Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hypothalamic PVN contributes to acute intermittent hypoxia-induced sympathetic but not phrenic long-term facilitation.

Blackburn MB, Andrade MA, Toney GM. Hypothalamic PVN contributes to acute intermittent hypoxia-induced sympathetic but not phrenic long-term facilitation. J Appl Physiol 124: 1233-1243, 2018. First published December 19, 2017; doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00743. 2017 . - Acute intermittent hypoxia (AIH) repetitively activates the arterial chemoreflex and triggers a progressive increase of sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) and phrenic nerve activity (PNA) referred to as sympathetic and phrenic long-term facilitation (S-LTF and P-LTF), respectively. Neurons of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) participate in the arterial chemoreflex, but their contribution to AIH-induced LTF is unknown. To determine this, anesthetized rats were vagotomized and exposed to 10 cycles of AIH, each consisting of ventilation for 3 min with 100% O2 followed by 3 min with 15% O2. Before AIH, rats received bilateral PVN injections of artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF; vehicle) or the GABA-A receptor agonist muscimol (100 pmol in 50 nl) to inhibit neuronal activity. Thirty minutes after completing the AIH protocol, during which rats were continuously ventilated with 100% O2, S-LTF and P-LTF were quantified from recordings of integrated splanchnic SNA and PNA, respectively. PVN muscimol attenuated increases of SNA during hypoxic episodes occurring in later cycles (6-10) of AIH ( P < 0.03) and attenuated post-AIH S-LTF ( P < 0.001). Muscimol, however, did not consistently affect peak PNA responses during hypoxic episodes and did not alter AIH-induced P-LTF. These findings indicate that PVN neuronal activity contributes to sympathetic responses during AIH and to subsequent generation of S-LTF. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Neural circuits mediating acute intermittent hypoxia (AIH)-induced sympathetic and phrenic long-term facilitation (LTF) have not been fully elucidated. We found that paraventricular nucleus (PVN) inhibition attenuated sympathetic activation during episodes of AIH and reduced post-AIH sympathetic LTF. Neither phrenic burst patterning nor the magnitude of AIH-induced phrenic LTF was affected. Findings indicate that PVN neurons contribute to AIH-induced sympathetic LTF. Defining mechanisms of sympathetic LTF could improve strategies to reduce sympathetic activity in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
Occupational Exposure to Paints Causes Impairment of Kidney Functions

It has been suggested that exposure to organic solvents may have a role in the impairment of kidney function that may progress to kidney failure. However, this has never been evaluated with an appropriate analytical study of the kidney functions of those people who are chronically exposed to these chemicals. This study was designed to measure the kidney function of car painters in the city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Fifty workers were selected at random for this study and compared to thirty male medical students who were taken as a control group. Blood samples were collected for the analysis of kidney function. The levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, and uric acid were scientifically higher in the tested group compared to the control group. In addition to this, the levels of these parameters were significantly higher in the serum of car painters who worked in this industry for more than ten years compared to painters who worked for less than ten years. Moreover, the number of car painters who were not using protective gloves and masks during working hours were 43 and the number of car painters who visited specialized clinics because of kidney problems were 45 of the 50 tested volunteers. These findings support the hypothesized association of solvent exposure with the development of chronic renal failure. They should prompt clinicians to give greater attention to patients’ occupational exposures. Routine monitoring of kidney functions and the use of protective materials are of greater importance to minimize the occupational diseases caused by organic solvents.
Tor Signaling and Nutrient-based Signals Converge on Mks1p Phosphorylation to Regulate Expression of Rtg1p·Rtg3p-dependent Target Genes*

