Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evidence for a respiratory component, similar to mammalian respiratory sinus arrhythmia, in the heart rate variability signal from the rattlesnake, Crotalus durissus terrificus

SUMMARY Autonomic control of heart rate variability and the central location of vagal preganglionic neurones (VPN) were examined in the rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus terrificus), in order to determine whether respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) occurred in a similar manner to that described for mammals. Resting ECG signals were recorded in undisturbed snakes using miniature datalogging devices, and the presence of oscillations in heart rate (fh) was assessed by power spectral analysis (PSA). This mathematical technique provides a graphical output that enables the estimation of cardiac autonomic control by measuring periodic changes in the heart beat interval. At fh above 19 min-1 spectra were mainly characterised by low frequency components, reflecting mainly adrenergic tonus on the heart. By contrast, at fh below 19 min-1 spectra typically contained high frequency components, demonstrated to be cholinergic in origin. Snakes with a fh >19 min-1 may therefore have insufficient cholinergic tonus and/or too high an adrenergic tonus acting upon the heart for respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) to develop. A parallel study monitored fh simultaneously with the intraperitoneal pressures associated with lung inflation. Snakes with a fh<19 min-1 exhibited a high frequency (HF) peak in the power spectrum, which correlated with ventilation rate (fv). Adrenergic blockade by propranolol infusion increased the variability of the ventilation cycle, and the oscillatory component of the fh spectrum broadened accordingly. Infusion of atropine to effect cholinergic blockade abolished this HF component, confirming a role for vagal control of the heart in matching fh and fv in the rattlesnake. A neuroanatomical study of the brainstem revealed two locations for vagal preganglionic neurones (VPN). This is consistent with the suggestion that generation of ventilatory components in the heart rate variability (HRV) signal are dependent on spatially distinct loci for cardiac VPN. Therefore, this study has demonstrated the presence of RSA in the HRV signal and a dual location for VPN in the rattlesnake. We suggest there to be a causal relationship between these two observations.
Photoluminescent Lanthanide−Organic 2D Networks: A Combined Synchrotron Powder X-ray Diffraction and Solid-State NMR Study

A series of two-dimensional lanthanide−organic materials (LnOFs), [Ln(H3NMP)]·1.5H2O [Ln3+ = La3+ (1), Pr3+ (2), Nd3+ (3), Sm3+ (4), or Eu3+ (5); H3NMP3- is a residue of nitrilotris(methylenephosphonic acid)], has been isolated as microcrystalline powders from hydrothermal synthesis and characterized by high-resolution laboratory and synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), solid-state NMR, FTIR and FT Raman spectroscopies, CHN elemental analysis, thermogravimetry, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive analysis of X-ray spectroscopy. The crystal structure of [Pr(H3NMP)]·1.5H2O (2) has been solved from a combined study of ab initio methods using high-resolution PXRD data and high-resolution solid-state NMR techniques performed on [La(H3NMP)]·1.5H2O (1) (13C, 15N, 31P CPMAS and 2D 1H−1H/31P HOMCOR/HETCOR). The structure contains a single lanthanide center which does not have water molecules in its first coordination sphere. This Ln3+ center acts as the node of a neutral undulated two-dimen.
A Generalized Mechanistic Codon Model

Models of codon evolution have attracted particular interest because of their unique capabilities to detect selection forces and their high fit when applied to sequence evolution. We described here a novel approach for modeling codon evolution, which is based on Kronecker product of matrices. The 61 × 61 codon substitution rate matrix is created using Kronecker product of three 4 × 4 nucleotide substitution matrices, the equilibrium frequency of codons, and the selection rate parameter. The entities of the nucleotide substitution matrices and selection rate are considered as parameters of the model, which are optimized by maximum likelihood. Our fully mechanistic model allows the instantaneous substitution matrix between codons to be fully estimated with only 19 parameters instead of 3,721, by using the biological interdependence existing between positions within codons. We illustrate the properties of our models using computer simulations and assessed its relevance by comparing the AICc measures of our model and other models of codon evolution on simulations and a large range of empirical data sets. We show that our model fits most biological data better compared with the current codon models. Furthermore, the parameters in our model can be interpreted in a similar way as the exchangeability rates found in empirical codon models.
Thiopental and Phenytoin as Novel Ionophores for Potentiometric Determination of Lead (II) Ions

