Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Angiotensin II Type 1—Receptor Blocker Candesartan Increases Cerebral Blood Flow, Reduces Infarct Size, and Improves Neurologic Outcome after Transient Cerebral Ischemia in Rats

The goal of the present study was to test the impact of administration time of the angiotensin II type 1–receptor blocker candesartan on cerebral blood flow (CBF), infarct size, and neuroscore in transient cerebral ischemia. Therefore, 1-hour middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was followed by reperfusion. Rats received 0.5-mg/kg candesartan intravenously 2 hours before MCAO (pretreatment), 24 hours after MCAO, every 24 hours after MCAO, or 2 hours before and every 24 hours after MCAO. Infarct size (mm3) and a neuroscore at day 7 were compared with controls. CBF was quantified by radiolabeled microspheres and laser-Doppler flowmetry. Compared with controls (95 ± 8), infarct size in candesartan-treated groups was smaller (59 ± 5, 68 ± 10, 28 ± 3, and 15 ± 3, respectively; P < 0.05). Although there was no difference in neuroscore between pretreatment and controls (1.55 ± 0.18, 1.80 ± 0.13), other treatment regimens resulted in improved neuroscores (1.33 ± 0.16, 1.11 ± 0.11, 0.73 ± 0.15; P < 0.05). CBF in pretreated animals at 0.5 hours after MCAO was significantly higher than in controls (0.58 ± 0.09 mL · g−1 ·· min−1 and 44% ± 7% of baseline compared with 0.49 ± 0.06 mL · g−1 ·· min−1 and 37% ± 6%, microspheres and laser-Doppler flowmetry; P < 0.05). Thus, candesartan reduces infarct size even if administered only during reperfusion. Apart from pretreatment, other treatment regimens result in significantly improved neuroscores. In the acute phase of cerebral ischemia, candesartan increases CBF.
Handwriting, Typewriting and Handedness

The performance of two groups of 20 trained touch typists and one group of 20 nontypists was tested on seven different typewriting exercises. Three of these exercises were executed entirely with the right hand and three were completed using only the left. A comparison of performances of the two sides showed, for the typists, no differences between the sides or a difference in favour of the left hand; and for the non-typists, a difference between hands in favour of the right side in two of the three comparisons. A comparison of handwriting performance with the preferred and non-preferred hands was carried out on 80 subjects. Apart from a highly significant difference in performance between the sides in favour of the preferred hand, this task showed, as did the typewriting task, a marked positive correlation between the performance levels of the two sides. These findings are briefly discussed in relation to the training histories of the subjects.
Oil quality characteristics of Chemlali olive tree ( Olea europaea L . ) grown under air fluoride pollution in arid region in Tunisia

This study’s purpose was a comparison of oil quality characteristics from two adult olive orchards (Olea europaea L. cv. Chemlali) grown under two different environmental circumstances. The first is located around the main industrial factory in Sfax city, the Industrial Society of Phosphoric Acid and Fertilizers (polluted area) and the second is placed at 40km from the industrial unit and chosen as the control one (Control). Results of this study showed that olive production and oil content have decreased under polluted conditions. This decrease was accompanied with that of total phenol, oxidative stability, total chlorophyll and carotenoids. Nevertheless, this decrease was significant only for the photosynthetic pigments contents. For the acid composition of polluted olive plants, a significant decrease was observed in the case of oleic acid in parallel with an increase of the palmitic and linoleic acids. Nevertheless, this increase was significant only for the linoleic acid and oil samples of both treatments were classified as “extra virgin”
The effect of photoreceptor degeneration on ganglion cell morphology

Retinitis pigmentosa refers to a family of inherited photoreceptor degenerations resulting in blindness. During and after photoreceptor loss, neurons of the inner retina are known to undergo plastic changes. Here, we have investigated in detail whether ganglion cells are altered at late stages of degeneration, well after the total loss of photoreceptors. We used mice, rd1‐Thy1, that carry a mutation in the β‐subunit of phosphodiesterase 6 and a fluorescent protein that labels a subset of ganglion cells and B6‐Thy1 control mice. Retinal wholemounts from mice aged 3–11 months were processed for immunohistochemistry and analyzed. Ganglion cells were classified based on soma area, dendritic field size, and branching of dendrites. The dendritic fields of some ganglion cells were further analyzed for their length, area and quantity of branching points. There was a decrease in size and level of branching of A2, B1, and D type ganglion cells in the degenerated retina at 11 months of age. In contrast, C1 ganglion cells remained unchanged. In addition, there was a shift in the proportion of ganglion cells ramifying in the different layers of the inner plexiform layer. Careful analysis of the dendrites of ganglion cells revealed some projecting to new, more distal regions of the inner plexiform layer. We propose that these changes in ganglion cell morphology could impact the function of individual cells as well as the retinal circuitry in the degenerated retina. J. Comp. Neurol. 522:1155–1170, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Does a helicase activity help mismatch repair in eukaryotes?

