Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Culture and Characterization of Microglia from the Adult Murine Retina

Purpose. To develop a protocol for isolating and culturing murine adult retinal microglia and to characterize the phenotype and function of the cultured cells. Method. Retinal single-cell suspensions were prepared from adult MF1 mice. Culture conditions including culture medium, growth factors, seeding cell density, and purification of microglia from the mixed cultures were optimised. Cultured retinal microglial cells were phenotyped using the surface markers CD45, CD11b, and F4/80. Their ability to secrete proinflammatory cytokines in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation was examined using cytometric bead array (CBA) assay. Results. Higher yield was obtained when retinal single-cell suspension was cultured at the density of 0.75 × 106 cells per cm2 in Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium (DMEM)/F12 + Glutamax supplement with 20% fetal calf serum (FCS) and 20% L929 supernatant. We identified day 10 to be the optimum day of microglial isolation. Over 98% of the cells isolated were positive for CD45, CD11b, and F4/80. After stimulating with LPS they were able to secrete proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and TNF-α and express CD86, CD40, and MHC-II. Conclusion. We have developed a simple method for isolating and culturing retinal microglia from adult mice.
Temporal sequence and cell cycle cues in the assembly of host factors at the yeast 2 micron plasmid partitioning locus

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae 2 micron plasmid exemplifies a benign but selfish genome, whose stability approaches that of the chromosomes of its host. The plasmid partitioning locus STB (stability locus) displays certain functional analogies with centromeres along with critical distinctions, a significant one being the absence of the kinetochore complex at STB. The remodels the structure of chromatin (RSC) chromatin remodeling complex, the nuclear motor Kip1, the histone H3 variant Cse4 and the cohesin complex associate with both loci. These factors appear to contribute to plasmid segregation either directly or indirectly through their roles in chromosome segregation. Assembly and disassembly of the plasmid-coded partitioning proteins Rep1 and Rep2 and host factors at STB follow a temporal hierarchy during the cell cycle. Assembly is initiated by STB association of [Rsc8-Rsc58], followed by [Rep1-Rep2-Kip1] and [Cse4-Rsc2-Sth1] recruitment, and culminates in cohesin assembly. Disassembly starts with dissociation of RSC components, is followed by cohesin disassembly and Cse4 exit during anaphase and late telophase, respectively. [Rep1-Rep2-Kip1] persists through G1 of the ensuing cell cycle. The de novo assembly of the ‘partitioning complex’ is cued by the innate cell cycle clock and is dependent on DNA replication. Shared functional attributes of STB and centromere (CEN) are consistent with a potential evolutionary link between them.
Electric road systems : Strategic stepping stone on the way towards sustainable freight transport?

Electrification of the transport sector has been pointed out as a key factor for tackling some of today’s main challenges, such as global warming, air pollution, and eco-system degradation. While numerous studies have investigated the potential of electrifying passenger transport, less focus has been on how road freight transport could be powered in a sustainable future. This study looks at Electric Road Systems (ERS) in comparison to the current diesel system. The Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development was used to assess whether ERS could be a stepping stone on the way towards sustainability. Strategic life-cycle assessment was applied, scanning each life-cycle phase for violations against basic sustainability principles. Resulting sustainability “hot spots” were quantified with traditional life-cycle assessment. The results show that, if powered by renewable energy, ERS have a potential to decrease the environmental impact of freight transport considerably. Environmental payback times of less than five years are achievable if freight traffic volumes are sufficiently high. However, some severe violations against sustainability principles were identified. Still, ERS could prove to be a valuable part of the solution, as they drastically decrease the need for large batteries with high cost and sustainability impact, thereby catalyzing electrification and the transition towards sustainable freight transport.
Game Over: Empirical Support for Soccer Bets Regulation

