Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Many Specialists for Suppressing Cortical Excitation

Cortical computations are critically dependent on GABA-releasing neurons for dynamically balancing excitation with inhibition that is proportional to the overall level of activity. Although it is widely accepted that there are multiple types of interneurons, defining their identities based on qualitative descriptions of morphological, molecular and physiological features has failed to produce a universally accepted ‘parts list’, which is needed to understand the roles that interneurons play in cortical processing. A list of features has been published by the Petilla Interneurons Nomenclature Group, which represents an important step toward an unbiased classification of interneurons. To this end some essential features have recently been studied quantitatively and their association was examined using multidimensional cluster analyses. These studies revealed at least 3 distinct electrophysiological, 6 morphological and 15 molecular phenotypes. This is a conservative estimate of the number of interneuron types, which almost certainly will be revised as more quantitative studies will be performed and similarities will be defined objectively. It is clear that interneurons are organized with physiological attributes representing the most general, molecular characteristics the most detailed and morphological features occupying the middle ground. By themselves, none of these features are sufficient to define classes of interneurons. The challenge will be to determine which features belong together and how cell type-specific feature combinations are genetically specified.
ScholarWorks at WMU ScholarWorks at WMU

—Genomic data is growing exponentially due to next generation sequencing technologies (NGS) and their ability to produce massive amounts of data in a short time. NGS technologies generate big genomic data that needs to be exchanged between different locations efﬁciently and reliably. The current network transfer protocols rely on Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) or User Datagram Protocol (UDP) protocols, ignoring data size and type. Universal application layer protocols such as HTTP are designed for wide variety of data types and are not particularly efﬁcient for genomic data. Therefore, we present a new data-aware transfer protocol for genomic-data that increases network throughput and reduces latency, called Genomic Text Transfer Protocol (GTTP). In this paper, we design and implement a new network transfer protocol for big genomic DNA dataset that relies on the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). Modiﬁcation to content-encoding of HTTP has been done that would transfer big genomic DNA datasets using machine-to-machine (M2M) and client(s)-server topologies. Our results show that our modiﬁcation to HTTP reduces the transmitted data by 75% of original data and still be able to regenerate the data at the client side for bioinformatics analysis. Consequently, the transfer of data using GTTP is shown to be much faster (about 8 times faster than HTTP) when compared with regular HTTP.
Neuroprotective effect of penehyclidine hydrochloride on focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury

Penehyclidine hydrochloride can promote microcirculation and reduce vascular permeability. However, the role of penehyclidine hydrochloride in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury remains unclear. In this study, in vivo middle cerebral artery occlusion models were established in experimental rats, and penehyclidine hydrochloride pretreatment was given via intravenous injection prior to model establishment. Tetrazolium chloride, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick end labeling and immunohistochemical staining showed that, penehyclidine hydrochloride pretreatment markedly attenuated neuronal histopathological changes in the cortex, hippocampus and striatum, reduced infarction size, increased the expression level of Bcl-2, decreased the expression level of caspase-3, and inhibited neuronal apoptosis in rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. Xanthine oxidase and thiobarbituric acid chromogenic results showed that penehyclidine hydrochloride upregulated the activity of superoxide dismutase and downregulated the concentration of malondialdehyde in the ischemic cerebral cortex and hippocampus, as well as reduced the concentration of extracellular excitatory amino acids in rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. In addition, penehyclidine hydrochloride inhibited the expression level of the NR1 subunit in hippocampal nerve cells in vitro following oxygen-glucose deprivation, as detected by PCR. Experimental findings indicate that penehyclidine hydrochloride attenuates neuronal apoptosis and oxidative stress injury after focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion, thus exerting a neuroprotective effect.
Fate‐Mapping Evidence That Hepatic Stellate Cells Are Epithelial Progenitors in Adult Mouse Livers

