Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Raja yoga meditation on the lipid profile of post-menopausal women.

BACKGROUND Coronary artery disease is an important cause of death and disability among older women. Modification in lipid profile lowers the risk of coronary artery disease. It is claimed that yoga and transcendental meditation have a cholesterol lowering effect. This study was designed to assess the effect of raja yoga meditation of Brahmakumaris which is very simple to practice, on serum lipids in normal Indian women. METHODS AND RESULTS 49 normal female volunteers were the subjects. They were divided into pre-menopausal (n=23) and post-menopausal (n=26) groups. They were further divided into non-meditators (who had never done any kind of meditation), short-term meditators (meditating for 6 months to 5 years) and long-term meditators (meditating for more than 5 years). Lipid profile was assessed using their respective reagent sets. Serum cholesterol, triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol in nonmeditators were significantly more in post-menopausal women as compared to pre-menopausal women. Serum cholesterol and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol were significantly lowered in both short and long term meditators as compared to non-meditators in post-menopausal women. No significant difference was observed in lipid profile in pre-menopausal women. CONCLUSION Raja yoga meditation lowered serum cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol in post-menopausal women thus reducing the risk of coronary artery disease in them.
Demonstration of a dynamic, transcription-dependent organization of pre- mRNA splicing factors in polytene nuclei

We describe the dynamic organization of pre-mRNA splicing factors in the intact polytene nuclei of the dipteran Chironomus tentans. The snRNPs and an SR non-snRNP splicing factor are present in excess, mainly distributed throughout the interchromatin. Approximately 10% of the U2 snRNP and an SR non-snRNP splicing factor are associated with the chromosomes, highly enriched in active gene loci where they are bound to RNA. We demonstrate that the splicing factors are specifically recruited to a defined gene upon induction of transcription during physiological conditions. Concomitantly, the splicing factors leave gene loci in which transcription is turned off. We also demonstrated that upon general transcription inhibition, the splicing factors redistribute from active gene loci to the interchromatin. Our findings demonstrate the dynamic intranuclear organization of splicing factors and a tight linkage between transcription and the intranuclear organization of the splicing machinery.
Collagen-embedded platelet-derived growth factor DNA plasmid promotes wound healing in a dermal ulcer model.

BACKGROUND Gene therapy has shown limited efficacy for treating congenital diseases, partly due to temporary gene expression and host immune responses. Such results suggest that gene therapy is ideal for chronic wound treatment where limited duration of target gene expression is required. This study tested the wound healing effects of topically applied platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-A or -B chain DNA plasmids embedded within a collagen lattice. MATERIALS AND METHODS Four 6-mm dermal ulcer wounds were created in the ears of young adult New Zealand White rabbits made ischemic by division of the central and rostral arteries. Wounds were treated with lyophilized collagen containing PDGF-B DNA (1.0-3.0 mg), PDGF-A DNA (1.0 mg), irrelevant DNA (1.0 mg), or collagen alone. Wounds were dressed and harvested after 10 days for measurement of granulation tissue formation, epithelialization, and wound closure. Results were evaluated with a paired two-tailed Student t test, with P values < 0.05 considered significant. RESULTS PDGF-B DNA increased new granulation tissue (NGT) formation up to 52% and epithelialization 34% compared with controls. Wound closure was increased up to threefold. At 1.0 mg DNA, PDGF-A and PDGF-B stimulated similar responses. No difference in NGT or epithelialization was seen between control groups. CONCLUSIONS PDGF DNA gene therapy is effective at accelerating wound healing in ischemic dermal ulcers and provides a viable alternative to peptide growth factor therapy.
Morphological changes, cell aggregation and cell membrane alterations caused by phorbol 12,13‐dibutyrate in human blood lymphocytes

