Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neurosteroid biosynthesis down‐regulation and changes in GABAA receptor subunit composition: a biomarker axis in stress‐induced cognitive and emotional impairment

By rapidly modulating neuronal excitability, neurosteroids regulate physiological processes, such as responses to stress and development. Excessive stress affects their biosynthesis and causes an imbalance in cognition and emotions. The progesterone derivative, allopregnanolone (Allo) enhances extrasynaptic and postsynaptic inhibition by directly binding at GABAA receptors, and thus, positively and allosterically modulates the function of GABA. Allo levels are decreased in stress‐induced psychiatric disorders, including depression and post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and elevating Allo levels may be a valid therapeutic approach to counteract behavioural dysfunction. While benzodiazepines are inefficient, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) represent the first choice treatment for depression and PTSD. Their mechanisms to improve behaviour in preclinical studies include neurosteroidogenic effects at low non‐serotonergic doses. Unfortunately, half of PTSD and depressed patients are resistant to current prescribed ‘high’ dosage of these drugs that engage serotonergic mechanisms. Unveiling novel biomarkers to develop more efficient treatment strategies is in high demand. Stress‐induced down‐regulation of neurosteroid biosynthesis and changes in GABAA receptor subunit expression offer a putative biomarker axis to develop new PTSD treatments. The advantage of stimulating Allo biosynthesis relies on the variety of neurosteroidogenic receptors to be targeted, including TSPO and endocannabinoid receptors. Furthermore, stress favours a GABAA receptor subunit composition with higher sensitivity for Allo. The use of synthetic analogues of Allo is a valuable alternative. Pregnenolone or drugs that stimulate its levels increase Allo but also sulphated steroids, including pregnanolone sulphate which, by inhibiting NMDA tonic neurotransmission, provides neuroprotection and cognitive benefits. In this review, we describe current knowledge on the effects of stress on neurosteroid biosynthesis and GABAA receptor neurotransmission and summarize available pharmacological strategies that by enhancing neurosteroidogenesis are relevant for the treatment of SSRI‐resistant patients.
Strategy and coordinated development of strong and smart grid

Based on the condition of power grid, the choice of strong and smart grid in China is analyzed. The concept and objective of strong and smart grid are proposed. Smart Grid is a long-term and comprehensive systemic project, its coordinated development issues has been analyzed from four main sides, in order to ensure the efficient, orderly and coordinated development, and to realize the comprehensive benefit of smart grid. First is coordination of physical power grid and smart technology application. The influence of smart grid on physical power grid development is analyzed from power grid efficiency and load performance, etc. The appropriate principle of smart technology application is analyzed based on the topological structure and operation demand. Second is coordinated development among generation, transmission, distribution, consumption and dispatching system. The corresponding and coordinated development issues between grid and power plant, transmission network and distribution network, customer and power grid, dispatching with other segments, communication and information with other segments are investigated. Third is coordination of technology upgrading and management revolution. Concerning grid planning, construction, operation, maintenance, and electricity marketing, the optimization suggestion of management pattern are proposed, to get technology and management promote mutually. Last is coordination of smart grid and emerging industry.
What does the dissociation between the results of video head impulse versus caloric testing reveal about the vestibular dysfunction in Ménière’s disease?

Abstract Conclusion: It is suggested that the different results of rotational (video head impulse – vHIT) and caloric tests in patients with Ménière’s disease (MD) may be a consequence of the physical enlargement of the membranous duct in the hydropic labyrinths in MD, causing a reduced response to caloric stimulation. Objectives: There have been reports that the results of two tests of semicircular canal function, the caloric response and the responses to vHIT do not agree. This retrospective study at a tertiary referral hospital examined this disagreement. Methods: This study reviewed the data of 22 patients who met the AAO-HNS criteria for MD and who had both caloric and vHIT testing. Results: There was a clear dissociation: patients with MD had a small or absent response to caloric stimulation of their affected ear, whilst their response to vHIT was in the normal range. Discussion: The accepted Gentine model of the mechanism of caloric stimulation could account for this dissociation: the increased diameter of the semicircular duct in hydropic labyrinths resulting in endolymph circulation within the duct itself and so a smaller thermally induced pressure across the cupula. The increased duct diameter will have little effect on responses to rotation.
Role of Interleukin-1 in Activating the CD 11 chigh CD 45 RB Dendritic Cell Subset and Priming Leishmania amazonensis-Specific CD 4 T Cells In Vitro and In Vivo †