Liver injury activates quiescent hepatic stellate cells (Q‐HSC) to proliferative myofibroblasts. Accumulation of myofibroblastic hepatic stellate cells (MF‐HSC) sometimes causes cirrhosis and liver failure. However, MF‐HSC also promote liver regeneration by producing growth factors for oval cells, bipotent progenitors of hepatocytes and cholangiocytes. Genes that are expressed by primary hepatic stellate cell (HSC) isolates overlap those expressed by oval cells, and hepatocytic and ductular cells emerge when HSC are cultured under certain conditions. We evaluated the hypothesis that HSC are a type of oval cell and, thus, capable of generating hepatocytes to regenerate injured livers. Because Q‐HSC express glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), we crossed mice in which GFAP promoter elements regulated Cre‐recombinase with ROSA‐loxP‐stop‐loxP‐green fluorescent protein (GFP) mice to generate GFAP‐Cre/GFP double‐transgenic mice. These mice were fed methionine choline‐deficient, ethionine‐supplemented diets to activate and expand HSC and oval cell populations. GFP(+) progeny of GFAP‐expressing precursors were characterized by immunohistochemistry. Basal expression of mesenchymal markers was negligible in GFAP(+)Q‐HSC. When activated by liver injury or culture, HSC downregulated expression of GFAP but remained GFP(+); they became highly proliferative and began to coexpress markers of mesenchyme and oval cells. These transitional cells disappeared as GFP‐expressing hepatocytes emerged, began to express albumin, and eventually repopulated large areas of the hepatic parenchyma. Ductular cells also expressed GFAP and GFP, but their proliferative activity did not increase in this model. These findings suggest that HSC are a type of oval cell that transitions through a mesenchymal phase before differentiating into hepatocytes during liver regeneration.
Therapeutic effects of the transplantation of VEGF overexpressing bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in the hippocampus of murine model of Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is clinically characterized by progressive memory loss, behavioral and learning dysfunction and cognitive deficits, such as alterations in social interactions. The major pathological features of AD are the formation of senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles together with neuronal and vascular damage. The double transgenic mouse model of AD (2xTg-AD) with the APPswe/PS1dE9 mutations shows characteristics that are similar to those observed in AD patients, including social memory impairment, senile plaque formation and vascular deficits. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), when transplanted into the brain, produce positive effects by reducing amyloid-beta (Aβ) deposition in transgenic amyloid precursor protein (APP)/presenilins1 (PS1) mice. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), exhibits neuroprotective effects against the excitotoxicity implicated in the AD neurodegeneration. The present study investigates the effects of MSCs overexpressing VEGF in hippocampal neovascularization, cognitive dysfunction and senile plaques present in 2xTg-AD transgenic mice. MSC were transfected with vascular endothelial growth factor cloned in uP vector under control of modified CMV promoter (uP-VEGF) vector, by electroporation and expanded at the 14th passage. 2xTg-AD animals at 6, 9 and 12 months old were transplanted with MSC-VEGF or MSC. The animals were tested for behavioral tasks to access locomotion, novelty exploration, learning and memory, and their brains were analyzed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) for vascularization and Aβ plaques. MSC-VEGF treatment favored the neovascularization and diminished senile plaques in hippocampal specific layers. Consequently, the treatment was able to provide behavioral benefits and reduce cognitive deficits by recovering the innate interest to novelty and counteracting memory deficits present in these AD transgenic animals. Therefore, this study has important therapeutic implications for the vascular damage in the neurodegeneration promoted by AD.
Vitamin D Status Is Positively Correlated with Regulatory T Cell Function in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Background In several autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS), a compromised regulatory T cell (Treg) function is believed to be critically involved in the disease process. In vitro, the biologically active metabolite of vitamin D has been shown to promote Treg development. A poor vitamin D status has been linked with MS incidence and MS disease activity. In the present study, we assess a potential in vivo correlation between vitamin D status and Treg function in relapsing remitting MS (RRMS) patients. Methodology/Principal Findings Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) were measured in 29 RRMS patients. The number of circulating Tregs was assessed by flow-cytometry, and their functionality was tested in vitro in a CFSE-based proliferation suppression assay. Additionally, the intracellular cytokine profile of T helper cells was determined directly ex-vivo by flow-cytometry. Serum levels of 25(OH)D correlated positively with the ability of Tregs to suppress T cell proliferation (R = 0.590, P = 0.002). No correlation between 25(OH)D levels and the number of Tregs was found. The IFN-γ/IL-4 ratio (Th1/Th2-balance) was more directed towards IL-4 in patients with favourable 25(OH)D levels (R = −0.435, P = 0.023). Conclusions/Significance These results show an association of high 25(OH)D levels with an improved Treg function, and with skewing of the Th1/Th2 balance towards Th2. These findings suggest that vitamin D is an important promoter of T cell regulation in vivo in MS patients. It is tempting to speculate that our results may not only hold for MS, but also for other autoimmune diseases. Future intervention studies will show whether modulation of vitamin D status results in modulation of the T cell response and subsequent amelioration of disease activity.
Disturbances in the spontaneous attribution of social meaning in schizophrenia

