Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Browning of white adipose tissue: role of hypothalamic signaling

Two types of fat, white adipose tissue (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT), exist in mammals including adult humans. While WAT stores excess calories and an excessive accumulation of fat causes obesity, BAT dissipates energy to produce heat through nonshivering thermogenesis for protection against cold environments and provides the potential for the development of novel anti‐obesity treatments. The hypothalamus plays a central role in the control of energy balance. Specifically, recent observations indicate the importance of the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) in thermoregulation. We have found that the orexigenic neuropeptide Y (NPY) in the DMH has distinct actions in modulating adiposity and BAT thermogenesis. Knockdown of NPY in the DMH elevates the thermogenic activity of classic BAT and promotes the development of brown adipocytes in WAT, leading to increased thermogenesis. These findings identify a novel potential target for combating obesity.
Peripheral PAR-2 triggers thermal hyperalgesia and nociceptive responses in rats

Protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2), a member of the G protein-coupled, seven trans-membrane domain receptor family, is activated by trypsin/tryptase and present in various tissues including the primary sensory neurons, playing a role in development of neurogenic inflammation. The present study examined if activation of peripheral PAR-2 could modulate nociception in the rat. Expression of mRNA for PAR-2 was confirmed in the L4–6 dorsal root ganglia, but not spinal cord. The PAR-2-activating peptide SLIGRL-NH2 administered by the intraplantar (i.pl.) route, produced thermal, but not mechanical, hyperalgesia in the rat, although the PAR-2-inactive control peptide LSIGRL-NH2 had no effect. Not only the PAR-2-activating but also inactive peptides elicited nociceptive behavior (licking/biting) in the intact rats, whereas only the former peptide produced such behavior in the rats that had received repeated administration of compound 48/80 for mast cell depletion. These data provide novel evidence that activation of peripheral PAR-2 is pro-nociceptive, producing thermal hyperalgesia and also triggering pain sensation, by itself, independently of mast cell degranulation.
The Accumulation and Distribution of Heavy Metals in Crop Plants at Different Levels of Soil Contamination

The article presents the study results of field trials on accumulation and the distribution of heavy metals (HM) in the vegetative and generative parts of crop plants. The study permits to identify the localization of HM in the different parts of plants, develop reliable methods for evaluating the quality of the crop yield and find out the ways for restrict the flow of toxic substances to the human body. The purpose of the research is to identify the plants resistance to the HM soil contamination due to contamination level and intensity of metal absorption by plants. The study established the more intensive absorption of heavy metals in the initial period of plant growth and different influence on plants productivity.
[Interventionist endoscopic ultrasonography. A retrospective analysis of 60 procedures].

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE interventionist endoscopic ultrasonography is increasingly used because of its growing indications. We present here our retrospective and initial experience (60 procedures) with endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) both for diagnosis (EUS-FNA) and therapy (EUS-guided tumorectomy and mucosectomy). PATIENTS AND METHOD in a group with 27 cases including 10 submucosal tumors (SMTs), 2 adenopathies, and 15 potential pancreatic tumors (8 pancreatic cancers), a sectorial EUS-FNA at 7.5 MHz was performed for diagnosis prior to therapy (mainly surgical). A pancreatic pseudocyst was drained. In 21 cases with 27 SMTs (10 patients with 13 carcinoids) a tumorectomy was carried out using the standard loop or assisted polypectomy technique with submucosal injection, and in a few cases (two) using elastic band ligation following a radial EUS at 7.5, 12, or 20 MHz. In 6 cases of superficial gastroesophageal cancer or gastric dysplasia an endoscopic mucosal resection (classic EMR) was performed after EUS or MPs at 7.5 and 20 MHz. Fifty-five patients with 60 lesions, 29 femaes and 26 males with a mean age of 60 years (30-88 years) were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS diagnostic precision (P), sensitivity (S), specificity (Sp), positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) for EUS-FNA was 85, 83, 100, 100, and 43%, respectively, when comparing results with specimen histology. P was higher for adenopathies (100%) and pancreatic tumors (87%) than for SMTs (80%). No complications arose, except for one episode of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) (3.7%) that was endoscopically and satisfactorily treated in a gastric SMT. In the group with 21 patients (10 carcinoids with 13 tumors) 27 SMTs were endoscopically treated by tumorectomy with no perforation and only 2 UGIBs (7.4%), one of them self-limited, recorded. Endoscopic resection was complete in 92% of cases. No complications occurred with classic EMR, and all patients are still alive with no evidence of relapse, either local or metastatic. In this group the rate of complete resections was 100%. CONCLUSIONS EUS-FNA is a safe technique with high diagnostic accuracy. EUS-guided tumorectomy and mucosectomy are also safe and effective techniques in the endoscopic management of these tumors.
Terrorism and tourism: two sides of the same coin

