Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cloning of a Cysteine Protease Required for the Molting of Onchocerca volvulus Third Stage Larvae*

We have investigated the involvement of a cysteine protease in the development of Onchocerca volvulus fourth stage larvae (L4) by testing the effect of cysteine protease inhibitors on the survival of third stage larvae (L3), and the molting of L3 to L4 in vitro. When larvae were cultured in the presence of specific inhibitors, the peptidyl monofluoromethylketones, viability of either L3 or L4 was not affected. However, the inhibitors reduced the number of L3 that molted to L4 in vitro in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Molting was completely inhibited in the presence of 50-250 μM inhibitor. Ultrastructural examination of L3 that did not molt in the presence of inhibitors indicated that new L4 cuticle was synthesized, but there was no separation between the L3 and the L4 cuticles. The endogenous cysteine protease was detected in molting larvae after binding to labeled inhibitors, and by antibodies directed against a recombinant O. volvulus L3 cysteine protease that was cloned and expressed. The enzyme was detected in cuticle regions where the separation between the cuticles occurs in molting larvae. These studies suggest that molting and successful development of L4 depends on the expression and release of a cysteine protease.
Visual Cortical Responses to the Input from the Amblyopic Eye are Suppressed During Binocular Viewing

Amblyopia is a visual disorder caused by an anomalous early visual experience. It has been suggested that suppression of the visual input from the weaker eye might be a primary underlying mechanism of the amblyopic syndrome. However, it is still an unresolved question to what extent neural responses to the visual information coming from the amblyopic eye are suppressed during binocular viewing. To address this question we measured event-related potentials (ERP) to foveal face stimuli in amblyopic patients, both in monocular and binocular viewing conditions. The results revealed no difference in the amplitude and latency of early components of the ERP responses between the binocular and fellow eye stimulation. On the other hand, early ERP components were reduced and delayed in the case of monocular stimulation of the amblyopic eye as compared to the fellow eye stimulation or to binocular viewing. The magnitude of the amblyopic effect measured on the ERP amplitudes was comparable to that found on the fMRI responses in the fusiform face area using the same face stimuli and task conditions. Our findings showing that the amblyopic effects present on the early ERP components in the case of monocular stimulation are not manifested in the ERP responses during binocular viewing suggest that input from the amblyopic eye is completely suppressed already at the earliest stages of visual cortical processing when stimuli are viewed by both eyes.
Born to die: blood vessel regression research coming of age.

Blood vessel network formation is a pivotal process of physiologic development as well as pathological conditions such as tumor growth, diabetic retinopathy and cardiovascular diseases1,2. During neovascularization, vasculogenesis is followed by the well described process of sprouting angiogenesis, including tip cell induction and selection, sprout elongation and stalk formation, leading to the formation of a dense primary vascular network1,2. To match vessel perfusion with the local metabolic demand of the tissue, initial sprouting angiogenesis is followed by vessel pruning and maturation to form a hierarchically defined vascular network of large arteries and veins branching into smaller capillaries1,2. Although the phenomenon of vessel regression has already been described by Rouget in 18373 and further characterized by Ashton in 19614, the mechanisms of vessel pruning and the signaling pathways controlling this process are still largely undefined. (SELECT FULL TEXT TO CONTINUE)
Narratives as Prison ‘Escapes’: Power, Interaction and the co-Construction of the Female Prisoner by Incarcerated Women

As a mode of discourse and textual superstructure, narrative plays a nuclear role in construing social reality as well as in creating social identities. That is why the study of narrative is one of the most important investigations of human activity, as Roland Barthes suggested long ago. In fact, it configures the common denominator of cultures of all times and places, in such a way that the notion of a natural narratology is now widely accepted. How prevailing narratives become reified inside the prison walls and how they impact on women serving sentences is what will be explored in this paper. Through listening to and analyzing the accounts of female inmates, we will show the work of narrative as regulation, used upon the female offender’s body, primarily by the cultural and ideological subtexts that proliferate around the processes of deviance and punishment and, secondly, by the formal rules imposed from above, by the prison establishment. This does not mean, however, that narrative cannot also function as a sphere to resist the conventions, practices and procedures with which the institution fulfills certain aims. Neither can it be said that it is not a site to challenge and negotiate frameworks of thought and power relations. Actually, narratives can sprout from strategies of subversion, particularly those that are used by women against the embodiment of hegemonic norms. Drawing on focus groups and focusing on the ways in which women, throughout talk about incarceration, construct the female prisoner’s identity, we will, precisely, reveal that narratives are a powerful site to ‘escape’ both from imprisonment and from the gendered form of punishment upon which it seems to exist.
EFFICACY OF TWO CANINE DISTEMPER VACCINES IN WILD NEARCTIC RIVER OTTERS (LONTRA CANADENSIS)

