Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vestibular and cerebellar modulation of expiratory motor activities in the cat.

1. The purpose of our investigation was to evaluate the hypothesis that components of the vestibular and cerebellar systems regulate efferent respiratory‐modulated activities of cranial and spinal nerves. The hypothesis was based upon the observation that spinal neural activities during expiration are greatly altered subsequent to a change in posture. 2. In decerebrate and paralysed cats, efferent activities were recorded from the central cut ends of the phrenic nerve, intercostal nerve, branch of the intercostal nerve innervating the triangularis sterni, cranial iliohypogastric (abdominal) nerve and recurrent laryngeal nerve. 3. Animals were artificially ventilated. Those with intact vagi were ventilated by a servo‐respirator which produced changes in lung volume in parallel with alterations in integrated activity of the phrenic nerve. Animals with bilateral vagotomy were ventilated with a standard respirator. 4. Aspiration of the entire cerebellar cortex did not produce alterations in levels of neural activities; the respiratory frequency was increased modestly. Following ablation of the ventrolateral portion of corpus medullare and cerebellar peduncles, expiratory activities of spinal nerves were completely eliminated whereas inspiratory activities were not greatly altered. Results were similar in animals having either intact or sectioned vagi. 5. Electrical stimulation or chemical stimulation by glutamate of regions of the ventrolateral cerebellum produced little change in respiratory neural activities except when these stimulations were within the infracerebellar nucleus. Stimulations in this nucleus caused pronounced increases in expiratory activities of spinal nerves. Neither inspiratory activities of spinal nerves nor inspiratory or expiratory activities of the recurrent laryngeal nerve were altered. Studies in animals having intact or sectioned vagi yielded similar results. 6. Bilateral lesions of neurons in the infracerebellar nucleus by injections of kainic acid in animals having intact or sectioned vagi caused an irreversible loss of expiratory activities of spinal nerves with neither inspiratory spinal activities nor inspiratory and expiratory laryngeal activities being altered. Similar findings were obtained following unilateral ablation of the infracerebellar nucleus in vagotomized cats. However, in cats with intact vagi, unilateral ablation of the infracerebellar nucleus produced only transient changes in either inspiratory or expiratory neural activities. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
High rate of infection with hepatitis C virus genotype 4 in Chad, Central Africa

DOI: 10.4103/0255‐0857.167346 multidrug resistant B. circulans associated with foot infection in Bangladeshi patient and the findings of this study ensured the successful clinical management of this pathogen in the case of deep tissue infection. The rarity of this pathogen and the high-level antibiotic resistance is the new discovery of this investigation. Therefore, more studies are required to understand how this bacterium has acquired this resistant phenotype and its association with polymicrobial infection.
Multi-regional local anesthetic infiltration during laparoscopic cholecystectomy in patients receiving prophylactic multi-modal analgesia: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study.

UNLABELLED Pain is the dominant complaint after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. No study has examined the combined effects of a somato-visceral blockade during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Therefore, we investigated the effects of a somato-visceral local anesthetic blockade on pain and nausea in patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. In addition, all patients received multi-modal prophylactic analgesic treatment. Fifty-eight patients were randomized to receive a total of 286 mg (66 mL) ropivacaine or 66 mL saline via periportal and intraperitoneal infiltration. During the first 3 postoperative h, the use of morphine and antiemetics was registered, and pain and nausea were rated hourly. Daily pain intensity, pain localization, and supplemental analgesic consumption were registered the first postoperative week. Ropivacaine reduced overall pain the first two hours and incisional pain for the first three postoperative hours (P < 0.01) but had no apparent effects on intraabdominal or shoulder pain. During the first 3 postoperative h, morphine requirements were lower (P < 0.05), and nausea was reduced in the ropivacaine group (P < 0.05). Throughout the first postoperative week, incisional pain dominated over other pain localizations in both groups (P < 0.01). We conclude that the somato-visceral local anesthetic blockade reduced overall pain during the first 2 postoperative h, and nausea, morphine requirements, and incisional pain were reduced during the first 3 postoperative h in patients receiving prophylactic multi-modal analgesic treatment. IMPLICATIONS A combination of incisional and intraabdominal local anesthetic treatment reduced incisional pain but had no effect on deep intraabdominal pain or shoulder pain in patients receiving multimodal prophylactic analgesia after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Incisional pain dominated during the first postoperative week. Incisional infiltration of local anesthetics is recommended in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
The association between preeclampsia and arterial stiffness

