Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Receptor-Independent Activation of GABAergic Neurotransmission and Receptor-Dependent Nontranscriptional Activation of Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Protein Kinase Akt Pathway in Short-Term Cardiovascular Actions of Dexamethasone at the Nucleus Tractus Solitarii of the Rat

Whereas glucocorticoids are important blood pressure regulators via an action on peripheral circulation, their roles in central cardiovascular regulation are less known. This study evaluated the short-term cardiovascular effect of glucocorticoid in the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) and delineated the underlying molecular mechanisms. In Sprague-Dawley rats maintained under propofol anesthesia, microinjection bilaterally into the NTS of a synthetic glucocorticoid, dexamethasone (Dex; 12.5, 25, 50, or 100 pmol), elicited hypertensive and tachycardiac responses. The initial cardiovascular responses, which lasted 15 to 30 min, were blunted by coadministration of a selective GABAA or GABAB receptor antagonist, bicuculline (15 pmol) or 2-hydroxy saclofen (150 pmol). The delayed responses, which endured at least 90 min and entailed maintained hypertension and tachycardia, were reversed by selective glucocorticoid type II receptor (GR) antagonist mifepristone (100 or 200 pmol), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor LY294002 [2-(4-morpholinyl)-8-phenyl-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one] (20 nmol), or nitric-oxide synthase inhibitor NG-monomethyl-l-arginine acetate (5 nmol), but not by the RNA synthesis inhibitor actinomycin D (20 nmol). Moreover, Dex induced an association of GR with the regulatory subunit of PI3K, p85α, in a ligand-dependent manner and promoted serine/threonine kinase Akt phosphorylation that was blocked by coadministration of mifepristone or LY294002. These cardiovascular and molecular responses occurred when translocation of activated GR into the nucleus was minimal. Our results indicate that Dex acts on the NTS to elicit hypertension and tachycardia via both a GR-independent interaction with GABAA and GABAB receptors and a GR-dependent but nontranscriptional mechanism that involves activation of PI3K/Akt pathway.
High Phosphohistone H3 Expression Correlates with Adverse Clinical, Biological, and Pathological Factors in Neuroblastomas

Phosphohistone H3 (pHH3), a biomarker of the late G2- and M-phase of the cell cycle, provides a powerful indication of the proliferative state of many cancers. We investigated the prognostic significance of pHH3 by immunostaining 80 neuroblastomas and counting the average number of strongly stained nuclei and mitotic figures. The median and 75th percentile pHH3 proliferation indices (PIs) were 0.54% and 1.06% (range, 0.01% to 2.23%) respectively. pHH3 expression was significantly higher in neuroblastomas from patients with adverse clinical characteristics, all unfavorable pathological factors including high mitosis karyorrhexis index (MKI), and adverse biological factors including MYCN oncogene amplification. High pHH3-PIs, at 1% threshold, were significantly associated with a shorter overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) in the univariable Cox regression analyses. In the multivariable models, high pHH3 counts were significantly associated with worse OS after adjustment for age but were not independent of either high MKI or MYCN amplification. In children less than 18 months of age, high MKIs and high PHH3-PIs were associated with significantly worse OS and EFS. In conclusion, high pHH3 expression correlates strongly with high MKI and MYCN amplification and indicates poor prognosis in neuroblastomas.
A ug 2 01 2 From Classical Four-Wave Mixing to Parametric Fluorescence in Silicon micro-ring resonators

Stefano Azzini, Davide Grassani, Matteo Galli, Lucio Claudio Andreani, Marc Sorel, Michael J. Strain, L.G. Helt, J.E. Sipe, Marco Liscidini, Daniele Bajoni Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Pavia, via Bassi 6, Pavia, Italy School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8LT, UK Department of Physics and Institute for Optical Sciences, University of Toronto, 60 St. George Street, Ontario, Canada Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale e dell’Informazione, Università degli Studi di Pavia, via Ferrata 1, Pavia, Italy ∗Corresponding author: daniele.bajoni@unipv.it
On the Message Dimensions of Vector Linearly Solvable Networks