Abstract: Canine distemper virus (CDV), a contagious morbillivirus, infects families in the order Carnivora, including Nearctic river otters (Lontra canadensis). As a preventative measure, vaccinations against CDV are frequently given to mustelids in captive environments. The Pennsylvania River Otter Reintroduction Project (PRORP) used wild-caught river otters to evaluate the efficacy and need for vaccinations against CDV as part of any reintroduction project. The objectives of this study were to: 1) evaluate the prevalence of exposure to CDV in wild river otters, 2) determine the immunologic response of river otters (i.e., seroconversion) after vaccination with a single (primary) vaccine dose compared to a second (booster) dose of Galaxy-D®, a modified live-virus canine distemper (CD) vaccine (MLV CDV), and 3) determine the immunologic response after being vaccinated with a primary vaccination compared to a booster dose of Fervac-D®, an MLV CDV. River otters were injected subcutaneously in the nape of the neck with their designated vaccine. Timeframes for collection of blood samples and/or injection of booster vaccines varied depending on the parameters of PRORP. Ten of the 22 river otters had positive prevaccination titer levels to CD. Both vaccines, Galaxy-D® and Fervac-D®, produced sufficient seroconversion or rise of titer levels (86% and 57%, respectively) to recommend the use of vaccines in wild river otters. Future studies are recommended to evaluate currently produced CD vaccines. Future research should also focus on the number of days required between administration of primary and booster vaccines to achieve sufficient immune response. If only a primary dose is required, then hard-release reintroduction projects for river otters could be recommended. If primary and booster vaccines are required then soft-release reintroduction projects should be recommended. Soft-release projects should include captive management periods that allow for appropriate vaccination intervals and boosters needed to maximize the probability of protection against CDV.
Static magnetic resonance imaging of the pelvic floor muscle morphology in women with stress urinary incontinence and pelvic prolapse

In a study, the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of 69 women were analyzed to define the typical MRI appearance of the pelvic floor musculature in healthy subjects (n = 20) and women with urinary incontinence (UI) and/or genitourinary prolapse (GP) (n = 49).
The contribution of the subthalamic nucleus to executive functions in rat

11 General Introduction . 12 1.1. Why the subthalamic nucleus? 13 1.2. Background . 13 1.3. Neural circuits and anatomy . 14 1.3. 1. Basal ganglia pathways . 14 1.3. 2. Functional divisions of the STN . 16 Neurochemistry of the STN . 17 1.4. Experimental animal studies of the subthalamic nucleus . 18 1.4. 1. Do STN lesions restore function or merely mask one deficit with another? 19 1.4. 2. Does the STN clear a ’response buffer’? 23 1.4. 3. Is the STN necessary for ‘stopping’ or inhibition of responses? 25 1.4. 4. Is the STN involved in attention? 27 1.5. Behavioural paradigms in the current studies . 30 1.5. 1. Reaction time tasks: Sequential Effects . 30 1.5. 2. Reaction time tasks: Race Models . 34 1.5. 3. Attentional set-shifting tasks in rats . 36 1.6. Statement of the aims of the thesis . 39 General materials and methods . 40 2.1. Animals . 41 2.2. Apparatus . 42 2.3. Training . 42 2.4. Measurements . 44 2.5. Surgery . 45 2.5. 1. Toxin . 45
Evaluation of Cefixime-Loaded Chitosan Microspheres: Analysis of Dissolution Data Using DDSolver

