Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Saccade-related activity in monkey superior colliculus. I. Characteristics of burst and buildup cells.

1. In the monkey superior colliculus (SC), the activity of most saccade-related neurons studied so far consists of a burst of activity in a population of cells at one place on the SC movement map. In contrast, recent experiments in the cat have described saccade-related activity as a slow increase in discharge before saccades followed by a hill of activity moving across the SC map. In order to explore this striking difference in the distribution of activity across the SC, we recorded from all saccade-related neurons that we encountered in microelectrode penetrations through the monkey SC and placed them in categories according to their activity during the generation of saccades. 2. When we considered the activity preceding the onset of the saccade, we could divide the cells into two categories. Cells with burst activity had a high-frequency discharge just before saccade onset but little activity between the signal to make a saccade and saccade onset. About two thirds of the saccade-related cells had only a burst of activity. Cells with a buildup of activity began to discharge at a low frequency after the signal to make a saccade and the discharge continued until generation of the saccade. About one third of the saccade-related cells studied had a buildup of activity, and about three fourths of these cells also gave a burst of activity with the saccade in addition to the slow buildup of activity. 3. The buildup of activity seemed to be more closely related to preparation to make a saccade than to the generation of the saccade. The buildup developed even in cases when no saccade occurred. 4. The falling phase of the discharge of these saccade-related cells stopped with the end of the saccade (a clipped discharge), shortly after the end of the saccade (partially clipped), or long after the end of the saccade (unclipped). 5. Some cells had closed movement fields in which saccades that were substantially smaller or larger than the optimal amplitude were not associated with increased activity. Other cells tended to have open-ended movement fields without any peripheral border; they were active for all saccades of optimal direction whose amplitudes were equal to or greater than a given amplitude. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Uptake of Cationized Albumin Coupled Liposomes by Cultured Porcine Brain Microvessel Endothelial Cells and Intact Brain Capillaries

The suitability of protein-coupled liposomes as drug carriers for brain specific targeting was investigated using albumin (BSA) and cationized albumin (CBSA), respectively, as model proteins. Liposomes coated with polyethylene glycol (sterically stabilized, PEG-liposomes) were prepared from phosphatidylcholine, cholesterol, and a PEG-derivatized phospholipid and covalently coupled to thiolated BSA or CBSA. Liposomes were loaded with carboxy-fluorescein and rhodamine-labeled dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylethanolamine as hydrophilic and lipophilic marker compounds, respectively. The interaction of these constructs with monolayers of porcine brain capillary endothelial cells (BCEC) and freshly isolated porcine brain capillaries was studied by means of fluorescence assays and confocal laser scanning fluorescence microscopy (CLSFM). In contrast to BSA, CBSA was rapidly taken up by cultured BCECs. BSA-coupled liposomes did not interact with endothelial cells, whereas CBSA-coupled liposomes bound to cellular surfaces and exhibited time dependently a high intracellular accumulation. CBSA-conjugated liposomes were also taken up by intact brain capillaries. Cellular uptake could be inhibited by free cationized albumin, phenylarsineoxide, nocodazole, and filipin, but not by dansylcadaverine, suggesting a caveolae-mediated incorporation process. Immunostaining demonstrated a high expression of caveolin in the capillary endothelium. In conclusion, liposomes coupled to CBSA are taken up into brain endothelium via an endocytotic pathway and may therefore be a suitable carrier for drug delivery to the brain.
Accuracy of Physical Examination in the Detection of Arteriovenous Graft Stenosis

Physical examination has recently been demonstrated to detect vascular access stenosis in patients with arteriovenous fistulae. However, its accuracy in the identification of stenoses when compared with the gold standard (angiography) in patients with arteriovenous grafts has not been studied in a systematic fashion. We conducted a prospective study to examine the accuracy of physical examination in the detection of stenotic lesions when compared with angiography. Forty‐three consecutive cases referred for an arteriovenous graft dysfunction were included in this analysis. Preprocedure physical examination was performed. The findings of the examination and diagnosis were recorded and secured in a sealed envelope. Angiography from the feeding artery to the right atrium was performed. The images were reviewed by an independent interventionalist with expertise in endovascular dialysis access procedures and the diagnosis was rendered. The reviewer was blinded to the physical examination. Cohen’s Kappa was used as a measurement of the level of agreement beyond chance between the diagnosis made by physical examination and angiography. There was a strong agreement between the physical examination and the angiography in the diagnosis of vein‐graft anastomotic stenosis (kappa = 0.52). The sensitivity and specificity for this lesion was 57% and 89%, respectively. There was a moderate agreement beyond chance regarding the diagnosis of intragraft (kappa = 0.43) and inflow stenoses (kappa = 0.40). The sensitivity and specificity for the intragraft and inflow stenosis was 100%, 73% and 33%, 73%; respectively. The findings of this study demonstrate that physical examination can assist in the detection and localization of stenoses in arteriovenous grafts.
Cell-Type-Specific Activation of the Oligoadenylate Synthetase–RNase L Pathway by a Murine Coronavirus