A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library to investigate the association between preeclampsia and arterial stiffness. Twenty-three relevant studies were included. A significant increase in all arterial stiffness indices combined was observed in women with preeclampsia vs. women with normotensive pregnancies [standardized mean difference 1.62, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.73–2.50]; carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) and augmentation index (AIx) were also significantly increased (weighted mean difference, WMDcfPWV 1.04, 95% CI 0.34–1.74; WMDAIx 15.10, 95% CI 5.08–25.11), whereas carotid–radial PWV (crPWV) increase did not reach significance (WMDcrPWV 0.99, 95% CI −0.07 to 2.05). Significant increases in arterial stiffness measurements were noted in women with preeclampsia compared with those with gestational hypertension. Arterial stiffness measurements may also be useful in predicting preeclampsia and may play a role in the increased risk of future cardiovascular complications seen in women with a history of preeclampsia.
Differential induction of CD94 and NKG2 in CD4 helper T cells. A consequence of influenza virus infection and interferon‐γ?

Influenza A virus causes worldwide epidemics and pandemics and the investigation of memory T helper (Th) cells that help maintain serological memory following infection is important for vaccine design. In this study we investigated CD94 and NKG2 gene expression in memory CD4 T‐cell clones established from the spleens of C57BL/10 (H‐2b) and BALB/c (H‐2d) mice infected with influenza A virus (H3N2). CD94 and NKG2A/C/E proteins form heterodimeric membrane receptors that are involved in virus recognition. CD94 and NKG2 expression have been well characterized in natural killer (NK) and cytotoxic T cells. Despite CD94 being potentially an important marker for Th1 cells involved in virus infection, however, there has been little investigation of its expression or function in the CD4 T‐cell lineage and no studies have looked at in‐vivo‐generated Th cells or memory cells. We show in this study that in‐vivo‐generated CD4 Th1 cells, but not Th2 cells, exhibited full‐length CD94 and NKG2A gene expression following activation with viral peptide. For NKG2A, a novel ‘short’ (possibly redundant) truncated isoform was detectable in a Th2 cell clone. Another member of the NK receptor family, NKG2D, but not NKG2C or E, was also differentially expressed in Th1 cells. We show here that CD94 and NKG2A may exist as multiple isoforms with the potential to distinguish helper T‐cell subsets.
A Tutte Polynomial for Partially Ordered Sets

We investigate the Tutte polynomial of a greedoid associated to a partially ordered set. In this case, we explore the deletion-contraction formula in two ways and develop an antichain expansion for the polynomial. We show that the polynomial can determine the number of orders ideals, order filters and antichains of all sizes of a poset P, but neither the number of chains, multichains, extensions, nor the dimension of P. We show how to compute the polynomial for the direct sum, ordinal sum, and ordinal product of two posets, but show that this cannot be done for a direct product. We also show it is possible to determine ? (P*) from ? (P), where P* is the dual poset of P. We also consider the idea of feasible isomorphism of two greedoids and show that two feasibly isomorphic greedoids have the same polynomial.
Play on Demand: Why Do Players Play the Mobile Games They Do

Due to the penetration of smartphones and associated mobile devices, mobile gaming has become a ubiquitous industry worldwide. Players now have access to games at all times. Extending previous research and the Uses and Gratifications approach this paper presents an alternative conceptual model that can offer explanations towards understanding why players play the mobile game they play most frequently.
Phosphorylation alters backbone conformational preferences of serine and threonine peptides

