Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Atrial natriuretic factor stimulates exocrine pancreatic secretion in the rat through NPRC receptors

Sabbatini, Marı́a E. , Alberto Villagra, Carlos A. Davio, Marcelo S. Vatta, Belisario E. Fernández, and Liliana G. Bianciotti. Atrial natriuretic factor stimulates exocrine pancreatic secretion in the rat through NPR-C receptors. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 285: G929–G937, 2003. First published June 26, 2003; 10.1152/ ajpgi.00010. 2003. —Increasing evidence supports the role of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) in the modulation of gastrointestinal physiology. The effect of ANF on exocrine pancreatic secretion and the possible receptors and pathways involved were studied in vivo. Anesthetized rats were prepared with pancreatic duct cannulation, pyloric ligation, and bile diversion into the duodenum. ANF dose-dependently increased pancreatic secretion of fluid and proteins and enhanced secretin and CCK-evoked response. ANF decreased chloride secretion and increased the pH of the pancreatic juice. Neither cholinergic nor adrenergic blockade affected ANF-stimulated pancreatic secretion. Furthermore, ANF response was not mediated by the release of nitric oxide. ANF-evoked protein secretion was not inhibited by truncal vagotomy, atropine, or N -nitro-L-arginine methyl ester administration. The selective natriuretic peptide receptor-C (NPR-C) receptor agonist cANP-(4–23) mimicked ANF response in a dose-dependent fashion. When the intracellular signaling coupled to NPR-C receptors was investigated in isolated pancreatic acini, results showed that ANF did not modify basal or forskolin-evoked cAMP formation, but it dose-dependently enhanced phosphoinositide hydrolysis, which was blocked by the selective PLC inhibitor U-73122. ANF stimulated exocrine pancreatic secretion in the rat, and its effect was not mediated by nitric oxide or parasympathetic or sympathetic activity. Furthermore, CCK and secretin appear not to be involved in ANF response. Present findings support that ANF exerts a stimulatory effect on pancreatic exocrine secretion mediated by NPR-C receptors coupled to the phosphoinositide pathway.
Families with Infants

Assume that a group of n people is going to an excursion and our task is to seat them into buses with several constraints each saying that a pair of people does not want to see each other in the same bus. This is a well-known graph coloring problem (with n being the number of vertices) and it can be solved in O*(2n) time by the inclusion-exclusion principle as shown by Björklund, Husfeldt, and Koivisto in 2009. Another approach to solve this problem in O*(2n) time is to use the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). For this, given a graph G one constructs a polynomial PG(x) of degree O*(2n) with the following property: G is k-colorable if and only if the coefficient of xm (for some particular value of m) in the k-th power of P(x) is nonzero. Then, it remains to compute this coefficient using FFT. Assume now that we have additional constraints: the group of people contains several infants and these infants should be accompanied by their relatives in a bus. We show that if the number of infants is linear, then the problem can be solved in O*((2 − ε)n) time, where ε is a positive constant independent of n. We use this approach to improve known bounds for several NP-hard problems (the traveling salesman problem, the graph coloring problem, the problem of counting perfect matchings) on graphs of bounded average degree, as well as to simplify the proofs of several known results.
In vivo evidence for mTORC2-mediated actin cytoskeleton rearrangement in neurons

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) assembles into two distinct multi-protein complexes called mTORC1 and mTORC2. While mTORC1 controls the signaling pathways important for cell growth, the physiological function of mTORC2 is only partially known. Here we comment on recent work on gene-targeted mice lacking mTORC2 in the cerebellum or the hippocampus that provided strong evidence that mTORC2 plays an important role in neuron morphology and synapse function. We discuss that this phenotype might be based on the perturbed regulation of the actin cytoskeleton and the lack of activation of several PKC isoforms. The fact that PKC isoforms and their targets have been implicated in neurological disease including spinocerebellar ataxia and that they have been shown to affect learning and memory, suggests that aberration of mTORC2 signaling might be involved in diseases of the brain.
Molecular monitoring and stepwise preemptive therapy for Epstein–Barr virus viremia after allogeneic stem cell transplantation