ABSTRACT Previous studies have demonstrated that the murine coronavirus mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) nonstructural protein 2 (ns2) is a 2′,5′-phosphodiesterase that inhibits activation of the interferon-induced oligoadenylate synthetase (OAS)-RNase L pathway. Enzymatically active ns2 is required for efficient MHV replication in macrophages, as well as for the induction of hepatitis in C57BL/6 mice. In contrast, following intranasal or intracranial inoculation, efficient replication of MHV in the brain is not dependent on an enzymatically active ns2. The replication of wild-type MHV strain A59 (A59) and a mutant with an inactive phosphodiesterase (ns2-H126R) was assessed in primary hepatocytes and primary central nervous system (CNS) cell types—neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. A59 and ns2-H126R replicated with similar kinetics in all cell types tested, except macrophages and microglia. RNase L activity, as assessed by rRNA cleavage, was induced by ns2-H126R, but not by A59, and only in macrophages and microglia. Activation of RNase L correlated with the induction of type I interferon and the consequent high levels of OAS mRNA induced in these cell types. Pretreatment of nonmyeloid cells with interferon restricted A59 and ns2-H126R to the same extent and failed to activate RNase L following infection, despite induction of OAS expression. However, rRNA degradation was induced by treatment of astrocytes or oligodendrocytes with poly(I·C). Thus, RNase L activation during MHV infection is cell type specific and correlates with relatively high levels of expression of OAS genes, which are necessary but not sufficient for induction of an effective RNase L antiviral response.
Immunobiological activities of synthetic lipid A analogs and related compounds as compared with those of bacterial lipopolysaccharide, re-glycolipid, lipid A, and muramyl dipeptide

Thirteen acylated and phosphorylated derivatives of beta-1,6-linked glucosamine disaccharide (lipid A analogs), which were synthesized after the structural model of Salmonella-type lipid A, and seven similar derivatives of glucosamine monosaccharide (lipid A-related compounds) were studied for their immunobiological activities. These included mitogenicity and polyclonal B cell activation enhancement of migration of monocytes and polymorphonuclear leukocytes derived from human peripheral blood, stimulation of guinea pig peritoneal macrophages, activation of human complement, and stimulation of serum antibody production and induction of delayed-type hypersensitivity against ovalbumin in guinea pigs. Comparisons were made with lipid A, RE-glycolipid, lipopolysaccharide of natural sources, and a well-known synthetic adjuvant, N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanyl-D-isoglutamine. Some of the lipid A analogs were found to manifest the mitogenic, polyclonal B cell-activating macrophage-stimulating, complement-activating, and immunostimulating activities, although the observed activities were generally far less than those of natural products in intensity and efficiency. Other immunobiological effects exhibited by most of the synthetic lipid A analogs were the enhancement of migration of monocytes and polymorphonuclear leukocytes. It is premature to draw definite conclusions on structure-activity relationships, since a few compounds which were active in some assay systems were scarcely active in other assays. However, an indisputable fact was that beta-1,6-glucosamine disaccharide 1 alpha,4'-diphosphate, which carries two amide-bound (R)-3-hydroxytetradecanoyl and three ester-bound tetradecanoyl residues, and thus has the structure most closely resembling natural lipid A among test compounds in this study, was definitely active in all of the present assay systems. However, its potency was generally much less than natural products. Some of glucosamine monosaccharide derivatives, especially N-(R)-3-[(R)-3-hydroxytetradecanoyloxy]tetradecanoyl glucosamine, also exerted all of the in vitro activities described above. This fact suggests that a glucosamine disaccharide structure may not necessarily be a prerequisite as far as the in vitro immunobiological activities tested are concerned.
The Therapeutic Alliance: The Key to Effective Patient Outcome? A Descriptive Review of the Evidence in Community Mental Health Case Management

