Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nociceptin/Orphanin FQ Receptor Activation Attenuates Antinociception Induced by Mixed Nociceptin/Orphanin FQ/μ-Opioid Receptor Agonists

Activation of brain nociceptin/orphanin FQ (NOP) receptors leads to attenuation of μ-opioid receptor (MOP receptor)-mediated antinociception. Buprenorphine, a high-affinity partial MOP receptor agonist also binds to NOP receptors with 80 nM affinity. The buprenorphine-induced inverted U-shaped dose-response curve for antinociception may be due to NOP receptor activation, given that, in the presence of the NOP receptor antagonist, 1-[(3R,4R)-1-cyclooctylmethyl-3-hydroxymethyl-4-piperidyl]-3-ethyl-1,3-dihydro-2H-benzimidazol-2-one (J113397), or in NOP receptor knockout mice, buprenorphine has a steeper dose-response curve and acts as a full agonist. To further explore the involvement of the direct activation of NOP receptors by buprenorphine and other compounds that activate both NOP and MOP receptors, the antinociceptive effects of 1-(1-(2,3,3α,4,5,6-hexahydro-1H-phenalen-1-yl)piperidin-4-yl)-indolin-2-one. (SR16435), 3-ethyl-1-(1-(4-isopropylcyclohexyl)piperidin-4-yl)-indolin-2-one (SR16507), buprenorphine, pentazocine, and morphine, compounds with varying levels of MOP and NOP receptor affinity and efficacy, were assessed in mice using the tail-flick assay. The ability of the selective NOP receptor antagonist (−)-cis-1-methyl-7-[[4-(2,6-dichlorophenyl)piperidin-1-yl]methyl]-6,7,8,9-tetrahydro-5H-benzocyclohepten-5-ol (SB-612111) to potentiate antinociception induced by the above compounds was examined to investigate whether activation of NOP receptors leads to attenuation of MOP receptor-mediated antinociception. SB-612111 potentiated antinociception induced by buprenorphine and the other mixed NOP/MOP receptor agonists SR16435 and SR16507. However, SB-612111 had no effect on pentazocine or morphine antinociception, two compounds with no NOP receptor-binding affinity. These results further support the hypothesis that activation of NOP receptors can lead to attenuation of MOP receptor-mediated antinociception elicited by mixed NOP/MOP receptor compounds such as buprenorphine, SR16435, and SR16507 and that, although buprenorphine has low efficacy in vitro, it has significant NOP receptor agonist activity in vivo.
Density-Dependent Growth in Invasive Lionfish (Pterois volitans)

Direct demographic density dependence is necessary for population regulation and is a central concept in ecology, yet has not been studied in many invasive species, including any invasive marine fish. The red lionfish (Pterois volitans) is an invasive predatory marine fish that is undergoing exponential population growth throughout the tropical western Atlantic. Invasive lionfish threaten coral-reef ecosystems, but there is currently no evidence of any natural population control. Therefore, a manipulative field experiment was conducted to test for density dependence in lionfish. Juvenile lionfish densities were adjusted on small reefs and several demographic rates (growth, recruitment, immigration, and loss) were measured throughout an 8-week period. Invasive lionfish exhibited direct density dependence in individual growth rates, as lionfish grew slower at higher densities throughout the study. Individual growth in length declined linearly with increasing lionfish density, while growth in mass declined exponentially with increasing density. There was no evidence, however, for density dependence in recruitment, immigration, or loss (mortality plus emigration) of invasive lionfish. The observed density-dependent growth rates may have implications for which native species are susceptible to lionfish predation, as the size and type of prey that lionfish consume is directly related to their body size. The absence of density-dependent loss, however, contrasts with many native coral-reef fish species and suggests that for the foreseeable future manual removals may be the only effective local control of this invasion.
Proximal Junctional Kyphosis in Adult Spinal Deformity After Segmental Posterior Spinal Instrumentation and Fusion: Minimum Five-Year Follow-up

