Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Daily muscle stretching enhances blood flow, endothelial function, capillarity, vascular volume and connectivity in aged skeletal muscle

In aged rats, daily muscle stretching increases blood flow to skeletal muscle during exercise. Daily muscle stretching enhanced endothelium‐dependent vasodilatation of skeletal muscle resistance arterioles of aged rats. Angiogenic markers and capillarity increased in response to daily stretching in muscles of aged rats. Muscle stretching performed with a splint could provide a feasible means of improving muscle blood flow and function in elderly patients who cannot perform regular aerobic exercise.
In Vivo Imaging with Bioluminescent Enterovirus 71 Allows for Real-Time Visualization of Tissue Tropism and Viral Spread

ABSTRACT Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a reemerging illness caused by a variety of enteroviruses. The main causative agents are enterovirus 71 (EV71), coxsackievirus A16 (CVA16), and, most recently, coxsackievirus A6 (CVA6). Enterovirus infections can vary from asymptomatic infections to those with a mild fever and blisters on infected individuals' hands, feet, and throats to infections with severe neurological complications. Viral persistence for weeks postinfection (wpi) has also been documented by the demonstration of virus in children's stools. However, little is known about disease progression, viral spread, and tissue tropism of these viruses. These types of studies are limited because many recently developed mouse models mimic the severe neurological complications that occur in a small percentage of enterovirus infections. In the present study, we documented real-time EV71 infection in two different mouse strains by the use of in vivo imaging. Infection of BALB/c mice with a bioluminescent mouse-adapted EV71 construct (mEV71-NLuc) resulted in a lack of clinical signs of disease but in relatively high viral replication, as visualized by luminescence, for 2 wpi. In contrast, mEV71-NLuc infection of AG129 mice (alpha/beta and gamma interferon receptor deficient) showed rapid spread and long-term persistence of the virus in the brain. Interestingly, AG129 mice that survived infection maintained luminescence in the brain for up to 8 wpi. The results we present here will allow future studies on EV71 antiviral drug susceptibility, vaccine efficacy, transmissibility, and pathogenesis. IMPORTANCE We report here that a stable full-length enterovirus 71 (EV71) reporter construct was used to visualize real-time viral spread in AG129 and BALB/c mice. To our knowledge, this is the first report of in vivo imaging of infection with any member of the Picornaviridae family. The nanoluciferase (NLuc) gene, one of the smallest luciferase genes currently available, was shown to be stable in the EV71 genome for eight passages on rhabdomyosarcoma cells. Real-time visualization of EV71 infection in mice identified areas of tropism that would have been missed by traditional methods, including full characterization of EV71 replication in BALB/c mice. Additionally, the bioluminescent construct allowed for increased speed and sensitivity of cell culture assays and will allow future studies involving various degrees of enterovirus infection in mice, not just severe infections. Our data suggest that interferon plays an important role in controlling EV71 infection in the central nervous system of mice.
On Feedback Resource Allocation in Multiple-Input-Single-Output Systems Using Partial CSI Feedback

This paper studies the problem of feedback resource allocation in multiple-input-single-output (MISO) channels utilizing partial channel state information (CSI) feedback. Considering low/moderate signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs), the optimal quantizers and the feedback bit allocation maximizing the throughput are obtained in the asymptotic case where the number of feedback bits increases. Moreover, the results are utilized to derive the optimal retransmission rates in the automatic repeat request (ARQ) protocols and joint CSI-ARQ schemes are proposed for the MISO setups. We show that uniform channel amplitude quantization is asymptotically optimal in terms of throughput. Also, the optimal retransmission rates of the incremental redundancy (INR) ARQ protocols follow an arithmetic progression in the exponential domain. Under certain conditions, a MISO system using quantized CSI can be mapped to a MISO or a SISO (S: single) setup using ARQ or joint CSI-ARQ feedback in the sense that they lead to the same throughput. Finally, to maximize the throughput, the optimal number of channel direction quantization bits should be (M-1) times the number of amplitude quantization bits, where M is the number of transmit antennas.
An adaptation of astronomical image processing enables characterization and functional 3D mapping of individual sites of excitation-contraction coupling in rat cardiac muscle

