Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Decreased endothelial size and connexin expression in rat caudal arteries during hypertension

Objectives Hypertension is accompanied by endothelial dysfunction. The present study has investigated endothelial cell morphology and connexin expression in the caudal artery of the rat during the development of hypertension. Methods A significant increase in systolic blood pressure was detected from 9 weeks of age in spontaneously hypertensive male rats (SHR) compared to normotensive Wistar–Kyoto (WKY) rats, reaching a maximum by 11–12 weeks of age. Immunohistochemistry was used to quantify cell size and expression of connexins (Cxs) 37, 40 and 43 in the endothelium of prehypertensive (3-week-old) and hypertensive (12-week-old) rats. Results At 12 weeks, the size of endothelial cells and the expression of all three Cxs per endothelial cell were significantly less in SHR than WKY rats. At 3 weeks, there was no significant difference in cell size nor in the expression of Cxs 37 or 43; however, expression of Cx40 was significantly lower in SHR than in WKY rats. Between 3 and 12 weeks in WKY rats, there was no change in endothelial cell size, nor in the expression of Cxs 37, 40 and 43. In SHR, both cell size and Cx expression per endothelial cell were significantly decreased during the same developmental period, with a significant decrease in the density of Cx40 plaques. Conclusion The development of hypertension in the SHR is accompanied by significant decreases in endothelial cell size and expression of Cx40, which may contribute to the endothelial dysfunction present in hypertension.
Detecção de erosão dental utilizando análise de espalhamento de luz coerente - speckle

A erosao dental e uma lesao cervical nao cariosa que esta relacionada a perda progressiva do dente atraves do seu contato com substâncias quimicas que dissolvem os cristais de hidroxiapatita do esmalte. Atualmente, e uma condicao altamente prevalente entre individuos de todas as idades. A perda da estrutura deste tecido provoca alteracoes na rugosidade de sua superficie. O objetivo deste trabalho e desenvolver uma metodologia que identifique e quantifique essa lesao de forma nao invasiva, nao destrutiva, com baixo custo e executado em tempo real atraves da analise dos padroes de espalhamento da luz coerente, denominado speckle. Foram utilizadas 32 amostras de incisivos bovinos e dividida em 4 grupos com diferentes tempos de ataque acido. Metade de cada amostra foi protegida e, em seguida, imersas em coca-cola (pH ≅ 2,5) durante 10, 20, 30 e 40 min, duas vezes ao dia e 7 dias consecutivos. Cada amostra possui duas areas: metade saudavel e metade erodida. Apos o desafio, as amostras foram submetidas a analise speckle para encontrar as diferencas relativas entre as duas regioes de cada grupo. Foi encontrado 10 min com 18%, 20 min com 24%, 30 min com 38% e 40 min com 44% de diferenca relativa. Apos esta analise, foram realizados, tambem, o teste de dureza Knoop afim de comparar os metodos. Houve uma tendencia linear entre os metodos com coeficiente r = 0.80. A imagem speckle e proporcional ao tempo de ataque, possui uma forte correlacao e uma boa concordância com o teste de dureza Knoop.
Une sur-pénalisation théoriquement fondée du critère AIC

Le fait qu'une legere sur-penalisation engendre une stabilisation des procedures de selection de modeles est un phenomene bien connu des specialistes. En effet, il a ete remarque depuis la fin des annees 70 que l'ajout d'une petite quantite positive a des criteres penalises classiques tels que AIC ameliore dans les bons cas les resultats en prediction, particulierement pour les echantillons de taille petite ou moderee. La raison principale est que la sur-penalisation tend a se premunir contre le sur-apprentissage. Nous proposons la premiere strategie generale et theoriquement fondee de sur-penalisation et nous l'appliquons au critere AIC. De tres bons resultats sont observes par simulation.
Asymptotic observer of the link states of flexible joint robots with motor-side sensing

This paper proposes an approach for observing the link states, i.e. angular position and velocity, of the robotic joints with elasticities, when only the motor-side sensing is available. By separating the state-dependent nonlinearities of the rigid manipulator dynamics a linear sub-model of the elastic joint robot is obtained in an observable state-space form. The standard asymptotic Luenberger state observer is then designed for the given motor position signal which is measured by encoder and rectified from the nonlinear contribution. The configurable poles of observer allow shaping the estimated states dynamics to be fast enough in relation to the actual resonant joint behavior. Therefore, the join link states can be accurately reconstructed in the real-time, thus allowing the whole system state to be further used for the control purposes. The proposed method is experimentally evaluated on a single elastic joint setup under additional impact of gravity. It is shown that the observed pattern of oscillating joint torsion velocity coincides well with the measured one. The obtained joint torsion velocity can be used for stabilizing the elastic robot joints under control and reducing the related disturbing vibrations.
Cutting tools: finite element modeling of spark plasma sintering to improve their quality