Study Design. A retrospective study. Objective. To analyze time-dependent change of, prevalence of, and risk factors for proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK) in adult spinal deformity after long (≥5 vertebrae) segmental posterior spinal instrumented fusion with a minimum 5-year postoperative follow-up. Summary of Background Data. No study has focused on time-dependent long-term proximal junctional change in adult spinal deformity after segmental posterior spinal instrumented fusion with minimum 5-year follow-up. Methods. Clinical and radiographic data of 161 (140 women/21 men) adult spinal deformity patients with minimum 5-year follow-up (average 7.8 years, range 5–19.8 years) treated with long posterior spinal instrumentation and fusion were analyzed. Radiographic measurements included sagittal Cobb angle at the proximal junction on preoperative, 8-weeks postoperation, 2-year postoperation, and ultimate follow-up (≥5 years). Postoperative SRS outcome scores were also evaluated. Results. The prevalence of PJK at 7.8 years postoperation was 39% (62/161 patients). The PJK group (n = 62) demonstrated a significant increase in proximal junctional angle at 8 weeks (59%), between 2 years postoperation and ultimate postoperation (35%), and in thoracic kyphosis (T5–T12) at ultimate follow-up (P = 0.001). However, the sagittal vertical axis change at ultimate follow-up did not correlate with PJK (P = 0.53). Older age at surgery >55 years (vs. ≤55 years) and combined anterior and posterior spinal fusion (vs. posterior only) demonstrated significantly higher PJK prevalence (P = 0.001, 0.041, respectively). The SRS outcome scores did not demonstrate significant differences with the exception of the self-image domain when PJK exceeded 20°. Conclusion. The prevalence of PJK at 7.8 years postoperation was 39%. PJK progressed significantly within 8 weeks postoperation (59%) and between 2 years postoperation and ultimate follow-up (35%). Older age at surgery (>55 years) and combined anterior and posterior spinal fusion were identified as risk factors for developing PJK. The SRS outcome instrument was not adversely affected by PJK, except when PJK exceeded 20°.
N‐cadherin regulates molecular organization of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic circuits in adult hippocampus in vivo

N‐Cadherin and β‐catenin form a transsynaptic adhesion complex required for spine and synapse development. In adulthood, N‐cadherin mediates persistent synaptic plasticity, but whether the role of N‐cadherin at mature synapses is similar to that at developing synapses is unclear. To address this, we conditionally ablated N‐cadherin from excitatory forebrain synapses in mice starting in late postnatal life and examined hippocampal structure and function in adulthood. In the absence of N‐cadherin, β‐catenin levels were reduced, but numbers of excitatory synapses were unchanged, and there was no impact on number or shape of dendrites or spines. However, the composition of synaptic molecules was altered. Levels of GluA1 and its scaffolding protein PSD95 were diminished and the density of immunolabeled puncta was decreased, without effects on other glutamate receptors and their scaffolding proteins. Additionally, loss of N‐cadherin at excitatory synapses triggered increases in the density of markers for inhibitory synapses and decreased severity of hippocampal seizures. Finally, adult mutant mice were profoundly impaired in hippocampal‐dependent memory for spatial episodes. These results demonstrate a novel function for the N‐cadherin/β‐catenin complex in regulating ionotropic receptor composition of excitatory synapses, an appropriate balance of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic proteins and the maintenance of neural circuitry necessary to generate flexible yet persistent cognitive and synaptic function. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Characterizing vibratory kinematics in children and adults with high-speed digital imaging.

PURPOSE The aim of this study is to quantify and identify characteristic vibratory motion in typically developing prepubertal children and young adults using high-speed digital imaging. METHOD The vibrations of the vocal folds were recorded from 27 children (ages 5-9 years) and 35 adults (ages 21-45 years), with high speed at 4,000 frames per second for sustained phonation. Kinematic features of amplitude periodicity, time periodicity, phase asymmetry, spatial symmetry, and glottal gap index were analyzed from the glottal area waveform across mean and standard deviation (i.e., intercycle variability) for each measure. RESULTS Children exhibited lower mean amplitude periodicity compared to men and women and lower time periodicity compared to men. Children and women exhibited greater variability in amplitude periodicity, time periodicity, phase asymmetry, and glottal gap index compared to men. Women had lower mean values of amplitude periodicity and time periodicity compared to men. CONCLUSION Children differed both spatially but more temporally in vocal fold motion, suggesting the need for the development of children-specific kinematic norms. Results suggest more uncontrolled vibratory motion in children, reflecting changes in the vocal fold layered structure and aero-acoustic source mechanisms.
The Determinants of Cross-Border Equity Flows