The optimal preemptive therapy for Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)‐associated diseases remains under discussion. We developed a stepwise preemptive therapy (antiviral agents and reduction of immunosuppressants [RI] followed by rituximab) for EBV viremia, based on duration of EBV viremia and changes of viral loads. The blood EBV‐DNA loads were regularly monitored by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction in 251 recipients undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplantation. The 3‐year cumulative incidence of EBV viremia and EBV‐associated diseases were 31.1% ± 3.1% and 15.6% ± 2.5%, which rose steeply with greater numbers of major risk factors. Of the 64 patients undergoing first‐step preemption, 24 achieved complete response (CR) and 40 showed no response, including 25 progressing to EBV‐associated diseases. The effective rates of antiviral agents and RI plus antiviral agents were 2/16 and 22/48 (P = 0.017). Fourteen achieved CR and one progressed to lymphoproliferative disease in the 15 patients undergoing rituximab preemption. Of the 26 patients progressing to EBV‐associated diseases during preemptive therapy, 20 obtained CR in the 23 cases with rituximab‐based treatments. The preemptive efficacy of RI plus antiviral agents was correlated with the numbers of major risk factors (rs = −0.298; P = 0.04). B‐cell reconstitution was significantly delayed for at least 6 months in patients with rituximab preemption. The risk of herpesvirus infection was similar in patients who showed effective progress to first‐step and rituximab preemption (P = 0.094). RI plus antiviral agents could be given priority to low‐risk patients, whereas more frequent monitoring of blood EBV‐DNA and earlier preemptive rituximab should be advocated in high‐risk patients. Am. J. Hematol. 88:550–555, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Nonlinear Frequency-Domain Analysis of the Transformation of Cortical Inputs by a Motoneuron Pool-Muscle Complex

Corticomotor coherence in the beta and/or gamma bands has been described in different motor tasks, but the role of descending brain oscillations on force control has been elusive. Large-scale computational models of a motoneuron pool and the muscle it innervates have been used as tools to advance the knowledge of how neural elements may influence force control. Here, we present a frequency domain analysis of a NARX model fitted to a large-scale neuromuscular model by the means of generalized frequency response functions (GFRF). The results of such procedures indicated that the computational neuromuscular model was capable of transforming an oscillatory synaptic input (e.g., at 20 Hz) into a constant mean muscle force output. The nonlinearity uncovered by the GFRFs of the NARX model was responsible for the demodulation of an oscillatory input (e.g., a beta band oscillation coming from the brain and forming the input to the motoneuron pool). This suggests a manner by which brain rhythms descending as command signals to the spinal cord and acting on a motoneuron pool can regulate a maintained muscle force. In addition to the scientific aspects of these results, they provide new interpretations that may further neural engineering applications associated with quantitative neurological diagnoses and robotic systems for artificial limbs.
Genomic Determinants of PI3K Pathway Inhibitor Response in Cancer

The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway is frequently activated in cancer as a result of genetic (e.g., amplifications, mutations, deletions) and epigenetic (e.g., methylation, regulation by non-coding RNAs) aberrations targeting its key components. Several lines of evidence demonstrate that tumors from different anatomical sites depend on the continued activation of this pathway for the maintenance of their malignant phenotype. The PI3K pathway therefore is an attractive candidate for therapeutic intervention, and inhibitors targeting different components of this pathway are in various stages of clinical development. Burgeoning data suggest that the genomic features of a given tumor determine its response to targeted small molecule inhibitors. Importantly, alterations of different components of the PI3K pathway may result in distinct types of dependencies and response to specific therapeutic agents. In this review, we will focus on the genomic determinants of response to PI3K, dual PI3K/mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), mTOR, and AKT inhibitors in cancer identified in preclinical models and clinical trials to date, and the development of molecular tools for the stratification of cancer patients.
Prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in Cattle in Finland and Antimicrobial Susceptibilities of Bovine Campylobacter jejuni Strains

