Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
OF GENDER ON OXIDATIVE STRESS , LIPID PEROXIDATION , PROTEIN DAMAGE AND APOPTOSIS IN HEARTS AND BRAINS FROM SPONTANEOUSLY HYPERTENSIVE RATS

1. Hypertension leads to oxidative stress, lipid and protein damage, apoptosis and impaired cardiac contractile function. However, impact of gender on these hypertension-associated abnormalities has not been elucidated. 2. The present study evaluated the oxidative stress, lipid/ protein damage, apoptosis in heart and brain tissues as well as cardiomyocyte contractile function in Wistar Kyoto (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) of both genders. Oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, protein damage and apoptosis were assessed by glutathione (GSH) : reduced glutathione (GSSG) ratio, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, protein carbonyl levels and caspase-3 activity, respectively. Cardiomyocyte contractile function was examined including peak shortening (PS), time-to-PS (TPS), time-to-90% relengthening (TR90) and maximal velocity of shortening/relengthening (±dL/dt). The SHR cardiomyocytes displayed reduced PS and ±dL/dt compared with gender-matched WKY counterparts. Male but not female SHR cardiomyocytes possessed longer resting cell length, normal TPS and prolonged TR90. All mechanical parameters were comparable between male and female WKY rats with the exception of a higher TR90 in females. Hypertension did not significantly affect the GSH : GSSG ratio in the heart and brain tissues of either gender. Brain from female WKY rats displayed a reduced GSH : GSSG ratio. The MDA levels were unchanged and elevated, respectively, in SHR heart and SHR brain tissues from both genders. Protein carbonyl formation and caspase-3 activity were elevated in male but not female SHR hearts. Nonetheless, brain protein carbonyl level and caspase-3 activity were unaffected by hypertension or gender. 3. In summary, these results suggest that gender affects hypertension-associated oxidative stress, lipid and protein damage, apoptosis in heart and brain tissues and cardiomyocyte contractile function.
Chromogranin gene expressions in colorectal adenocarcinomas.

Presence of neuroendocrine (NE) cells identified by argyrophilia and presence of NE markers, such as the chromogranins) is a common event (15 to 51% of the cases) in colorectal adenocarcinomas. The nature and significance of these cells, scattered in variable number within the neoplastic population, is unclear. Twenty-five cases of colorectal adenocarcinomas were investigated in parallel by immunocytochemical and hybridization (Northern blot) procedures to detect presence of three members of the chromogranin family, i.e., Chromogranin A, Chromogranin B, and Secretogranin II/secretoneurin and their synthetic machinery. The results indicate discrepancies between presence of immunoreactive cells and expression of the related specific mRNA molecules. Interestingly, such discrepancies were more remarkable for Chromogranin A than for Chromogranin B and Secretogranin II. Taking into account all three types of chromogranins, only a few cases provided the same results at the mRNA and protein levels investigated respectively by Northern blot and immunohistochemistry. The spectrum of observed events is therefore wider and more complex than hitherto believed. Our interpretation is that transient activation of NE differentiation genes can be a common and extensive event in neoplastic stem cells. In a few postmitotic cells, expression of NE genes would lead to cytoplasmic accumulation of NE markers and regulatory peptides, retained even after the switching off of the genes. This hypothesis might be valid for various mixed exocrine-endocrine patterns observed in carcinomas of different organs (gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, prostate, breast, lung).
Prokineticin Receptor Inhibition With PC1 Protects Mouse Primary Sensory Neurons From Neurotoxic Effects of Chemotherapeutic Drugs in vitro

Neurotoxicity is a common side effect of chemotherapeutics that often leads to the development of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). The peptide Prokineticin 2 (PK2) has a key role in experimental models of CIPN and can be considered an insult-inducible endangering mediator. Since primary afferent sensory neurons are highly sensitive to anticancer drugs, giving rise to dysesthesias, the aim of our study was to evaluate the alterations induced by vincristine (VCR) and bortezomib (BTZ) exposure in sensory neuron cultures and the possible preventive effect of blocking PK2 signaling. Both VCR and BTZ induced a concentration-dependent reduction of total neurite length that was prevented by the PK receptor antagonist PC1. Antagonizing the PK system also reduced the upregulation of PK2, PK-R1, TLR4, IL-6, and IL-10 expression induced by chemotherapeutic drugs. In conclusion, inhibition of PK signaling with PC1 prevented the neurotoxic effects of chemotherapeutics, suggesting a promising strategy for neuroprotective therapies against the sensory neuron damage induced by exposure to these drugs.
Study of Acinetobacter Isolates from Clinical Specimens in Tertiary Care Hospital and their Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern

Acinetobacter spp play a significant role in the colonization and infection of patients admitted to hospitals (Bergogne-Berezin et al., 1996). Acinetobacter is a Gram Negative Coccobacillus (Munoz-Price et al., 2008; Schreckenberger et al., 2007) that during the past three decades has emerged from an organisms of questionable pathogenicity to an infectious agent of importance worldwide (Fournier et al., 2006; Dima et al., 2007). Acinetobacter infection have long being clinically prominent in tropical countries, have been recurrent problems during war and natural disasters, and have International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 5 Number 10 (2016) pp. 842-848 Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas. com
Systemic low-dose doxycycline and alendronate administration and serum interleukin-1beta, osteocalcin, and C-reactive protein levels in rats.

BACKGROUND The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of systemic administration of low-dose doxycycline and a bisphosphonate, alendronate, on serum levels of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), osteocalcin (OC), and C-reactive protein (CRP) in experimental periodontitis in rats. METHODS Experimental periodontitis was induced by repeated injection of purified lipopolysaccharide (LPS) derived from Escherichia coli endotoxin. Forty-seven adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five study groups and given LPS, LPS + doxycycline, LPS + alendronate, LPS + doxycycline + alendronate, and saline control. At the end of the 1-week protocol, blood samples were obtained, and the rats were sacrificed. Serum samples were analyzed for IL-1beta, OC, and CRP concentrations by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The jaws were defleshed, and alveolar bone loss was assessed morphometrically. Data were evaluated statistically by non-parametric tests. RESULTS Morphometric measurements revealed significantly more bone loss in the LPS group compared to the saline control group (P <0.05). Alendronate revealed slight inhibition on alveolar bone loss either alone or in combination with doxycycline (alveolar bone loss: 0.41 mm in alendronate and combined drug treatment groups versus 0.45 mm in LPS and doxycycline groups). Significantly higher IL-1beta levels were observed with alendronate either alone or in combination with doxycycline than in the LPS group (P <0.05). Combined administration of doxycycline and alendronate showed significantly higher levels of OC than all of the other groups (P <0.01). Serum CRP levels did not exhibit significant differences between the study groups. CONCLUSIONS Alendronate either alone or in combination with doxycycline provided slight inhibition on LPS-induced alveolar bone resorption. The significantly increased serum OC level observed in the combined drug treatment group suggests that combined administration of alendronate and doxycycline might increase bone remodeling and thereby inhibit the progression of alveolar bone resorption in rats.
SOX9 has both conserved and novel roles in marsupial sexual differentiation

Summary: In addition to an essential role in chondrogenesis, SOX9 is a highly conserved and integral part of the testis determining pathway in human and mouse. To determine whether SOX9 is involved in sex determination in noneutherian mammals we cloned a marsupial orthologue and studied its expression. The tammar wallaby SOX9 gene proved to be highly conserved, and maps to a region of the tammar genome syntenic to human chromosome 17. Marsupial SOX9 transcripts were detected by RT‐PCR in the developing limb buds and both the developing ovary and testis from the first sign of gonadal development through to adulthood. Northern blot, in situ hybridisation, and immunohistochemical analyses showed that SOX9 reaches high levels of expression in the developing testis, where it is confined to the Sertoli cell nuclei, and the brain. This is similar to the expression pattern seen in human and mouse embryos and is consistent with a conserved role for SOX9 in vertebrate brain, skeletal, and gonadal development. In addition, SOX9 was expressed in the developing scrotum and mammary gland primordium regions of the tammar up to the time of birth. SOX9 protein was also detected in the developing Wolffian duct epithelium in the male mesonephros. These previously undescribed locations of SOX9 expression suggest that SOX9 may play additional roles in the differentiation of the marsupial reproductive system. genesis 33:131–139, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Diphenylhydantoin Affects Glycosaminoglycans and Collagen Production by Human Fibroblasts from Cleft Palate Patients