The present short essay brings the problem of terrorism into the foreground. Basically, terrorism not only was catalogued as the major threat for Western civilization but also for tourism and hospitality industries. We hold the thesis that far from being affected by, tourism and terrorism share the same origin, the same point of convergence, which dates back towards nineteen century and the unification and formation of the first worker unions. Though polemic, our argumentation is based on the historical facts and evidence left by the action of first anarchists in the US. The same benefits prompted by anarcho-syndicalists who by an extreme violence shocked the government, were the background for the rise and expansion of modern tourism worldwide.
What about greenhouse gas emissions from students? An analysis of lifestyle and carbon footprints at the University of Applied Science in Konstanz, Germany

ABSTRACT Increasingly, universities are taking responsibility for climate protection. While there has been a growth of activities and studies on greening campus operations and curricula, student lifestyles may also be interesting to look at. This study focuses on student carbon emissions from consumption at the University of Applied Science in Konstanz, Germany. The study includes almost 10% of the university's students. Data on student lifestyle and emission patterns was collected via questionnaires and calculated with a web-based carbon calculator. The study analyzes personal carbon emissions and influencing factors from four consumption categories; housing (including heating and electricity), mobility (including private car use, public transport and aviation), food and other consumption. The findings show average students’ carbon footprint to be 10.9 t CO2 equivalent per year and of the same order of magnitude as the German average. While students cause less emission through heating because of smaller living space per person, they cause considerably more emission by aviation. A relatively small group of frequent flyers dominates aviation emissions. The study shows that the correlation between low income/expenditure and low carbon emissions is not valid for students due to high long-distance mobility.
Pharmacotherapy of chronic spontaneous urticaria

Introduction: Urticaria, by definition, is a disease presenting with wheals, angioedema or both. In patients with recurrent angioedema without wheals, urticaria needs to be distinguished from bradykinin-mediated angioedema, for example, hereditary angioedema or ACE inhibitor-induced angioedema. Areas covered: Urticaria is comprised of acute and chronic forms. The latter group of chronic urticaria has many different subtypes needing partly different therapeutic approaches. However, all therapeutic approaches for symptomatic treatment center on reducing mast cell-mediator-release and preventing its effect. Expert opinion: The current guidelines recommend non-sedating, second generation H1-antihistamines (nsAHs) as the first-line treatment. If needed, nsAHs are to be used at higher doses (up to fourfold the standard dose), and Omalizumab, Montelukast or Cyclosporin A (not in preferred order) are recommended as third-line options. Many alternative treatments have been reported but not tested in randomized controlled trials. These include among others dapsone, H2-antihistamines, anticoagulants and methotrexate. Some therapies should no longer be used according to current guidelines, since studies have shown their inefficacy or because new safety concerns have emerged. This mainly refers to the formally propagated use of sedating antihistamines at night, which change REM-sleeping-patterns and learning curves and have been shown in head-to-head trials to not be superior in efficacy to non-sedating antihistamines.
Naturally acquired immunoglobulin (Ig)G subclass antibodies to crude asexual Plasmodium falciparum lysates: evidence for association with protection for IgG1 and disease for IgG2

There is longstanding evidence for a role of immunoglobulin (Ig)G in protection against malarial disease and infection. IgG1 and IgG3 have been shown to be particularly efficient at associating with monocytes in potentially protective mechanisms (i.e. antibody‐dependent cellular inhibition, opsonization and phagocytosis). Conversely, there is some evidence that IgG2 (and possibly IgG4) antibodies may be antagonistic to this protection. The protective effect of IgG subclass antibody activity present before the beginning of a malaria transmission season (preseason antibody levels) against severe malaria has not been tested in longitudinal studies. We measured IgG class and subclass antibody levels specific to crude Plasmodium falciparum lysates by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay in a case–control study of 76 children on the coast of Kenya. The mean optical density values for both IgG class and subclass antibodies were not significantly different between the children who developed severe malaria and those who remained healthy during an observation period of two malaria transmission seasons. However, elevated levels of IgG1 in relation to levels of IgG2 and IgG4 antibodies were associated with protection from severe malaria (P = 0·02). Conversely, elevated levels of IgG2 in relation to IgG1 and IgG3 antibodies were associated with a higher risk of developing severe malaria (P = 0·006).
Stabbing Colors in One Dimension

Given n horizontal segments, each associated with a color from [σ], the Categorical Segment Stabbing problem is to find the distinct K colors stabbed by a vertical line. When the end-points of the segments are distinct and lie in [1, 2n], we present an (2 + ε)n log σ + O(n)-bit index with O(K/ε) query time, where ε∈ (0, 1]. When the end-points are arbitrary real numbers, a standard reduction to the above scenario improves the existing bounds of Janardan and Lopez. We also present results for few other variations: • reporting the top-k colors that are stabbed, where each color has a fixed priority. • handling these scenarios when the given segments form a tree range.
Comparative Chromosomal Mapping of Microsatellites in Leporinus Species (Characiformes, Anostomidae): Unequal Accumulation on the W Chromosomes

