Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spatial Learning Based on Boundaries in Rats Is Hippocampus-Dependent and Prone to Overshadowing

In three experiments, rats were required to find a submerged platform by referring to the boundaries of a circular swimming pool. In the first experiment, rats with lesions of the hippocampus were impaired at finding the hidden platform, lending support for the proposal that learning to find a goal that is a certain direction and distance from a boundary is dependent upon the hippocampus. Experiments 2 and 3 offered preliminary tests to see if such boundary learning occurred incidentally, irrespective of the presence of a reliable landmark. In contrast to this proposal, a landmark hanging above the platform successfully restricted learning about the location of the platform with respect to the boundary of the arena. The discussion explores the capacity of the hippocampus to encode boundary information, as well as interprets the behavioral results on the basis of an associative learning framework.
Reliability of Measurements of Rat Lateral Gastrocnemius Architectural Parameters Obtained from Ultrasound Biomicroscopic Images

This study used ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) to quantify the pennation angle (PA) and muscle thickness (MT) of rat skeletal muscle and evaluated the reliability and reproducibility of the method by statistical analysis, determining the coefficient of variation (CV), intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and typical error of measurement. A UBM system with a center frequency of 40 MHz was used to acquire images of the right lateral gastrocnemius of ten male Wistar rats on two different days and with two ankle positions (90° or 150°). Two independent measurements of the PA and MT were randomly performed in each of three picture frames. The analysis resulted in CVs of 10.47% and 4.81% for the PA and the MT, respectively, for the ankle at 90° and 9.24% and 5.98% for the ankle at 150°. Additionally, the ICC values ranged from 0.75 to 0.92 for the PA and 0.57 to 0.99 for the MT. Statistically significant differences between the ankle positions were observed for the PA (p = 0.00013). The reliability of the PA and MT measurements for the rat right lateral gastrocnemius, determined from the ultrasound biomicroscopy images, was high (>0.90) for the methodology proposed. This finding indicates the potential of ultrasound biomicroscopy for quantitative muscle characterization and the longitudinal examination of tissue adaptation to different conditions of use, disease and rehabilitation.
Protein Aggregation and Protein Instability Govern Familial Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Patient Survival

The nature of the “toxic gain of function” that results from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)-, Parkinson-, and Alzheimer-related mutations is a matter of debate. As a result no adequate model of any neurodegenerative disease etiology exists. We demonstrate that two synergistic properties, namely, increased protein aggregation propensity (increased likelihood that an unfolded protein will aggregate) and decreased protein stability (increased likelihood that a protein will unfold), are central to ALS etiology. Taken together these properties account for 69% of the variability in mutant Cu/Zn-superoxide-dismutase-linked familial ALS patient survival times. Aggregation is a concentration-dependent process, and spinal cord motor neurons have higher concentrations of Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase than the surrounding cells. Protein aggregation therefore is expected to contribute to the selective vulnerability of motor neurons in familial ALS.
Early and Late Preeclampsia: Two Different Maternal Hemodynamic States in the Latent Phase of the Disease

Because early and late preeclampsia (PE) are thought to be different disease entities, we compared maternal cardiac function at 24 weeks gestation in a group of normotensive asymptomatic patients with subsequent development of early (<34 weeks gestation) and late (≥34 weeks gestation) PE (blood pressure >140/90+proteinuria >300 mg/dL) to detect possible early differences in the hemodynamic state. A group of 1345 nulliparous normotensive asymptomatic women underwent at 24 weeks gestation uterine artery Doppler evaluation and maternal echocardiography calculating total vascular resistance. In the subsequent follow-up 107 patients showed PE: 32 patients had late and 75 had early PE. Five of 32 patients with late PE and 45 of 75 patients with early PE had bilateral notching of the uterine artery at 24 weeks (15.6% versus 60.0%; P<0.05). Total vascular resistance was 1605±248 versus 739±244 dyn · s · cm−5, and cardiac output was 4.49±1.09 versus 8.96±1.83 L in early versus late PE (P<0.001). Prepregnancy body mass index was higher in late versus early PE (28±6 versus 24±2 kg/m2; P<0.001). Early and late PE appear to develop from different hemodynamic states. Late PE appears to be more frequent in patients with high body mass index and low total vascular resistance; earlier forms of PE appear to be more frequent in patients with lower BMI and with bilateral notching of the uterine artery. These findings support the hypothesis of different hemodynamics and origins for early PE (placental mediated, linked to defective trophoblast invasion with high percentage of altered uterine artery Doppler) and late PE (linked to constitutional factors such as high body mass index).
Analysis of Chimeric Proteins Identifies the Regions in the Carbohydrate Recognition Domains of Rat Lung Collectins That Are Essential for Interactions with Phospholipids, Glycolipids, and Alveolar Type II Cells*