Objective: The aim of this review was to examine the level of evidence supporting the assumed link between a positive therapeutic alliance among patients and case managers and effective outcome for patients with a mental illness who are managed in community mental health services. Method: MedLine, PsychINFO and Social Sciences Index search of articles from 1986 to 2001 returned 84 articles and two texts. Inclusion criteria were the use of validated measures and relevance to psychiatry and community case management. Results: A definite correlation exists in the psychotherapy literature between the therapeutic relationship and improved outcomes, with its potential as a prognostic indicator acknowledged. Attempts to apply the concept to patients outside the field of psychotherapy have been slow, although expansion of the concept to other forms of change-inducing therapy was a current trend. Issues of definition, quantification and measurement of the relationship caused rigorous debate in the literature. Case management research demonstrating the importance of the therapeutic relationship and ‘goodness-of-fit’ between patients and case managers was sparse with no published Australian studies. Conclusions: The level of evidence supporting the link between the therapeutic alliance of patients with mental illness and improved outcomes although sparse is encouraging. It indicates the potential of the alliance as a predictor of outcome for patients engaged in case management services in community mental health. Research to determine the role and effectiveness of the alliance in the patient/case manager dyad is needed to define this potential. Effectiveness of clinical practice in the case management field could be enhanced if research findings confirmed the genesis and value of the alliance in case management. Focus on relationship strategies as a clinical tool gives the clinician and service provider a potential vehicle for promoting partnerships with the seriously mentally ill person in managing their illness and optimizing their strengths in the community.
Immune control of murine coccidiosis: CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes contribute differentially in resistance to primary and secondary infections

SUMMARY The effect of treatment with monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) which deplete CD4+ or CD8+ T lymphocytes, on infections with Eimeria spp. was examined in NIH mice. Treatment with anti-CD4 Mab increased susceptibility to primary infections with E. vermiformis or E. pragensis and reduced the subsequent resistance of the mice to homologous challenge. Similar treatment of immune mice did not affect their resistance to re-infection but this was reduced in mice depleted of CD8+ T lymphocytes. In mice immunized with E. vermiformis the effect of CD8+-depletion was very slight, apparent only as the presence of small numbers of oocysts in the faeces of some mice; in mice immunized with E. pragensis there was a small, though significant, increase in oocyst production, compared with controls and anti-CD4-treated groups. These results confirm the importance of mechanisms involving the function of CD4+ T lymphocytes in the control of primary infections with Eimeria spp. and indicate that CD8+ cells play some part in the expression of resistance to reinfection. They also show that a major part of this resistance was not affected by either of the treatments given.
Influence of long-term administration of serum albumin on the prognosis of liver cirrhosis in man.

To investigate the efficacy of long term administration of salt-poor albumin in the prognosis of cirrhotic patients with ascites, we administered albumin for more than six months at regular intervals to nine cirrhotic patients who had been confirmed to have ascites for the first time, and maintained their serum albumin levels above 3.0 g/dl. The other 11 cirrhotic patients who had also developed ascites for the first time were treated with diuretics only, as a control group. In the albumin treated group, one patient developed a hepatoma, and another had acute viral hepatitis after transfusion during splenectomy, and they were excluded. In the control group, one developed chronic liver failure after an operation for choledocholithiasis, and she was excluded from the study. All seven patients who had been administered albumin survived for more than two years, whereas three out of 10 in the control group died of chronic liver failure within two years. In the patients who showed a B.S.P. retention rate of more than 35% at the beginning of the study, all five treated with albumin survived for more than two years, whereas three out of four in the control group died within two years (P less than 0.025). In the albumin treated patients, the increase in serum albumin level was generally accompanied by an increase in the choline-esterase level. Long term administration of serum albumin to cirrhotic patients with ascites appears to lead to a better prognosis.
Engineering Vascularized Bone: Osteogenic and Proangiogenic Potential of Murine Periosteal Cells

One of the key challenges in bone tissue engineering is the timely formation of blood vessels that promote the survival of the implanted cells in the construct. Fracture healing largely depends on the presence of an intact periosteum but it is still unknown whether periosteum‐derived cells (PDC) are critical for bone repair only by promoting bone formation or also by inducing neovascularization. We first established a protocol to specifically isolate murine PDC (mPDC) from long bones of adult mice. Mesenchymal stem cells were abundantly present in this cell population as more than 50% of the mPDC expressed mesenchymal markers (CD73, CD90, CD105, and stem cell antigen‐1) and the cells exhibited trilineage differentiation potential (chondrogenic, osteogenic, and adipogenic). When transplanted on a collagen‐calcium phosphate scaffold in vivo, mPDC attracted numerous blood vessels and formed mature bone which comprises a hematopoiesis‐supportive stroma. We explored the proangiogenic properties of mPDC using in vitro culture systems and showed that mPDC promote the survival and proliferation of endothelial cells through the production of vascular endothelial growth factor. Coimplantation with endothelial cells demonstrated that mPDC can enhance vasculogenesis by adapting a pericyte‐like phenotype, in addition to their ability to stimulate blood vessel ingrowth from the host. In conclusion, these findings demonstrate that periosteal cells contribute to fracture repair, not only through their strong osteogenic potential but also through their proangiogenic features and thus provide an ideal cell source for bone regeneration therapies. STEM CELLS2012;30:2412–2422
Gender Differences in Publication Productivity, Academic Position, Career Duration, and Funding Among U.S. Academic Radiation Oncology Faculty

