Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Context-dependent genetic benefits of polyandry in a marine hermaphrodite

Numerous studies emphasize the potential indirect (genetic) benefits of polyandry in animals with resource-free mating systems. In this paper, we examine the potential for these benefits to fuel sexual selection and polyandry in the hermaphroditic ascidian Pyura stolonifera. Individuals were designated either sire (sperm producers) or dam (egg producers) at random and crossed in a North Carolina II breeding design to produce both paternal and maternal half siblings for our quantitative genetic analysis. We then partitioned the phenotypic variance in fertilization and hatching rates into additive and non-additive variance components. We found significant additive variance attributable to sire and dam effects at fertilization and hatching, suggesting the potential for selection to favour individuals carrying intrinsically ‘good genes’ for these traits. In separate analyses involving monandrous and polyandrous clutches, we found that both traits were elevated under polyandry, but the difference in hatching rates was due entirely to the difference in fertilization rates between treatments. When the hatching rates were standardized to account for variance at fertilization, there was no overall net benefit of polyandry for this trait. Despite this, we found that hatching success declined with increasing embryo densities, and that the slope of this decline was significantly greater in monandrous than polyandrous clutches. Hence, selection on embryo viability may still favour polyandry under restricted environmental conditions. Nevertheless, our results caution against interpreting elevated hatching success as an indirect genetic benefit of polyandry when variance in fertilization is not controlled.
Photoacoustic imaging in biomedicine

Photoacoustic imaging (also called optoacoustic or thermoacoustic imaging) has the potential to image animal or human organs, such as the breast and the brain, with simultaneous high contrast and high spatial resolution. This article provides an overview of the rapidly expanding field of photoacoustic imaging for biomedical applications. Imaging techniques, including depth profiling in layered media, scanning tomography with focused ultrasonic transducers, image forming with an acoustic lens, and computed tomography with unfocused transducers, are introduced. Special emphasis is placed on computed tomography, including reconstruction algorithms, spatial resolution, and related recent experiments. Promising biomedical applications are discussed throughout the text, including (1) tomographic imaging of the skin and other superficial organs by laser-induced photoacoustic microscopy, which offers the critical advantages, over current high-resolution optical imaging modalities, of deeper imaging depth and higher absorptioncontrasts, (2) breast cancerdetection by near-infrared light or radio-frequency–wave-induced photoacoustic imaging, which has important potential for early detection, and (3) small animal imaging by laser-induced photoacoustic imaging, which measures unique optical absorptioncontrasts related to important biochemical information and provides better resolution in deep tissues than optical imaging.
Clinical Outcomes of Treatment by Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Versus Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease Undergoing Index Revascularization in Ontario

Background—There is a paucity of data on the comparative effectiveness of percutaneous coronary intervention using contemporary drug-eluting stent (DES) compared with coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery in patients with chronic kidney disease. Methods and Results—A population-based study was performed using the Cardiac Care Network, a provincial registry of all patients undergoing cardiac catheterization in Ontario, to evaluate patients treated with either percutaneous coronary intervention using DES or CABG between October 1, 2008, and September 30, 2011. Chronic kidney disease was defined as creatinine clearance <60 mL/min. A total of 1786 propensity-matched patients from 4006 patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing index revascularization for multivessel disease with either DES or isolated CABG (n=893 each group) were analyzed. Baseline and procedural characteristics between percutaneous coronary intervention and CABG groups were well-balanced, including urgent revascularization priority, diabetes mellitus, left ventricular function, and 3-vessel disease. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year Kaplan–Meier survival analyses in propensity-matched patients favored CABG (93.2% versus 89.3%; 86.6% versus 80.3%; 80.8% versus 71.5%, respectively; P<0.001). The CABG cohort had greater 1-, 2-, and 3-year freedom from major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (89.4% versus 71.2%; 81.9% versus 60.5%; 75.2% versus 51.8%, respectively; P<0.001). Cox regression analysis identified DES use to be associated with greater hazard for late mortality (hazard ratio, 1.58; 95% confidence interval, 1.32–1.90) and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (2.62; 2.28–3.01; all P<0.001). Conclusions—In this large provincial registry, CABG was associated with improved early and late clinical outcomes when compared with percutaneous coronary intervention using DES in patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing index revascularization.
Genetic Deletion of Prostacyclin IP Receptor Exacerbates Transient Global Cerebral Ischemia in Aging Mice

