Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adjuvant Treatment With Neuroserpin Increases the Therapeutic Window for Tissue-Type Plasminogen Activator Administration in a Rat Model of Embolic Stroke

Background—After stroke, the thrombolytic effect of tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) in the intravascular space is beneficial, whereas its extravascular effect on ischemic neurons is deleterious. We tested the hypothesis that neuroserpin, a natural inhibitor of tPA, reduces tPA-induced neuronal toxicity and increases its therapeutic window for treatment of embolic stroke. Methods and Results—Rats were subjected to embolic middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Ischemic brains were treated with neuroserpin in combination with recombinant human tPA (n=7), tPA alone (n=7), or saline (n=9). Neuroserpin (20 &mgr;L of 16 &mgr;mol/L active neuroserpin) was intracisternally injected 3 hours and tPA (10 mg/kg) was intravenously administered 4 hours after ischemia. MRI measurements were performed to study blood brain barrier (BBB) leakage and ischemic lesion volume. Administration of tPA alone 4 hours after ischemia significantly (P <0.05) increased BBB leakage in the ischemic core measured by Gd-DTPA–enhanced MRI compared with rats treated with saline. However, treatment with neuroserpin in combination with tPA significantly (P <0.05) reduced BBB leakage, brain edema, and ischemic lesion volume compared with rats treated with tPA alone, although ischemic lesion volumes were the same in both groups before the treatment. Immunostaining revealed that MCAO resulted in reduction of neuroserpin immunoreactivity in the ipsilateral hemisphere after 2 to 6 hours of ischemia. Zymographic assay showed increased plasminogen activity in areas with BBB leakage in rats treated with tPA. Conclusions—Administration of neuroserpin after stroke is neuroprotective, seemingly because it blocks the extravascular effect of tPA, leading to subsequent decrease in stroke volume and widening of the therapeutic window for the thrombolytic effect of tPA.
Sources of error in registering suicide

Sources of error theoretically possible in the registration of suicide are discussed. Using cause‐of‐death statistics for each of theNordic countries, the relative influence of the various sources of error is evaluated. Two types of sources of error are identified, one is when cause‐of‐death is registered as drowning and the other is when it is registered as “unknown”. Results have shown however, that the low probability of suicide in these cases, and consequently small numbers involved, could hardly influence differences in rates between the Nordic countries. The differences found in suicide statistics therefore reflect true differences in the frequency of suicide between these countries.
Robust and compositional verification of object capability patterns

In scenarios such as web programming, where code is linked together from multiple sources, object capability patterns (OCPs) provide an essential safeguard, enabling programmers to protect the private state of their objects from corruption by unknown and untrusted code. However, the benefits of OCPs in terms of program verification have never been properly formalized. In this paper, building on the recently developed Iris framework for concurrent separation logic, we develop OCPL, the first program logic for compositionally specifying and verifying OCPs in a language with closures, mutable state, and concurrency. The key idea of OCPL is to account for the interface between verified and untrusted code by adopting a well-known idea from the literature on security protocol verification, namely robust safety. Programs that export only properly wrapped values to their environment can be proven robustly safe, meaning that their untrusted environment cannot violate their internal invariants. We use OCPL to give the first general, compositional, and machine-checked specs for several commonly-used OCPs—including the dynamic sealing, membrane, and caretaker patterns—which we then use to verify robust safety for representative client code. All our results are fully mechanized in the Coq proof assistant.
Developmentally regulated expression and functional role of α7 integrin in the chick embryo