Despite the notion that a control of protein function by phosphorylation works mainly by inducing its conformational changes, the phosphorylation effects on even small peptide conformation have not been fully understood yet. To study its possible effects on serine and threonine peptide conformations, we recently carried out pH‐ and temperature‐dependent circular dichroism (CD) as well as 1H NMR studies of the phosphorylated serine and threonine peptides and compared them with their unphosphorylated analogs. In the present article, by performing the self‐consistent singular value decomposition analysis of the temperature‐dependent CD spectra and by analyzing the 3J(HN,Hα) coupling constants extracted from the NMR spectra, the populations of the polyproline II (PPII) and β‐strand conformers of the phosphorylated Ser and Thr peptides are determined. As temperature is increased, the β‐strand populations of both phosphorylated serine and threonine peptides increase. However, the dependences of PPII/β‐strand population ratio on pH are different for these two cases. The phosphorylation of the serine peptide enhances the PPII propensity, whereas that of the threonine peptide has the opposite effect. This suggests that the serine and threonine phosphorylations can alter the backbone conformational propensity via direct but selective intramolecular hydrogen‐bonding interactions with the peptide NH groups. This clearly indicates that the phosphoryl group actively participates in modulating the peptide backbone conformations. Proteins 2011; © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Smokers Discount Their Drug of Abuse in the Same Way as Other Consumable Rewards

Recent research shows that drug abusers discount delayed monetary rewards more than nonabusers do, and they discount delayed substances of abuse (e.g., drugs) more than delayed money. Furthermore, non-drug-abusers discount food and substances of abuse (e.g., alcohol), more than money. Here, we compare the delay and probability discounting of money with that of a directly consumable reward (chocolate) and with that of a substance of abuse (cigarettes), in a drug-using population (smokers). In line with previous research, we found in two experiments that delay discounting differentiated between smokers and nonsmokers, and between money and a nonabused directly consumable reward (chocolate). In addition, our results show that there appears to be no difference in the extent to which smokers discount their abused substance compared to another directly consumable reward. These findings support the contention that drugs and food are part of the same category of primary reinforcers, whereas money is discounted differently, as a conditioned reinforcer.
Practical application of kangaroo mother care in preterm infants: clinical characteristics and safety of kangaroo mother care

Abstract Aim: To determine the clinical characteristics and safety of kangaroo mother care (KMC) according to the gestational age (GA) or postmenstrual age (PMA). Methods: We conducted a prospective clinical study in 31 infants between 25 and 32 weeks’ GA. The subjects were categorized into two groups (25–28 weeks’ and 29–32 weeks’ GA groups) to compare the clinical characteristics associated with KMC. Heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, blood pressure and body temperature (BT) were longitudinally assessed for 60 min with respect to the PMA group (29–32 weeks’ and 33–36 weeks’ PMA groups). Results: The authors analyzed 70 sessions with 31 infants (25–32 weeks’ GA, birth weight 760–1740 g, 29–36 weeks’ PMA). All infants had statistically significant higher temperatures during KMC than before KMC within clinically acceptable limits (P<0.001). We found a significantly lower variation of BT in the 25–28 weeks’ GA group compared with the 29–32 weeks’ GA group at 33–36 weeks’ PMA, suggesting accelerated skin maturation in more premature infants (P<0.001). Conclusion: Our intermittent KMC was a safe and feasible method for preterm infants. Notably, at the same PMA, preterm infants in the lower at-birth GA group showed an advanced maturation of thermoregulation compared with those in the higher GA group.
Exogenously Administered Substance P and Neutral Endopeptidase Inhibitors Stimulate Fibroblast Proliferation, Angiogenesis and Collagen Organization during Achilles Tendon Healing