Background Schizophrenia patients show disturbances on a range of tasks that assess mentalizing or ‘Theory of Mind’ (ToM). However, these tasks are often developmentally inappropriate, make large demands on verbal abilities and explicit problem-solving skills, and involve after-the-fact reflection as opposed to spontaneous mentalizing. Method To address these limitations, 55 clinically stable schizophrenia out-patients and 44 healthy controls completed a validated Animations Task designed to assess spontaneous attributions of social meaning to ambiguous abstract visual stimuli. In this paradigm, 12 animations depict two geometric shapes ‘interacting’ with each other in three conditions: (1) ToM interactions that elicit attributions of mental states to the agents, (2) Goal-Directed (GD) interactions that elicit attributions of simple actions, and (3) Random scenes in which no interaction occurs. Verbal descriptions of each animation are rated for the degree of Intentionality attributed to the agents and for accuracy. Results Patients had lower Intentionality ratings than controls for ToM and GD scenes but the groups did not significantly differ for Random scenes. The descriptions of the patients less closely matched the situations intended by the developers of the task. Within the schizophrenia group, performance on the Animations Task showed minimal associations with clinical symptoms. Conclusions Patients demonstrated disturbances in the spontaneous attribution of mental states to abstract visual stimuli that normally evoke such attributions. Hence, in addition to previously established impairment on mentalizing tasks that require logical inferences about others' mental states, individuals with schizophrenia show disturbances in implicit aspects of mentalizing.
Assessment of isokinetic muscle function in Korea male volleyball athletes

Volleyball players performed numerous repetitions of spike actions, which uses and requires strong and explosive force, and control of the muscles of the shoulder, lower back, and legs. Muscle imbalance is one of the main causes of sport injuries. The purpose of this study was to assess isokinetic muscle functions in male volleyball players. We thus aim to accurately evaluate their muscle functions, and identify the best training strategy to achieve optimal muscle strength balance in future training programs. The participants in this study consisted of 14 male volleyball players. Muscle strength was measured using the isokinetic dynamometer. Muscle strength was evaluated in terms of peak torque and average power, calculated from five repeated measurements at an angular speed of 60°/sec. Three players who were left attackers showed shoulder imbalance, four players showed trunk joint imbalance, nine players had knee joint of extension/flexion imbalance and four players showed left/right imbalance. The results showed that the number of volleyball players with differences between the strength of the bilateral knee muscles, and between the strength of the hamstrings and quadriceps muscles was higher than the number of players with differences between the strength of the shoulder internal and external rotation muscles, and higher than the number of players with differences between the strength of the lower back extension and flexion muscles.
Terahertz scattering by granular composite materials: An effective medium theory

Terahertz (THz) spectroscopy and imaging have emerged as important tools for identification and classification of various substances, which exhibit absorption characteristics at distinct frequencies in the THz range. The spectral fingerprints can potentially be distorted or obscured by electromagnetic scattering caused by the granular nature of some substances. In this paper, we present THz time domain transmission measurements of granular polyethylene powders in order to investigate an effective medium theory that yields a parameterized model, which can be used to estimate the empirical measurements to good accuracy.
SINEs of the perfect character.

In their quest to reconstruct the tree of life, evolutionary biologists are constantly looking for new sources of data. Morphological data have been applied to the phylogeny problem since the 1800s, and morphology continues to be the only source of available data on relationships for the vast majority of species on Earth, past and present. However, since the 1960s, molecular data have contributed an increasing fraction of the new information used to reconstruct phylogenetic history (1). Each new source of molecular information has provided a new perspective on evolutionary history, and each technique has a set of advantages and disadvantages. As with morphological approaches, most of these molecular techniques continue to be useful for specific kinds of problems. Nonetheless, almost every new molecular approach to phylogenetic inference has been ballyhooed as capable of “revolutionizing” the field. In truth, no one technique is a perfect solution for all phylogenetic problems, even though each provides us with a new perspective on evolution. Even the oft-perceived superiority of molecular data is largely a matter of timing. As Avise (2) has noted, imagine if we had studied the DNA sequences of organisms for decades without ever seeing a phenotype, and then someone suddenly discovered the morphologies and behaviors that DNA sequences specify! The sense that we were finally making real progress in our understanding of evolution would be at least as great as the sense of wonder and excitement that has accompanied advances in molecular biology.
Nonlinear adaptive bilateral control of teleoperation systems with uncertain dynamics and kinematics

Research so far on adaptive bilateral control of master-slave teleoperation systems considers dynamic uncertainties but stops short of considering kinematic uncertainties. However, when picking up objects of unknown lengths, orientations and gripping points, the overall kinematics of a robot in the teleoperation system becomes uncertain. Therefore, new controllers are required that can guarantee the stability and motion tracking performance of the system in the presence of both dynamic and kinematic uncertainties in the master and the slave robots. In this paper, first the uncertain dynamics of the human operator and the environment are incorporated into the dynamics of the master and the slave, respectively. Then, for a teleoperation system with uncertain dynamics and kinematics, nonlinear adaptive controllers are designed for both the master and the slave. The controllers do not need exact knowledge of the dynamics of the master, the slave, the operator, or the environment, or of the kinematics of the master or the slave. The stability and position tracking convergence of the entire teleoperation system are studied. The validity of the theoretical results is verified by simulations.
Expression and function of transforming growth factor-β-activated protein kinase 1 in gastric cancer

