Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of thyroid hormones and cyclic AMP on some lipogenic enzymes of the fat cell.

Thyroid hormones exert two types of effect on the lipogenic pathway of the fat cell of the young rat: one which is independent of cyclic AMP, and another which is under cyclic nucleotide control: 1 Thyroidectomy leads to an enhanced conversion of glucose to glucose 6-phosphate by the hexokinase system. The activity of hexokinase I is increased twofold in the fat cell from hypothyroid rats. The oxidation of glucose 6-phosphate by the pentose phosphate pathway is also increased after thyroidectomy. The V of both glucose 6-phosphate and gluconate-6-phosphate dehydrogenases is doubled (56 mU × min−1× mg−1 to 114 mU × min−1× mg−1) whereas the Km, is unchanged (19 μM). The activities of ATP citrate lyase and of acetyl-CoA carboxylase are higher in the adipocytes from hypothyroid rats. The activity of fatty acid synthetase is also stimulated, but to a lesser extent. The apparent Km of acetyl-CoA carboxylase is 0.14 mM and 0.06 mM and the V is 17.8 nmol xmin−1 xmg-′ and 27.8 nmolxmin−1 xmg protein−1 in the adipocytes from normal and hypothyroid rats respectively. In contrast, for ATP citrate lyase the V only is doubled (62 mU × min−1× mg−1 to 111 mUxmin−1xmg−1). 2 When fat cells from normal or hypothyroid rat were incubated in the presence of methylxanthines, dibutyryladenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate, isoproterenol or epinephrine the activities of the hexokinase system and of glucose-6-phosphate and gluconate-6-phosphate dehydrogenases remained unchanged. In contrast, dibutyryl- adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate inhibited, by 60 - 80%, the activities of ATP citrate lyase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase in both cell types. In adipocytes prepared from normal rats, isoproterenol and epinephrine inhibited the activities of these two latter enzymes by 30 - 60% while isobutylmethylxanthine potentiated their effect. In contrast, with fat cells from hypothyroid rats, isoproterenol and epinephrine had no effect upon the activities of ATP citrate lyase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase, whereas a combination of epinephrine and ibobutylmethylxanthine was clearly inhibitory. In conclusion, thyroid hormones regulate lipogenesis in the fat cell of the young rat firstly because they control the accumulation of the substrates of this pathway, glucose 6-phosphate and NADPH, by changing the concentrations of the hexokinase system and of the rate-limiting enzymes of the pentose phosphate pathway. Secondly, because they have a specific effect on the amount of the enzymes (ATP citrate lyase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase) which channel acetyl-CoA towards long chain fatty acid synthesis; and thirdly because they allow, in response to the lipolytic hormones, the accumulation of cyclic AMP which is responsible for the inactivation of these two latter enzymes.
Cellular computation and communications using engineered genetic regulatory networks

In this thesis, I present an engineering discipline for obtaining complex, predictable, and reliable cell behaviors by embedding biochemical logic circuits and programmed intercellular communications into cells. To accomplish this goal, I provide a well-characterized component library, a biocircuit design methodology, and software design tools. I have built and characterized an initial cellular gate library with biochemical gates that implement the NOT, IMPLIES, and AND logic functions in E. coli cells. The logic gates perform computation using DNA-binding proteins, small molecules that interact with these proteins, and segments of DNA that regulate the expression of the proteins. I introduce genetic process engineering, a methodology for modifying the DNA encoding of existing genetic elements to achieve the desired input/output behavior for constructing reliable circuits of significant complexity. I demonstrate the feasibility of digital computation in cells by building several operational in-vivo digital logic circuits, each composed of three gates that have been optimized by genetic process engineering. I also demonstrate engineered intercellular communications with programmed enzymatic activity and chemical diffusions to carry messages, using DNA from the Vibrio fischeri lux operon. The programmed communications is essential for obtaining coordinated behavior from cell aggregates. In addition to the above experimental contributions, I have developed BioSPICE, a prototype software tool for biocircuit design. It supports both static and dynamic simulations and analysis of single cell environments and small cell aggregates. Finally, I present the Microbial Colony Language (MCL), a model for programming cell aggregates. The language is expressive enough for interesting applications, yet relies on simple primitives that can be mapped to the engineered biological processes described above. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
Effect of muscle mass on the pressor response in man during isometric contractions.