Pulmonary surfactant proteins A (SP-A) and D (SP-D) are collectins in the C-type lectin superfamily. SP-A binds to dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine and galactosylceramide, and it regulates the uptake and secretion of surfactant lipids by alveolar type II cells. In contrast, SP-D binds to phosphatidylinositol (PI) and glucosylceramide (GlcCer). We investigated the functional region in the carbohydrate recognition domain of rat SP-A and SP-D that is involved in binding lipids and interacting with alveolar type II cells by using chimeric proteins. Chimeras ad3, ad4, andad5 were constructed with SP-A/SP-D splice junctions at Gly194/Glu321, Gln173/Thr300, and Met134/Cys261, respectively. All three chimeras lost SP-A-specific functions. Chimeras ad3,ad4, and ad5 bound to PI with increasing activity. In contrast, chimeras ad3 and ad4 did not bind to GlcCer, whereas ad5 avidly bound this lipid. From these results, we conclude that 1) the SP-A region of Glu195–Phe228 is required for lipid and type II cell interactions, 2) the SP-D region of Cys261–Phe355 is required for optimal lipid interactions, and 3) the structural requirement for the binding of SP-D to PI is different from that for GlcCer.
Usefulness of Serum Adiponectin Level as a Diagnostic Marker of Metabolic Syndrome in Obese Japanese Children

This study aimed 1) to investigate the relationship between serum adiponectin levels and metabolic disorders and 2) to clarify the usefulness of serum adiponectin level as a diagnostic marker of metabolic syndrome in obese Japanese children. One hundred obese boys aged 8 to 13 years were examined. Serum adiponectin levels were measured by radioimmunoassay using a commercial kit. Abdominal fat thickness (maximum preperitoneal fat thickness: Pmax; minimum subcutaneous fat thickness: Smin) was measured by ultrasonography. The relationships between adiponectin and clinical characteristics were analyzed by simple regression. The relationships between anthropometric measurements and metabolic disorders were analyzed among three groups divided according to adiponectin percentile. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was also analyzed, with metabolic syndrome defined as the presence of three or more complications of obesity. The criteria for metabolic syndrome by adiponectin were subjected to a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Body weight, waist circumference, Pmax, alanine aminotransferase and fasting serum insulin were all inversely correlated with adiponectin. There were significant differences in the prevalence of severe obesity, the accumulation of visceral adipose tissue, hyperinsulinemia, high serum low density lipoprotein-cholesterol, the number of complications of obesity and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among the three groups. The area under the ROC curve for adiponectin was 0.672±0.055 and the cut-off value was 6.65 μg/ml. Hypoadiponectinemia was associated with visceral fat accumulation and metabolic syndrome in obese Japanese boys. Evaluation of adiponectin might contribute to an early intervention for obese children with metabolic syndrome.
Calcium intake and colorectal cancer risk: Dose–response meta‐analysis of prospective observational studies

Mechanistic and epidemiologic studies provide considerable evidence for a protective association between calcium intake and incident colorectal cancer (CRC). While the relationship has not been substantiated by short‐duration randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of CRC, trials do show a benefit on adenomas, a precursor to CRC. To address some of this inconsistency, we conducted dose–response meta‐analyses by sources of calcium intake, based on prospective observational studies published up to December 2013 identified from PubMed, Embase, and BIOSIS. Summary relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random‐effects model. For total calcium intake, each 300 mg/day increase was associated with an approximately 8% reduced risk of CRC (summary RR = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.89–0.95, I2 = 47%, 15 studies with 12,305 cases, intake = 250–1,900 mg/day, follow‐up = 3.3–16 years). While the risk decreased less steeply in higher range of total calcium intake (Pnon‐linearity = 0.04), the degree of curvature was mild and statistical significance of non‐linearity was sensitive to one study. For supplementary calcium, each 300 mg/day increase was associated with an approximately 9% reduced risk of CRC (summary RR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.86–0.98, I2 = 67%, six studies with 8,839 cases, intake = 0–1,150 mg/day, follow‐up = 5–10 years). The test for non‐linearity was not statistically significant (Pnon‐linearity = 0.11). In conclusion, both dietary and supplementary calcium intake may continue to decrease CRC risk beyond 1,000 mg/day. Calcium supplements and non‐dairy products fortified with calcium may serve as additional targets in the prevention of CRC. RCTs of calcium supplements with at least 10 years of follow‐up are warranted to confirm a benefit of calcium supplements on CRC risk.
Genetics of event-related brain potentials in response to a semantic priming paradigm in families with a history of alcoholism.

Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) are altered in patients with a variety of psychiatric disorders and may represent quantitative correlates of disease liability that are more amenable to genetic analysis than disease status itself. Results of a genomewide linkage screen are presented for amplitude of the N4 and P3 components of the ERP, measured at 19 scalp locations in response to a semantic priming task for 604 individuals in 100 pedigrees ascertained as part of the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism. N4 and P3 amplitudes in response to three stimuli (nonwords, primed words [i.e., antonyms], and unprimed words) all showed significant heritabilities, the highest being.54. Both N4 and P3 showed significant genetic correlations across stimulus type at a given lead and across leads within a stimulus, indicating shared genetic influences among the traits. There were also substantial genetic correlations between the N4 and P3 amplitudes for a given lead, even across stimulus type. N4 amplitudes showed suggestive evidence of linkage in several chromosomal regions, and P3 amplitudes showed significant evidence of linkage to chromosome 5 and suggestive evidence of linkage to chromosome 4.
The continuing problem of human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness)

Human African trypanosomiasis, also known as sleeping sickness, is a neglected disease, and it continues to pose a major threat to 60 million people in 36 countries in sub‐Saharan Africa. Transmitted by the bite of the tsetse fly, the disease is caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Trypanosoma and comes in two types: East African human African trypanosomiasis caused by Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense and the West African form caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense. There is an early or hemolymphatic stage and a late or encephalitic stage, when the parasites cross the blood–brain barrier to invade the central nervous system. Two critical current issues are disease staging and drug therapy, especially for late‐stage disease. Lumbar puncture to analyze cerebrospinal fluid will remain the only method of disease staging until reliable noninvasive methods are developed, but there is no widespread consensus as to what exactly defines biologically central nervous system disease or what specific cerebrospinal fluid findings should justify drug therapy for late‐stage involvement. All four main drugs used for human African trypanosomiasis are toxic, and melarsoprol, the only drug that is effective for both types of central nervous system disease, is so toxic that it kills 5% of patients who receive it. Eflornithine, alone or combined with nifurtimox, is being used increasingly as first‐line therapy for gambiense disease. There is a pressing need for an effective, safe oral drug for both stages of the disease, but this will require a significant increase in investment for new drug discovery from Western governments and the pharmaceutical industry. Ann Neurol 2008;64:116–126
Maps of Bounded Rationality : Psychology for Behavioral Economics † By D

stimuli. For example, the statements “Team A beat team B” and “Team B lost to FIGURE 3. DIFFERENTIAL ACCESSIBILITY OF STATISTICAL PROPERTIES 1453 VOL. 93 NO. 5 KAHNEMAN: MAPS OF BOUNDED RATIONALITY
Mitochondrial Genetic Background Modifies the Relationship between Traffic-Related Air Pollution Exposure and Systemic Biomarkers of Inflammation

Background Mitochondria are the main source of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Human mitochondrial haplogroups are linked to differences in ROS production and oxidative-stress induced inflammation that may influence disease pathogenesis, including coronary artery disease (CAD). We previously showed that traffic-related air pollutants were associated with biomarkers of systemic inflammation in a cohort panel of subjects with CAD in the Los Angeles air basin. Objective We tested whether air pollutant exposure-associated inflammation was stronger in mitochondrial haplogroup H than U (high versus low ROS production) in this panel (38 subjects and 417 observations). Methods Inflammation biomarkers were measured weekly in each subject (≤12 weeks), including interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), C-reactive protein, interleukin-6 soluble receptor and tumor necrosis factor-soluble receptor II. We determined haplogroup by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Air pollutants included nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), organic carbon, elemental and black carbon (EC, BC); and particulate matter mass, three size fractions (<0.25 µm, 0.25–2.5 µm, and 2.5–10 µm in aerodynamic diameter). Particulate matter extracts were analyzed for organic compounds, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and in vitro oxidative potential of aqueous extracts. Associations between exposures and biomarkers, stratified by haplogroup, were analyzed by mixed-effects models. Results IL-6 and TNF-α were associated with traffic-related air pollutants (BC, CO, NOx and PAH), and with mass and oxidative potential of quasi-ultrafine particles <0.25 µm. These associations were stronger for haplogroup H than haplogroup U. Conclusions Results suggest that mitochondrial haplogroup U is a novel protective factor for air pollution-related systemic inflammation in this small group of subjects.
Photoinitiated Polymerization of Cationic Acrylamide in Aqueous Solution: Synthesis, Characterization, and Sludge Dewatering Performance

A copolymer of acrylamide (AM) with acryloyloxyethyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (DAC) as the cationic monomer was synthesized under the irradiation of high-pressure mercury lamp with 2,2-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (V-50) as the photoinitiator. The compositions of the photoinduced copolymer were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR), ultraviolet spectra (UV), and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The effects of 6 important factors, that is, photo-initiators concentration, monomers concentration, CO(NH2)2 (urea) concentrations, pH value, mass ratio of AM to DAC, and irradiation time on the molecular weight and dissolving time, were investigated. The optimal reaction conditions were that the photo-initiators concentration was 0.3%, monomers concentration was 30 wt. %, irradiation time was 60 min, urea concentration was 0.4%, pH value was 5.0, and mass ratio of AM to DAC was 6 : 4. Its flocculation properties were evaluated with activated sludge using jar test. The zeta potential of supernatant at different cationic monomer contents was simultaneously measured. The results demonstrated the superiority of the copolymer over the commercial polyacrylamide as a flocculant.
Crystal structure of dimethomorph