Two novel polymeric membrane sensors for the analysis of Pb(II) have been developed based on two therapeutic drugs, thiopental (TP) and phenytoin (PT) as two new ionophores and potassium tetrakis(p-chlorophenyl) borate (KTpClPB) as a lipophilic additive, in plasticized PVC membranes. The sensors show a Nernstian response for Pb(II) ions over the wide concentration ranges of 1×10−2 – 7×10−6 M and 1×10−2 – 8×10−6 M for the sensors based on thiopental and phenytoin, respectively. The proposed sensors have a fast response time and can be used for more than nine weeks without any considerable divergence in potentials. The sensors exhibit comparatively good selectivity with respect to alkaline, alkaline earth and some transition and heavy metal ions. They were employed for direct determination of lead in solder alloys and in galena rocks with a good agreement with the obtained results by atomic absorption spectroscopy.
Immunosuppressive therapy is more effective than interferon in neuromyelitis optica

To determine long-term treatment (LTT) of neuromyelitis optica (NMO), we retrospectively reviewed therapies of 26 patients with NMO followed in five French neurological departments. To assess LTT efficacy, the probability of relapse free after LTT was analysed. Patients were divided into two groups according to the first treatment receiving interferon beta (IFN Group, seven patients) or immunosuppressants (IS Group, 19 patients). The probability of relapse was significantly lower in the IS Group (P = 0.0007). From our results, interferon beta is not recommended, and one of the best current therapeutic options for NMO appears to be immunosuppressants. Multiple Sclerosis 2007; 13: 256–259. http://msj.sagepub. com
Performance evaluation and enhancement of link stability based routing for MANETs

In this paper, first we present a performance comparison of Associativity Based Routing (ABR) and Ad hoc Ondemand Distance Vector (AODV) routing protocols. Delay, throughput, and energy consumption are the performance metrics that are used for the comparison. ABR suffers from large routing packets size, which affects its performance. The large packet size is mainly due to the amount of information that the route discovery packets collect at each node. The impact of overhead information in routing packets on performance can be mitigated either by changing the mechanics of the protocol or by making use of the overhead information in such a way that it contributes performance improvement. We propose a technique to reduce the packet size by changing mechanics of the protocol, and evaluate the proposed technique considering delay, throughput and energy consumption. We also propose and study a scheduling mechanism that uses the overhead information in ABR routing packets to improve the performance. We refer to this mechanism as stability and neighbor-state dependent scheduling.
Spitzer Space Telescope Evidence in NGC 6791: No Super Mass Loss at Supersolar Metallicity to Explain Helium White Dwarfs?

We use archival Spitzer Space Telescope photometry of the old, supersolar-metallicity, massive open cluster NGC 6791 to look for evidence of enhanced mass loss, which has been postulated to explain the optical luminosity function and low white dwarf masses in this benchmark cluster. We find a conspicuous lack of evidence for prolificacy of circumstellar dust production that would have been expected to accompany such mass loss. We also construct the optical and infrared luminosity functions, and demonstrate that these fully agree with theoretical expectations. We thus conclude that there is no evidence for the mass loss of supersolar metallicity red giants to be sufficiently high that they can avoid the helium flash at the tip of the red giant branch.
Species-Dependent Transport and Modulation Properties of Human and Mouse Multidrug Resistance Protein 2 (MRP2/Mrp2, ABCC2/Abcc2)

Multidrug resistance protein 2 (MRP2/Mrp2) is a transporter that can influence the absorption, distribution, and elimination of many drugs. Mrp2 knockout mice are being used to study Mrp2 functions in vivo, including pharmacokinetics of drugs. To assess possible species-specific differences between human MRP2 and mouse Mrp2, we generated polarized cell lines expressing mouse Mrp2 and used these to investigate transport of clinically important agents. We also tested the ability of other drugs to modulate MRP2/Mrp2-mediated transport, a phenomenon that can lead to drug-drug interactions. In MDCK cells stably expressing human MRP2 or mouse Mrp2, saquinavir and docetaxel were more efficiently transported by mouse Mrp2, whereas vinblastine was transported better by human MRP2. MRP2/Mrp2-mediated transepithelial transport of several drugs could be stimulated by probenecid and sulfanitran, but stimulation was often more pronounced for human MRP2 than for mouse Mrp2. Interestingly, for some drugs the MRP2 modulator sulfinpyrazone had opposite effects on both transporters, stimulating human MRP2 and inhibiting mouse Mrp2 activity. In vesicular transport studies, transport of estradiol-17β-glucuronide by mouse Mrp2 showed homotropic cooperativity, as previously described for human MRP2. The MRP2 modulators again showed differential effects on estradiol-17β-glucuronide transport, most notably with sulfinpyrazone stimulating human MRP2 and profoundly inhibiting mouse Mrp2 activity. In conclusion, although human and mouse MRP2/Mrp2 have largely overlapping substrate specificities, there are important species differences in the transport efficiency of MRP2 substrates and in the modulation of transport by other compounds. These differences should be taken into account when results obtained in mice are extrapolated to humans.
Twin-Screw Extrusion Processing of Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS)-Based Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) Feeds