Integrin α7â1 is a specific cellular receptor for laminin. In the present work, we studied the distribution pattern of the α7 subunit by immunofluorescence and immunoprecipitation and the role of the integrin by blocking antibodies in early chick embryos. α7 immunoreactivity was first detectable in the neural plate during neural furrow formation (stage HH5, early neurula, Hamburger & Hamilton 1951 ) and its expression was upregulated in the neural folds during primary neurulation. The α7 expression domain spanned the entire neural tube by stage HH8 (4 somites), and was then downregulated and confined to the neuroepithelial cells in the germinal region near the lumen and the ventrolateral margins of the neural tube in embryos by the onset of stage HH17 (29 somites). Expression of α7 in the neural tube was transient suggesting that α7 functions during neural tube closure and axon guidance and may not be required for neuronal differentiation or for the maintenance of the differentiated cell types. α7 immunoreactivity was strong in the newly formed epithelial somites, although this expression was restricted only to the myotome in the mature somites. The most intense α7 immunoreactivity was detectable in the paired heart primordia and the endoderm apposing the heart primordia in embryos at stage HH8. In the developing heart, α7 immunoreactivity was: (i) intense in the myocardium; (ii) milder in the endocardial cushions of the ventricle; (iii) intense in the sinus venosus; (iv) distinct in the associated blood vessels; and (v) undetectable in the dorsal mesocardium of embryos at stage HH17. Inhibition of function of α7 by blocking antibodies showed that α7 integrin–laminin signaling may play a critical role in tissue organization of the neural plate and neural tube closure, in tissue morphogenesis of the heart tube but not in the directional migration of pre‐cardiac cells, and in somite epithelialization but not in segment formation in presomitic mesoderm. In embryos treated with α7 antibody, the formation of median somites in place of a notochord was intriguing and suggested that α7 integrin–laminin signaling may have played a role in segment re‐specification in the mesoderm.
A Methodology for Estimating Human Exposure to Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA): A Retrospective Exposure Assessment of a Community (1951–2003)

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is a persistent chemical that was recently shown to be widely distributed in the ambient environment. Because of concerns about the possible adverse health effects on persons exposed to PFOA, a retrospective exposure assessment was conducted for a population of about 50,000 persons who reside near one of the facilities where this chemical was used. No similar study of any chemical with the properties of PFOA had ever been performed; thus, several novel methods were developed and applied in this analysis. Historical records of the emissions from the facility were the basis for the estimates of the potential intake of (PFOA) by residents over the past 53 yr. Various well-accepted environmental models were dynamically combined in order to estimate the concentrations in all relevant environmental media including ambient air, surface soil, drinking water, and homegrown vegetables. Following considerable analyses, particulate deposition from facility air emissions to soil and the subsequent transfer of the chemical through the soil was determined to be the most likely source of PFOA that was detected in groundwater. The highest off-site environmental concentrations were predicted to occur about 1 mile away. For this approximately 1½ square mile area, during the time period 1951–2003, the model-estimated average air concentration was 0.2 μg/m3, the estimated surface soil concentration was 11 μg/kg, and the estimated drinking water concentration was 4 μg/L. Similar data were generated for 20 additional geographical areas around the facility. Comparison of measured PFOA concentrations in groundwater in the various water districts indicated that the models appeared to overpredict recent groundwater concentrations by a factor of 3 to 5. The predicted historical lifetime and average daily estimates of PFOA intake by persons who lived within 5 miles of the plant over the past 50 yr were about 10,000-fold less than the intake of the chemical not considered as a health risk by an independent panel of scientists who recently studied PFOA.
Cholangiolocellular Carcinoma: An Innocent-Looking Malignant Liver Tumor Mimicking Ductular Reaction

The authors present an interesting case of a 60-year-old man who underwent right hepatectomy for a diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) on a background of noncirrhotic chronic hepatitis C. Pathologic examination confirmed the presence of HCC near the porta hepatis, which invaded the right portal vein branch. In addition, a well-demarcated 13.5 × 7.8 × 4.0 cm yellow and firm area upstream of the HCC was noted. This yellow area corresponded to a tumoral ductular proliferation, which cytologically was extremely bland, but invaded portal tracts and the adjacent liver parenchyma. This tumoral proliferation mimicked ductular reaction, except that it had more anastomosing structures and was associated with abundant hyalinized fibrotic stroma. Cytologically, the tumor cells had round to oval nuclei with fine chromatin, indistinct nucleoli, and scant cytoplasm. They exhibited immunohistochemical features of hepatic progenitor cells, i.e., expressing CK7, CK19, and N-CAM; and their malignancy was supported by the p53 and Ki67 immunoreactivity. The authors concluded that the patient had cholangiolocellular carcinoma with an aggressive hepatocellular carcinoma component. Cholangiolocellular carcinoma has been reported to be associated with chronic hepatitis C viral infection and to derive from hepatic progenitor cells, which explains why hepatocellular carcinoma and/or cholangiocarcinoma component may be present.
Ageing, Cognitive Abilities and Retirement

