pinecone/core-2020-05-10-deduplication huggingface dataset:
Lifestyles and Surveillance of Sexual and Reproductive Women's Health

AbstractBackgroundThe epidemic increase of diseases is closely related to lifestyle changes. The low adhesion to breast self-examination and cervical cytology hinders prevention and early diagnosis during the asymptomatic state of two silent diseases, with nonspecific symptoms that are a major cause of death by cancer in the Portuguese female population.ObjectivesTo analyze the influence of sociodemographic variables and lifestyles in the surveillance of sexual and reproductive health of Portuguese women.MethodsQuantitative, non-experimental, correlational and cross-sectional study, conducted with a non-probabilistic convenience sample of 522 women aged between 18 and 67 years old, who applied the questionnaires about Breast self-examination, Knowledge about cervical cancer and the Inventory “My Lifestyle” (Ribeiro, 1993.ResultsThe average age of women is 38.89 years old. Women aged 31-37 years old (28.6%), Portuguese (99.1%), cohabiting with a partner and / or child (74.0%), with an active employment status (67 5%), residing in urban areas (55.8%) with higher education and attending family planning consultations have better lifestyles, without statistical significance (F = 0.016, p = 0.899).ConclusionsHealthy behaviors and lifestyles are crucial to good overall health. Adhesion to surveillance of sexual and reproductive women's health is influenced by several factors, including the place of residence, employment status and lifestyles. These variables must be considered by health professionals when planning periodic screenings
Monocarboxylate transporters in the brain and in cancer

AbstractMonocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) constitute a family of 14 members among which MCT1–4 facilitate the passive transport of monocarboxylates such as lactate, pyruvate and ketone bodies together with protons across cell membranes. Their anchorage and activity at the plasma membrane requires interaction with chaperon protein such as basigin/CD147 and embigin/gp70. MCT1–4 are expressed in different tissues where they play important roles in physiological and pathological processes. This review focuses on the brain and on cancer. In the brain, MCTs control the delivery of lactate, produced by astrocytes, to neurons, where it is used as an oxidative fuel. Consequently, MCT dysfunctions are associated with pathologies of the central nervous system encompassing neurodegeneration and cognitive defects, epilepsy and metabolic disorders. In tumors, MCTs control the exchange of lactate and other monocarboxylates between glycolytic and oxidative cancer cells, between stromal and cancer cells and between glycolytic cells and endothelial cells. Lactate is not only a metabolic waste for glycolytic cells and a metabolic fuel for oxidative cells, but it also behaves as a signaling agent that promotes angiogenesis and as an immunosuppressive metabolite. Because MCTs gate the activities of lactate, drugs targeting these transporters have been developed that could constitute new anticancer treatments. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Mitochondrial Channels edited by Pierre Sonveaux, Pierre Maechler and Jean-Claude Martinou
Activating Fgfr3 Y367C mutation causes hearing loss and inner ear defect in a mouse model of chondrodysplasia

AbstractFibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) is a key regulator of skeletal development and activating mutations in FGFR3 cause skeletal dysplasias, including hypochondroplasia, achondroplasia and thanatophoric dysplasia. The introduction of the Y367C mutation corresponding to the human Y373C thanatophoric dysplasia type I (TDI) mutation into the mouse genome, resulted in dwarfism with a skeletal phenotype remarkably similar to that of human chondrodysplasia. To investigate the role of the activating Fgfr3 Y367C mutation in auditory function, the middle and inner ear of the heterozygous mutant Fgfr3Y367C/+ mice were examined. The mutant Fgfr3Y367C/+ mice exhibit fully penetrant deafness with a significantly elevated auditory brainstem response threshold for all frequencies tested. The inner ear defect is mainly associated with an increased number of pillar cells or modified supporting cells in the organ of Corti. Hearing loss in the Fgfr3Y367C/+ mouse model demonstrates the crucial role of Fgfr3 in the development of the inner ear and provides novel insight on the biological consequences of FGFR3 mutations in chondrodysplasia
Prolongation of atrio-ventricular node conduction in a rabbit model of ischaemic cardiomyopathy: Role of fibrosis and connexin remodelling