This article describes the numerical simulation of the spark plasma sintering (SPS) of the samples of alumina and tungsten carbide powders in the form of square plates with three different radii of curvature at the vertices of 0.8, 1.2 and 1.6 mm. For each of the samples, the temperature distribution of mechanical stresses in the sample and in the mold was obtained. These results can be used to assess the theoretical possibility of sintering inserts by the SPS technology.
Invited Commentary Invited Commentary: Influenza, Influenza Immunization, and Pregnancy—It’s About Time

Immunization of pregnant women against influenza has the potential to reduce adverse fetal outcomes by reducing prenatal exposure to influenza illness. However, as touched on by Fell et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 2016;184(3):163–175) and Vazquez-Benitez et al. (AmJEpidemiol. 2016;184(3):176–186) in this issue of the Journal, observational studies in which the causal effect of maternal influenza illness and influenza immunization on fetal health are evaluated are prone to bias because of the complex temporal nature of influenza illness seasonality, influenza immunization schedules, and gestation itself. Immortal time bias is introduced by an “anytime-in-pregnancy” exposure definition because the shortened pregnancy duration associated with many adverse fetal outcomes limits the opportunity to become exposed, whereas including follow-up time during which pregnancies are no longer at risk of an adverse outcome (e.g., gestational time after 37 weeks in studies of preterm birth) can lead to overestimation of any true benefits of immunization (or harms from influenza illness). We present a framework to avoid time-related biases in the study of influenza illness and immunization in pregnancy and advise that investigations of fetal benefit from maternal influenza immunization should only be undertaken when information is available on the calendar time of influenza virus circulation and the gestational age at which maternal influenza immunization occurred.
A Maximum Entropy Fixed-Point Route Choice Model for Route Correlation

In this paper we present a stochastic route choice model for transit networks that explicitly addresses route correlation due to overlapping alternatives. The model is based on a multi-objective mathematical programming problem, the optimality conditions of which generate an extension to the Multinomial Logit models. The proposed model considers a fixed point problem for treating correlations between routes, which can be solved iteratively. We estimated the new model on the Santiago (Chile) Metro network and compared the results with other route choice models that can be found in the literature. The new model has better explanatory and predictive power that many other alternative models, correctly capturing the correlation factor. Our methodology can be extended to private transport networks.
Low CSF 5-HIAA concentrations and severe aggression and impaired impulse control in nonhuman primates.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between behavior and serotonin by using a nonhuman primate model of aggression and impulse control. METHOD During a routine capture and medical examination, 26 adolescent male rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) were selected as subjects from a free-ranging population of 4,500 rhesus monkeys inhabiting a 475-acre sea island. Physiological data were obtained from 22-23 of the subjects. Blood and CSF samples were obtained, and each subject was fitted with a radio transmitter collar for rapid location. The subjects were released into their social groups, and quantitative behavioral observations were made over a 3-month period. RESULTS CSF 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) concentrations were inversely correlated with "escalated" aggression, i.e., a measure of more intense or severe aggression as defined by the ratio of chases and physical assaults to all aggressive acts. CSF 5-HIAA concentrations were significantly lower in those subjects who showed evidence of physical wounding than in subjects with no wounds. Low CSF 5-HIAA concentrations were also correlated with greater risk-taking as determined by an analysis of leaping behaviors in the forest canopy. The ratio of long leaps (leaps that traversed the longest distances at dangerous heights) to all leaps was negatively correlated with CSF 5-HIAA concentrations. CONCLUSIONS Adolescent male rhesus macaques with low CSF 5-HIAA concentrations are at risk for 1) exhibiting more violent forms of aggressive behavior and 2) loss of impulse control as evidenced by greater risk taking during movement through the forest canopy.
Chromosome 15 maternal uniparental disomy and psychosis in Prader-Willi syndrome

In the 16 January 2002 issue of the Lancet , Boer et al 1 reported that psychotic illness in Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is associated with chromosome 15 maternal uniparental disomy. Here, we report the findings of a 10 year follow up study at the Centre for Human Genetics in Leuven, confirming the results of the previous study. Fifty-nine PWS patients with the diagnosis confirmed by DNA methylation testing had regular and long term follow up at the Centre for Human Genetics in Leuven. For more then 10 years, these patients have been seen at least once a year by a clinical geneticist and a psychiatrist skilled in the assessment of people with learning disabilities. Detailed information on clinical and psychiatric history was recorded in the medical files for all patients. For the past two years all patients were offered a DNA methylation test using probes PW71B and KB17 and FISH analysis for 15q11-12 deletion detection. If FISH analysis …
[Drug hypersensitivity syndrome to valproic acid].

