Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Strain-Specific Differences in Perinatal Rodent Oligodendrocyte Lineage Progression and Its Correlation with Human

Progress in the development of rat models of human periventricular white matter injury (WMI) has been hampered by uncertainty about the developmental window in different rodent strains that coincides with cerebral white matter development in human premature infants. To define strain-specific differences in rat cerebral white matter maturation, we analyzed oligodendrocyte (OL) lineage maturation between postnatal days (P)2 and P14 in three widely studied strains of rat: Sprague-Dawley, Long-Evans and Wistar (W). We previously reported that late OL progenitors (preOL) are the major vulnerable cell type in human periventricular WMI. Strain-specific differences in preOL maturation were found at P2, such that the W rat had the highest percentage and density of preOL relative to the other strains. Overall, at P2, the state of OL maturation was similar to preterm human cerebral white matter. However, by P5, all three strains displayed a similar magnitude and extent of OL maturation that persisted with progressive myelination between P7 and P14. PreOL were the predominant OL lineage stage present in the cerebral cortex through P14, and thus OL lineage maturation occurred latter than in white matter. The hippocampus also displayed a later onset of preOL maturation in all three strains, such that OL lineage maturation and early myelination was not observed to occur until about P14. This timing of preOL maturation in rat cortical gray matter coincided with a similar timing in human cerebral cortex, where preOL also predominated until at least 8 months after full-term birth. These studies support that strain-specific differences in OL lineage immaturity were present in the early perinatal period at about P2, and they define a narrow window of preterm equivalence with human that diminishes by P5. Later developmental onset of preOL maturation in both cerebral cortex and hippocampus coincides with an extended window of potential vulnerability of the OL lineage to hypoxia-ischemia in these gray matter regions.
Molecular genetic analysis of long QT syndrome in Norway indicating a high prevalence of heterozygous mutation carriers

Mutations in the KCNQ1, HERG, SCN5A, minK and MiRP1 genes cause long QT syndrome (LQTS), of which there are two forms: the Romano Ward syndrome and the Jervell and Lange‐Nielsen syndrome. We have performed DNA sequencing of the LQTS‐associated genes in 169 unrelated patients referred for genetic testing with respect to Romano Ward syndrome and in 13 unrelated patients referred for genetic testing with respect to Jervell and Lange‐Nielsen syndrome. A total of 37 different mutations in the 5 genes, of which 20 were novel, were identified. Among patients with the most stringent clinical criteria of Romano Ward syndrome, a mutation was identified in 71 %. Twelve of the 13 unrelated patients referred for genetic testing with respect to Jervell and Lange‐Nielsen syndrome were provided with a molecular genetic diagnosis. Cascade genetic screening of 505 relatives of index patients with molecularly defined LQTS identified 251 mutation carriers. The observed penetrance was 41 %. Although caution must be exerted, the prevalence of heterozygotes for mutations in the LQTS‐associated genes in Norway could be in the range 1/100–1/300, based on the prevalence of patients with Jervell and Lange‐Nielsen syndrome.
A detailed look at the stellar populations in green valley galaxies

$\require{mediawiki-texvc}$The green valley (GV) represents an important transitional state from actively star-forming galaxies to passively evolving systems. Its traditional definition, based on colour, rests on a number of assumptions that can be subject to non-trivial systematics. In Angthopo et al. (2019), we proposed a new definition of the GV based on the 4000$\AA$ break strength. In this paper, we explore in detail the properties of the underlying stellar populations by use of ~230 thousand high-quality spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), contrasting our results with a traditional approach via dust-corrected colours. We explore high quality stacked SDSS spectra, and find a population trend that suggests a substantial difference between low- and high-mass galaxies, with the former featuring younger populations with star formation quenching, and the latter showing older (post-quenching) populations that include rejuvenation events. Subtle but measurable differences are found between a colour-based approach and our definition, especially as our selection of GV galaxies produces a cleaner "stratification" of the GV, with more homogeneous population properties within sections of the GV. Our definition based on 4000$\AA$ break strength gives a clean representation of the transition to quiescence, easily measurable in the upcoming and future spectroscopic surveys.
Some effects of superior laryngeal nerve stimulation on sympathetic preganglionic neuron firing.

