jimnoneill/paper-to-field-training huggingface dataset:
Polydopamine surface coating on PDMS for long-term cell culture

Field: Materials Science (Physical Sciences)

Recently, Poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS) have been widely used in cell studies due to its many advantages such as transparency, flexibility, low cost and ease of fabrication. However, one of its major drawbacks is its high hydrophobicity, which makes it difficult for cells to adhere. This will affect later cascade of cell proliferation and differentiation. It is, therefore, essential to modify PDMS surface to support stable and long-term cell culture. In this study, Poly(dopamine) (PD) was investigated as a surface modification technique because it is a simple, one-step process. This bio- inspired PD surface coating was also known to be able to reduce the hydrophobicity of surfaces. It is neither non-toxic nor health hazardous, and can adsorb strongly onto a large range of substrates. PD was coated on a flat PDMS surface. A concentration of 0.010%wt and duration between 1 to 24 hours met our objective of stable and long- term culture of Bone Marrow Stromal Cells (BMSCs). Cells were also stable and confluent even when they were cultured in the presence of Collagen Type 1, a protein abundant in our body. Surface property was analyzed to look at its hydrophobicity and the chemical groups present. These properties have accounted for certain cell behaviors observed. In addition, it was found that BMSCs displayed the ability to differentiate into osteogenic and adipogenic tissues on PD coated surfaces as well as PD coated microfluidic chips. These findings will aid in future research and extended applications that require a quick and effective surface treatment on PDMS substrates.
Swimming with Cloelia, Running with Atalanta, Playing Ball with Nausicaa: The use of Classical Women in Fascist Italy 1930s’ Controversies about Women’s Sport

Field: Arts and Humanities (Social Sciences)

Women’s sports were quite controversial in 1930s Fascist Italy. On the one hand, the regime promoted them: healthier girls would in time become healthier mothers, who would one day give birth to Mussolini’s future soldiers. Yet a large part of Italian society, led by conservative Catholics, protested the most innovative activities, such as public athletics and swimming competitions. In 1933, a big controversy broke out between Il Littoriale (sports newspaper, mouthpiece of Fascist sports policy) and L’Osservatore Romano (Vatican newspaper) about “immoral” women’s sportswear. An interesting feature of this controversy was the use, by both Fascists and conservatives, of Classical (both mythological and historical) women, such as Cloelia, the Amazons, Atalanta, and Nausicaa, cited as archetypical figures of sportswomen. Nausicaa seemed to be the most frequently used and diverse archetype, because she was better suited (more than Cloelia) to the Fascist vision of the future Italian donna nuova “new woman”: she was young, she had a healthy body, she was ready to embrace her “natural” fate (being a mother). The corpus used for the analysis is composed by journalistic texts (newspapers and magazines) and a sports novel, in order to test the spread of these archetypes in 1930s mass media: in order to fix this new image of the sportswoman, the Fascist regime had to find some well-known female figures that could be easily admired by the Italian people.
Effects of age, sex, race/ethnicity, and allergy status in obesity‐related pediatric asthma

Field: Medicine (Health Sciences)

Abstract Rationale Obesity in children increases the risk for new asthma. How age, sex, race/ethnicity, and allergy status affect the relationship between obesity and asthma is unclear. This study describes the relationship between high body mass index (BMI) and incident asthma. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study to compare asthma incidence among normal weight, overweight, and obese 2 to 6, 7 to 11, and 12 to 17 year olds to define the effects of sex, race/ethnicity, and allergy status. Weight status was determined at baseline and asthma incidence was defined as ≥2 asthma encounters and ≥1 asthma prescriptions. We used multivariable Poisson regression to estimate adjusted incident asthma rates and risk ratios. Results Data from 192 843 2 to 6 year olds, 157 284 7 to 11 year olds, and 157 369 12 to 17 year olds were included. The relative risks (95% confidence interval [CI]) of new asthma among obese children in 2 to 6 year olds, 7 to 11 year olds, and 12 to 17 year olds were 1.25 (1.15, 1.37), 1.49 (1.32, 1.69) and 1.40 (1.21, 1.63), respectively. Among children with underlying allergic rhinitis, obesity did not increase the risk of new asthma. In children without allergic rhinitis, the risk for obesity‐related asthma was highest in 7 to 11 year olds (risk ratio = 1.50 95% CI, 1.33, 1.60). Before age 12, females had a higher risk for obesity‐related asthma; but after age 12, obese males had a higher asthma risk (interaction P ‐value < .05). Conclusion Obesity is a major preventable risk factor for pediatric asthma that appears to vary along the pediatric age continuum and depends on sex, race/ethnicity and atopy status.
The immunomodulatory effects of nociceptin – development and validation of a biosensor assay

Field: Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics (Life Sciences)