In many countries, betting in sports is highly regulated. In Germany, however, there are current debates whether regulation should be loosened. A crucial part of the argument is that sport bets could be qualified as ‘games of skill’ that are considered to be less dangerous by German Law than ‘games of chance’, and are thus assumed to need less regulation. We explore this hypothesis in three incentivized online studies on soccer betting (N=214) and provide evidence against two crucial parts of this argument. First, we show that there are no overall effects of skill on accuracy in soccer bets and monetary earnings do not increase with skill. Hence, soccer betting cannot be considered a game of skill. Second, we show that soccer betting induces strong overconfidence and illusion of control, particularly for people who assume they have high skill, and that these biases lead to increased betting. Cognitive biases that might cause financial harm for bettors or even lead to problematic or pathological gambling behavior are even stronger for soccer bets compared to bets on the outcome of lotteries. Concerning the main aims of legal regulation for gambling in German law, our results strongly speak for regulation of soccer bets.
How have our clocks evolved? Adaptive and demographic history of the out-of-African dispersal told by polymorphic loci in circadian genes

ABSTRACT The mechanism of the molecular circadian clocks is currently understood as a transcription/translation feedback loop involving more than ten genes. Genetic variation at some of loci in these genes has been shaped by adaptation to environmental factors. In particular, latitudinal clines in allele frequency were documented in several animal species, but the contradictory conclusions were drawn from the results of rare human studies. Here we tested whether the out-of-African dispersal of human populations to higher latitudes of the Eurasian continent was associated with latitude-dependent shifts in allele frequency at polymorphic loci in genes of three (reference, circadian and skin pigmentation) groups. In order to detect the genetics-based signatures left by latitude-driven adaptation and to distinguish them from the confounding effects of population demographic history, we analyzed allele frequencies in 1594 individuals from 5 African and 11 Eurasian populations of the 1000 Genomes Project Phase 3. Up to 80 polymorphisms with global minor allele frequency > 0.2 were sampled from each of 36 genes (1665 polymorphisms in total). As expected, percentage of polymorphisms demonstrating both significantly enlarged differentiation of Eurasian populations on allele frequency and significant correlation between latitude and allele frequency was significantly higher in pigmentation genes compared to circadian genes and in circadian genes compared to reference genes. We also showed that the latitude-driven adaptation can be separated from genetic consequences of demographic perturbations by comparison of results obtained for the whole set of 16 African and Eurasian populations with results for only Eurasian populations that share the common demographic history. The revealed latitudinal clines in allele frequency seemed to be shaped by polygenic selection occurring by small allele frequency shifts spread across many loci in circadian and non-circadian genes. The present results provided a rationale for necessity to facilitate candidate gene studies by prioritizing genetic markers of chronotype.
The sec6/8 Complex Is Located at Neurite Outgrowth and Axonal Synapse-Assembly Domains

The molecules that specify domains on the neuronal plasma membrane for the delivery and accumulation of vesicles during neurite outgrowth and synapse formation are unknown. We investigated the role of the sec6/8 complex, a set of proteins that specifies vesicle targeting sites in yeast and epithelial cells, in neuronal membrane trafficking. This complex was found in layers of developing rat brain undergoing synaptogenesis. In cultured hippocampal neurons, the sec6/8 complex was present in regions of ongoing membrane addition: the tips of growing neurites, filopodia, and growth cones. In young axons, the sec6/8 complex was also confined to periodic domains of the plasma membrane. The distribution of synaptotagmin, synapsin1, sec6, and FM1–43 labeling in cultured neurons suggested that the plasma membrane localization of the sec6/8 complex preceded the arrival of synaptic markers and was downregulated in mature synapses. We propose that the sec6/8 complex specifies sites for targeting vesicles at domains of neurite outgrowth and potential active zones during synaptogenesis.
A Novel Form of Chondrocyte Stress is Triggered by a COMP Mutation Causing Pseudoachondroplasia

