Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Long-Term Stimulation of Neural Progenitor Cell Migration After Cortical Ischemia in Mice

Background and Purpose— Cortical ischemia induces neural progenitor cell migration toward the injury site; however, whether these cells are capable of maintaining the migratory response for a longer period after injury remains uncertain. Methods— We analyzed progenitor migration up to 1 year after induction of photothrombotic stroke to the mouse neocortex. Migrating progenitors identified as doublecortin positive cells (DCX+) were assessed using the immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. The thymidine analogues chlorodeoxyuridine and iododeoxyuridine were used to birth-date the progenitor cells. Results— In the striatum, we detected elevated numbers of DCX+ cells up to 6 weeks postlesion. In the corpus callosum and the peri-infarct cortex (Ctx), DCX+ cell numbers were increased up to 1 year. The orientation of the migrating progenitors was mostly aligned with the corpus callosum fiber tract at all time points; however, in the Ctx, they aligned parallel to the infarct border. The injured cortex continuously receives new progenitors up to 1 year after lesion. Cells born after lesion did not become mature neurons, although a portion of the migrating progenitors showed initial signs of differentiation into neurons. Conclusions— Neural progenitors might have a role in brain plasticity after cortical stroke, especially considering the prolonged window of migratory responses of up to 1 year after stroke lesion.
Facial Nerve in Rhytidoplasty: Anatomic Study of Its Trajectory in the Overlying Skin and the Most Common Sites of Injury

The anatomic study of the facial nerve is closely related to the prevention of nerve injury that may occur in facial surgeries. The purpose of this study is to analyze the most susceptible areas in the face regarding the probability of facial nerve injury, based on the demarcation of its trajectory in the overlying skin. Three hundred cadaveric hemifaces were dissected (172 male, 128 female) and the facial nerve trajectory was followed from the stylomastoids foramen to the mimic muscles. The trajectory of the facial branches was delimited in the overlying skin by six diverging lines, with the following reference points: the upper and lower portions of the tragus, the most cranial wrinkle of the frontal region, the lower facial wrinkle of the frontal muscle, the nasal midpoint, an imaginary point 1 cm caudal to the oral commisura, another imaginary point also caudal to the oral commisura at the lower margin of mandible, and the clavicle midpoint. The temporal branches have the highest probability of being injured, followed by the mandibular marginal and buccal branches. The areas with greater risk of injury are the temporofrontal region (between the hairline and the lateral limit of the frontal muscle), the area near the angle of the mandible, and the preparotid region.
Intraoperative Injection vs Sponge-applied Mitomycin C during Trabeculectomy: One-year Study

Aim To determine the safety and efficacy of intraoperative injection of mitomycin C (MMC) against conventional sponge-applied MMC during trabeculectomy. Materials and methods This study was a retrospective, comparative case series. Thirty eyes with primary open-angle glaucoma underwent consecutive trabeculectomies with MMC injection (injection group), and thirty eyes with sponge-applied MMC were as controls (sponge group). Data were collected preoperatively and postoperatively at 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after surgery. Demographic data, applanation intraocular pressure (IOP), best-corrected visual acuity (VA), number of glaucoma medications, postoperative interventions, postoperative complications, and number of visits within 3 months were recorded. In order to stratify data, proportion of eyes achieving >30% IOP reduction from baseline with or without glaucoma medications was calculated and defined as surgical success. Results Mean IOP reduction at 1 year was significant in both the injection and sponge groups from baseline (46.8 and 37.8% respectively). The injection group had overall lower postoperative IOP and comparable complete treatment success, defined as achieving >30% IOP reduction without glaucoma medications (p = 0.941). The number of postoperative visits within 3 months and the proportion of eyes needing 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) intervention were significantly lower in the injection group (p = 0.03, p = 0.04 respectively). Conclusion Injection of MMC was as safe and effective as sponge application with comparable estimated complete treatment success, less need for visits within 3 months, and 5-FU intervention. Clinical significance Surgeons may consider intraopera-tive injection of MMC in appropriate patient cohorts given comparable safety and efficacy and several advantages over traditional sponge application. Further study in a prospective, larger, long-term manner is necessary to assess this modality. How to cite this article: Khouri AS, Huang G, Huang LY. Intraoperative Injection vs Sponge-applied Mitomycin C during Trabeculectomy: One-year Study. J Curr Glaucoma Pract 2017;11(3):101-106.
Inter-carrier interference-free Alamouti-coded OFDM for cooperative systems with frequency offsets in non-selective fading environments