BACKGROUND Drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening idiosyncratic drug reaction. It is usually due to aromatic anti-convulsants. We report the second case induced by sodium valproate, a non-aromatic anticonvulsant. CASE REPORT A 28-year-old woman was treated with sodium valproate for 5 weeks. She suddenly developed a generalized maculo-papulous eruption with fever, node enlargement, hypereosinophilia and altered liver function. DISCUSSION Drug-induced hypersensitivity is rarely induced by valproic acid. The time-course and positive patch tests using the diluted drug establish the diagnosis.
An Epistemology of Causal Inference from Experiment

The manipulationist account of causation provides a framework for assessing causal claims and the experiments used to test them. But its pertinence to the more general class of scientific experiments—particularly those experiments not explicitly designed for testing causal claims—is less clear. I aim to show (1) that the set of causal inferences afforded by any experiment is determined solely on the basis of contrasting case structures that I call “experimental series” and (2) that the conditions that suffice for causal inference obtain quite commonly, even among “ordinary” scientific experiments not explicitly designed for the testing of causal claims.
pasilla, the Drosophila homologue of the human Nova-1 and Nova-2 proteins, is required for normal secretion in the salivary gland.

From a screen for genes expressed and required in the Drosophila salivary gland, we identified pasilla (ps), which encodes a set of proteins most similar to human Nova-1 and Nova-2. Nova-1 and Nova-2 are nuclear RNA-binding proteins normally expressed in the CNS where they directly regulate splicing. In patients suffering from paraneoplastic opsoclonus myoclonus ataxia (POMA), Nova-1 and Nova-2 proteins are present as auto-antigens. Consistent with a role in splicing, PS is localized to nuclear puncta. The salivary glands of ps mutants internalize normally and maintain epithelial polarity. However, the mutant salivary glands develop irregularities in overall morphology and have defects in apical secretion. The secretory defects in ps mutants provide a potential mechanism for the loss of motor function observed in POMA patients.
Alternative transcription factor sigmaSB of Staphylococcus aureus: characterization and role in transcription of the global regulatory locus sar

A homolog of the multiple-stress-responsive transcription factor sigmaB of Bacillus subtilis was predicted from the DNA sequence analysis of a region of the Staphylococcus aureus chromosome. A hybrid between the coding sequence of the first 11 amino acids of the gene 10 leader peptide of phage T7 (T7.Tag) and the putative sigB gene of S. aureus was constructed and cloned into Escherichia coli BL21(DE3)pLysS for overexpression from a T7 promoter. A homogeneous preparation of the overproduced protein was obtained by affinity chromatography with a T7.Tag monoclonal antibody coupled to agarose. The amino-terminal amino acid sequence of the first 22 residues of the purified protein matched that deduced from the nucleotide sequence. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the purified protein, designated sigmaSB, indicated that it migrated as an approximately 39-kDa polypeptide. Promoter-specific transcription from the B. subtilis sigmaB-dependent PB promoter of the sigB operon was stimulated by sigmaSB in a concentration-dependent fashion when reconstituted with the S. aureus core RNA polymerase (RNAP). Specific transcript from the predicted sigmaB-dependent PB promoter of the sigB operon of S. aureus was obtained by the reconstituted RNAP in a runoff transcription reaction. The sar operon of S. aureus contains three promoter elements (P1, P2, and P3) and is known to partly control the synthesis of a number of extracellular toxins and several cell wall proteins. Our in vitro studies revealed that transcription from the P1 promoter is dependent on the primary sigma factor sigmaSA, while that of the P3 promoter is dependent on sigmaSB. As determined by primer extension studies, the 5' end of the sigmaSB-initiated mRNA synthesized in vitro from the sar P3 promoter is in agreement with the 5' end of the cellular RNA.
A new product development learning model: antecedents and consequences of declarative and procedural knowledge

Organisational learning is important, but we know surprisingly little about how to measure or manage it. This paper operationalises organisational learning in a new product development context and tests its effect on New Product Success (NPS) by studying 137 new product development projects. We found that two forms of organisational learning (Declarative and Procedural Knowledge) impact NPS. We also measured the antecedents of Declarative and Procedural Knowledge and explored their impact on Organisational Knowledge and New Product Success.
Reflections on TORCH: Potential Mechanisms for the Survival Benefit of Salmeterol/Fluticasone Propionate in COPD Patients

COPD is a disease with a multi-component pathophysiology in which inflammation plays a key role. An anti-inflammatory effect of salmeterol (S)/fluticasone propionate (FP) combination (SFC), as demonstrated in a number of biopsy studies, may be the mechanism by which it provides a potential survival benefit in COPD patients in the TORCH study. It is possible that the molecular synergy between S and FP shown in COPD results in enhanced anti-inflammatory in the airways. This may also contribute to the reduction in exacerbations and the increase in lung function seen in the TORCH study. Alternatively, SFC may prolong survival by impacting on systemic inflammation and disease co-morbidities in COPD.
Oxytocin release during vaginal distention in the goat.

