Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The plasminogen activator system modulates sympathetic nerve function

Sympathetic neurons synthesize and release tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA). We investigated whether t-PA modulates sympathetic activity. t-PA inhibition markedly reduced contraction of the guinea pig vas deferens to electrical field stimulation (EFS) and norepinephrine (NE) exocytosis from cardiac synaptosomes. Recombinant t-PA (rt-PA) induced exocytotic and carrier-mediated NE release from cardiac synaptosomes and cultured neuroblastoma cells; this was a plasmin-independent effect but was potentiated by a fibrinogen cleavage product. Notably, hearts from t-PA–null mice released much less NE upon EFS than their wild-type (WT) controls (i.e., a 76.5% decrease; P < 0.01), whereas hearts from plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1)–null mice released much more NE (i.e., a 275% increase; P < 0.05). Furthermore, vasa deferentia from t-PA–null mice were hyporesponsive to EFS (P < 0.0001) but were normalized by the addition of rt-PA. In contrast, vasa from PAI-1–null mice were much more responsive (P < 0.05). Coronary NE overflow from hearts subjected to ischemia/reperfusion was much smaller in t-PA–null than in WT control mice (P < 0.01). Furthermore, reperfusion arrhythmias were significantly reduced (P < 0.05) in t-PA–null hearts. Thus, t-PA enhances NE release from sympathetic nerves and contributes to cardiac arrhythmias in ischemia/reperfusion. Because the risk of arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death is increased in hyperadrenergic conditions, targeting the NE-releasing effect of t-PA may have valuable therapeutic potential.
Stimulation of p38 Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Is an Early Regulatory Event for the Cadmium-induced Apoptosis in Human Promonocytic Cells*

Pulse treatment of U-937 promonocytic cells with cadmium chloride (2 h at 200 μm) provoked apoptosis and induced a rapid phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) as well as a late phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases (ERK1/2). However, although the p38MAPK-specific inhibitor SB203580 attenuated apoptosis, the process was not affected by the ERK-specific inhibitor PD98059. The attenuation of the cadmium-provoked apoptosis by SB203580 was a highly specific effect. In fact, the kinase inhibitor did not prevent the generation of apoptosis by heat shock and camptothecin, nor the generation of necrosis by cadmium treatment of glutathione-depleted cells, nor the cadmium-provoked activation of the stress response. The generation of apoptosis was preceded by intracellular H2O2 accumulation and was accompanied by the disruption of mitochondrial transmembrane potential, both of which were inhibited by SB203580. On the other hand, the antioxidant agent butylated hydroxyanisole-inhibited apoptosis but did not prevent p38MAPK phosphorylation. In a similar manner, p38MAPK phosphorylation was not affected by the caspase inhibitors Z-VAD and DEVD-CHO, which nevertheless prevented apoptosis. These results indicate that p38MAPK activation is an early and specific regulatory event for the cadmium-provoked apoptosis in promonocytic cells.
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Poultry

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been detected in several species and animal-derived products. To determine whether MRSA is present in poultry, we sampled 50 laying hens and 75 broiler chickens. MRSA was found in some broiler chickens but no laying hens. In all samples, spa type t1456 was found.
Proliferation indexes--a comparison between cutaneous basal and squamous cell carcinomas.

AIMS: To compare differences in cell proliferation indexes and apoptotic indexes between cutaneous basal and squamous cell carcinomas, in an attempt to suggest an explanation for the differences in their biological behaviour. METHODS: Forty cases of cutaneous basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and 40 cases of moderately and well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) were retrieved from the archives. Sections, 4 microns thick, were cut from formalin fixed, paraffin wax embedded tissue in each case and stained with haematoxylin and eosin. These were then examined for mitotic and apoptotic figures per 1000 cells. Sections from the same cases were also immunostained with the mouse monoclonal antibody Ki67 (MIB1); positive nuclear staining was counted per 1000 cells. RESULTS: No significant differences were found between the mitotic indexes and apoptotic indexes in these tumours. There was, however, a significant difference in Ki67 (MIB1) staining, with greater staining in the squamous cell carcinomas. CONCLUSION: Estimation of the mitotic and apoptotic indexes did not reveal any differences between these two tumour types. The proliferation indexes, assessed by Ki67 immunostaining, did differ. This may be one of the factors underlying the more aggressive behaviour of SCC.
Differential protein modulation by ketoprofen and ibuprofen underlines different cellular response by gastric epithelium

