Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
NMDA Receptor Modulation by a Conditioned Medium Derived from Rat Cerebellar Granule Cells

Our previous studies have shown that the response to the excitotoxic action of glutamate by cultured cerebellar granule cells depends upon the cell density or the volume of medium in which they have been grown: the higher the cell density or the lower the volume, the higher the response to glutamate. We have hypothesized that this variable response is due to the formation in culture of a glutamate‐sensitizing activity GSA more abundantly in conditioned medium derived from high‐density or low‐volume cultures than that present in low‐density or high volume cultures and capable of restoring sensitivity in previously resistant granule cells. In order to elucidate the mechanism of action of glutamate‐sensitizing activity, we measured the extent and function of NMDA receptors in low‐ and high‐volume cultures and assessed the effect of glutamate‐sensitizing activity on the same receptors. We found that under high‐volume conditions the extent of MK‐801 binding, the amount of NMDA receptor type 1, the currents evoked in whole cells after an NMDA pulse and the response of cultured cells to this ligand were markedly reduced compared with low‐volume cultures. Addition of glutamate‐sensitizing activity to high‐volume cultures increased their glutamate sensitivity, the NMDA‐evoked currents, the extent of MK‐801 binding and the amount of NMDA receptor type 1 protein present. The corresponding mRNA transcripts, on the contrary, were unchanged in high‐volume, low‐volume and high‐volume GSA‐treated cultures.
Subjective rating of executive functions in mild Alzheimer's disease

ABSTRACT Objectives: Subjective cognitive decline is considered to be a core feature of pre-Alzheimer's disease (AD) conditions, the vast majority of literature having focused on memory concerns. Neuropsychological studies have implicated executive dysfunction on objective performance measures in AD, but no research has evaluated whether individuals with AD have concerns about their executive functions and whether it differs from their caregiver's concerns. In the present study, we sought to evaluate self- and informant ratings of executive functioning in patients with mild AD. Method: Participants were 23 patients with mild AD and 32 healthy elderly controls (HC) and their informants who completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function – Adult version. Results: Patients with AD and their informants reported greater executive dysfunction than the HC group and their informants, respectively, and patients reported greater difficulty than their informants. The largest effect size for both self- and informant ratings was obtained for the Working Memory scale. Conclusions: These findings indicate that subjective cognitive concerns in mild AD extend beyond the memory domain to executive functions. That greater difficulty was endorsed by patients than their informants suggests that at least in the mild stage of AD some awareness of executive dysfunction may be maintained in some patients. Implications for clinical care are discussed.
Combination Cell Therapy with Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Neural Stem Cells for Brain Stroke in Rats

Objectives Brain stroke is the second most important events that lead to disability and morbidity these days. Although, stroke is important, there is no treatment for curing this problem. Nowadays, cell therapy has opened a new window for treating central nervous system disease. In some previous studies the Mesenchymal stem cells and neural stem cells. In this study, we have designed an experiment to assess the combination cell therapy (Mesenchymal and Neural stem cells) effects on brain stroke. Method and Materials The Mesenchymal stem cells were isolated from adult rat bone marrow and the neural stem cells were isolated from ganglion eminence of rat embryo 14 days. The Mesenchymal stem cells were injected 1 day after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and the neural stem cells transplanted 7 day after MCAO. After 28 days, the neurological outcomes and brain lesion volumes were evaluated. Also, the activity of Caspase 3 was assessed in different groups. Result The group which received combination cell therapy had better neurological examination and less brain lesion. Also the combination cell therapy group had the least Caspase 3 activity among the groups. Conclusions The combination cell therapy is more effective than Mesenchymal stem cell therapy and neural stem cell therapy separately in treating the brain stroke in rats.
Regulation of Subnuclear Localization Is Associated with a Mechanism for Nuclear Receptor Corepression by RIP140

