An enhanced approach for predicting air pollution using quantum support vector machine.

The essence of quantum machine learning is to optimize problem-solving by executing machine learning algorithms on quantum computers and exploiting potent laws such as superposition and entanglement. Support vector machine (SVM) is widely recognized as one of the most effective classification machine learning techniques currently available. Since, in conventional systems, the SVM kernel technique tends to sluggish down and even fail as datasets become increasingly complex or jumbled.

Effectiveness of upper arm and breathing exercises to improve inflammatory markers in severe COVID-19 patients.

Studies have suggested associations between inflammatory markers with the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Therefore, exercises that could reduce the level of inflammatory markers might be beneficial. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of upper arm and breathing exercises on inflammatory markers such as ferritin, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and C-reactive protein (CRP) in severe COVID-19 patients.

[ELDERLY ADULTS IN NURSING HOMES IN THE PROVINCE OF CORDOBA: OBJECTS OF CARE OR LEGAL SUBJECTS?].

Argentina is among the Ibero-American countries with the greatest old age population, and is going through a process of advanced demographic transition. Elderly adults have long been considered a vulnerable group in need of care. The purpose of this work was to problematize the conceptions underlying the care given to the elderly in nursing homes, and the possible slides this involves from a human rights stance.

Pharyngeal Satellite Cells Undergo Myogenesis Under Basal Conditions and Are Required for Pharyngeal Muscle Maintenance.

The pharyngeal muscles of the nasal, oral, and laryngeal pharynxes are required for swallowing. Pharyngeal muscles are preferentially affected in some muscular dystrophies yet spared in others. Muscle stem cells, called satellite cells, may be critical factors in the development of pharyngeal muscle disorders; however, very little is known about pharyngeal satellite cells (PSC) and their role in pharyngeal muscles.

Direct myocardial implantation of human fetal stem cells in heart failure patients: long-term results.

Background: End-stage heart failure (HF) is refractory to current standard medical therapy, and the number of donor hearts is insufficient to meet the demand for transplantation. Recent studies suggest autologous stem cell therapy may regenerate cardiomyocytes, stimulate neovascularization, and improve cardiac function and clinical status. Although human fetal-derived stem cells (HFDSCs) have been studied for the treatment of a variety of conditions, no clinical studies have been reported to date on their use in treating HF.

Signaling pathways for germ cell death in adult cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) induced by mild testicular hyperthermia and exogenous testosterone treatment.

Male contraception has focused, to a great extent, on approaches that induce azoospermia or severe oligospermia through accelerated germ cell apoptosis. Understanding the specific steps in the germ cell apoptotic pathways that are affected by male contraceptives will allow more specific targeting in future contraceptive development. In this study, we have used a nonhuman primate model to characterize the key apoptotic pathway(s) in germ cell death after mild testicular hyperthermia, hormonal deprivation, or combined interventions.

Happy faces are habituated more slowly by infants of depressed mothers.

Three-month-old infants of depressed (n=16) and non-depressed mothers (n=16) were habituated to video clips of a female model reciting phrases while posing happy or sad facial/vocal expressions and dishabituated to the alternate expressions. Overall, infants of depressed mothers took longer to habituate the video clips compared to infants of non-depressed mothers, and those assigned to habituate the sad video clips displayed a novelty response or dishabituated to the happy expressions. These findings suggest that 3-month-old infants of depressed mothers discriminate sad from happy expressions, however, they do not appear to perceive sad expressions as novel.

Determination of the maximum tolerated dose and the safety index of an experimental fasciolicide in cattle.

The aim of the present study was to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and the safety index (SI) of 5-chloro-2-methylthio-6-(1-napthyloxy)1H-benzimidazole, called compound alpha, in cattle. In addition, to search for possible adverse effects after treatment, the measurement of some biochemical, haematological and physiological parameters were also analysed. Eighteen crossbred heifers were divided into six groups of three animals each.

Involvement of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and inducible nitric oxide synthase in apoptotic signaling of murine and human male germ cells after hormone deprivation.