Pseudoachondroplasia (PSACH) results from mutations in cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) and the p.D469del mutation within the type III repeats of COMP accounts for approximately 30% of PSACH. To determine disease mechanisms of PSACH in vivo, we introduced the Comp D469del mutation into the mouse genome. Mutant animals were normal at birth but grew slower than their wild‐type littermates and developed short‐limb dwarfism. In the growth plates of mutant mice chondrocyte columns were reduced in number and poorly organized, while mutant COMP was retained within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of cells. Chondrocyte proliferation was reduced and apoptosis was both increased and spatially dysregulated. Previous studies on COMP mutations have shown mutant COMP is co‐localized with chaperone proteins, and we have reported an unfolded protein response (UPR) in mouse models of PSACH‐MED (multiple epiphyseal dysplasia) harboring mutations in Comp (T585M) and Matn3, Comp etc (V194D). However, we found no evidence of UPR in this mouse model of PSACH. In contrast, microarray analysis identified expression changes in groups of genes implicated in oxidative stress, cell cycle regulation, and apoptosis, which is consistent with the chondrocyte pathology. Overall, these data suggest that a novel form of chondrocyte stress triggered by the expression of mutant COMP is central to the pathogenesis of PSACH. Hum Mutat 33:218–231, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Preparation Factors and Menstrual Attitudes of Pre- and Postmenarcheal Girls

This article reports data from a study of 859 premenarcheal and 1,013 postmenarcheal girls residing in a large western Canadian city. Separate pre- and postmenarcheal forms of the AMAQ, a menstrual attitude scale that is relevant to age and experience, were developed and used to assess the relationship between menstrual status, age, a number of preparation factors, and menstrual attitudes.A MANOVA test was significant at the . 01 level, supporting the role of menstrual preparation factors in positively shaping menstrual attitudes, although the data indicated that the impact of the various preparation variables were not the same across specific menstrual attitudes. Results with respect to preparation and symptom attitudes revealed a negative rather than a positive relationship. Results are discussed in terms of the implications for the redesign of menstrual education programs, and the role sexuality educators from a variety of professional preparations can play in assuring that these programs are relevant t.
Neurons in the primate superior colliculus coding for arm movements in gaze-related coordinates.

In the intermediate and deep layers of the superior colliculus (SC), a well-established oculomotor structure, a substantial population of cells is involved in the control of arm movements. To examine the reference frame of these neurons, we recorded in two rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) the discharges of 331 neurons in the SC and the underlying mesencephalic reticular formation (MRF) while monkeys reached to the same target location during different gaze orientations. For 65 reach-related cells with sufficient data and for simultaneously recorded electromyograms (EMGs) of 11 arm muscles, we calculated an ANOVA (factors: target position, gaze angle) and a gaze-dependency (GD) index. EMGs and the activity of many (60%) of the reach-related neurons were not influenced by the target representation on the retina or eye position. We refer to these as "gaze-independent" reach neurons. For 40%, however, the GD fell outside the range of the muscle modulation, and the ANOVA showed a significant influence of gaze. These "gaze-related" reach neurons discharge only when the monkey reaches for targets having specific coordinates in relation to the gaze axis, i.e., for targets in a gaze-related "reach movement field" (RMF). Neuronal activity was not modulated by the specific path of the arm movement, the muscle pattern that is necessary for its realization or the arm that was used for the reach. In each SC we found gaze-related neurons with RMFs both in the contralateral and in the ipsilateral hemifield. The topographical organization of the gaze-related reach neurons in the SC could not be matched with the well-known visual and oculomotor maps. Gaze-related neurons were more modulated in their strength of activity with different directions of arm movements than were gaze-independent reach neurons. Gaze-related reach neurons were recorded at a median depth of 2.03 mm below SC surface in the intermediate layers, where they overlap with saccade-related burst neurons (median depth: 1.55 mm). Most of the gaze-independent reach cells were found in a median depth of 4.01 mm below the SC surface in the deep layers and in the underlying MRF. The gaze-related reach neurons operating in a gaze-centered coordinate system could signal either the desired target position with respect to gaze direction or the motor error between gaze axis and reach target. The gaze-independent reach neurons, possibly operating in a shoulder- or arm-centered reference frame, might carry signals closer to motor output. Together these two types of reach neurons add evidence to our hypothesis that the SC is involved in the sensorimotor transformation for eye-hand coordination in primates.
Genetic and ‘cultural’ similarity in wild chimpanzees