1. Changes in blood pressure and heart rate were measured in six healthy male subjects during voluntary isometric contractions of the forearm and quadriceps muscles. Arterial pressure was measured directly via a catheter inserted into the radial artery of the non‐contracting arm. Each subject exerted two types of contractions: (a) sustained contractions at 70% of the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) until fatigue occurred and (b) sustained contractions starting at maximum tension (100% MVC), held for a total duration of 1 min. 2. During fatiguing contractions at 70% MVC, there was a progressive increase in blood pressure, reaching a peak level at fatigue. The same level of mean arterial pressure was achieved during contractions of the same relative tension, regardless of the muscle mass. The same trend was observed for the changes in heart rate. 3. During contractions which started with the maximum tension, where tension fell continuously during the 60 s of maximal effort, mean arterial pressure rapidly increased to high levels within a few seconds, and then increased further by 20‐30 mmHg during the sustained maximal effort. There was no difference in the initial rapid increases in mean arterial pressure, nor in the final mean arterial pressures reached between contractions of the forearm or quadriceps muscles. There were no differences in the heart rates achieved during these contractions either. 4. There was no significant difference between the mean arterial pressures observed at fatigue of a 70% MVC contraction or at the end of the 60 s maximum effort during handgrip contractions, or during contractions with the quadriceps muscles. 5. These results support the view that muscle mass is not a determinant of the magnitude of the cardiovascular reflexes during fatiguing isometric contractions in man.
The network at work: Diffusion of banana cultivation in Tanzania

This paper investigates the role of networks for diffusion of improved banana cultivation introduced by an agricultural project in Tanzania. In the existing literature on networks and technology adoption, network effects are interpreted as learning. I show that a farmer's network can affect the adoption of a new crop not only through social learning, but also by providing necessary inputs for adoption. I set up a simple model for adoption and derive similar model implications for the provision of either inputs or information through the network. Empirically, I find that a farmer is 37 percentage points more likely to adopt banana cultivation if there is at least one project participant growing bananas in the farmer's network. I use three falsication tests to support causal interpretation of the network effect on adoption. Provision of inputs (banana seedlings) through networks is found to play an important role for the network effects found.
Antinociceptive effect of riluzole in rats with neuropathic spinal cord injury pain.

Symptoms of neuropathic spinal cord injury (SCI) pain include cutaneous hypersensitivity and spontaneous pain below the level of the injury. Riluzole, an FDA-approved drug for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, has been demonstrated to attenuate neural excitotoxicity by blocking the effects of the excitatory amino acid glutamate on glutamate receptors and by inhibiting voltage-gated Na(+) and Ca(2+) channels. Neuropathic pain in rat models of SCI is thought to be mediated by dysfunctional ion channels and glutamate receptors expressed on CNS neurons. Thus riluzole's mechanism of action could be relevant in treating neuropathic SCI pain. The current study evaluated the antinociceptive potential of riluzole in rats following a SCI. Four weeks after a brief compressive injury to the mid-thoracic spinal cord, rats displayed significantly decreased hind paw withdrawal thresholds, suggestive of below-level cutaneous hypersensitivity. A single systemic dose of riluzole (8 mg/kg) injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) reversed cutaneous hypersensitivity in SCI rats. To identify riluzole's CNS site of action, riluzole was injected intrathecally (i.t.) and intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) in SCI rats. Significant antinociceptive effects were obtained following i.c. v. , but not i.t. , injection. Systemic riluzole was also antinociceptive in uninjured rats, increasing the latency to respond to an acute noxious thermal stimulus in the tail flick test. Unlike in SCI rats, however, riluzole was not effective when administered directly into the CNS, indicating a peripherally mediated antinociceptive mechanism. Although riluzole appears to have a general antinociceptive effect, the site of action may be model dependent. In total, these data indicate that riluzole may be an effective clinical analgesic for the treatment of below-level neuropathic SCI pain. Although the exact mechanism of action is not clear, there is a predominant supraspinal component of riluzole-induced antinociception in SCI rats.
A Flow-Through Fluorescence Polarization Detection System for Measuring GPCR-Mediated Modulation of cAMP Production

