Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Maternal Stress Combined with Terbutaline Leads to Comorbid Autistic-Like Behavior and Epilepsy in a Rat Model

Human autism is comorbid with epilepsy, yet, little is known about the causes or risk factors leading to this combined neurological syndrome. Although genetic predisposition can play a substantial role, our objective was to investigate whether maternal environmental factors alone could be sufficient. We examined the independent and combined effects of maternal stress and terbutaline (used to arrest preterm labor), autism risk factors in humans, on measures of both autistic-like behavior and epilepsy in Sprague-Dawley rats. Pregnant dams were exposed to mild stress (foot shocks at 1 week intervals) throughout pregnancy. Pups were injected with terbutaline on postnatal days 2–5. Either maternal stress or terbutaline resulted in autistic-like behaviors in offspring (stereotyped/repetitive behaviors and deficits in social interaction or communication), but neither resulted in epilepsy. However, their combination resulted in severe behavioral symptoms, as well as spontaneous recurrent convulsive seizures in 45% and epileptiform spikes in 100%, of the rats. Hippocampal gliosis (GFAP reactivity) was correlated with both abnormal behavior and spontaneous seizures. We conclude that prenatal insults alone can cause comorbid autism and epilepsy but it requires a combination of teratogens to achieve this; testing single teratogens independently and not examining combinatorial effects may fail to reveal key risk factors in humans. Moreover, astrogliosis may be common to both teratogens. This new animal model of combined autism and epilepsy permits the experimental investigation of both the cellular mechanisms and potential intervention strategies for this debilitating comorbid syndrome. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The comorbidity of human autism and epilepsy has been recognized for decades with little understanding of factors that increase risk. We show that two common human risk factors for autism (maternal stress and terbutaline), only when combined, result in severe ASD-like behavior and epilepsy. The significance of this work is fourfold: (1) combinations of teratogens are required to assess true risk in humans; (2) maternal stress and terbutaline, which are frequently combined in pregnant mothers, may be far more of a risk factor than previously appreciated; (3) astrogliosis may be a common mechanism for this syndrome; and (4) this first animal model of environmentally induced autism/epilepsy permits experimental investigation of cellular mechanisms and intervention strategies.
Unusual five amino acid insert within subtype C HIV-1 envelope contributes to dual-tropism ( X 4 R 5 )

During the course of HIV infection, some HIV-1 viruses switch from using the CCR5 (R5) coreceptor to using CXCR4 (X4). Here, we describe two subtype C isolates from a Zimbabwean patient that switched from using R5 to using both R5 and X4 with an accompanying addition of five amino acids to the V3 loop region of envelope. The insert appears to be derived from the human genome rather than a duplication within HIV-1.
Electrophoretic and immunological evidence of unique proteins in leaves of citrus trees: Application to citrus blight detection

From the leaf tissue of healthy and blighted citrus trees 10–30 kDa soluble fractions were compared to find biochemical markers of tissue in the disease state. Using a non‐denaturing extrction technique coupled with ultrafiltration, a resulting 10–30 kDa healthy and citrus blight fraction was sodium dodecyl sulfate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS‐PAGE). Two distinct and adjacent bands for blight at an Mr of approximately 12 500 were separated. These bands were visible with Coomassie Brilliant Blue and silver stain but were negative to glycoprotein stains. An antiserum prepared against proteins isolated by preparative electrophoresis reacted only with the blight fractions and was distinctly different from healthy fractions when Western blotted. Only the gel region (Mr 12 500–13 000) of citrus blight sources was positive to the antiserum when compared with disease and nondisease stress sources. Results indicate that identification of specific proteins may be a way to diagnose the onset of citrus blight prior to visible tree symptoms.
Human Body Shadowing Effect on Dynamic UWB On-Body Radio Channels

