Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Protein kinase inhibitor attenuates an increase in endothelial monolayer permeability induced by tumour necrosis factor‐α

Abstract We questioned the mechanism of the increase in pulmonary endothelial permeability induced by tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), a cytokine implicated in the pathogenesis of adult respiratory distress syndrome. As a measure of permeability, we determined the albumin transferred across cultured pulmonary endothelial monolayers prepared on a porous filter. The agents evaluated included protein kinase inhibitors H‐7 and H‐8, a calmodulin antagonist W‐7, and protein kinase C (PKC) activators, phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and SC‐9. H‐7, more potent in inhibiting PKC than H‐8, failed to attenuate the increase in permeability induced by TNF‐α. Neither PMA nor SC‐9 increased permeability. However, H‐8, which is a potent inhibitor of cyclic nucleotide‐dependent protein kinases, prevented the increase in permeability induced by TNF‐α. These results suggest that protein kinases other than PKC are involved in the signal transduction in endothelial permeability increase induced by TNF‐α. Calmodulin pathway may not be implicated in the increase in permeability induced by TNF‐α.
Efeito no Preço das Ações Ingressantes no Ibovespa

O objetivo do presente artigo e verificar se as acoes que foram incluidas no Ibovespa (Indice Bovespa) apresentam retornos anormais significativos em torno da data do anuncio da inclusao (previa) e da data da efetiva inclusao. Analisaram-se os ingressos no Ibovespa entre setembro de 1994 e setembro de 2009. No total, 55 inclusoes foram analisadas. Para cada acao ingressante, foi calculado o retorno anormal acumulado dentro de uma janela de evento, tomando como base o modelo de mercado. Posteriormente, a media dos retornos anormais acumulados foi testada para verificar se e significativamente diferente de zero. Foram testadas diversas janelas de evento e foram considerados tres eventos: duas previas (30 e 15 dias para a entrada em vigor da carteira) e a efetiva inclusao. Os resultados da analise em torno da efetiva inclusao indicam a existencia de um retorno anormal significativamente positivo antes do evento, um retorno anormal significativamente negativo apos o evento e a ausencia de retornos anormais significativos em torno do evento, sugerindo um efeito nao permanente, em linha com a “price pressure hypothesis”. A media dos retornos anormais foi testada por meio do teste t, e a normalidade das distribuicoes, por meio do teste Jarque-Bera. Este artigo traz mais evidencias com relacao ao efeito no preco associada a mudanca de composicao de indices de mercado ao analisar as inclusoes no Ibovespa.
Multi-dimensional Co-separation Analysis Reveals Protein–Protein Interactions Defining Plasma Lipoprotein Subspecies*

The distribution of circulating lipoprotein particles affects the risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in humans. Lipoproteins are historically defined by their density, with low-density lipoproteins positively and high-density lipoproteins (HDLs) negatively associated with CVD risk in large populations. However, these broad definitions tend to obscure the remarkable heterogeneity within each class. Evidence indicates that each class is composed of physically (size, density, charge) and compositionally (protein and lipid) distinct subclasses exhibiting unique functionalities and differing effects on disease. HDLs in particular contain upward of 85 proteins of widely varying function that are differentially distributed across a broad range of particle diameters. We hypothesized that the plasma lipoproteins, particularly HDL, represent a continuum of phospholipid platforms that facilitate specific protein–protein interactions. To test this idea, we separated normal human plasma using three techniques that exploit different lipoprotein physicochemical properties (gel filtration chromatography, ionic exchange chromatography, and preparative isoelectric focusing). We then tracked the co-separation of 76 lipid-associated proteins via mass spectrometry and applied a summed correlation analysis to identify protein pairs that may co-reside on individual lipoproteins. The analysis produced 2701 pairing scores, with the top hits representing previously known protein–protein interactions as well as numerous unknown pairings. A network analysis revealed clusters of proteins with related functions, particularly lipid transport and complement regulation. The specific co-separation of protein pairs or clusters suggests the existence of stable lipoprotein subspecies that may carry out distinct functions. Further characterization of the composition and function of these subspecies may point to better targeted therapeutics aimed at CVD or other diseases.
New hypotheses for the health-protective mechanisms of whole-grain cereals: what is beyond fibre?