A modified Alamouti-coded orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) scheme is proposed for cooperative systems in non-selective fading environments. Even with the frequency offset between two distributed transmit antennas, the proposed scheme achieves ideal performance and full rate of Alamouti code. By switching subcarriers in the second OFDM symbol of each Alamouti-coded OFDM symbol pair after a simple-phase rotation in the first OFDM symbol, inter-carrier interference terms can be perfectly cancelled after a simple linear combining with the processing overhead of two times down-conversions and discrete Fourier transform (DFT) operations at each OFDM symbol.
Mycobactericidal activity of glutaraldehyde solutions

Aqueous solutions of alkaline glutaraldehyde (buffered at pH 8.5) inactivated a standard suspension of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv faster than the corresponding acid (pH 3.7 preparation. Quantitative differences in the rate of inactivation of eight other species of Mycobacterium were determined using a 1% solution of alkaline glutaraldehyde and inactivation of residual glutaraldehyde with 1% sodium bisulfite solution. Variations in the rate of kill were observed between the various mycobacterial species tested, but such differences were probably not sufficiently large to be of practical importance. A 2% alkaline glutaraldehyde solution inactivated 10(5) viable M. tuberculosis cells present on the surface of porcelain penicylinders within 5 min at 18 degrees C. This rate of inactivation was faster than in the acidic solution.
Identification of Second-Site Mutations That Enhance Release and Spread of Vaccinia Virus

ABSTRACT The spread of most strains of vaccinia virus in cell monolayers occurs predominantly via extracellular enveloped virions that adhere to the tips of actin-containing microvilli and to a lesser extent via diffusion of released virions. The mechanism by which virions adhere to the cell surface is unknown, although several viral proteins may be involved. The present investigation was initiated with the following premise: spontaneous mutations that increase virus release will be naturally selected by propagating a virus unable to spread by means of actin tails. Starting with an A36R deletion mutant that forms small, round plaques, five independent virus clones with enhanced spread due to the formation of comet or satellite plaques were isolated. The viral membrane glycoprotein genes of the isolates were sequenced; four had mutations causing C-terminal truncations of the A33R protein, and one had a serine replacing proline 189 of the B5R protein. The comet-forming phenotype was specifically reproduced or reversed by homologous recombination using DNA containing the mutated or natural sequence, respectively. Considerably more extracellular enveloped virus was released into the medium by the second-site mutants than by the parental A36R deletion mutant, explaining their selection in tissue culture as well as their comet-forming phenotype. The data suggest that the B5R protein and the C-terminal region of the A33R protein are involved in adherence of cell-associated enveloped virions to cells. In spite of their selective advantage in cultured cells, the second-site mutants were not detectably more virulent than the A36R deletion mutant when administered to mice by the intranasal route.
Anticipatory Smooth Eye Movements in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Smooth pursuit eye movements are important for vision because they maintain the line of sight on targets that move smoothly within the visual field. Smooth pursuit is driven by neural representations of motion, including a surprisingly strong influence of high-level signals representing expected motion. We studied anticipatory smooth eye movements (defined as smooth eye movements in the direction of expected future motion) produced by salient visual cues in a group of high-functioning observers with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a condition that has been associated with difficulties in either generating predictions, or translating predictions into effective motor commands. Eye movements were recorded while participants pursued the motion of a disc that moved within an outline drawing of an inverted Y-shaped tube. The cue to the motion path was a visual barrier that blocked the untraveled branch (right or left) of the tube. ASD participants showed strong anticipatory smooth eye movements whose velocity was the same as that of a group of neurotypical participants. Anticipatory smooth eye movements appeared on the very first cued trial, indicating that trial-by-trial learning was not responsible for the responses. These results are significant because they show that anticipatory capacities are intact in high-functioning ASD in cases where the cue to the motion path is highly salient and unambiguous. Once the ability to generate anticipatory pursuit is demonstrated, the study of the anticipatory responses with a variety of types of cues provides a window into the perceptual or cognitive processes that underlie the interpretation of events in natural environments or social situations.
Modulation of coronary autoregulatory responses by nitric oxide. Evidence for flow-dependent resistance adjustments in conscious dogs.