ABSTRACT Regulation of gene transcription by nuclear receptors involves association with numerous coregulators. Receptor-interacting protein 140 (RIP140) is a corepressor that negatively regulates the ligand-induced activity of several nuclear receptors, including the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). In the present study, we have characterized the role of the intranuclear localization of RIP140 in its corepressor activity. In the absence of ligand-activated GR, RIP140 is localized in small nuclear foci targeted by a 40-amino-acid-long sequence. Although the focus-targeting domain overlaps with a binding sequence for the corepressor CtBP (C-terminal binding protein), interaction with CtBP is not involved in the localization. RIP140 foci do not correspond to PML bodies but partly colocalize with domains harboring the corepressor SMRT. Upon ligand binding, GR and RIP140 are redistributed to large nuclear domains distinct from the RIP140 foci. The redistribution requires regions of RIP140 with corepressor activity, as well as the DNA-binding domain of GR. Furthermore, we show that full RIP140 corepressor activity is contributed both by C-terminal receptor-binding LXXLL motifs and interaction with the CtBP corepressor. In conclusion, our results suggest that the corepressor function of RIP140 is multifaceted and involves binding to nuclear receptors, as well as additional functions mediated by the formation and intranuclear relocalization of a repressive protein complex.
Graphene oxide paper as a saturable absorber for Er- and Tm-doped fiber lasers

In this work pulse generation in both the 1.5 and 2 μm spectral ranges using a graphene oxide (GO)-paper-based saturable absorber in Er- and Tm-doped fiber lasers is presented. The article describes the fabrication method of GO paper and its characterization. The performance of both lasers is discussed in detail. Stable, mode-locked operation provides 613 fs and 1.36 ps soliton pulses centered at 1565.9 and 1961.6 nm in Er- and Tm-doped fiber lasers, respectively. Furthermore, scaling of spectral width, and hence the pulse duration, by increasing the number of GO paper layers in the Er-doped laser is described. The versatility and simplicity of GO paper fabrication combined with the possibility of scaling the optical spectrum full width at half-maximum are essential features that make it a good candidate for ultrafast low-power mode-locked lasers operating in different spectral regions.
Antibiotic Therapy for Chorioamnionitis to Reduce the Global Burden of Associated Disease

Chorioamnionitis is associated with significant maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality throughout the world. In developed countries, great progress has been made to minimize the impact of chorioamnionitis, through timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment. In the global setting, where many women deliver outside the healthcare facilities, this diagnosis is frequently overlooked and not properly treated. In addition to its impact on maternal health, a significant proportion of neonatal morbidity and mortality can be prevented by both recognition and access to readily available treatment. With the increasing focus on saving the most vulnerable members of society, we echo the need for providing parturient women with suspected chorioamnionitis universal access to appropriate therapy. We describe known effective antibiotic therapies for chorioamnionitis and provide an overview of additional potential antimicrobial treatments that might be effectively implemented in areas with limited access to care.
The Prevalence of Parasites and Pathogens in Asian Honeybees Apis cerana in China

Pathogens and parasites represent significant threats to the health and well-being of honeybee species that are key pollinators of agricultural crops and flowers worldwide. We conducted a nationwide survey to determine the occurrence and prevalence of pathogens and parasites in Asian honeybees, Apis cerana, in China. Our study provides evidence of infections of A. cerana by pathogenic Deformed wing virus (DWV), Black queen cell virus (BQCV), Nosema ceranae, and C. bombi species that have been linked to population declines of European honeybees, A. mellifera, and bumble bees. However, the prevalence of DWV, a virus that causes widespread infection in A. mellifera, was low, arguably a result of the greater ability of A. cerana to resist the ectoprasitic mite Varroa destructor, an efficient vector of DWV. Analyses of microbial communities from the A. cerana digestive tract showed that Nosema infection could have detrimental effects on the gut microbiota. Workers infected by N. ceranae tended to have lower bacterial quantities, with these differences being significant for the Bifidobacterium and Pasteurellaceae bacteria groups. The results of this nationwide screen show that parasites and pathogens that have caused serious problems in European honeybees can be found in native honeybee species kept in Asia. Environmental changes due to new agricultural practices and globalization may facilitate the spread of pathogens into new geographic areas. The foraging behavior of pollinators that are in close geographic proximity likely have played an important role in spreading of parasites and pathogens over to new hosts. Phylogenetic analyses provide insights into the movement and population structure of these parasites, suggesting a bidirectional flow of parasites among pollinators. The presence of these parasites and pathogens may have considerable implications for an observed population decline of Asian honeybees.
Chronic Kidney Disease and Estimates of Kidney Function in HIV Infection: A Cross-Sectional Study in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study