Aryl substituted tertiary carbinols, useful as antiviral agents and insecticides, are prepared by reacting the Grignard reagent derived from an arylalkyl or arylalkenyl iodide with a dialkyl ketone or an alkyl alkenyl ketone; or by reacting an arylalkyl or arylalkenyl ketone with an alkyl- or alkenylmagnesium halide.
Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Levels in Patients with Anorexia Nervosa after Oral Re-alimentation: A Systematic Review and Exploratory Meta-analysis.

Oxidative stress markers seem to be higher in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) than healthy controls, but the potentially beneficial effects of weight gain is not known. We calculated random effects standardised mean differences (SMDs) as effect size measures of oxidative stress marker changes after re-alimentation reported in two or more studies, summarising others descriptively. Seven longitudinal studies (n = 104) were included. After a median follow-up period of 8 weeks, AN patients significantly increased their body mass index (15.1 ± 2.1 to 17.1 ± 2.2, p < 0.0001). This weight gain was followed by a significant increase in serum levels of the antioxidant albumin (studies = 6, SMD = 0.50, 95%CI = 0.18; 0.82, p = 0.002; I(2) = 16%) and a significant decrease in the oxidative stress marker Apolipoprotein B (studies = 2, n = 19, SMD = -0.85, 95%CI = -1.53; -0.17, p = 0.01; I(2) = 0). In one study, catalase and total antioxidant capacity increased, whilst superoxide dismutase significantly decreased. In conclusion, oral re-alimentation, even without full-weight normalisation, seems to improve oxidative stress in people with AN.
Congenital lobar emphysema: 30-year case series in two university hospitals*

OBJECTIVE: To review the cases of patients with congenital lobar emphysema (CLE) submitted to surgical treatment at two university hospitals over a 30-year period. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of children with CLE undergoing surgical treatment between 1979 and 2009 at the Botucatu School of Medicine Hospital das Clínicas or the Mogi das Cruzes University Hospital. We analyzed data regarding symptoms, physical examination, radiographic findings, diagnosis, surgical treatment, and postoperative follow-up. RESULTS: During the period studied, 20 children with CLE underwent surgery. The mean age at the time of surgery was 6.9 months (range, 9 days to 4 years). All of the cases presented with symptoms at birth or during the first months of life. In all cases, chest X-rays were useful in defining the diagnosis. In cases of moderate respiratory distress, chest CT facilitated the diagnosis. One patient with severe respiratory distress was misdiagnosed with hypertensive pneumothorax and underwent chest tube drainage. Only patients with moderate respiratory distress were submitted to bronchoscopy, which revealed no tracheobronchial abnormalities. The surgical approach was lateral muscle-sparing thoracotomy. The left upper and middle lobes were the most often affected, followed by the right upper lobe. Lobectomy was performed in 18 cases, whereas bilobectomy was performed in 2 (together with bronchogenic cyst resection in 1 of those). No postoperative complications were observed. Postoperative follow-up time was at least 24 months (mean, 60 months), and no late complications were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Although CLE is an uncommon, still neglected disease of uncertain etiology, the radiological diagnosis is easily made and surgical treatment is effective.
Rhythmic Inhibition Allows Neural Networks to Search for Maximally Consistent States

Gamma-band rhythmic inhibition is a ubiquitous phenomenon in neural circuits, yet its computational role remains elusive. We show that a model of gamma-band rhythmic inhibition allows networks of coupled cortical circuit motifs to search for network configurations that best reconcile external inputs with an internal consistency model encoded in the network connectivity. We show that Hebbian plasticity allows the networks to learn the consistency model by example. The search dynamics driven by rhythmic inhibition enable the described networks to solve difficult constraint satisfaction problems without making assumptions about the form of stochastic fluctuations in the network. We show that the search dynamics are well approximated by a stochastic sampling process. We use the described networks to reproduce perceptual multistability phenomena with switching times that are a good match to experimental data and show that they provide a general neural framework that can be used to model other perceptual inference phenomena.
Anorexia nervosa and nutritional assessment: contribution of body composition measurements