The question of whether animals possess ‘cultures’ or ‘traditions’ continues to generate widespread theoretical and empirical interest. Studies of wild chimpanzees have featured prominently in this discussion, as the dominant approach used to identify culture in wild animals was first applied to them. This procedure, the ‘method of exclusion,’ begins by documenting behavioural differences between groups and then infers the existence of culture by eliminating ecological explanations for their occurrence. The validity of this approach has been questioned because genetic differences between groups have not explicitly been ruled out as a factor contributing to between-group differences in behaviour. Here we investigate this issue directly by analysing genetic and behavioural data from nine groups of wild chimpanzees. We find that the overall levels of genetic and behavioural dissimilarity between groups are highly and statistically significantly correlated. Additional analyses show that only a very small number of behaviours vary between genetically similar groups, and that there is no obvious pattern as to which classes of behaviours (e.g. tool-use versus communicative) have a distribution that matches patterns of between-group genetic dissimilarity. These results indicate that genetic dissimilarity cannot be eliminated as playing a major role in generating group differences in chimpanzee behaviour.
Shear Bond Strength of Self-Adhering Flowable Composite and Resin-modified Glass Ionomer to Two Pulp Capping Materials

Introduction: The aim of this study was to compare the shear bond strength of a self-adhering flowable composite (SAFC) and resin-modified glass ionomer (RMGI) to mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and calcium-enriched mixture (CEM) cement. Methods and Materials: A total of 72 acrylic blocks with a central hole (4 mm in diameter and 2 mm in depth) were prepared. The holes were filled with MTA (sub group A) and CEM cement. The specimens of both restorative materials were divided into 6 groups; overall there were 12 groups. In groups 1 and 4, SAFC was used without bonding while in groups 2 and 5 SAFC was used with bonding agent. In all these groups the material was placed into the plastic mold and light cured. In groups 3 and 6, after surface conditioning with poly acrylic acid and rinsing, RMGI was placed into the mold and photo polymerized. After 24 h, the shear bond strength values were measured and fracture patterns were examined by a stereomicroscope. Data were analyzed using the two-way ANOVA and student’s t-test. Results: The use of bonding agent significantly increased the shear bond strength of FC to MTA and CEM cement (P=0.008 and 0.00, respectively). In both materials, RMGI had the lowest shear bond strength values (2.25 Mpa in MTA and 1.32 Mpa in CEM). The mean shear bond strength were significantly higher in MTA specimen than CEM cement (P=0.003). There was a significant differences between fracture patterns among groups (P=0.001). Most failures were adhesive/mix in MTA specimen but in CEM cement groups the cohesive failures were observed in most of the samples. Conclusion: The bond strength of self-adhering flowable composite resin to MTA and CEM cement was higher than RMGI which was improved after the additional application of adhesive.
The Hubble flow around the Local Group

We use updated data on distances and velocities of galaxies in the proximity of the Local Group (LG) in order to establish properties of the local Hubble flow. For 30 neighbouring galaxies with distances 0.7 < D LG < 3.0 Mpc, the local flow is characterized by the Hubble parameter H loc = (78 ± 2)km s -1 Mpc -1 , the mean-square peculiar velocity σ v = 25 km s -1 , corrected for errors of radial velocity measurements (∼4 km s -1 ) and distance measurements (∼10km s -1 ), as well as the radius of the zero-velocity surface R 0 = (0.96±0.03) Mpc. The minimum value for σ v is achieved when the barycentre of the LG is located at the distance Dc = (0.55 ± 0.05) D M31 towards Andromeda galaxy (M31) corresponding to the Milky Way (MW)-to-M31 mass ratio M MW /M M31 ≃ 4/5. In the reference frame of the 30 galaxies at 0.7-3.0 Mpc, the LG barycentre has a small peculiar velocity ∼(24 ± 4) km s -1 towards the Sculptor constellation. The derived value of R 0 corresponds to the total mass M T (LG) = (1.9 ± 0.2) 10 12 M ⊙ with Ω m = 0.24 and a topologically flat universe, a value in good agreement with the sum of virial mass estimates for the MW and M31.
Seroprevalence and Risk Factors for Hepatitis B in an Adult Population: The First Report from Birjand, South Khorasan, Iran