Transient global cerebral ischemia causes delayed neuronal death in the hippocampal CA1 region. It also induces an up regulation of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), which generates several metabolites of arachidonic acid, known as prostanoids, including Prostaglandin I2 (PGI2). The present study investigated whether the PGI2 IP receptor plays an important role in brain injury after global cerebral ischemia in aged mice. Adult young (2–3 months) and aged (12–15 months) male C57Bl/6 wild-type (WT) or IP receptor knockout (IP KO) mice underwent a 12 min bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO) or a sham surgery. Behavior tests (neurologic deficit and T-maze) were performed 3 and 7 days after BCCAO. After seven days of reperfusion, the numbers of cells positive for markers of neurons, astrocytes, microglia, myeloperoxidase (MPO) and phosphorylated CREB (p-CREB) were evaluated immunohistochemically. Interestingly, in young and aged IP KO ischemic mice, there was a significant increase (p < 0.01) in cognitive deficit, hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neuron death, microglia and MPO activation, while p-CREB was reduced as compared to their corresponding WT controls. These data suggest that following ischemia, IP receptor deletion contributes to memory and cognitive deficits regulated by the CREB pathway and that treatment with IP receptor agonists could be a useful target to prevent harmful consequences.
Robust and Accurate Closed-Loop Control of McKibben Artificial Muscle Contraction with a Linear Single Integral Action

We analyze the possibility of taking advantage of artificial muscle’s own stiffness and damping, and substituting it for a classic proportional-integral-derivative controller (PID) controller an I controller. The advantages are that there would only be one parameter to tune and no need for a dynamic model. A stability analysis is proposed from a simple phenomenological artificial muscle model. Step and sinus-wave tracking responses performed with pneumatic McKibben muscles are reported showing the practical efficiency of the method to combine accuracy and load robustness. In the particular case of the McKibben artificial muscle technology, we suggest that the dynamic performances in stability and load robustness would result from the textile nature of its braided sleeve and its internal friction which do not obey Coulomb’s third law, as verified by preliminary reported original friction experiments. Comparisons are reported between three kinds of braided sleeves made of rayon yarns, plastic, and thin metal wires, whose similar closed-loop dynamic performances are highlighted. It is also experimentally shown that a sleeve braided with thin metal wires can give high accuracy performance, in step as in tracking response. This would be due to a low static friction coefficient combined with a kinetic friction exponentially increasing with speed in accordance with hydrodynamic lubrication theory applied to textile physics.
Fluid Intelligence Allows Flexible Recruitment of the Parieto-Frontal Network in Analogical Reasoning

Fluid intelligence is the ability to think flexibly and to understand abstract relations. People with high fluid intelligence (hi-fluIQ) perform better in analogical reasoning tasks than people with average fluid intelligence (ave-fluIQ). Although previous neuroimaging studies reported involvement of parietal and frontal brain regions in geometric analogical reasoning (which is a prototypical task for fluid intelligence), however, neuroimaging findings on geometric analogical reasoning in hi-fluIQ are sparse. Furthermore, evidence on the relation between brain activation and intelligence while solving cognitive tasks is contradictory. The present study was designed to elucidate the cerebral correlates of geometric analogical reasoning in a sample of hi-fluIQ and ave-fluIQ high school students. We employed a geometric analogical reasoning task with graded levels of task difficulty and confirmed the involvement of the parieto-frontal network in solving this task. In addition to characterizing the brain regions involved in geometric analogical reasoning in hi-fluIQ and ave-fluIQ, we found that blood oxygenation level dependency (BOLD) signal changes were greater for hi-fluIQ than for ave-fluIQ in parietal brain regions. However, ave-fluIQ showed greater BOLD signal changes in the anterior cingulate cortex and medial frontal gyrus than hi-fluIQ. Thus, we showed that a similar network of brain regions is involved in geometric analogical reasoning in both groups. Interestingly, the relation between brain activation and intelligence is not mono-directional, but rather, it is specific for each brain region. The negative brain activation–intelligence relationship in frontal brain regions in hi-fluIQ goes along with a better behavioral performance and reflects a lower demand for executive monitoring compared to ave-fluIQ individuals. In conclusion, our data indicate that flexibly modulating the extent of regional cerebral activity is characteristic for fluid intelligence.
Determination of Diameter and Angulation of the Normal Common Bile Duct using Multidetector Computed Tomography

Background/Aims Common bile duct stones are associated with the extent of dilation of the common bile duct as well as its angulation. Multidetector computed tomography (MD CT) has a good resolution for the definition of the anatomical features of the common bile duct. Methods The multiplanar reformation images of 398 patients that underwent multidetector CT for the diagnosis of disorders not related to the bile duct were examined. The diameter and angulation were categorized by gender and age. Results The average diameter and angulation of the common bile duct was 6.7 mm and 132.6°. There was a statistically significant correlation between age and the common bile duct diameter. The Pearson correlation analysis for age and diameter resulted in a value of 0.415 (p<0.001). And the common bile duct (CBD) diameter in people older than 51 years of age showed a significant difference compared to the subjects younger than 50 years of age (p<0.01). However, the degree of angulation has no correlation with age. Conclusions We suggest that CBD diameters in patients more than 50 years of age can be more than 7 mm and be within normal limits.
Motor Activation During the Prediction of Nonexecutable Actions in Infants