The present study aimed to investigate the expression and role of transforming growth factor (TGF) -β-activated protein kinase 1 (TAK1) in human gastric cancer. Immunohistochemistry was performed to investigate the expression of TAK1 in surgical specimens of human gastric cancer tissue and adjacent normal tissue. The association between TAK1 and clinicopathologic factors was analyzed and the association between TAK1 expression and the overall survival rates was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier curves. In addition, the effect of the TAK1 selective inhibitor 5Z-7-oxozeaenol (OZ) on the biological characteristics of MGC803 human gastric cancer cells in vitro were investigated. The role of TAK1 in gastric cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis and invasion were determined by cell proliferation assays, flow cytometry analysis and transwell invasion assays, respectively. The findings of the present study demonstrated that the positive expression rate of TAK1 in gastric cancer and adjacent normal tissues was 70.5 and 25.9%, respectively. Furthermore, TAK1 expression was significantly associated with advanced N stage and pathological stage (P<0.05). Survival analysis of 139 patients with gastric cancer indicated a lower overall survival rate of patients in the TAK1-positive group compared with the TAK1-negative group (P<0.05). In addition, treatment with the TAK1 selective inhibitor OZ reduced the proliferation and invasion abilities of MGC803 cells and significantly reduced the expression levels of phosphorylated-TAK1 (Thr187), nuclear p65, cyclin D1, Bcl-2 apoptosis regulator and matrix metallopeptidase (MMP)9 (P<0.05). OZ treatment significantly increased the expression levels of cytosolic cytochrome c and cleaved caspase 3 and the apoptosis rate in MGC803 cells (P<0.05). In conclusion, these findings suggest that increased TAK1 expression may be involved in the progression of gastric cancer; therefore, TAK1 may be used as a future therapeutic target for gastric cancer treatment.
Impact of Young Age at Diagnosis on Survival in Patients with Surgically Treated Renal Cell Carcinoma: a Multicenter Study

The prognostic significance of age in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a subject of debate. The aim of the present multi-institutional study was to evaluate the impact of age on clinicopathological features and survival in a large cohort of patients with RCC. A total of 5,178 patients who underwent surgery for RCC at eight institutions in Korea between 1999 and 2011 were categorized into three groups according to age at diagnosis as follows: young age (< 40 years, n = 541), middle-age (≥ 40 and < 60 years, n = 2,551), and old age (≥ 60 years, n = 2,096) groups. Clinicopathological variables and survival rates were compared between the three groups. Young patients had lower stage tumors with a low Fuhrman grade, a lower rate of lymphovascular invasion than patients in the other age groups. Regarding histologic type, the young age group had a lower percentage of clear cell histology and a greater incidence of Xp11.2 translocation RCC. Kaplan-Meier estimates showed that cancer-specific survival was significantly better in the young age group than in the other groups (log rank test, P = 0.008). However, age at diagnosis was not an independent predictor of survival in multivariate analysis. In conclusion, young age at diagnosis was associated with favorable pathologic features, although it was not an independent prognostic factor for survival in patients with surgically-treated RCC. Age itself should not be regarded as a crucial determinant for the treatment of RCC.
High-Density Lipoprotein and Mortality Before Age 90 in Male Physicians

Background— In cross-sectional and some cohort studies with shorter follow-up, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) has been associated with longer life. We sought to examine the relationship between HDL-C and death before age 90 in the Physicians' Health Study (PHS). Methods and Results— Of PHS enrollees who had blood collected at PHS II baseline (approximately 1997), we selected 1351 men old enough to reach age 90 by March 4, 2009, and with complete data on HDL-C and total cholesterol, lifestyle factors, and comorbidities. We used Cox proportional hazards to determine the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and non-CVD mortality before age 90, adjusting for potential confounders. After a mean (SD) follow-up of 6.8 (3.2) years, 44.1% of men in the lowest baseline HDL-C quartile (<32.8 mg/dL) compared with 32.9% (11.2% absolute risk reduction) in the highest HDL-C quartile (≥54.1 mg/dL) died before age 90. In multivariable adjusted analyses, men in the highest HDL-C quartile had a 28% lower risk (HR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.55 to 0.94) of death before age 90 compared with men in the lowest HDL-C quartile. In age-adjusted analyses, increasing baseline HDL-C was significantly associated with a lower risk of CVD death. No association was found between HDL-C and non-CVD mortality. Conclusion— In male physicians, higher baseline HDL-C levels were associated with a lower risk of all-cause and CVD mortality before age 90.