Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparing the curative efficacy of topical treatment with thiamphenicol and oxytetracycline on digital dermatitis lesions in dairy cattle

The efficacy of two topically applied antibiotics for the treatment of painful ulcerative stage of bovine digital dermatitis (BDD) lesions was compared in a clinical trial conducted on five dairy farms in the Netherlands during the autumn of 2015. A total of 109 cows with an ulcerative (M2) stage of BDD were randomly appointed a treatment with an antibiotic-based spray. One treatment contained thiamphenicol as active ingredient (TAF). The other treatment had oxytetracycline as active ingredient (ENG). The experimental unit for this study was the hind claw with the presence of an ulcerative BDD lesion. On day 0, claws with ulcerative BDD lesions were trimmed, cleaned, photographed and thereafter treated randomly either with TAF or ENG. Cure was defined as the transition of an ulcerative lesion into a non-painful chronic (M4) or into a healed (M0) stage of BDD at day 28 post-treatment. The cure rate at day 28 of M2 BDD lesions treated with TAF was 89 per cent (95 per cent CI 0.78 to 0.94), and for ENG 75 per cent (95 per cent CI 0.67 to 0.86). So the difference in cure rate was 14 per cent (95 per cent CI 0.00 to 0.27), which was statistically significant. The P value in this experiment is very close to 0.05 indicating that the effect is quite small. If a two-sided test would be used, the small significant effect, in this experiment, will disappear. Overall, the significant better curative effect of TAF on BDD M2 lesions was small, compared with ENG.
Fluorine nuclear magnetic resonance, a privileged tool for metabolic studies of fluoropyrimidine drugs.

Fluorine-19 nuclear magnetic resonance (19F NMR) spectroscopy provides a highly specific tool for identifying fluorine-containing drugs and their metabolites in biological media. This article focuses on the application of 19F NMR to the metabolic studies of fluoropyrimidine drugs in clinical use. The value and difficulties encountered in investigations on drug metabolism are first discussed. The metabolism and disposition studies of the anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil, the mainstay of antimetabolite treatment for solid tumors, and its prodrugs, doxifluridine and capecitabine, are then extensively reviewed. The studies dealing with the antimycotic agent, 5-fluorocytosine, as well as the novel anticancer drug, gemcitabine, are also considered. From in vitro (biofluids or tissue extracts) 19F NMR analysis, seven new metabolites of 5-fluorouracil, doxifluridine, capecitabine and 5-fluorocytosine were identified. Except two, they were only detected using this technique. This emphasizes the high analytical potential of in vitro 19F NMR. In vivo 19F NMR is non-invasive and thus allows the quantitative monitoring of the metabolism of 5-fluorouracil in the target tissue, e.g. the tumor, as well as its biodistribution. Another promising application is its ability to estimate the level of yeast cytosine deaminase gene expression in human tumors from the quantitative monitoring of 5-fluorouracil formation from the non-cytotoxic drug 5-fluorocytosine. Notwithstanding these successes, the limited sensitivity and spectral resolution of 19F NMR precludes its extensive applicability to all the fluorinated drugs.
Multiple Fault Diagnosis in Combinational Circuits Based on an Effect-Cause Analysis

In this paper we present a new approach to multiple fault diagnosis in combinational circuits based on an effect-cause analysis. The main vehicle of our approach is the deduction of internal line values in a circuit under test N*. The knowledge of these values allows us to identify fault situations in N* (causes) which are compatible with the applied test and the obtained response (the effect). A fault situation specifies faulty as well as fault-free lines. Other applications include identifying the existence of nonstuck faults in N* and determination of faults not detected by a given test, including redundant faults. The latter application allows for the generation of tests for multiple faults without performing fault enumeration.
ESTIMATING THE DYNAMIC EFFECTS OF ONLINE WORD-OF-MOUTH ON MEMBER GROWTH OF A SOCIAL NETWORK SITE

