Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Alterations in Fetal Leydig Cell Gene Expression during Fetal and Adult Development

Fetal Leydig cells (FLCs) and adult Leydig cells (ALCs) develop in the mammalian prenatal and postnatal testes, respectively. In mice, FLCs emerge in the interstitial space of the testis as early as embryonic day 12.5 and thereafter increase in number during the fetal stage. We previously established a transgenic mouse line in which FLCs are labeled with EGFP and demonstrated that the EGFP-labeled FLCs were present even in adult testes. However, the characteristics of FLCs during postnatal stages remained unclear. In the present study, a comparison of the transcriptomes of FLCs from prenatal and postnatal testes and of ALCs from adult testes revealed that FLCs gradually alter their characteristics across developmental stages and come to roughly resemble ALCs. Many cholesterogenic genes simultaneously expressed a unique alternation pattern, while many oxidative phosphorylation and β-oxidation (both mitochondrial functions) genes showed a different unique pattern. These metabolic gene expression alterations might be triggered by milieu changes, such as nutrient and oxygen supply, from the prenatal to the postnatal period.
Nordic Seas and Arctic Ocean CFC data in CARINA

Abstract. Water column data of carbon and carbon relevant hydrographic and hydrochemical parameters have been retrieved from a large number of cruises and collected into a new database called CARINA (CARbon IN the Atlantic). These data have been merged into three sets of files, one for each of the three CARINA regions; the Arctic Mediterranean Seas (AMS), the Atlantic (ATL) and the Southern Ocean (SO). The first part of the CARINA database consists of three files, one for each CARINA region, containing the original, non-adjusted cruise data sets, including data quality flags for each measurement. These data have then been subject to rigorous quality control (QC) in order to ensure highest possible quality and consistency. The data for most of the parameters included were examined in order to quantify systematic biases in the reported values, i.e. secondary quality control. Significant biases have been corrected for in the second part of the CARINA data product. This consists of three files, one for each CARINA region, which contain adjustments to the original data values based on recommendations from the CARINA QC procedures, along with calculated and interpolated values for some missing parameters. Here we present an overview of the QC of the CFC data for the AMS region, including the chlorofluorocarbons CFC-11, CFC-12 and CFC-113, as well as carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). The Arctic Mediterranean Seas is comprised of the Arctic Ocean and the Nordic Seas, and the quality control was carried out separately in these two areas. For the secondary QC of the CFCs we used a combination of tools, including the evaluation of depth profiles and CFC ratios, surface saturations and a crossover analysis. This resulted in a multiplicative adjustment of data from some cruises, while other data were flagged to be of questionable quality, which excluded them from the final data product.
Mechanisms initiating cataract formation. Proctor Lecture.

Osmotic swelling is a common feature of many cataracts. Sugar cataracts and hereditary mouse cataracts are two types in which osmotic changes play a prominent role. In sugar cataracts, the initial swelling brought about by polyol accumuation leads to an imbalance in the pump-leak equilibrium. The pump mechanism becomes unable to keep pace with the leaky membranes. The marked increases in Na and Cl eventually results in Donnan swelling. In the hereditary mouse cataract, the imbalance of the pump-leak system appears to be initiated by a deficiency of Na-K ATPase, a component of the cation pump mechanism. The inefficiency in the pump mechanism results in Na retention and osmotic swelling.
The “Island Rule” and Deep-Sea Gastropods: Re-Examining the Evidence