Background: In the last few years much research has been conducted in methods to promote tendon healing. The aim of this study was to determine if the healing process after operative repair of rat Achilles tendons could be stimulated by the paratendinous injection of a sensory peptide, substance P (SP). Methods: Ninety-six male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allocated to four groups: (I) control buffer injections, (II) injections of SP 10−6 mol/kg body weight combined with a carrier, (III) injections of SP 10−8 mol/kg BW with the carrier, and (IV) injections with the carrier only (thiorphan 1 μmol/kg BW and captopril 30 μmol/kg BW, both neutral endopeptidase inhibitors). The influence on tissue repair was determined from the histologic measurement of fibroblast proliferation, angiogenesis, and collagen organization. On days 7, 14, 28 and 42, animals were sacrificed and histologic evaluations were performed on the injured Achilles tendon constructs.Results: The two groups subjected to SP injections showed a significant initial fibroblast proliferation on day 7 (p < 0.05), which rapidly declined by day 14 to the level of cellular proliferation observed with the use of thiorphan and captopril. Capillary proliferation showed a similar evolution, except that in the second week angiogenesis in the treated groups was below the level of the control group. Strikingly, collagen orientation increased faster in the groups injected with SP. This was obvious from the second week already and the difference remained until the completion of the study. Conclusion: This is the first study to demonstrate that paratendinous injections of SP after operative repair of the Achilles tendon in rats appears to provide a boost to the initial stages of healing and significantly accelerate the reparative phase of the healing process.
Reliability estimation of grouped functional imaging data using penalized maximum likelihood

We analyzed grouped fMRI data and developed a reliability analysis for such data using the method of penalized maximum likelihood (ML). Specifically, this technique was applied to a somatosensory paradigm that used a mechanical probe to provide noxious stimuli to the foot, and a paradigm consisting of four levels of graded peripheral neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES). In each case, reliability maps of activation were generated. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed in the case of the graded NMES paradigm for each level of stimulation, which revealed an increase in the specificity of activation with increasing stimulation levels. In addition, penalized ML was used to determine whether the grouped reliability maps obtained from one stimulus level were significantly different from those obtained at other levels. The results show a significant difference (P < 0.01) in the reliability of activation from one stimulation level to the next. These results are in agreement with those obtained using generalized linear modeling (GLM). While the reliability maps generated are not directly comparable, they are qualitatively similar to those obtained by controlling the expected false discovery rate (FDR). The proposed methodology can be used to objectively compare activation maps between groups, as well as to perform reliability assessments. Furthermore, this method potentially can be used to assess the longitudinal effect of treatment therapies within a group. Magn Reson Med 53:1126–1134, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
New Evidence Supporting a Role for T-Type Ca2+ Channels in Absence Epilepsy and in the Action of Ethosuximide

Lack of the Burst Firing of Thalamocortical Relay Neurons and Resistance to Absence Seizures in Mice Lacking α1G T-Type Ca2+ Channels Kim D, Song I, Keum S, Lee T, Jeong MJ, Kim SS, McEnery MW, Shin HS Neuron 2001;31:35–45 T-type Ca2+ currents have been proposed to be involved in the genesis of spike-and-wave discharges, a sign of absence seizures, but direct evidence in vivo to support this hypothesis has been lacking. To address this question, we generated a null mutation of the α1G subunit of T-type Ca2+ channels. The thalamocortical relay neurons of the α1G-deficient mice lacked the burst mode firing of action potentials, whereas they showed the normal pattern of tonic mode firing. The α1G-deficient thalamus was specifically resistant to the generation of spike-and-wave discharges in response to GABAB receptor activation. Thus, the modulation of the intrinsic firing pattern mediated by α1G T-type Ca2+ channels plays a critical role in the genesis of absence seizures in the thalamocortical pathway. Block of Cloned Human T-Type Calcium Channels by Succinimide Antiepileptic Drugs Gomora JC, Daud AN, Weiergraber M, Perez-Reyes E Mol Pharmacol 2001;60:1121–1132 Inhibition of T-type Ca2+ channels has been proposed to play a role in the therapeutic action of succinimide antiepileptic drugs. Despite the widespread acceptance of this hypothesis, recent studies using rat and cat neurons have failed to confirm inhibition of T-type currents at therapeutically relevant concentrations. The present study re-examines this issue using the three cloned human channels that constitute the T-type family: α1G, α1H, and α1I. The cloned cDNAs were stably transfected and expressed into mammalian cells, leading to the appearance of typical T-type currents. The results demonstrate that both ethosuximide and the active metabolite of methsuximide, α-methyl-α-phenylsuccinimide (MPS), block human T-type channels in a state-dependent manner, with higher affinity for inactivated channels. In contrast, succinimide analogs that are not anticonvulsive were relatively poor blockers. The apparent affinity of MPS for inactivated states of the three channels was estimated using two independent measures: K1 for α1G and α1I was 0.3 to 0.5 mM and for α1H was 0.6 to 1.2 mM. T-type channels display current at the end of long pulses (persistent current), and this current was especially sensitive to block (ethosuximide IC50 = 0.6 mM). These drugs also reduced both the size of the T-type window current region and the currents elicited by a mock low threshold spike. We conclude that succinimide antiepileptic drugs are capable of blocking human T-type channels at therapeutically relevant concentrations.
Modes of Helicobacter colonization and gastric epithelial damage