The heterodimeric bZip/HLH transcription factors Rtg1p and Rtg3p regulate the expression of a concise set of metabolic genes (termed RTG target genes) required for de novo biosynthesis of glutamate and glutamine. Several components have now been identified that control both the intracellular localization as well as activity of the Rtg1p·Rtg3p complex, yet the precise upstream regulatory signals involved remain unclear. For example, it has been proposed that Rtg1p·Rtg3p activity is repressed by glutamate, acting through the mitochondrial retrograde response pathway or, alternatively, by glutamine, acting through the Tor kinase pathway. Here we demonstrate that RTG target gene regulation is remarkably complex, with glutamate and glutamine as well as ammonia collaborating as potentially distinct signals to regulate RTG target gene expression. We show that both Tor and these nutrient-based signals converge on Mks1p, the immediate upstream inhibitor of Rtg1p·Rtg3p, and that a direct correlation exists between the degree of Mks1p phosphorylation and the extent of RTG target gene repression. Finally, we find that Tor- and glutamine-mediated RTG-target gene repression can be experimentally uncoupled, indicating that glutamine and Tor act, at least in part, independently to inhibit this pathway.
The model ’ s weighted average prediction for liberalization ’ s effect on regional wages closely resembles the estimating equations used in recent empirical studies of the local effects of liberalization

This paper measures the effects of Brazil’s 1987-1995 trade liberalization on local labor market wages and internal migration patterns. I develop a specific-factors model of regional economies to examine the impact of national price changes on local labor markets. In the model, a region’s industry mix determines the local impact of liberalization, with larger wage declines in regions where workers are concentrated in industries facing the largest tariff cuts. I find that regions whose output faced a 10% larger liberalization-induced price decline experienced a 9.4% larger wage decline. In addition, liberalization resulted in a shift in migration patterns. The most affected Brazilian states gained or lost approximately 0.5% of their populations as a result of liberalization-induced shifts in migration patterns. These results demonstrate the importance of considering the local effects of national trade liberalization and represent the first systematic evaluation of the effects of liberalization on internal migration. ∗I would like to thank Martha Bailey, Rebecca Blank, Charlie Brown, Brian Cadena, Alan Deardorff, David Deming, John DiNardo, Juan Carlos Hallak, Benjamin Keys, Osborne Jackson, David Lam, Alexandra Resch, James Sallee, Jeff Smith, and seminar participants at numerous universities and conferences for helpful comments on this research. Special thanks are due to Honorio Kume for providing the trade policy data utilized in this study and to Molly Lipscomb for providing information on regional boundary changes in Brazil. The author also gratefully acknowledges fellowship support from the Population Studies Center and the Rackham Graduate School at the University of Michigan. †Brian K. Kovak, The Heinz College, Carnegie Mellon University. Email: bkovak@cmu.edu 1 Local Labor Market Effects of Trade Policy Brian K. Kovak
Apoptotic cell death, long‐term persistence, and neuronal differentiation of aneuploid cells generated in the adult brain of teleost fish

Aneuploidy, caused by segregation defects during mitosis, has previously been identified in adult‐born cells of mammals and teleosts. In the present study, we have examined the fate of these cells in the brain of the teleost fish Apteronotus leptorhynchus. By immunostaining against active caspase‐3, we have shown that both cells with normal nuclear morphology and cells with mitotic segregation defects undergo apoptosis, but the relative number of apoptotic cells is higher among cells of the latter category. Long‐term survival of cells with mitotic segregation defects could be demonstrated by incorporation of 5‐bromo‐2′‐deoxyuridine into newly synthesized DNA during the S‐phase of mitosis, and by employment of postadministration survival times of up to 860 days. Moreover, by combining 5‐bromo‐2′‐deoxyuridine immunolabeling with immunostaining against the neuron‐specific marker protein Hu, we have shown that among the long‐term persistent cells with mitotic segregation defects a similar portion develops into neurons as does among the long‐term persistent cells without such defects. It is possible that aneuploid cells play a role in the regulation of gene expression by somatic genomic alterations during postnatal development. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol, 2008.
tDCS potentiation provides no evidence for a link between right dorsal–lateral prefrontal cortical activity and empathic responding