Purpose This study aimed to analyze gender differences in rank, career duration, publication productivity, and research funding among radiation oncologists at U.S. academic institutions. Method For 82 domestic academic radiation oncology departments, the authors identified current faculty and recorded their academic rank, degree, and gender. The authors recorded bibliographic metrics for physician faculty from a commercially available database (Scopus, Elsevier BV), including numbers of publications from 1996 to 2012 and h-indices. The authors then concatenated these data with National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding per Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools. The authors performed descriptive and correlative analyses, stratifying by gender and rank. Results Of 1,031 faculty, 293 (28%) women and 738 (72%) men, men had a higher median m-index, 0.58 (range 0–3.23) versus 0.47 (0–2.5) (P < .05); h-index, 8 (0–59) versus 5 (0–39) (P < .05); and publication number, 26 (0–591) versus 13 (0–306) (P < .05). Men were more likely to be senior faculty and receive NIH funding. After stratifying for rank, these differences were largely nonsignificant. On multivariate analysis, there were correlations between gender, career duration and academic position, and h-index (P < .01). Conclusions Determinants of a successful career in academic medicine are multifactorial. Data from radiation oncologists show a systematic gender association, with fewer women achieving senior faculty rank. However, women achieving seniority have productivity metrics comparable to those of male counterparts. This suggests that early career development and mentorship of female faculty may narrow productivity disparities.
Differential effects of ageing on the EEG during pentobarbital and ketamine anaesthesia

Background and objectives: Pentobarbital and ketamine are commonly used in animal experiments, including studies on the effects of ageing on the central nervous system. The electroencephalogram is a sensitive measure of brain activity. The present study investigated, under anaesthesia induced by the two drugs, whether cortical electroencephalogram in aged rats differs from that in young rats. Methods: Electroencephalogram was recorded for young (2‐3 months) and aged (15‐17 months) rats before and during pentobarbital (40 mg kg−1) or ketamine (100 mg kg−1) anaesthesia. The relative power in five frequency bands (delta: 2‐4 Hz; theta: 4‐8 Hz; alpha: 8‐12 Hz; beta: 12‐20 Hz; gamma: 20‐100 Hz) was analysed, and then compared between the two age groups. Results: In both age groups, pentobarbital anaesthesia induced an increase in relative power in alpha and beta bands and a decrease in the theta band, but the degree of these power variations was more marked in aged rats. Ketamine anaesthesia increased relative power in the delta band and decreased that in the theta band; these effects were significantly different between the two age groups, with aged rats showing more markedly decreased power in the theta band. Conclusions: (a) Pentobarbital and ketamine modified cortical electrical activity in a different manner as a function of age; (b) the modification of electroencephalogram relative power with anaesthesia was identical in young and aged rats but quantitatively more marked in aged rats. These findings will be useful in designing experiments that assess pathological changes in the central nervous system during ageing.
Control of canine renin release: macula densa requires prostaglandin synthesis.

1. The macula densa mechanism of renin release was functionally isolated in uninephrectomized, anaesthetized dogs by producing renal denervation, beta‐adrenoceptor blockade, and maximum renal vasodilation with an infusion of papaverine into the renal artery. 2. A suprarenal aortic clamp was adjusted to reduce renal perfusion pressure by 50% which resulted in a 90% reduction in urinary sodium excretion and a two to threefold increase in plasma renin activity within 10 min. 3. Indomethacin (8 mg/kg) or meclofenamic acid (10 mg/kg) inhibited the rise plasma renin activity produced by the decrease in renal perfusion pressure in this model, although a comparable decrease in urinary sodium excretion was achieved. 4. We conclude that the macula densa mechanism of renin release is blocked by inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis.
Multivariate Dynamic Co-integration and Causality Analysis between Inflation and its Determinants

This paper investigates the impacts of money supply, government expenditure, velocity, industry value addition and economic growth on inflation of Bangladesh using time series data from 1978-2014. The ADF test results suggest that the variables are of I(1). It is found that there exist five co-integration equations. The outcome of the Granger Causality test suggests the short-run unidirectional causality running from industrial value addition to money supply, from inflation, money supply, velocity, industrial value addition and economic growth to government spending. Bidirectional causality has been found between economic growth and industrial value addition. Finally, short-run and long-run effects of money supply, government spending, velocity, industry value addition and economic growth on inflation are estimated. It is found that the speed of adjustment for short-run to approach to the long-run equilibrium level is significant at any significance level. It has been found that it will take about 1.25 years for a complete convergence process to approach its equilibrium. Therefore, in case of any shock to the inflation equation, the speed of adjustment is significantly faster. It has also been found that the long-run effects of money supply and velocity have positive significant effects while the economic growth has significant negative effect on inflation in Bangladesh economy. It has been found that the long-run effects of money supply and velocity are more than short-run effects meaning that over the time more money supply and velocity increase the more and more inflation in Bangladesh but economic growth decreases the inflation.