Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neurosteroid regulation of oxytocin and vasopressin release from the rat supraoptic nucleus

In adult rats somato‐dendritic release of oxytocin and vasopressin from magnocellular neurones in the supraoptic nucleus of the hypothalamus has important autoregulatory actions on the neuronal electrical activity, and in neonatal rats it plays a role in the development of dendritic arborisation. In the adult, oxytocin effects are modulated by allopregnanolone via an interaction with inhibitory GABAA receptors. This study examined the effects of allopregnanolone, progesterone and 17β‐oestradiol on oxytocin and vasopressin release from intact isolated supraoptic nuclei and from the neurophypophyses in rats of differing ages. In supraoptic nuclei from rats of 3–4 weeks old or less, all three neurosteroids induced oxytocin release from the isolated supraoptic nucleus, but only allopregnanolone induced significant release of vasopressin. Surprisingly, in these very young rats, allopregnanolone‐induced oxytocin release was inhibited by GABAA receptor antagonists as well as by an oxytocin receptor antagonist. By contrast, in supraoptic nuclei from adult rats allopregnanolone‐induced oxytocin release was much smaller, and was enhanced in the presence of bicuculline. The GABAA receptor agonist muscimol also induced oxytocin release from supraoptic nuclei in young rats, but had no effect in adult rats. Oxytocin cells isolated from young rats showed an increase in [Ca2+]i in response to both allopregnanolone and muscimol. Allopregnanolone had no effect on [Ca2+]i or on the release of oxytocin or vasopressin from neurohypophysial axon terminals in either young or old rats. We conclude that, in very young rats, (i) neurosteroids induce oxytocin release from the supraoptic nucleus by a mechanism that partly depends on the presence of GABA, which in young rats is depolarising to oxytocin cells, and which also partly depends upon endogenous oxytocin, and (ii) the effect of allopregnanolone upon oxytocin release changes with age, as the functional activity of GABAA receptors changes from excitation to inhibition of oxytocin cells.
Impatience and Inconsistency in Intertemporal Choice: An Experimental Analysis

ABSTRACT In this article the experiment carried out by Takahashi et al. [2009] is replicated to analyze the influence of culture, gender, origin (urban or rural), and socioeconomic level on the impulsivity and consistency of decision-making processes concerning monetary gains and losses. The results indicate that Spanish students show inconsistency, and more impulsivity over gains (i.e., more impatience, as they discount delayed outcomes more rapidly) than do Japanese and American students. Additionally, participants from urban areas show more impatience over gains than do participants from rural ones, women are more impatient than men are over losses, and participants of different socioeconomic levels show differences in their impulsivity parameters.
RNA-Binding Protein Musashi1 Is a Central Regulator of Adhesion Pathways in Glioblastoma

ABSTRACT The conserved RNA-binding protein Musashi1 (MSI1) has emerged as a key oncogenic factor in numerous solid tumors, including glioblastoma. However, its mechanism of action has not yet been established comprehensively. To identify its target genes comprehensively and determine the main routes by which it influences glioblastoma phenotypes, we conducted individual-nucleotide resolution cross-linking and immunoprecipitation (iCLIP) experiments. We confirmed that MSI1 has a preference for UAG sequences contained in a particular structural context, especially in 3′ untranslated regions. Although numerous binding sites were also identified in intronic sequences, our RNA transcriptome sequencing analysis does not favor the idea that MSI1 is a major regulator of splicing in glioblastoma cells. MSI1 target mRNAs encode proteins that function in multiple pathways of cell proliferation and cell adhesion. Since these associations indicate potentially new roles for MSI1, we investigated its impact on glioblastoma cell adhesion, morphology, migration, and invasion. These processes are known to underpin the spread and relapse of glioblastoma, in contrast to other tumors where metastasis is the main driver of recurrence and progression.
Do pregnant women still smoke? A study of smoking patterns among 261,029 primiparous women in Denmark 1997–2005

