Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Macrophage and microglia‐like cells in the avian inner ear

Recent studies suggest that macrophages may influence early stages of the process of hair cell regeneration in lateral line neuromasts; numbers of macrophages were observed to increase prior to increases in hair cell progenitor proliferation, and macrophages have the potential to secrete mitogenic growth factors. We examined whether increases in the number of leukocytes present in the in vivo avian inner ear precede the proliferation of hair cell precursors following aminoglycoside insult. Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) immunohistochemistry was used to identify proliferating cells in chicken auditory and vestibular sensory receptor epithelia. LT40, an antibody to the avian homologue of common leukocyte antigen CD45, was used to label leukocytes within the receptor epithelia. Macrophages and, surprisingly, microglia‐like cells are present in normal auditory and vestibular sensory epithelia. After hair cell loss caused by treatment with aminoglycosides, numbers of macrophage and microglia‐like cells increase in the sensory epithelium. The increase in macrophage and microglia‐like cell numbers precedes a significant increase in sensory epithelial cell proliferation. The results suggest that macrophage and microglia‐like cells may play a role in releasing early signals for cell cycle progression in damaged inner ear sensory epithelium. J. Comp. Neurol. 398:241–256, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Responses of the composition of body fat to cardiovascular training in college women.

Abstract Thirty-one college women (ages 17 to 42) were divided into 4 age groups to observe the effects of 4 mo of cardiovascular training on the composition of body fat. Training was 3 day/wk, for an average of 15 min each session, at 80% of physical work capacity. Measurements of percent body fat, weight and girth were taken before and after 4 mo of training. Daily caloric needs and daily caloric intake were measured along with the caloric expenditure of each workout. Each group decreased in percent body fat; only one group decreased significantly. This significant decrease was found in the group that was extremely above the optimal fat ranges. The remaining groups were within the optimal fat ranges. Weight changes did not reflect fat losses due to lean body mass development. Daily caloric needs were equal to daily caloric intake which would indicate fat maintenance. All fat that was lost was therefore due to the caloric expenditure of the training. Overfat individuals can reduce body fat significantly .
Working memory deficits after traumatic brain injury: catecholaminergic mechanisms and prospects for treatment — a review

Primary objective: To review the neural circuitry and neurochemistry of working memory and outline the evidence for working memory deficits after traumatic brain injury, and the evidence for the use of catecholaminergic agents in the amelioration of these deficits. Current knowledge gaps and research needs are identified. Main outcomes and results: Impairments in working memory are a core component of the cognitive deficits associated with traumatic brain injury. Recent progress in understanding the neural circuitry and neurochemistry of working memory suggests that catecholamines play a central role in the activation and regulation of working memory and thus lays a framework in which to consider the use of catecholaminergic agents (dopaminergic and alpha-2 adrenergic agonists) in the treatment of specific cognitive deficits after traumatic brain injury. Conclusions: The combined methods of cognitive neuroscience, functional brain imaging and neuropharmacology are proposed as an excellent method for studying working memory deficits. A strong rationale exists for the targeted use of catecholaminergic agonists in the treatment of working memory deficits after traumatic brain injury.
Live-Cell Imaging Reveals Periarbuscular Membrane Domains and Organelle Location in Medicago truncatula Roots during Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis 1 [ W ] [ OA ]

In the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis, the fungal symbiont colonizes root cortical cells, where it establishes differentiated hyphae called arbuscules. As each arbuscule develops, the cortical cell undergoes a transient reorganization and envelops the arbuscule in a novel symbiosis-specific membrane, called the periarbuscular membrane. The periarbuscular membrane, which is continuous with the plant plasma membrane of the cortical cell, is a key interface in the symbiosis; however, relatively little is known of its composition or the mechanisms of its development. Here, we used fluorescent protein fusions to obtain both spatial and temporal information about the protein composition of the periarbuscular membrane. The data indicate that the periarbuscular membrane is composed of at least two distinct domains, an “arbuscule branch domain” that contains the symbiosis-specific phosphate transporter, MtPT4, and an “arbuscule trunk domain” that contains MtBcp1. This suggests a developmental transition from plasma membrane to periarbuscular membrane, with biogenesis of a novel membrane domain associated with the repeated dichotomous branching of the hyphae. Additionally, we took advantage of available organellespecific fluorescent marker proteins to further evaluate cells during arbuscule development and degeneration. The threedimensional data provide new insights into relocation of Golgi and peroxisomes and also illustrate that cells with arbuscules can retain a large continuous vacuolar system throughout development.
Mapping of mycoplasma virus DNA replication origins and termini