Role of Interleukin-1 in Activating the CD11c CD45RB Dendritic Cell Subset and Priming Leishmania amazonensisSpecific CD4 T Cells In Vitro and In Vivo † Lijun Xin, Yongguo Li, and Lynn Soong* Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Department of Pathology, Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Sealy Center for Vaccine Development, Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston, Texas, and Department of Infectious Diseases, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Hei Long Jiang Province, China
Compound eyes of insects and crustaceans: Some examples that show there is still a lot of work left to be done

Similarities and differences between the 2 main kinds of compound eye (apposition and superposition) are briefly explained before several promising topics for research on compound eyes are being introduced. Research on the embryology and molecular control of the development of the insect clear‐zone eye with superposition optics is one of the suggestions, because almost all of the developmental work on insect eyes in the past has focused on eyes with apposition optics. Age‐ and habitat‐related ultrastructural studies of the retinal organization are another suggestion and the deer cad Lipoptena cervi, which has an aerial phase during which it is winged followed by a several months long parasitic phase during which it is wingless, is mentioned as a candidate species. Sexual dimorphism expressing itself in many species as a difference in eye structure and function provides another promising field for compound eye researchers and so is a focus on compound eye miniaturization in very small insects, especially those that are aquatic and belong to species, in which clear‐zone eyes are diagnostic or are tiny insects that are not aquatic, but belong to taxa like the Diptera for instance, in which open rather than closed rhabdoms are the rule. Structures like interommatidial hairs and glands as well as corneal microridges are yet another field that could yield interesting results and in the past has received insufficient consideration. Finally, the dearth of information on distance vision and depth perception is mentioned and a plea is made to examine the photic environment inside the foam shelters of spittle bugs, chrysales of pupae and other structures shielding insects and crustaceans.
Adaptive SLICE method: an enhanced method to determine nonlinear dynamic respiratory system mechanics

The objective of this paper is to introduce and evaluate the adaptive SLICE method (ASM) for continuous determination of intratidal nonlinear dynamic compliance and resistance. The tidal volume is subdivided into a series of volume intervals called slices. For each slice, one compliance and one resistance are calculated by applying a least-squares-fit method. The volume window (width) covered by each slice is determined based on the confidence interval of the parameter estimation. The method was compared to the original SLICE method and evaluated using simulation and animal data. The ASM was also challenged with separate analysis of dynamic compliance during inspiration. If the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the respiratory data decreased from +∞ to 10 dB, the relative errors of compliance increased from 0.1% to 22% for the ASM and from 0.2% to 227% for the SLICE method. Fewer differences were found in resistance. When the SNR was larger than 40 dB, the ASM delivered over 40 parameter estimates (42.2 ± 1.3). When analyzing the compliance during inspiration separately, the estimates calculated with the ASM were more stable. The adaptive determination of slice bounds results in consistent and reliable parameter values. Online analysis of nonlinear respiratory mechanics will profit from such an adaptive selection of interval size.
Toward Clarity on Understanding Tropical Cyclone Intensification