A flow-through fluorescence polarization (FP) detection system that makes use of a novel high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fluorescence detector modified with polarization filters was developed. This flow-through FP detection system was evaluated by using a novel and very cost-effective bioassay for cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). The bioassay was first evaluated and optimized in an FP plate reader format and subsequently in a flow-through bioassay setup. The principle of the bioassay is based on the competition of cAMP and a fluorescent cAMP derivative for the cAMP binding domain of protein kinase A. cAMP could accurately be determined over a range of 0.8 to 30 pmol/well in the plate reader FP assay and over a range of 0.3 to 50 pmol/well in the flow-through FP assay setup. High Z′ factors (i.e., 0.89 for the plate reader and 0.93 for the flow-through FP cAMP assay, respectively) indicated robust assays. Finally, functional cAMP signaling of the human histamine H3 G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) in cell cultures was measured with both assay formats with good sensitivities and assay windows. The pEC50 values obtained in both assay formats were in accordance with those obtained with standard methods. The flow-through FP detection system could thus be used as a cost-effective alternative to FP plate reader assays. Moreover, the novel flow-through FP detection system for cAMP constitutes a good analytical tool to be used in the GPCR research field as an alternative to the use of FP plate readers or radioactive laboratories nowadays used for cAMP measurements. (Journal of Biomolecular Screening 2007:1074-1083)
Self-Efficacy, Foreign Language Anxiety as Predictors of Academic Performance among Professional Program Students in a General English Proficiency Writing Test

Questionnaires were administered to 120 students. Cluster analysis was used to examine whether specific groups could be described by a writing self-efficacy scale, English writing anxiety scale, and a written General English Proficiency Test. Three clusters were observed. Demographic variables were compared for each cluster, including age, sex, program of study, years of English instruction, native language, and number of English speaking acquaintances. Efforts to reduce writing anxiety and promote writing self-efficacy could enhance writing scores of participants.
Simple Left-Right Theory: Lepton Number Violation at the LHC

Introduction: The Standard Model of particle physics describes with a great precision most of the experiments in particle physics. The main goal of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is to discover new physics beyond the Standard Model and maybe establish a new theory which can provide a more complete description of nature. There are many appealing extensions of the Standard Model with unique signatures at the LHC. The so-called Left-Right Symmetric Theories [1‐4] based on the gauge symmetry,SU(2)L SU(2)R U(1)B L, have been considered for a long time as one of the most attractive theories for physics beyond the Standard Model. In the context of Left-Right Symmetric Theories [1‐4], one understands the origin of the V A interactions present in the Standard Model, the neutrinos are massive and one has a deep connection between spontaneous parity violation and the origin of neutrino masses [5]. In this context, the smallness of the neutrino masses is understood through the seesaw mechanism [5, 6], where the right-handed neutrino masses are defined by the SU(2)R U(1)B L breaking scale. These theories also predict the possibility to observe lepton number violating processes at colliders as discussed in Ref. [7], which will be crucial to establish the Majorana nature of neutrinos. Finally, one can say that these theories define the path to grand unified theories based on theSO(10) gauge symmetries. In this letter, we revisit the left-right symmetric theories and propose a new mechanism to generate Majorana neutrino masses in this context. We show that using the minimal Higgs sector composed of two Higgs doublets, HL and HR, needed to break the left-right symmetry and adding only one additional charged scalar singlet field we can generate Majorana neutrino masses at the quantum level through the Zee mechanism [8]. We discuss the main features of this model. In order to understand the testability of this model, we investigate the lepton number violating signatures at the LHC. In this context, the charged scalar singlet can be produced at the LHC through gauge interactions and since it decays mainly into two leptons one can have signatures with two charged leptons with different flavour and missing energy, e + e j E miss T . This simple theory can be considered as an appealing extension of the Standard Model.
A Hydroxyapatite Coated Collar Reduces Aseptic Loosening of Cemented Distal Femoral Massive Bone Tumour Prostheses