The psychiatric condition of patients suffering from anorexia nervosa (AN) is affected by their nutritional status. An optimal assessment of the nutritional status of patients is fundamental in understanding the relationship between malnutrition and the psychological symptoms. The present review evaluates some of the available methods for measuring body composition in patients with AN. We searched literature in Medline using several key terms relevant to the present review in order to identify papers. Only articles in English or French were reviewed. A brief description is provided for each body composition technique, with its applicability in AN as well as its limitation. All methods of measuring body composition are not yet validated and/or feasible in patients with AN. The present review article proposes a practical approach for selecting the most appropriate methods depending on the setting, (i.e. clinical v. research) and the goal of the assessment (initial v. follow-up) in order to have a more personalised treatment for patients suffering from AN.
Microbial diversity determines the invasion of soil by a bacterial pathogen

Natural ecosystems show variable resistance to invasion by alien species, and this resistance can relate to the species diversity in the system. In soil, microorganisms are key components that determine life support functions, but the functional redundancy in the microbiota of most soils has long been thought to overwhelm microbial diversity–function relationships. We here show an inverse relationship between soil microbial diversity and survival of the invading species Escherichia coli O157:H7, assessed by using the marked derivative strain T. The invader's fate in soil was determined in the presence of (i) differentially constructed culturable bacterial communities, and (ii) microbial communities established using a dilution-to-extinction approach. Both approaches revealed a negative correlation between the diversity of the soil microbiota and survival of the invader. The relationship could be explained by a decrease in the competitive ability of the invader in species-rich vs. species-poor bacterial communities, reflected in the amount of resources used and the rate of their consumption. Soil microbial diversity is a key factor that controls the extent to which bacterial invaders can establish.
Development of a novel assay for proprotein converting enzyme activity on a multiplex bead‐based array system

We describe the development of a novel, robust assay system for determining the changes in activity of proprotein converting enzymes. An assay for prolyl oligopeptidase (POP) activity was constructed using a peptide‐streptavidin substrate coupled to magnetic microspheres and cleavage was detected by loss of streptavidin on the MAGPIX reader. Test analysis of postmortem pituitary extracts from schizophrenia patients showed an increase in POP activity compared to controls. The results were validated using both fluorometric and Western blot analyses for POP activity and immunoreactivity, respectively. The assays can be multiplexed for measuring the activity of multiple proprotein cleaving enzymes simultaneously in laboratory and clinical settings and should add valuable new information for conditions such as neuropsychiatric diseases, diabetes, endocrine dysfunction, and cancer, where effects on proteolysis of biologically active peptides play a key role.
PARV4: An Emerging Tetraparvovirus

1 Nuffield Department of Medicine, Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, Oxford, United Kingdom, 2 Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom, 3 Department of Paediatrics, Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, Oxford, United Kingdom, 4 The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, Scotland, United Kingdom, 5 NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford, United Kingdom
EFFECT OF VARIOUS DOSES OF IONIZING RADIATION ON THE SAFETY OF MEAT SEMI-FINISHED PRODUCTS

The increase in the shelf life of perishable food products is one of the priority trends in the development of the food and processing industry. A study has been carried out of the effect of various doses of ionizing radiation on the safety of refrigerated semi-finished pork products packed in the modified atmosphere. The meat samples were processed singly by ionization at different doses – 8 kGy and 12 kGy with the help of a linear electron accelerator of a UELR-10-10S2 type with power of up to 10 MeV. The refrigerated pork neck on the bone, packed using modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) and processed by ionization at doses of 8 kGy and 12 kGy, meets the requirements of the technical regulations of the Customs Union "On Food Safety" (TR TS 021/2011) and "On safety of meat and meat products" (TR TS 034/2013) for the entire storage period. The irradiation dose of 12 kGy leads to a slight color change, an increase in the acid and peroxide numbers and volatile fatty acids, but within the limits of the norm; a slight decrease in the moisture content with a high degree of correlation of the studied indicators. The indicators of microbiological safety of the meat semi-finished products processed by different irradiation doses are within the normal range. It has been established that the higher the irradiation dose, the lower the values of microbiological indicators. The organoleptic indicators are confirmed by histological studies. The radiation processing of meat semi-finished products allows us to prolong the shelf life of the meat semi-finished products packed using MAP more than 3 times. Based on the results of the studies, it is possible to recommend the processing of meat semi-finished products by ionization at a dose of 8 kGy to increase their shelf life.
Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate and C-Reactive Protein for the Prediction of Severity of Acute Pancreatitis