The present study tested the hypothesis that nitric oxide production in coronary resistance vessels is an important mechanism affecting the regulation of myocardial perfusion in unanesthetized dogs. We inhibited nitric oxide synthesis with the arginine analogue N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 10 mg/kg) and maintained the compressive determinants of myocardial blood flow constant by ventricular pacing. L-NAME did not affect resting coronary blood flow and reduced the receptor-mediated increase in flow to intracoronary acetylcholine (100 micrograms/min IC) from 143 +/- 20% (mean +/- SEM) under control conditions to 31 +/- 10% after L-NAME (P < .001). Coronary autoregulatory relations were determined as steady-state coronary pressure was reduced by inflating a hydraulic occluder. Initial resistance adjustments over the autoregulatory plateau were not affected by L-NAME. Closed-loop autoregulatory gain was 0.84 +/- 0.09 under control conditions versus 0.78 +/- 0.07 after L-NAME (P = NS). As coronary pressure was reduced further, however, the critical pressure at which myocardial ischemia began (lower autoregulatory break point) increased from 45 +/- 3 mm Hg under control conditions to 61 +/- 2 mm Hg (P < .001) after L-NAME. In addition, the slope of the coronary pressure-flow relation below the autoregulatory break point was reduced (1.0 +/- 0.2 versus 0.58 +/- 0.09 mL.min-1.mm Hg-1 after L-NAME, P < .05), reflecting a reduction in the maximal conductance recruitable during ischemia. In concert with the effects of L-NAME on autoregulatory responses during ischemia, peak reactive hyperemic flow to a 30-second coronary occlusion was also reduced (from 200 +/- 22 to 166 +/- 24 mL/min after L-NAME, P < .01). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Blood changes eight years after vagotomy with gastrojejunostomy compared with those after polya partial gastrectomy.

There is general agreement that secondary effects on the blood tend to follow surgery for peptic ulcer but most of the available information relates to partial or total gastrectomy. Vagotomy combined with gastrojejunostomy has been widely used in the surgical treatment of chronic duodenal ulcer but few studies have been made of the haematological effects of this procedure (Burge and Pick, 1958; Feggetter and Pringle, 1963; Cox, Bond, Podmore, and Rose, 1964; Hopkinson, 1966). An account is therefore given of changes in the blood eight years after vagotomy combined with gastrojejunostomy and the results are compared with those obtained in a similar series of patients treated by the Polya gastrectomy.
Dopamine Decreases the Excitability of Layer V Pyramidal Cells in the Rat Prefrontal Cortex

In both primates and rodents, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is highly innervated by dopaminergic fibers originating from the ventral tegmental area, and activation of this mesocortical dopaminergic system decreases spontaneous and evoked activity in the PFC in vivo. We have examined the effects of dopamine (DA), over a range of concentrations, on the passive and active membrane properties of layer V pyramidal cells from the rat medial PFC (mPFC). Whole-cell and perforated-patch recordings were made from neurons in rat mPFC. As a measure of cell excitability, trains of action potentials were evoked with 1-sec-long depolarizing current steps. Bath application of DA (0.05–30 μm) produced a reversible decrease in the number of action potentials evoked by a given current step. In addition, DA reversibly decreased the input resistance (RN) of these cells. In a subset of experiments, a transient increase in excitability was observed after the washout of DA. Control experiments suggest that these results are not attributable to changes in spontaneous synaptic activity, age-dependent processes, or strain-specific differences in dopaminergic innervation and physiology. Pharmacological analyses, using D1 agonists (SKF 38393 and SKF 81297), a D1 antagonist (SCH 23390), a D2 receptor agonist (quinpirole), and a D2 antagonist (sulpiride) suggest that decreases in spiking andRN are mediated by D2 receptor activation. Together, these results demonstrate that DA, over a range of concentrations, has an inhibitory effect on layer V pyramidal neurons in the rat mPFC, possibly through D2 receptor activation.
NPR-B natriuretic peptide receptors in human corneal epithelium: mRNA, immunohistochemistochemical, protein, and biochemical pharmacology studies