In beating cardiomyocytes, synchronized localized Ca2+ transients from thousands of active excitation-contraction coupling sites (ECC couplons) comprising plasma and sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane calcium channels are important determinants of the heart's performance. Nevertheless, our knowledge about the properties of ECC couplons is limited by the lack of appropriate experimental and analysis strategies. We designed CaCLEAN to untangle the fundamental characteristics of ECC couplons by combining the astronomer's CLEAN algorithm with known properties of calcium diffusion. CaCLEAN empowers the investigation of fundamental properties of ECC couplons in beating cardiomyocytes without pharmacological interventions. Upon examining individual ECC couplons at the nanoscopic level, we reveal their roles in the negative amplitude-frequency relationship and in β-adrenergic stimulation, including decreasing and increasing firing reliability, respectively. CaCLEAN combined with 3D confocal imaging of beating cardiomyocytes provides a functional 3D map of active ECC couplons (on average, 17,000 per myocyte). CaCLEAN will further enlighten the ECC-couplon-remodelling processes that underlie cardiac diseases.
An effective approach on physical and dielectric properties of PZT- PVDF composites

The 0-3 connected ferroelectric composites made of PZT and PVDF have been examined for its different physical and dielectric properties. The standard methods presented in earlier literatures for the composite preparation have been compared to find an effective method. The distinction in the physical properties like density and porosity of the piezocomposite was studied and their SEM morphological facts are scrutinized. The dielectric constant of PZT-PVDF composite has been predicted by using standard models and the results are compared. Also the relaxation behavior of polymer at higher temperature has been justified.
Striatal fast-spiking interneurons selectively modulate circuit output and are required for habitual behavior

Habit formation is a behavioral adaptation that automates routine actions. Habitual behavior correlates with broad reconfigurations of dorsolateral striatal (DLS) circuit properties that increase gain and shift pathway timing. The mechanism(s) for these circuit adaptations are unknown and could be responsible for habitual behavior. Here we find that a single class of interneuron, fast-spiking interneurons (FSIs), modulates all of these habit-predictive properties. Consistent with a role in habits, FSIs are more excitable in habitual mice compared to goal-directed and acute chemogenetic inhibition of FSIs in DLS prevents the expression of habitual lever pressing. In vivo recordings further reveal a previously unappreciated selective modulation of SPNs based on their firing patterns; FSIs inhibit most SPNs but paradoxically promote the activity of a subset displaying high fractions of gamma-frequency spiking. These results establish a microcircuit mechanism for habits and provide a new example of how interneurons mediate experience-dependent behavior.
Findings From a Couple-Based Open Trial for Adult Anorexia Nervosa

Adult anorexia nervosa (AN) often is persistent, significantly erodes quality of life for both the patient and loved ones, and carries high medical and psychiatric comorbidity. Whereas individual psychotherapy for adult AN leads to improvement in some patients, recent findings indicate that the magnitude of improvement is limited: Only a small percentage of individuals fully recover and dropout rates are high. Thus, it is important to build upon current interventions to improve treatment response. We present results from an open trial of a couple-based intervention for adult anorexia nervosa as an adjunct treatment to standard multidisciplinary care. Twenty couples received treatment over approximately 26 weeks, including a couple-based intervention, individual CBT sessions, psychiatry visits for medication management, and nutritional counseling sessions. The results indicate that patients improved at posttest and 3-month follow-up on a variety of AN-related measures, anxiety and depression, and relationship adjustment. Partners also improved on anxiety, depression, and relationship adjustment. In an exploratory analysis, the multicomponent couple treatment intervention was benchmarked to well-conducted randomized controlled trials of individual therapy for AN; the couple intervention seems to compare favorably on AN-related measures and was associated with a lower dropout rate. In spite of methodological limitations, the findings suggest that including partners in the treatment of adult AN holds potential for bolstering treatment outcomes.
Alterations of resting‐state fMRI measurements in individuals with cervical dystonia