ABSTRACT The study investigated the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in Finnish cattle at slaughter and carcass contamination after slaughter. During the period January to December 2003, bovine rectal fecal samples (n = 952) and carcass surface samples (n = 948) from 12 out of 15 Finnish slaughterhouses were examined. In total, campylobacters were detected in 31.1% of fecal samples and in 3.5% of carcass surface samples. Campylobacter jejuni was isolated from 19.5%, Campylobacter coli from 2.2%, and presumptive Campylobacter hyointestinalis from 10.8% of fecal samples. Campylobacters were detected in 4.4% and 37.4% of the fecal samples examined both by direct culture and by enrichment (n = 730), respectively, suggesting a low level of campylobacters in the intestinal content. A slightly increasing trend was observed in the overall prevalence of campylobacters towards the end of summer and autumn. Seventeen different serotypes were detected among the fecal C. jejuni isolates using a set of 25 commercial antisera for serotyping heat-stable antigens (Penner) of C. jejuni by passive hemagglutination. The predominant serotypes, Pen2 and Pen4-complex, were isolated from 52% of the fecal samples. Subtyping by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (SmaI) yielded 56 and 20 subtypes out of 330 fecal and 70 carcass C. jejuni isolates, respectively. MICs of ampicillin, enrofloxacin, erythromycin, gentamicin, nalidixic acid, and oxytetracycline for 187 C. jejuni isolates were determined using a commercial broth microdilution method. Sixteen (9%) of the isolates were resistant to at least one of the antimicrobials tested. Resistance to nalidixic acid was most commonly detected (6%). No multiresistance was observed.
From Dusty Filaments to Cores to Stars: An Infrared Extinction Study of Lupus 3

We present deep near-infrared observations of a dense region of the Lupus 3 cloud obtained with the ESO NTT and VLT. Using the NICE method, we construct a detailed high angular resolution dust extinction map of the cloud. The dust extinction map reveals embedded globules, a dense filament, and a dense ring structure. We derive dust column densities and masses for the entire cloud and for the individual structures therein. We construct radial extinction profiles for the embedded globules and find a range of profile shapes from relatively shallow profiles for cores with low peak extinctions, to relatively steep profiles for cores with high extinction. Overall, the profiles are similar to those of pressure-truncated isothermal spheres of varying center-to-edge density contrast. We apply Bonnor-Ebert analysis to compare the density profiles of the embedded cores in a quantitative manner and derive physical parameters such as temperatures, central densities, and external pressures. We examine the stability of the cores and find that two cores are likely stable and two are likely unstable. One of these latter cores is known to harbor an active protostar. Finally, we discuss the relation between an emerging cluster in the Lupus 3 cloud and the ring structure identified in our extinction map. Assuming that the ring is the remnant of the core within which the cluster originally formed, we estimate that a star formation efficiency of ~30% characterized the formation of the small cluster. Our observations of the Lupus 3 cloud suggest an intimate link between the structure of a dense core and its state of star-forming activity. The dense cores in this cloud are found to span the entire range of evolution from a stable, starless core of modest central concentration, to an unstable, star-forming core that is highly centrally concentrated, to a significantly disrupted core from which a cluster of young stars is emerging.
The Effect of Magnetic Field on the Deposition of Paraffin Wax on the Oil Pipe

To prevent the deposition of paraffin wax during pipeline transportation, a huge amount of energy was consumed to heat the crude oil every year. So, magnetic paraffin control (MPC) technology was developed as an energy-saving method. In this study, magnetic effects on oil viscosity and wax deposition rate were examined experimentally. Results demonstrate that a decrease of 50% in oil viscosity and a decrease of 87.5% in deposition rate were achieved after magnetic treatment. In addition, the strong dependence of MPC performance on the distance of pipeline transportation as well as oil flow rate is also presented in detail. The present observations shed light on the mechanism of MPC method, and instruct its application on oil pipelines.
Probabilistic Detection of Mobile Targets in Heterogeneous Sensor Networks