During embryonic development, the proper production of extracellular matrix molecules mediates morphogenetic processes involved in palatogenesis. In the present study, we investigated whether any differences exist in glycosaminoglycan (GAG) and collagen synthesis between palate fibroblasts from infants, with or without cleft palate, in two age ranges. Subsequently, the effects of diphenylhydantoin (PHT), a teratogen known to induce cleft palate in human and mammalian newborns, on extracellular matrix (ECM) production were studied. We found that cleft palate fibroblasts (CPFs) synthesize greater amounts of GAG and collagen than normal fibroblasts (NFs). CPFs produced less cellular hyaluronic acid (HA) and more sulphated GAG. HA was the principal GAG species in the medium, and its percentage was lower in one-to three-year-old CPFs. Cleft palate fibroblasts produced more extracellular chondroitin 4- and 6-sulphate (CS) and dermatan sulphate (DS). Associated with a higher production of sulphated GAG, we observed a higher synthesis of type III and type I collagen with a normal ratio of a2(I) to al(I) chains. PHT treatment of NFs reduced collagen and GAG synthesis, with a marked effect on sulphated GAG. The drug changed collagen synthesis, whereas it did not affect GAG production in CPFs whose phenotype may already be impaired. These findings indicate that, in CPFs, modifications in the pattern of ECM components, which are most likely responsible for the anomalous development, persist in infants. In addition, NFs and CPFs with a different phenotype respond differently to PHT treatment.
Hsp25-Induced Radioresistance is Associated with Reduction of Death by Apoptosis: Involvement of Bcl2 and the Cell Cycle

Abstract Park, S-H. , Cho, H-N. , Lee, S-J., Kim, T-H. , Lee, Y. , Park, Y-M. , Lee, Y. J., Cho, C-K. , Yoo, S-Y. and Lee, Y-S. Hsp25-Induced Radioresistance is Associated with Reduction of Death by Apoptosis: Involvement of Bcl2 and the Cell Cycle. We previously demonstrated the protective effect of the small heat-shock protein against oxidative damage induced by tumor necrosis factor α. Here we have extended our studies of the possible role of Hsp25 in ionizing radiation-induced damage. For these studies, we transfected murine fibroblast L929 cells with the Hsp25 gene and selected three stably transfected clones. Hsp25 overexpression conferred radioresistance as detected by clonogenic survival and induction of apoptosis. Interestingly, the Hsp25-transfected cells showed an increase in the level of the anti-apoptosis molecule Bcl2. We also observed alterations of cell growth in the Hsp25-transfected cells. The cell cycle time of Hsp25-transfected cells was 3–4 h slower than that of vector-transfected control cells. Flow cytometry analysis of synchronized cells at late G1 phase by mimosine treatment also showed the growth delay in Hsp25-overexpressing cells. In addition, reduced cyclin D1, cyclin A and Cdc2 levels and increased levels of Cdkn1a (also known as p21Waf) were observed in Hsp25-transfected cells, which probably caused the reduction in cell growth. In addition, synchronization by mimosine treatment only partially altered radioresistance in the Hsp25-transfected cells. Taken together, these data suggest that Hsp25-induced radioresistance is associated with growth delay as well as induction of Bcl2.
Multiclade Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Envelope Immunogens Elicit Broad Cellular and Humoral Immunity in Rhesus Monkeys