Background One of the most intriguing patterns in mammalian biogeography is the “island rule”, which states that colonising species have a tendency to converge in body size, with larger species evolving decreased sizes and smaller species increased sizes. It has recently been suggested that an analogous pattern holds for the colonisation of the deep-sea benthos by marine Gastropoda. In particular, a pioneering study showed that gastropods from the Western Atlantic showed the same graded trend from dwarfism to gigantism that is evident in island endemic mammals. However, subsequent to the publication of the gastropod study, the standard tests of the island rule have been shown to yield false positives at a very high rate, leaving the result open to doubt. Methodology/Principal Findings The evolution of gastropod body size in the deep sea is reexamined. Using an extended and updated data set, and improved statistical methods, it is shown that some results of the previous study may have been artifactual, but that its central conclusion is robust. It is further shown that the effect is not restricted to a single gastropod clade, that its strength increases markedly with depth, but that it applies even in the mesopelagic zone. Conclusions/Significance The replication of the island rule in a distant taxonomic group and a partially analogous ecological situation could help to uncover the causes of the patterns observed—which are currently much disputed. The gastropod pattern is evident at intermediate depths, and so cannot be attributed to the unique features of abyssal ecology.
Toll-Like Receptor 4 Promoter Polymorphisms: Common TLR4 Variants May Protect against Severe Urinary Tract Infection

Background Polymorphisms affecting Toll-like receptor (TLR) structure appear to be rare, as would be expected due to their essential coordinator role in innate immunity. Here, we assess variation in TLR4 expression, rather than structure, as a mechanism to diversify innate immune responses. Methodology/Principal Findings We sequenced the TLR4 promoter (4,3 kb) in Swedish blood donors. Since TLR4 plays a vital role in susceptibility to urinary tract infection (UTI), promoter sequences were obtained from children with mild or severe disease. We performed a case-control study of pediatric patients with asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU) or those prone to recurrent acute pyelonephritis (APN). Promoter activity of the single SNPs or multiple allelic changes corresponding to the genotype patterns (GPs) was tested. We then conducted a replication study in an independent cohort of adult patients with a history of childhood APN. Last, in vivo effects of the different GPs were examined after therapeutic intravesical inoculation of 19 patients with Escherichia coli 83972. We identified in total eight TLR4 promoter sequence variants in the Swedish control population, forming 19 haplotypes and 29 genotype patterns, some with effects on promoter activity. Compared to symptomatic patients and healthy controls, ABU patients had fewer genotype patterns, and their promoter sequence variants reduced TLR4 expression in response to infection. The ABU associated GPs also reduced innate immune responses in patients who were subjected to therapeutic urinary E. coli tract inoculation. Conclusions The results suggest that genetic variation in the TLR4 promoter may be an essential, largely overlooked mechanism to influence TLR4 expression and UTI susceptibility.
Acute effect of acrobatic jumps on different elastic platforms in the muscle response evaluated through tensiomyography

The aim of the study was to determine the changes in the muscle mechanics for the flexo-extension of the knee joint and extension of the ankle joint from a sample of 14 high-performance male gymnasts (mean ± SD: age 20.71±3.12 years; body mass 67.59±6.10 kg, height 1.73±0.05 cm). An acrobatic training protocol in three different elastic platforms: gymnastics floor, tumbling track, and trampolining, and its recovery times were compared. The contraction time, delay time, deformation of the muscle belly were evaluated and muscular response speed was calculated by Tensiomyography. The results showed different types of propensity to fatigue according to the muscle group involved (p<0.05). The greater the stiffness of the surface, the greater the muscle enhancement and the shorter post-effort recovery time. In trampolining fatigue level was higher in all muscle groups (p<0.05) and they needed more time to retrieve the baseline. The decrease of the delay and contraction time in vastus medialis (p<0.001) reflected the instability experienced in performing jumps when the training surface was changed from high to low elasticity in a short period of time. Tensiomyography allowed us to estimate the different levels of activation-enhancement at which the muscle reaches levels of fatigue, which enables training on different drive surfaces to be adapted and to evaluate the optimal recovery time for preventing joint instability.
Mixed‐method research protocol: defining and operationalizing patient‐related complexity of nursing care in acute care hospitals

