Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Profiling Pre-MicroRNA and Mature MicroRNA Expressions Using a Single Microarray and Avoiding Separate Sample Preparation

Mature microRNA is a crucial component in the gene expression regulation network. At the same time, microRNA gene expression and procession is regulated in a precise and collaborated way. Pre-microRNAs mediate products during the microRNA transcription process, they can provide hints of microRNA gene expression regulation or can serve as alternative biomarkers. To date, little effort has been devoted to pre-microRNA expression profiling. In this study, three human and three mouse microRNA profile data sets, based on the Affymetrix miRNA 2.0 array, have been re-analyzed for both mature and pre-microRNA signals as a primary test of parallel mature/pre-microRNA expression profiling on a single platform. The results not only demonstrated a glimpse of pre-microRNA expression in human and mouse, but also the relationship of microRNA expressions between pre- and mature forms. The study also showed a possible application of currently available microRNA microarrays in profiling pre-microRNA expression in a time and cost effective manner.
Anti-oxidant, Anti-inflammatory and Anti-proliferative Activities of Moroccan Commercial Essential Oils

Essential oils (EO) possess antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, insect repellent, anti-cancer, and antioxidant properties, among others. In the present work, the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative activities of Moroccan commercial EOs (Citrus aurantium, C. Union, Cupressus sempervirens, Eucalyptus globulus, Foeniculum vulgare and Thymus vulgaris) were evaluated and compared with their main constituents. T. vulgaris EO showed the best free radicals scavenging capacity. This EO was also the most effective against lipid peroxidation along with C. limon and F. vulgare EOs. C. sempervirens EO was the most effective in scavenging NO free radicals, whereas C. limon EO showed the best chelating power. Not all of the major compounds of the EO were responsible for the whole activity of the EOs. T. vulgaris EO showed the best anti-proliferative activity against THP-1 cells in contrast to that of F. vulgare. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of the EOs were plant species dependent and not always attributable to the EOs main components. Nevertheless, the EOs anti-proliferative activities were more related to their main components, as with T. vulgaris, C. limon, E. globulus and C. sempervirens.
Comparative mammalian metabolism of adriamycin and daunorubicin.

Abstract Both Adriamycin and daunorubicin undergo carbonyl reduction and glycosidic cleavage. We have investigated kinetic parameters of these reactions with several mammalian species including humans. Adriamycin and daunorubicin showed similar K m values for reduction in all organs studied except those from rabbits. Both rabbit liver and kidney have a much lower K m for Adriamycin reduction. In contrast to the great similarity in K m 9s, the V max 9s varied greatly according to drug, organ, and species. Daunorubicin showed a greater V max than did Adriamycin in all organs studied. The V max ratio of daunorubicin to Adriamycin ranged from 159 to 178 in mice and rats to 10 to 30 in humans. Liver and kidney always showed greater activity than did cardiac or skeletal muscle. These enzymatic data correlate with the quicker in vivo reduction of daunorubicin than of Adriamycin, with a greater percentage of daunorubicin than Adriamycin excreted in the reduced form, than and, inversely, with clinical efficacy in that Adriamycin has a wider spectrum of antitumor activity. All organs showed high levels of glycosidic cleavage in the absence of oxygen. In vivo , relatively little of either Adriamycin or daunorubicin is in the aglycone form. Thus, tissues, especially liver, have a great potential for glycosidic activity that is normally not exhibited. However, in certain patients this may be an important mechanism of biotransformation. Although the role of these activities in normal cellular physiology is unknown, their ubiquity points toward an essential function.
Analysis of Papaya Cell Wall-Related Genes during Fruit Ripening Indicates a Central Role of Polygalacturonases during Pulp Softening