Although it is undeniable that the motor system is recruited when people observe others’ actions, the inferences that the brain generates from motor activation and the mechanisms involved in the motor system’s recruitment are still unknown. Here, we challenged the popular hypothesis that motor involvement in action observation enables the observer to identify and predict an agent’s goal by matching observed actions with existing and corresponding motor representations. Using a novel neural indication of action prediction—sensorimotor-cortex activation measured by electroencephalography—we demonstrated that 9-month-old infants recruit their motor system whenever a context suggests an impending action, but that this recruitment is not dependent on being able to match the observed action with a corresponding motor representation. Our data are thus inconsistent with the view that action prediction depends on motor correspondence; instead, they support an alternative view in which motor activation is the result of, rather than the cause of, goal identification.
Assessing the Diagnostic Imaging needs for Five Selected Hospitals in Uganda

Introduction: Uganda has limited health resources. It is important to measure the need for imaging in order to set policy and plan for imaging services. Objectives: The first specific objective was to develop and apply four imaging needs indices on a case study basis, in five selected Ugandan hospitals. The indices were: Imaging Load (IL), Imaging Burden (IB), Type Specific Imaging Burden (TSIB), and Disease Specific Imaging Burden (DSIB). The second objective was to explore the perceptions of the patient, referring clinician, and radiologist regarding the values, meaning, and objective of imaging in patient care. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey employing triangulation methodology, conducted in 5 Ugandan hospitals over a period of 3 years during 2005 - 2008. The subjects were divided into four clusters: Obstetrics and gynecology (obs/gynae), surgery, internal medicine, and pediatrics. For the quantitative component of the study, data from case notes was used to calculate the indices. The qualitative component explored the non-measurable aspects of imaging needs from the clinician's, radiologist's, and patient's perspective. Results: A total of 1961 patient case notes were studied. The IB was 460 per 1000 hospital patients per year. The highest TSIB was for ultrasound at 232 per 1000 hospital patients per year, followed by 191 patients for general X-ray. The majority of the patients interviewed had special desires, expectations, and misconceptions. Conclusions: There is a high IB of 460 per thousand patient populations per year, mainly due to ultrasound. The majority of the patients have perceptions, misconceptions, beliefs, and values which influence the need for imaging. There is a need to address the medical and non-tangible imaging needs of the patient and to counteract imaging-related misconceptions and over-expectations. Public awareness of the value, capabilities, limitations, and adverse effects of various imaging modalities need to be addressed to ensure that the patients make informed imaging choices and readily avail themselves of interventions in situations when imaging is crucial, for example in suspected high-risk pregnancy.
Genomic responses in mouse models greatly mimic human inflammatory diseases

Significance The role of mouse models in biomedical research was recently challenged by a report that genomic responses in mouse models poorly mimic human inflammatory diseases. Here we reevaluated the same gene expression datasets used in the previous study by focusing on genes whose expression levels were significantly changed in both humans and mice. Contrary to the previous findings, the gene expression patterns in the mouse models showed extraordinarily significant correlations with those of the human conditions. Moreover, many pathways were commonly regulated by multiple conditions in humans and mice. These findings demonstrate that gene expression patterns in mouse models closely recapitulate those in human inflammatory conditions and strongly argue for the utility of mice as animal models of human disorders. The use of mice as animal models has long been considered essential in modern biomedical research, but the role of mouse models in research was challenged by a recent report that genomic responses in mouse models poorly mimic human inflammatory diseases. Here we reevaluated the same gene expression datasets used in the previous study by focusing on genes whose expression levels were significantly changed in both humans and mice. Contrary to the previous findings, the gene expression levels in the mouse models showed extraordinarily significant correlations with those of the human conditions (Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient: 0.43–0.68; genes changed in the same direction: 77–93%; P = 6.5 × 10−11 to 1.2 × 10−35). Moreover, meta-analysis of those datasets revealed a number of pathways/biogroups commonly regulated by multiple conditions in humans and mice. These findings demonstrate that gene expression patterns in mouse models closely recapitulate those in human inflammatory conditions and strongly argue for the utility of mice as animal models of human disorders.
Subsistence Farmers’ Mycotoxin Contamination Awareness in the SADC Region: Implications on Millennium Development Goal 1, 4 and 6