Repetitive electrical stimulation of afferent fibers in the superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) evoked depressant or excitatory effects on sympathetic preganglionic neurons of the cervical trunk in Nembutal-anesthetized, paralyzed, artifically ventilated cats. The depressant effect, which consisted of suppression of the inspiration-synchronous discharge of units with such firing pattern, was obtained at low strength and frequency of stimulation (e.g. 600 mV, 30 Hz) and was absent at end-tidal CO2 values below threshold for phrenic nerve activity. The excitatory effect required higher intensity and frequency of stimulation and was CO2 independent. The depressant effect on sympathetic preganglionic neurons with inspiratory firing pattern seemed a replica of the inspiration-inhibitory effect observed on phrenic motoneurons. Hence, it could be attributed to the known inhibition by the SLN of central inspiratory activity, if it is assumed that this is a common driver for phrenic motoneurons and some sympathetic preganglionic neurons. The excitatory effect, on the other hand, appears to be due to connections of SLN afferents with sympathetic preganglionic neurons, independent of the respiratory center.
Antibacterial and smear layer removal ability of a novel irrigant, QMiX.

AIM To assess in a laboratory experimental model the efficacy of a novel root canal irrigant, QMiX, against Enterococcus faecalis and mixed plaque bacteria in planktonic phase and biofilms. In addition, its ability to remove smear layer was examined. METHODOLOGY Enterococcus faecalis and mixed plaque bacteria were exposed to QMiX, 2% chlorhexidine (CHX), MTAD and 1% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) for 5 s, 30 s and 3 min. Following exposure, samples were taken, serially diluted and grown aerobically and anaerobically on tryptic soy agar (TSA) plates or on blood agar plates for 24 and 72 h, respectively, to measure killing of bacteria. E. faecalis and plaque biofilms were grown for 3 weeks on collagen-coated hydroxyapatite or dentine discs and exposed for 1 and 3 min to QMiX, 2% CHX, MTAD, 1% and 2% NaOCl. The amount of killed bacteria in biofilms was analysed by confocal laser scanning microscopy using viability staining. Dentine blocks were exposed to QMiX and 17% EDTA for 5 min. The effectiveness of smear layer removal by the solution was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy. For statistical analysis, one-way analysis of variance and comparison of two proportions were used. RESULTS QMiX and 1% NaOCl killed all planktonic E. faecalis and plaque bacteria in 5 s, while 2% CHX and MTAD were unable to kill all plaque bacteria in 30 s, and some E. faecalis cells survived even 3 min of exposure. QMiX and 2% NaOCl killed up to 12 times more biofilm bacteria than 1% NaOCl (P < 0.01), 2% CHX (P < 0.05; P < 0.001) and MTAD (P < 0.05; P < 0.001). QMiX removed smear layer equally well as EDTA (P = 0.18 × 10(-5)). CONCLUSION QMiX and NaOCl were superior to CHX and MTAD under laboratory conditions in killing E. faecalis and plaque bacteria in planktonic and biofilm culture. Ability to remove smear layer by QMiX was comparable to EDTA.
An eight-year study of Internet-based remote medical counselling

We carried out a prospective study of an Internet-based remote counselling service. A total of 15,456 Internet users visited the Website over eight years. From these, 1500 users were randomly selected for analysis. Medical counselling had been granted to 901 of the people requesting it (60%). One hundred and sixty-four physicians formed project groups to process the requests and responded using email. The distribution of patients using the service was similar to the availability of the Internet: 78% were from the European Union, North America and Australia. Sixty-seven per cent of the patients lived in urban areas and the remainder were residents of remote rural areas with limited local medical coverage. Sixty-five per cent of the requests were about problems of internal medicine and 30% of the requests concerned surgical issues. The remaining 5% of the patients sought information about recent developments, such molecular medicine or aviation medicine. During the project, our portal became inaccessible five times, and counselling was not possible on 44 days. There was no hacking of the Website. Internet-based medical counselling is a helpful addition to conventional practice.
Development and characterization of lipid-polymeric nanoparticles for oral insulin delivery