AIM To define the concept of patient-related complexity of nursing care in acute care hospitals and to operationalize it in a questionnaire. BACKGROUND The concept of patient-related complexity of nursing care in acute care hospitals has not been conclusively defined in the literature. The operationalization in a corresponding questionnaire is necessary, given the increased significance of the topic, due to shortened lengths of stay and increased patient morbidity. DESIGN Hybrid model of concept development and embedded mixed-methods design. METHODS The theoretical phase of the hybrid model involved a literature review and the development of a working definition. In the fieldwork phase of 2015 and 2016, an embedded mixed-methods design was applied with complexity assessments of all patients at five Swiss hospitals using our newly operationalized questionnaire 'Complexity of Nursing Care' over 1 month. These data will be analysed with structural equation modelling. Twelve qualitative case studies will be embedded. They will be analysed using a structured process of constructing case studies and content analysis. In the final analytic phase, the quantitative and qualitative data will be merged and added to the results of the theoretical phase for a common interpretation. Cantonal Ethics Committee Zurich judged the research programme as unproblematic in December 2014 and May 2015. DISCUSSION Following the phases of the hybrid model and using an embedded mixed-methods design can reach an in-depth understanding of patient-related complexity of nursing care in acute care hospitals, a final version of the questionnaire and an acknowledged definition of the concept.
The use of vasopressors during spinal anaesthesia for caesarean section.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Hypotension remains one of the most researched subjects in obstetric anaesthesia. The purpose of this study is to review the most recent published articles on the use of vasopressors during spinal anaesthesia for caesarean section. RECENT FINDINGS Despite continued research indicating advantages of phenylephrine over ephedrine, practitioners in some countries continue to favour ephedrine. Recent research has continued to compare the two drugs with some work emerging on high-risk patients. Concern about reflexive bradycardia during phenylephrine use has led to consideration of alternatives. Norepinephrine which has mild β-adrenergic activity has been shown to have equivalent pressor activity but with less depressant effect on heart rate and cardiac output versus phenylephrine. Research continues to focus on methods of vasopressor administration. Prophylactic infusions of phenylephrine have been shown to be effective and may require less physician intervention compared with intermittent boluses. Automated computer-controlled systems have been further investigated using multiple agents and continuous noninvasive blood pressure monitoring. SUMMARY Evidence continues to support phenylephrine as the first-line vasopressor in obstetrics. However, recent research is emerging to suggest that low-dose norepinephrine may be a better alternative. Prophylactic infusions are effective and automated systems have potential for the future.
An anisotropic elastoplastic model for soft clays

The modified Cam-Clay model is only applicable for isotropically consolidated soft clay;and it cannot describe the anisotropic stress-strain behavior of anisotropically consolidated clay.A new model,which can be adopted for anisotropically consolidated soft clay,was developed here based on the modified Cam-Clay model.An anisotropic tensor and a shape parameter were introduced in the yield surface of the model.Initial value of the anisotropic tensor was determined by the initial consolidation stress state,and its evolution was described by a rotational hardening law both depending on plastic volumetric and deviatoric strain.The shape parameter enhanced the flexibility of the yield surface.Effectiveness of the model was verified by the triaxial experimental data of kaolin clay,boston Blue clay and Otaniemi clay.
Improved 5‐year prediction of all‐cause mortality by coronary CT angiography applying the CONFIRM score

Aims To investigate the long‐term performance of the CONFIRM score for prediction of all‐cause mortality in a large patient cohort undergoing coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA). Methods and results Patients with a 5‐year follow‐up from the international multicentre CONFIRM registry were included. The primary endpoint was all‐cause mortality. The predictive value of the CONFIRM score over clinical risk scores (Morise, Framingham, and NCEP ATP III score) was studied in the entire patient population as well as in subgroups. Improvement in risk prediction and patient reclassification were assessed using categorical net reclassification index (NRI) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI). During a median follow‐up period of 5.3 years, 982 (6.5%) of 15 219 patients died. The CONFIRM score outperformed the prognostic value of the studied three clinical risk scores (c‐indices: CONFIRM score 0.696, NCEP ATP III score 0.675, Framingham score 0.610, Morise score 0.606; c‐index for improvement CONFIRM score vs. NCEP ATP III score 0.650, P < 0.0001). Application of the CONFIRM score allowed reclassification of 34% of patients when compared with the NCEP ATP III score, which was the best clinical risk score. Reclassification was significant as revealed by categorical NRI (0.06 with 95% CI 0.02 and 0.10, P = 0.005) and IDI (0.013 with 95% CI 0.01 and 0.015, P < 0.001). Subgroup analysis revealed a comparable performance in a variety of patient subgroups. Conclusions The CONFIRM score permits a significantly improved prediction of mortality over clinical risk scores for >5 years after CCTA. These findings are consistent in a large variety of patient subgroups.
Doom and Boom on a Resilient Reef: Climate Change, Algal Overgrowth and Coral Recovery