Ketoprofen L‐lysine salt (KLS), is widely used due to its analgesic efficacy and tolerability, and L‐lysine was reported to increase the solubility and the gastric tolerance of ketoprofen. In a recent report, L‐lysine salification has been shown to exert a gastroprotective effect due to its specific ability to counteract the NSAIDs‐induced oxidative stress and up‐regulate gastroprotective proteins. In order to derive further insights into the safety and efficacy profile of KLS, in this study we additionally compared the effect of lysine and arginine, another amino acid counterion commonly used for NSAIDs salification, in control and in ethanol challenged human gastric mucosa model. KLS is widely used for the control of post‐surgical pain and for the management of pain and fever in inflammatory conditions in children and adults. It is generally well tolerated in pediatric patients, and data from three studies in >900 children indicate that oral administration is well tolerated when administered for up to 3 weeks after surgery. Since only few studies have so far investigated the effect of ketoprofen on gastric mucosa maintenance and adaptive mechanisms, in the second part of the study we applied the cMap approach to compare ketoprofen‐induced and ibuprofen‐induced gene expression profiles in order to explore compound‐specific targeted biological pathways. Among the several genes exclusively modulated by ketoprofen, our attention was particularly focused on genes involved in the maintenance of gastric mucosa barrier integrity (cell junctions, morphology, and viability). The hypothesis was further validated by Real‐time PCR.
Alpha-Recoil Effect on the Dissolution of Betafite: Rapid Natural Annealing of Radiation Damage Within A Metamict Phase

Betafite, a radioactive mineral, is the Ti-rich member of the pyrochlore group, A/sub 1-2/B/sub 2/X/sub 6/Y/sub 0-1/, (Fd3m, Z = 8), where A = Ca, Na, U, Th, REE (rare earth elements, Y, Ba, Sr, Bi, Pb; B = Nb, Ti, Ta, Zr, Sn, Fe: X = oxygen; Y = 0, OH and F. The pyrochlore structure (or structural derivatives, e.g. zirconolite in SYNROC) is a common constituent of polyphase, crystalline radioactive waste forms. Naturally occurring minerals with this structure often occur in the metamict state. Therefore, a principal concern is the effect of alpha-recoil damage on the structure and dissolution behavior of synthetic, analogue, waste-form phases which contain actinides. The authors describe the dissolution behavior of /sup 238/U, /sup 234/U, /sup 232/Th, /sup 230/Th and /sup 228/Th in betafite during leaching in a bicarbonate-carbonate solution. Results indicate enhanced leaching of recently produced alpha-recoil damage as evidenced by the more rapid dissolution rate of /sup 228/Th relative to /sup 232/Th and /sup 230/Th, and only slightly enhanced leaching of older damage as evidenced by a small increase in the dissolution rate of /sup 234/U relative to /sup 238/U. These experiments demonstrate that individual alpha-recoil tracks are preserved for some timemore » as disordered regions of higher chemical reactivity in already fully-damaged, aperiodic structures. The authors estimate an annealing time for the alpha-recoil tracks of 2000 +/- 1300 yr in the metastable, aperiodic structure. Similar alpha-recoil tracks should be formed and annealed in other aperiodic nuclear waste forms, such as borosilicate glass. « less
Neuropathological studies of synaptic connectivity in the hippocampal formation in schizophrenia