A total of 144 gastric biopsies colonized by Helicobacter‐like organisms were studied under light and differential interference contrast microscopy for the modes of bacterial colonization. Biopsies were also graded for the degree of epithelial damage (epithelial‐damage‐grade: 0 to 6, in ascending order of severity) and density of Helicobacter‐like organism (Helicobacter‐grade: 0 to 6, in ascending order of bacterial density). Three modes of colonization were identified: free‐in‐mucus, surface‐adhesion and intercellular colonization. Because light miscroscopy cannot definitely prove the presence of intracellular colonization, bacteria located between cells and below the apical cell border were counted together as intercellular colonization. Bacteria free‐in‐mucus were seen in all biopsies. Surface adhesion was seen in 50–87.9% of biopsies, without obvious correlation with the epithelial‐damage‐ and Helicobacter‐grades. The incidences of intercellular and intracellular colonization were directly proportional to the epithelial‐damage‐ and Helicobacter‐grades. Free‐in‐mucus as the predominant mode of colonization was mainly seen in biopsies with lower (1–3) epithelial‐damage‐ and Helicobacter‐grades. Conversely, biopsies with intercellular colonization as the predominant mode of colonization were mainly cases with higher (4–6) epithelial‐damage‐ and Helicobacter‐grades. In cases showing predominantly bacteria between cells, 69.2% had a gastric ulcer whereas only 38.8% of cases showing predominantly bacteria free‐in‐mucus showed ulceration (P<0.01). These results indicate that Helicobacter‐like organisms can invade and penetrate between epithelial cells. When free‐in‐mucus, Helicobacter‐like organisms are less likely to induce epithelial damage. However, the more invasive modes of colonization (intercellular) were associated with severe epithelial damage and high Helicobacter density. The major factor associated with invasive modes of colonization was the quantity of bacteria. It is proposed that reduction or eradication of Helicobacter‐like organisms in the colonized stomach can decrease bacterial invasion, minimize Helicobacter‐induced epithelial damage and reduce the risk of gastric ulcer.
Blood Alterations Preceding Clinical Manifestation of Glioblastoma

Background: There is little knowledge on blood alterations of glioblastoma. We had the opportunity to investigate markers from plasma taken 66, 36, and 6 months before glioblastoma in a patient in the VITA study. Methods: We determined S100B, secretagogin, neuropeptide-Y, micro-RNA-21, let-7, micro-RNA-128, and micro-RNA-342–3p in our patient and 10 controls from VITA. Results: We found a four-fold increase of micro-RNA-21 in the plasma of glioblastoma patient, whereas controls showed a significant decrease. There was no difference in other protein or micro-RNA levels between the patient and controls. Conclusion: Plasma micro-RNA-21 may be associated with glioblastoma development in individual cases.