A pulse-labeling protocol has been used to study DNA replication and map replication origins and termini in mycoplasma viruses L2 and L2ins1. The L2 genome is circular, double-stranded DNA of 11.63 kilobase pairs (kb), and the 14.89-kb L2ins1 genome is L2 DNA containing a 3.26-kb insertion. The data show that DNA replication is bidirectional from two origins in L2 and three origins in L2ins1. The extra origin in L2ins1 arises from the fact that one of the L2 origins is in one of the sequences that have been shown to be duplicated and transposed in the generation of L2ins1 from L2.
On the evaluation of thesaurus tools compatible with the Semantic Web

Thesauri are valuable knowledge organization systems (KOSs) that support advanced information retrieval. The Semantic Web has brought a renewed interest in thesauri as a support for semantic searches and other added-value services. Tools that manage thesauri permit them to be created, edited and queried. The integrity restrictions on thesauri should also be controlled by these tools. However, there is also the possibility of thesaurus exchange, which becomes relevant in the Semantic Web context, where information exchange is a crucial facility. In fact, interoperability at the information level has received an important boost with the stabilization of the SKOS standard as a World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Recommendation. Furthermore, the feasibility of integrating software is a valuable feature for software developers. An evaluation framework for thesaurus tools is proposed, which includes the issues of functionalities, construct support, integrity, information interoperability and feasibility of integrating software. It is original in focusing on Semantic Web conformity and interoperability.
Analysis and recognition of accentual patterns

This study proposes a framework of automatic analysis and recognition of accentual patterns. In the first place we present the results of analyses which aimed at identification of acoustic cues signaling prominent syllables and different pitch accent types distinguished at the surface-phonological level. The resulting representation provides a framework of analysis of accentual patterns at the acoustic-phonetic level. The representation is compact - it consists of 13 acoustic features, has low redundancy – the features can not be derived from one another and wide coverage – it encodes distinctions between perceptually different utterances. Next, we train statistical models to automatically determine accentual patterns of utterances using the acoustic-phonetic representation which involves two steps: detection of accentual prominence and assigning pitch accent types to prominent syllables. The efficiency of the best models consists in achieving high accuracy (above 80% on average) using small acoustic feature vectors.
A new genus and species of lungless salamander (family Plethodontidae) from the Appalachian highlands of the south‐eastern United States

We describe a striking new species of the lungless salamander family Plethodontidae from the Appalachian foothills of northern Georgia, USA. This miniature species, c. 25–26 mm (adult standard length), is so distinctive genetically and morphologically that we erect a new genus, the first new genus of amphibian described from the US in nearly 50 years. It is unique among plethodontids from eastern North America in displaying sexual colour dimorphism. Although certain miniaturized plethodontids exhibit a reduced number (four) of digits on the pes, this species possesses a full complement of five toes. A plethodontid phylogeny derived from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences places it in the tribe Spelerpini as the sister taxon to Eurycea. Genetic divergence between the new species and Eurycea for the nuclear gene Rag-1 (4.7%) is among the higher levels observed between long-established spelerpine genera (2.6–5.3%). This new form appears to be rare and is of immediate conservation concern.
&ggr;-Aminobutyric Acid-A Receptors Contribute to Isoflurane Neuroprotection in Organotypic Hippocampal Cultures