Mismatch repair (MMR) corrects innate DNA replication infidelities. Many components of eukaryotic MMR have been identified, the molecular mechanism of MMR has been largely demonstrated, and furthermore the nick‐directed MMR reactions have been reconstituted with purified human proteins in vitro. However, some fundamental questions still remain to be answered. One such question is whether a DNA helicase activity is required for MMR in eukaryotes. This short review presents an overview of the interactions between eukaryotic DNA helicases and MMR factors, and suggests a possible mechanism for how DNA helicases may be involved in repair of DNA mismatches. © 2010 IUBMB IUBMB Life 62(7): 548–553, 2010
Selective mRNA Degradation by Polynucleotide Phosphorylase in Cold Shock Adaptation in Escherichia coli

ABSTRACT Upon cold shock, Escherichia coli cell growth transiently stops. During this acclimation phase, specific cold shock proteins (CSPs) are highly induced. At the end of the acclimation phase, their synthesis is reduced to new basal levels, while the non-cold shock protein synthesis is resumed, resulting in cell growth reinitiation. Here, we report that polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase) is required to repress CSP production at the end of the acclimation phase. A pnp mutant, upon cold shock, maintained a high level of CSPs even after 24 h. PNPase was found to be essential for selective degradation of CSP mRNAs at 15°C. In a poly(A) polymerase mutant and a CsdA RNA helicase mutant, CSP expression upon cold shock was significantly prolonged, indicating that PNPase in concert with poly(A) polymerase and CsdA RNA helicase plays a critical role in cold shock adaptation.
Indexing and Access for Digital Libraries and the Internet: Human, Database, and Domain Factors

Discussion in the research community and among the general public regarding content indexing (especially subject indexing) and access to digital resources, especially on the Internet, has underutilized research on a variety of factors that are important in the design of such access mechanisms. Some of these factors and issues are reviewed and implications drawn for information system design in the era of electronic access. Specifically the following are discussed: Human factors: Subject searching vs. indexing, multiple terms of access, folk classification, basic-level terms, and folk access; Database factors: Bradford's Law, vocabulary scalability, the Resnikoff-Dolby 30:1 Rule; Domain factors: Role of domain in indexing.
AISeL ) All Sprouts Content Sprouts 7-17-2008 Knowledge Sharing in Post Merger Integration

Our study examines the knowledge sharing at a global polymer manufacturing company during its post merger integration period. Drawing on the two opposing views on knowledge in organizationsâknowledge-as-object and knowledge-as-relationshipâand growing recognition in the literature that deliberate and formalized knowledge sharing approaches may not exactly mirror what is going on in the organization in its daily knowledge sharing, we propose a two by two conceptual framework. Through this conceptual lens, we examined the deliberate and emergent knowledge sharing patterns in post merger integration. We found that while the companyâs formal deliberate knowledge sharing approach focuses on codification approach, employees rely on both codification and personalization approaches, thus skillfully enacting hybrid knowledge sharing patterns. Drawing on a distributed perspective of knowledge in organizations, we theorize that such hybrid knowledge sharing patterns were necessary to connect two large webs of knowledge at two companies recently merged. Our results challenge spurious separations of knowledge-as-object and knowledge-as-relationship.
Automated analysis of time lapse microscopy images

Cells are the building blocks of life, and time lapse microscopy is a powerful way to study cells. Automated video acquisition and analysis of cells opens unprecedented opportunities, ranging from building novel mathematical models supported by rich data to automated drug screening. Unfortunately, accurate and completely automated analysis of cell images is a difficult task. Therefore human intervention is often required, for example, for tuning of segmentation and tracking algorithms or correcting the results of automated analysis. In this thesis, we aim to reduce the amount of manual work required, while preserving the accuracy of analysis. Two key tasks in automated analysis are cell segmentation and tracking. Segmentation is the process of locating cell outlines in cell images, while tracking refers to establishing cell identities across subsequent video frames. One of the main challenges of automated analysis is the substantial variability in cell appearance and dynamics across different videos and even within a single video. For example, there can be a few rapidly moving cells in the beginning of a video and a large number of cells stuck in a clump by the end of the video. Such variation has resulted in a large variety of cell segmentation and tracking algorithms. There has been a large body of work on automated cell segmentation and tracking. However, many methods make specific assumptions about cell morphology or dynamics, or involve a number of parameters that a user needs to set manually. This hampers the applicability of such methods across different videos. We first develop portable cell semi-segmentation and segmentation algorithms, where portability is achieved by using a flexible cell descriptor function. We then develop a novel cell tracking algorithm that has only one
The importance of temporal stress variation and dynamic disequilibrium for the initiation of plate tectonics