It is known that there exists a network which does not have a scalar linear solution over any finite field but has a vector linear solution when message dimension is 2. It is not known whether this result can be generalized for an arbitrary message dimension. In this letter, we show that there exists a network that admits an m dimensional vector linear solution, where m is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2, but does not have a vector linear solution over any finite field when the message dimension is less than m.
A Non-blocking Checkpointing Algorithm for Non-Deterministic Mobile Ad hoc Networks

Mobile Ad-hoc Networks are a collection of two or more devices equipped with wireless communication and networking capability. These devices can communication with other nodes that immediately within their radio range or one that is outside their radio range. The transient failure probability of the computing process increases greatly with the enlarging of system scale. If a failure occurs in a process and there is not an appropriate method to protect it, more cost will be wasted for restarting the program. Coordinated checkpointing can be used to introduce fault tolerance in mobile ad-hoc wireless networks environment. In this paper we propose a new minimum process checkpointing scheme for ad-hoc networks. We assume that Cluster Based Routing Protocol (CBRP) is used which belongs to the class of Hierarchical Reactive Routing Protocols. The number of coordinated messages between a cluster head and its ordinary members is small. The recovery scheme has no domino effect and the failure process can rollback from its latest local consistent Checkpoint. We capture the transitive dependencies among processes by piggybacking dependency vector of the sending process along with the computation messages. Keywords— Mobile Ad Hoc Network; Checkpointing; Fault tolerance; Coordinating Checkpointing.
SCL, LMO1 and Notch1 Reprogram Thymocytes into Self-Renewing Cells

The molecular determinants that render specific populations of normal cells susceptible to oncogenic reprogramming into self-renewing cancer stem cells are poorly understood. Here, we exploit T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) as a model to define the critical initiating events in this disease. First, thymocytes that are reprogrammed by the SCL and LMO1 oncogenic transcription factors into self-renewing pre-leukemic stem cells (pre-LSCs) remain non-malignant, as evidenced by their capacities to generate functional T cells. Second, we provide strong genetic evidence that SCL directly interacts with LMO1 to activate the transcription of a self-renewal program coordinated by LYL1. Moreover, LYL1 can substitute for SCL to reprogram thymocytes in concert with LMO1. In contrast, inhibition of E2A was not sufficient to substitute for SCL, indicating that thymocyte reprogramming requires transcription activation by SCL-LMO1. Third, only a specific subset of normal thymic cells, known as DN3 thymocytes, is susceptible to reprogramming. This is because physiological NOTCH1 signals are highest in DN3 cells compared to other thymocyte subsets. Consistent with this, overexpression of a ligand-independent hyperactive NOTCH1 allele in all immature thymocytes is sufficient to sensitize them to SCL-LMO1, thereby increasing the pool of self-renewing cells. Surprisingly, hyperactive NOTCH1 cannot reprogram thymocytes on its own, despite the fact that NOTCH1 is activated by gain of function mutations in more than 55% of T-ALL cases. Rather, elevating NOTCH1 triggers a parallel pathway involving Hes1 and Myc that dramatically enhances the activity of SCL-LMO1 We conclude that the acquisition of self-renewal and the genesis of pre-LSCs from thymocytes with a finite lifespan represent a critical first event in T-ALL. Finally, LYL1 and LMO1 or LMO2 are co-expressed in most human T-ALL samples, except the cortical T subtype. We therefore anticipate that the self-renewal network described here may be relevant to a majority of human T-ALL.
Utility of next generation sequencing in genetic diagnosis of early onset neuromuscular disorders

