Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cellular Senescence in Type 2 Diabetes: A Therapeutic Opportunity

Cellular senescence is a fundamental aging mechanism that has been implicated in many age-related diseases and is a significant cause of tissue dysfunction. Accumulation of senescent cells occurs during aging and is also seen in the context of obesity and diabetes. Senescent cells may play a role in type 2 diabetes pathogenesis through direct impact on pancreatic β-cell function, senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP)-mediated tissue damage, and involvement in adipose tissue dysfunction. In turn, metabolic and signaling changes seen in diabetes, such as high circulating glucose, altered lipid metabolism, and growth hormone axis perturbations, can promote senescent cell formation. Thus, senescent cells might be part of a pathogenic loop in diabetes, as both a cause and consequence of metabolic changes and tissue damage. Therapeutic targeting of a basic aging mechanism such as cellular senescence may have a large impact on disease pathogenesis and could be more effective in preventing the progression of diabetes complications than currently available therapies that have limited impact on already existing tissue damage. Therefore, senescent cells and the SASP represent significant opportunities for advancement in the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes and its complications.
The Granuloma in Tuberculosis: Dynamics of a Host–Pathogen Collusion

A granuloma is defined as an inflammatory mononuclear cell infiltrate that, while capable of limiting growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, also provides a survival niche from which the bacteria may disseminate. The tuberculosis lesion is highly dynamic and shaped by both, immune response elements and the pathogen. In the granuloma, M. tuberculosis switches to a non-replicating but energy-generating life style whose detailed molecular characterization can identify novel targets for chemotherapy. To secure transmission to a new host, M. tuberculosis has evolved to drive T cell immunity to the point that necrotizing granulomas leak into bronchial cavities to facilitate expectoration of bacilli. From an evolutionary perspective it is therefore questionable whether vaccination and immunity enhancing strategies that merely mimic the natural immune response directed against M. tuberculosis infection can overcome pulmonary tuberculosis in the adult population. Juxtaposition of molecular pathology and immunology with microbial physiology and the use of novel imaging approaches afford an integrative view of the granuloma’s contribution to the life cycle of M. tuberculosis. This review revisits the different input of innate and adaptive immunity in granuloma biogenesis, with a focus on the co-evolutionary forces that redirect immune responses also to the benefit of the pathogen, i.e., its survival, propagation, and transmission.
Panoptic Studio: A Massively Multiview System for Social Interaction Capture

We present an approach to capture the 3D motion of a group of people engaged in a social interaction. The core challenges in capturing social interactions are: (1) occlusion is functional and frequent; (2) subtle motion needs to be measured over a space large enough to host a social group; (3) human appearance and configuration variation is immense; and (4) attaching markers to the body may prime the nature of interactions. The Panoptic Studio is a system organized around the thesis that social interactions should be measured through the integration of perceptual analyses over a large variety of view points. We present a modularized system designed around this principle, consisting of integrated structural, hardware, and software innovations. The system takes, as input, 480 synchronized video streams of multiple people engaged in social activities, and produces, as output, the labeled time-varying 3D structure of anatomical landmarks on individuals in the space. Our algorithm is designed to fuse the “weak” perceptual processes in the large number of views by progressively generating skeletal proposals from low-level appearance cues, and a framework for temporal refinement is also presented by associating body parts to reconstructed dense 3D trajectory stream. Our system and method are the first in reconstructing full body motion of more than five people engaged in social interactions without using markers. We also empirically demonstrate the impact of the number of views in achieving this goal.
Pathophysiological significance of senescence marker protein‐30

A novel rat liver protein of 30 kDa, SMP30 decreases with aging. This protein is expressed most prominently in the liver and kidneys among the various organs. Its gene is located on the X chromosome. No functional domain was recognized in the entire amino acid sequence. Recently, we found a homology between rat SMP30 and two species of bacterial gluconolactonase (EC 3.1.1.17). The lactonase reaction with l‐gulono‐γ‐lactone is the penultimate step in vitamin C (l‐ascorbic acid) biosynthesis. SMP30‐knockout (KO) mice fed a vitamin C‐deficient diet displayed symptoms of scurvy. In SMP30‐KO mice, hepatocytes were more susceptible to apoptosis induced by TNF‐α plus actinomycin D than hepatocytes from wild‐type mice. Two morphological features considered to be a hallmark of senescence are apparent in SMP30‐KO mice. At 12 months of age, SMP30‐knockout mice had clearly visible deposits of lipofuscin and senescence‐associated β‐galactosidase (SA‐β‐GAL) in their renal tubular epithelia. These features are compatible with high electron dense deposits in lysosomes. This observation suggests that the SMP30‐knockout mouse is a useful model of ordinal senescence. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2010; 10 (Suppl. 1): S88–S98.
Does working memory training lead to generalized improvements in children with low working memory? A randomized controlled trial