Cervical dystonia (CD) is a neurological disorder with typical symptoms of involuntary and abnormal movements and postures of the head. CD‐associated alterations of functional brain networks have not been well characterized. Previous studies of CD using resting‐state functional MRI (rfMRI) are limited in two aspects: (i) the analyses were not directly focused on the functional brain network related to head movement and (ii) rfMRI measurements other than functional connectivity (FC) were not investigated. The present study examined alterations of FC in CD by capitalizing on newly identified brain regions supporting isometric head rotation (Prudente et al.: J Neurosci 35 (2015) 9163–9172). In addition to FC, which only reflects inter‐regional signal synchronization, local, or intraregional alterations were also examined using rfMRI measurements of the fractional amplitude of low‐frequency fluctuations and regional homogeneity (ReHo). Finally, with alterations of different rfMRI measures identified, a support vector machine (SVM) learning algorithm was implemented for group classification. The results revealed both inter‐ (FC) and intra‐regional (ReHo) alterations extensively distributed in both cortical and subcortical structures; and common alterations of these measures were identified bilaterally in the postcentral gyrus as well as in the basal ganglia and thalamus. Of the rfMRI features examined, seven of them (four FC and three ReHo measures) survived the SVM procedure of recursive feature elimination and together provided the highest group classification accuracy of 90.6%. The present findings extend previous studies of rfMRI in CD and offer insight into the underlying pathophysiology of the disorder in relation to network dysfunction and somatosensory disturbances. Hum Brain Mapp 38:4098–4108, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Spatial Analysis of Factors Influencing Long-Term Stress in the Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos) Population of Alberta, Canada

Non-invasive measures for assessing long-term stress in free ranging mammals are an increasingly important approach for understanding physiological responses to landscape conditions. Using a spatially and temporally expansive dataset of hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) generated from a threatened grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) population in Alberta, Canada, we quantified how variables representing habitat conditions and anthropogenic disturbance impact long-term stress in grizzly bears. We characterized spatial variability in male and female HCC point data using kernel density estimation and quantified variable influence on spatial patterns of male and female HCC stress surfaces using random forests. Separate models were developed for regions inside and outside of parks and protected areas to account for substantial differences in anthropogenic activity and disturbance within the study area. Variance explained in the random forest models ranged from 55.34% to 74.96% for males and 58.15% to 68.46% for females. Predicted HCC levels were higher for females compared to males. Generally, high spatially continuous female HCC levels were associated with parks and protected areas while low-to-moderate levels were associated with increased anthropogenic disturbance. In contrast, male HCC levels were low in parks and protected areas and low-to-moderate in areas with increased anthropogenic disturbance. Spatial variability in gender-specific HCC levels reveal that the type and intensity of external stressors are not uniform across the landscape and that male and female grizzly bears may be exposed to, or perceive, potential stressors differently. We suggest observed spatial patterns of long-term stress may be the result of the availability and distribution of foods related to disturbance features, potential sexual segregation in available habitat selection, and may not be influenced by sources of mortality which represent acute traumas. In this wildlife system and others, conservation and management efforts can benefit by understanding spatial- and gender-based stress responses to landscape conditions.
Inpatient versus Outpatient Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion: A Perioperative Complication Analysis of 259,414 Patients From the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Databases