Background Neuromuscular disorders are a clinically, pathologically, and genetically heterogeneous group. Even for the experienced clinician, an accurate diagnosis is often challenging due to the complexity of these disorders. Here, we investigated the utility of next generation sequencing (NGS) in early diagnostic algorithms to improve the diagnosis for patients currently lacking precise molecular characterisation, particularly for hereditary myopathies. Methods 43 patients presenting with early onset neuromuscular disorders from unknown genetic origin were tested by NGS for 579 nuclear genes associated with myopathy. Results In 21 of the 43 patients, we identified the definite genetic causes (48.8%). Additionally, likely pathogenic variants were identified in seven cases and variants of uncertain significance (VUS) were suspected in four cases. In total, 19 novel and 15 known pathogenic variants in 17 genes were identified in 32 patients. Collagen VI related myopathy was the most prevalent type in our cohort. The utility of NGS was highlighted in three cases with congenital myasthenia syndrome, as early diagnosis is important for effective treatment. Conclusions A targeted NGS can offer cost effective, safe and fairly rapid turnaround time, which can improve quality of care for patients with early onset myopathies and muscular dystrophies; in particular, collagen VI related myopathy and congenital myasthenia syndromes. Nevertheless, a substantial number of patients remained without molecular diagnosis in our cohort. This may be due to the intrinsic limitation of detection for some types of mutations by NGS or to the fact that other causative genes for neuromuscular disorders are yet to be identified.
Variability of normal coronary anatomy: implications for the interpretation of thallium-SPECT myocardial perfusion images in single-vessel disease.

UNLABELLED Standard criteria for assigning perfusion defects to a specific vascular territory often result in mistaken identification of the affected coronary artery due to the normal variability of coronary anatomy. A retrospective study was performed to determine the frequency of this type of error and to identify the most common perfusion patterns associated with specific coronary lesions. METHODS Records were reviewed of all patients with single-vessel coronary artery disease (CAD) who had exercise or dipyridamole thallium SPECT myocardial perfusion studies since 1987. Patients with coronary artery bypass grafts and an interval between the two studies greater than 6 wk or interval change in medical status were excluded. Ninety-three studies were available for review. The size, severity and location of all perfusion defects were noted by three observers who had no knowledge of the angiographic data. Significant CAD was defined as luminal diameter stenosis greater than 50%. RESULTS The diseased vessel was correctly identified in 85% of positive studies. Thallium SPECT, however, mistakenly predicted additional vessel involvement in 29% of those studies. Another 15% correctly predicted single-vessel disease but identified the wrong artery. Using standard criteria, thallium SPECT correctly predicted the arteriogram findings in only 56% of studies. Most of these findings could be correlated with variations in individual coronary anatomy. CONCLUSION The accurate localization of coronary stenoses by thallium SPECT imaging requires close correlation with arteriography owing to the significant variability in normal coronary anatomy.
Pictorial Review: Uncommon locations of hydatid cysts

Hydatid disease is endemic in many parts of the world. It may develop in almost any part of the body. The location is mostly hepatic (75%) and pulmonary (15%), and only 10% occur in the rest of the body. In this article, the various imaging findings of hydatid cysts in unusual localizations are reviewed, based on our experience. Findings in brain, cavernous sinus, submandibular gland, thyroid gland, heart, pleura, chest wall, retrocrural tissue, kidney, spleen, pancreas, peritoneal cavity and inguinal canal, breast, bone and soft tissue are discussed.
West Indian mammals from the Albert Schwartz Collection: Biological and historical information