Cytoarchitectural changes in the hippocampal formation have been prominent among the various neuropathological abnormalities reported in schizophrenia. Replicated positive findings include decreased neuronal size and alterations in presynaptic and dendritic markers. These findings, in the absence of neurodegenerative changes, suggest that there are alterations in the neural circuitry in schizophrenia. These may represent the anatomical correlate of the aberrant functional connectivity described in neuroimaging studies, which in turn contributes to the psychotic and cognitive symptomatology of the disorder. The identity of the affected hippocampal circuits remains unclear; there is evidence for both glutamatergic and GABAergic involvement, and perhaps for a gradient of pathology in which changes are most apparent in CA4 and the subiculum, and least in CA1. The data, their interpretation, and their limitations are discussed, with particular emphasis upon molecular and immunological studies of synaptic protein gene expression. Hippocampus 2001;11:508–519. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Salmon and Salmon Feed : Global Differences and Bioaccumulation

Concentrations of 160 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners or congener groups were determined in approximately 600 farmed Atlantic salmon from around the world and wild (ocean-caught) Pacific salmon from the Northeast Pacific. Concentrations and PCB congener profiles were analyzed to provide insight into the sources and uptake of PCBs in salmon as well as regional differences. Although total PCB concentrations in wild salmon appeared to be correlated to total lipid content, the increased proportion of total lipids in the farmed salmon could not account for the much greater PCB concentrations. We investigated the PCB congener patterns of hundreds of salmon samples using principal component analysis to further illuminate regional and species differences. Three major PCB patterns were observed, in most wild fish (except British Columbia and Oregon chinook), in farmed fish from the Atlantic, and in most farmed fish from the Pacific. The PCB congener profiles of farmed salmon often closely corresponded to a sample of commercial feed purchased in the same region, indicating that the feed is likely to be the major source of PCBs for farmed salmon. In such cases where PCB profiles in fish and feed were similar, a comparison of congener concentrations in fish and the feed showed that the majority of congeners, with some notable exceptions, were bioaccumulative to the same extent, irrespective of physical properties.
Role of Interleukin-2 and Herpes Simplex Virus 1 in Central Nervous System Demyelination in Mice

ABSTRACT We have reported previously that ocular infection of different strains of mice with recombinant herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) constitutively expressing interleukin-2 (IL-2) provokes central nervous system (CNS) demyelination and optic neuropathy, as determined by changes in visual evoked cortical potentials and pathological changes in the optic nerve and CNS, whereas recombinant viruses expressing IL-4, gamma interferon, IL-12p35, IL-12p40, or IL-12p70 do not induce this neuropathy. The goal of this study was to dissect the mechanism underlying the interplay between the immune system (elevation of IL-2) and an environmental factor (infection with HSV-1) that elicits this pathology. Similar results were obtained upon delivery of IL-2 into the mouse brain using osmotic minipumps or injection of mice with recombinant IL-2 protein, IL-2 DNA, or IL-2 synthetic peptides prior to infection with wild-type (wt) HSV-1 strains McKrae and KOS. The critical role of IL-2 is further supported by our data, indicating that a single mutation at position T27A in IL-2 completely blocks the HSV-1-induced pathology. This study shows a novel model of autoimmunity in which viral infection and enhanced IL-2 cause CNS demyelination.
Association of genetic variation at the β‐fibrinogen gene locus and plasma fibrinogen evels; interaction between allele frequency of the G/A‐455polymorphism, age and smoking

The β‐fibrinogen G/A‐455 polymorphism genotype along with plasma fibrinogen levels was determined in 482 healthy middle‐aged men, of whom 231 were smokers. Smokers had the highest plasma fibrinogen levels (2.92 g/1), ex‐smokers the next (2.73 g/1), and never‐smokers the lowest levels (2.66 g/1, P < 0.001). Those with one or two A‐455 alleles had significantly higher plasma fibrinogen levels in never‐smokers and ex‐smokers (8.2% and 9.0%, respectively, P < 0.05), and the effect was larger in younger men (45 < 55 years, 11.6%, P = 0.002) than older men (> 65 years, 4.5%, NS), and was not significant in smokers (2.4%, P > 0.05). Allele frequencies were calculated and compared across age groups and between smokers and non‐smokers. The difference in frequency of the A‐455 allele between smokers and non‐smokers varied significantly with age (P < 0.01), with the frequency of the A‐455 allele being significantly lower in smokers than in non‐smokers in subjects aged > 65 years (P < 0.05), but not in younger men. This demonstrates an interaction between age, smoking and allele frequency of the G/A‐455 polymorphism in this population‐based sample.
Is Search-Based Unit Test Generation Research Stuck in a Local Optimum?