In order to enable a burn-in test in a wafer state even if a semiconductor wafer has a number of bonding pads on every chip, bumps (15) are brought into contact with bonding pads (5c) of all chips (5b) provided on a semiconductor wafer (5), so that voltages are simultaneously applied to all chips. The bumps (15) are arranged on a translucent polyimidc film (10) in mirror image relation to the bonding pads (5c), so that the former are aligned with the latter with alignment marks (34a, 34b) through an opening (11a) and the polyimide film (10) with a light-optic microscope (13). A heater (14) is brought into dose contact with the back surface of the semiconductor wafer (5), to heat the same. Thus, potential defective chips can be screened before assembling steps, to reduce the cost. Failure analysis can be quickly performed with excellent maintenance on a process line, to improve the yield and the throughput.
Primordial Rhythmic Bursting in Embryonic Cochlear Ganglion Cells

This study examined the nature of spontaneous discharge patterns in cochlear ganglion cells in embryonic day 13 (E13) to early E17 chicken embryos (stages 39–43). Neural recordings were made with glass micropipettes. No sound-driven activity was seen for the youngest embryos (maximum intensity 107 dB sound pressure level). Ganglion cells were labeled with biotinylated dextran amine in four embryos. In two animals, primary afferents projected to hair cells in the middle region along the length of the basilar papilla in which, in one cell, the terminals occupied a neural transverse position and, in the other, a more abneural location. Statoacoustic ganglion cells showing no spontaneous activity were seen for the first time in the chicken. The proportion of “silent” cells was largest at the youngest stages (stage 39, 67%). In active cells, mean spontaneous discharge rates [9.4 ± 10.4 spikes (Sp)/sec; n = 44] were lower than rates for older embryos (19 ± 17 Sp/sec) (Jones and Jones, 2000). Embryos at stages 39–41 evidenced even lower rates (4.2 ± 5.0 Sp/sec). The most salient feature of spontaneous activity for stages 39–43 was a bursting discharge pattern in >75% of active neurons (33 of 44). Moreover, in 55% of these cells, there was a clear, slow, rhythmic bursting pattern. The proportion of cells showing rhythmic bursting was greatest at the youngest stages (39–42) and decreased to <30% at stage 43. Rate of bursting ranged from 1 to 54 bursts per minute. The presence of rhythmic bursting in cochlear ganglion cells at E13–E17 provides an explanation for the existence of such patterns in central auditory relays. The bursting patterns may serve as a patterning signal for central synaptic refinements in the auditory system during development.
Haloperoxidase Mediated Quorum Quenching by Nitzschia cf pellucida: Study of the Metabolization of N-Acyl Homoserine Lactones by a Benthic Diatom

Diatoms are known to produce a variety of halogenated compounds, which were recently shown to have a role in allelopathic interactions between competing species. The production of these compounds is linked to haloperoxidase activity. This research, has shown that this system may also be involved in diatom-bacteria interactions via the H2O2 dependent inactivation of a type of quorum sensing (QS) molecule, i.e., N-β-ketoacylated homoserine lactones (AHLs), by a natural haloperoxidase system from the benthic diatom Nitzschia cf pellucida. The AHL degradation pathway towards corresponding halogenated derivatives was elucidated via HPLC-MS analysis and the synthesis of a broad series of novel halogenated AHL analogues as reference compounds. Furthermore, their biological activity as quorum sensing modulators was directly compared and evaluated against a series of naturally occurring β-keto-AHLs. It has been demonstrated that the loss of the QS activity results from the final cleavage of the halogenated N-acyl chain of the signal molecules.
Mechanical Properties of Carotid Arteries From DOCA Hypertensive Swine