The mechanisms by which anesthetics such as isoflurane reduce cell death in rodent models of cerebral ischemia remain incompletely defined. Reduction in glutamate excitotoxicity explains some but not all of isoflurane’s neuroprotection. Because isoflurane potentiates &ggr;-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor-mediated ion fluxes and GABAA receptor agonists have neuroprotective effects, we hypothesized that GABAA receptors contribute to isoflurane neuroprotection. As a model of cerebral ischemia and recovery, we used rat hippocampal slice cultures. Survival of CA1, CA3, and dentate neurons was examined 2 and 3 days after 1-h combined oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) at 37°C. To define the role of GABAA receptors in mediating protection, the effect of 1% isoflurane on cell survival was examined in the presence of the GABAA antagonist bicuculline during OGD. Cell death was measured with propidium iodide fluorescence. Isoflurane and the selective GABAA agonist muscimol (25 &mgr;M) reduced cell death after OGD to values similar to slices not exposed to OGD, with the exception that muscimol did not reduce cell death in CA3 neurons 2 days after OGD. The GABAA antagonist bicuculline reduced the neuroprotective effects of isoflurane on hippocampal neurons 2 and 3 days after OGD. We conclude that GABAA receptors contribute to neuroprotection against OGD produced by isoflurane in the hippocampal slice model. Based on this and other studies, it is likely that neuroprotection produced by isoflurane is multifactorial and includes actions at both GABAA and glutamate receptors and possibly other mechanisms.
Transcatheter aortic valve implantation for bicuspid aortic valve stenosis

In Preprocedural CT, patients with BAV have larger aortic annulus perimeters, and more calcified valves compared with TAV. In patients with BAV, self‐expandable valves were under‐expand and balloon‐expandable valves have a trend toward increased rates of postimplantation AR grade. Self‐expandable valves have higher postprocedural gradient in BAV compared with TAV.
Molecular identification of roots from a grassland community using size differences in fluorescently labelled PCR amplicons of three cpDNA regions

Elucidating patterns of root growth is essential for a better understanding of the functioning of plant‐dominated ecosystems. To this end, reliable and inexpensive methods are required to determine species compositions of root samples containing multiple species. Previous studies use a range of PCR‐based approaches, but none have examined a species pool greater than 10 or 30 when evaluating mixed and single species samples, respectively. We present a method that evaluates size differences in fluorescently labelled PCR amplicons (fluorescent fragment length polymorphism) of the trnL intron and the trnT‐trnL and trnL‐trnF intergenic spacers. Amplification success of the trnT‐trnL spacer was limited, but variation in the trnL intron and the trnL‐trnF spacer was sufficient to distinguish over 80% of the 95 species (97% of the 77 genera) evaluated from a diverse fescue grassland community. Moreover, we identified species known to be present in mixed samples of 4, 8, 12, and 16 species on average 82% of the time. However, this approach is sensitive to detecting species known to be absent (false positives) when using our key of 95 species. Comparing unknowns to a limited species pool ameliorates this problem, comparable to a researcher using prior knowledge of what species could be found in a sample to constrain the identification of species. Comparisons to other methods and future improvements are discussed. This method is efficient, cost‐ effective and broadly applicable to many ecosystems.
Discrepancy between self-reported and actual caloric intake and exercise in obese subjects.

BACKGROUND AND METHODS Some obese subjects repeatedly fail to lose weight even though they report restricting their caloric intake to less than 1200 kcal per day. We studied two explanations for this apparent resistance to diet--low total energy expenditure and underreporting of caloric intake--in 224 consecutive obese subjects presenting for treatment. Group 1 consisted of nine women and one man with a history of diet resistance in whom we evaluated total energy expenditure and its main thermogenic components and actual energy intake for 14 days by indirect calorimetry and analysis of body composition. Group 2, subgroups of which served as controls in the various evaluations, consisted of 67 women and 13 men with no history of diet resistance. RESULTS Total energy expenditure and resting metabolic rate in the subjects with diet resistance (group 1) were within 5 percent of the predicted values for body composition, and there was no significant difference between groups 1 and 2 in the thermic effects of food and exercise. Low energy expenditure was thus excluded as a mechanism of self-reported diet resistance. In contrast, the subjects in group 1 underreported their actual food intake by an average (+/- SD) of 47 +/- 16 percent and overreported their physical activity by 51 +/- 75 percent. Although the subjects in group 1 had no distinct psychopathologic characteristics, they perceived a genetic cause for their obesity, used thyroid medication at a high frequency, and described their eating behavior as relatively normal (all P < 0.05 as compared with group 2). CONCLUSIONS The failure of some obese subjects to lose weight while eating a diet they report as low in calories is due to an energy intake substantially higher than reported and an overestimation of physical activity, not to an abnormality in thermogenesis.
Comparative 18F-FDG PET of experimental Staphylococcus aureus osteomyelitis and normal bone healing.