This letter reports the shadowing effects of a human body on dynamic ultrawideband on-body radio links. A vector network analyzer is used to sweep the 3–5-GHz frequency band in an anechoic chamber. The sweep time is set fast enough to fulfill the channel coherence time requirements. This enables the data analysis to be performed in time domain by examining the corresponding channel impulse responses. Five on-body locations are examined: right wrist (RW), left wrist with an antenna on the palm (LWA) or back side of the hand, left arm, and left ankle (LA). Two antenna types are applied: dipole and double loop. The path loss (PL) lies between 35.9 and 85.8 dB depending on the case. The double loop has, on the average, higher PL than the dipole. The LWA–RW and RW–LA links have the lowest and highest PLs, respectively. The amplitudes of the first arriving paths follow the inverse Gaussian distribution. The level crossing rate (LCR) and the average fade duration (AFD) show weaker performance for the double loop antennas compared to the dipoles. In general, the LWA–LA is the poorest link with respect to the LCR and the AFD.
The Socio-economic Status of Cotton Farmers and their Attitude Towards Pesticide Use

Cotton accounts for the maximum share of pesticide consumption. Over the past decade, the perplexities in pest management intensified more insect species developing resistance to insecticides which was a consequence of excessive use of insecticides on the crop. For the study, multistage sampling procedure was adopted to select the respondents. Twenty cotton farmers from each village were post-stratified into small, medium and large farmers proportionately making a total sample of 120. The total costs as well as returns incurred were highest for large farmers as compared to medium and small farmers, but pesticides cost was more in case of small farmers. Around 54 farmers (45%) had spent ` 4500 to ` 5500 per ha for pesticide application. Most of the farmers do not know how to read literature on pesticide containers. It was astonishing to notice that 73.33 per cent of the farmers were exposed to or not using protective masks/coverings during pesticide application and farmers were found careless in handling pesticides.
Dependency of Nitrate Reduction on Soluble Carbohydrates in Primary Leaves of Barley under Aerobic Conditions.

Nitrate reduction was studied as a function of carbohydrate concentration in detached primary leaves of barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv Numar) seedlings under aerobic conditions in light and darkness. Seedlings were grown either in continuous light for 8 days or under a regimen of 16-hour light and 8-hour dark for 8 to 15 days. Leaves of 8-day-old seedlings grown in continuous light accumulated 4 times more carbohydrates than leaves of plants grown under a light and dark regimen. When detached leaves from these seedlings were supplied with NO(3) (-) in darkness, those with the higher levels of carbohydrates reduced a greater proportion of the NO(3) (-) that was taken up. In darkness, added glucose increased the percentage of NO(3) (-) reduced up to 2.6-fold depending on the endogenous carbohydrate status of the leaves. Both NO(3) (-) reduction and carbohydrate content of the leaves increased with age. Fructose and sucrose also increased NO(3) (-) reduction in darkness to the same extent as glucose. Krebs cycle intermediates, citrate and succinate, did not increase NO(3) (-) reduction, whereas malate slightly stimulated it in darkness.In light, 73 to 90% of the NO(3) (-) taken up was reduced by the detached leaves; therefore, an exogenous supply of glucose had little additional effect on NO(3) (-) reduction. The results indicate that in darkness the rate of NO(3) (-) reduction in primary leaves of barley depends upon the availability of carbohydrates.
Executive Functions of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Panic Disorder Patients in Comparison to Healty Controls.