Epidemiological studies have clearly shown that whole-grain cereals can protect against obesity, diabetes, CVD and cancers. The specific effects of food structure (increased satiety, reduced transit time and glycaemic response), fibre (improved faecal bulking and satiety, viscosity and SCFA production, and/or reduced glycaemic response) and Mg (better glycaemic homeostasis through increased insulin secretion), together with the antioxidant and anti-carcinogenic properties of numerous bioactive compounds, especially those in the bran and germ (minerals, trace elements, vitamins, carotenoids, polyphenols and alkylresorcinols), are today well-recognised mechanisms in this protection. Recent findings, the exhaustive listing of bioactive compounds found in whole-grain wheat, their content in whole-grain, bran and germ fractions and their estimated bioavailability, have led to new hypotheses. The involvement of polyphenols in cell signalling and gene regulation, and of sulfur compounds, lignin and phytic acid should be considered in antioxidant protection. Whole-grain wheat is also a rich source of methyl donors and lipotropes (methionine, betaine, choline, inositol and folates) that may be involved in cardiovascular and/or hepatic protection, lipid metabolism and DNA methylation. Potential protective effects of bound phenolic acids within the colon, of the B-complex vitamins on the nervous system and mental health, of oligosaccharides as prebiotics, of compounds associated with skeleton health, and of other compounds such as α-linolenic acid, policosanol, melatonin, phytosterols and para-aminobenzoic acid also deserve to be studied in more depth. Finally, benefits of nutrigenomics to study complex physiological effects of the ‘whole-grain package’, and the most promising ways for improving the nutritional quality of cereal products are discussed.
Area-Efficient 128- to 2048/1536-Point Pipeline FFT Processor for LTE and Mobile WiMAX Systems

Fast Fourier transform (FFT) is widely used in digital signal processing and telecommunications, particularly in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing systems, to overcome the problems associated with orthogonal subcarriers. This paper presents a novel 128/256/512/1024/1536/2048-point single-path delay feedback (SDF) pipeline FFT processor for long-term evolution and mobile worldwide interoperability for microwave access systems. The proposed design employs a low-cost computation scheme to enable 1536-point FFT, which significantly reduces hardware costs as well as power consumption. In conjunction with the aforementioned 1536-point FFT computation scheme, the proposed design included an efficient three-stage SDF pipeline architecture on which to implement a radix-3 FFT. The new radix-3 SDF pipeline FFT processor simplifies its data flow and is easy to control, and the complexity of the resulting hardware is lower than that of existing structures. This paper also formulated a hardware-sharing mechanism to reduce the memory space requirements of the proposed 1536-point FFT computation scheme. The proposed design was implemented using 90 nm CMOS technology. Postlayout simulation results revealed a die area of approximately 1.44×1.44 mm2 with power consumption of only 9.3 mW at 40 MHz.
Neural crest cells provide species‐specific patterning information in the developing branchial skeleton

Summary The skeletal elements of the branchial region are made by neural crest cells, following tissue interactions with the pharyngeal endoderm. Previous transplantation experiments have claimed that the cranial neural crest is morphogenetically prespecified in respect of its branchial skeletal derivatives, that is, that information for the number, size, shape, and position of its individual elements is already determined in these cells when they are still in the neural folds. This positional information would somehow be preserved during delamination from the neural tube and migration into the branchial arches, before being read out as a spatial pattern of chondrogenesis and osteogenesis. However, it now appears that signals from the endoderm are able to specify not only the histogenic differentiation state of neural crest cells but also the identity and orientation of the branchial skeletal elements. It is therefore important to ask whether fine details of branchial skeletal pattern such as those that exist between different species are also governed by extrinsic factors, such as the endoderm, or by the neural crest itself. We have grafted neural crest between duck and quail embryos and show that the shape and size of the resulting skeletal elements is donor derived. The ability to form species‐specific patterns of craniofacial skeletal tissue thus appears to be an inherent property of the neural crest, expressed as species‐specific responses to endodermal signals.
Optimized indoor wireless propagation model in WiFi-RoF network architecture for RSS-based localization in the Internet of Things