Opioids have long been associated with increased susceptibility to infectious diseases, and the role of the classical opioids in immunomodulation is a subject of some debate. A fourth opioid-like receptor, sharing significant sequence homology, and Gi mechanism, to the classical MOP, DOP and KOP opioid receptors has emerging evidence for its expression throughout the immune system. Furthermore, observational evidence suggests that the concentration of nociceptin, the endogenous agonist for this receptor increases in the human plasma, synovial fluid and sputum sampled in the context of inflammatory conditions. Administration of exogenous nociceptin worsens mortality in an animal model of sepsis, further suggestive that this non-classical opioid may have an immunomodulatory role in-vivo.Despite limited observational evidence, localising the source of the increased nociceptin concentration has been challenging, because of its low concentration and problems with existing use of ELISA and RIA tests. Chimeric G-proteins facilitate non-classical coupling between intracellular pathways, allowing the use of new markers as a readout of receptor activation, and therefore local detection of agonist ligands and their concentration.This work validated the design of a chimeric G-protein based biosensor test to detect nociceptin release from a single cell. In principle, the biosensor facilitated nociceptin receptor coupling via Gq to calcium flux for a non-invasive and non-radioactive readout of receptor activation. The validated test was used to investigate nociceptin release from immunocytes (and subtypes) from healthy individuals and patients admitted to the intensive care unit with sepsis. These data were correlated with additional PCR and immunohistochemistry tests to determine expression of nociceptin, its receptor and their precursors.In general, mixed granulocytes were found to release nociceptin. In evaluating immunocyte subsets, both nociceptin and its receptor are found in eosinophils and neutrophils from individuals with sepsis, and when incubated in an environment mimicking sepsis, suggesting upregulation of this system in sepsis.
TOS: A Kernel of a Distributed Systems Management System

Field: Computer Science (Physical Sciences)

Distributed systems are becoming harder to manage, in part because the uses we put to distributed systems are rapidly changing. Hence, the software used to manage a distributed system needs to be exible enough to accommodate these new uses. It also has to be secure enough to not allow unauthorized changes to be made to the system. We present a library and a kernel that supports the management of distributed systems. This kernel, called the TACOMA Operating System (TOS), is an outgrowth of our research into mobile agent systems and applications. We have used TOS to implement several novel distributed management policies, one of which is discussed in detail in this paper. We conclude the paper with a discussion on the applicability of mobile agents to self-managing distributed applications. 1 Introduction Distributed systems are ubiquitous. The operations of virtually all organizations ranging from small companies to international corporations depend on networks of computers. Distrib...
A Brief History of The Struggle Between Gonabadi Dervishes and the Islamic Republic of Iran (2005 - 2018)

Field: Social Sciences (Social Sciences)

The Gonabadi Sufi Order is one of the three main branches of the Nimatullahi Sufi order that was originated by Shah Nimatullahi Wali in the 14th and 15th centuries. The Dervishes, the best known of its followers, assert that they believe in peace, security, and equality and avoid violence and politics. The constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran is officially based on the "Twelver Shia" and only recognizes a small minority as a religion officially. In spite of this, even though they describe themselves as the "Twelver Shia", they reject the principal foundations of the Islamic Republic of Iran's official religion. As a result, dervishes were declared as "heretics" by the state. After the Revolution, especially after 1995, systematic attacks have intensified on members of the order and their Hosseiniyeh, where they performed their religious rituals. The Hosseiniyeh in Kerman was the first place to be attacked; the Hosseiniyehs in Qom, Tehran, Karaj, and Borujerd were also attacked and destroyed. Eventually, the scale of the attacks was expanded to the tombs of the prominent figures of the Gonabadi order. These conflicts increased in intensity after 2005, in Ahmadinejad's presidency, and caused social outrages that resulted in death at various times. In this study, the background of these fierce conflicts will be examined and the history of the conflict will be conveyed. The events that led the dervishes, who define themselves peaceful at every opportunity, to such violent conflicts with the state will be perused. In addition, the reasons why the state sees these dervishes as an internal enemy will be examined.
Associations between hospital‐level socioeconomic patient mix and rates of central line–associated bloodstream infections in short bowel syndrome: A retrospective cohort study

Field: Medicine (Health Sciences)