Background: Aseptic loosening of massive bone tumour implants remains one of the major causes of prosthesis failure. Question: The hypothesis of this study was that an osteointegrated hydroxyapatite (HA) coated collar would reduce the incidence of aseptic loosening around the cemented intramedullary stem in distal femoral bone tumour prostheses. Methods: Twenty-two patients were pair matched into either; (1) implants with a HA coated ingrowth collar (HA Collar group) and (2) implants without an ingrowth collar (Non-Collar Group). Radiographs obtained throughout the follow-up period were analysed and osteointegration at the shaft of the implant quantified. Cortical bone loss at the boneshoulder-implant junction was also measured and radiolucent line progression around the cemented stem was scored.
ENHANCEMENT OF CHICKEN MACROPHAGE PHAGOCYTIC FUNCTION AND NITRITE PRODUCTION BY DIETARY SPIRULINA PLATENSIS

The effects of dietary Spirulina platensis on chicken macrophage phagocytic function and nitrite production were examined. Day old broiler (meat-type) chicks were randomly assigned to various pens of electrically heated wire batteries. Dietary treatment groups included a basal diet with no dietary Spirulina added, and three additional groups with 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0% dietary Spirulina. Feed and water were provided for ad libitum consumption from one day of age. Sephadex®-elicited macrophages were harvested at 14, 35 and 42 days of age. Phagocytosis assay was performed by co-incubating sheep red blood cells (SRBC) with the adherent macrophage monolayers. For nitrite quantification, macrophage cultures from various dietary treatment groups were stimulated in the presence or absence of 1 μg/mL of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide. These culture supernatant fractions were then tested for nitrite levels using the Greiss reagent technique. All Spirulina dietary group macrophages exhibited an enhanced phagocytic activity in term s of overall phagocytic percentage (range = 28 to 39% versus 24 to 25% in the basal group) and the average number of SRBC per phagocytic macrophage (range = 2.2 to 3.6 versus 1.8 to 2.5 in the basal group). This increase was linear with each incremental increase of dietary Spirulina. While LPS-induced nitrite levels in macrophages from basal diet group ranged from 60 to 278 μM over the three developmental ages, these levels in all Spirulina dietary groups were significantly higher (0.5% group range = 198 to 457 μM; 1.0% group range = 161 to 359 7μM and 2.0% group range = 204 to 420 μM. These data clearly show that Spirulina platensis feeding upregulates macrophage phagocytic as well as metabolic pathways leading to increased nitric oxide synthase activity. These findings therefore imply that Spirulina platensis may enhance the functions of mononuclear phagocytic system thereby increasing the disease resistance potential in chickens.
Osmoregulation in Lactococcus lactis: BusR, a transcriptional repressor of the glycine betaine uptake system BusA

The busA (opuA) locus of Lactococcus lactis encodes a glycine betaine uptake system. Transcription of busA is osmotically inducible and its induction after an osmotic stress is reduced in the presence of glycine betaine. Using a genetic screen in CLG802, an Escherichia coli strain carrying a lacZ transcriptional fusion expressed under the control of the busA promoter, we isolated a genomic fragment from the L. lactis subsp. cremoris strain MG1363, which represses transcription from busAp. The cloned locus responsible for this repression was identified as a gene present upstream from the busA operon, encoding a putative DNA binding protein. This gene was named busR. Electrophoretic mobility shift and footprinting experiments showed that BusR is able to bind a site that overlaps the busA promoter. Overexpression of busR in L. lactis reduced expression of busA. Its disruption led to increased and essentially constitutive transcription of busA at low osmolarity. Therefore, BusR is a major actor of the osmotic regulation of busA in L. lactis.
Relaxing effect of ylang ylang oil on humans after transdermal absorption