Background Coral reefs around the world are experiencing large-scale degradation, largely due to global climate change, overfishing, diseases and eutrophication. Climate change models suggest increasing frequency and severity of warming-induced coral bleaching events, with consequent increases in coral mortality and algal overgrowth. Critically, the recovery of damaged reefs will depend on the reversibility of seaweed blooms, generally considered to depend on grazing of the seaweed, and replenishment of corals by larvae that successfully recruit to damaged reefs. These processes usually take years to decades to bring a reef back to coral dominance. Methodology/Principal Findings In 2006, mass bleaching of corals on inshore reefs of the Great Barrier Reef caused high coral mortality. Here we show that this coral mortality was followed by an unprecedented bloom of a single species of unpalatable seaweed (Lobophora variegata), colonizing dead coral skeletons, but that corals on these reefs recovered dramatically, in less than a year. Unexpectedly, this rapid reversal did not involve reestablishment of corals by recruitment of coral larvae, as often assumed, but depended on several ecological mechanisms previously underestimated. Conclusions/Significance These mechanisms of ecological recovery included rapid regeneration rates of remnant coral tissue, very high competitive ability of the corals allowing them to out-compete the seaweed, a natural seasonal decline in the particular species of dominant seaweed, and an effective marine protected area system. Our study provides a key example of the doom and boom of a highly resilient reef, and new insights into the variability and mechanisms of reef resilience under rapid climate change.
Effects of trastuzumab and afatinib on kinase activity in gastric cancer cell lines

The molecular mechanism of action of the HER2‐targeted antibody trastuzumab is only partially understood, and the direct effects of trastuzumab on the gastric cancer signaling network are unknown. In this study, we compared the molecular effect of trastuzumab and the HER kinase inhibitor afatinib on the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) network and the downstream‐acting intracellular kinases in gastric cancer cell lines. The molecular effects of trastuzumab and afatinib on the phosphorylation of 49 RTKs and 43 intracellular kinase phosphorylation sites were investigated in three gastric cancer cell lines (NCI‐N87, MKN1, and MKN7) using proteome profiling. To evaluate these effects, data were analyzed using mixed models and clustering. Moreover, proliferation assays were performed. Our comprehensive quantitative analysis of kinase activity in gastric cancer cell lines indicates that trastuzumab and afatinib selectively influenced the HER family RTKs. The effects of trastuzumab differed between cell lines, depending on the presence of activated HER2. The effects of trastuzumab monotherapy were not transduced to the intracellular kinase network. Afatinib alone or in combination with trastuzumab influenced HER kinases in all cell lines; that is, the effects of monotherapy and combination therapy were transduced to the intracellular kinase network. These results were confirmed by proliferation analysis. Additionally, the MET‐amplified cell line Hs746T was identified as afatinib nonresponder. The dependence of the effect of trastuzumab on the presence of activated HER2 might explain the clinical nonresponse of some patients who are routinely tested for HER2 expression and gene amplification in the clinic but not for HER2 activation. The consistent effects of afatinib on HER RTKs and downstream kinase activation suggest that afatinib might be an effective candidate in the future treatment of patients with gastric cancer irrespective of the presence of activated HER2. However, MET amplification should be taken into account as potential resistance factor.
Significant Enhancement in the Conductivity of Al-Doped Zinc Oxide thin Films for TCO Application