Children with low working memory typically make poor educational progress, and it has been speculated that difficulties in meeting the heavy working memory demands of the classroom may be a contributory factor. Intensive working memory training has been shown to boost performance on untrained memory tasks in a variety of populations. This first randomized controlled trial with low working memory children investigated whether the benefits of training extend beyond standard working memory tasks to other more complex activities typical of the classroom in which working memory plays a role, as well as to other cognitive skills and developing academic abilities. Children aged 7–9 years received either adaptive working memory training, non-adaptive working memory training with low memory loads, or no training. Adaptive training was associated with selective improvements in multiple untrained tests of working memory, with no evidence of changes in classroom analogues of activities that tax working memory, or any other cognitive assessments. Gains in verbal working memory were sustained one year after training. Thus the benefits of working memory training delivered in this way may not extend beyond structured working memory tasks.
8-OH-DPAT Prevents Morphine-Induced Apoptosis in Rat Dorsal Raphe Nucleus: A Possible Mechanism for Attenuating Morphine Tolerance

BACKGROUND: Previously, we found that activation of serotonin 1A (5-HT1A) receptors in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) decreased the development of tolerance to the analgesic effect of morphine. It has been indicated that tolerance to the analgesic effect of morphine is associated with apoptosis in the central nervous system. In this investigation we attempted to evaluate the effect of 8-OH-DPAT (8-hydroxy-2-[di-n-propylamino]tetralin), a specific 5-HT1A receptor agonist, on morphine-induced tolerance and apoptosis in rat DRN. METHODS: Nociception was assessed using a hotplate apparatus. The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) method was used to analyze apoptosis. RESULTS: Tolerance to the analgesic effect of morphine was complete by 10 days after morphine administration (5 mg/kg/d, i.p.), whereas a significant analgesic effect was observed through the 10th day in 8-OH-DPAT–treated animals. Furthermore, the results showed that the number of TUNEL positive cells had been increased in morphine-tolerant rats (control group: morphine, i.p. + saline, intra-DRN) in comparison with the saline-treated animals. The results also indicated that 8-OH-DPAT (2, 4, and 8 &mgr;g/rat/d) attenuated the number of apoptotic cells in the DRN in comparison with the control group. However, 8-OH-DPAT (8 &mgr;g/rat/d, intra-DRN) failed to reduce morphine-induced apoptosis in the presence of the 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, NAN-190 (6 &mgr;g/rat/d, intra-DRN). CONCLUSION: We found that intra-DRN injection of a specific 5-HT1A receptor agonist attenuated morphine-induced apoptosis in rat DRN, which may have a key role in morphine tolerance.
In Vitro Infectivity of Leishmania major Isolated from Patients with Different Clinical Forms of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis and Its Association with Parasite Zymodems

Background: The aim of this study was to characterize the Leishmania parasites isolated from cuta­neous leishmaniasis (CL) patients in Fars Province in Iran and to compare the potential infectivity of the isolates in macrophage cell line. Moreover, attempt was made to find out the association between parasite infectivity and their zymodems. Methods: Twenty samples were taken from the skin lesion of CL patients. The samples were cultured in biphasic media followed by mass cultivation in RPMI medium. Each isolate was tested for the ac­tivity of the 5 enzymes including glucose phosphate isomerase (GPI), malate dehydrogenase (MDH), nucleoside hydrolase 1& 2 (NH1 & NH2), and phosphoglucomutase (PGM). The enzymatic profiles of the isolates were compared with WHO reference strains. Specific PCR (primers: LIN17 & LIN R4) and RAPD-PCR were used as complementary methods for characterization of the isolates. Results: Isoenzyme electrophoresis showed that all of the isolates were L. major . PCR with LIN17 and LIN R4 and RAPD-PCR with AB-07 primers further determined the isolates as L. major . Results of macrophage infectivity experiment, using J774 cell line, showed that the most virulent isolates were related to Z1 with 63% macrophage infectivity rate. A well correlation was found between the infec­tivity rate of the isolates and type of ulcer. Those isolates with high infectivity rate were involved in more severe, ulcerative or erythmatose lesions in CL patients. Conclusion: The most invasive isolates might be a good candidate for immunological studies and for vaccine development.
“You're My Parent but You're Not”: Dialectical Tensions in Stepchildren's Perceptions About Communicating with the Nonresidential Parent