Carotid arteries from control and deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA) hypertensive swine were examined for alterations in structure and in contractile properties. Vessels were excised 7 weeks after subcutaneous implantation of the steroid and subsequent elevation in mean arterial pressure from 102 to 133 mm Hg. The carotid media was 1.8 times thicker in arteries from hypertensive animals than in arteries from control animals. This enlargement was associated with an increase in muscle mass, as the fraction of the media composed of smooth muscle cells remained unchanged. Maximal active stress induced by several agonists normalized for cell cross-sectional area was unaltered. No change was observed in sensitivity or maximal response to norepinephrine, histamine, or KC1 depolarization. Isotonic shortening rates were also comparable, as was the time course of shortening velocity to a constant afterload during tonic contractions. It is concluded that an enlargement of the carotid media develops in this model of hypertension. However, this response is not associated with detectable alterations in contractile system function.
Effect of 10 different TiO2 and ZrO2 (nano)materials on the soil invertebrate Enchytraeus crypticus

Nearly 80% of all the nano‐powders produced worldwide are metal oxides, and among these materials titanium dioxide (TiO2) is one of the most produced. Titanium dioxide's toxicity is estimated as low to soil organisms, but some studies have shown that TiO2 nanoparticles can cause oxidative stress. Additionally, it is known that TiO2 is activated by ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which can promote photocatalytic generation of reactive oxygen species, which is seldom taken into account in toxicity testing. In the present study, the authors investigated the effects of different TiO2 and zirconium materials on the soil oligochaete Enchytraeus crypticus, using exposure via soil, water, and soil:water extracts, and studied the effects combined with UV radiation. The results showed that zirconium dioxide (bulk and nano) was not toxic, whereas zirconium tetrachloride reduced enchytraeid reproduction in soil (50% effect concentration = 502 mg/kg). The TiO2 materials were also not toxic via soil exposure or under UV radiation. However, pre‐exposure to TiO2 and UV radiation via aqueous media caused a lower reproductive output post‐exposure in clean soil (20–50% less but only observed at the lowest concentration tested, 1 mg/L); that is, the effect of TiO2 in water was potentiated by the UV radiation and measurable as a decrease in reproduction in soil media. Environ Toxicol Chem 2015;34:2409–2416. © 2015 SETAC
Reticulation, divergence, and the phylogeography–phylogenetics continuum

Phylogeography, and its extensions into comparative phylogeography, have their roots in the layering of gene trees across geography, a paradigm that was greatly facilitated by the nonrecombining, fast evolution provided by animal mtDNA. As phylogeography moves into the era of next-generation sequencing, the specter of reticulation at several levels—within loci and genomes in the form of recombination and across populations and species in the form of introgression—has raised its head with a prominence even greater than glimpsed during the nuclear gene PCR era. Here we explore the theme of reticulation in comparative phylogeography, speciation analysis, and phylogenomics, and ask how the centrality of gene trees has fared in the next-generation era. To frame these issues, we first provide a snapshot of multilocus phylogeographic studies across the Carpentarian Barrier, a prominent biogeographic barrier dividing faunas spanning the monsoon tropics in northern Australia. We find that divergence across this barrier is evident in most species, but is heterogeneous in time and demographic history, often reflecting the taxonomic distinctness of lineages spanning it. We then discuss a variety of forces generating reticulate patterns in phylogeography, including introgression, contact zones, and the potential selection-driven outliers on next-generation molecular markers. We emphasize the continued need for demographic models incorporating reticulation at the level of genomes and populations, and conclude that gene trees, whether explicit or implicit, should continue to play a role in the future of phylogeography.
InGaN-based laser diodes with an estimated lifetime of longer than 10,000 hours