Introduction Patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) have impaired cognitive functions, including attention, verbal and visual memory, and visual-spatial abilities as well as executive function But some studies did not show any disturbance in executive function of patients with OCD. To date, only few studies have been conducted on neuropsychological functioning of patients with panic disorder (PD). There are limited studies to reach a definite conclusion on executive functions of patients with OCD and those with PD. In this study, we aimed to measure executive functions of patients with OCD and those with PD compared with those of healthy controls. Although there are many studies on cognitive functions of patients with OCD, there appears to be no consistency in results and no findings have been obtained to enable us to reach definite conclusions. Although there are very few studies on neuropsychological functions of patients with PD, impairments on a set of cognitive functions have been demonstrated. To date, no finding with respect to impairment in executive functions of patients with PD has been published. PD and OCD are disorders manifesting similar characteristics, with the presence of anxiety and avoidance behavior. Besides this, patients with OCD also have symptoms such as obsessions and compulsions that are characteristics of this disorder. We aim to compare executive functions in the three groups (patients with OCD, those with PD, and healthy controls) in this study. Method Seventeen patients with OCD and 15 patients with PD who were diagnosed according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder -IV-TR (DSM-IV-TR) and 26 healthy control subjects were included in this study. Patients who used medication as well as those with medical illnesses and Axis-I comorbidities were excluded. The healthy control group subjects were matched with the patients in terms of age, gender, and education. Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis-I Disorders-Clinical Version (SCID-I), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), and Yale-Brown obsessive compulsive scale tests (Y-BOCS) were administered to the patients. Trail Making Tests (TMT), verbal fluency tests (Controlled Oral Word Association Test and Categorical Naming), Stroop Test, and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) were administered to the study groups. Results According to our results, there was no statistically significant difference between the three study groups with respect to executive functions. There was also no significant correlation between executive tests' results and Y-BOCS'in the OCD group. Conclusion The results of the PD group are in line with that reported in literature. The results of the OCD group can be explained by a lack of medication usage and any comorbidity including depression. A small sample size is the major limitation of our study.
The Effectiveness of Food Insecurity Screening in Pediatric Primary Care.

BACKGROUND Food insecure children are at increased risk for medical and developmental problems. Effective screening and intervention are needed. METHODS Our purpose was to (1) evaluate the validity and stability of a single item food insecurity (FI) screen. (2) Assess whether use may lead to decreased FI. Part of a larger cluster randomized controlled trial, pediatric residents were assigned to SEEK or control groups. A single FI question (part of a larger questionnaire) was used on SEEK days. SEEK residents learned to screen, assess, and address FI. A subset of SEEK and control clinic parents was recruited for the evaluation. Parents completed the USDA Food Security Scale ("gold standard"), upon recruitment and 6-months later. Validity, positive and negative predictive values (PPV, NPV) was calculated. The proportion of screened families with initial and subsequent FI was measured. Screening effectiveness was evaluated by comparing SEEK and control screening rates and receipt of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits between initial and 6-month assessments. RESULTS FI screen stability indicated substantial agreement (Cohen's kappa =0.69). Sensitivity and specificity was 59% and 87%, respectively. The PPV was 70%; NPV was 81%. SEEK families had a larger increase in screening rates than control families (24% vs. 4.1%, p<0.01). SEEK families were more likely to maintain SNAP enrollment (97% vs. 81%, p=0.05). FI rates remained stable at approximately 30% for both groups. CONCLUSIONS A single question screen can identify many families with FI, and may help maintain food program enrollment. Screening may not be adequate to alleviate FI.
Understanding the human salivary metabolome

Saliva is a readily accessible biofluid that is important for the overall health, aiding in the chewing, swallowing, and tasting of food as well as the regulation mouth flora. As a first step to determining and understanding the human saliva metabolome, we have measured salivary metabolite concentrations under a variety of conditions in a healthy population with reasonably good oral hygiene. Using 1H NMR spectroscopy, metabolite concentrations were measured in resting (basal) and stimulated saliva from the same subject and compared in a cohort of healthy male non‐smoking subjects (n = 62). Almost all metabolites were higher in the unstimulated saliva when compared to the stimulated saliva. Comparison of the salivary metabolite profile of male smokers and non‐smokers (n = 46) revealed citrate, lactate, pyruvate, and sucrose to be higher and formate to be lower in concentration in smokers compared with non‐smokers (p < 0.05). Gender differences were also investigated (n = 40), and acetate, formate, glycine, lactate, methanol, propionate, propylene glycol, pyruvate, succinate, and taurine were significantly higher in concentration in male saliva compared to female saliva (p < 0.05). These results show that differences between male and female, stimulated and unstimulated, as well as smoking status may be observed in the salivary metabolome. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Influences on Decision Making Identified by Parents of Children Receiving Pediatric Palliative Care