The nonresidential parent plays a role in the lives of stepchildren and in stepfamily households. The focus of the present study was on the interaction between the nonresidential parent and his/her child who resides as part of a stepfamily household. Grounded in relational dialectics theory, the researchers performed an interpretive analysis of 50 transcribed interviews with college-aged stepchildren. Stepchildren's perceptions of communication with the nonresidential parent were animated by two contradictions: parenting/nonparenting and openness/closedness. These two contradictions form a totality, interwoven with one another. The parenting/nonparenting contradiction reflected stepchildren's ambivalence over parenting attempts of nonresidential parents. Stepchildren wanted nonresidential parent involvement and parenting, and at the same time they resisted it, often finding communication to be awkward and challenging. In addition, stepchildren wanted open and intimate communication with their nonresidential parents, yet they found openness to be problematic and managed these contradictory demands via segmentation. Implications of these findings are discussed, along with insights to guide professionals working with stepfamilies and adults co-parenting children to better understand and interact in ways that promote healthy stepfamilies.
Adverse outcomes following percutaneous transcatheter interventions

Advancements in the field of interventional cardiology have resulted in better survival and a shorter recovery period for patients with coronary artery and valve disease. Despite the benefits of these less invasive techniques, it is important to keep in mind the adagium “primum non nocere”. Technical refinements with smaller catheters and different access routes have resulted in less adverse outcomes. However, increased aging and improved life-expectancy will likely result in an increased number of percutaneous interventions, and also increased complexity of these procedures. This will subsequently lead to a greater number of patients being exposed to the risk of adverse outcomes. By investigating the occurrence and causes of adverse outcomes we can improve both the techniques as well as patient selection. This thesis aims to provide a further understanding of adverse outcomes following specific transcatheter percutaneous interventions. First we investigated the thrombo-embolic and bleeding complications in both percutaneous coronary and aortic valve interventions. In this section we report the occurrence of silent cerebral infarcts following cardiac procedures, predictors and implications of gastro-intestinal bleeding in ST-segment myocardial infarct (STEMI) patients and we performed a patient pooled analysis on antiplatelet therapy following transcatheter aortic valve implantation. Second we focused on the efficacy and safety outcomes of a novel percutaneous coronary stent, the ABSORB bioresorbable vascular scaffold®, in real world practice. Finally we investigated adverse remodeling in ST-elevated myocardial infarction patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention. We observed that left ventricular remodeling is a long-term continuing process, and identified markers of adverse left ventricular remodeling.
In vitro activities of rifapentine and rifampin, alone and in combination with six other antibiotics, against methicillin-susceptible and methicillin-resistant staphylococci of different species

The antistaphylococcal activity of rifapentine, a new rifamycin SV derivative, was evaluated in vitro and compared with that of rifampin. A total of 313 staphylococcal strains freshly isolated from clinical material and including representatives of all currently recognized Staphylococcus species of human origin were used. The susceptibility to methicillin of all the test strains was determined preliminarily. Despite minor differences with some species, the MICs of rifapentine were found to be substantially similar to those of rifampin. Methicillin-resistant strains of all species were most resistant to rifapentine and rifampin than were their methicillin-susceptible counterparts. For most strains tested, the MBCs of both rifamycins exceeded by twofold the respective MICs. Both the checkerboard dilution and time-kill methods were used to determine the interactions of rifapentine or rifampin with six different antibiotics: cefamandole, vancomycin, teicoplanin, gentamicin, erythromycin, and fusidic acid. No significant differences between the two rifamycins in the combinations were observed against either methicillin-susceptible or methicillin-resistant strains. Minor differences were noted depending on the second antibiotic tested or the staphylococcal species examined. Antagonism was never observed, and indifference was the prevalent response. Cases of synergism were observed occasionally with the checkerboard method and slightly more often with the time-kill method.
Detection of Genes for Ordinal Traits in Nuclear Families and a Unified Approach for Association Studies

There is growing interest in genomewide association analysis using single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), because traditional linkage studies are not as powerful in identifying genes for common, complex diseases. Tests for linkage disequilibrium have been developed for binary and quantitative traits. However, since many human conditions and diseases are measured in an ordinal scale, methods need to be developed to investigate the association of genes and ordinal traits. Thus, in the current report we propose and derive a score test statistic that identifies genes that are associated with ordinal traits when gametic disequilibrium between a marker and trait loci exists. Through simulation, the performance of this new test is examined for both ordinal traits and quantitative traits. The proposed statistic not only accommodates and is more powerful for ordinal traits, but also has similar power to that of existing tests when the trait is quantitative. Therefore, our proposed statistic has the potential to serve as a unified approach to identifying genes that are associated with any trait, regardless of how the trait is measured. We further demonstrated the advantage of our test by revealing a significant association (P = 0.00067) between alcohol dependence and a SNP in the growth-associated protein 43.
Impulsivity and Sensation Seeking in Alcohol Abusing Patients with Schizophrenia