Background Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is one of the most common operations utilized to address pathology of the cervical spine. Few reports have attempted to compare complications associated with inpatient versus outpatient ACDF. Methods The Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 2001-2012 and the State Ambulatory Services Database (SASD) for New Jersey (NJ) from 2003-2012 were used for analysis. Patients receiving ACDF (defined as anterior cervical fusion (ICD-0 code=81.02) + excision of intervertebral disc (80.51)) were segmented into an inpatient group derived from the NIS, and an outpatient group derived from the NJ SASD. Patients receiving > 2 levels fused (ICD-9 codes 81.63-81.64), or surgery for cancer (ICD-9 codes 140-239), or trauma (ICD-9 codes=805.0-806.9) were excluded. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to adjust the analysis for patient age, race, sex, primary payer for care, and number of medical diagnoses. Results Of the 94,492,438 inpatients comprising the NIS from 2001-2012, 257,398 received ACDF. Of the 4,194,207 outpatients comprising the NJ SASD, 2,016 received ACDF. PSM of 10,080 patients (all 2,016 SASD and 8,064 from NIS) was performed, and subsequent analysis revealed that durotomy (P=0.001;OR=0.81), paraplegia, postoperative infection, hematoma/seroma (OR=0.14), respiratory complications, acute posthemorrhagic anemia and red blood cell transfusion (all P<0.001) were less frequent in outpatient versus inpatient ACDF (p<0.05). These results were similar to an unmatched analysis involving all of the NIS patients. Conclusion Accepting the limitations of the NIS and SASD (inability to distinguish between one and two-level fusions, no long-term follow-up, potential selection bias, disparities between inpatient and outpatient ACDF populations), these findings indicate that for 1-2 level ACDF, perioperative complications, including durotomy, paraplegia, hematoma, and acute posthemorrhagic anemia were more commonly reported following inpatient ACDF. Future studies involving outpatient analysis of several states will be necessary to determine whether these results of outpatient ACDF are applicable nationwide.
Evidence-based outcomes of holmium laser enucleation of the prostate

Purpose of review Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) has been a mainstay therapy for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) secondary to benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) for nearly 20 years. We briefly review current and sentinel publications that provide outcomes data after HoLEP. Recent findings Current literature continues to support HoLEP as a versatile and durable surgical option for men with LUTS secondary to BPH. Despite evidence supporting durable symptom relief beyond 10 years even in large prostate glands, HoLEP is still not widely available to all patients. Concerns surrounding the learning curve of the procedure, high rates of retrograde ejaculation, and transient urinary incontinence seem to persist and limit the adoption of HoLEP by established urologists and residency training programs. Summary Recent publications continue to show excellent short-term and long-term outcomes after HoLEP, in the categories of voiding function and patient satisfaction. Continued attempts to demonstrate equivalent outcomes of alternate-BPH surgical techniques are being met with renewed efforts by those performing HoLEP to demonstrate equivalent outcomes and patient safety during the learning phase of HoLEP for both mentored and self-directed surgical training.
Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibition restores Ca2+ release defects and prolongs survival in myotubularin-deficient mice

Significance Myotubular myopathy is a fatal muscle disease due to deficiency in a phosphoinositide 3-phosphatase called myotubularin. We identify critical alterations involved in the pathophysiology of the disease, and we reveal the beneficial effect of a pharmacological treatment. Specifically, we demonstrate that the disease-associated dysfunction of Ca2+ signaling is strongly heterogeneous at the subcellular level, affects the amplitude and activation kinetics of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release, and promotes a Ca2+-gated opening mode of the calcium release channels. Pharmacological inhibition of phosphoinositide 3-kinase activity substantially alleviates these functional defects and prolongs survival of myotubularin-deficient mice, suggesting a crucial role of this kinase activity in the dysfunction of Ca2+ homeostasis and a potential benefit of this therapeutic approach for the disease. Mutations in the gene encoding the phosphoinositide 3-phosphatase myotubularin (MTM1) are responsible for a pediatric disease of skeletal muscle named myotubular myopathy (XLMTM). Muscle fibers from MTM1-deficient mice present defects in excitation–contraction (EC) coupling likely responsible for the disease-associated fatal muscle weakness. However, the mechanism leading to EC coupling failure remains unclear. During normal skeletal muscle EC coupling, transverse (t) tubule depolarization triggers sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ release through ryanodine receptor channels gated by conformational coupling with the t-tubule voltage-sensing dihydropyridine receptors. We report that MTM1 deficiency is associated with a 60% depression of global SR Ca2+ release over the full range of voltage sensitivity of EC coupling. SR Ca2+ release in the diseased fibers is also slower than in normal fibers, or delayed following voltage activation, consistent with the contribution of Ca2+-gated ryanodine receptors to EC coupling. In addition, we found that SR Ca2+ release is spatially heterogeneous within myotubularin-deficient muscle fibers, with focally defective areas recapitulating the global alterations. Importantly, we found that pharmacological inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PtdIns 3-kinase) activity rescues the Ca2+ release defects in isolated muscle fibers and increases the lifespan and mobility of XLMTM mice, providing proof of concept for the use of PtdIns 3-kinase inhibitors in myotubular myopathy and suggesting that unbalanced PtdIns 3-kinase activity plays a critical role in the pathological process.
Distinct toxic interactions of TiO2 nanoparticles with four coexisting organochlorine contaminants on algae