Background:Cystatin C has been proposed as an alternative marker of kidney function among HIV-infected persons in whom serum creatinine is affected by extrarenal factors. Methods:In this cross-sectional study, we compared estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFR) using serum creatinine versus cystatin C between 150 HIV-uninfected and 783 HIV-infected men. We evaluated the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD; eGFR less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) and examined the influence of extrarenal factors on GFR estimates among HIV-infected men. Results:Estimated GFRSCR was similar by HIV serostatus, but eGFRCYSC was lower in HIV-infected men. A higher proportion of HIV-infected men were classified as having CKD when using eGFRCYSC versus eGFRSCR (7% vs 5%, P < 0.01). In HIV-infected individuals without CKD, eGFRSCR was higher than eGFRCYSC, whereas it was lower than eGFRCYSC in persons with CKD. In HIV-infected men, older age, proteinuria, and prior clinical AIDS were inversely associated with both GFR estimates. Higher serum albumin levels and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker use were associated with lower eGFRSCR. HIV viral load, hepatitis C coinfection, and serum alkaline phosphatase were inversely associated with eGFRCYSC. Conclusion:Among HIV-uninfected and HIV-infected men of similar social risk behaviors, GFR estimates differed by biomarker and kidney function level. Estimated GFRCYSC classified a larger proportion of HIV-infected men with CKD compared with eGFRSCR. Differences between these GFR-estimating methods may be the result of the effects of extrarenal factors on serum creatinine and cystatin C. Until GFR-estimating equations are validated among HIV-infected individuals, current GFR estimates based on these biomarkers should be interpreted with care in this patient population.
Salvianolic acid B suppresses maturation of human monocyte‐derived dendritic cells by activating PPARγ

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Salvianolic acid B (Sal B), a water‐soluble antioxidant derived from a Chinese medicinal herb, is known to be effective in the prevention of atherosclerosis. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the anti‐atherosclerotic effect of Sal B might be mediated by suppressing maturation of human monocyte‐derived dendritic cells (h‐monDC).
Apolipoprotein A 1 Regulates Coenzyme Q 10 Absorption , Mitochondrial Function , and Infarct Size in a Mouse Model of Myocardial Infarction 1 – 3

HDL and apolipoprotein A1 (apoA1) concentrations inversely correlatewith risk of death from ischemic heart disease; however, the role of apoA1 in the myocardial response to ischemia has not been well defined. To test whether apoA1, the primary HDL apolipoprotein, has an acute anti-inflammatory role in ischemic heart disease, we induced myocardial infarction via direct left anterior descending coronary artery ligation in apoA1 null (apoA1) and apoA1 heterozygous (apoA1) mice. We observed that apoA1 and apoA1 mice had a 52% and 125% increase in infarct size as a percentage of area at risk, respectively, compared with wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 mice. Mitochondrial oxidation contributes to tissue damage in ischemia–reperfusion injury. A substantial defect was present at baseline in the electron transport chain of cardiac myocytes from apoA1 mice localized to the coenzyme Q (CoQ) pool with impaired electron transfer (67% decrease) from complex II to complex III. Administration of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) to apoA1 null mice normalized the cardiac mitochondrial CoQ pool and reduced infarct size to that observed in WT mice. CoQ10 administration did not significantly alter infarct size in WT mice. These data identify CoQ pool content leading to impaired mitochondrial function as major contributors to infarct size in the setting of low HDL/apoA1. These data suggest a previously unappreciated mechanism for myocardial stunning, cardiac dysfunction, and muscle pain associated with low HDL and low apoA1 concentrations that can be corrected by CoQ10 supplementation and suggest populations of patients that may benefit particularly from CoQ10 supplementation. J. Nutr. 144: 1030–1036, 2014.
Hippocampal Neurogenesis Follows Kainic Acid-Induced Apoptosis in Neonatal Rats