Objective. Describe smoking patterns in pregnancy in Denmark from 1997 to 2005 and make comparisons with the other Nordic countries, and further to analyze the influence of socio‐demographic factors on smoking patterns in pregnancy. Design. Register‐based study. Setting. Denmark. Population. All primiparous women giving birth in Denmark (n = 261,029) in the period 1997–2005. Methods. Information about deliveries, smoking status and characteristics of the women were retrieved from the Danish National Birth Registry. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to assess the importance of different factors in relation to the risk of smoking in pregnancy. Main outcome measures. Odds Ratios and associated 99% confidence intervals were used to assess the risk of smoking in pregnancy. Results. The prevalence of women who smoked at some point in pregnancy declined significantly from 22% in 1997 to 16% in 2005. However, among women younger than 20 years at delivery, the pregnancy‐related smoking prevalence increased from 37 to 43%. Time trends in smoking patterns were not confounded by socio‐demographic factors. Women living in rural areas and women who did not have a partner had the highest risk of smoking in pregnancy. Conclusions. In this nationwide survey, a significant decline in the prevalence of primiparous women who smoked during pregnancy was observed from 1997 to 2005. Despite of this, pregnancy‐related smoking prevalence in Denmark is still higher than in the other Nordic countries. Furthermore, the proportion of pregnant smokers was highest among young women, and future smoking cessation programs should bring this subgroup of women into focus.
Microarray analysis reveals differential gene expression in hybrid sunflower species

This paper describes the creation of a cDNA microarray for annual sunflowers and its use to elucidate patterns of gene expression in Helianthus annuus, Helianthus petiolaris, and the homoploid hybrid species Helianthus deserticola. The array comprises 3743 ESTs (expressed sequence tags) representing approximately 2897 unique genes. It has an average clone/EST identity rate of 91%, is applicable across species boundaries within the annual sunflowers, and shows patterns of gene expression that are highly reproducible according to real‐time RT–PCR (reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction) results. Overall, 12.8% of genes on the array showed statistically significant differential expression across the three species. Helianthus deserticola displayed transgressive, or extreme, expression for 58 genes, with roughly equal numbers exhibiting up‐ or down‐regulation relative to both parental species. Transport‐related proteins were strongly over‐represented among the transgressively expressed genes, which makes functional sense given the extreme desert floor habitat of H. deserticola. The potential adaptive value of differential gene expression was evaluated for five genes in two populations of early generation (BC2) hybrids between the parental species grown in the H. deserticola habitat. One gene (a G protein‐coupled receptor) had a significant association with fitness and maps close to a QTL controlling traits that may be adaptive in the desert habitat.
Metabolomic Phenotyping Validates the Infant Rhesus Monkey as a Model of Human Infant Metabolism

Objectives: Rhesus macaque monkeys are widely used as models for human physiology and behavior. They are particularly suited for studies on infant nutrition and metabolism; however, few studies have directly compared their metabolic or microbiological phenotypes. The aim of the present study was to compare the metabolomic profiles and microbiome of milk from human and rhesus mothers, and the metabolomic profiles of urine and serum from human and rhesus infants to establish the value of this model for human nutrition research. Methods: Milk samples were collected from rhesus and human mothers at similar stages of lactation. Urine and serum samples were collected from breast-fed rhesus and human infants. 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectra were acquired for all samples and metabolites were identified and quantified using targeted profiling techniques. The microbial community structure of milk was examined using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Results: An identical set of metabolites was identified in the urine and serum profiles from human and rhesus infants. In urine, 65% of the metabolites were present at similar concentrations, whereas ∼40% were similar in serum. The gross composition of human and rhesus milk was comparable, including the overall microbial community at both the phylum and order level; however, some oligosaccharides found in human milk were not present in monkey milk. Conclusions: Comparison of the milk microbiome and urine, serum, and milk metabolome of rhesus macaques and humans has revealed substantial similarities that provide unique biological information highlighting the significance of rhesus macaques as a model for infant nutrition and developmental research.
Molecular Variability of the 16p13.3 Region in Amerindians and its Anthropological Significance