The authors study the effects of word-of-mouth (WOM) marketing on member growth at an Internet social networking site. Because such sites track the electronic invitations sent out by existing members, outbound WOM may be precisely tallied daily and then linked to the number of new members joining the site (signups). To handle the potential endogeneity among WOM, new signups, and traditional marketing activity, the authors use a Vector Autoregression (VAR) modeling approach to quantify the shortand long-term effects of WOM referrals. First, Granger causality tests demonstrate the endogeneity among signups and WOM referrals. Second, wordof-mouth referrals have substantially longer carryover effects than traditional marketing actions. Specifically, the long-run elasticity of signups to WOM is estimated at close to 0.5 – about 2.5 times larger than the average advertising elasticities reported in the literature. The authors also report that the estimated WOM effect is about 20 times higher than the elasticity for marketing events, and 30 times larger than that of media appearances. Using the estimated Internet display advertising revenue produced by impressions served to a new member, the monetary value of a WOM referral is calculated, yielding an upper bound estimate for the financial incentives the firm might offer to stimulate word-of-mouth.
A New Specimen of the Controversial Chasmosaurine Torosaurus latus (Dinosauria: Ceratopsidae) from the Upper Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation of Montana

Torosaurus latus is an uncommon and contentious taxon of chasmosaurine ceratopsid known from several upper Maastrichtian units in western North America. We describe a partial parietal of To. latus from the Hell Creek Formation of Montana. Although the specimen’s ontogenetic maturity means that it cannot inform the ongoing debate over whether To. latus is the old adult form of the contemporary Triceratops, the specimen is one of the best-preserved To. latus parietals and supplements previous descriptions.
Respiratory and inflammatory responses to short-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution with and without moderate physical activity

Objectives Exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) has been associated with adverse respiratory and systemic outcomes. Physical activity (PA) in polluted air may increase pollutant uptake and thereby health effects. The authors aimed to determine the short-term health effects of TRAP in healthy participants and any possible modifying effect of PA. Methods Crossover real-world exposure study comparing in 28 healthy participants pulmonary and inflammatory responses to four different exposure scenarios: 2 h exposure in a high and low TRAP environment, each at rest and in combination with intermittent moderate PA, consisting of four 15 min rest and cycling intervals. Data were analysed using mixed effect models for repeated measures. Results Intermittent PA compared to rest, irrespective of the TRAP exposure status, increased statistically significant (p≤0.05) pulmonary function (forced expiratory volume in 1 s (34 mL), forced vital capacity (29 mL), forced expiratory flow (FEF25–75%) (91 mL)), lung inflammation (fraction of exhaled nitric oxide, FeNO, (0.89 ppb)), and systemic inflammation markers interleukin-6 (52.3%), leucocytes (9.7%) and neutrophils count (18.8%). Interquartile increases in coarse particulate matter were statistically significantly associated with increased FeNO (0.80 ppb) and neutrophil count (5.7%), while PM2.5 and PM10 (particulate matter smaller than 2.5 and 10 µm in diameter, respectively) increased leucocytes (5.1% and 4.0%, respectively). We found no consistent evidence for an interaction between TRAP and PA for any of the outcomes of interest. Conclusions In a healthy population, intermittent moderate PA has beneficial effects on pulmonary function even when performed in a highly polluted environment. This study also suggests that particulate air pollution is inducing pulmonary and systemic inflammatory responses.
▼Tocilizumab for rheumatoid arthritis

▼Tocilizumab (RoActemra – Roche) is a new biological agent available in the UK for the treatment of adults with rheumatoid arthritis.1 Unlike currently available biological agents, the drug targets the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6). Here, we consider the place of tocilizumab in rheumatoid arthritis and whether it offers any advantages over other biological agents.
On Indoor Millimeter Wave Massive MIMO Channels: Measurement and Simulation

The millimeter wave (mmWave) communications and massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) are both widely considered to be the candidate technologies for the fifth generation mobile communication system. It is thus a good idea to combine these two technologies to achieve a better performance for large capacity and high data-rate transmission. However, one of the fundamental challenges is the characterization of mmWave massive MIMO channel. Most of the previous investigations in mmWave channel only focus on single-input single-output links or MIMO links, whereas the research of massive MIMO channels mainly focus on a frequency band below 6 GHz. This paper investigates the channel behaviors of massive MIMO at a mmWave frequency band around 26 GHz. An indoor mmWave massive MIMO channel measurement campaign with 64 and 128 array elements is conducted, based on which, path loss, shadow fading, root-mean-square (RMS) delay spread, and coherence bandwidth are extracted. Then, by using our developed ray-tracing simulator calibrated by the measurement data, we make the extensive ray-tracing simulations with 1024 antenna elements in the same indoor scenario, and get insights into the variation tendency of mean delay and the RMS delay with different array elements. It is observed that the measurement and the ray-tracing-based simulation results have reached a good agreement.
Effects of an exercise program on musculoskeletal symptoms and physical capacity among nursing staff