Background: Parental decision making is a critical component in the provision of palliative and end-of-life care, yet factors that parents perceive as influencing this process, when they are making decisions for their children, have not been well characterized. Methods: As part of a mixed-methods cohort study, we interviewed 73 parents of 50 pediatric patients who were referred to the hospital's pediatric palliative care service. The semistructured interviews focused on “decision making for your child”; the interviews were recorded and transcribed. A random sample (n = 13) was first coded and analyzed for core themes, and these themes were then cross-validated with a second random sample (n = 3) of interviews. Results: Four dominant interrelated themes permeated parents’ discussions about the decisions they were making for their children and the process of decision making. First, Orientation and Direction (including the subthemes of Goals and Hopes, Spirituality and Meaning, and Purposeful Effort) connotes the parents’ effort to establish and clarify the broad context of decision making. Second, Defining What Is Good for the Child (including the subthemes of Quality of Life and Suffering, and Normalcy and Normalization) conveys how the parents posed questions and pondered what decisions would be in the child's best interests. Third, the entwined theme of Relationships, Communication, and Support reflects how parents reported the social and interactive nature of decision making. Fourth, the theme of Feelings and Personal Accountability focuses inward as parents report efforts to deal with their emotional responses and self-judgments. Conclusions: Parents report grappling with several influences upon their decision-making processes that extend well beyond the standard discussions of medical information exchanges and the evaluation of risks and benefits. Decision support for these parents should account for these diverse influences.
Assessment of Public–Private Partnership in Municipal Solid Waste Management in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

The overall responsibility for waste management in Phnom Penh Capital (PPC) has rested with the municipal authorities and contracted waste collection companies. Providing waste collection services is a major challenge for Phnom Penh due to the increasing waste volume and the deficiency of the system under public–private partnership. In response to continuing population growth and urbanization, sustainable management is necessary. This study reviewed the details of the processes and examined the performance of the private sector and local government authorities (LGAs). The study used sustainability assessment, according to a success and efficiency factor method. This assessment method was developed to support solid waste management in developing countries. Multiple sustainability domains were evaluated: institutional, legislative, technical, environmental and health aspects as well as social, economic, financial and critical aspects. The results indicate that the long-term contract design attempts for partnership may actually result in a worsening of the situation by facilitating new ways of concentration, inefficiency and political interest. The limited institutional capacity of the public sectors is a consequence of the inefficient decentralization of municipal solid waste management (MSWM) policies. Public–private partnerships can be neither effective nor sustainable if LGAs and CINTRI co. Ltd. waste collection company do not build proper incentives into their management of the two sectors. Revisiting the legal framework, establishing a facilitating agency that will assist in the design and the nurturing of partnerships, competitive tendering, and transparency and financial accountability are essential elements for PPP on the provision of waste services in PPC.
Forecasting future recruitment success for Atlantic cod in the warming and acidifying Barents Sea

Productivity of marine fish stocks is known to be affected by environmental and ecological drivers, and global climate change is anticipated to alter recruitment success of many stocks. While the direct effects of environmental drivers on fish early life stage survival can be quantified experimentally, indirect effects in marine ecosystems and the role of adaptation are still highly uncertain. We developed an integrative model for the effects of ocean warming and acidification on the early life stages of Atlantic cod in the Barents Sea, termed SCREI (Simulator of Cod Recruitment under Environmental Influences). Experimental results on temperature and CO2 effects on egg fertilization, egg and larval survival and development times are incorporated. Calibration using empirical time series of egg production, temperature, food and predator abundance reproduces age‐0 recruitment over three decades. We project trajectories of recruitment success under different scenarios and quantify confidence limits based on variation in experiments. A publicly accessible web version of the SCREI model can be run under www.oceanchange. uni-bremen.de/;SCREI. Severe reductions in average age‐0 recruitment success of Barents Sea cod are projected under uncompensated warming and acidification toward the middle to end of this century. Although high population stochasticity was found, considerable rates of evolutionary adaptation to acidification and shifts in organismal thermal windows would be needed to buffer impacts on recruitment. While increases in food availability may mitigate short‐term impacts, an increase in egg production achieved by stock management could provide more long‐term safety for cod recruitment success. The SCREI model provides a novel integration of multiple driver effects in different life stages and enables an estimation of uncertainty associated with interindividual and ecological variation. The model thus helps to advance toward an improved empirical foundation for quantifying climate change impacts on marine fish recruitment, relevant for ecosystem‐based assessments of marine systems under climate change.
Lenz-Majewski mutations in PTDSS1 affect phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate metabolism at ER-PM and ER-Golgi junctions