Abstract In this paper, the authors have explored small holder farm households’ awareness regarding the possible effects of consuming fungal infected maize and discussed the implications of the former on the achievement of Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) 1, 4 and 6 in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The implications of climate change on mycotoxin contamination of staples in SADC have been discussed with special focus on Rungwe district, Tanzania and Makhatini area, South Africa. Data collected through interviewing 260 randomly selected small holder farm households in Rungwe district and secondary data for SADC region were used. Both, primary data collected from interviews and secondary data revealed that people used fungal infected staples for food, implying that people are not fully aware of health hazards associated with the ingestion of mycotoxins. Moroever, in the 2000s minimum temperatures increased by 2 - 7 °C and 3 - 8 °C in Rungwe and Makhatini, compared to 1979 and 1975 minimum temperatures, respectively. The existence of erratic rains across the SADC was also noted. It was concluded that current weather patterns propagate fungal infections and mycotoxin contamination of staples. This, together with farm households’ unawareness of mycotoxins threaten the achievement of MDGs 1, 4 & 6 in SADC. Education and training to raise awareness of SADC smallholder farmers and consumers on mycotoxins are recommended.
Caspase-9-induced Mitochondrial Disruption through Cleavage of Anti-apoptotic BCL-2 Family Members*

Mitochondrial disruption during apoptosis results in the release of cytochrome c that forms apoptosomes with Apaf-1 and caspase-9. Activation of caspase-9 by dimerization in apoptosomes then triggers a caspase signaling cascade. In addition, other apoptosis signaling molecules released from the mitochondrion, such as apoptosis-inducing factor and endonuclease G, may induce caspase-9-independent apoptosis. To determine the signaling events induced by caspase-9, we used chemically induced dimerization for specific activation of caspase-9. We observed that caspase-9 dimerization resulted in the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and the cleavage of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, and Mcl-1. Moreover, cleavage-resistant Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, or Mcl-1 potently inhibited caspase-9-dependent loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and the release of cytochrome c. Our data suggest that a caspase-9 signaling cascade induces feedback disruption of the mitochondrion through cleavage of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, and Mcl-1.
Deregulation of microRNA expression in thyroid tumors

MicroRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) are endogenous non-coding RNAs that negatively regulate gene expression by binding to the 3′ non-coding regions of target mRNAs, resulting in their cleavage or blocking their translation. miRNAs may have an impact on cell differentiation, proliferation, and survival, and their deregulation can be inclined to diseases and cancers, including thyroid tumors. The purpose of this review is to summarize the existing findings of deregulated miRNAs in different types of thyroid tumors and to exhibit their potential target genes, especially to demonstrate those involved in tumor invasion and metastasis. In addition, new findings of circulating miRNA expression profiles, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in thyroid tumors, and the correlation of somatic mutations with deregulated miRNA expression in thyroid tumors were all included in this review.
Clentiazem Protects Against Chronic Cerebral Vasospasm in Rabbit Basilar Artery

Background and Purpose: Experiments were carried out in rabbits to determine whether clentiazem (8-chlorodiltiazem), a cerebrovascular-selective calcium channel blocker, administered 24 hours before subarachnoid hemorrhage influenced the subsequent cerebral vasospasm. Methods: Subarachnoid hemorrhage was induced by multiple injections of blood into the prepontine cisterns of 35 male New Zealand White rabbits, and clentiazem (5 mg/kg) was administered 4 times daily until sacrifice. Cerebral artery diameter was assessed in vivo by angiography. Functional features of basilar arteries were measured using conventional in vitro methodology. Results: Clentiazem reduced the angiographic narrowing seen on days 2 and 5 from 35% and 34%, respectively (sham control, 1.42±0.31 mm [n=22]), to 8% and 11%, respectively, and prevented the narrowing (32%) that occurred on day 9. Narrowing in the untreated rabbits was only partly reversed by papaverine; all narrowing in clentiazem-treated animals was papaverine sensitive. Clentiazem prevented or reduced many of the changes in the basilar artery caused by the subarachnoid hemorrhage. Of particular relevance to arterial narrowing were the increased wall stiffness, the transient spontaneous changes in wall force, and the reduction in relaxation to acetylcholine. Reduction of the changes in wall force induced by agonists and by stimulation of intramural sympathetic nerves was observed. Conclusions: The vascular damage associated with chronic cerebral vasospasm is related to calcium entry into the smooth muscle and endothelial cells, and possibly sympathetic nerve terminals, through calcium channels sensitive to clentiazem, which suggests that clentiazem may be of value in the management of chronic cerebral vasospasm.