ABSTRACT Previous studies suggest the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is involved in processing of empathic concern. This has not been experimentally tested to date. We tested the hypotheses that electrical potentiation in the right DLPFC would be associated with increased empathic concern and prosocial behavior. Participants were randomly allocated to one of three transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) conditions: (a) relative right potentiation, (b) relative left potentiation, and (c) sham. Participants viewed images of African children in distressing circumstances, and completed measures of empathic concern pre- and post-tDCS manipulation. Contrary to our prediction, neither effects, nor interactions of heightened empathic concern were observed. These results conflict with previous studies using this bilateral tDCS montage. Explanations could be that stimulation used in this study had been simply too weak (1.5 mA). Alternatively, the area of the DLPFC involved in emotion regulation is closer to the cortex than the area involved in empathic concern, and more easily potentiated by tDCS. Therefore, the DLPFC potentiation in the present study may have linked empathic concern with adaptive emotion regulation strategies. Future research could examine this possibility using measures of emotion regulation and higher fidelity neurostimulation (e.g., repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation [rTMS]).
Time course of EPSCs in ON‐type starburst amacrine cells is independent of dendritic location

Direction selectivity has been widely studied as an example of a complex neural computation. Directional GABA release from starburst amacrine cells (SBACs) is critical for generating directional signals in direction‐selective ganglion cells. The mechanisms producing the directional release remain unclear. For SBACs, ordered distribution of sustained and transient bipolar cell inputs along the dendrites is proposed to generate directional GABA release. This study tests whether this hypothesis applies to ON‐type SBACs. EPSCs activated at proximal and distal dendritic locations have the same time course. Therefore, the ordered arrangement of inputs from bipolar cells with different kinetic properties cannot be responsible for generating directional GABA release from ON‐type SBACs.
New paradigms Insulin promotes teamwork in the bone Insulin signaling in osteoblasts integrates bone remodeling and energy metabolism

Outi Mäkitiea and Ola Nilssonb aPediatric Endocrinology and Metabolic Bone Diseases, Children’s Hospital, Helsinki University Central Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland bCenter for Molecular Medicine and Pediatric Endocrinology Unit, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden, and Program in Developmental Endocrinology and Genetics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Md. , USA
Factors Influencing the Use of Prenatal Care: A Systematic Review

Background & aim: Prenatal care is a key strategy for achieving public health goals, primary healthcare objectives, and the Millennium Development Goals. The aim of this study was to investigate the factors influencing the use of prenatal care services in order to design suitable interventions and promote the use of these services. Methods:In this systematic quantitative literature review, studies published in years 2010-2014 were evaluated. For this purpose, two international electronic databases, i.e., Scopus and PubMed, were explored to find English-language articles by using relevant keywords; moreover, the reference lists of the articles were hand-searched. We reviewed all cross-sectional and prospective studies, which focused on factors associated with the use of prenatal care services within the specified period of time. Results: In total, 17 relevant articles were included in our review. The results showed that late initiation and inadequate use of prenatal care services are independently associated with multiple variables, including demographic characteristics, socioeconomic factors, predisposing cultural and religious factors, social support, factors related to healthcare providers, women’s awareness and attitude, unintended pregnancy, high-risk medical or obstetric history, and health behaviors. Conclusion: Based on the literature review, proper use of prenatal care cannot be achieved merely by establishing healthcare centers. Utilization of maternal health services may be achieved and improved via developing socioeconomic factors and addressing patients' basic needs including education and financial independence.
A Single Amino Acid Change within Antigenic Domain II of the Spike Protein of Bovine Coronavirus Confers Resistance to Virus Neutralization