Background Infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) is an important global health problem. Knowledge of the geographic distribution pattern of HBV infection can help to control the spread of the disease. Objectives To determine the prevalence of HBV infections and risk factors for the disease for the first time in Birjand, Southeastern Iran. Methods This was an analytical cross-sectional study conducted in 2013 - 2014 of 5235 HBV cases in Birjand, South Khorasan Iran. Subjects aged 15 - 70 y were selected using the cluster sampling method. Blood samples were taken and tested at a reference laboratory for the hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc). Seropositive specimens were tested for the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Results The mean age (± SD) was 39.07 (± 14.04) y, and 786 (15%) subjects were anti-HBc positive. The prevalence of HBsAg was 1.6% (n = 85). The prevalence of anti-HBc seropositivity was significantly higher in subjects with a lower level of education (P = 0.09), older subjects (P = 0.001), intravenous (IV) drug users (P<0.05), subjects with piercings (P < 0.001), and subjects with a positive history of familial HBV or HCV infection (P < 0.05). It was also significantly higher in those who drank alcohol (P = 0.09) or had a history of blood transfusions (P = 0.001), cupping (P = 0.004), hospital admission (P = 0.03), or endoscopy (P = 0.002). The rate of HBsAg positivity was significantly higher in subjects with a history of cupping (P=0.03), a positive history of familial HBV or HCV infection (P < 0.05), and older subjects (P = 0.015). Conclusions Although the frequency of HBsAg seropositivity in the present study was close to that observed in the overall Iranian population, the seroprevalence of anti-HBc was higher, possibly due to the exposure of the elderly to more risk factors. The risk factors were similar. These included a history of blood transfusions, cupping, hospital admission, endoscopy, or familial HBV/HCV infection, in addition to piercings and drug abuse.
The flexible brain This scientific commentary refers to ‘ Neural , electrophysiological and ana-5 tomical basis of brain-network variability and its characteristic changes in mental disorders

This scientific commentary refers to 'Neural, electrophysiological and ana-5 tomical basis of brain-network variability and its characteristic changes in mental disorders' by Zhang et al. 10 repertoire is one of the remarkable features of brain function, making it possible to adapt rapidly and efficiently to external task demands, implement novel behaviours, and switch 15 from one task to another. Variability in the neural dynamics is, nonetheless, constrained and displays heterogeneous topography—specific regions appear more or less variable over 20 time, both in terms of their activity time courses (Garrett et al., 2011) and also in terms of their interactions with other brain regions (their functional connectivity). In this issue of 25 Brain, Zhang and co-workers present a novel method for characterizing the temporal variability of a region's functional connectivity profile [esti-mated from blood oxygen level-de-30 pendent (BOLD) functional MRI], relating this variability to the region's electrophysiology (measured with electroencephalography; EEG) and to its macroscale structural connectivity 35 (white-matter pathways), and further demonstrating its potential utility as a neural marker for mental disorders (Zhang et al., 2016). The past decade has witnessed a 40 burgeoning interest in the functional network architecture of the human brain. Most of these earlier studies have adopted a 'static' point of view, wherein functional connections 45 between regions are characterized over long time scales, obscuring faster dynamics. More recently, however , it has become apparent that over the course of seconds to minutes, the 50 human brain displays network-wide reconfigurations both at rest (Zalesky et al., 2014) and during task performance (Braun et al., 2015). These findings have motivated 55 a concerted effort to understand dynamic functional connectivity: how temporal variation in brain network organization is related to behaviour, cognition, and disease (Calhoun 60 et al., 2014; Kopell et al., 2014). This shift in perspective from a 'static' to a 'dynamic' point of view has been accompanied by a bevy of new methods for measuring and char-65 acterizing time-varying functional connections and has yielded insight into how dynamics may impact neural and behavioural adaptability. A recurring finding in these studies 70 is that distinct network elements exhibit different degrees of variability (Fig. 1). Attempts to characterize these fluctuations in terms of network topology have led to the conclusion 75 that connections 'between' network modules—collections of mutually interconnected brain regions—tend to fluctuate more than connections 'within' modules (Zalesky et al., 80 2014), and that the intermodular couplings …