This paper innovatively proposes an indoor wireless propagation model in WiFi radio-over-fiber network architecture for received signal strength (RSS) based localization in the Internet of Things. The proposed model adds attenuation terms of obstacles in each sub-space by dividing the room into several sub-spaces according to the obstacles' distribution. The influence of obstacles in sub-space on the indoor wireless propagation model is theoretically analyzed and the optimized model has been experimentally demonstrated to give exactly prediction of real-world RSS values in 62.5% of the testing points, which shows that the proposed model outperforms the original one.
Intraoperative Monitoring of Active Middle Ear Implant Function in Patients With Normal and Pathologic Middle Ears

Objective: To describe a technique enabling the intraoperative assessment of the mechanical coupling of active middle ear implants in patients with normal or dysfunctional middle ears. Patients: Patients with sensorineural or mixed hearing loss subjected to revision surgery of an active middle ear implant. Intervention: Recording of compound action potentials (CAPs) of the auditory nerve in response to stimulation via an active middle ear implant during revision surgery. Main Outcome Measures: CAP thresholds as a measure of mechanical coupling and system integrity. Conclusion: Determining CAP thresholds may be suitable for identifying a proper mechanical coupling of active middle ear implants in patients with a dysfunctional middle ear, even if the ossicular chain is disrupted.
Linking neural activity to complex decisions

Abstract In the 1990s, seminal work from Newsome and colleagues made it possible to study the neuronal mechanisms of simple perceptual decisions. The key strength of this work was the clear and direct link between neuronal activity and choice processes. Since then, a great deal of research has extended these initial discoveries to more complex forms of decision making, with the goal of bringing the same strength of linkage between neural and psychological processes. Here, we discuss the progress of two such research programs, namely our own, that are aimed at understanding memory-guided decisions and reward-guided decisions. These problems differ in the relevant brain areas, in the progress that has been achieved, and in the extent of broader understanding achieved so far. However, they are unified by the use of theoretical insights about how to link neuronal activity to decisions.
Enhancement of 5-Aminolevulinic acid-induced oxidative stress on two cancer cell lines by gold nanoparticles

Abstract 5-Aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) and its methyl ester (5-ALA-Me) at mM concentration levels induce oxidative stress via the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Human cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and HepG2) incubated in the dark in the simultaneous presence of 5.0 mM or more 5-ALA or 5-ALA-Me (for MCF-7) and 7 µg/mL of 15 nm citrate capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were damaged more seriously compared to those in the presence of the levulinic acid alone. Damage is visible in electron micrographs which reveal similar morphology both in the presence or absence of AuNPs. Cytotoxicity was observed irrespective of the presence of serum and medium. Production of ROS in cell free samples containing 5-ALA-Me was monitored by EPR as the DMPO-OH spin adduct and also showed a catalytic effect of AuNPs. Both SOD and CAT inhibited the production of ROS and also reduced cytotoxicity in the cell samples. These observations can be explained by initial attack on the cell membrane by ROS produced in the medium outside the cell and provide insight into possible uses of 5-ALA in cancer chemotherapy.
The projection of the medial and posterior articular nerves of the cat's knee to the spinal cord