Abstract Engineered nanoparticles are increasingly discharged into the environment. After discharge, these nanoparticles can interact with co-existing organic contaminants, resulting in a phenomena referred to as ‘joint toxicity’. This study evaluated joint toxicities of TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO2NPs) with four different (atrazine, hexachlorobenzene, pentachlorobenzene, and 3,3′,4,4′-tetrachlorobiphenyl) organochlorine contaminants (OCs) toward algae (Chlorella pyrenoidosa). The potential mechanisms underlying the joint toxicity were discussed, including TiO2NPs–OC interactions, effects of TiO2NPs and OCs on biophysicochemical properties of algae and effects of TiO2NPs and OCs on each other’s bioaccumulation in algae. The results indicate that coexposure led to a synergistic effect on the joint toxicity for TiO2NPs–atrazine, antagonistic effect for TiO2NPs–hexachlorobenzene and TiO2NPs–3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl, and an additive effect for TiO2NPs–pentachlorobenzene. There was nearly no adsorption of OCs by TiO2NPs, and the physicochemical properties of TiO2NPs were largely unaltered by the presence of OCs. However, both OCs and NPs affected the biophysicochemical properties of algal cells and thereby influenced the cell surface binding and/or internalization. TiO2NPs significantly increased the bioaccumulation of each OC. However, with the exception of atrazine, the bioaccumulation of TiO2NPs decreased when used with each OC. The distinct joint toxicity outcomes were a result of the balance between the increased toxicities of OCs (increased bioaccumulations) and the altered toxicity of TiO2NPs (bioaccumulation can either increase or decrease). These results can significantly improve our understanding of the potential environmental risks associated with NPs.
Mechanical, electrical, and melt flow properties of polyurethane elastomer/surface-modified carbon nanotube composites

Carbon nanotube-reinforced polyurethane elastomer composites were prepared by melt-mixing. Nitric acid oxidation and silanization were applied to carbon nanotube surfaces to achieve better interfacial interactions with polyurethane elastomer. Tensile and hardness tests, differential scanning calorimetry, melt flow index test, dielectric measurements, and morphological studies of composites were reported. The best results were obtained for surface-modified carbon nanotubes containing composites with lower loading levels. Addition of carbon nanotubes leads to almost two-fold increase in strain and modulus compared to pristine polyurethane elastomer. Tensile strength of composites was also improved by inclusion of carbon nanotubes. However, strength values drop down with increasing carbon nanotube content. Shore hardness increased with the inclusion of modified carbon nanotube to polyurethane elastomer while pristine carbon nanotube caused remarkable decrease in hardness of polyurethane elastomer. Relatively higher melting points and slightly lower glass transition temperatures were observed for carbon nanotube-loaded composites compared to polyurethane elastomer because of plasticizing effect of carbon nanotube. Incorparation of carbon nanotube to polyurethane elastomer matrix caused reduction in melt flow index values due to formation of agglomarates, and n the contrary, surface modifications of carbon nanotube exhibited increase in melt flow index thanks to enhanced interfacial interactions between carbon nanotube and polyurethane elastomer. Significant increase in dielectric constant of composites was observed. Better dispersion of surface modified carbon nanotubes into polyurethane elastomer was also concluded from SEM micrographs of composites.