AbstractConduction abnormalities are frequently associated with cardiac disease, though the mechanisms underlying the commonly associated increases in PQ interval are not known. This study uses a chronic left ventricular (LV) apex myocardial infarction (MI) model in the rabbit to create significant left ventricular dysfunction (LVD) 8weeks post-MI. In vivo studies established that the PQ interval increases by approximately 7ms (10%) with no significant change in average heart rate. Optical mapping of isolated Langendorff perfused rabbit hearts recapitulated this result: time to earliest activation of the LV was increased by 14ms (16%) in the LVD group. Intra-atrial and LV transmural conduction times were not altered in the LVD group. Isolated AVN preparations from the LVD group demonstrated a significantly longer conduction time (by approximately 20ms) between atrial and His electrograms than sham controls across a range of pacing cycle lengths. This difference was accompanied by increased effective refractory period and Wenckebach cycle length, suggesting significantly altered AVN electrophysiology post-MI. The AVN origin of abnormality was further highlighted by optical mapping of the isolated AVN. Immunohistochemistry of AVN preparations revealed increased fibrosis and gap junction protein (connexin43 and 40) remodelling in the AVN of LVD animals compared to sham. A significant increase in myocyte–non-myocyte connexin co-localization was also observed after LVD. These changes may increase the electrotonic load experienced by AVN muscle cells and contribute to slowed conduction velocity within the AVN
Experimental and Theoretical Approaches to Conscious Processing

Recent experimental studies and theoretical models have begun to address the challenge of establishing a causal link between subjective conscious experience and measurable neuronal activity. The present review focuses on the well-delimited issue of how an external or internal piece of information goes beyond nonconscious processing and gains access to conscious processing, a transition characterized by the existence of a reportable subjective experience. Converging neuroimaging and neurophysiological data, acquired during minimal experimental contrasts between conscious and nonconscious processing, point to objective neural measures of conscious access: late amplification of relevant sensory activity, long-distance cortico-cortical synchronization at beta and gamma frequencies, and “ignition” of a large-scale prefronto-parietal network. We compare these findings to current theoretical models of conscious processing, including the Global Neuronal Workspace (GNW) model according to which conscious access occurs when incoming information is made globally available to multiple brain systems through a network of neurons with long-range axons densely distributed in prefrontal, parieto-temporal, and cingulate cortices. The clinical implications of these results for general anesthesia, coma, vegetative state, and schizophrenia are discussed
Non-Bunch–Davis initial state reconciles chaotic models with BICEP and Planck

AbstractThe BICEP2 experiment has announced a signal for primordial gravity waves with tensor-to-scalar ratio r=0.2−0.05+0.07 [1]. There are two ways to reconcile this result with the latest Planck experiment [2]. One is by assuming that there is a considerable tilt of r, Tr, with a positive sign, Tr=dln⁡r/dln⁡k≳0.57−0.27+0.29 corresponding to a blue tilt for the tensor modes of order nT≃0.53−0.27+0.29, assuming the Planck experiment best-fit value for tilt of scalar power spectrum nS. The other possibility is to assume that there is a negative running in the scalar spectral index, dnS/dln⁡k≃−0.02 which pushes up the upper bound on r from 0.11 up to 0.26 in the Planck analysis assuming the existence of a tensor spectrum. Simple slow-roll models fail to provide such large values for Tr or negative runnings in nS [1]. In this note we show that a non-Bunch–Davies initial state for perturbations can provide a match between large field chaotic models (like m2ϕ2) with the latest Planck result [3] and BICEP2 results by accommodating either the blue tilt of r or the negative large running of nS
Implementing the De-thinning Method for High Energy Cosmic Rays Extensive Air Showers Simulations

AbstractTo simulate the interaction of cosmic rays with the Earth atmosphere requires highly complex computational resources and several statistical techniques have been developed to simplify those calculations. It is common to implement the thinning algorithms to reduce the number of secondary particles by assigning weights to representative particles in the evolution of the cascade. However, since this is a compression method with information loss, it is required to recover the original flux of secondary particles without introducing artificial biases. In this work we present the preliminary results of our version of the de-thinning algorithm for the reconstruction of thinned simulations of extensive air showers initiated by cosmic rays and photons in the energy range 1015<E/eV<1017
Numerical approximation of Lévy–Feller diffusion equation and its probability interpretation