UNLABELLED PET using (18)F-FDG is a promising imaging modality for bone infections, based on intensive consumption of glucose by mononuclear cells and granulocytes. The method may have limitations in distinguishing uncomplicated bone healing from osteomyelitis. Bone healing involves an inflammatory phase that represents a highly activated state of cell metabolism and glucose consumption, mimicking infection on PET images. This laboratory study of a standardized model was designed to compare the (18)F-FDG PET characteristics of normal bone healing with those of local osteomyelitis. METHODS A localized osteomyelitis model of the rabbit tibia was created by modifying a previously reported canine model. In the osteomyelitic group (n = 8), a standardized metaphyseal defect of the proximal right tibia was surgically created and filled with a block of orthopedic bone cement, followed by injection of a predetermined amount (0.1 mL) of Staphylococcus aureus (strain 52/52A/80, 1 x 10(5)/mL) into the space around the cement. The control group of animals with normal bone healing (n = 8) underwent the same procedure, but the bacterial injection was replaced by a sterile saline injection. The bone cement was surgically removed during debridement at 2 wk. Osteomyelitis was confirmed with positive bacterial cultures during the debridement and 6 wk later at the time of sacrifice. (18)F-FDG PET and peripheral quantitative CT were performed 3 and 6 wk after the debridement. The presence of osteomyelitic bone changes on plain radiographs was classified according to a previously published system. RESULTS Before surgery, the standardized uptake values of (18)F-FDG did not differ markedly between the right and left tibias. In the control animals, uncomplicated bone healing was associated with a temporary increase in (18)F-FDG uptake at 3 wk (P = 0.007), but it returned almost to normal by 6 wk. In the experimental animals, localized osteomyelitis resulted in an intense continuous uptake of (18)F-FDG, which was higher than that of healing and intact bones at 3 wk (P = 0.014 and P < 0.001, respectively) and at 6 wk (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION (18)F-FDG PET seems to be an efficient tool in the differentiation of uneventful bone healing from bone healing complicated by localized osteomyelitis.
Novel mutation in the tyrosine kinase domain of FGFR2 in a patient with Pfeiffer syndrome

Mutations in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) cause a variety of craniosynostosis syndromes. The mutational spectrum tends to be narrow with the majority of mutations occurring in either exon IIIa or IIIc or in the intronic sequence preceding exon IIIc. Mutations outside of this hotspot are uncommon and the few identified mutations have demonstrated wide clinical variability, making it difficult to establish a clear‐cut genotype–phenotype correlation. To better delineate the clinical picture associated with these unusual mutations, we describe a severely affected patient with Pfeiffer syndrome and a missense mutation in the tyrosine kinase (TK) domain of FGFR2. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
North American Adult Reading Test: Age Norms, Reliability, and Validity

The North American Adult Reading Test (NAART) is a quickly administered index that is widely used to estimate verbal intellectual ability. We have administered NAART to 351 healthy adults between 18 to 91 years of age to examine psychometric properties of the NAART and to elucidate influence of age, education and gender on NAART performance. The results showed that the NAART is a reliable and valid measure of verbal intelligence, comparable in psychometric properties to the WAIS-R Vocabulary test and with equal psychometric properties in young, middle-aged and older adults. The NAART scores increase across the adult life span (~4.5 points or ~0.5 SD) and with education (~1.5 points/year of education) but they are unrelated to gender. The shorter version – the NAART35 – is equally reliable and valid in predicting the WAIS-R Vocabulary. We provide norms as well as various equations for precise predictions of the NAART, the NAART35, and the WAIS-R Vocabulary scores based on age and education. Hierarchical regression analyses demonstrated that the verbal intelligence indexes are useful in predicting and interpreting performance on at least some, but not necessarily all neuropsychological tests, in addition to participants’ age.
Use of Fenton's Reagent as a Disinfectant†