Musculoskeletal disorders are a major health problem, and nursing staff are often seen as a risk group. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a weekly exercise program among nursing staff on musculoskeletal symptoms and to study the relation to changes in physical capacity. A total of 106 nurses and nursing aides from four geriatric wards were invited to participate; 86 accepted. A cross‐over design was used. The staff from two wards were assigned to an exercise period and the staff from the other wards to a control period for the first intervention period. After a wash‐out period, the intervention changed. For the exercise periods the staff were invited to participate in an exercise program twice a week for 8 weeks. In total 50 subjects participated more than 8 times regularly during the exercise periods (participants≤8 times regular participation, nonparticipants≤8). During the control periods 78 subjects attended without intervention. Assessments were made with a standardized questionnaire for analysis of musculoskeletal and psychosomatic symptoms, testing of muscle strength in m. quadriceps with a Cybex dynamometer, and testing of cardiovascular capacity with a Dynavite computerized exercise bicycle before and after the exercise periods. The muscle strength in m. quadriceps increased more during the exercise periods compared with the control periods, explained primarily by the subgroup of nonregular exercisers and those ≥40 years of age. The number of musculoskeletal symptoms tended to decrease more in the subgroup of nonregular exercisers (those who exercised less than once a week in their spare time) during the exercise periods compared with the nonregular exercisers during the control periods. Comparisons within groups showed a decrease in the number of musculoskeletal symptoms within the exercise periods, explained primarily by a decrease among the participants rather than among the nonparticipants. The decrease within the participants was explained primarily by the subgroup of nonregular exercisers and those ≥40 years of age. An increase in cardiovascular capacity and a tendency to increase in muscle strength in m. quadriceps were seen among the participants, explained primarily by the effect in the subgroup of nonregular exercisers. The study suggests that a moderate weekly exercise program, performed in a group, among nursing staff affects physical capacity and the number of musculoskeletal symptoms for subjects who are nonregular exercisers and probably subjects ≥40 years of age.
Renal-coloboma syndrome: a single nucleotide deletion in the PAX2 gene at Exon 8 is associated with a highly variable phenotype.

BACKGROUND Renal-coloboma syndrome (RCS) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by renal abnormalities and optic nerve defects, caused by heterozygous mutations of the PAX2 gene. This gene encodes for the PAX2 developmental nuclear transcription factor, which is primarily expressed during embryogenesis in kidneys, eyes, ears and in the central nervous system. The aim of the present study was to characterize PAX2 mutations in a renal coloboma syndrome family with a highly variable phenotype. METHODS DNA screening was performed by direct sequencing. RESULTS Five subjects over three generations presented with renal hypodysplasia or horseshoe kidneys in association with bilateral optic nerve colobomas in four cases, one patient with early-onset renal failure had no detectable eye defects. All five subjects carried a novel PAX2 mutation consisting in a frameshift mutation located in Exon 8 (G91 I del), which causes premature termination of translation and loss of the PAX2 transactivation domain. CONCLUSION This is the first report of a PAX2 mutation located in Exon 8. The variability of clinical symptoms may be explained by the limited disruption of the protein sequence at the transactivation domain.
Systemic Adverse Events with Biomedicines