Nanomolar concentrations of phorbol 12,13‐dibutyrate [P(Bu)2] were found to affect the morphology of human blood lymphocytes. Changes in the properties and the biochemical composition of the plasma membrane were particularly apparent. Light and electron microscopy (scanning and transmission) showed polarization of the cytoplasm, consistent with uropod formation, in the majority of the cells within 15 min of treatment. Ruffled membranes and cell‐to‐cell aggregation were observed within 2 h. Larger aggregates, long surface projections and signs of lymphocyte activation (lymphoblasts and mitotic figures) were detected after 24 and 48 h. Cell‐to‐cell aggregation was monitored by light transmission in an aggregometer and confirmed by light and electron microscopy. Aggregation occurred rapidly after the addition of the phorbol ester and was maximal within 1 h. Cells treated for 24 h formed large clumps. Only 44% of the cells remained single, compared with 97% in the untreated control. About 17% of the treated cells bound autologous untreated lymphocytes, as shown by conjugate formation between fluorescein‐labelled P(Bu)2 treated and untreated unlabelled cells. Synthesis and cell surface exposure of sialyl components were studied in untreated and 48 h P(Bu)2‐treated cells by metabolic labelling of sialic acid with the sialic‐acid‐specific precursor N‐acetyl‐[3H]‐mannosamine (ManNAc) followed by neuraminidase hydrolysis. Cells treated with P(Bu)2 for 48 h showed reduced incorporation of ManNAc and a two‐ to three‐fold reduction in neuraminidase‐releasable sialic acid, compared with untreated cells. Mild periodate oxidation followed by sodium borotritide labelling showed a 20–30% reduction in cell surface sialic acid in the phorboltreated cells. The degree of sialylation of galactosyl and N‐acetyl galactosamine residues in P(Bu)2‐treated cells, measured by galactose oxidase – sodium borotritide labelling of neuraminidase – treated versus untreated cells, showed a 15–16% reduction compared to controls. Study of glycosphingolipids showed a marked increase of [3H]‐galactose incorporation into major glycolipids with chromatographic mobilities of ceramide monohexoside, globoside, GM3, GM1, and GD1a in P(Bu)2 treated lymphocytes. There were no detectable qualitative or quantitative changes in glycoproteins, as judged by surface iodination and borotritide labelling. This suggests that the ganglioside compartment is responsible for the decreased surface sialic acid.
On the Placement of Infrastructure Overlay Nodes

Overlay routing has emerged as a promising approach to improving performance and reliability of Internet paths. To fully realize the potential of overlay routing under the constraints of deployment costs in terms of hardware, network connectivity and human effort, it is critical to carefully place infrastructure overlay nodes to balance the tradeoff between performance and resource constraints. In this paper, we investigate approaches to perform intelligent placement of overlay nodes to facilitate (i) resilient routing and (ii) TCP performance improvement. We formulate objective functions to capture application behavior: reliability and TCP performance, and develop several placement algorithms, which offer a wide range of tradeoffs in complexity and required knowledge of the client-server location and traffic load. Using simulations on synthetic and real Internet topologies, and PlanetLab experiments, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the placement algorithms and objective functions developed, respectively. We conclude that a hybrid approach combining greedy and random approaches provides the best tradeoff between computational efficiency and accuracy. We also uncover the fundamental challenge in simultaneously optimizing for reliability and TCP performance, and propose a simple unified algorithm to achieve both.
An Examination of Brain Abnormalities and Mobility in Individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease

Background: Mobility changes are concerning for elderly patients with cognitive decline. Given frail older individuals' vulnerability to injury, it is critical to identify contributors to limited mobility. Objective: To examine whether structural brain abnormalities, including reduced gray matter volume and white matter hyperintensities, would be associated with limited mobility among individuals with cognitive impairment, and to determine whether cognitive impairment would mediate this relationship. Methods: Thirty-four elderly individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease underwent neuropsychological evaluation, mobility assessment, and structural brain neuroimaging. Linear regression was conducted with predictors including gray matter volume in six regions of interest (ROI) and white matter hyperintensity (WMH) burden, with mobility measures as outcomes. Results: Lower gray matter volume in caudate nucleus was associated with slower speed on a functional mobility task. Higher cerebellar volume was also associated with slower functional mobility. White matter hyperintensity burden was not significantly associated with mobility. Conclusion: Our findings provide evidence for associations between subcortical gray matter volume and speed on a functional mobility task among cognitively impaired individuals.
Estimating the nucleotide diversity in Ceratodon purpureus (Ditrichaceae) from 218 conserved exon-primed, intron-spanning nuclear loci