We studied the spinal projections of the medial and posterior articular nerves (MAN and PAN) of the knee joint in the cat with the aid of the transganglionic transport of horseradish peroxidase. The afferent fibers of the MAN entered the spinal cord via the lumbar dorsal roots L5 and L6 and those of the PAN entered via the dorsal roots L6 and L7. Within the dorsal root ganglia, most labeled neurons had small to medium diameters. A relatively higher number of medium‐size cell bodies were labeled from the PAN than from the MAN. In the spinal cord labeled MAN afferent fibers and terminations were most dense in the L5 and L6 segments, and those of the PAN were most dense in L6 and L7, that is, in the respective segments of entry. Labeled afferent fibers from both nerves projected rostrally at least as far as L1 and caudally as far as S2. Labeled fibers were found in Lissauer's tract as well as in the dorsal column immediately adjacent to the dorsal horn. In the spinal gray matter, both nerves had two main projection fields, one in the cap of the dorsal horn in lamina I, the other in the deep dorsal horn in laminae V‐VI and the dorsal part of lamina VII. Both nerves, but particularly the PAN, projected to the medial portion of Clarke's column. No projection was found to laminae II, III, and IV of the dorsal horn or to the ventral horn. Since these findings parallel observations on hindlimb muscle afferent fibers, the present data support the existence of a common pattern for the central distribution of deep somatic afferent fibers.
Epidemiology of esophageal cancer--an overview article.

BACKGROUND Esophageal cancer is one of the most serious tumor diseases worldwide, owing to its rapid development and fatal prognosis in most cases. To compare epidemiologic characteristics, data published by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France and data from Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Brno, Czech Republic were used. METHODS We conducted a search of selected Czech and foreign literature focused on the epidemiology of esophageal cancer and its main risk factors. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION An overview of esophageal cancer epidemiology is presented. Prevention of esophageal cancer should be based on early detection and surveillance of precancerous lesions, especially of Barrett's esophagus, and attention should also focus on modification of changeable risk factors, including tobacco smoking, alcohol abuse, and ingestion of hot and spicy food. Carefully designed epidemiologic studies, both descriptive and analytical, are required to increase understanding of the complexity of esophageal cancer etiology.
Sleep duration, quality, and timing and their associations with age in a community without electricity in haiti

Sleep comprises one‐third of one's life, yet little is known about sleep in developing countries. Furthermore, many studies in industrialized countries have reported that sleep duration and quality decline with aging, but whether this association persists globally is unknown. This study's objectives were to characterize sleep in a community without electricity in Haiti and to examine associations between measures of sleep and age.
When boys want to be girls : effects of mating system and dispersal on parent – offspring sex ratio conflict

Question: How is parent–offspring conflict over the sex ratio affected by mating system and sex-specific dispersal? Methods: Inclusive fitness maximization models and dynamic simulations. Life cycle: Patch-structured diploid population, fixed number of adult females per patch, sex-specific dispersal of offspring, mating after dispersal, competition for breeding sites. The mating system is monogamous, polygynous or polyandrous. Results: In geographically structured populations, offspring can prefer a sex ratio more biased than that preferred by parents if the mating system is polygynous and dispersal is femalebiased. This can be understood from an inclusive fitness perspective: offspring have to balance the benefits of belonging to the minority sex – which enjoys a higher reproductive success than the majority sex – with the cost of increased competition between relatives. Simulations confirm these results and show that mating system and dispersal regime can determine the invasion prospects of feminizing or masculinizing genes, and hence may be important for the evolution of sex-determining systems.
Global practical tracking by output feedback for nonlinear time-delay systems with uncertain polynomial growth rate

In this paper, the problem of global practical tracking is investigated by output feedback for a class of nonlinear time-delay systems. Different from the existing results, the nonlinearities allow the linear and lower-order growth in unmeasured free-delay and time-delay states with uncertain polynomial growth rate. With the aid of the ideas of universal control and dead zone, we construct an adaptive high-gain observer with two monotone non-decreasing dynamic laws. By Lyapunov-Krasovskii theorem, we show that the control scheme of this paper can be used to deal with a class of uncertain nonlinear time-delay systems. Finally, an example is given to illustrate the usefulness of our result.
Afferent influences on brainstem auditory nuclei of the chicken: Regulation of transcriptional activity followiqg cochlea removal