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of ylang ylang oil (Cananga odorata, Annonaceae) on human physiological parameters and self‐evaluation after transdermal absorption. Forty healthy volunteers participated in the experiments. Physiological parameters recorded were skin temperature, pulse rate, breathing rate and blood pressure. Self‐evaluation was assessed by means of visual analog scales (VAS). The ylang ylang oil caused a significant decrease of blood pressure and a significant increase of skin temperature. At the behavioral level, subjects in the ylang ylang oil group rated themselves more calm and more relaxed than subjects in the control group. These findings are likely to represent a relaxing effect of the ylang ylang oil and provide some evidence for the usage of the ylang ylang oil in aromatherapy such as causing a relief of depression and stress in humans. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
2-Methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid and bromoxynil herbicide death

Abstract Case report. We report a fatal case of a 37 year old gentleman who ingested a MCPA/bromoxynil co-formulation herbicide. Although clinically well on initial examination, our patient declined dramatically over his 18 h admission with increasing CO2 production, hyperthermia and metabolic derangement to eventually die from cardiac asystole 20 h post ingestion. Two hours after ingestion the MCPA concentration was 83.9 μg/mL and bromoxynil concentration was 137 μg/mL. Discussion. The patients’ mechanism of death appeared to be uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation, excess CO2 production and hyperthermia. There is limited knowledge on the acute toxicity of these herbicides, in particular bromoxynil, and this case highlights the relentless progression of severe toxicity in humans.
Transmissible and Nontransmissible Complex Chromosome Aberrations Characterized by Three-Color and mFISH Define a Biomarker of Exposure to High-LET α Particles

Abstract Anderson, R. M. , Marsden, S. J., Paice, S. J., Bristow, A. ;thE. , Kadhim, M. A. , Griffin, C. S. and Goodhead, D. T. Transmissible and Nontransmissible Complex Chromosome Aberrations Characterized by Three-Color and mFISH Define a Biomarker of Exposure to High-LET α Particles. Radiat. Res. 159, 40–48 (2003). Insertions have been proposed as potential stable biomarkers of chronic high-LET radiation exposure. To examine this in vitro, we irradiated human peripheral blood lymphocytes in G0 with either 50 cGy 238Pu α particles (LET 121.4 keV/μm) or 3 Gy 250 kV X rays and stimulated their long-term culture up to ∼22 population doublings postirradiation. Mitotic cells were harvested at regular intervals throughout this culture period and were assayed for chromosome aberrations using the techniques of three-color and 24-color mFISH. We observed the stable persistence of transmissible-type complex rearrangements, all involving at least one insertion. This supports the hypothesis that insertions are relevant indicators of exposure to high-LET radiation. However, one practical caveat of insertions being effective biomarkers is that their frequency is low due to the complexity and cell lethality of the majority of α-particle-induced complexes. Therefore, we propose a “profile of damage” that relies on the presence of insertions, a low frequency of stable simple reciprocal translocations (2B), and, significantly, the complexity of the damage initially induced. We suggest that the complexity of first- and second-division α-particle-induced nontransmissible complex aberrations reflects the structure of the α-particle track and as a consequence adds radiation-quality specificity to the biomarker, increasing the signal:noise ratio of the characteristic 2B:insertion ratio.
Activity of the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal System and Oral Glucose Tolerance in Depressed Patients

We hypothesized that the activity of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal system in depressed patients is related to oral glucose tolerance. In 70 moderately depressed inpatients, we measured morning saliva cortisol for 6 days and assessed oral glucose tolerance. We found glucose concentrations to be positively associated with mean morning cortisol concentrations (F3,236 = 2.86, p < 0.05). Also, the ISI, a measure of insulin receptor sensitivity, was negatively associated with mean morning cortisol concentrations (r = –0.25, p < 0.04). These findings support the hypothesis that hypercortisolemia may lead to disturbed glucose utilization in depressed patients.