The effects of kainic acid (KA) on neurogenesis in the developing rat hippocampus were investigated. Neonatal [postnatal day (P) 7] rats received a single bilateral intracerebroventricular infusion of KA (50 nmol in 1.0 μl) or vehicle. At P14, P25, P40, and P60, the spatial and temporal relationships between the neurodegeneration and neurogenesis induced by KA were explored using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated biotinylated UTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) to detect the dying cells and 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) to label newly generated cells. There was progressive loss of neurons in the cornu ammonis (CA) 1 and CA3 subfields of the hippocampus at all time points in KA-treated rats. TUNEL staining identified dying cells at P14 through P60, mainly in the CA3 subfield. The number of TUNEL-positive cells decreased with age. Neurogenesis also was observed in the KA-treated hippocampus. The number of BrdU-positive cells in the dentate gyrus was significantly decreased at P14, when the number of TUNEL-positive cells is highest. However, at later time points (P40 and P60) the number of BrdU-positive cells in the dentate gyrus was significantly increased. In addition, the number of BrdU-positive cells was increased in the CA3 subfield at P40 and P60 in KA-treated rats. A substantial proportion (40%) of the newly generated cells in CA3 also expressed markers of immature and mature neurons (class III β-tubulin and neuronal nuclei). Newly generated cells in the CA3 subfield only rarely expressed glial markers (8%). These results suggest that a single exposure to KA at P7 has both immediate (inhibition) and delayed (stimulation) effects on neurogenesis within the dentate gyrus of developing rats. KA administration resulted in both neuronal apoptosis and neurogenesis within the CA3 subfield, suggesting that the purpose of neurogenesis in the CA3 is to replace neurons lost to apoptosis.
Transcriptome Analysis of the Mud Crab (Scylla paramamosain) by 454 Deep Sequencing: Assembly, Annotation, and Marker Discovery

In this study, we reported the characterization of the first transcriptome of the mud crab (Scylla paramamosain). Pooled cDNAs of four tissue types from twelve wild individuals were sequenced using the Roche 454 FLX platform. Analysis performed included de novo assembly of transcriptome sequences, functional annotation, and molecular marker discovery. A total of 1,314,101 high quality reads with an average length of 411 bp were generated by 454 sequencing on a mixed cDNA library. De novo assembly of these 1,314,101 reads produced 76,778 contigs (consisting of 818,154 reads) with 5.4-fold average sequencing coverage. The remaining 495,947 reads were singletons. A total of 78,268 unigenes were identified based on sequence similarity with known proteins (E≤0.00001) in UniProt and non-redundant protein databases. Meanwhile, 44,433 sequences were identified (E≤0.00001) using a BLASTN search against the NCBI nucleotide database. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis indicated that biosynthetic process, cell part, and ion binding were the most abundant terms in biological process, cellular component, and molecular function categories, respectively. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome (KEGG) pathway analysis revealed that 4,878 unigenes distributed in 281 different pathways. In addition, 19,011 microsatellites and 37,063 potential single nucleotide polymorphisms were detected from the transcriptome of S. paramamosain. Finally, thirty polymorphic microsatellite markers were developed and used to assess genetic diversity of a wild population of S. paramamosain. So far, existing sequence resources for S. paramamosain are extremely limited. The present study provides a characterization of transcriptome from multiple tissues and individuals, as well as an assessment of genetic diversity of a wild population. These sequence resources will facilitate the investigation of population genetic diversity, the development of genetic maps, and the conduct of molecular marker-assisted breeding in S. paramamosain and related crab species.
Complimentary roles of the hippocampus and retrosplenial cortex in behavioral context discrimination