The core of biological agents recently introduced in human therapy includes Monoclonal Antibodies, Fusion proteins and a number of Cytokines employed in monotherapy or in association with conventional drugs. Their extraordinary impact in oncologic, autoimmune, and inflammatory diseases is impressive. However, they are usually accompanied by a complex profile of Drug-Related Adverse Events (DRAEs) with peculiar characteristics, mostly related to the proteic nature of these new agents often targeting crucial components and receptors of the immune system. Such interaction ultimately induces local and systemic reactions generated by activating or inhibiting signals, leading to cell hyperactivation and destruction, immunosuppression, eventually followed by immune rebounds after therapy discontinuation. Among the clinical consequences of DRAEs, a number of systemic syndromes are of particular concern for their rapid insurgence and severity, although expressed in a limited number of patients. We consider here eight different clinical expressions, namely the Capillary Leak Syndrome (CLS), the Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS), the Infusion Reaction Syndrome (IRS), the Tumor Lysis Syndrome (TLS), the Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome, (SIRS), the Macrophage Activation Syndrome (MAS), the Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome (IRIS), and the Immune-related Adverse Events Syndrome (IrAES) not only for their clinical relevance, but also as paradigmatic examples of the mechanisms of action (MOAs) involved during biomedicine's therapeutic administrations. From the analysis and confrontation of both clinical features and the twine of interacting MOAs in each syndrome, it emerges a common pathogenetic background consisting in a dynamic imbalance of the cytokines network, where pro-inflammatory molecules prevail, thus generating different systemic expressions based on a common pivotal event here defined as Cytokine Dysregulation Status/Syndrome (CDS). Such pathogenetic interpretation if offered with the aim of stimulating further investigation and debate.
Comparación de las salidas del modelo MM5v3 con datos observados en la Isla del Coco, Costa Rica

Se presenta la comparacion de las salidas del modelo MM5 con datos tomados in situ en la Isla del Coco, Costa Rica. Las observaciones fueron realizadas en tres expediciones hechas a la isla en octubre del 2007, abril del 2008 y marzo del 2009. Para ejecutar las simulaciones se utilizaron las salidas del modelo de tiempo atmosferico del National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), que inicio a las 00 UTC y se empleo la retroalimentacion dinamica en ambas direcciones. Se configuraron cuatro dominios de 90, 30, 10 y 3,3 km (42 x 47, 76 x 85, 100 x 121, 73 x 73 puntos) con 35 niveles en la vertical y con pronosticos de hasta 48 horas, cada tres horas. Se encontro que con las configuraciones fisicas elegidas se realiza una mejor representacion de los periodos humedos que de los periodos con mayor precipitacion en dicha zona. Tales resultados se manifiestan en las predicciones de humedad relativa y precipitacion, lo que confirma la relacion entre estas dos variables en la zona. Sin embargo, no se encontro una adecuada simulacion de los patrones de radiacion de onda corta incidente. La temperatura ha mostrado valores acordes con otros experimentos, mientras que el viento presento una mejor simulacion en los niveles medios que en capa limite.
Diversity and Function of Adaptive Immune Receptors in a Jawless Vertebrate

Instead of the immunoglobulin-type antigen receptors of jawed vertebrates, jawless fish have variable lymphocyte receptors (VLRs), which consist of leucine-rich repeat (LRR) modules. Somatic diversification of the VLR gene is shown here to occur through a multistep assembly of LRR modules randomly selected from a large bank of flanking cassettes. The predicted concave surface of the VLR is lined with hypervariable positively selected residues, and computational analysis suggests a repertoire of about 1014 unique receptors. Lamprey immunized with anthrax spores responded with the production of soluble antigen-specific VLRs. These findings reveal that two strikingly different modes of antigen recognition through rearranged lymphocyte receptors have evolved in the jawless and jawed vertebrates.
Cardiac Involvement in Adolescent Hypertension: Echocardiographic Determination of Myocardial Hypertrophy

SUMMARY We measured left ventricular chamber dimension and wall thickness using M-mode echocardiography in 61 adolescents with systolic or diastolic blood pressures above the 90th percentile for age and sex and in 49 norraoteosive adolescents. Left ventricular posterior wall and ventricular septal thickness indexed to body surface area were significantly greater (p < 0.001) in the hypertensive group than in the nonnotenslve controls. Left ventricular chamber diastolic and systolic dimensions were not different in the hypertensive group when compared to nonnotenslve adolescents with comparable body size. Left ventricular diastolic and systolic volumes as well as left ventricular function did not differ between the hypertensive and control groups. Calculated parameters of left ventricular hypertrophy, namely, the radlus-to-wall-thlckness ratio, crosssectional muscle area, and left ventricular mass, in the hypertensive adolescents were all significantly different (p < 0.001) from those in toe control groups. The finding of myocardial hypertrophy in young, mildly hypertensive subjects suggests early myocardial involvement in the hypertensive process.
Hepatic microsomal epoxide hydrase: a sensitive radiometric assay for hydration of arene oxides of carcinogenic aromatic hydrocarbons.

