops during these infections (6). In this connection, there is evidence that a high proportion of the macrophages which accumulate within a DTH reaction site arise from the further differentiation or maturation of inonocytes that emigrate from the blood (7). The expression of peripheral delayed hypersensitivity is, in fact, dependent upon the presence of such macrophages in the test sites (8, 9). Monocytes in most mammalian species constitute only a small proportion of the circulating white blood cells. I t follows that in systemic infections of this type the demand for macrophages within infective foci could deplete the blood of monocytes unless compensatory mechanisms were operative. Still, there is little information concerning the activity of such mechanisms within the monocyte system. The strongest evidence for an operative homeostasis is in fact the constancy of the blood monocyte count. Most evidence on this point is inferential and based on data derived from studies of nonspecific inflammation. Thus, virtually nothing is known concerning the capacity of the monocyte system to meet the demands imposed by infection or the means by which the delivery of monocytes can be increased in such circumstances. The present studies were therefore addressed to the problem of monocyte mobilization in response to Salmonella infection in the rat. This model was chosen on the basis of unpublished observations that the rapid development of immunity in rats infected with Salmonella enteritidis was associated with abundant granulomatous accumulations of macrophages in the liver and spleen, an absolute monocytosis in the blood, and the development of high levels of cutaneous DTH. The cytokinetic changes underlying the obvious and rapid mobilization of monocytes in these animals were
Influence of various scavengers of •OH radicals on the radiation sensitivity of yeast and bacteria

Abstract Purpose: To quantitatively investigate the influence of various •OH (hydroxyl radical) scavengers on the radiation sensitivity of yeast and bacteria, particularly to define the relationship between the protective effect of a scavenger and its •OH scavenging efficiency. Materials and methods: In order to study the protective effect of •OH scavengers we used various concentrations of four scavengers (methanol, potassium formate, ethanol and ascorbic acid) in isotonic salt solutions. These solutions containing live yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) or bacteria (Escherichia coli) were irradiated with 60Co isotope γ -radiation using two different doses and dose rates. The number of surviving cells was determined prior to and after irradiation both in suspension with and without scavengers. The surviving fractions after irradiation with and without the scavenger were evaluated. Results and conclusions: The main results of the paper were: The surviving fraction increased approximately linearly within the measured interval with increasing concentration of the scavenger. The same dependences were found for the protecting effect depending on the scavenging efficiency. The slopes of these dependences (k) were found to be characteristic for each scavenger. The k value determined the degree in which the scavenging of •OH radicals participated in the protection of living cells. The protective effects of scavengers at the same scavenging efficiency were different and unique for each scavenger. No simple relation was found between the efficiency of scavenger k and the rate constant kOH of the reactions between scavengers and •OH radicals. Our results suggest that the studied scavengers effectively protected yeast and bacteria against ionizing radiation. Although the scavenging of •OH radicals seems to be important for protection of living cells, it is clearly not the only process on which the protection is based.
Restoration of differently blurred versions of an image with measurement errors in the PSF's

Restoration of an object from T observations is considered. Each image is distorted by a different deterministic blur and additive noise. The point spread function (PSF) for each observation is unknown; however, a noisy measurement of it is available. Taking the errors in measurements of the PSFs into consideration, the maximum-likelihood and Wiener filters are derived. It is shown that these filters give better results when the regression filter and the conventional Wiener filter, i.e., the one which ignores the presence of the noise in the PSFs. The consistency and the ill-conditioning characteristics of the filters are discussed. Regularized forms for these filers are obtained.
Intermittent patches of turbulence in a stratified medium with stable shear

Direct numerical simulation (DNS) is used to investigate the evolution of intermittent patches of turbulence in a background flow with the gradient Richardson number, Rig , larger than the critical value of 0.25. The base flow consists of an unstable stratified shear layer (Rig 0.25), whose shear and stratification are varied. The unstable shear layer undergoes a Kelvin–Helmholtz shear instability that develops into billows. Vortices associated with the billows are pulled into the bottom shear layer and stretched by the local shear into a horseshoe configuration. The breakdown of the horseshoe vortices generates localized patches of turbulence. Three cases with different levels of shear and stratification, but with the same Rig , in the bottom shear layer are simulated to examine the popular hypothesis that mixing is determined by local Rig . In the case with largest shear and stratification, the vortices are less likely to penetrate the bottom layer and.