Approximately 90 species in the genus Leporinus (Characiformes, Anostomidae) are known, and most of them do not present differentiated sex chromosomes. However, there is a group of 7 species that share a heteromorphic ZW sex system. In all of these species, the W chromosome is the largest one in the karyotype and is mostly heterochromatic. We investigated the distribution of several microsatellites in the genome of 4 Leporinus species that possess ZW chromosomes. Our results showed a very large accumulation of mostly microsatellites on the W chromosomes. This finding supports the presence of an interconnection between heterochromatinization and the accumulation of repetitive sequences, which has been proposed for sex chromosome evolution, and suggests that heterochromatinization is the earlier of the 2 processes. In spite of the common origin that has been proposed for W chromosomes in all of the studied species, the microsatellites followed different evolutionary trajectories in each species, which indicates a high plasticity for sex chromosome differentiation.
Differential Usage of Alternative Pathways of Double-Strand Break Repair in Drosophila

Double-strand DNA breaks can be repaired by any of several alternative mechanisms that differ greatly in the nature of the final repaired products. We used a reporter construct, designated “Repair reporter 3” (Rr3), to measure the relative usage of these pathways in Drosophila germ cells. The method works by creating a double-strand break at a specific location such that expression of the red fluorescent protein, DsRed, in the next generation can be used to infer the frequency at which each pathway was used. A key feature of this approach is that most data come from phenotypic scoring, thus allowing large sample sizes and considerable precision in measurements. Specifically, we measured the proportion of breaks repaired by (1) conversion repair, (2) nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ), or (3) single-strand annealing (SSA). For conversion repair, the frequency of mitotic crossing over in the germ line indicates the relative prevalence of repair by double Holliday junction (DHJ) formation vs. the synthesis-dependent strand annealing (SDSA) pathway. We used this method to show that breaks occurring early in germ-line development were much more frequently repaired via single-strand annealing and much less likely to be repaired by end joining compared with identical breaks occurring later in development. Conversion repair was relatively rare when breaks were made either very early or very late in development, but was much more frequent in between. Significantly, the changes in relative usage occurred in a compensatory fashion, such that an increase in one pathway was accompanied by decreases in others. This negative correlation is interpreted to mean that the pathways for double-strand break repair compete with each other to handle a given breakage event.
The Clitoral Index: A Bioassay of Androgenic Stimulation

The glans clitoris is a target organ that is responsive to androgenic stimuli and enlarges throughout life. The size of the glans clitoris can be quantitated by determining the clitoral index (CI), which is the product of the sagittal and transverse diameters of the glans. Four hundred ten patients, ranging in age from 17 to 35 years, were examined. Ninety-five percent of 249 normal women had a CI < 35 mm2. Of 85 patients with clitoromegaly (CI > 35 mm2) in addition to at least I other clinical sign of excess androgenic stimulation, 53 (62%) had abnormally high values for cither or both total serum testosterone and 17-ketosteroid levels. The CI is a useful bioassay for the clinical recognition of excess androgenic stimulation.
Buffalo Cervico-Vaginal Fluid Proteomics with Special Reference to Estrous Cycle: Heat Shock Protein (Hsp)-70 Appears to Be an Estrus Indicator1

ABSTRACT Cervico-vaginal fluid (CVF) plays significant roles in coitus, sperm transport, and implantation. It is believed to be a good noninvasive biomarker for various diagnostic purposes. In this study, a comprehensive proteomic analysis of buffalo CVF was performed during the estrous cycle in order to document the protein expressions, utilizing SDS-PAGE, mass spectrometry, and immunoblot. The main objective was to screen the CVF of buffalo for one or more estrus-specific proteins. A total of 416 proteins were identified in the CVF of both estrus and diestrus phases. Out of these proteins, 68 estrus-specific proteins have been extensively reviewed in the protein database. The major physiological functions of estrus CVF proteins appeared to be stress response, immune response, and metabolic. Eventually, the expression level of heat shock protein-70 in the CVF during the estrus phase, as revealed in SDS-PAGE analysis, was higher than during diestrus. The identity of the protein was confirmed by immunoblot analysis as heat shock protein-70. The findings provide a potential lead for the evaluation of these proteins for estrus detection in buffalo because CVF biomarker detection is a noninvasive technique. The mass spectrometric data of identified proteins have been deposited at the ProteomeXchange with the identifier PXD000620.
Improvement of time reversal focusing resolution in dispersive media using Double-Brillouin pulse