A highly sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay (RIA) for the neurohypophyseal peptide, oxytocin, was developed using antibody to oxytocin raised in rabbits injected with a conjugate of oxytocin and rabbit serum albumin (RSA). Between 39 and 50 percent of added 251-oxytocin (label) was bound at a 1:16,000 dilution of antibody in the absence of reference standard oxytocin. I 25labeled oxytocin was prepared by a modification of the chloramine-T procedure and an average of 93 percent of the label was bound in antibody excess. Extraction of oxytocin from acidified goat plasma was accomplished by adsorption to Fuller’s earth. Extracts from goat plasma rendered hormone-deficient with charcoal were reconstituted in buffer and the assay components were incubated in this milieu. Basal concentrations of jugular plasma oxytocin in female goats were generally at the threshold of sensitivity of the RIA (2 tiU oxytocin/mI plasma). Vaginal distention significantly (P<0.01) elevated the plasma concentration of oxytocin in one pregnant and two nonpregnant goats. However, pretreatment of nonpregnant goats with dexamethasone phosphate (8 mg daily for 4 days) attenuated the reflexive surge of oxytocin. In addition, progesterone (P) infusion was not always inhibitory to oxytocin release after dexamethasone or during pregnancy. It is suggested that inhibition of oxytocun release may play a role in the placental retention associated with corticoid-induced parturition.
Life Cycle of the Human and Animal Oomycete Pathogen Pythium insidiosum

Pythium insidiosum, the etiologic agent of pythiosis insidiosii, causes life-threatening infections in humans and animals. Previous studies of the epidemiology of this disease hypothesized about the possible life cycle of this oomycete. Details, however, were not provided on the steps required to cause infection. We investigated the life cycle of P. insidiosum by inoculating pieces of equine skin and plant leaves and then studying the ensuing events with a scanning electron microscope. Our observations revealed that zoospores had a strong tropism for skin tissue, horse and human hair, and water lily and grass leaves and a weak attraction to a variety of other leaves. Encysted zoospores were observed on the favored leaves and skin. There they produced germ tubes and later abundant hyphal filaments that penetrated leaf tissues. Young sporangia had compact, thick walls. The sporangial wall was reduced to a fragile membrane when the sporangia had produced well-differentiated biflagellate zoospores. The encysted zoospores secreted an amorphous material that permitted the zoospores to adhere to skin and plant tissues. On the basis of these findings, a model to explain the life cycle of P. insidiosum is proposed.
Traumatic optic neuropathy and second optic nerve injuries.

IMPORTANCE Current controversy about the primary treatment of traumatic optic neuropathy (TON) has anchored on final vision following injury, but, to our knowledge, no study has examined the effect of different treatments on regaining and protecting optic nerve reserve or on the outcome of second optic nerve injuries. OBJECTIVE To assess vision improvement in patients treated by various methods who have a second incidence of TON. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Retrospective medical record review of 12 patients with a second TON seen in an 18-year period (mean follow-up, 11.3 months) at a single tertiary care oculoplastic practice. INTERVENTIONS Observation, high-dose corticosteroids, optic nerve decompression, or high-dose corticosteroids plus optic nerve decompression. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Change in vision on the Snellen eye chart. RESULTS All second TON events involved the same-side optic nerve as initially injured, and with observation alone, corticosteroids, or corticosteroids and partial optic canal decompression, all patients had vision improvement after their initial injury (P = .004). However, following the second optic nerve injury, most patients' vision fell to the pretreatment level of the first injury, and subsequent management of the second injury with corticosteroids and/or optic canal decompression provided little or no vision return (P = .05). In contrast, optic canal decompressions performed for 91 primary TON injuries resulted in 82.4% having some degree of vision improvement. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Patients with TON may have a second optic nerve insult, and vision recovery from the second event may be limited regardless of primary treatment choice.
Analysis of a Darcy-Cahn-Hilliard Diffuse Interface Model for the Hele-Shaw Flow and Its Fully Discrete Finite Element Approximation

In this paper we present PDE and finite element analyses for a system of PDEs consisting of the Darcy equation and the Cahn--Hilliard equation, which arises as a diffuse interface model for the two-phase Hele-Shaw flow. In the model the two sets of equations are coupled through an extra phase induced force term in the Darcy equations and a fluid induced transport term in the Cahn--Hilliard equation. We propose a fully discrete implicit finite element method for approximating the PDE system, which consists of the implicit Euler method combined with a convex splitting energy strategy for the temporal discretization, the standard finite element discretization for the pressure, and a split (or mixed) finite element discretization for the fourth-order Cahn--Hilliard equation. It is shown that the proposed numerical method satisfies a mass conservation law in addition to a discrete energy law that mimics the basic energy law for the Darcy--Cahn--Hilliard phase field model and holds uniformly in the phase field .