AbstractThe authors review an emerging paradigm of tropical cyclone intensification in the context of the prototype intensification problem, which relates to the spinup of a preexisting vortex near tropical storm strength in a quiescent environment. In addition, the authors review briefly what is known about tropical cyclone intensification in the presence of vertical wind shear. The authors go on to examine two recent lines of research that seem to offer very different views to understanding the intensification problem. The first of these proposes a mechanism to explain rapid intensification in terms of surface pressure falls in association with upper-level warming accompanying outbreaks of deep convection. The second line of research explores the relationship between the contraction of the radius of maximum tangential wind and intensification in the classical axisymmetric convective ring model, albeit in an unbalanced framework. The authors challenge a finding of the second line of research that appears.
On the User Performance of LTE UE Power Savings Schemes with Discontinuous Reception in LTE

The UTRAN long-term evolution (LTE) specifications provide flexible means to achieve micro-sleep operation for user equipment (UE) even though it is in active mode and running a service. By means of a discontinuous reception (DRX) framework, pauses in the transmission due to natural traffic characteristics or network prioritization can be utilized. The specifications give a number of options to optimize the performance. In this paper two of those possibilities are compared. Long DRX with the use of an inactivity timer is compared to the usage of short DRX on top of long DRX. The performance is evaluated in terms of user throughput, power consumption, and network performance, while using a realistic RF modem power consumption model for the UE. For bursty traffic, short DRX shows a gain of up to 100% over DRX with just an inactivity timer, when measuring throughput per power unit consumed in case of one or multiple users being present in the cell.
Robust smoothing for continuous time uncertain nonlinear systems

This paper presents the derivation of a robust smoothing algorithm for a class of uncertain nonlinear systems. The uncertainties in the system are described in terms of an integral quadratic constraint which provides for a rich class of uncertainties. The smoothing problem is divided into two component filtering problems: a forward filtering problem and a reverse filtering problem. Each filtering problem is formulated in a set-valued state estimation framework and recast into an optimal control problem whose solution is described in terms of Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman partial differential equations. An approximate solution is obtained for this optimal control problem by assuming a quadratic approximation for the value function. Linear approximations are used for various nonlinear functions in the system dynamics, as in the case of the linearized smoothing approach for nonlinear systems. The final recursion equations for the robust smoother consist of two sets of Riccati differential equations, filter state equations, and level shift scalar equations. One set corresponds to the forward filter while the other is associated with the reverse filter. Although the level shift scalar equations are required to complete the definition of the set-valued state estimator, they do not affect the recursion equations for the filters.
Technology Adoption and Aggregate Energy Efficiency

Improved technology is often cited as a means to alter the otherwise difficult trade-off between the economic burden of regulation and environmental damage. Focusing on energy-saving technologies that mitigate the threat of climate change, we find that both energy prices and financial health influence technology adoption among a sample of industrial plants in four heavily polluting sectors. Based on a model linking technology adoption to growth in aggregate efficiency, we estimate that a doubling of energy prices, after raising the growth rate to 2.1%, would require slightly more than 50 years to generate a 50% improvement in aggregate efficiency relative to the baseline forecast.
Cerebral Palsy and the Application of the International Criteria for Acute Intrapartum Hypoxia

OBJECTIVE: To apply objective criteria for the identification of acute intrapartum hypoxia in a cohort of cerebral palsy cases and to identify other cerebral palsy–related pathologies. METHODS: A cohort of all 235 neonates with cerebral palsy from a single Australian tertiary care center born between 1986 and 2003. Cases were identified from the South Australian Cerebral Palsy Register. Maternal and pediatric case notes were audited with application of the 2003 American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists/American Academy of Pediatrics criteria to identify acute intrapartum hypoxia. RESULTS: Data were available for analysis in 213 cases (91%). Major antenatal or pediatric cerebral palsy–related pathologies were identified in 98.1% of all these cases. An isolated acute intrapartum hypoxic event was defined as likely in only 2 of the 46 neonates born at term and none born preterm. Neonatal nucleated red blood cell counts were often high in neonates born preterm and following antenatal pathologies. CONCLUSION: Cerebral palsy was seldom preceded by acute intrapartum hypoxia but antenatal cerebral palsy–related pathologies are often detectable. The objective American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists/American Academy of Pediatrics criteria are useful to audit cerebral palsy causation and exclude primary intrapartum hypoxia. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II-3
Incorporation of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids into pork fatty tissues.