Premise of the study: We developed and tested primers for 218 nuclear loci for studying population genetics, phylogeography, and genome evolution in bryophytes. Methods and Results: We aligned expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from Ceratodon purpureus to the Physcomitrella patens genome sequence, and designed primers that are homologous to conserved exons but span introns in the P. patens genome. We tested these primers on four isolates from New York, USA; Otavalo, Ecuador; and two laboratory isolates from Austria (WT4 and GG1). The median genome-wide nucleotide diversity was 0.008 substitutions/site, but the range was large (0–0.14), illustrating the among-locus heterogeneity in the species. Conclusions: These loci provide a valuable resource for finely resolved, genome-wide population genetic and species-level phylogenetic analyses of C. purpureus and its relatives.
Rich-Club Organization of the Human Connectome

The human brain is a complex network of interlinked regions. Recent studies have demonstrated the existence of a number of highly connected and highly central neocortical hub regions, regions that play a key role in global information integration between different parts of the network. The potential functional importance of these “brain hubs” is underscored by recent studies showing that disturbances of their structural and functional connectivity profile are linked to neuropathology. This study aims to map out both the subcortical and neocortical hubs of the brain and examine their mutual relationship, particularly their structural linkages. Here, we demonstrate that brain hubs form a so-called “rich club,” characterized by a tendency for high-degree nodes to be more densely connected among themselves than nodes of a lower degree, providing important information on the higher-level topology of the brain network. Whole-brain structural networks of 21 subjects were reconstructed using diffusion tensor imaging data. Examining the connectivity profile of these networks revealed a group of 12 strongly interconnected bihemispheric hub regions, comprising the precuneus, superior frontal and superior parietal cortex, as well as the subcortical hippocampus, putamen, and thalamus. Importantly, these hub regions were found to be more densely interconnected than would be expected based solely on their degree, together forming a rich club. We discuss the potential functional implications of the rich-club organization of the human connectome, particularly in light of its role in information integration and in conferring robustness to its structural core.
Influence of nanoparticle surface modification on the electrical behaviour of polyethylene nanocomposites

In this study, we present the results of the influence of surface modification of TiO2 nanoparticles on the short-term breakdown strength and space charge distribution of low-density polyethylene (LDPE). A polar silane coupling agent N-(2-aminoethyl) 3-aminopropyl-trimethoxysilane (AEAPS) was used for the nanoparticle surface modification. Despite agglomeration and a poor interface compared to untreated nanoparticles, it was found that the incorporation of polar groups onto the nanoparticle surface improved both the dielectric breakdown strength and space charge distribution as compared to samples filled with untreated nanoparticles. Microstructure studies showed that the presence of polar groups on the TiO2 nanoparticle surface did not evidently affect the degree of crystallinity, crystalline morphology (except for internal spherulitic order), and chemical structure of the polymer matrix. The improved dielectric breakdown strength was therefore concluded to be directly due to beneficial effects related to the variation of the electrical features at the particle surface due to introduction of polar groups. For the same reason, with the use of surface modified nanoparticles, formation of space charge was suppressed.
The cohomology of Koszul–Vinberg algebras

We study an intrinsic cohomology theory of Koszul? Vinberg algebras and their modules. Our results may be regarded as improvements of the attempt by Albert Nijenhuis in 1969. In particular, we completely solve a fundamental problem raised by M. Gerstenhaber. A short appendix is devoted to the relationships between our results and the pioneering work of Nijenhuis.
Critical Role of TGF-β and IL-2 Receptor Signaling in Foxp3 Induction by an Inhibitor of DNA Methylation