The objectives of this study were to fabricate cefixime-loaded chitosan microspheres with the ultimate goal of prolonging drug release and to analyze the influence of various process variables on the properties of microspheres such as mode of drug release. The cefixime-loaded chitosan microspheres were fabricated using a coacervation technique. Various process variables like volume of solvent for chitosan (glacial acetic acid), chitosan concentration, volume of phase separation agent (NaOH solution), and glutaraldehyde concentration were varied to fabricate nine different formulations. Dissolution data were evaluated using DDSolver, new software developed for the kinetic analysis of dissolution data. The microspheres were spherical, porous, and dark brown. They ranged in size from 253.13 ± 8.4 to 369.1 ± 13.7 µm, and the incorporation efficiency varied from 29.9 ± 32% to 49.3 ± 4.5%. The F5 formulation with a drug/polymer ratio of 1:3 (w/w) was the most suitable in terms of incorporation efficiency (49.3 ± 4.5%), flow characteristics (Hausner ratio = 1.4), and drug release properties. The drug release was sustained up to many hours. Fickian diffusion was the primary mode of drug release from all cefixime-loaded chitosan microsphere formulations. These results show that cefixime can be successfully microencapsulated into chitosan shells by coacervation, which is influenced significantly by formulation variables such as chitosan and glutaraldehyde concentration.
Genetic and immune factors underlying the efficacy of cetuximab and panitumumab in the treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer

Efficacy of monoclonal anti-EGFR antibodies (cetuximab, panitumumab) used in combination with chemotherapy or alone has been demonstrated in clinical trials of patients with mCRC. Both drugs block signaling EGFR pathway in malignant cells (blocking ligand binding and EGFR dimerization). Obtaining treatment responses with anti-EGFR agents is possible only in a selected subgroup of patients with mCRC. Successful treatment with cetuximab and panitumab is possible almost exclusively in patients without RAS mutations. Research on predictive value of EGFR gene copy number, PI3KCA gene mutations, P53 and PTEN, and EGFR their ligands concentrations is ongoing. Cetuximab, as IgG1 class antibody, can cause antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity against neoplasm cells, while panitumumab, as IgG2 class antibody, does not induce such effect. Therefore a potential predictor cetuximab therapy may be the presence of different polymorphic forms of the genes for receptor immunoglobulin Fc fragments: FcγRIIa and FcγRIII subclasses.
Prodromal Symptoms and Early Detection of Schizophrenia

Prodromal symptoms occurring before the first-ever onset or relapse of schizophrenia were observed a long time ago. In 1861 the pioneer of modern, scientifically oriented psychiatry, the Berlin-based psychiatrist Wilhelm Griesinger [1], described a melancholic prodromal stage that tends to precede psychosis. Kraepelin [2] described a series of ‘‘minor changes in mood, which may be recurrent or persist for weeks, months or even for years as the only premonitory signs of an imminent mental disorder’’. The main symptoms of this ‘‘stage of the prodrome’’ were ‘‘increased irritability and moodiness, restlessness, unmotivated spells of high or frequently low spirits. Further prodromal signs that can be observed frequently are absent-mindedness, lack of interest or markedly increased activity’’. Bleuler [3] called this premonitory stage latent schizophrenia and described it as characterized by irritability, introversion and eccentric behaviour. He put forward the hypothesis, later revived by Häfner [4] and Maier et al. [5], that the underlying disease process may come to a halt at any stage of its early development. Such a process ending prematurely may bring forth mild, nonpsychotic symptoms such as schizoid or schizotypal personality disorders. In the period during and following World War I research on the topic lacked in vigour, but was soon resumed by Sullivan [6] in a hope of finding reliable early prognostic indicators of psychosis as a basis for early treatment. Proceeding from a psychoanalytical–psychodynamic theory, Sullivan based his explicatory models on neurotic reaction patterns, such as hysteria, neurasthenia and obsessive–compulsive reactions. The sequence of these reaction patterns at the prodromal stage of psychosis
The Role of Attachment in Perceptions of Interparental Conflict and Behavior Problems in Middle Childhood