Neuronal survival in the cochlear nucleus of young animals is regulated by afferent activity. Removal or blockade of nerve VIII input results in the death of 20–40% of neurons in the cochlear nucleus, nucleus magnocellularis (NM), of the 10–14 days posthatch chick. Neuronal death in NM is preceded by complete failure of protein synthesis and degradation of ribosomes. In addition, there is a biphasic change in the immunoreactivity of ribosomes for a monoclonal antiribosomal RNA antibody, Y10B. Initially, the entire population of afferentdeprived NM neurons loses Y10B immunoreactivity, but, after 6 or 12 hours of afferent deprivation, lack of Y10B immunoreactivity specifically marks dying NM neurons. Whether RNA synthesis is also altered in afferent‐deprived NM neurons has not previously been studied. To determine whether RNA synthesis in NM neurons is regulated by loss of afferent activity, we injected chicks with 3H‐uridine following unilateral cochlea removal and measured the incorporation of RNA precursor with tissue autoradiography. As early as 1 hour after cochlea removal, there was a significant decrease in 3H‐uridine incorporation by afferent‐deprived NM neurons. After longer periods of afferent deprivation (6 or 12 hours), the majority of dying NM neurons (marked by loss of Y10B immunoreactivity) fail to incorporate RNA precursor. Six or 12 hours following cochlea removal, the subpopulation of surviving NM neurons incorporates 3H‐uridine at increased levels over those observed 1 or 3 hours after cochlea removal. These findings suggest that nuclear function is regulated by afferent synaptic activity and that failure of RNA synthesis occurs early in the cell death process. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Optically controlled negative refractive index transmission lines

In this paper an optically reconfigurable negative refractive index transmission line (NRI-TL) was realised by inserting optical switches into the generalised negative refractive index transmission line. By changing the gap capacitance along the microstrip line, it is possible to control the opened stop-band condition of the generalised NRI-TL. The unit cell presented here could find use in a variety of reconfigurable multi-band applications.
ON-CHIP PUMP SYSTEM FOR HIGH-PRESSURE MICROFLUIDIC APPLICATIONS

This paper presents a micropump system with four integrated paraffin actuated pumps: Two mobile phase pumps and two sample injector pumps. The mobile phase pumps are evaluated by their ability to deliver a stable, low-ripple flow to be used in chip-based high performance liquid chromatography. It is shown that the two mobile phase pumps can be driven in combined operation with an induced offset to significantly lower flow fluctuations.
Neonatal lipopolysaccharide exposure alters central cytokine responses to stress in adulthood in Wistar rats

“Perinatal programming” is a phenomenon describing how early life environmental conditions can produce long-term physiological alterations that either enhance or inhibit adaptive functioning. Previously, we have demonstrated that neonatal exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) predisposes to anxiety-like behaviour in later life, which was associated with changes to the neuroendocrine response to stress. Given the known interactions between the neuroendocrine and neuroimmune systems, here we investigated whether neonatal exposure to a bacterial mimetic alters neuroimmune responses to acute stress in adulthood. Male and female Wistar rats were administered LPS (0.05 mg/kg, i.p.), or saline vehicle (equivolume) on days 3 and 5 post-partum. One group of rats was euthanised following early life treatment to assess immediate hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and central cytokine responses to treatment. A second group was assessed in adulthood (85 days) following exposure to either a “stress” (30-min restraint) or “no stress” condition. Blood was collected from all rats at baseline, 30, 60 and 90 min after “stress”, “no stress” treatment to assess peripheral corticosterone responses, and brains were collected 180 min following baseline to assess hippocampal content of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNFα) and IL-6 protein. Radioimmunoassay revealed that neonatal LPS treatment resulted in a prolonged corticosterone response to stress in adulthood compared to controls (p < 0.05). Enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assays revealed no group differences in hippocampal IL-6 content. However, brain IL-1β and TNFα protein concentrations were significantly greater in rats neonatally exposed to LPS and then exposed to stress in adulthood when compared to all other groups (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that early life bacterial toxin exposure results in a prolonged neuroendocrine response to acute stress in adulthood, which may be a consequence of increased release of IL-1β and TNFα in the brain.