Objectives: To investigate the performance of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) for predicting severe acute pancreatitis (AP). Methods: Fifty patients with AP were prospectively enrolled. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate and CRP were measured at admission and every 12 hours for 48 hours after admission. Results: The patients' mean age was 50 ± 2.2 years, 64% were male, and 30% developed severe AP. Patients with severe AP had higher levels of ESR (77 ± 4.7 vs 50 ± 4.8 mm/h; P = 0.002) and CRP (218 ± 30.7 vs 97 ± 12.1 mg/L; P <0.001) at 36 hours after admission compared with those with mild AP. Erythrocyte sedimentation rates of 60 mm/h or greater predict severe AP at 36 hours with a sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of 86%, 57%, and 48% and 90%, whereas CRP of 150 mg/L or greater provided the results of 86%, 87%, and 75% and 93%, respectively. Elevation of either ESR or CRP at 24 hours increased the sensitivity and negative predictive value to 100%, and elevation of both ESR and CRP increased the specificity and PPV to 100%. Conclusions: Erythrocyte sedimentation rate can predict severe AP with a slightly inferior performance to CRP. Combined ESR and CRP at 24 hours can predict severe AP accurately.
UvA-DARE (Digital Academic Repository) Fooling One-Sided Quantum Protocols

We use the venerable “fooling set” method to prove new lower bounds on the quantum communication complexity of various functions. Let f : X × Y → { 0 , 1 } be a Boolean function, fool 1 ( f ) its maximal fooling set size among 1-inputs, Q ∗ 1 ( f ) its one-sided-error quantum communication complexity with prior entanglement, and NQ ( f ) its nondeterministic quantum communication complexity (without prior entanglement; this model is trivial with shared randomness or entan-glement). Our main results are the following, where logs are to base 2: If the maximal fooling set is “upper triangular” (which is for instance the case for the equality, disjointness, and greater-than functions), then we have Q ∗ 1 ( f ) ≥ 12 log fool 1 ( f ) − 12 , which (by superdense coding) is essentially optimal for functions like equality, disjointness, and greater-than. No super-constant lower bound for equality seems to follow from earlier techniques. For all f we have Q ∗ 1 ( f ) ≥ 14 log fool 1 ( f ) − 12 . NQ ( f ) ≥ 12 log fool 1 ( f ) + 1. We do not know if the factor 1/2 is needed in this result, but it cannot be replaced by 1: we give an example where NQ ( f ) ≈ 0 . 613 log fool 1 ( f ).
Osteoarthritis: the genesis of pain

OA is a painful joint disease that predominantly affects the elderly. Pain is the primary symptom of OA, and it can present as either intermittent or constant. OA pain mechanisms are complex and have only recently been determined. Both peripheral and central processes are involved in creating the OA pain experience, making targeted therapy problematic. Nociceptive, inflammatory and neuropathic pains are all known to occur in OA, but to varying degrees in a patient- and time-specific manner. A better understanding of these multifactorial components of OA pain will lead to the development of more effective and safer pain treatments.
INTEGRATING FEATURES , MODELS , AND SEMANTICS FOR CONTENT-BASED RETRIEVAL

In this paper, we describe a system for automatic and interactive content-based retrieval of video that integrates features, models, and semantics. The novelty of the approach lies in the (1) semi-automatic construction of models of scenes, events, and objects from feature descriptors, and (2) integration of content-based and model-based querying in the search process. We describe several approaches for integration including iterative filtering, score aggregation, and relevance feedback searching. We also describe our recent effort of applying the content-based retrieval system to the TREC video retrieval benchmark and report on our experience from combining features, models, and semantics.