Research in search-based unit test generation has seen steady development in recent years. New techniques and tools have been developed, and empirical evidence has been collected on the wide-ranging capabilities of search-based algorithms for unit test generation, and for many related software engineering practices. But why are developers not generating all their tests automatically yet in practice? In this paper, we argue that there may be deceiving local optima in the research landscape on search-based unit test generation, and we outline specific challenges and opportunities to escape these local optima.
NUTRITIONAL SELECTION IN HERMANN ’ S TORTOISE , TESTUDO HERMANNI , IN MONTENEGRO AND CROATIA

Introduction Information on the composition of natural diets in animals can provide insight into a species’ role in an ecosystem and contribute to effective captive husbandry and breeding programmes. Under natural conditions, a critical aspect of nutritional behaviour is the level of energy expended to access food resources, which may vary depending on whether a species is a dietary generalist or specialist. For example, in herbivorous reptiles a generalist feeder will usually select a range of plants to satisfy overall dietary requirements, whilst a specialist may have to forage widely for a more limited food plant range (review in Stephens & Krebs, 1986). Additionally, herbivores must also be aware of plants that contain toxic substances, which if consumed, at the very least, may impose costs for digestion (Freeland & Janzen, 1974). Such plants are usually avoided but this is not always the case, particularly if they contain essential nutrients (Zahorik & Haupt, 1977). Foraging theory has sought to explain dietary behaviour in animals, but was concerned mainly with insectivorous lizards and birds (MacArthur & Pianka, 1966) – it is less easily applied to herbivorous tortoises, where diets are more in terms of selection of a mixture of nutrients. However, one of the advantages of the theory is that it allows predictions to be tested in a somewhat subjective area of ecology and enables insight into interspecific differences in dietary behaviour. The nutritional behaviour of Hermann’s tortoise Testudo hermanni has received limited attention in field studies, particularly in respect to defining the degree of dietary specialisation or generalisation. The purpose of this paper is to provide baseline information on dietary selection and test for dietary strategy.
Optical and electric properties of aluminum-gallium doped zinc oxide for transparent conducting film

The well-known indium-tin-oxide is not suitable for solar cell, because of the chemical reduction, even without any hydrogen dilution. The inexpensive and non-toxic of transparent conducting Aluminum and Gallium doped ZnO (AZO and GZO) thin films have been investigated for the substitutes for the indium-tin-oxide thin films. AZO performs high transmittance at visible region, however, higher resistance than GZO. In this study, AZO and GZO composed film (GAZO) will be fabricated using DC magnetron co-sputtering deposition system to achieve lower resistance than AZO and higher transmittance than GZO. The optical and electric properties of different thickness of GAZO such as transmittance, reflection, carrier concentration, Hall mobility, and resistivity will be measured and analyzed.
Individual-Level Predictors for HIV Testing Among Antenatal Attendees in Lusaka, Zambia

Despite the availability of antiretroviral prophylaxis, roughly one-fifth of public-sector antenatal patients decline HIV testing in Lusaka, Zambia. We administered a survey to determine individual-level predictors of HIV testing. Of 1064 antenatal attendees approached after pretest counseling, 1060 (>99%) participated. Of these, 686 (65%) agreed to HIV testing. On bivariate analysis controlling for clinic of attendance, women younger than 20 years old (adjusted RR [ARR] = 1.14), unmarried (ARR = 1.14), pregnant for the first time (ARR = 1.14), with lower educational attainment (ARR = 1.15), and with lower income (ARR = 1.14) were all more likely to undergo testing. When HIV risk was considered, women with low self-perceived risk were most likely to undergo HIV testing. As risk perception increased, likelihood for testing decreased (P for trend < 0.001). Although not statistically predictive, we identified prevalent community beliefs that may act as barriers to testing. Because individual-level characteristics were only weakly predictive of HIV testing, future work should concentrate on community-level factors.
A GaN Nanowire-Based Photodetector With Ag Nanowires as Transparent Electrodes