Papaya (Carica papaya L.) is a climacteric fleshy fruit that undergoes dramatic changes during ripening, most noticeably a severe pulp softening. However, little is known regarding the genetics of the cell wall metabolism in papayas. The present work describes the identification and characterization of genes related to pulp softening. We used gene expression profiling to analyze the correlations and co-expression networks of cell wall-related genes, and the results suggest that papaya pulp softening is accomplished by the interactions of multiple glycoside hydrolases. The polygalacturonase cpPG1 appeared to play a central role in the network and was further studied. The transient expression of cpPG1 in papaya results in pulp softening and leaf necrosis in the absence of ethylene action and confirms its role in papaya fruit ripening.
Proton Cyclotron Features in Thermal Spectra of Ultramagnetized Neutron Stars

A great deal of interest has been recently raised in connection with the possibility that soft γ-ray repeaters (SGRs) and anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs) contain magnetars, young neutron stars endowed with magnetic fields ≳ 1014 G. In this paper we calculate thermal spectra from ultramagnetized neutron stars for values of the luminosity and magnetic field believed to be relevant to SGRs and AXPs. Emergent spectra are found to be very close to a blackbody at the star effective temperature and exhibit a distinctive absorption feature at the proton cyclotron energy Ec,p ≃ 0.63(B/1014 G) keV. The proton cyclotron features (PCFs) are conspicuous (equivalent width of up to many hundreds eV) and relatively broad (ΔE/E ~ 0.05-0.2). The detection of the PCFs is well within the capabilities of present X-ray spectrometers, like the HETGS and METGS on board Chandra. Their observation might provide decisive evidence in favor of the existence of magnetars.
Meta-analysis of randomized trials for medical prevention of calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis.

OBJECTIVES To determine the efficacy of commonly used medications in comparison with placebo or no treatment for the prevention of renal stone recurrence (metaphylaxis) as documented in the literature. METHODS A MEDLINE search identified 14 randomized, controlled trials comprising 20 treatment arms and 6 different drug therapies for the prevention of stone recurrence. The active treatment arms from each of the trials were combined, and the results were compared with those of the control or no treatment arms overall and for each category of drug therapy (thiazide diuretics, allopurinol, phosphate, magnesium, and alkali citrate). A meta-analysis was performed of the combined treatment and control arms for all trials from which sufficient data were provided, both for overall medical therapy and for thiazide treatment. RESULTS A statistically significant benefit of drug therapy for stone metaphylaxis was identified (P = 0.04), largely because of the benefit of thiazides compared with placebo or no treatment (P = 0.02). Allopurinol conferred no overall benefit, although the only trial evaluating therapy in hyperuricosuric patients showed a statistically significant benefit. CONCLUSION Medical therapy for calcium stone disease reduces the incidence of recurrence. Although only thiazide diuretics among the drug therapies were shown to significantly reduce stone recurrence, variability in study design and study population precluded adequate analysis of other drug therapies such as alkali citrate. Standardization of study design and reporting should improve the evaluation of the efficacy of new drug treatments.
Comparative Nephrotoxicity of Gentamicin and Tobramycin in Rats

A rat model was utilized to compare the nephrotoxic potential of gentamicin and tobramycin. Gentamicin, 40 mg/kg per day, predictably produced renal failure and morphological evidence of proximal tubular necrosis over 14 days of treatment. An identical dosage of tobramycin was associated with only minimal morphological changes and normal concentrations of serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen. Similar results were obtained even after the tobramycin dosage was tripled to 120 mg/kg per day. A decrease in urine osmolality, mechanism unknown, was observed in all aminoglycoside-treated rats, but the lowest osmolalities were found in the gentamicin-treated rats. According to both histological criteria and renal function measurements, gentamicin was more nephrotoxic than tobramycin in this animal model.
Adhesion of Pathogenic Bacteria to Food Contact Surfaces: Influence of pH of Culture

The adhesion of Aeromonas hydrophila, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Enteritidis, and Staphylococcus aureus to hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces in cultures with different pHs (6, 7, and 8) was studied. The results indicated that the type of material had no effect on the attachment capacity of microorganisms, while environmental pH influenced the adhesion of A. hydrophila, E. coli, and S. aureus to both solid substrates. The attachment of S. Enteritidis (P > .05) was not affected by the type of substrate or the culture pH, whereas E. coli displayed the weakest affinity for both polystyrene and glass surfaces. No correlation was established between the physicochemical properties of the materials, or the bacterial and the rate of bacterial adhesion, except for S. aureus. Photomicrographs have shown that surfaces were contaminated by small clusters of S. Enteritidis while S. aureus invaded the food contact surfaces in the form of small chains or cell aggregates.
Neurocognitive impairment in bipolar disorder patients: functional implications.