AbstractIn this paper, we consider the Lévy–Feller fractional diffusion equation, which is obtained from the standard diffusion equation by replacing the second-order space derivative with a Riesz–Feller derivative of order α∈(0,2](α≠1) and skewness θ (|θ|⩽min{α,2-α}). We construct two new discrete schemes of the Cauchy problem for the above equation with 0<α<1 and 1<α⩽2, respectively. We investigate their probabilistic interpretation and the domain of attraction of the corresponding stable Lévy distribution. Furthermore, we present a numerical analysis for the Lévy–Feller fractional diffusion equation with 1<α<2 in a bounded spatial domain. Finally, we present a numerical example to evaluate our theoretical analysis
Possible emission of cosmic X- and γ-rays by unstable particles at late times

AbstractWe find that charged unstable particles as well as neutral unstable particles with non-zero magnetic moment which live sufficiently long may emit electromagnetic radiation. This new mechanism is connected with the properties of unstable particles at the post exponential time region. Analyzing the transition times region between exponential and non-exponential form of the survival amplitude it is found that the instantaneous energy of the unstable particle can take very large values, much larger than the energy of this state for times from the exponential time region. Based on the results obtained for the model considered, it is shown that this purely quantum mechanical effect may be responsible for causing unstable particles to emit electromagnetic-, X- or γ-rays at some time intervals from the transition time regions
Respiratory movement and pain thresholds in airway environmental sensitivity, asthma and COPD

SummaryIntroductionPatients with “sensory hyperreactivity” (SHR) have airway environmental sensitivity, chronic cough and dyspnoea. Cough, chest discomfort and sense of difficulties getting air are some of the symptoms these patients seek medical attendance for. The patients have increased cough sensitivity to inhaled capsaicin, mediated by ion channel receptors on sensory nerves also known to react to pain stimuli. Whether a link exists between capsaicin airway sensitivity and pain sensitivity has not yet been evaluated. The aim was to investigate chest mobility, respiratory movement and pain sensitivity in SHR patients compared with patients with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and alleged healthy control subjects.MethodsThirty-five patients diagnosed with SHR, 19 with COPD, 32 with asthma and 28 control subjects were included. Chest expansion was measured with a measuring tape and thoracic and abdominal movement with light sensors. Pain sensitivity was assessed using a pressure algometer.ResultsGroups differed significantly in lung function, respiratory rate and pain sensitivity but also in chest expansion and abdominal breathing movement. In comparison with the control and asthma groups but not the COPD patients, SHR patients had an increased respiratory rate and reduced abdominal movement during deep breathing. All patient groups showed lower pain thresholds than the controls.ConclusionPatients with SHR have evident signs of dysfunctional breathing and appeared to be most similar to the COPD group except for lung function. Lower pain thresholds among the patients indicate a general up-regulation of the sensory nerve system
Characterization of Folding Cores in the Cyclophilin A-Cyclosporin A Complex

AbstractDetermining the folding core of a protein yields information about its folding process and dynamics. The experimental procedures for identifying the amino acids that make up the folding core include hydrogen-deuterium exchange and Φ-value analysis and can be expensive and time consuming. Because of this, there is a desire to improve upon existing methods for determining protein folding cores theoretically. We have obtained HDX data for the complex of cyclophilin A with the immunosuppressant cyclosporin A. We compare these data, as well as literature values for uncomplexed cyclophilin A, to theoretical predictions using a combination of rigidity analysis and coarse-grained simulations of protein motion. We find that in this case, the most specific prediction of folding cores comes from a combined approach that models the rigidity of the protein using the first software suite and the dynamics of the protein using the froda tool
Analysis of Excitatory Microcircuitry in the Medial Entorhinal Cortex Reveals Cell-Type-Specific Differences