A total of 1558 base pairs in the 16p13.3 region were investigated in 98 individuals of Mongolian, Northern Arctic and Amerindian affiliation, and the results compared with those obtained in a previous worldwide study of the same genomic region. Fifty‐five polymorphic sites could be classified into thirty‐five haplotypes from the total data. A median joining network based on the haplotypes revealed two distinct clusters: one with low diversity, with haplotypes found in all five geographic‐ethnic categories; while the other, with the most divergent haplotypes, was composed mainly of Africans and a few Amerindians. Almost all neutrality parameters yielded significantly negative values. Demographic simulations with the exclusively Amerindian dataset rejected all scenarios, including a bottleneck beginning more than 12,000 years ago. The demographic scenarios tested considering population growth were similar among the Amerindian and worldwide or Eurasian data sets. The results suggest that Amerindians are a representative sample of Eurasian populations, preserving the signal of demographic growth from the out of Africa exodus and, together with data from uniparental markers, support a scenario of a bottleneck of moderate intensity during the peopling of the New World.
Diffusion of innovation among Malaysian manufacturing SMEs

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the attributes of innovation adoption and its effects on the performance of Malaysian manufacturing SMEs. Design/methodology/approach Quantitative data were collected from 360 randomly selected manufacturing SMEs through structured interviews. Findings The findings of the study confirmed that, in Malaysian manufacturing SMEs, the degree of persuasion (i.e. relative advantages, compatibility, complexity, trialability and observability), strategic orientation (i.e. consumer, market and entrepreneurship) and firm antecedents (i.e. prior condition, knowledge and risk orientation) have significant effects on the innovation (i.e. product, process and service) adoption and performance of SMEs. Practical implications For policymakers, this study emphasizes the areas to focus on the development of an effective innovation ecosystem for an innovation-led economy. Because SMEs operate with limited resources and capacity, the programs and policies for innovation support systems must focus on providing new innovation information, cost-benefit analyses for new innovation adoption, innovation adoption processes and how new innovations affect performance. Originality/value The paper examines an important, but under-researched issue – designed and tested a model under the premises of the DOI and organizational diffusion of innovation theories which improve the knowledge and understanding about the innovation adoption by manufacturing SMEs.
Design, optimization and characterizations of chitosan fortified calcium alginate microspheres for the controlled delivery of dual drugs

Abstract Periodontal disease is chronic, highly prevalent infectious disease that requires prolonged and controlled delivery of antimicrobial agents into pockets. To achieve this objective, dual antimicrobials encapsulated chitosan fortified calcium alginate (CS-Ca-SA) microspheres were formulated by application of Plackett-Burman factorial design. The microspheres were optimized for particle size (PS), entrapment efficiency (EE) and drug release. The optimized microspheres presented average PS of 74–461 µm and EE of 62.45–86.20% with controlled drug delivery for 120 hours. FTIR disclosed successful complexation between SA and CS. DSC and XRD studies showed changes in the crystallinity of drugs in microspheres. Shape factor and SEM demonstrated spherical to pear-shaped microspheres. Release exponent >0.43 and high diffusion coefficients revealed non-Fickian-based diffusion-limited drug release. CS-Ca-SA microspheres exhibited surface pH of 6.5 ± 0.5, moderate swelling, less erosion and improved mucoadhesion over Ca-SA microspheres. Also, significant antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus and cytocompatibility with L929 cell lines were observed. Further, microspheres exhibited long-term stability on refrigeration. The outcomes of study supported the potential of dual polymer and dual drug-based biodegradable, stable, non-toxic, mucoadhesive, controlled and prolonged drug release microspheres as more patient compliant by administration into periodontal pockets for the management of periodontal disease. Graphical Abstract
Follistatin and activin A serum concentrations in obese and non-obese patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.