The incorporation and elimination rate of dietary PUFA in pork fat was investigated in this study. Experiment 1 examined the incorporation of dietary PUFA into backfat (BF) and into the triglyceride (TG) and phospholipid (PL) fractions of the i.m. fat of the loin. Experiment 2 examined the elimination of PUFA from BF due to withdrawal of PUFA from the diet. In Exp. 1, Piétrain x Seghers Hybrid pigs (70 barrows and 70 gilts averaging 11 wk of age and 30 kg initially) were assigned to five dietary treatments in a 2 x 5 factorial arrangement during a 16-wk feeding period. Pigs received a diet containing about 2.5% tallow (T) for 8, 10, 12, 14, or 16 wk, followed by a diet containing about 15% full-fat soybeans (FFS) for 8, 6, 4, 2, or 0 wk, respectively. Additionally, BF biopsies were taken every 2 wk from eight pigs on the 8-wk FFS dietary treatment, starting from the time pigs were switched to the FFS diet. Linoleic acid [18:2(n-6)], linolenic acid [18:3(n-3)], eicosadienoic acid [20:2(n-6)], arachidonic acid [20:4(n-6)], and PUFA contents in BF increased (P < .01) with time on the FFS diet, but contents of these fatty acids were similar for pigs fed FFS for 6 or 8 wk. The PUFA content of the biopsies rose throughout the FFS treatment; the greatest increase in PUFA occurred during the first 2 wk of feeding FFS. The PUFA content of the TG and PL fractions in i.m. fat of the longissimus muscle tended to increase with time on the FFS diet. The increase was significant (P < .01) in the TG fraction for 18:3(n-3) and in the PL fraction for 20:4(n-6) and 22:6(n-3). In Exp. 2, 11-wk-old pigs (10 barrows and 10 gilts) were fed a FFS-based diet from 11 to 19 wk of age, followed by the T-diet for an additional 8 wk. During the latter period, biopsies were taken every 2 wk. The elimination of PUFA from BF was greatest during the first 2 wk after the dietary change. The PUFA reached the lowest level at the age of 25 wk. These experiments show that the PUFA: saturated fatty acid ratio of BF can be increased from . 34, corresponding with a T-based diet, to . 55, by feeding a FFS diet for 6 wk before slaughter.
Isotopic Discrimination between Food and Blood and Feathers of Captive Penguins: Implications for Dietary Studies in the Wild

Using measurements of naturally occurring stable isotopes to reconstruct diets or source of feeding requires quantifying isotopic discrimination factors or the relationships between isotope ratios in food and in consumer tissues. Diet‐tissue discrimination factors of carbon (13C/12C, or δ13C) and nitrogen (15N/14N, or δ15N) isotopes in whole blood and feathers, representing noninvasive sampling techniques, were examined using three species of captive penguins (king Aptenodytes patagonicus, gentoo Pygoscelis papua, and rockhopper Eudyptes chrysocome penguins) fed known diets. King and rockhopper penguins raised on a constant diet of herring and capelin, respectively, had tissues enriched in 15N compared to fish, with discrimination factors being higher in feathers than in blood. These data, together with previous works, allowed us to calculate average discrimination factors for 15N between whole lipid‐free prey and blood and feathers of piscivorous birds; they amount to +2.7‰ and +4.2‰, respectively. Both fish species were segregated by their δ13C and δ15N values, and importantly, lipid‐free fish muscle tissue was consistently depleted in 13C and enriched in 15N compared to whole lipid‐free fish. This finding has important implications because previous studies usually base dietary reconstructions on muscle of prey rather than on whole prey items consumed by the predator. We tested the effect of these differences using mass balance calculations to the quantification of food sources of gentoo penguins that had a mixed diet. Modeling indicated correct estimates when using the isotopic signature of whole fish (muscle) and the discrimination factors between whole fish (muscle) and penguin blood. Conversely, the use of isotopic signatures of muscle together with discrimination factors between whole fish and blood (or the reverse) leads to spurious estimates in food proportions. Consequently, great care must be taken in the choice of isotopic discrimination factors to apply to wild species for which no controlled experiments on captive individuals have been done. Finally, our results also indicate that there is no need to remove lipids before isotopic analysis of avian blood.
Sister chromatid exchanges occur in G2-irradiated cells