SummaryMedial entorhinal cortex (MEC) plays an important role in physiological processes underlying navigation, learning, and memory. Excitatory cells in the different MEC layers project in a region-specific manner to the hippocampus. However, the intrinsic microcircuitry of the main excitatory cells in the superficial MEC layers is largely unknown. Using scanning photostimulation, we investigated the functional microcircuitry of two such cell types, stellate and pyramidal cells. We found cell-type-specific intralaminar and ascending interlaminar feedback inputs. The ascending interlaminar inputs display distinct organizational principles depending on the cell-type and its position within the superficial lamina: the spatial spread of inputs for stellate cells is narrower than for pyramidal cells, while inputs to pyramidal cells in layer 3, but not in layer 2, exhibit an asymmetric offset to the medial side of the cell's main axis. Differential laminar sources of excitatory inputs might contribute to the functional diversity of stellate and pyramidal cells
Left Ventricular Noncompaction Anatomical Phenotype or Distinct Cardiomyopathy?

AbstractBackgroundThere is considerable overlap between left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) and other cardiomyopathies. LVNC has been reported in up to 40% of the general population, raising questions about whether it is a distinct pathological entity, a remodeling epiphenomenon, or merely an anatomical phenotype.ObjectivesThe authors determined the prevalence and predictors of LVNC in a healthy population using 4 cardiac magnetic resonance imaging diagnostic criteria.MethodsVolunteers >40 years of age (N = 1,651) with no history of cardiovascular disease (CVD), a 10-year risk of CVD < 20%, and a B-type natriuretic peptide level greater than their gender-specific median underwent magnetic resonance imaging scan as part of the TASCFORCE (Tayside Screening for Cardiac Events) study. LVNC ratios were measured on the horizontal and vertical long axis cine sequences. All individuals with a noncompaction ratio of ≥2 underwent short axis systolic and diastolic LVNC ratio measurements, and quantification of noncompacted and compacted myocardial mass ratios. Those who met all 4 criteria were considered to have LVNC.ResultsOf 1,480 participants analyzed, 219 (14.8%) met ≥1 diagnostic criterion for LVNC, 117 (7.9%) met 2 criteria, 63 (4.3%) met 3 criteria, and 19 (1.3%) met all 4 diagnostic criteria. There was no difference in demographic or allometric measures between those with and without LVNC. Long axis noncompaction ratios were the least specific, with current diagnostic criteria positive in 219 (14.8%), whereas the noncompacted to compacted myocardial mass ratio was the most specific, only being met in 61 (4.4%).ConclusionsA significant proportion of an asymptomatic population free from CVD satisfy all currently used cardiac magnetic resonance imaging diagnostic criteria for LVNC, suggesting that those criteria have poor specificity for LVNC, or that LVNC is an anatomical phenotype rather than a distinct cardiomyopathy
On generalized Frame–Stewart numbers

AbstractFor the multi-peg Tower of Hanoi problem with k≥4 pegs, so far the best solution is obtained by the Stewart’s algorithm in [15], based on the following recurrence relation: Sk(n)=min1≤t≤n{2⋅Sk(n−t)+Sk−1(t)},S3(n)=2n−1. In this paper, we generalize this recurrence relation to Gk(n)=min1≤t≤n{pk⋅Gk(n−t)+qk⋅Gk−1(t)},G3(n)=p3⋅G3(n−1)+q3, for two sequences of arbitrary positive integers (pi)i≥3 and (qi)i≥3 and we show that the sequence of differences (Gk(n)−Gk(n−1))n≥1 consists of numbers of the form (∏i=3kqi)⋅(∏i=3kpiαi), with αi≥0 for all i, arranged in nondecreasing order. We also apply this result to analyze recurrence relations for the Tower of Hanoi problems on several graphs
The uncatchable smile in Leonardo da Vinci’s La Bella Principessa portrait

AbstractA portrait of uncertain origin recently came to light which, after extensive research and examination, was shown to be that rarest of things: a newly discovered Leonardo da Vinci painting entitled La Bella Principessa. This research presents a new illusion which is similar to that identified in the Mona Lisa; La Bella Principessa’s mouth appears to change slant depending on both the Viewing Distance and the Level of Blur applied to a digital version of the portrait. Through a series of psychophysics experiments, it was found that a perceived change in the slant of the La Bella Principessa’s mouth influences her expression of contentment thus generating an illusion that we have coined the “uncatchable smile”. The elusive quality of the Mona Lisa’s smile has been previously reported (Science, 290 (2000) 1299) and so the existence of a similar illusion in a portrait painted prior to the Mona Lisa becomes more interesting. The question remains whether Leonardo da Vinci intended this illusion. In any case, it can be argued that the ambiguity created adds to the portrait’s allure
The acute inotropic effects of cardiac contractility modulation (CCM) are associated with action potential duration shortening and mediated by β1-adrenoceptor signalling