Complex cognitive functions, such as learning and memory, arise from the interaction of multiple brain regions that comprise functional circuits and different components of these circuits make unique contributions to learning. The hippocampus and the retrosplenial cortex (RSC) are anatomically interconnected and both regions are involved in learning and memory. Previous studies indicate that the hippocampus exhibits unique firing patterns for different contexts and that RSC neurons selectively respond to cues that predict reinforcement or the need for a behavioral response, suggesting a hippocampal role in encoding contexts and an RSC role in encoding behaviorally significant cues. To test this, we simultaneously recorded hippocampal and RSC neuronal activity as rats learned to discriminate two behavioral contexts. The rats learned to approach the east arm of a plus maze for reward during the first half of each session and to approach the west arm during the second half. The “go east” and “go west” conditions constitute distinct behavioral contexts, which were cued by the reward location. Neurons in both regions developed highly context‐specific responses as subjects learned to discriminate the contexts, but the response patterns differed in the two brain regions. Consistent with a context processing role, hippocampal neurons developed context‐specific responses to a variety of task stimuli and events. In contrast, RSC neurons only developed context‐specific responses to the reward location, which served as the context identifying cue. These results suggest that the hippocampus and RSC play distinct, but complimentary roles in mediating context appropriate memories and behaviors. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Comparison of the Nutritional Status and Infant Feeding Practices Between Selected Rural and Urban Areas in Bangladesh

The study was cross sectional design and carried out among 122 mother-infant pairs of the urban and rural areas in Tangail district, Bangladesh, aimed at the comparison of infant feeding practices and nutritional status of the rural and urban areas. There was a significant difference observed in their educational level (urban graduate 44.3% compared to rural graduate 2.4%), total monthly income and expenditure on food and non-food items. The mean monthly income of urban and rural family were 34508.19±8227.67 TK. and 6422.95±1756.23 TK. respectively. Similarly monthly expenditure on foods of urban and rural family were 13090.16±2348.53 TK. and 4498.36±1394.76 TK. respectively. Colostrum feeding immediately after birth was higher in urban areas (75.4%) compared to rural (47.5%). Moreover, rural mother prefers to give honey and sugar water. In urban areas breast feeding initiated within 1 hour, but in rural areas it was given within 12 hours after birth. Urban mother provided powder milk (49.18%) as first complementary foods, in contrast, rural mothers provided mainly cow’s milk, hotchpotch made with vegetables and rice/cereal based products. Rural mother continued breast feeding practice for longer period of time than urban mothers. Majority of the urban mothers prefer egg, soup or fruits for their babies, while the rural people choices mainly the rice-potato, pulses or vegetables. The anthropometric indices shows that nutritional status of the urban infants was better than rural infants. The prevalence of moderate to severe underweight is higher in rural areas (59.01%) when compared to urban areas (18.03%). Again, moderate to severe stunted and wasted in rural areas found 39.34% & 37.69% and in urban areas 21.31% & 13.11% respectively.
A path space extension for robust light transport simulation

We present a new sampling space for light transport paths that makes it possible to describe Monte Carlo path integration and photon density estimation in the same framework. A key contribution of our paper is the introduction of vertex perturbations, which extends the space of paths with loosely coupled connections. The new framework enables the computation of path probabilities in the same space under the same measure, which allows us to use multiple importance sampling to combine Monte Carlo path integration and photon density estimation. The resulting algorithm, unified path sampling, can robustly render complex combinations and glossy surfaces and caustics that are problematic for existing light transport simulation methods.
Cryptographic Support for Secure Logs on Untrusted Machines

In many real-world applications, sensitive information must be kept in log files on an untrusted machine. In the event that an attacker captures this machine, we would like to guarantee that he will gain little or no information from the log files and to limit his ability to corrupt the log files. We describe a computationally cheap method for making all log entries generated prior to the logging machine's compromise impossible for the attacker to read, and also impossible to undetectably modify or destroy.