A rapid, highly sensitive thin-layer chromatographic assay is described for measurement of epoxide hydrase activity with 11 substrates, including alkene oxides, K-region arene oxides, and non-K-region arene oxides. The highest and lowest specific activities observed were for phenanthrene 9,10-oxide (39 nmoles of product per minute per milligram of protein) and dibenzo[a,h]anthracene 5,6-oxide (0.4 nmole of product per minute per milligram of protein) with liver microsomes from untreated rats. The most sensitive assay for epoxide hydrase activity was the hydration of benzo[a]pyrene 4,5-oxide. Prior treatment of rats with phenobarbital resulted in a 1.7-2.7-fold increase in the rate of hydration for the 11 substrates, whereas 3-methylcholanthrene treatment increased the epoxide hydrase activity approximately 1.3-1.9-fold.
Review of self tuning methods for direct conversion transceivers

Integrated circuit fabrication technological processes affect error of transceiver's components, thus aims to minimize such deviation. This paper analyzes modern wireless transceiver calibration methods: feedforward, feedback, hybrid and indirect. Main parameters to calibrate are: I/Q gain and phase imbalance, DC offset and second order input intercept point. For first time, relations between transceiver parameters, parameters to be calibrated and calibration methods are proposed.
Regulation of histone mRNA in the unperturbed cell cycle: evidence suggesting control at two posttranscriptional steps

The levels of histone mRNA increase 35-fold as selectively detached mitotic CHO cells progress from mitosis through G1 and into S phase. Using an exogenous gene with a histone 3' end which is not sensitive to transcriptional or half-life regulation, we show that 3' processing is regulated as cells progress from G1 to S phase. The half-life of histone mRNA is similar in G1- and S-phase cells, as measured after inhibition of transcription by actinomycin D (dactinomycin) or indirectly after stabilization by the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide. Taken together, these results suggest that the change in histone mRNA levels between G1- and S-phase cells must be due to an increase in the rate of biosynthesis, a combination of changes in transcription rate and processing efficiency. In G2 phase, there is a rapid 35-fold decrease in the histone mRNA concentration which our results suggest is due primarily to an altered stability of histone mRNA. These results are consistent with a model for cell cycle regulation of histone mRNA levels in which the effects on both RNA 3' processing and transcription, rather than alterations in mRNA stability, are the major mechanisms by which low histone mRNA levels are maintained during G1.
Decoding Ca2+ Signals in Plants

Different input signals create their own characteristic Ca2+ fingerprints. These fingerprints are distinguished by frequency, amplitude, duration, and number of Ca2+ oscillations. Ca2+-binding proteins and protein kinases decode these complex Ca2+ fingerprints through conformational coupling and covalent modifications of proteins. This decoding of signals can lead to a physiological response with or without changes in gene expression. In plants, Ca2+-dependent protein kinases and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases are involved in decoding Ca2+ signals into phosphorylation signals. This review summarizes the elements of conformational coupling and molecular mechanisms of regulation of the two groups of protein kinases by Ca2+ and Ca2+/calmodulin in plants.
Nutritional regulation of gene expression and animal development.

Summary This paper deals with regulation of animal development, with emphasis on nutritional regulation of gene expression. Regulation of muscle and adipose development, in particular, the roles of myostatin and PPARg are discussed, as is the endocrine role of adipocytes. The importance of the acid labile subunit (ALS) in the transition from autocrine and paracrine regulation to effective endocrine regulation by the insulinnlike growth factor system, and of regulation of placental glucose transport, are also highlighted. These topics are presented as a series of short reviews related to onngoing investigations in the laboratories of the authors.