BACKGROUND Activin promotes ovarian follicular development, inhibits androgen production and increases FSH and insulin secretion. Follistatin, an activin-binding protein, neutralizes activin bioactivity. Therefore, a decrease in the ratio of activin/follistatin might encourage characteristic features of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). We investigated whether women with PCOS showed disordered follistatin and/or activin serum concentrations. METHODS The study group included 24 obese and 20 non-obese (body mass index vertical line and <27 kg/m2 respectively) clomiphene-failure PCOS patients. The control group included 16 obese and 46 non-obese patients with normal ovulatory cycles. Blood samples were obtained from the patients on day 3-5 of a progesterone-induced or spontaneous cycle and were assayed for LH, FSH, testosterone, 17-hydroxy-progesterone, androstenedione, follistatin, activin A, fasting glucose and insulin. RESULTS Follistatin concentrations were comparable between obese and non-obese PCOS patients (mean +/- SE; 1171 +/- 103 and 1045 +/- 159 pg/ml respectively) and significantly higher than their respective controls (628 +/- 61 and 592 +/- 49 pg/ml, P < 0.0001 and P < 0.02 respectively). Activin A concentrations were comparable between the four groups (590 +/- 35, 513 +/- 74, 661 +/- 87 and 595 +/- 43 pg/ml in obese and non-obese PCOS and controls respectively). Stepwise regression analyses for relationships between follistatin or activin A levels and all other variables indicated that follistatin was significantly and independently positively affected by PCOS (P < 0.0001), age (P < 0.02), androstenedione (P < 0.03) and weight (P < 0.05). Activin A was significantly and independently negatively affected by PCOS (P < 0.003) and FSH (P < 0.03), and positively affected by weight (P < 0.009) and androstenedione (P < 0.02). CONCLUSIONS Serum follistatin is increased in PCOS patients, regardless of obesity. PCOS is the most significant variable that relates to high follistatin and low activin A serum concentration. A high follistatin/activin ratio could well contribute to the pathophysiology of PCOS.
Patient-Reported Outcomes After Endonasal Rhinoplasty for the Long Nose

BackgroundThe long nose with an inferiorly rotated tip commonly results from a discrepancy between tip support and the downward forces of long septum, long upper lateral cartilage, and elongated lower lateral cartilage. Although many techniques have been described for surgical correction, very few studies were designed to include patient-reported outcomes. ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to introduce our current management of long nose with drooping tips as well as to present the patient-reported outcomes of our case series of endonasal rhinoplasties. MethodsThis study prospectively analyzed 121 patients who underwent rhinoplasty for the correction of long nose with drooping tips. Study participants completed both a baseline questionnaire before the rhinoplasty operation and a postsurgical patient questionnaire 12 months following the operation, including the European QOL Questionnaire and Rhinoplasty Outcomes Evaluation Questionnaire. ResultsMean values corresponding to the European QOL Questionnaire visual analog scale score significantly increased after surgery compared with baseline (P < 0.01). Mean values corresponding to self-care (P < 0.01), usual activities (P < 0.05), discomfort (P < 0.01), and anxiety (P < 0.01) showed significant decrease after surgery. A general and significant improvement of the mean Rhinoplasty Outcomes Evaluation Questionnaire scores by rhinoplasty increased from 20.14 ± 7.38 to 82.05 ± 12.8 (P < 0.01). ConclusionsResection of the caudal portion of upper lateral cartilage may correct aesthetic problems in patients with long nose with a drooping tip in which a reduction in the width and the length of middle third of the nose is required. This study suggested an efficient method for aesthetic correction of long nose with the improved patient-reported outcomes.
Pharmacokinetics of Moxifloxacin in an Infant With Mycoplasma hominis Meningitis

Treatment of Mycoplasma hominis meningitis in infants is limited by a lack of consensus regarding therapy and limited pharmacokinetic data for agents to which M. hominis is susceptible. We report the successful treatment of a premature infant suffering from M. hominis meningitis with doxycycline and moxifloxacin and provide a pharmacokinetic profile of moxifloxacin.
Randomized, multicenter trial of fluorouracil plus leucovorin administered either via hepatic arterial or intravenous infusion versus fluorodeoxyuridine administered via hepatic arterial infusion in patients with nonresectable liver metastases from colorectal carcinoma.