The fabrication and the characterization of a fully nanowire-based UV photodetector are reported. The photodetector consists of the transparent top electrode of very-long Ag nanowires and the active region of GaN nanowires. The photocurrent increases by 1400 times when the photodetector is illuminated by a xenon lamp, attributing to the high crystal quality of GaN nanowires and the Schottky contact of GaN nanowires with Ag nanowires. The adsorbed molecules and the dangling bonds on the surface of the GaN nanowires increase the recombination rate of photogenerated holes and shorten the photoresponse time of the photodetector in air than those in vacuum. The detector is most responsive at 350 nm, but shows less sensitivity to a wavelength around 300 nm due to the absorption of Ag nanowires.
Object-oriented classification and application in land use classification using SPOT-5 PAN imagery

High-resolution remotely sensed data have been actively employed in urban land use/cover. Object-oriented classification techniques based on image segmentation are being actively studied in the high-resolution image process and interpretation to extract a variety of thematic information. Different from the pixel-based image analysis, the processing of the object-oriented method is based on image object or segment, not single pixel. The object-oriented classification includes two consecutive processes. An image is subdivided into separated regions according to the spectral and spatial heterogeneity in the image segmentation process. Then the objects are assigned to a specific class according to the class's detailed description in the image classification process. As a case study, the study area is a pail of the planning Beijing Olympic Games Cottage, which has changed greatly with the advent of the year of 2008. The panchromatic SPOT-5 image in August of 2002 is segmented and these segments then are classified to hierarchically linked objects by the eCognition software. The overall classification accuracy is up to 87%
Time-Course Gene Set Analysis for Longitudinal Gene Expression Data

Gene set analysis methods, which consider predefined groups of genes in the analysis of genomic data, have been successfully applied for analyzing gene expression data in cross-sectional studies. The time-course gene set analysis (TcGSA) introduced here is an extension of gene set analysis to longitudinal data. The proposed method relies on random effects modeling with maximum likelihood estimates. It allows to use all available repeated measurements while dealing with unbalanced data due to missing at random (MAR) measurements. TcGSA is a hypothesis driven method that identifies a priori defined gene sets with significant expression variations over time, taking into account the potential heterogeneity of expression within gene sets. When biological conditions are compared, the method indicates if the time patterns of gene sets significantly differ according to these conditions. The interest of the method is illustrated by its application to two real life datasets: an HIV therapeutic vaccine trial (DALIA-1 trial), and data from a recent study on influenza and pneumococcal vaccines. In the DALIA-1 trial TcGSA revealed a significant change in gene expression over time within 69 gene sets during vaccination, while a standard univariate individual gene analysis corrected for multiple testing as well as a standard a Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) for time series both failed to detect any significant pattern change over time. When applied to the second illustrative data set, TcGSA allowed the identification of 4 gene sets finally found to be linked with the influenza vaccine too although they were found to be associated to the pneumococcal vaccine only in previous analyses. In our simulation study TcGSA exhibits good statistical properties, and an increased power compared to other approaches for analyzing time-course expression patterns of gene sets. The method is made available for the community through an R package.
Familiar Other-Race Faces Show Normal Holistic Processing and are Robust to Perceptual Stress

Other-race individuals are remembered more poorly and receive less holistic/configural processing than same-race individuals, at least when faces are novel. Here, we examine the amelioration of these effects with familiarity, using distinctiveness-matched Caucasian and Asian stimulus sets. We confirmed a cross-race deficit for upright faces following a single encoding trial, which disappeared rapidly with practice on a small set of other-race ‘friends’ and did not re-emerge when perceptual processing was put under stress (presentation in the periphery). We also examined holistic/configural processing for familiarised faces using the peripheral inversion effect (McKone, 2004 Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition 30 181 – 197). A test for faces and nonface objects (dogs) confirmed the validity of this technique as providing a direct measure of holistic processing; we then showed that, after 1 h of training, holistic processing was as strong for other-race as same-race faces. We conclude that practice with other-race individuals can rapidly engage normal face-processing mechanisms.