BACKGROUND Functional recovery among treated bipolar disorder (BPD) patients is far less likely than syndromal and even symptomatic recovery. We hypothesized that increasingly well-documented aspects of cognitive impairment may contribute to poor functional outcomes in BPD patients, and reviewed the available research on the topic. METHODS Computerized literature searching identified 12 studies with 13 comparisons that simultaneously evaluated cognitive and functional status in euthymic (n = 8) or non-euthymic (n = 5 comparisons) adult BPD patients versus otherwise similar healthy controls. RESULTS In 6/8 studies of euthymic BPD patients and 5/5 studies of non-euthymic BPD patients, neurocognitive impairment was significantly associated with impaired psychosocial functioning, even after adjusting for residual mood symptoms and relevant demographic and clinical variables. Cognitive status was consistently assessed with standardized, performance-based neuropsychological tests, but functional status usually was based on subjective self-appraisals. Approximately 55% of BPD patients were unemployed. CONCLUSIONS Available studies are limited by subjective assessments of functional status rather than objective, performance-based measures. Nevertheless, they support the hypothesis that enduring aspects of cognitive impairment found even in euthymic BPD patients are associated with inferior functioning. These findings encourage further studies with better assessment methods and greater rehabilitative efforts in BPD patients.
Integration of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene for the Prevention and Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases: A Rationale for Inter-Sectoral Collaboration

Improvements of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure and appropriate health-seeking behavior are necessary for achieving sustained control, elimination, or eradication of many neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Indeed, the global strategies to fight NTDs include provision of WASH, but few programs have specific WASH targets and approaches. Collaboration between disease control programs and stakeholders in WASH is a critical next step. A group of stakeholders from the NTD control, child health, and WASH sectors convened in late 2012 to discuss opportunities for, and barriers to, collaboration. The group agreed on a common vision, namely “Disease-free communities that have adequate and equitable access to water and sanitation, and that practice good hygiene. ” Four key areas of collaboration were identified, including (i) advocacy, policy, and communication; (ii) capacity building and training; (iii) mapping, data collection, and monitoring; and (iv) research. We discuss strategic opportunities and ways forward for enhanced collaboration between the WASH and the NTD sectors.
Classifying emotions in rehabilitation robotics based on facial skin temperature

Rehabilitation robotic plays an important role in therapeutic exercises by combining robots with computer serious games into an attractive therapeutic platform. However, measuring the degree of engagement of the user is not a trivial task. The difficulty of applying question-based techniques, particularly for patients who have the speech capacity compromised due to cerebrovascular accidents, has inspired us to investigate noninvasive and nonverbal techniques aiming to classifying emotions. For this purpose, a supervised artificial neural network interprets facial infrared thermal images of individuals performing rehabilitation robotic therapy integrated with games. A database containing images of 8 users was generated by combining evoked and spontaneous emotional reactions. In total, 2445 facial thermal images with an average of 100 images per person for three categories of emotions (neutral, motivated, overstressed) were classified. Based on confusion matrix analysis, the experimental results correlated very well with manual estimates, producing an overall performance of 92.6%.
Dorsal Root Ganglia Neurons In Vitro Direct NK Cell-Mediated Lysis of Syngenic