2 . INTRODUCTION 2 . ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 4 METHODS AND MATERIALS . 4 SYSTEMATIC ACCOUNTS . 5 FAMILY DIDELPHIDAE . 5 FAMILY NOCTILIONIDAE . 5 FAMILY MORMOOPIDAE . 7 . FAMILY PHYLLOSTOMIDAE 10 . FAMILY NATALIDAE 28 FAMILY VESPERTILIONIDAE . 31 FAMILY MOLOSSIDAE . 34 . FAMILY CAPROMYIDAE 40 . FAMILY DASYPROCTIDAE 4 2 . FAMILY HERPESTIDAE 43 LITERATURE CITED . 44 O Natural History Museum. The University of Kansas ABSTRACT In the period 1954-1976, Albert Schwartz and several students working with him made extensive collections of mammals (ca. 2,000 specimens), reptiles and amphibians, birds, and butterflies in the West Indies. Schwartz's private collection of mammals from the West Indies is among the most comprehensive and important mammal collections from the region, yet much of it has never been reported in the scientific literature. Schwartz's original intent was to fully document all of the terrestrial mammals of the West Indies. In 1989, Schwartz transferred his mammal collection of some 6,500 specimens to the University of Kansas, and included in that collection were more than 1,400 specimens from the West Indies. It is our purpose herein to present a catalogue of the West Indian mammals assembled by Albert Schwartz, to offer critical comments on the taxonomic status of several species, asIn the period 1954-1976, Albert Schwartz and several students working with him made extensive collections of mammals (ca. 2,000 specimens), reptiles and amphibians, birds, and butterflies in the West Indies. Schwartz's private collection of mammals from the West Indies is among the most comprehensive and important mammal collections from the region, yet much of it has never been reported in the scientific literature. Schwartz's original intent was to fully document all of the terrestrial mammals of the West Indies. In 1989, Schwartz transferred his mammal collection of some 6,500 specimens to the University of Kansas, and included in that collection were more than 1,400 specimens from the West Indies. It is our purpose herein to present a catalogue of the West Indian mammals assembled by Albert Schwartz, to offer critical comments on the taxonomic status of several species, as well as to report new biological information based on his specimens and field observations. The Albert Schwartz Collection represents a unique sample of West Indian mammals that includes new island records and significant series of poorly known species that contribute to systematic and zoogeographic studies of the region. Detailed measurements and ecological information are presented in accounts of the following species: one species of marsupial, one species of noctilionid bat, five species of mormoopids, 18 species of phyllostomids, three species of natalids, three species of vespertilionids, five species of molossids, three species of capromyid rodents, two species of dasyproctid rodents, and one herpestid carnivore. Discussions are focused primarily on the Antillean populations of these taxa and when sufficient material is available taxonomic recommendations are presented.
Evaluation of regional differences in right ventricular systolic function by acoustic quantification echocardiography and cine magnetic resonance imaging.

BACKGROUND Accurate quantitative evaluation of right ventricular (RV) function has been limited by its complex structural geometry. Although embryological and anatomic observations suggest that the RV is composed of 2 distinct components, the RV sinus and infundibulum, most studies on RV dimensions and function viewed it as a single chamber. This study was designed to determine the volumes, relative contribution to global systolic function, and temporal course of contraction and relaxation of the RV sinus and infundibulum. METHODS AND RESULTS Thirty-one individuals without heart disease (aged 1 month to 17 years, 16 boys and 15 girls) participated in this study. Instantaneous area over time, its derivatives, and the temporal course of contraction and relaxation were studied by acoustic quantification echocardiography and phonocardiography in 20 individuals. Global and regional RV volumes and ejection fraction were determined by cine MRI in 11 individuals. The RV sinus made up 81+/-6% of the combined RV end-diastolic volume and 87+/-4% of the combined stroke volume. The infundibulum accounted for the remaining 19+/-6% and 13+/-4%, respectively (P<0.0001). Compared with the infundibulum, the extent of RV sinus fiber shortening was significantly greater: for ejection fraction (56+/-11% versus 38+/-13%, P<0.001), fractional area change (42+/-14% versus 28+/-9%, P<0.0001), and dA/dt (27+/-17% versus 13+/-6%, P<0.0001). Analysis of temporal course of contraction and relaxation (expressed as percentage of the cardiac cycle to adjust for differences in heart rate) showed that the infundibulum follows the RV sinus: onset of contraction 53%+/-14 versus 19+/-11% of systole, time to peak systole 115+/-16% versus 97+/-19% (P< or =0.01), indicating a peristalsis-like pattern of contraction and relaxation. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study demonstrate significant regional differences between the sinus and infundibulum components of the RV with regard to contribution to stroke volume, extent of fiber shortening, and sequence of mechanical activation. These data from normal individuals can be used in future research on RV function in pathological conditions.
Relationship Between the Menstrual Cycle and Timing of Ovulation Revealed by New Protocols: Analysis of Data from a Self-Tracking Health App