The current study investigated the association of interparental conflict, parent-child attachment, and children's behavior problems in middle childhood. Although the effects of interparental conflict have been studied extensively, there has been little research done in the developmental period of middle childhood. This study examined the potential mediating role of the attachment relationship between parents and children in a community sample consisting of 86 two-parent families with at least one child between the ages of 8-11. Path modeling procedures indicated that attachment security serves as a mediator between interparental conflict and child behavior problems based on child reports. In particular, child-reported attachment security to the mother significantly mediated the association between children's perceptions of threat from interparental conflict and child-reported internalizing and inattentive/hyperactive symptoms. Child-reported attachment security to the father was not a significant mediator and mediation was not supported in parent-report models. The current findings have implications for families experiencing conflict and speak to the importance of attachment in the parent-child relationship when explaining the association between instances of interparental conflict and child behavioral outcomes. In particular, parents who engage in conflict can prevent the damaging effects of that conflict by making the conflict less overt, explaining to children the reasons for the conflict, and providing children with some assurance that a secure parent-child and interparental relationship is still present, despite the conflict.
Who pays for occupational pensions ? ∗

The purpose of this paper is to estimate wage effects of occupational pensions, exploiting the introduction of mandatory occupational pensions in Norway as a source of exogenous variation in pension coverage. Various difference-in-differences models are estimated on a large sample of Norwegian private sector firms. The results indicate that on average, less than half the costs of a minimum requirement occupational pension was shifted from firms to workers in terms of lower wages, and that there are important heterogeneities with respect to the influence of local unions and central negotiations on the wage setting in different industries. JEL codes: H22, J32, J38, J50.
Städte und Urbanisierung in Afrika in historischer Perspektive - eine Skizze

Die seit Ende des Zweiten Weltkriegs rasante Urbanisierung kann als der vielleicht bedeutendste sozio-okonomische Trend auf dem afrikanischen Kontinent im 20. Jahrhundert gelten (Mabogunje 1990: 121 ). Zu Beginn des neuen Milleniums leben hier glaubt man zumindest einigen Statistiken bereits beinahe ebenso viele Menschen in Stadten wie auf dem Lande (Anderson/Rathbone 2000: 1). Halten die gegenwartigen Wachstumsraten an, werden im Jahre 2020 Afrikas Ballungsraume wie etwa Johannesburg, Lagos und Kinshasa zu den weltweit grosten urbanen Konglomeraten zahlen (UNO 1996). Das Wachstum der Stadte verlauft allerdings weitgehend auserhalb der Kontrolle von Politikern und Stadtplanern. Ungenugende Infrastruktur, fehlende Versorgung mit Sozialund anderen Dienstleistungen, mangelnde Sicherheit, unzureichender Wohnraum und hohe Arbeitslosigkeit gehoren zu den zentralen Charakteristika der afrikanischen Metropolen. Die Grosstadte sudlich der Sahara sind, sieht man von Sudafrika (Johannesburg, Kapstadt) einmal ab, auf globaler Ebene marginalisiert. Sie verfugen nicht uber die infrastrukturellen und institutionellen Voraussetzungen, um private Investitionen anzulocken, die wiederum die Beteiligung an globalen Transaktionen fordern konnten (Simon 1997). Momentan gibt es wenig Anzeichen, dass sich diese Befunde in naher Zukunft andern konnten. Afrika gehort trotz des rapiden Stadtewachstums zwar weiterhin zu den am wenigsten urbanisierten Weltregionen. Aber viele der gegenwartigen sozialen und wirtschaftlichen Probleme sudlich (und nordlich) der Sahara werden in zunehmendem Mase mit der Verstadterung in Verbindung gebracht. Dies hat sich auch in der internationalen Forschung niedergeschlagen. Noch vor zwei, drei Dekaden galt Afrika bei den meisten Wissenschaftlern Ausnahmen, auf die noch einzugehen sein wird, bestatigten diese Regel als vornehmlich landlich-agrarisch gepragter Kontinent, dessen Stadte gleichsam eine quantite negligeable, ja sogar etwas „unnaturliches" darstellten. Seit der spaten Kolonialzeit hat es zwar immer wieder Phasen intensiver akademischer Beschaftigung mit dem Themenfeld Stadt und Urbanisierung in Afrika gegeben. Doch erst seit kurzem entdecken zahlreiche afrikawissenschaftliche Disziplinen die Stadt als Arena, in der sich grundlegende gesellschaftliche Entwicklungen vollzogen und vollziehen. Der folgende kurze Essay unternimmt einen kleinen Streifzug durch die Forschungsgeschichte und stellt einige der Themen und Debatten vor, welche die afrikabezogene Stadtforschung bisher bewegten. Es versteht sich von selbst, dass an dieser Stelle keine umfassende Wurdigung aller
Oncogenic src, raf, and rasStimulate a Hypertrophic Pattern of Gene Expression and Increase Cell Size in Neonatal Rat Ventricular Myocytes*