Several compositions of Fenton’s Reagent and hydrogen peroxide alone were used to disinfect combined sewage samples from a wastewater treatment facility. The presettled samples contained suspended solids (SS) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) at concentrations of 28 and 290 mg/L, respectively. Disinfection with Fenton’s Reagent was carried out at a pH between 5.90 and 6.0 and at a temperature of 25 ◦ C. All disinfected samples contained residual oxidants. Under all reaction conditions studied, complete inactivation of E. coli was achieved within one minute of the addition of Fenton’s Reagent. Disinfection with hydrogen peroxide alone under similar conditions is incomplete even under much longer contact times. O c 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. ∗
Introduction history overrides social factors in explaining genetic structure of females in Mediterranean mouflon

Abstract Fine‐scale spatial genetic structure of populations results from social and spatial behaviors of individuals such as sex‐biased dispersal and philopatry. However, the demographic history of a given population can override such socio‐spatial factors in shaping genetic variability when bottlenecks or founder events occurred in the population. Here, we investigated whether socio‐spatial organization determines the fine‐scale genetic structure for both sexes in a Mediterranean mouflon (Ovis gmelini musimon × Ovis sp.) population in southern France 60 years after its introduction. Based on multilocus genotypes at 16 loci of microsatellite DNA (n = 230 individuals), we identified three genetic groups for females and two for males, and concurrently defined the same number of socio‐spatial units using both GPS‐collared individuals (n = 121) and visual resightings of marked individuals (n = 378). The socio‐spatial and genetic structures did not match, indicating that the former was not the main driver of the latter for both sexes. Beyond this structural mismatch, we found significant, yet low, genetic differentiation among female socio‐spatial groups, and no genetic differentiation in males, with this suggesting female philopatry and male‐biased gene flow, respectively. Despite spatial disconnection, females from the north of the study area were genetically closer to females from the south, as indicated by the spatial analysis of the genetic variability, and this pattern was in accordance with the common genetic origin of their founders. To conclude, more than 14 generations later, genetic signatures of first introduction are not only still detectable among females, but they also represent the main factor shaping their present‐time genetic structure.
Activation of gp 130 Transduces Hypertrophic Signals via STAT 3 in Cardiac Myocytes

Background—gp130, a signal transducer of the IL-6–related cytokines, is expressed ubiquitously, including in the heart. The activation of gp130 in cardiac myocytes was reported to induce myocardial hypertrophy. The downstream side of gp130 consists of two distinct pathways in cardiac myocytes, one a Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) pathway, the other a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. In the present study, we examined whether the JAK/STAT pathway, especially the STAT3-mediated pathway, plays a critical role in gp130-dependent myocardial hypertrophy by transfecting wild-type and mutated-type STAT3 cDNA to cardiac myocytes. Methods and Results—We constructed three kinds of replication-defective adenovirus vectors carrying wild-type (AD/WT) or mutated-type (AD/DN) STAT3 cDNA or adenovirus vector itself (AD). Cultured murine cardiac myocytes infected with adenovirus were stimulated with leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), and the expression of c-fos and atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) mRNAs and [H]leucine incorporation were examined. There were no significant differences in MAPK activity among the three groups. Compared with AD-transfected cardiac myocytes, induction of c-fos and ANF mRNAs and protein synthesis after LIF stimulation were significantly augmented in AD/WT-transfected cells. In contrast, induction of c-fos and ANF mRNA expression and protein synthesis were attenuated after LIF stimulation in cardiac myocytes transfected with AD/DN. Conclusions—These results suggest that the STAT3-dependent signaling pathway downstream of gp130 promotes cardiac myocyte hypertrophy under stimulation with LIF. (Circulation. 1998;98:346-352.)