Background There are many mobile phone apps aimed at helping women map their ovulation and menstrual cycles and facilitating successful conception (or avoiding pregnancy). These apps usually ask users to input various biological features and have accumulated the menstrual cycle data of a vast number of women. Objective The purpose of our study was to clarify how the data obtained from a self-tracking health app for female mobile phone users can be used to improve the accuracy of prediction of the date of next ovulation. Methods Using the data of 7043 women who had reliable menstrual and ovulation records out of 8,000,000 users of a mobile phone app of a health care service, we analyzed the relationship between the menstrual cycle length, follicular phase length, and luteal phase length. Then we fitted a linear function to the relationship between the length of the menstrual cycle and timing of ovulation and compared it with the existing calendar-based methods. Results The correlation between the length of the menstrual cycle and the length of the follicular phase was stronger than the correlation between the length of the menstrual cycle and the length of the luteal phase, and there was a positive correlation between the lengths of past and future menstrual cycles. A strong positive correlation was also found between the mean length of past cycles and the length of the follicular phase. The correlation between the mean cycle length and the luteal phase length was also statistically significant. In most of the subjects, our method (ie, the calendar-based method based on the optimized function) outperformed the Ogino method of predicting the next ovulation date. Our method also outperformed the ovulation date prediction method that assumes the middle day of a mean menstrual cycle as the date of the next ovulation. Conclusions The large number of subjects allowed us to capture the relationships between the lengths of the menstrual cycle, follicular phase, and luteal phase in more detail than previous studies. We then demonstrated how the present calendar methods could be improved by the better grouping of women. This study suggested that even without integrating various biological metrics, the dataset collected by a self-tracking app can be used to develop formulas that predict the ovulation day when the data are aggregated. Because the method that we developed requires data only on the first day of menstruation, it would be the best option for couples during the early stages of their attempt to have a baby or for those who want to avoid the cost associated with other methods. Moreover, the result will be the baseline for more advanced methods that integrate other biological metrics.
Improved Endothelial Function in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation through Maintenance of Sinus Rhythm by Successful Catheter Ablation

Effect of Ablation on Endothelial Function. Background: Although atrial fibrillation (AF) is a risk factor for endothelial dysfunction (ED), the effect of catheter ablation (CA) on AF‐associated ED has not been evaluated. The aims of this study are to determine if the degree of ED predicts the outcome of AF ablation and to evaluate whether ED can be improved through restoring sinus rhythm (SR) by successful CA.
Multimedia: Learner Preferences For Multimedia Learning

Today's learners are using multimedia on a daily basis. From computers to cell phones, it's very difficult to get through a day without being exposed to multimedia. Prior research from Mayer and colleagues has revealed the multimedia principle, which communicates that two representations that explain for one another are better for learning than just one. While much of this research focused on cognitive load and learning, it did not focus on learner preference. As a result, a survey was presented to learners to discover their preferences for the multimedia, modality, redundancy, and coherence principles in a multimedia environment. Overall, participants agreed that they preferred multiple representations to a single one. However, the most surprising results were found when learners were presented redundant representations and irrelevant details. Learners indicated they preferred redundant text and sound with images to image and text or images and sound and that they preferred highly detailed and colored images to simple images. This indicates that while learners may learn better if we following the multimedia principles, they might decrease learner interest or motivation, which could have an impact on instruction.