In response to hormones and growth factors, cultured neonatal ventricular myocytes increase in profile, exhibit myofibrillogenesis, and re-express genes whose expression is normally restricted to the fetal stage of ventricular development. These include atrial natriuretic factor (ANF), β-myosin heavy chain (β-MHC), and skeletal muscle (SkM)-α-actin. By using luciferase reporter plasmids, we examined whether oncogenes that activate the extracellular signal-regulated kinase cascade (src F527, Ha-ras V12, and v-raf) increased expression of “fetal” genes. Transfection of myocytes withsrc F527 stimulated expression of ANF, SkM-α-actin, and β-MHC by 62-, 6.7-, and 50-fold, respectively, but did not induce DNA synthesis. Stimulation of ANF expression bysrc F527 was greater than by Ha-ras V12, which in turn was greater than by v-raf. General gene expression was also increased but to a lesser extent. The response to src F527 was inhibited by dominant-negative Ha-ras N17. Myocyte area was increased by src F527, Ha-ras V12, and v-raf, and although it altered myocyte morphology by causing a pseudopodial appearance,src F527 did not detectably increase myofibrillogenesis either alone or in combination with Ha-ras V12. A kinase-dead src mutant increased myocyte size to a much lesser extent thansrc F527 and also did not inhibit ANF-luciferase expression in response to phenylephrine. We conclude that members of the Src family of tyrosine kinases may be important in mediating the transcriptional changes occurring during cardiac myocyte hypertrophy and that Ras and Raf may be downstream effectors.
Structured literature image finder: Parsing text and figures in biomedical literature

The SLIF project combines text-mining and image processing to extract structured information from biomedical literature. SLIF extracts images and their captions from published papers. The captions are automatically parsed for relevant biological entities (protein and cell type names), while the images are classified according to their type (e.g., micrograph or gel). Fluorescence microscopy images are further processed and classified according to the depicted subcellular localization. The results of this process can be queried online using either a user-friendly web-interface or an XML-based web-service. As an alternative to the targeted query paradigm, SLIF also supports browsing the collection based on latent topic models which are derived from both the annotated text and the image data. The SLIF web application, as well as labeled datasets used for training system components, is publicly available at http://slif.cbi. cmu.edu.
Association between job strain and risk of incident stroke

Objective: Prospective cohort studies regarding job strain and the risk of stroke are controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the association between job strain and the risk of stroke. Methods: The PubMed, Embase, and PsycINFO databases were searched for prospective cohort studies with data on job strain and the risk of stroke. Studies were included if they reported adjusted relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of stroke from job strain. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to sex and stroke type. Results: Six prospective cohort studies comprising 138,782 participants were included. High strain jobs were associated with increased risk of stroke (RR 1.22, 95% CI 1.01–1.47) compared with low strain jobs. The result was more pronounced for ischemic stroke (RR 1.58, 95% CI 1.12–2.23). The risk of stroke was significant in women (RR 1.33, 95% CI 1.04–1.69) and nonsignificant in men (RR 1.26, 95% CI 0.69–2.27), but the difference in RRs in sex subgroups was not significant. Neither active (RR 1.07, 95% CI 0.90–1.28) nor passive (RR 1.01, 95% CI 0.86–1.18) job characteristics were associated with an increased risk of stroke compared with low strain jobs. Conclusions: Exposure to high strain jobs was associated with an increased risk of stroke, especially in women. Further studies are needed to confirm whether interventions to reduce work stress decrease the risk of stroke.