Objective: Some studies have found that high levels of impulsivity and sensation seeking, particularly disinhibition are associated with substance abuse in patients with schizophrenia, as in the general population. However, no study has assessed impulsivity and sensation seeking specifically in schizophrenia patients with alcohol abuse or dependence. Materials and methods: We compared impulsivity and sensation seeking in a group of schizophrenia patients (DSM-III-R criteria) with lifetime alcohol abuse or dependence (n = 34) and in a group without lifetime substance abuse or dependence (n = 66). The patients were assessed using the composite international diagnostic interview (CIDI) for DSM-III-R disorders, the positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS), the Barratt impulsivity scale (BIS), the Zuckerman seeking sensation scale (SSS), and the physical anhedonia scale (PAS). Results: The mean scores for impulsivity and sensation seeking were higher in the group with lifetime alcohol abuse or dependence than in the group without substance abuse or dependence (BIS: 63.4 ± 18.7 vs 51.3 ± 14.2 respectively, ANOVA: F = 11.12, p = 0.001; SSS: 17.6 ± 5.9 vs 13.5 ± 6.7 respectively, ANOVA: F = 7.45, p = 0.008). There was no significant difference between the two groups on PAS score. Conclusion: Increased impulsivity or sensation seeking may be a link between schizophrenia and alcohol abuse or dependence.
Investigation on the surface discharge phenomenon at the oil-pressboard interface

Surface discharge on the oil-pressboard interface is considered to be serious fault condition. This phenomenon leads to the formation of a conducting path on the surface of an insulation material as a result of surface currents. The surface current is effectively the drift of charge under the action of an electric field which may be either the general electric field or a locally enhanced field developed around a space charge. Sustained surface discharge can eventually result in equipment failure. A needle-bar electrode configuration has been used to investigate the surface discharge phenomenon at the oil pressboard interface. This paper presents the partial discharge (PD) patterns corresponding to the surface discharge events.
THE SARCOSINE OXIDASE IN ADAPTED AND UNADAPTED CULTURES OF A STRAIN OF PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA

Kopper and Robin (1950) have shown that a strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa that decomposes creatinine contains sarcosine oxidase, which oxidizes sarcosine to glycine and formaldehyde. The enzyme is present in the organism whether it is grown with creatinine or not and therefore can be classified as constitutive. Creatinine, however, causes an adaptive increase in enzyme concentration. Two questions of interest arise from these observations. The first is whether the increase in sarcosine oxidase concentration is accompanied by an increase in the ability of the adapted cell to oxidize glycine, formaldehyde, and formic acid, in other words, whether simultaneous adaptation occurs. The second is whether the properties of the adaptive and constitutive enzymes are the same. In the following it has been shown that there is no simultaneous adaptation and that, although the two enzymes are inhibited by the same drugs, the time characteristics of the inhibition indicate that the adaptive enzyme is on or near the cell surface whereas the constitutive one is in the interior.
Evaluating auditory brainstem responses to different chirp stimuli at three levels of stimulation.

Auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) are recorded in ten normal-hearing adults (20 ears) in response to a standard 100 micros click and five chirps having different durations (sweeping rates). The chirps are constructed from five versions of a power function model of the cochlear-neural delay that is based on derived-band ABR latencies from N=81 normal-hearing adults [Elberling, C. , and Don, M. (2008). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 124, 3022-3037]. The click and the chirps have identical amplitude spectra and, in general, for each of the three stimulus levels 60, 40, and 20 dB nHL, the ABRs to the chirps are significantly larger than the ABRs to the click. However, the shorter chirps are the most efficient at higher levels of stimulation whereas the longer chirps are the most efficient at lower levels. It is suggested that two different mechanisms are responsible for these observed changes with stimulus level--(1) upward spread of excitation at higher levels, and (2) an increased change of the cochlear-neural delay with frequency at lower levels.
A multilevel perspective of interpersonal trust: Individual, dyadic, and cross‐level predictors of performance

Summary While it is generally known that interpersonal trust facilitates individual functioning, few studies have examined the role of specific features of the interpersonal trust network — individual, dyadic, third-party, and network-level features — on individual performance. We adopt a multilevel perspective of interpersonal trust to examine how individuals' performance is not only predicted by their individual-level centrality in the interpersonal trust network but also moderated, at the network level, by the overall centralized nature of that network. Further, we examine whether mutual trust relationships at the dyadic level, as well as shared trust ties to common third parties, can predict individuals' performance. We test our hypotheses with 206 members in 15 professional networking groups and find that interpersonal trust operates at multiple levels to predict members' performance in terms of generating income from business referrals. These findings provide theoretical and practical implications on how interpersonal trust relationships operate and can be managed for performance gains. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.