Nanostructured Al-doped Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films were deposited on glass substrate by chemical bath deposition (CBD) using aqueous zinc nitrate solution and subjected for different characterizations. Effect of Al3+ substitution on the properties of ZnO annealed at 400∘C was studied by XRD and UV-Vis for structural studies, SEM and TEM for surface morphology and DC four probe resistivity measurements for electrical properties. Al3+ substitution does not influence the morphology and well-known peaks related to wurtzite structure of ZnO. Electron microscopy (SEM and TEM) confirms rod shaped Al-doped ZnO nanocrystals with average width of 50nm. The optical band gap determined by UV–Visible spectroscopy was found to be in the range 3.37eV to 3.44eV. An EPR spectrum of AZO reveals peak at g=1.96 is due to shallow donors Zn interstitial. The DC electrical resistivity measurements of Al-doped ZnO show a minimum resistivity of 3.77×10−2Ω-cm. Therefore, these samples have potential use in n-type window layer in optoelectronic devices, organic solar cells, photonic crystals, photo-detectors, light emitting diodes (LEDs), gas sensors and chemical sensors.
Food-Predicting Stimuli Differentially Influence Eye Movements and Goal-Directed Behavior in Normal-Weight, Overweight, and Obese Individuals

Obese individuals have been shown to exhibit abnormal sensitivity to rewards and reward-predicting cues as for example food-associated cues frequently used in advertisements. It has also been shown that food-associated cues can increase goal-directed behavior but it is currently unknown, whether this effect differs between normal-weight, overweight, and obese individuals. Here, we investigate this question by using a Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer (PIT) task in normal-weight (N = 20), overweight (N = 17), and obese (N = 17) individuals. Furthermore, we applied eye tracking during Pavlovian conditioning to measure the participants’ conditioned response as a proxy of the incentive salience of the predicted reward. Our results show that the goal-directed behavior of overweight individuals was more strongly influenced by food-predicting cues (i.e., stronger PIT effect) than that of normal-weight and obese individuals (p < 0.001). The weight groups were matched for age, gender, education, and parental education. Eye movements during Pavlovian conditioning also differed between weight categories (p < 0.05) and were used to categorize individuals based on their fixation style into “high eye index” versus “low eye index” as well. Our main finding was that the fixation style exhibited a complex interaction with the weight category. Furthermore, we found that normal-weight individuals of the group “high eye index” had higher body mass index within the healthy range than individuals of the group “low eye index” (p < 0.001), but this relationship was not found within in the overweight or obese groups (p > 0.646). Our findings are largely consistent with the incentive sensitization theory predicting that overweight individuals are more susceptible to food-related cues than normal-weight controls. However, this hypersensitivity might be reduced in obese individuals, possibly due to habitual/compulsive overeating or differences in reward valuation.
Brood pouch-mediated polystyrene nanoparticle uptake during Daphnia magna embryogenesis

Abstract Nanoplastic debris is currently expected to be ubiquitously distributed in aquatic environments and an emerging environmental issue affecting organisms across trophic levels. While ingestion of particles receives most attention, other routes of uptake and cellular accumulation remain unexplored. Here, the planktonic filter feeder Daphnia magna was used to track routes of uptake and target tissues of polystyrene nanoparticles (PSNPs). A sublethal concentration of 5 mg L−1 fluorescent PSNPs (25 nm) was used to monitor accumulation in adult animals as well as their embryos in the open brood pouch. A time series throughout embryonic development within the brood pouch revealed accumulation of PSNP in or on lipophilic cells in the early stages of embryonic development while the embryo is still surrounded by a chorion and before the beginning of organogenesis. In contrast, PSNP particles were neither detected in the gut epithelium nor in lipid droplets in adults. An ex vivo exposure of embryos to PSNP demonstrated a similar accumulation of PSNP in or on lipophilic cells, illustrating the likelihood of brood pouch-mediated PSNP uptake by embryos. By demonstrating embryo PSNP uptake via the brood pouch, data presented here give novel insights in bioaccumulation of nanoparticles and likely other lipophilic contaminants. Since this uptake route can occur within a diverse array of aquatic organisms, this study warrants consideration of brood pouch-mediated accumulation in efforts studying the hazards and risks of nanoparticle contamination.