InGaN multi-quantum-well structure laser diodes with Al0.14Ga0. 86N/GaN modulation doped strained-layer superlattice cladding layers grown on an epitaxially laterally overgrown GaN substrate were demonstrated to have an estimated lifetime of longer than 10,000 hours under continuous-wave operation at 20 degree(s)C. The activation energy of the lifetime was estimated to be 0.5 eV. With the operating current increasing above the threshold, a self- pulsation with a high frequency of 3.5 GHz was observed.
Distinct glucose-dependent stress r esponses revealed by translational profiling in pancreatic b-cells

In pancreatic b-cells, following an acute (within 1 h) increase in glucose concentration, there are rapid changes in the expression of a large subset of proteins. The change in the expression of many of these proteins is mediated by a post-transcriptional mechanism through either increases or decreases in the rate of translation from pre-existing transcripts. These proteins, whose synthesis is rapidly upor down-regulated in response to glucose, are likely important in mounting the correct response to changes in plasma glucose concentrations. However, the vast majority of these proteins remain unidentified. Therefore, in order to identify these proteins,we analysed changes in the levels of mRNAs associated with polysomes (i.e. actively translating mRNAs) isolated from mouse insulinoma 6 cells incubated at either 0.5 or 20 mM glucose for 1 h. Changes in the levels of polysomal mRNAs in response to glucose were analysed using affymetrix oligonucleotide microarrays (translational profiling). This work revealed that, in response to a change in glucose concentration, the abundance of 313 transcripts associated with This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Society for Endo distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is prop Journal of Endocrinology (2007) 192, 179–187 0022–0795/07/0192–179 q 2007 Society for Endocrinology Printed in Great polysomes changed by more than 1.5-fold, of which the abundance of 37 changed by more than twofold. The majority of these transcripts encoded proteins associatedwithmetabolism or gene expression.More detailed analysis showed that a number of mRNAs encoding proteins associated with the induction of oxidative stress, including thioredoxin-2 and thioredoxininteracting protein were rapidly redistributed onto heavier polysomes at high glucose concentration, indicating an increase in their expression. At low glucose concentration, when the general rate of protein synthesis is low, a number of mRNAs encoding integrated stress response proteins, including ATF4 andCHOP10, associatewith heavier polysomes, indicating that their expression is up-regulated. In conclusion, translational profiling has revealed that, at either low or at high glucose concentration, b-cells rapidly increase the synthesis of a specific subset of proteins that are likely important in maintaining b-cell integrity and survival during conditions of nutritional stress. Journal of Endocrinology (2007) 192, 179–187
Assessment of Suitable Reference Genes for Quantitative Gene Expression Studies in Melon Fruits

Melon (Cucumis melo L.) is an attractive model plant for investigating fruit development because of its morphological, physiological, and biochemical diversity. Quantification of gene expression by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) with stably expressed reference genes for normalization can effectively elucidate the biological functions of genes that regulate fruit development. However, the reference genes for data normalization in melon fruits have not yet been systematically validated. This study aims to assess the suitability of 20 genes for their potential use as reference genes in melon fruits. Expression variations of these genes were measured in 24 samples that represented different developmental stages of fertilized and parthenocarpic melon fruits by qRT-PCR analysis. GeNorm identified ribosomal protein L (CmRPL) and cytosolic ribosomal protein S15 (CmRPS15) as the best pair of reference genes, and as many as five genes including CmRPL, CmRPS15, TIP41-like family protein (CmTIP41), cyclophilin ROC7 (CmCYP7), and ADP ribosylation factor 1 (CmADP) were required for more reliable normalization. NormFinder ranked CmRPS15 as the best single reference gene, and RAN GTPase gene family (CmRAN) and TATA-box binding protein (CmTBP2) as the best combination of reference genes in melon fruits. Their effectiveness was further validated by parallel analyses on the activities of soluble acid invertase and sucrose phosphate synthase, and expression profiles of their respective encoding genes CmAIN2 and CmSPS1, as well as sucrose contents during melon fruit ripening. The validated reference genes will help to improve the accuracy of gene expression studies in melon fruits.