Under physiological conditions, CD4+ regulatory T (Treg) cells expressing the transcription factor Foxp3 are generated in the thymus [thymus-derived Foxp3+ Treg (tTregs) cells] and extrathymically at peripheral sites [peripherally induced Foxp3+ Treg (pTreg) cell], and both developmental subsets play non-redundant roles in maintaining self-tolerance throughout life. In addition, a variety of experimental in vitro and in vivo modalities can extrathymically elicit a Foxp3+ Treg cell phenotype in peripheral CD4+Foxp3- T cells, which has attracted much interest as an approach toward cell-based therapy in clinical settings of undesired immune responses. A particularly notable example is the in vitro induction of Foxp3 expression and Treg cell activity (iTreg cells) in initially naive CD4+Foxp3- T cells through T cell receptor (TCR) and IL-2R ligation, in the presence of exogenous TGF-β. Clinical application of Foxp3+ iTreg cells has been hampered by the fact that TGF-β-driven Foxp3 induction is not sufficient to fully recapitulate the epigenetic and transcriptional signature of in vivo induced Foxp3+ tTreg and pTreg cells, which includes the failure to imprint iTreg cells with stable Foxp3 expression. This hurdle can be potentially overcome by pharmacological interference with DNA methyltransferase activity and CpG methylation [e.g., by the cytosine nucleoside analog 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-aza-dC)] to stabilize TGF-β-induced Foxp3 expression and to promote a Foxp3+ iTreg cell phenotype even in the absence of added TGF-β. However, the molecular mechanisms of 5-aza-dC-mediated Foxp3+ iTreg cell generation have remained incompletely understood. Here, we show that in the absence of exogenously added TGF-β and IL-2, efficient 5-aza-dC-mediated Foxp3+ iTreg cell generation from TCR-stimulated CD4+Foxp3- T cells is critically dependent on TGF-βR and IL-2R signaling and that this process is driven by TGF-β and IL-2, which could either be FCS derived or produced by T cells on TCR stimulation. Overall, these findings contribute to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the process of Foxp3 induction and may provide a rational basis for generating phenotypically and functionally stable iTreg cells.
Identification of the Arg1086His mutation in the alpha subunit of the voltage‐dependent calcium channel (CACNA1S) in a North American family with malignant hyperthermia

Individuals from a large North American population were screened for the presence of the mutation in the α1 subunit of the voltage‐dependent calcium channel (CACNA1S) that has recently been associated with malignant hyperthermia (MH). This Arg1086His mutation was screened for in 154 MH normal (MHN) individuals and 112 MH susceptible (MHS) individuals, who were diagnosed by the North American protocol of the in vitro contracture test. PCR and restriction enzyme analysis was used to test for the mutation. The Arg1086His mutation in the CACNA1S was not found in any of the MHN individuals. In contrast, two related individuals (grandfather and grandson, father and son of the MH proband) among the MHS group exhibited this mutation. However, a third MHS individual in the same family (granddaughter, cousin of the grandson) did not exhibit this mutation. These results indicate that this mutation may be associated with MH in this family. Genetic alterations in the CACNA1S associated with MH are present in approximately 1% of this North American MHS population.
Kyanite-Andalusite Equilibrium from 700� to 800�C

The metastable kyaniteandalusite equilibrium in the Al2SiO5 system has been reversed at 700�, 750�, and 800� C at elevated water pressures, with a variety of natural and synthetic kyanites and andalusites as starting materials. Sillimanite, the stable form of Al2SiO5 under these conditions, did not appear. The value of the transition pressure at 750�C is 6.6 � 0.4 kilobars, several kilobars below pressures given by several convergent previous determinations. The Al2SiO5 pressure-temperature triple point now indicated lies far from the points found by others. The revised aluminum silicate phase diagram indicates that many rocks crystallized at lower pressures than formerly thought possible.
Cyclin A/Cdk1 modulates Plk1 activity in prometaphase to regulate kinetochore-microtubule attachment stability

The fidelity of chromosome segregation in mitosis is safeguarded by the precise regulation of kinetochore microtubule (k-MT) attachment stability. Previously, we demonstrated that Cyclin A/Cdk1 destabilizes k-MT attachments to promote faithful chromosome segregation. Here, we use quantitative phosphoproteomics to identify 156 Cyclin A/Cdk1 substrates in prometaphase. One Cyclin A/Cdk1 substrate is myosin phosphatase targeting subunit 1 (MYPT1), and we show that MYPT1 localization to kinetochores depends on Cyclin A/Cdk1 activity and that MYPT1 destabilizes k-MT attachments by negatively regulating Plk1 at kinetochores. Thus, Cyclin A/Cdk1 phosphorylation primes MYPT1 for Plk1 binding. Interestingly, priming of PBIP1 by Plk1 itself (self-priming) increased in MYPT1-depleted cells showing that MYPT1 provides a molecular link between the processes of Cdk1-dependent priming and self-priming of Plk1 substrates. These data demonstrate cross-regulation between Cyclin A/Cdk1-dependent and Plk1-dependent phosphorylation of substrates during mitosis to ensure efficient correction of k-MT attachment errors necessary for high mitotic fidelity.
Reprints Available Directly from the Publisher Photocopying Permitted by License Only Defects in Thymocyte Differentiation and Thymocyte- Stromal Interactions in the Trisomy 16 Mouse