We use 1‐D thermal history models and 3‐D numerical experiments to study the impact of dynamic thermal disequilibrium and large temporal variations of normal and shear stresses on the initiation of plate tectonics. Previous models that explored plate tectonics initiation from a steady state, single plate mode of convection concluded that normal stresses govern the initiation of plate tectonics, which based on our 1‐D model leads to plate yielding being more likely with increasing interior heat and planet mass for a depth‐dependent Byerlee yield stress. Using 3‐D spherical shell mantle convection models in an episodic regime allows us to explore larger temporal stress variations than can be addressed by considering plate failure from a steady state stagnant lid configuration. The episodic models show that an increase in convective mantle shear stress at the lithospheric base initiates plate failure, which leads with our 1‐D model to plate yielding being less likely with increasing interior heat and planet mass. In this out‐of‐equilibrium and strongly time‐dependent stress scenario, the onset of lithospheric overturn events cannot be explained by boundary layer thickening and normal stresses alone. Our results indicate that in order to understand the initiation of plate tectonics, one should consider the temporal variation of stresses and dynamic disequilibrium.
Strand Displacement Synthesis in the Central Polypurine Tract Region of HIV-1 Promotes DNA to DNA Strand Transfer Recombination*

Two distinct plus strand initiation sites have been identified in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the central polypurine tract (cPPT) and the polypurine tract located just upstream of the U3 region (U3-PPT). When synthesis from the U3-PPT reaches the cPPT, the elongating primer causes limited strand displacement of the product created from the cPPT. We examined whether reverse transcriptase (RT) catalyzed strand transfer recombination is promoted by this process. Using a substrate having the viral sequence of the displaced region, we measured transfer of an elongating DNA primer from a donor DNA to an acceptor DNA. Strand transfer synthesis was only efficient when RT was performing strand displacement synthesis. Transfer efficiency was directly related to acceptor concentration but independent of the reaction time. Transfer could occur to acceptors containing 80, 40, or 20 nucleotides of homology with the template DNA. Using different acceptors, we found that DNA to DNA transfer occurred at positions throughout the donor template, except near the 5′ end. This shows that a number of the sequences downstream of the cPPT region can promote transfer, but once synthesis has progressed to the point where the downstream segment is completely displaced transfer is not allowed. When the DNA to DNA transfer reactions were performed using a template containing nonviral sequences, the transfer efficiency dropped significantly. This indicates that transfer efficiency is determined by the sequences of the templates used. HIV-RT RNase H-dependent strand transfer between RNA templates is well documented. We propose a quite different mechanism for DNA to DNA transfer, consistent with the ability of RNase H minus RT to perform this reaction. If these DNA to DNA transfer events occur in vivo, they will result in plus strand recombination.
Towards standardization in the analysis of breath gas volatiles

Despite growing interest and considerable progress in breath research over the last decade, standardized practices for the sampling and analysis of breath gas volatiles remain elusive. The primary reasons for this are (a) the rich chemical diversity of exhaled breath that covers an extensive range of volatile organic compounds at highly varied concentrations, (b) the vast disparity in the analytical tools employed, (c) diverse study goals and (d) the presence of (unidentified) confounders. These aspects place stringent but divergent demands on sampling and analysis: each analytical tool, target compound and concentration range requires its own specific protocol and in many cases the latter two are not even known a priori. The ongoing rapid developments and constant discoveries in the field of breath research and the lack of established best practices in breath gas sampling and analysis currently preclude an acceptable overall standardization of these methods. This paper addresses these manifold issues and suggests a framework that separately considers individual stages of sampling and analysis with a view to establishing standardization in the analysis of breath gas volatiles to suit different target compounds and analytical technologies.
Absence of musculocutaneous nerve: Two case reports

Anomalies of the brachial plexus including its terminal branches as well as the course and distribution of the nerves in the upper limb have been reported in the literature. Two cases of absent musculocutaneous nerve from the lateral cord of the brachial plexus encountered during routine gross anatomical dissection are reported. The median nerve took over the area of supply of the musculocutanoeus nerve by giving both the muscular and sensory branches. Out of 24 upper limbs dissected, the musculocutaneous nerve was found to be absent in 8% of the cases. The clinical implications of the absent musculocutaneous nerve and its etiology in light of its development is discussed. Clin. Anat. 14:31–35, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Secret key generation using channel quantization with SVD for reciprocal MIMO channels