This study investigates the role of p38 MAPK, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and the intrinsic pathway signaling in male germ cell death in rats after hormonal deprivation by a potent GnRH antagonist treatment. Germ cell apoptosis, involving exclusively middle (VII-VIII) stages, was activated by d 5 after GnRH antagonist treatment. Initiation of germ cell apoptosis was preceded by p38 MAPK activation and induction of iNOS.

Mouse model of male germ cell apoptosis in response to a lack of hormonal stimulation.

As a prerequisite for studies using mutant mice, we established a mouse model for induction of male germ cell apoptosis after deprivation of gonadotropins and intratesticular testosterone (T). We employed a potent long acting gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist (GnRH-A), acyline, alone or in combination with an antiandrogen, flutamide for effective induction of germ cell apoptosis in mice. Combined treatment with continuous release of acyline (3 mg/kg BW/day) with flutamide (in the form of sc pellets of 25 mg) resulted in almost the same level of suppression of spermatogenesis, as judged by testis weight and by germ cell apoptotic index, in 2 weeks as that reported for rats after treatment with 1.

Minocycline up-regulates BCL-2 levels in mitochondria and attenuates male germ cell apoptosis.

In this study, we determined the efficacy of minocycline, a second generation tetracycline, in preventing male germ cell apoptosis after withdrawal of gonadotropins and intratesticular testosterone (T). Groups of 5 male rats received one of the following treatments daily for 5 days: (i) daily sc injection of GnRH-A (1.6 mg/kg BW), (ii) oral administration of 30% gum acacia as a vehicle control, and (iii) GnRH-A + oral administration of 50 or 100 mg/kg BW of minocycline.

Involvement of nitric oxide-mediated intrinsic pathway signaling in age-related increase in germ cell apoptosis in male Brown-Norway rats.

We examined, using young and old Brown-Norway rats, the involvement of the nitric oxide (NO)-mediated intrinsic pathway signaling in age-related activation of male germ-cell apoptosis. Increased apoptosis of germ cells was readily observed in the normal-looking testes of old rats. Testicular NO synthase (NOS) activity, assessed by measuring the synthesis of (3)H-L-citrulline from (3)H-L-arginine, and cytokine-inducible NO synthase (iNOS) levels, assessed by western blot assay, were increased significantly by 90% and 70%, respectively, in the old rats compared to that of young animals.

Prenatal maternal cortisol, fetal activity and growth.

Pregnant women (N = 131) were recruited at a prenatal ultrasound clinic between 20 and 28 weeks (M = 24 weeks) gestation. The women were given the CES-D for depression and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and were asked to provide a urine sample to be assayed for cortisol, norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin. Ultrasound sessions were conducted and coded for fetal activity and estimated fetal weight.

Natural killer cells and lymphocytes increase in women with breast cancer following massage therapy.

Women diagnosed with breast cancer received massage therapy or practiced progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) for 30-min sessions 3 times a week for 5 weeks or received standard treatment. The massage therapy and relaxation groups reported less depressed mood, anxiety, and pain immediately after their first and last sessions. By the end of the study, however, only the massage therapy group reported being less depressed and less angry and having more vigor.

Lavender fragrance cleansing gel effects on relaxation.

Alertness, mood, and math computations were assessed in 11 healthy adults who sniffed a cosmetic cleansing gel with lavender floral blend aroma, developed to be relaxing using Mood Mapping. EEG patterns and heart rate were also recorded before, during, and after the aroma session. The lavender fragrance blend had a significant transient effect of improving mood, making people feel more relaxed, and performing the math computation faster.

Prenatal maternal biochemistry predicts neonatal biochemistry.

Depressed (n = 45) and nondepressed (n = 47) mothers were recruited prenatally at an ultrasound clinic. Their urine samples were assayed for cortisol, catecholamines (norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine) and serotonin. Their urines were assayed again at the neonatal period, and their newborns' urines were also assayed at that time.

Functional role of caspases in heat-induced testicular germ cell apoptosis.