Target detection and field surveillance are among the most prominent applications of sensor networks (SN). The quality of detection achieved by a SN can be quantified by evaluating the probability of detecting a mobile target crossing a field of interest (Fol). In this paper, we analytically evaluate the detection probability of mobile targets when N sensors are stochastically deployed to monitor a Fol. We map the target detection problem to a line-set intersection problem and derive analytical formulas using tools from integral geometry and geometric probability. We show that the detection probability depends on the length of the perimeters of the sensing areas of the sensors and not their shape. Hence, compared to prior work, our formulation allows us to consider a heterogeneous sensing model, where each sensor can have an arbitrary sensing area. We also evaluate the mean free path until a target is first detected.
Imaging , Diagnosis , Prognosis Distinguishing Inflammation from Tumor and Peritumoral Edema by Myeloperoxidase Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Purpose: Inflammation occurs routinely whenmanaging gliomas and is not easily distinguishable from tumor regrowth by current MRImethods. The lack of noninvasive technologies that monitor inflammation prevents us to understand whether it is beneficial or detrimental for the patient, and current therapies do not take this host response in consideration. We aim to establish whether a gadolinium (Gd)-based agent targeting the inflammatory enzyme myeloperoxidase (MPO) can selectively detect intraand peritumoral inflammation as well as glioma response to treatment by MRI. Methods: We carried out serial Gd-bis-5-HT-DTPA (MPO-Gd) MRI before and after treating rodent gliomas with different doses of oncolytic virus (OV) and analyzed animal survival. The imaging results were compared with histopathologic and molecular analyses of the tumors for macrophage/microglia infiltration, virus persistence, and MPO levels. Results: Elevated MPO activity was observed by MRI inside the tumor and in the peritumoral cerebrum at day 1 post–OV injection, which corresponded with activation/infiltration of myeloid cells inhibiting OV intratumoral persistence. MPO activity decreased, whereas tumor size increased, as the virus and the immune cells were cleared (days 1–7 post–OV injection). A 10-fold increase in viral dose temporally decreased tumor size, but augmented MPO activity, thus preventing extension of viral intratumoral
Spatiotemporal Analysis of Neuromagnetic Events Underlying the Emergence of Coordinative Instabilities

A full-head 143-channel superconducting quantum interference device was used to study changes occurring in the magnetic activity of the human brain during performance of an auditory-motor coordination task in which the rate of coordination was systematically increased. Previous research using the same task paradigm demonstrated that spontaneous switches in timing behavior that arise with higher coordination rates are accompanied by qualitative changes in spatiotemporal brain activity measured by electro- and magnetoencephalography. Here we show how these patterns can be decomposed into basic physiological events, i.e., evoked brain responses to acoustic tones and self-initiated finger movements. The frequency dependence of the amplitudes of these component responses may shed new light onto why spontaneous timing transitions occur in the first place.
Soluble expression in E. coli of a functional interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein module fused to thioredoxin: correlation of vitamin A binding regions with conserved domains of C-terminal processing proteases.

The exchange of all-trans retinol and 11-cis retinal between the photoreceptors and retinal pigmented epithelium is mediated by interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP). IRBP contains binding sites for retinoids, docosahexaenoic acid and probably cell surface and matrix receptors. IRBP arose through the quadruplication of an ancient protein, represented by its carboxy-terminal module (module 4 in amphibians and mammals). Module 4 has retinol binding activity and is composed of regions coded for by each of IRBP's four exons. Determining the function of the exons has been hampered by insoluble expression of module 4 in Escherichia coli. Here, we found that module 4 of Xenopus IRBP (X4IRBP), as well as its exon segments, can be expressed in a soluble form as thioredoxin fusion proteins. The recombinant proteins were purified by ion exchange and arsenical-based affinity chromatography. Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry confirmed that the sequence of X4IRBP is correct. All-trans retinol binding was characterized by monitoring enhancement of retinol fluorescence, quenching of intrinsic protein fluorescence, and transfer of energy to the bound retinol. Retinol bound to X4IRBP at 2.20+/-0.29 sites with a KD=1.25+/-0.39. One of the two sites was localized to Exons(2+3) and had a KD=0.26+/-0.13 micron. This site, which supported protein quenching and energy transfer, probably contains at least one of the two conserved tryptophans present in this segment. The second site was localized to Exon 4. This site supported the enhancement of retinol fluorescence but not protein quenching or energy transfer and had a KD=1.94+/-0.20 micron. Exon 1 had no retinol binding activity. The location of the retinol binding regions correlated with the distribution of domains conserved between IRBPs and the newly recognized family of C-terminal processing proteases (CtpAs), proteins which bind and cleave non-polar carboxy termini.
A Transmission Strategy with Protocol Analysis for Performance Improvement in WDM Networks