Significance Phosphatidylserine (PS) is synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum by PS synthase enzymes, but most of the PS is found in the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane. The importance of the present findings is that they uncover a critical connection between PI4P turnover and PS transport and demonstrate that uncontrolled PS synthesis as seen in Lenz-Majewski syndrome patients has deleterious consequences to cells affecting other lipids and not just PS. Lenz-Majewski syndrome (LMS) is a rare disease characterized by complex craniofacial, dental, cutaneous, and limb abnormalities combined with intellectual disability. Mutations in the PTDSS1 gene coding one of the phosphatidylserine (PS) synthase enzymes, PSS1, were described as causative in LMS patients. Such mutations render PSS1 insensitive to feedback inhibition by PS levels. Here we show that expression of mutant PSS1 enzymes decreased phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PI4P) levels both in the Golgi and the plasma membrane (PM) by activating the Sac1 phosphatase and altered PI4P cycling at the PM. Conversely, inhibitors of PI4KA, the enzyme that makes PI4P in the PM, blocked PS synthesis and reduced PS levels by 50% in normal cells. However, mutant PSS1 enzymes alleviated the PI4P dependence of PS synthesis. Oxysterol-binding protein–related protein 8, which was recently identified as a PI4P-PS exchanger between the ER and PM, showed PI4P-dependent membrane association that was significantly decreased by expression of PSS1 mutant enzymes. Our studies reveal that PS synthesis is tightly coupled to PI4P-dependent PS transport from the ER. Consequently, PSS1 mutations not only affect cellular PS levels and distribution but also lead to a more complex imbalance in lipid homeostasis by disturbing PI4P metabolism.
Immunohistochemical characterization of endometriosis-associated smooth muscle cells in human peritoneal endometriotic lesions.

BACKGROUND Smooth muscle cells (SMC) are common components of endometriotic lesions. SMC have been characterized previously in peritoneal, ovarian and deep infiltrating endometriotic lesions and adenomyosis. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the extent of differentiation in endometriosis-associated SMC (EMaSMC) in peritoneal endometriotic lesions. METHODS We obtained biopsies from peritoneal endometriotic lesions (n = 60) and peritoneal sites distant from the endometriotic lesion (n = 60), as well as healthy peritoneum from patients without endometriosis (control tissue, n = 10). These controls were hysterectomy specimens from patients without endometriosis or adenomyosis. Histopathological examination of peritoneal specimens using antibodies against oxytocin receptor (OTR), vasopressin receptor (VPR), smooth muscle myosin heavy chain (SM-MHC), estrogen receptor (ER) or progesterone receptor (PR) was performed. To identify SMC and their level of differentiation, antibodies for smooth muscle actin desmin and caldesmon were used. RESULTS SMC were detected in all endometriotic lesions. SMC were more abundant in unaffected peritoneum of women with endometriosis (38%) compared with women without endometriosis (6%; P < 0.0001). Depending on the level of differentiation, SMC stained for SM-MHC, OTR, VPR, ER and PR. OTR was only detected in fully differentiated SMC. CONCLUSIONS Identification of OTR, VPR, ER and PR leads to the hypothesis that the EMaSMC might be functionally active and possibly involved in the generation of pain associated with endometriosis.