In the present study, we determined whether a pan caspase inhibitor could prevent or attenuate heat-induced germ cell apoptosis. Groups of five adult (8 wk old) C57BL/6 mice pretreated with vehicle (DMSO) or Quinoline-Val-Asp (Ome)-CH2-O-Ph (Q-VD-OPH), a new generation broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor, were exposed once to local testicular heating (43 degrees C for 15 min) and killed 6 h later. The inhibitor (40 mg/kg body weight) or vehicle was administered intraperitoneally (i.

Determination of the effective dose of an experimental fasciolicide in naturally and experimentally infected cattle.

The aim of the present study was to determine the effective dose of an experimental fasciolicide called compound alpha or 5-chloro-2-methylthio-6-(1-napthyloxy)1H-benzimidazole in experimentally and naturally infected cattle. In the first experiment, 24 fluke-free heifers were each infected with 800 metacercariae of Fasciola hepatica and re-infected on day 45 with other 600 cysts per animal. On day 75, when the animals had 4- and 10-week-old flukes respectively, they were divided into four groups (G) of six animals each according to fluke egg counts.

Mitochondria-dependent pathway is involved in heat-induced male germ cell death: lessons from mutant mice.

The signaling events leading to apoptosis can be divided into two major pathways, involving either mitochondria (intrinsic) or death receptors (extrinsic). In a recent study, we have shown the involvement of the mitochondria-dependent apoptotic pathway in heat-induced male germ cell apoptosis in the rat. In additional studies, using the gld (generalized lymphoproliferation disease) and lprcg (lymphoproliferation complementing gld) mice, which harbor loss-of-function mutations in Fas L and Fas, respectively, we have shown that heat-induced germ cell apoptosis is not blocked, thus providing evidence that the Fas signaling system is not required for heat-induced germ cell apoptosis in the testis.

Key apoptotic pathways for heat-induced programmed germ cell death in the testis.

Short-term exposure (43 C for 15 min) of the rat testis to mild heat results within 6 h in stage- and cell-specific activation of germ cell apoptosis. Initiation of apoptosis was preceded by a redistribution of Bax from a cytoplasmic to paranuclear localization in heat-susceptible germ cells. Here we show that the relocation of Bax is accompanied by cytosolic translocation of cytochrome c and is associated with activation of the initiator caspase 9 and the executioner caspases 3, 6, and 7 and cleavage of poly(ADP) ribose polymerase.

Deleted in azoospermia associated protein 1 shuttles between nucleus and cytoplasm during normal germ cell maturation.

DAZAP1 (Deleted in Azoospermia Associated Protein 1) was originally identified through its interaction with a putative male azoospermia factor, DAZ (Deleted in Azoospermia). It contains 2 RNA-binding domains (RBDs) and a proline-rich C-terminal portion and is expressed most abundantly in testes. We used RNA in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry to study the expression of Dazap1 in mouse testes.

Characterization of the mouse Dazap1 gene encoding an RNA-binding protein that interacts with infertility factors DAZ and DAZL.

Background: DAZAP1 (DAZ Associated Protein 1) was originally identified by a yeast two-hybrid system through its interaction with a putative male infertility factor, DAZ (Deleted in Azoospermia). In vitro, DAZAP1 interacts with both the Y chromosome-encoded DAZ and an autosome-encoded DAZ-like protein, DAZL. DAZAP1 contains two RNA-binding domains (RBDs) and a proline-rich C-terminal portion, and is expressed most abundantly in the testis.

Comparison of three ELISA tests for seroepidemiology of bovine fascioliosis.

The aim of the present study was to compare the sensitivity, specificity and usefulness of the DIG-ELISA, DOT-ELISA and Indirect ELISA tests for determining the seroprevalence of fasciolosis in cattle under tropical conditions in Mexico. To standardize the tests, positive and negative sera to F. hepatica from 88 Holstein Freisian adult cows located in an enzootic area of fascioliosis and 88 crossbred adult cattle from a fluke-free area were used.