We have examined fetal thymic development in the trisomy 16 (Ts16) mouse, which is considered to be a model for human trisomy 21, or Down Syndrome. The Ts16 thymus contains 10 to 20% of the number of lymphocytes found in a normal thymus at a comparable stage. Expression of thymocyte differentiation markers (Thy-1, CD5, CD8, CD4, CD3, and HSA) is severely affected in Ts16 fetuses aged 14-18 gestational days. When thymuses from 14-day Ts16 mice were cultured in vitro, these markers eventually reached levels of expression comparable to those seen in normal thymuses in culture. On the other hand, expression of CD44 appears to be unaffected in Ts16 thymuses in vivo, but declines in vitro relative to normal thymuses. Reconstitution of depleted thymic stroma with thymocytes showed evidence of defects in both developmental compartments.
Sialic Acid Functions in Enterovirus 70 Binding and Infection

ABSTRACT The interaction of viruses with host cell receptors is the initial step in viral infection and is an important determinant of virus host range, tissue tropism, and pathogenesis. The complement regulatory protein decay-accelerating factor (DAF/CD55) is an attachment receptor for enterovirus 70 (EV70), a member of the Picornaviridae, commonly associated with an eye infection in humans known as acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis. In early work, the EV70 receptor on erythrocytes, responsible for its hemagglutinating activity, was shown to be sensitive to neuraminidase, implying an essential role for sialic acid in virus attachment. Here, we extend these results to show that cell surface sialic acid is required for EV70 binding to nucleated cells susceptible to virus infection and that sialic acid binding is important in productive infection. Through the use of site-directed mutagenesis to eliminate the single N-linked glycosylation site of DAF and of a chimeric receptor protein in which the O-glycosylated domain of DAF was replaced by a region of the HLA-B44 molecule, a role in EV70 binding for the sialic acid residues of DAF was excluded, suggesting the existence of at least one additional, sialylated EV70-binding factor at the cell surface. Treatment of cells with metabolic inhibitors of glycosylation excluded a role for the N-linked oligosaccharides of glycoproteins but suggested that O-linked glycosylation is important for EV70 binding.
Bond Strength of Tension Lap-Splices in Full Scale Self-Compacting Concrete Beams

Twelve full-scale beam specimens (2000 × 300 × 200 mm) were tested in positive bending with the loading system designed to determine the effect of self-compacting concrete (SCC) and the diameter of reinforcement on bond-slip characteristics of tension lap-slices. The specimens of lap-splice series were tested with lap-spliced bars centred on the midspan in a region of constant positive bending. The splice length of the deformed bars was set at 310 mm in all beam specimens. This value was selected to develop a steel stress less than yield to ensure splitting mode failure in all beam specimens. The beams were cast with the 16 and 20 mm bars (the tension lap-splices) in the bottom position. The casting procedure was the same for all beams. Two types of concrete were used in the experimental programme, including normal concrete (NC), with a slump less than 68 mm, as the comparatively low-slump concrete, and SCC as an extremely high-workability concrete. The variables used in this study were the concrete type (SCC and NC) and reinforcing bar size (16 and 20 mm). It was found that as the diameter of the steel bar increased from 16 to 20 mm the bond strength decreased regardless of concrete type. Finally, although the compressive strength of concretes was almost the same and there were slight differences between the diameters of lap-spliced bars, the normalised bond strengths of the SCC mixes were about 4% higher than those of the NC mixes for both bar diameters, indicating that the reinforcing bar was completely covered by SCC due to its filling ability.