The world’s increasing demand for seafood products has resulted in rising demands for fish meal for fish feed, which must be compensated for by searching for effective alternative protein sources. In this study, twin-screw extrusion trials were conducted to study the production of nutritionally-balanced feeds for rainbow trout fingerlings (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Six isocaloric (~ 4.61 kcal/g) ingredient blends with a similar protein content of 52.8% db were formulated with 0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50% distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and other ingredients (i.e. fish meal, fish oil, whole wheat flour, corn gluten meal, and vitamin and mineral mix). The moisture contents of the diets were initially adjusted to 5-7% db, and then extruded at 250 rpm using dual dies of 1.9 mm die with varying amounts of steam (7.2-7.7 kg/h) injected into the conditioner and water (4.3-6.5 kg/h) into the extruder. The mass flow rates, moisture contents, and temperatures were measured during processing. Additionally, moisture content, water activity, unit density, bulk density, expansion ratio, compressive strength, compressive modulus, pellet durability index, water stability, angle of repose, and color were extensively analyzed to quantify the effects of varying DDGS content on the physical properties of the final extrudates. Significant differences (P<0.05) among the blends were observed for color and bulk density for both the raw and extruded materials, respectively, and for the unit density and pellet durability index of the extruded products. There were also significant changes in redness (a) and yellowness (b), but only minor changes in brightness (L), among the final products when increasing the DDGS content of the blends. The compressive strength of the extrudates increased significantly with rising amounts of DDGS. Expansion ratio of all pellets was low. All extruded diets achieved very good water stability. Overall, each of the ingredient blends resulted in viable extrudates.
Oral Contraceptives and Libido in Women

Abstract Oral contraceptives (OCs) provide safe, effective, and reversible contraception and are widely used by women for fertility control. Little is known about the effects of OCs on sexual functioning. This paper critically examines the published literature addressing the impact of OCs on sexual desire or libido. We reviewed 30 original research studies. In the retrospective, uncontrolled studies (n = 17), it was found that most women reported an increase in libido during OC use. In the uncontrolled, prospective studies (n = 4), it was found that most women reported little change in libido during OC use. In the prospective and cross-sectional controlled studies (n = 4), women using OCs reported both increased and decreased libido compared to non-OC users. The findings from randomized, placebo-controlled studies (n = 5) were mixed: In the most recent and well-conducted trial, a decrease in libido in OC users compared to placebo users was found. Overall, women experience positive effects, negative effects, as well as no effect on libido during OC use. Better-designed studies are needed to establish the independent, causal effects of OCs on libido.
Cellular mechanisms of alveolar pathology in childhood interstitial lung diseases: current insights from mouse genetics

Purpose of review Childhood interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) are a diverse class of disorders affecting the alveolar gas exchange region that lack specific treatments and are usually fatal. Here, we integrate recent insights into alveolar cell biology with histopathology from well characterized mutations of surfactant-associated genes. We take a reductionist approach by parsing discrete histological features and correlating each to perturbation of a particular function of the alveolar epithelial type II (AT2) cell, the central driver of disease, to generate a working model for the cellular mechanisms of disease pathogenesis. Recent findings The application of genetically modified mice and single cell genomics has yielded new insights into lung biology, including the identification of a bipotent alveolar progenitor in development, mapping of adult AT2 stem cells in vivo, and demonstration that latent cooperative interactions with fibroblasts can be pathologically activated by targeted injury of the AT2 cell. Summary As we learn more about individual and cooperative roles for alveolar cells in health, we can dissect how perturbations of specific cellular functions contribute to disease in childhood ILDs. We hope our updated model centered around the AT2 cell as the initiator of disease provides a cellular framework that researchers can build upon and revise as they identify the specific molecular signals within and between alveolar cells that mediate the diverse pathologic features, so that targeted pharmacologic and cell-based treatments for patients can ultimately be engineered.
Multilabel Image Classification With Regional Latent Semantic Dependencies

Deep convolution neural networks (CNNs) have demonstrated advanced performance on single-label image classification, and various progress also has been made to apply CNN methods on multilabel image classification, which requires annotating objects, attributes, scene categories, etc., in a single shot. Recent state-of-the-art approaches to the multilabel image classification exploit the label dependencies in an image, at the global level, largely improving the labeling capacity. However, predicting small objects and visual concepts is still challenging due to the limited discrimination of the global visual features. In this paper, we propose a regional latent semantic dependencies model (RLSD) to address this problem. The utilized model includes a fully convolutional localization architecture to localize the regions that may contain multiple highly dependent labels. The localized regions are further sent to the recurrent neural networks to characterize the latent semantic dependencies at the regional level. Experimental results on several benchmark datasets show that our proposed model achieves the best performance compared to the state-of-the-art models, especially for predicting small objects occurring in the images. Also, we set up an upper bound model (RLSD+ft-RPN) using bounding-box coordinates during training, and the experimental results also show that our RLSD can approach the upper bound without using the bounding-box annotations, which is more realistic in the real world.
Persistent Exposure to Mycoplasma Induces Malignant Transformation of Human Prostate Cells