Purpose To demonstrate the presence of natriuretic peptide receptors (NPRs) in primary human corneal epithelial cells (p-CEPI), SV40-immortalized CEPI cells (CEPI-17-CL4) and in human corneal epithelium, and to define the pharmacology of natriuretic peptide (NP)-induced cGMP accumulation. Methods NPR presence was shown by RT–PCR, western blot analysis, and indirect immunofluoresence. cGMP accumulation was determined using an enzyme immunoassay. Results p-CEPI and CEPI-17-CL4 cells expressed mRNAs for NPR-A and NPR-B. Proteins for both NPRs were present in these cells and in human corneal epithelium. C-type NP (CNP), atrial NP (ANP) and brain NP (BNP) stimulated the accumulation of cGMP in a concentration-dependent manner in p-CEPI cells (potency; EC50s): CNP (1–53 amino acids) EC50=24±5 nM; CNP fragment (32–53 amino acids) EC50=51±8 nM; ANP (1–28 amino acids) EC50=>10 µM; BNP (32 amino acids) EC50>10 µM (all n=3–4). While the NPs were generally more potent in the CEPI-17-CL4 cells than in p-CEPI cells (n=4–9; p<0.01), the rank order of potency of the peptides was essentially the same in both cell types. Effects of CNP fragment in p-CEPI and CEPI-17-CL4 cells were potently blocked by HS-142–1, an NPR-B receptor subtype-selective antagonist (Ki=0.25±0.05 µM in CEPI-CL4–17; Ki=0.44±0.09 µM in p-CEPIs; n=6–7) but less so by an NPR-A receptor antagonist, isatin (Ki=5.3–7.8 µM, n=3–7). Conclusions Our studies showed the presence of NPR-A and NPR-B (mRNAs and protein) in p-CEPI and CEPI-17-CL4 cells and in human corneal epithelial tissue. However, detailed pharmacological studies revealed NPR-B to be the predominant functionally active receptor in both cell-types whose activation leads to the generation of cGMP. While the physiologic role(s) of the NP system in corneal function remains to be delineated, our multidisciplinary findings pave the way for such future investigations.
The role of IGFBP3 functional polymorphisms in the risk of gastric cancer in a high-risk Chinese population

Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and their receptors play a crucial role in regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 is the most abundant insulin-like growth factor receptor in the serum and binds the majority of insulin-like growth factors. Studies reported that circulating level of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 was modulated by functional genetic variants of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 and, therefore, maybe associated with the risk of gastric cancer. In this case–control study of 576 gastric cancer cases and 647 cancer-free control participants in a high-risk Chinese population, we tested the hypothesis that functional polymorphisms A-202C and Gly32Ala of insulinlike growth factor-binding protein-3 are associated with risk of gastric cancer. We found that the variant 32Ala allele was associated with a significantly increased risk of gastric cancer (adjusted odds ratio=1.84, 95% confidence interval=1.45–2.33 for 32Gly/Ala and odds ratio=2.39, 95% confidence interval=1.47–3.90 for 32Ala/Ala, respectively), compared with the wild-type homozygote 32Gly/Gly. Although the A-202C variant was not significantly associated with gastric cancer risk in the single locus analysis, we found a significant locus–locus interaction between insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 A-202C and Gly32Ala loci on gastric cancer risk (Pint<0.001). These findings suggest that functional variants of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 might be important markers for gastric cancer susceptibility and further studies are warranted to characterize the functional relevance of the locus–locus interaction of this gene.
Regulation of Hepatic Drug-Metabolizing Enzymes in Germ-Free Mice by Conventionalization and Probiotics