PURPOSE To assess the efficacy and tolerability of three treatments for patients with documented adenocarcinoma of the colon and/or rectum who have undergone complete resection of primary tumor and have nonresectable liver metastases that do not exceed 75% of the liver volume. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 168 patients at 25 treatment centers were enrolled onto this prospective, multicenter, randomized study. The three treatment arms were as follows: (1) fluorouracil (5-FU)/leucovorin (LV) administered via hepatic arterial infusion (HAI), (2) 5-FU/LV administered via intravenous (IV) infusion, and (3) fluorodeoxyuridine (FUDR) administered via HAI. RESULTS Median times to disease progression for the three treatment arms were as follows: 9.2 months for patients treated with HAI 5-FU/LV, 6.6 months for IV 5-FU/LV, and 5.9 months for HAI FUDR. Median survival times for patients treated with HAI 5-FU/LV, IV 5-FU/LV, and HAI FUDR were 18.7 months, 17.6 months, and 12.7 months, respectively. There was a nearly two-fold increase in time to progression in addition to a survival benefit among patients with an intrahepatic tumor burden of less than 25% who were treated with HAI 5-FU/LV. The most common adverse events were stomatitis, nausea and vomiting, skin irritation, diarrhea, and elevated serum levels of liver enzymes. Some patients exhibited severe reactions, including biliary sclerosis and chemical hepatitis. CONCLUSION Although the use of HAI 5-FU/LV as a means of treating liver metastases after resection of colorectal carcinoma warrants further investigation, it cannot be recommended as a routine therapeutic measure at this time.
Towards ‘ethno-national peripheralisation’? Economic dependency amidst political resistance in Palestinian East Jerusalem

Recent studies discuss ‘peripheralisation’ as an uneven socio-spatial phenomenon driven by processes of economic centralisation and marginalisation (Kühn and Bernt, 2013) in capitalist (or capitalising) societies (Bernt and Colini, 2013). In this article, I utilise the concept of peripheralisation in the context of an ethno-national dispute in which spatial, economic and regional dynamics are largely determined by territorial policies of control and exclusion. I combine extant literature on the geopolitics and economy of Jerusalem with the Centre–Periphery framework in order to analyse the development and decline of East Jerusalem’s socio-economic status and political environment from 1967 to 2016. As I will show, since the beginning of the 1990s, Israeli national security policies have transformed East Jerusalem from a Palestinian metropolitan centre into a region on the socio-economic periphery of Israel. I term this particular type of marginalisation ‘ethno-national peripheralisation’, a process of socio-economic decline that is not a relational product of neoliberal centralisation, but an output of ethno-national policies of division and annexation. The radical shift in East Jerusalem’s regional socio-economic status, from a centre of one national realm to the periphery of another, transforms urban life and political spatial strategies in contemporary Jerusalem. The case of East Jerusalem’s peripheralisation demonstrates the ways in which ethno-national policies can create counter outcomes of ethno-national desegregation accelerated by physical entrapment, economic dependency and urban neoliberalism.
Diagnostic Efficiency of Split-Bolus Dual-Energy Computed Tomography for Patients With Suspected Urinary Stones

Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of virtual noncontrast image (VNCI) generated from dual-energy split-bolus computed tomographic urography (DE-SBCTU) for urinary stones detection. Methods Three hundred fifty-six patients underwent true noncontrast image (TNCI) and DE-SBCTU. Two radiologists evaluated opacification scores of DE-SBCTU as well as iodine subtractions and image noise on VNCI. Diagnostic performance of the VNCI was evaluated using TNCI as a reference standard, according to diameter and image quality. The results were compared between patient groups with body mass index of less than 25 and 25 kg/m2 or greater. Results Agreements for opacification, iodine subtraction, and image noise between the radiologists were excellent, and there were no significant difference in the 2 patients groups. A total of 499 stones were detected on VNCI, with a sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy of 95.1% (468/492) and 92.9% (499/537). Mean (SD) diameter was significantly smaller on VNCI (3.6 [2.3] mm) than on TNCI (4.4 [2.0] mm) (P = 0.01). The stone diameter with false interpretation was less than 4 mm in 48 of 51 patients. The diameter and image quality on VNCI had no significant difference between the 2 patients groups. Conclusions Virtual noncontrast image displays high accuracy for detecting urinary stones, regardless of body mass index.