ABSTRACT The spike glycoprotein is a major neutralizing antigen of bovine coronavirus (BCV). Conformational neutralizing epitopes of group A and group B monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) have previously been mapped to two domains at amino acids 351 to 403 (domain I) and amino acids 517 to 621 (domain II). To further map antigenic sites, neutralization escape mutants of BCV were selected with a group A MAb which has both in vitro and in vivo virus-neutralizing ability. The escape mutants were demonstrated to be neutralization resistant to the selecting group A MAb and remained sensitive to neutralization by a group B MAb. In radioimmunoprecipitation assays, the spike proteins of neutralization escape mutants were shown to have lost their reactivities with the selecting group A MAb. Sequence analysis of the spike protein genes of the escape mutants identified a single nucleotide substitution of C to T at position 1583, resulting in the change of alanine to valine at amino acid position 528 (A528V). The mutation occurs in domain II and in a location which corresponds to the hypervariable region of the spike protein of the coronavirus mouse hepatitis virus. Experimental introduction of the A528V mutation into the wild-type spike protein resulted in the loss of MAb binding of the mutant protein, confirming that the single point mutation was responsible for the escape of BCV from immunological selective pressure.
Schistosomiasis and its impact on the liver and gut

INTRODUCTION Schistosomiasis is a chronic parasitic disease caused by a trematode blood fluke of the genus Schistosoma that belongs to the Schistosomatidae family [14]. Worldwide, it is estimated that more than 200 million people suffer from this disease and that it is responsible for more than 200,000 deaths every year [34,41]. Schistosomiasis has been known since time immemorial. The ancient Egyptians contracted the disease more than 4,000 years ago — 1900 B.C. (Fig. 1), and recorded it in the Kahun Papyrus [32]. In 1851, Theodor Bilharz discovered schistosoma from a human autopsy material in Cairo and described the relationship of the parasite to pathologic lesions. From 1910 to 1918, Leiper showed there were two species of schistosoma in Egypt and that they were transmitted by two different snails [50].
Meta‐analysis under the looking glass: post‐menopausal hormone replacement therapy

In the past few years of the Journal we have published a number of papers in the broad area of evidencebased medicine (1-5). Systematic reviews make an important contribution to this mode of practice, and the need for a systematic approach to summarizing available evidence about specific pharmaco therapies is incontrovertible. What has been in dispute over the past few years is the statistical pooling (meta-analysis) of results from different studies to yield a single estimate of effect. Of concern has been the fact that the results of various meta-analyses have been discordant with the results of subsequent large trials (6-8). The following case study about the possible cardioprotective effect of post-menopausal hormone replacement therapy (PMHRT) (9) highlights some of the issues. The following is a summary of the case study:
Sap Pressure in Vascular Plants

A method is described which permits measurement of sap pressure in the xylem of vascular plants. As long predicted, sap pressures during transpiration are normally negative, ranging from -4 or -5 atmospheres in a damp forest to -80 atmospheres in the desert. Mangroves and other halophytes maintain at all times a sap pressure of -35 to -60 atmospheres. Mistletoes have greater suction than their hosts, usually by 10 to 20 atmospheres. Diurnal cycles of 10 to 20 atmospheres are common. In tall conifers there is a hydrostatic pressure gradient that closely corresponds to the height and seems surprisingly little influenced by the intensity of transpiration. Sap extruded from the xylem by gas pressure on the leaves is practically pure water. At zero turgor this procedure gives a linear relation between the intracellular concentration and the tension of the xylem.
Caribou consumption in northern Canadian communities

ABSTRACT Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) found in both farmed and wild deer, elk, and moose in the United States and Canada. Surveillance efforts in North America identified the geographical distribution of the disease and mechanisms underlying distribution, although the possibility of transmission to other cervids, including caribou, and noncervids, including humans, is not well understood. Because of the documented importance of caribou (Rangifer tarandus) to human populations in the northern regions of Canada, a risk-management strategy for CWD requires an understanding of the extent of potential dietary exposure to CWD. Secondary 24-h dietary recalls conducted among Inuvialuit and Inuit in 4 communities in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut were employed in this study. Econometric demand systems were estimated to model the impacts of individual- and community-level socioeconomic characteristics on expenditures on caribou and other foods, in order to examine the households’ ability to consume other foods in response to changing levels of caribou consumption. Thirty-five percent of respondents reported consuming caribou in the survey period, and caribou comprised, on average, 26% of daily dietary intake by weight, or approximately 65 g/d, across individuals in the 4 communities. Consuming caribou was also shown to exert positive impacts on dietary quality, as measured by calorie intake and dietary diversity. Communities with less access to employment, income and food stores are predicted to be constrained in their ability to obtain an adequate diet in the event of scarcity of caribou meat.
In vitro cariogenic potential of Candida albicans