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are arguably the most important lesions induced by ionizing radiation (IR) since unrepaired or mis-repaired DSBs can lead to chromosomal aberrations and cell death. The two major pathways to repair IR-induced DSBs are non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination (HR). Perhaps surprisingly, NHEJ represents the predominant pathway in the G1 and G2 phases of the cell cycle, but HR also contributes and repairs a subset of IR-induced DSBs in G2. Following S-phase-dependent genotoxins, HR events give rise to sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs), which can be detected cytogenetically in mitosis. Here, we describe that HR occurring in G2-irradiated cells also generates SCEs in ~50% of HR events. Since HR of IR-induced DSBs in G2 is a slow process, SCE formation in G2-irradiated cells requires several hours. During this time, irradiated S-phase cells can also reach mitosis, which has contributed to the widely held belief that SCEs form only during S phase. We describe procedures to measure SCEs exclusively in G2-irradiated cells and provide evidence that following IR cells do not need to progress through S phase in order to form SCEs.
A Hierarchical Decomposition Approach for Coordinated Dispatch of Plug-in Electric Vehicles

Plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) are increasingly popular in the global trend of energy saving and environmental protection. However, the uncoordinated charging of numerous PEVs can produce significant negative impacts on the secure and economic operation of the power system concerned. In this context, a hierarchical decomposition approach is presented to coordinate the charging/discharging behaviors of PEVs. The major objective of the upper-level model is to minimize the total cost of system operation by jointly dispatching generators and electric vehicle aggregators (EVAs). On the other hand, the lower-level model aims at strictly following the dispatching instructions from the upper-level decision-maker by designing appropriate charging/discharging strategies for each individual PEV in a specified dispatching period. Two highly efficient commercial solvers, namely AMPL/IPOPT and AMPL/CPLEX, respectively, are used to solve the developed hierarchical decomposition model. Finally, a modified IEEE 118-bus testing system including 6 EVAs is employed to demonstrate the performance of the developed model and method.
Antibacterial activity of medicinal plant extracts against periodontopathic bacteria

This study was performed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of Althaea ofﬁcinalis L. roots, Arnica montana L. ﬂowers, Calendula ofﬁcinalis L. ﬂowers, Hamamelis virginiana L. leaves, Illicium verum Hook. fruits and Melissa ofﬁcinalis L. leaves, against anaerobic and facultative aerobic periodontal bacteria: Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella spp. , Fusobacterium nucleatum, Capnocytophaga gingivalis, Veilonella parvula, Eikenella corrodens, Peptostreptococcus micros and Actinomyces odontolyticus. The methanol extracts of H. virginiana and A. montana and, to a lesser extent, A. ofﬁcinalis were shown to possess an inhibiting activity (MIC ≤ 2048 mg/L) against many of the species tested. In comparison, M. ofﬁcinalis and C. ofﬁcinalis extracts had a lower inhibiting activity (MIC ≥ 2048 mg/L) against all the tested species with the exception of Prevotella sp. Illicium verum methanol extract was not very active though it had a particular good activity against E. corrodens. The results suggest the use of the alcohol extracts of H. virginiana, A. montana and A. ofﬁcinalis for topical medications in periodontal prophylactics. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.