Abstract Background Low neighborhood income is linked with increased hospitalizations for central line–associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) in pediatric short bowel syndrome (SBS). We assessed whether this relationship varies by hospital center. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study using the Pediatric Health Information System (2018–2023) database for patients <18 years old with SBS ( N = 1210) at 24 hospitals in the United States. Using 2015 US Census data, we determined the estimated median household income of each patient's zip code. Hospital‐level neighborhood income was defined as the median of the estimated median household income among patients at each hospital. We applied an extension of Cox regression to assess risk for CLABSI hospitalization. Results Among 1210 children with 5255 hospitalizations, most were <1 year on initial admission (53%), male (58%), and publicly insured (69%). Hospitals serving low‐income neighborhoods served more female (46% vs 39%), Black (29% vs 22%), and Hispanic (22% vs 16%) patients with public insurance (72% vs 65%) residing in the southern United States (47% vs 21%). In univariate analysis, low hospital‐level neighborhood income was associated with increased risk of CLABSI hospitalization (rate ratio [RR], 1.48; 95% CI, 1.21–1.83; P < 0.001). These findings persisted in multivariate analysis (RR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.10–1.84; P < 0.01) after adjusting for race, ethnicity, insurance, region, and patient‐level neighborhood income. Conclusion Hospitals serving predominantly low‐income neighborhoods bear a heavier burden of CLABSI hospitalizations for all their patients across the socioeconomic spectrum. Hospital initiatives focused on CLABSI prevention may be pivotal in addressing this disparity.
Fatty Acid Diets: Regulation of Gut Microbiota Composition and Obesity and Its Related Metabolic Dysbiosis

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology (Life Sciences)

Long-term high-fat dietary intake plays a crucial role in the composition of gut microbiota in animal models and human subjects, which affect directly short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production and host health. This review aims to highlight the interplay of fatty acid (FA) intake and gut microbiota composition and its interaction with hosts in health promotion and obesity prevention and its related metabolic dysbiosis. The abundance of the Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes ratio, as Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria species are associated with increased SCFA production, reported high-fat diet rich in medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), and n–3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) as well as low-fat diets rich in long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs). SCFAs play a key role in health promotion and prevention and, reduction and reversion of metabolic syndromes in the host. Furthermore, in this review, we discussed the type of fatty acids and their amount, including the administration time and their interplay with gut microbiota and its results about health or several metabolic dysbioses undergone by hosts.
Insights Into Managing Project Teams for Industry 4.0

Field: Business, Management and Accounting (Social Sciences)

In a fast-paced and changing world demanded by Industry 4.0, the continuous delivery of products and level of integration of technologies are required. This is achieved through the introduction of agile but agile itself demands changes in the way projects are managed. The role of the project manager itself is changing from a command and control to a collaborative and coaching style of leadership. Project teams on the other hand should be self-organizing and self-directed to be agile. Managing agile teams requires a different approach as the idea is to deliver workable solutions and products at a faster space. New project manager skills and competencies are required as well as ways to manage agile teams. A conceptual model is introduced, highlighting the required enablers for an agile environment. The enablers have an impact on how the agile project manager interacts with the agile team. The end result is that products are faster deployed enabling organizations to react to the changes demanded by Industry 4.0.
Identifying diseases affecting farmed Litopenaeus vannamei in different areas of Nellore district in Andhra Pradesh, India

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences (Life Sciences)

Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) is the most extensively farmed crustacean species in the world. A study was conducted throughout one year from January, 2015 to December, 2015 in shrimp culture ponds of Kavali, Gudur and Nellore divisions of Nellore district in Andhra Pradesh (A.P), India. The study involved 287 ponds in the selected three divisions of 9 Mandals spread in 32 villages and seven diseases are reported from the culture ponds of L. vannamei. Disease outbreaks occurred in most of the culture ponds particularly in Gudur and Nellore divisions. With the development of shrimp culture practice from traditional form to modern intensive culture practice, the complexity of diseases has been equally magnified in Andhra Pradesh. The frequent outbreaks of diseases such as White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV), Black Gill Disease (BGD), Running Mortality Syndrome (RMS), Loose Shell Syndrome (LSS), White Faecal Syndrome (WFS), White Muscle Disease (WMD) and Infectious Hypodermal and Haematopoietic Necrosis (IHHN) in shrimps causing economic loss to the aquaculture industry in Nellore district. One or more diseases are common in culture ponds of L. vannamei due to various reasons. About 50% diseases occurred in the culture ponds of Kavali division, 94% in Gudur and Nellore divisions. Farmers are losing about 60 per cent of their investment due to these diseases in every crop in the season. Shrimp aquaculture industry has experienced severe setbacks due to devastating viral diseases. L. vannamei is an exotic species and culturing both in freshwater and saline waters in A.P. The viral outbreaks are minimal in low saline waters compared to the high saline waters with the best management practices. The prevention, control and awareness of disease are very crucial for successful shrimp culture farming. The farmers should aware that, the L. vannamei seed stocked is only specific pathogen free (SPF) but not free from all pathogens.
Propagation of a dorsal cortical fracture of the third metacarpal bone in two horses

Field: Veterinary (Health Sciences)

Seemingly, propagation of a dorsal cortical fracture in the third metacarpal bone developed after continued race performance in 2 horses. Historically, both horses had intermittent lameness that had responded to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and brief rest periods. However, lameness in both horses had increased in severity. Radiography revealed a dorsal cortical fracture of the third metacarpal bone, with propagation of the fracture plane proximally. Fractures were incomplete and healed with stall rest in both horses.
Farm structure in Malta : 2007 : agriculture and fisheries