Little is known regarding the effect of intestinal microbiota modifiers, such as probiotics and conventionalization with exogenous bacteria, on host hepatic drug metabolism. Therefore, the goal of this study was to determine the effect of these modifiers on the expression of various drug-metabolizing enzymes of the host liver. VSL3 is a probiotic that contains eight live strains of bacteria. Five groups of mice were used: 1) conventional mice (CV), 2) conventional mice treated with VSL3 in drinking water, 3) germ-free (GF) mice, 4) GF mice treated with VSL3, and 5) GF mice exposed to the conventional environment for 2 months. All mice were 3 months old at tissue collection. GF conditions markedly downregulated the cytochrome P450 (P450) 3a gene cluster, but upregulated the Cyp4a cluster, whereas conventionalization normalized their expression to conventional levels [reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and western blot]. Changes in the Cyp3a and 4a gene expression correlated with alterations in the pregnane X receptor and peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor α–DNA binding, respectively (chromatin immunoprecipitation–qPCR). VSL3 increased each bacterial component in the large intestinal content of the CV mice, and increased these bacteria even more in GF mice, likely due to less competition for growth in the GF environment. VSL3 given to conventional mice increased the mRNAs of Cyp4v3, alcohol dehydrogenase 1, and carboxyesterase 2a, but decreased the mRNAs of multiple phase II glutathione-S-transferases. VSL3 given to germ-free mice decreased the mRNAs of UDP-glucuronosyltransferases 1a9 and 2a3. In conclusion, conventionalization and VSL3 alter the expression of many drug-metabolizing enzyme s in the liver, suggesting the importance of considering “bacteria-drug” interactions for various adverse drug reactions in patients.
Urinary β2-Microglobulin Is a Good Indicator of Proximal Tubule Injury: A Correlative Study with Renal Biopsies

Objective. After filtration through glomeruli, β2-microglobulin is reabsorbed in proximal tubules. Increased urinary β2-microglobulin indicates proximal tubule injury and measurement of β2-microglobulin in urine is useful to determine the source of renal injury. Kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) has been characterized as a selective proximal tubule injury marker. This study was designed to evaluate the correlation of urinary β2-microglobulin concentration and KIM-1 expression as evidence of proximal tubule injury. Methods. Between 2009 and 2012, 46 patients with urine β2-microglobulin (RenalVysion) had follow-up kidney biopsy. Diagnoses included glomerular and tubule-interstitial disease. Immunohistochemical staining for KIM-1 was performed and the intensity was graded from 0 to 3+. Linear regression analysis was applied to correlate the values of urinary β2-microglobulin and KIM-1 staining scores. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results. Thirty patients had elevated urinary β2-microglobulin. KIM-1 staining was positive in 35 kidney biopsies. There was a significant correlation between urinary β2-microglobulin and KIM-1 staining (P < 0.05). Sensitivity was 86.6%, specificity was 43.7%, positive predictive value was 74.2%, and negative predictive value was 63.6%. Conclusion. Increased urinary β2-microglobulin is significantly correlated with KIM-1 staining in injured proximal tubules. Measurement of urine β2-microglobulin is a sensitive assay for proximal tubule injury.
Neurogenic niche modulation by activated microglia: transforming growth factor β increases neurogenesis in the adult dentate gyrus

Adult neural stem cells (NSC) proliferate and differentiate depending on the composition of the cellular and molecular niche in which they are immersed. Until recently, microglial cells have been ignored as part of the neurogenic niche. We studied the dynamics of NSC proliferation and differentiation in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus (DG) and characterized the changes of the neurogenic niche in adrenalectomized animals (ADX). At the cellular level, we found increased NSC proliferation and neurogenesis in the ADX animals. In addition, a morphologically distinct subpopulation of NSC (Nestin+/GFAP–) with increased proliferating profile was detected. Interestingly, the number of microglial cells at stages 2 and 3 of activation correlated with increased neurogenesis (r2 = 0.999) and the number of Nestin‐positive cells (r2 = 0.96). At the molecular level, transforming growth factor beta (TGF‐β) mRNA levels were increased 10‐fold in ADX animals. Interestingly, TGF‐β levels correlated with the amount of neurogenesis detected (r2 = 0.99) and the number of stage 2 and 3 microglial cells (r2 = 0.94). Furthermore, blockade of TGF‐β biological activity by administration of an anti‐TGF‐β type II receptor antibody diminished the percentage of 5‐bromo‐2′‐deoxyuridine (BrdU)/PSA‐NCAM‐positive cells in vivo. Moreover, TGF‐β was able to promote neurogenesis in NSC primary cultures. This work supports the idea that activated microglial cells are not pro‐ or anti‐neurogenic per se, but the balance between pro‐ and anti‐inflammatory secreted molecules influences the final effect of this activation. Importantly, we identified an anti‐inflammatory cytokine, TGF‐β, with neurogenic potential in the adult brain.