ABSTRACT Introduction: The oral route is widely accepted as the most physiological path for exogenous administration of insulin, as it closely mimic the endogenous insulin pathway. Thus, in this work it is proposed an innovative lipid-polymeric nanocarrier to delivery insulin orally. Areas covered: Nanoparticles were produced through a modified solvent emulsification-evaporation method, using ethyl palmitate and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose acetate succinate as matrix. Lipid-polymeric nanoparticles were around 300 nm in size, negatively charged (−20 mV) and associated insulin with efficiency higher than 80%. Differential scanning calorimetry suggested thermal stability of nanoparticles. In vitro release assays under simulated gastrointestinal conditions resulted in 9% and 14% of insulin released at pH 1.2 during 2 h and at pH 6.8 for 6 h, respectively, demonstrating the ability of those nanoparticles to protect insulin against premature degradation. Importantly, nanoparticles were observed to be safe at potential therapeutic concentrations as did not originate cytotoxicity to intestinal epithelial cells. Lastly, the permeability of nanoencapsulated insulin through Caco-2 monolayers and a triple Caco-2/HT29-MTX/Raji B cell model correlated well with slow release kinetics, and fosters the effectiveness of nanoparticles to promote intestinal absorption of peptidic drugs. Expert opinion: Lipid-polymeric nanoparticles were developed to encapsulate and carry insulin through intestine. Overall, nanoparticles provide insulin stability and intestinal permeability.
Psychosocial resources and persistent smoking in early pregnancy--a population study of women in their first pregnancy in Sweden.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To test the stress hypothesis by characterising women during their first pregnancy who continue to smoke in early pregnancy in comparison with women who quit smoking, with special reference to psychosocial factors like social network, social support, demands, and control in work and daily life. DESIGN: The study is based on a cohort of primigravidas followed during pregnancy. Data were collected by self administered questionnaires during the pregnant womens' first antenatal visit at about 12 weeks. SETTING: The study was performed in the antenatal clinics in the city of Malmö, Sweden. PARTICIPANTS: The participants were all primigravidas living in the city of Malmö, Sweden, over a one year period, 1991-92. A total of 872 (87.7%) of the 994 invited women agreed to participate. The population of this study on smoking includes all primigravidas who at the time of conception were smoking (n = 404, 46.3%). MAIN RESULTS: At the first antenatal visit (63.6% (n = 257) of the prepregnancy smokers were still smoking (a total smoking prevalence of 29.5%). The pregnant smokers were on average younger and had a lower educational level. The highest relative risk (RR) of continued smoking was found among unmarried women RR 2.7 (95% confidence interval) (1.5, 4.8), women having unplanned pregnancies RR 2.2 (1.2, 4.0) and those with a low social participation RR 1.6 (1.0, 2.7), low instrumental support RR 2.6 (1.2, 6.0), low support from the child's father RR 2.1 (1.0, 4.2) and those exposed to job strain RR = 2.3 (1.1, 4.8). The associations were independent of potential confounders such as age, educational level, nationality, cohabiting status, passive smoking, and previous years of smoking. CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the stress hypothesis. Smoking can be one way women handle stress when demands become too great. In order to reduce smoking among pregnant women, maternity centre resources need to be focused more on women with low psychosocial resources who are at highest risk for continued smoking. It is also important to involve actively the woman's partner or other important people in the woman's social network.
Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Dexamethasone Controlled Released From Anterior Suprachoroidal Polyurethane Implants on Endotoxin-Induced Uveitis in Rats.