The adherence and dissociation of Candida albicans, C. tropicalis, Streptococcus mutans and S. sanguis to six substrates including hydroxylapatite (HAP) which exhibit various hydrophobicity, was examined by the use of a bioluminescent adenosine triphosphate (ATP) assay. Dissolution of HAP by C. albicans or S. mutans was determined spectrophotometrically by the use of o‐cresolphthalein complexone. In the adherence of C. tropicalis, S. mutans and S. sanguis, the amount of adherent cells correlated with the hydrophobicity of the substrates. In contrast, the adherence of C. albicans to HAP was extraordinary high, although the adherence of the fungi also correlated with the hydrophobicity of the substrates, except for HAP. The yeasts attached to HAP was effectively removed by high concentration of either phosphate or calcium ions. The amount of calcium‐release from HAP caused by C. albicans and S. mutans was 113 μg ml−1 (final pH = 3.45), and 5.4 μg ml−1 (final pH 4.81), respectively and the maximum growth of C. albicans and S. mutans was 107 cfu ml−1 and 7.4 × 1012 cfu ml−1, respectively. The results, taken together, suggest that C. albicans adhere to HAP specifically through electrostatic interaction, and that, in a much smaller number (1.0/7.4 × 105), C. albicans possesses the ability to dissolve HAP to a greater extent (approximately 20‐fold) when compared with S. mutans.
Speech development in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate treated with different delays in closure of the hard palate after early velar repair: A longitudinal perspective

We wanted to find out if different timing of delayed repair of the hard palate in a two-stage procedure had an impact on the speech of 26 patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP). The soft palate was closed at the age of 7 months and the hard palate between 38 and 89 months of age. Speech audio recordings at the age of 3 years (baseline, before any repair of the hard palate) and at the ages of 5, 7, and 10 years (the latter obtained at least one year after closure) were analysed. We used standardised speech assessments at routine follow-up and assessment by one external listener. The prevalence of speech errors caused by the cleft was similar to those described in previous reports from our centre in which hard palate repair was delayed. Unexpectedly, the results showed no difference in speech production related to timing of hard palate repair, except for nasal air leakage at the age of 7 years.
[Analysis and verification of the interaction network of differentially expressed genes in invasive bladder cancer].

OBJECTIVE To study the data of gene expression microarray by protein interaction network analysis, establish an interaction network of differentially expressed genes in invasive bladder cancer and verify the central nodes of the network. METHODS A total of 152 differentially expressed genes in invasive bladder cancer detected by gene expression microarray were inputted into STRING database online for analysis and establishment of the interaction network. The interaction data were imported into Cytoscape 2.6. 2 software for screening the central nodes of the network. KEGG database was exploited for pathway analysis and functional study of the central node genes. Real-time RT-PCR was used for verification, and the genes with maximal differential expressions were screened for exploring the molecular mechanism of carcinogenesis of invasive bladder cancer. RESULTS The protein products of 103 differentially expressed genes in bladder cancer had interactions, forming a complicated interaction network. Twenty-six nodes involved in several signal pathways were confirmed by Cytoscape as the central nodes of the network, among which UBE2C, VEGF, TGFBR2, and CAV1 nodes were verified by real-time RT-PCR as the genes with maximal differential expressions between the bladder cancer and normal tissues, and the 2(-delta delta Ct) of these genes were 9.45, 4.17, 0.13 and 0.18 (GAPHD as the internal control), respectively. CONCLUSION The interaction network of the differentially expressed genes, especially the central nodes of this network, can provide clues to the carcinogenesis, early diagnosis and molecular targeted therapy of invasive bladder cancer.