Recent epidemiologic, genetic, and molecular studies suggest infection and inflammation initiate certain cancers, including those of the prostate. The American Cancer Society, estimates that approximately 20% of all worldwide cancers are caused by infection. Mycoplasma, a genus of bacteria that lack a cell wall, are among the few prokaryotes that can grow in close relationship with mammalian cells, often without any apparent pathology, for extended periods of time. In this study, the capacity of Mycoplasma genitalium, a prevalent sexually transmitted infection, and Mycoplasma hyorhinis, a mycoplasma found at unusually high frequency among patients with AIDS, to induce a malignant phenotype in benign human prostate cells (BPH-1) was evaluated using a series of in vitro and in vivo assays. After 19 weeks of culture, infected BPH-1 cells achieved anchorage-independent growth and increased migration and invasion. Malignant transformation of infected BPH-1 cells was confirmed by the formation of xenograft tumors in athymic mice. Associated with these changes was an increase in karyotypic entropy, evident by the accumulation of chromosomal aberrations and polysomy. This is the first report describing the capacity of M. genitalium or M. hyorhinis infection to lead to the malignant transformation of benign human epithelial cells and may serve as a model to further study the relationship between prostatitis and prostatic carcinogenesis.
Cysteamine supplementation during in vitro maturation and embryo culture: A useful tool for increasing the efficiency of bovine in vitro embryo production

Cysteamine when added during in vitro maturation (IVM) or in vitro embryo culture (IVC) stimulates glutathione (GSH) synthesis and improves embryo developmental rates. This suggests that GSH synthesis is decreased in the in vitro produced embryo. The present study was carried out to evaluate if addition of cysteamine to culture medium at the same time, during IVM and IVC of bovine oocytes, may promote an overall improvement on the developmental rate and embryo quality. Oocytes were matured in TCM 199 supplemented with 10% (v/v) fetal calf serum, hormones, and 0 or 100 μM of cysteamine for 24 hr. After IVM, the oocytes were fertilized (day 0). Day 2 embryos (2–8 cell) were washed and transferred to fresh IVC medium supplemented with 0, 25, 50, or 100 μM of cysteamine and cultured for 48 hr. After this, embryos were cultured in IVC medium without cysteamine until day 8 of IVC. In the present study, we confirmed our previous results by demonstrating that the percentage of embryos that developed to the blastocyst stage was significantly higher (P < 0.05) when 100 μM of cysteamine was added during IVM, and this was further improved when 100 and 50 μM of cysteamine where present during IVM and IVC, respectively (P < 0.05). After cryopreservation, no differences were observed on embryo development, but a significant increase on embryo hatching was found between unsupplemented and supplemented oocytes with 100 and 50 μM of cysteamine during IVM and IVC, respectively (P < 0.05). We can conclude that GSH synthesis stimulation during bovine IVM with cysteamine, concomitant with GSH stimulation during IVC, will be a useful and simple tool for increasing the efficiency of in vitro bovine embryo production. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 62: 203–209, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Metabolic effects of carbenoxolone in rat liver

The action of carbenoxolone on hepatic energy metabolism was investigated in the perfused rat liver and isolated mitochondria. In perfused livers, carbenoxolone (200–300 μM) increased oxygen consumption, glucose production and glycolysis from endogenous glycogen. Gluconeogenesis from lactate or fructose, an energy‐dependent process, was inhibited. This effect was already evident at a concentration of 25 μM. The cellular ATP levels and the adenine nucleotide content were decreased by carbenoxolone, whereas the AMP levels were increased. In isolated mitochondria, carbenoxolone stimulated state IV respiration and decreased the respiratory coefficient with the substrates β‐hydroxybutyrate and succinate. The ATPase of intact mitochondria was stimulated, the ATPase of uncoupled mitochondria was inhibited, and the ATPase of disrupted mitochondria was not altered by carbenoxolone. These results indicate that carbenoxolone acts as an uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation and, possibly, as an inhibitor of the ATP/ADP exchange system. The inhibitory action of carbenoxolone on mitochondrial energy metabolism could be contributing to induce the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT), a key phenomenon in apoptosis. The results of the present study can explain, partly at least, the in vivo hepatotoxic actions of carbenoxolone that were found in a previous clinical evaluation. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 20:230–240, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/jbt.20139