PURPOSE Targeted drug delivery to the ocular tissues remains a challenge. Biodegradable intraocular implants allow prolonged controlled release of drugs directly into the eye. In this study, we evaluated an anterior suprachoroidal polyurethane implant containing dexamethasone polyurethane dispersions (DX-PUD) as a drug delivery system in the rat model of endotoxin-induced uveitis (EIU). METHODS In vitro drug release was studied using PUD implants containing 8%, 20%, and 30% (wt/wt) DX. Cytotoxicity of the degradation products of DX-PUD was assessed on human ARPE-19 cells using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) test. Short-term ocular biocompatibility of suprachoroidal DX-PUD implants was evaluated in normal rat eyes. Endotoxin-induced uveitis was then induced in rat eyes preimplanted with DX-PUD. Clinical examination was performed at 24 hours; eyes were used to assess inflammatory cell infiltration and macrophage/microglial activation. Cytokine and chemokine expression in the iris/ciliary body and in the retina was investigated using quantitative PCR. Feasibility of anterior suprachoroidal PUD implantation was also tested using postmortem human eyes. RESULTS A burst release was followed by a sustained controlled release of DX from PUD implants. By-products of the DX-PUD were not toxic to human ARPE-19 cells or to rat ocular tissues. Dexamethasone-PUD implants prevented EIU in rat eyes, reducing inflammatory cell infiltration and inhibiting macrophage/microglial activation. Dexamethasone-PUD downregulated proinflammatory cytokines/chemokines (IL-1β, IL-6, cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant [CINC]) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and upregulated IL-10 anti-inflammatory cytokine. Polyurethane dispersion was successfully implanted into postmortem human eyes. CONCLUSIONS Dexamethasone-PUD implanted in the anterior suprachoroidal space may be of interest in the treatment of intraocular inflammation.
Early Protein Intake Is Associated with Body Composition and Resting Energy Expenditure in Young Adults Born with Very Low Birth Weight.

BACKGROUND Suboptimal nutrition during fetal life and early childhood may be important in early programming of health and disease. Preterm infants born with very low birth weight (VLBW; <1500 g) frequently receive inadequate neonatal nutrition; the long-term consequences are poorly known. OBJECTIVE We evaluated the association between early macronutrient intake and body composition in young adults born with VLBW. METHODS We collected comprehensive information on daily nutritional intake during the initial hospital stay for 127 participants of the Helsinki Study of Very Low Birth Weight Adults. We calculated mean daily intakes of energy, protein, fat, and carbohydrate during the first 9 wk of life. At the mean age of 22.5 y, the subjects underwent measurements of weight, height, body composition by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and resting energy expenditure. The associations were examined by linear regression. RESULTS We found that energy, protein, and fat intakes during the first 3 wk of life, all below current recommendations, predicted adult body composition. When adjusted for sex, age, birth weight SD score, and gestational age, a 1 g · kg(-1) · d(-1) higher protein intake predicted 11.1% higher lean body mass (LBM) (95% CI: 3.7%, 18.9%) and 8.5% higher resting energy expenditure (REE) (95% CI: 0.2%, 17.0%). Among those born before 28 wk of gestation, the numbers were 22.5% (95% CI: 1.9%, 47.4%) for LBM and 22.1% (95% CI: 3.6%, 44.0%) for REE. Similar associations were seen with energy (P = 0.01, P = 0.05) and fat (P < 0.01, P = 0.03) but not with carbohydrate. Energy intake was also associated with BMI (P = 0.01) and fat intake with BMI (P < 0.01) and percentage body fat (P = 0.05). The results were little changed when adjusted for prenatal and postnatal characteristics. CONCLUSIONS At relatively low neonatal protein intake levels, additional protein intake is reflected in a healthier body composition, accompanied by a higher metabolic rate, in young adults born with VLBW 20 y earlier.
Secure Transmission in MIMO Wiretap Channels Using General-Order Transmit Antenna Selection With Outdated CSI