In the title compound, C21H22ClNO4 [systematic name: (E)-3-(4-chlorophenyl)-3-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-1-(morpholin-4-yl)prop-2-en-1-one], which is the morpholine fungicide dimethomorph, the dihedral angles between the mean planes of the central chlorophenyl and the terminal benzene and morpholine (r.m.s. deviation = 0.2233 Å) rings are 71.74 (6) and 63.65 (7)°, respectively. In the crystal, molecules are linked via C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds and weak Cl⋯π interactions [3.8539 (11) Å], forming a three-dimensional structure.
Impact of adolescent sucrose access on cognitive control, recognition memory, and parvalbumin immunoreactivity

In this study we sought to determine the effect of daily sucrose consumption in young rats on their subsequent performance in tasks that involve the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. High levels of sugar consumption have been associated with the development of obesity, however less is known about how sugar consumption influences behavioral control and high-order cognitive processes. Of particular concern is the fact that sugar intake is greatest in adolescence, an important neurodevelopmental period. We provided sucrose to rats when they were progressing through puberty and adolescence. Cognitive performance was assessed in adulthood on a task related to executive function, a rodent analog of the Stroop task. We found that sucrose-exposed rats failed to show context-appropriate responding during incongruent stimulus compounds presented at test, indicative of impairments in prefrontal cortex function. Sucrose exposed rats also showed deficits in an on object-in-place recognition memory task, indicating that both prefrontal and hippocampal function was impaired. Analysis of brains showed a reduction in expression of parvalbumin-immunoreactive GABAergic interneurons in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, indicating that sucrose consumption during adolescence induced long-term pathology, potentially underpinning the cognitive deficits observed. These results suggest that consumption of high levels of sugar-sweetened beverages by adolescents may also impair neurocognitive functions affecting decision-making and memory, potentially rendering them at risk for developing mental health disorders.
In Vitro Triple Combination of Antifungal Drugs against Clinical Scopulariopsis and Microascus Species

ABSTRACT Broth microdilution checkerboard techniques based on the methodology of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) were employed to study the triple antifungal combination of caspofungin, posaconazole, and terbinafine against 27 clinical isolates of Scopulariopsis and Microascus species. Synergy was observed for 26 isolates, whereas antagonism was observed for Scopulariopsis candida in this study.
Religious and Spiritual Factors in Depression: Review and Integration of the Research

Depressive symptoms and religious/spiritual (R/S) practices are widespread around the world, but their intersection has received relatively little attention from mainstream mental health professionals. This paper reviews and synthesizes quantitative research examining relationships between R/S involvement and depressive symptoms or disorders during the last 50 years (1962 to 2011). At least 444 studies have now quantitatively examined these relationships. Of those, over 60% report less depression and faster remission from depression in those more R/S or a reduction in depression severity in response to an R/S intervention. In contrast, only 6% report greater depression. Of the 178 most methodologically rigorous studies, 119 (67%) find inverse relationships between R/S and depression. Religious beliefs and practices may help people to cope better with stressful life circumstances, give meaning and hope, and surround depressed persons with a supportive community. In some populations or individuals, however, religious beliefs may increase guilt and lead to discouragement as people fail to live up to the high standards of their religious tradition. Understanding the role that R/S factors play in preventing depression, facilitating its resolution, or leading to greater depression will help clinicians determine whether this is a resource or a liability for individual patients.
Ruminant milk fat plasticity: nutritional control of saturated, polyunsaturated, trans and conjugated fatty acids

After a brief survey of metabolic pathways and nutrient fluxes involved in mammary lipogenesis, this review summarises the known effects of diet on ruminant milk fat composition. Special attention is given to fatty acids that could play a positive role for human health, such as butyric acid, oleic acid, C18 to C22 polyunsaturated fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). The efficiency of the transfer of C18:2, C18:3, C20:5, C22:5 and C22:6, from the duodenum to the milk, is reviewed. The main dietary factors taken into account are the nature of forages, including pasture, and the supplementation of dairy rations with protected or unprotected vegetable or fish oils. Dose-response curves of milk CLA are reviewed for different fat supplements, as well as the non-linear relationship between milk CLA and trans C18:1. The potential of dietary factors to increase the mean CLA content in cow milk fat is about 300% above basal values. There is, however, a need to evaluate how the different feeding strategies could change the other aspects of milk fat quality.