AbstractDespite promising results in clinical trials conducted to date, little is known about how cardiac contractile modulation (CCM) mediated inotropic enhancement occurs and how CCM affects the electrophysiological characteristics of the heart. The aims of the present study were to 1) investigate how the stimulation parameters of the CCM signal and the location of stimulus delivery influence the contractile response, 2) characterise the effect of CCM on ventricular electrophysiology, and 3) investigate the potential physiological mechanisms underlying these acute inotropic and electrophysiological effects. Experiments were conducted in isolated rabbit hearts with simultaneous measurement of ventricular contractility and monophasic action potential duration (MAPD). Biphasic square wave pulses were applied to the left ventricle, timed to coincide with the absolute refractory period. CCM mediated responses were assessed over a range of signal amplitudes (2–30mA), durations (2–15ms) and delays from the activation of the locally recorded monophasic action potential (0–30ms). Responses were assessed during perfusion with the β1-adrenoceptor antagonist metoprolol (1.8μM) and HMR 1556 (500nM), an inhibitor of the slow delayed rectifying potassium current. Norepinephrine content was collected and assessed by ELISA from samples of coronary effluent collected during CCM. CCM induced a significant increase in left ventricular pressure (LVP) in a manner dependent upon the amplitude and duration of the CCM signal but independent of the delay of the stimulus within the action potential plateau and was associated with an increase in norepinephrine in coronary effluent (Mean: 46±9pg/ml). CCM promoted a shortening of MAPD-90% close to the site of stimulation (−19±3%) but had no effect on those recorded at distant sites (0±1%). The increase in LVP (4.7±1.8 vs. 0.7±0.9%, P<0.01) and shortening of local MAPD-90% (−15±3 vs. 1±1%, P<0.01) was abolished with metoprolol. Perfusion with HMR 1556 caused a significant inhibition of local MAPD shortening (−27±2 vs. −21±3ms, P<0.05). CCM is associated with a shortening of ventricular MAPD in a manner dependent upon β-adrenoceptor stimulation resulting from catecholamine release, a finding which may be of clinical significance in regard to the development of malignant ventricular arrhythmias. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Possible Editorial
Massive twistor particle with spin generated by Souriau–Wess–Zumino term and its quantization

AbstractWe present a new model of D=4 relativistic massive particle with spin and we describe its quantization. The model is obtained by an extension of standard relativistic phase space description of massive spinless particle by adding a new topological Souriau–Wess–Zumino term which depends on spin fourvector variable. We describe equivalently our model as given by the free two-twistor action with suitable constraints. An important tool in our derivation is the spin-dependent twistor shift, which modifies standard Penrose incidence relations. The quantization of the model provides the wave function with correct mass and spin eigenvalues
Normalized Leonard pairs and Askey–Wilson relations

AbstractLet V denote a vector space with finite positive dimension, and let (A,A∗) denote a Leonard pair on V. As is known, the linear transformations A, A∗ satisfy the Askey–Wilson relationsA2A∗-βAA∗A+A∗A2-γ(AA∗+A∗A)-ϱA∗=γ∗A2+ωA+ηI,A∗2A-βA∗AA∗+AA∗2-γ∗(A∗A+AA∗)-ϱ∗A=γA∗2+ωA∗+η∗I,for some scalars β, γ, γ∗, ϱ, ϱ∗, ω, η, η∗. The scalar sequence is unique if the dimension of V is at least 4.If c, c∗, t, t∗ are scalars and t, t∗ are not zero, then (tA+c,t∗A∗+c∗) is a Leonard pair on V as well. These affine transformations can be used to bring the Leonard pair or its Askey–Wilson relations into a convenient form. This paper presents convenient normalizations of Leonard pairs by the affine transformations, and exhibits explicit Askey–Wilson relations satisfied by them