The applications of time reversal algorithms to microwave imaging and detection have recently attracted much attention. Virtually, all practical media under investigation exhibit random dispersivity and inhomogeneity, leading to cluttered multi-reflections [1]. To the best of our knowledge, although various methods have been proposed to compensate for the breaking of time reversal symmetry in dispersive media and to settle down the complexities aroused by inhomogeneity, the issue of choosing an optimum pulse has not been studied yet to improve resolution [2]. In this paper, we aim to take advantage of the sub-exponential peak-attenuation rate of Double-Brillouin pulse to improve the focusing resolution of time reversal method.
Comparing values for a private environmental good, xeriscape: Hedonic price method versus contingent valuation method

Comparing Values for a Private Environmental Good, Xeriscape: Hedonic price method versus contingent valuation method by Carole Ann Rollins Dr. Helen Neill, Examination Committee Chair Associate Professor of Environmental Studies University o f Nevada, Las Vegas The hedonic price method (HPM) and the contingent valuation method (CVM) are two valuation techniques used to estimate and report benefits o f public and private environmental goods. Both methods are used in comparison studies for public goods, but not for private goods. The purpose of this study is to extend the knowledge of economic valuation for a private good by comparing a reported value from a contingent valuation survey with an estimate from the HPM using the application o f xeriscape landscaping in residential settings. Market data were collected from 500 residential locations in Clark County, Nevada; o f this sample, 250 homes had xeriscape landscaping, and the remaining 250 homes did not. Surveys were mailed to these locations, and a copy o f the survey was also made available on the internet. A total o f 49 respondents was obtained. The key findings are that (a) market participants value xeriscape landscaping; (b) survey respondents value xeriscape landscaping; and (c) a benefit estimate for the private environmental good using the HPM is greater than a benefit reported using the CVM,
“The good life” for demented persons living in nursing homes

Background: This study investigated which concepts regarding “the good life” are used in mission statements of nursing homes providing care for demented patients. Method: All 317 Dutch nursing homes caring for demented patients were asked to participate; of these, 69% responded. Their mission statements were qualitatively analyzed on content. Whether different types of nursing home differed significantly in the content of their mission statements was investigated by means of χ2 analyses. Results: Six main concepts were found that are considered important for a good life: 1) autonomy and freedom, 2) individuality and lifestyle, 3) relationships and social networks, 4) warmth and safety and familiarity, 5) developing capacities and giving meaning to life and 6) subjective experience and feelings of well-being. It was found that mission statements specifically developed for demented patients attach less importance to the concepts 1) autonomy and freedom and 2) individuality and lifestyle, than mission statements which are also aimed at non-demented residents. Most mission statements turned out to be highly eclectic in content. Conclusion: Nursing homes with a separate statement for demented residents seem to acknowledge the special position of demented residents and the tension between dementia and the ideal of autonomy. Although the eclecticism found in mission statements is understandable, a coherent view on the good life for demented residents should aim for a sound internal structure, and make choices between values. Only then can mission statements provide real guidance for everyday care.
Design of Dual-Loaded RFID Tag for Higher Order Modulations

A touchstone for selecting two scattering states for scalar differential backscattering in passive scatterers was introduced by Green in 1963. According to this model, a scatterer has one global minimum and one global maximum scattering states on its <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Gamma $ </tex-math></inline-formula> plane. The variation of radar cross section (RCS) of the scatterer between these two states is monotonic. Thus, to achieve to the highest differential backscattering the scatterer should switch between these two states. In this paper, we verify, by measurements and simulations, that a linear half-wave dipole antenna behaves as predicted by the Green model. However, we show that the RCS of a T-match bow tie antenna over its <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Gamma $ </tex-math></inline-formula> plane cannot be modeled by the Green model and instead the antenna has two maximum scattering states on its <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Gamma $ </tex-math></inline-formula> plane. In the next step, we use dual loading on the T-match bowtie antenna structure. By appropriate selection of the loads, the antenna can provide various scattering states with various magnitudes in 360° phase span in its in-phase and quadrature plane. This feature of the proposed antenna can be used to increase the modulation depth up to 170%, provide a quasi-32-quasi-quadrature amplitude shift keying, and increase the coverage range in backscattering links.
Enhanced image quality of a lossy near-field superlens using index mismatch approach

Over the years a near-field superlens (NFSL) has received much attention because of its super-resolution beyond the diffraction limits. Till now the index matched NFSL is widely applied to the near-field imaging system under the loss-free assumption. However, the natural materials for a NFSL have intrinsic absorption loss, which prevents ideal image reconstruction and blurs the near-field image. In connection with this issue, we wish to address the compensation of blurred image in the lossy NFSL system through the analysis of optical transfer function and the full-wave numerical approach. The results to be drawn from this research are that we obtained a high-quality image of lossy NFSL through active phase correction of OTF using the index mismatch approach by tuning the wavelength of incident light. And this approach can be applied to a lossy NFSL image system in the optical, IR and THz regime.