The generation of secret keys from reciprocal wireless channel by exploiting their randomness nature, is an emerging area of interest to provide secure communication. One of the main challenges in this domain is to increase the secret key length, extracted from the shared channel coefficients between two legitimate communication parties, while maintaining its randomness and uniformity. In this work, we develop a practical key generation method, based on channel quantization with singular value decomposition (CQSVD), which is capable of significantly increasing the generated secret key in MIMO systems. This is achieved through quantizing the phases and amplitudes of the estimated MIMO channel coefficient's matrix by using an alternative form of SVD, where the key sequence is extracted from the orthogonal basis functions of the decomposed channel. In this method, it is shown that for an M ×M antenna system, with M2 independent channel fading coefficients, a secret key sequence of length 2M3 can be generated. The extracted key sequence is transformed to a random phase sequence, which is then used to manipulate the transmitted data on a symbol level basis rather than bit level-basis, to provide more secure communication. The comparative simulation results show that the proposed CQSVD method outperforms the state of the art secret key generation methods.
Positive genetic correlation between female preference and offspring fitness

In many species, females display preferences for extreme male signal traits, but it has not been determined if such preferences evolve as a consequence of females gaining genetic benefits from exercising choice. If females prefer extreme male traits because they indicate male genetic quality that will enhance the fitness of offspring, a genetic correlation will evolve between female preference genes and genes that confer offspring fitness. We show that females of Drosophila serrata prefer extreme male cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) blends, and that this preference affects offspring fitness. Female preference is positively genetically correlated with offspring fitness, indicating that females have gained genetic benefits from their choice of males. Despite male CHCs experiencing strong sexual selection, the genes underlying attractive CHCs also conferred lower offspring fitness, suggesting a balance between sexual selection and natural selection may have been reached in this population.
Caspase-3 Cleaves Specific 19 S Proteasome Subunits in Skeletal Muscle Stimulating Proteasome Activity*

With muscle wasting, caspase-3 activation and the ubiquitin-proteasome system act synergistically to increase the degradation of muscle proteins. Whether proteasome activity is also elevated in response to catabolic conditions is unknown. We find that caspase-3 increases proteasome activity in myotubes but not in myoblasts. This difference is related to the cleavage of specific 19 S proteasome subunits. In mouse muscle or myotubes, caspase-3 cleaves Rpt2 and Rpt6 increasing proteasome activity. In myoblasts, caspase-3 cleaves Rpt5 to decrease proteasome activity. To confirm the caspase-3 dependence, caspase-3 cleavage sites in Rpt2, Rpt6, or Rpt5 were mutated. This prevented the cleavage of these subunits by caspase-3 as well as the changes in proteasome activity. During differentiation of myoblasts to myotubes, there is an obligatory, transient increase in caspase-3 activity, accompanied by a corresponding increase in proteasome activity and cleavage of Rpt2 and Rpt6. Therefore, differentiation changes the proteasome type from sensitivity of Rpt5 to caspase-3 in myoblasts to sensitivity of Rpt2 and Rpt6 in myotubes. This novel mechanism identifies a feed-forward amplification that augments muscle proteolysis in catabolic conditions. Indeed, we found that in mice with a muscle wasting condition, chronic kidney disease, there was cleavage of subunits Rpt2 and Rpt6 and stimulation of proteasome activity.
Thermophilic Bacillus sp. that shows the denitrification phenotype of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

A thermophilic Bacillus sp. of marine origin was observed to grow anaerobically on nitrite, nitrous oxide (N2O) in the presence of nitrite, and N2O alone for a few hours after exhaustion of nitrite. This represents the second example of a denitrification phenotype originally observed to occur with Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Jet-induced Explosions of Core Collapse Supernovae

We numerically studied the explosion of a supernova caused by supersonic jets present in its center. The jets are assumed to be generated by a magnetorotational mechanism when a stellar core collapses into a neutron star. We simulated the process of the jet propagation through the star, jet breakthrough, and the ejection of the supernova envelope by the lateral shocks generated during jet propagation. The end result of the interaction is a highly nonspherical supernova explosion with two high-velocity jets of material moving in polar directions and slower moving, oblate, highly distorted ejecta containing most of the supernova material. The jet-induced explosion is entirely due to the action of the jets on the surrounding star and does not depend on neutrino transport or reacceleration of a stalled shock. The jet mechanism can explain the observed high polarization of Types Ib, Ic, and IIsupernovae, pulsar kicks, very high velocity material observed in supernova remnants, indications that radioactive material was carried to the hydrogen-rich layers in SN 1987A, and other observations that are very difficult or impossible to explain by the neutrino energy deposition mechanism. The breakout of the jet from a compact, hydrogen-deficient core may account for the γ-ray burst and radio outburst associated with SN 1998bw/GRB 980425.