The key parameters affecting the behavior of a passive star WDM network are: control channel collisions, data channel collisions, propagation delay latency and destination conflicts. In this paper, we try to exploit the propagation delay latency as an acknowledgment time period to introduce a new network architecture and a suitable access protocol in order to avoid data channel collisions, achieving performance measures improvement and enhancing in this way bandwidth utilization.
A generalized software framework for accurate and efficient management of performance goals

A number of techniques have been proposed to provide runtime performance guarantees while minimizing power consumption. One drawback of existing approaches is that they work only on a fixed set of components (or actuators) that must be specified at design time. If new components become available, these management systems must be redesigned and reimplemented. In this paper, we propose PTRADE, a novel performance management framework that is general with respect to the components it manages. PTRADE can be deployed to work on a new system with different components without redesign and reimplementation. PTRADE's generality is demonstrated through the management of performance goals for a variety of benchmarks on two different Linux/x86 systems and a simulated 128-core system, each with different components governing power and performance tradeoffs. Our experimental results show that PTRADE provides generality while meeting performance goals with low error and close to optimal power consumption.
Adaptation to Different Human Populations by HIV-1 Revealed by Codon-Based Analyses

Several codon-based methods are available for detecting adaptive evolution in protein-coding sequences, but to date none specifically identify sites that are selected differentially in two populations, although such comparisons between populations have been historically useful in identifying the action of natural selection. We have developed two fixed effects maximum likelihood methods: one for identifying codon positions showing selection patterns that persist in a population and another for detecting whether selection is operating differentially on individual codons of a gene sampled from two different populations. Applying these methods to two HIV populations infecting genetically distinct human hosts, we have found that few of the positively selected amino acid sites persist in the population; the other changes are detected only at the tips of the phylogenetic tree and appear deleterious in the long term. Additionally, we have identified seven amino acid sites in protease and reverse transcriptase that are selected differentially in the two samples, demonstrating specific population-level adaptation of HIV to human populations.
Herbal Medicines: Malaysian Women's Knowledge and Practice

This is a cross-sectional, descriptive study among Malay women admitted in the antenatal and postnatal ward to determine the prevalence and use of herbal medicines during pregnancy and elemental analysis in the most popular herbs. A total of 460 women were surveyed. Herbal medicine use during pregnancy was 34.3%, while 73% utilized herbal medicines during labor, because of a belief that it may shorten and ease labor. The most commonly used herbal medicines in pregnancy were Anastatica hierochuntica L. (60.1%) followed by coconut oil (35.4%). The majority of women (89.2%) used only one type of herbal medicines and took one capsule/glass (38%) per day. Herbal medicines use by pregnant women is largely unsupervised (81%), with most women getting information from their parents (60.7%) and buying the products directly from traditional midwives (32.2%) and 77% agreed upon its efficacy and safety. From the 460 respondents, 89.8% women were in the low end of the herbs knowledge. There was a significant difference found between knowledge score and income (P < 0.05). Microdiffraction analysis revealed significant presence of carbon, oxygen, silica, calcium, magnesium, aluminium, potassium, zinc, and iron that were found in Anastatica hierochuntica L. and proved to have good benefits for pregnancy.