In this paper, we propose general-order transmit antenna selection to enhance the secrecy performance of multiple-input-multiple-output multieavesdropper channels with outdated channel state information (CSI) at the transmitter. To evaluate the effect of the outdated CSI on the secure transmission of the system, we investigate the secrecy performance for two practical scenarios, i.e., Scenarios I and II, where the eavesdropper's CSI is not available at the transmitter and is available at the transmitter, respectively. For Scenario I, we derive exact and asymptotic closed-form expressions for the secrecy outage probability in Nakagami-m fading channels. In addition, we also derive the probability of nonzero secrecy capacity and the ε-outage secrecy capacity, respectively. Simple asymptotic expressions for the secrecy outage probability reveal that the secrecy diversity order is reduced when the CSI is outdated at the transmitter, and it is independent of the number of antennas at each eavesdropper NE, the fading parameter of the eavesdropper's channel mE, and the number of eavesdroppers M. For Scenario II, we make a comprehensive analysis of the average secrecy capacity obtained by the system. Specifically, new closed-form expressions for the exact and asymptotic average secrecy capacity are derived, which are valid for general systems with an arbitrary number of antennas, number of eavesdroppers, and fading severity parameters. Resorting to these results, we also determine a high signal-to-noise ratio power offset to explicitly quantify the impact of the main channel and the eavesdropper's channel on the average secrecy capacity.
Humeral Retroversion and Its Relationship to Glenohumeral Rotation in the Shoulder of College Baseball Players

Background Previous studies have documented changes in musculature, bony anatomy, and glenohumeral rotation in the dominant shoulder of baseball players. Hypothesis In a group of asymptomatic college baseball players the total range of motion in the dominant and nondominant shoulders will be similar. Any measured increase in external rotation and decrease in internal rotation occurring between the two sides will be consistent and directly correlate with an increased angle of humeral retroversion in the dominant extremity. Study Design Descriptive anatomic study. Methods Fifty-four asymptomatic college baseball players were examined. Standard measurements of glenohumeral range of motion were made and humeral retroversion was determined radiologically. Results Total rotational motion, measured at 90° of glenohumeral abduction, was 159.5° for the dominant shoulders and 157.8° for the nondominant shoulders. Mean differences in external and internal rotation in the dominant versus nondominant extremities were 9.7° and 8.2°, respectively. Humeral retroversion measured 36.6° ± 9.8° in the dominant and 26° ± 9.4° in the nondominant extremity. The mean difference in retroversion correlated significantly by Pearson's product moment with the difference in external (P = 0.001) and internal (P = 0.003) rotation measurements. Conclusions There is a pattern of increased external rotation and decreased internal rotation in the dominant extremity that significantly correlates with an increase in humeral retroversion. The loss of internal rotation and gains in external rotation may be more strongly related to adaptive changes in proximal humeral anatomy than to changes in the soft tissues.
Associations of saposin C, Src, and androgen receptor upregulate the expression and function of androgen receptor in human prostate cancer cells

We previously demonstrated that ectopic expression of neurotrophic peptide (NP) derived from saposin C promotes androgen receptor (AR) expression and transactivation in human prostate cancer cells. This prompted us to investigate how NP or saposin C can function in cells. We constructed plasmids expressing saposin C or a chimeric peptide of a viral TAT transduction domain and saposin C (TAT‐saposin C) with His‐tag. Intracellular localization of saposin C and NP was predominantly shown in transfected cells, while TAT‐saposin C was detected around membrane and in cytosol by immunofluorescence staining. Furthermore, induction of the AR expression and activation of the AR transcriptional function were observed in cells transfected with saposin C or TAT‐saposin C, compared to control cells transfected with an empty plasmid. The effects of saposin C and TAT‐saposin C on AR activity were examined in the presence of inhibitors of GPCR, MAPK1/2, and PI3K/Akt. Interestingly, we found that these inhibitors only affect AR activities in cells with TAT‐saposin C expression but not with saposin C expression. Immunostaining images showed that co‐localization of saposin C, Src, and the AR occurred in transfected cells. Physical interactions of saposin C/NP, Src, and the AR were then demonstrated by co‐immunoprecipitation assays. Blockage of Src activity by specific inhibitor led to a decrease in the saposin C‐mediated enhancement of AR transactivity, suggesting that intracellular expression of saposin C caused stimulation of AR expression and activity by associations with Src in LNCaP cells. This effect may not be mediated by GPCR. J. Cell. Biochem. 112: 818–828, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.