In contrast to extensive studies on the role of T and B lymphocytes in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases of the nervous system, little is known about NK cells and their potential role in the destruction of neural tissue. NK cells have been implicated in the selective death of sympathetic neurons resident in the superior cervical ganglia of rats after exposure to the drug guanethidine. This observation suggests that NK cells may function as principle effectors in immunological diseases of the nervous system. However, the direct mechanism of action of NK cells in this model is not known. In particular, it is not known whether NK cells can kill autologous neurons directly. The aim of the present study was to examine whether NK cells can kill directly dorsal root ganglia neurons cultured in vitro. We demonstrate that C57BL/6 (B6)-derived dorsal root ganglia neurons can be killed directly by syngenic IL-2-activated NK cells, and that this nerve cell lysis is dependent on the expression of perforin in the NK cells. NK cells were less effective in destroying neurons grown in the presence of glial cells. These observations indicate a potential role for NK cells in nerve cell degeneration in inﬂammatory diseases of the nervous system. The Journal of Immunology, 2000, 165: 4895–4900.
Radar-based fall detection exploiting time-frequency features

Falls of the elderly are a major public health concern. In this paper, we develop an effective fall detection algorithm for application in continuous-wave radar systems. The proposed algorithm exploits time-frequency characteristics of the radar Doppler signatures, and the motion events are classified using the joint statistics of three different features. The effectiveness of the proposed technique is verified through measurement data.
Presynaptic GABAB and adenosine A1 receptors regulate synaptic transmission to rat substantia nigra reticulata neurones

1 Patch pipettes were used to record whole‐cell currents under voltage clamp in substantia nigra zona reticulata (SNR) neurones in the rat midbrain slice. Bipolar electrodes evoked synaptic currents mediated by glutamate (EPSCs) and GABAA receptors (IPSCs). 2 Baclofen reduced the amplitude of IPSCs by 48% at its IC50 value of 0.60 mm. The GABAB antagonist CGP 35348 blocked this effect with a Kd value estimated by Schild analysis of 5 mm. 3 Adenosine reduced IPSCs by 48% at its IC50 value of 56 mm. Adenosine agonists reduced IPSCs with the following rank order of potency: CPA (N6 ‐cyclopentyladenosine) > R‐PIA (R(‐)N6 ‐(2‐phenylisopropyl) adenosine) > CHA (N6 ‐cyclohexyladenosine) = NECA (5’‐N‐ethylcarboxamidoadenosine) > 2‐CADO (2‐chloroadenosine) > adenosine. Schild analysis yielded a Kd value of 0.4 nM for antagonism of CPA by the adenosine A1 receptor antagonist DPCPX (8‐cyclopentyl‐l,3‐dipropylxanthine). 4 Both baclofen and adenosine reduced the magnitude of paired‐pulse depression of IPSCs, and neither blocked currents evoked by GABA, which was pressure‐ejected from micropipettes. 5 Glutamate EPSCs were reduced by baclofen (IC50= 0.78 mm) and adenosine (IC50= 57 mm) Schild analysis yielded a Kd value of 11 mm for antagonism of baclofen‐induced inhibition of EPSCs by CGP 35348. DPCPX (1 mm) completely blocked the inhibitory effects of adenosine (100 mm) and CPA (100 nM) on EPSCs. Neither adenosine nor baclofen reduced inward currents evoked by glutamate which was pressure‐ejected from micropipettes. 6 These results show that presynaptic GABAB and A1 receptors reduce glutamate and GABA release from nerve terminals in the SNR.
The specificity of rejection and the absence of susceptibility of pancreatic islet beta cells to nonspecific immune destruction in mixed strain islets grafted beneath the renal capsule in the rat