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences (Life Sciences)

The University of Malta would like to acknowledge its gratitude to the European Commission, Eurostat for their permission to upload this work on OAR@UoM. Further reuse of this document can be made, provided the source is acknowledged. This work was made available with the help of the Publications Office of the European Union, Copyright and Legal Issues Section.
P4‐079: CRITICAL EVALUATION OF THE PHARMACOKINETICS OF VERUBECESTAT IN AGED 5XFAD MICE

Field: Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics (Life Sciences)

The preclinical testing core (PTC) of the Model Organism Development for Late Onset Alzheimer's Disease (MODEL-AD) consortium has established a drug screening pipeline including a primary screen to evaluate in vivo pharmacokinetics (PK) at disease-relevant ages in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD) followed by chronic prophylactic treatment assessing efficacy. In line with this tiered strategy, the PK of verubecestat was initially evaluated to inform PK-pharmacodynamic (PD) modeling for a secondary pharmacodynamics assessment employing behavioral studies and 18F-FDG and 18F-AV45 with PET/MR. Verubescestat triflouroacetate was analyzed by LC/MS/MS to confirm stability of oral formulation and concentration milled into chow. Experiments evaluated administration of verubescestat to male and female 6mo 5xFAD mice by oral gavage (1.5 - 30 mg/kg) and incorporation of verubescestat into food pellets (180 ppm, equivalent to 30 mg/kg/d) for ad libitum feeding. In consideration of inter- and intra-pellet variability, testing was performed on chow provided pulverized administered to the cage floor or pelleted. Effects of group vs. individual housing on PK were with pelleted chow were also evaluated. Plasma samples were assessed by LC/MS/MS. Verubescestat administered by oral gavage exhibited dose-dependent absorption and a half-life of 2.1±0.47 hr, requiring twice daily dosing to maintain target PD concentrations. Thus incorporation of drug into ad libitum feeding was explored. Verubecestat concentrations in chow pellets were 54±17% of expected concentration and displayed high inter- and intra-pellet variability. As shown in Table 1, Tmax was approximately 2 hours after the start of the dark cycle in single-housed and female group-housed mice, while it was at lights-on in male group-housed mice. Concentrations were higher in single-housed than group-housed mice. In both experiments, females exhibited higher variability in plasma concentrations than males.
Influence of different formulation variables on the performance of transdermal drug delivery system containing tizanidine hydrochloride: in vitro and ex vivo evaluations

Field: Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics (Life Sciences)

The present study was aimed at preparation of transdermal patches of tizanidine HCl, evaluation of the effect of polymers on in vitro release pattern of the drug, and the effect of permeation enhancers on the penetration of the drug through the rabbit skin. Various proportions of hydrophilic (HPMC) and hydrophobic (Eudragit L-100) polymers were used with PEG 400 as film-forming agent, and Span 20 or DMSO as permeation enhancer. The formulations were assessed for physicochemical characteristics and in vitro drug release studies using USP paddle over disc method in phosphate buffered saline (pH 7.4) at 32.0±1°C. On the basis of in vitro studies and physicochemical evaluations, S03-A and S04-A were selected at Eudragit : HPMC ratios of 8 : 2 and 7 : 3, respectively, for further ex vivo analysis. The effects of different concentrations of Span 20 and DMSO were evaluated on excised rabbit skin using Franz diffusion cell. Cumulative drug permeation, flux, permeability coefficient, target flux, and enhancement ratio were calculated and compared with the control formulations. Kinetic models and Tukey’s multiple comparison test were applied to evaluate the drug release patterns. Formulation SB03-PE containing Eudragit L-100:HPMC (7:3) with Span 20 (15% w/w) produced the highest enhancement in drug permeation, and followed zero order kinetic model with super case-II drug release mechanism.
Safe Start Regions for Medical Steerable Needle Automation

Field: Engineering (Physical Sciences)

Steerable needles are minimally invasive devices that enable novel medical procedures by following curved paths to avoid critical anatomical obstacles. Planning algorithms can be used to find a steerable needle motion plan to a target. Deployment typically consists of a physician manually inserting the steerable needle into tissue at the motion plan's start pose and handing off control to a robot, which then autonomously steers it to the target along the plan. The handoff between human and robot is critical for procedure success, as even small deviations from the start pose change the steerable needle's workspace and there is no guarantee that the target will still be reachable. We introduce a metric that evaluates the robustness to such start pose deviations. When measuring this robustness to deviations, we consider the tradeoff between being robust to changes in position versus changes in orientation. We evaluate our metric through simulation in an abstract, a liver, and a lung planning scenario. Our evaluation shows that our metric can be combined with different motion planners and that it efficiently determines large, safe start regions.