The specificity of rejection of isolated pancreatic islets was examined in the rat using a quantitative model in which syngeneic (DA) or a mixture of syngeneic and allogeneic (DA and LEW or PVG) islets were implanted beneath the capsule of the kidney of nondiabetic normal rats (DA). 3 wk after transplantation total insulin extraction assays of the kidney with its islet implant together with immunohistological examination of the site of transplantation for evidence of syngeneic or allogeneic tissue demonstrated the total destruction of allogeneic islets without any evidence of damage to syngeneic islets either distant or in immediate proximity to allogeneic islets. Pancreatic islets, and especially beta cells, appear to be particularly vulnerable to the effector arm of both autoimmune and alloimmune responses, a vulnerability that has been attributed to the cytotoxic effects of lymphokines, notably IL-1, released in both autoimmune and alloimmune responses. The experiments reported here demonstrate not only the exquisite specificity of the allograft reaction but are not compatible with a hypothesis that B cells within an intact islet are nonspecifically susceptible to destruction by lymphokines.
Mechanical properties of quartz at the α‐β phase transition: Implications for tectonic and seismic anomalies

The anelastic response of single‐crystal and polycrystalline quartz and quartz‐rich sandstones to applied stress at low frequencies has been investigated by dynamic mechanical analysis and force torsion pendulum measurements. The dynamic modulus was measured on heating and cooling through the α‐β phase transition under shear and bending stress applied at low frequency (~1 Hz). Single crystal quartz shows highly anisotropic properties in both the real and imaginary part of the modulus. Polycrystalline novaculite quartz displays the α‐β phase transition temperatures (Tc) around 8°C higher than seen in single crystal quartz, due to the pinning stress effect of grain boundaries. The properties of the sandstone vary with heating and cooling cycles as the cementation and microfracturing of the grain structure changes at high temperature. The phase transition in quartz is ferrobielastic, and as such energy differences between domains in the transformation microstructure arise under conditions of applied shear stress. Pre‐transition softening and an increase in anelastic loss above Tc are attributed to ferrobielastic switching of incipient domain microstructures that arise in the silica microstructure. The influence of temperature on this microstructure is to induce increased switching of domains as a response to thermal stress inherent in the anisotropic thermal expansion of the polycrystalline structure. These results indicate that ferrobielastic switching in quartz is an important mechanism in controlling changes in mechanical properties. As such, we anticipate that it will induce measurable anomalies in seismic signatures of quartz‐rich portions of the Earth's crust in regions of high thermal flux. The transition may also be responsible for observed seismic velocity reductions and tectonic weakening in western North America and in certain parts of Tibetan plateau.
Variable Computation in Recurrent Neural Networks

Recurrent neural networks (RNNs) have been used extensively and with increasing success to model various types of sequential data. Much of this progress has been achieved through devising recurrent units and architectures with the flexibility to capture complex statistics in the data, such as long range dependency or localized attention phenomena. However, while many sequential data (such as video, speech or language) can have highly variable information flow, most recurrent models still consume input features at a constant rate and perform a constant number of computations per time step, which can be detrimental to both speed and model capacity. In this paper, we explore a modification to existing recurrent units which allows them to learn to vary the amount of computation they perform at each step, without prior knowledge of the sequence's time structure. We show experimentally that not only do our models require fewer operations, they also lead to better performance overall on evaluation tasks.
Histone Deacetylase (HDAC) Inhibitors - Emerging Roles in Neuronal Memory, Learning, Synaptic Plasticity and Neural Regeneration

Epigenetic regulation of neuronal signalling through histone acetylation dictates transcription programs that govern neuronal memory, plasticity and learning paradigms. Histone Acetyl Transferases (HATs) and Histone Deacetylases (HDACs) are antagonistic enzymes that regulate gene expression through acetylation and deacetylation of histone proteins around which DNA is wrapped inside a eukaryotic cell nucleus. The epigenetic control of HDACs and the cellular imbalance between HATs and HDACs dictate disease states and have been implicated in muscular dystrophy, loss of memory, neurodegeneration and autistic disorders. Altering gene expression profiles through inhibition of HDACs is now emerging as a powerful technique in therapy. This review presents evolving applications of HDAC inhibitors as potential drugs in neurological research and therapy. Mechanisms that govern their expression profiles in neuronal signalling, plasticity and learning will be covered. Promising and exciting possibilities of HDAC inhibitors in memory formation, fear conditioning, ischemic stroke and neural regeneration have been detailed.