ABSTRACT The development of a human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) vaccine that elicits potent cellular and humoral immune responses recognizing divergent strains of HIV-1 will be critical for combating the global AIDS epidemic. The present studies were initiated to examine the magnitude and breadth of envelope (Env)-specific T-lymphocyte and antibody responses generated by vaccines containing either a single or multiple genetically distant HIV-1 Env immunogens. Rhesus monkeys were immunized with DNA prime-recombinant adenovirus boost vaccines encoding a Gag-Pol-Nef polyprotein in combination with either a single Env or a mixture of clade-A, clade-B, and clade-C Envs. Monkeys receiving the multiclade Env immunization developed robust immune responses to all vaccine antigens and, importantly, a greater breadth of Env recognition than monkeys immunized with vaccines including a single Env immunogen. All groups of vaccinated monkeys demonstrated equivalent immune protection following challenge with the pathogenic simian-human immunodeficiency virus 89.6P. These data suggest that a multicomponent vaccine encoding Env proteins from multiple clades of HIV-1 can generate broad Env-specific T-lymphocyte and antibody responses without antigenic interference. This study demonstrates that it is possible to generate protective immune responses by vaccination with genetically diverse isolates of HIV-1.
CD4+CD8dim T lymphocytes exhibit enhanced cytokine expression, proliferation and cytotoxic activity in response to HCMV and HIV‐1 antigens

CD4+CD8dim T cells represent a minor subset of the total CD3+ T cell population in peripheral blood. Although transient and persistent expansions of these cells havebeen reported in both healthy and diseased individuals, the functional properties of the CD4+CD8dim population are largely unknown. In this study, we examined antigen‐specific cytokine and proliferative responses of the CD4+CD8dim subset. In whole blood cultures stimulated with the viral antigens HCMV and HIV‐1, a significant fraction of the CD4+CD8dim subset exhibited cytokine expression and proliferation in response to antigen activation. Typically, the CD4+CD8dim population contained two‐ to eightfold higher frequencies of antigen‐specific cytokine producing cells than the CD4+CD8‐ population. Phenotypic analysis of the cytokine expressing CD4+CD8dim population indicated that these cells are memory T cells, with a high frequency of this population expressing the cytotoxic markers CD56 and perforin. Furthermore, the CD4+CD8dim cytokine responses to CMV were shown to be MHC class II dependent. Significantly, purified CD4+CD8dim T cells were found to possess higher CMV‐specific cytotoxic activity than purified CD4+CD8– T cells in a standard 51Cr‐release CTL assay. Thus, CD4+CD8dim T cells appear to be MHC class II dependent, are capable of cytolytic effector activity, and are highly enriched within the CD4+ cell populations specific for HCMV and HIV‐1.
Acrylamide exposure preferentially impairs axonal transport of glycoproteins in myelinated axons

The right L5 dorsal root ganglion of adult rats exposed to acrylamide (40 mg/kg body weight/day for nine consecutive days) was injected with either [3H]methionine or [3H]glucosamine. After allowing incorporation into macromolecules and axonal transport to proceed for 5 hr, the distribution of radioactivity in cross sections and longitudinal sections of sciatic nerve was determined by autoradiography. Control and treated animals showed no difference in distribution of label within the sciatic nerve with respect to rapidly transported proteins labelled with [3H]methionine. In control animals the distribution of rapidly transported glycoproteins labelled with [3H]glucosamine was similar to that found for [3H]methionine‐labelled proteins. In contrast, acrylamide‐exposed rats had a very different distribution of labelled glycoproteins; there was a marked paucity of label in the myelinated axons. We interpret this result as indicating that acrylamide preferentially inhibits glycosylation or axonal transport of glycoproteins in neurons bearing myelinated axons.
Girls from Low Socio-Economic Backgrounds: Factors Influencing their Interest in ICT Study and Career

The under-representation of women in information and communication technology (ICT) fields of study and occupations has attracted considerable attention of researchers in higher education. This paper discusses findings of a preliminary investigation aimed to investigate further study and career preferences of female students in one of Melbourne’s all-female secondary schools and determine factors that might influence their decisions. The investigation focused on female students from schools in the Western suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, home to families with low socio-economic status and students exposed to “educational disadvantage”.
The RABL5 homolog IFT22 regulates the cellular pool size and the amount of IFT particles partitioned to the flagellar compartment in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Cilia and flagella, sensory and motile structures protruding from the cell body, rely on the continuous bidirectional traffic of intraflagellar transport (IFT) particles to ferry flagellar precursors into flagella for assembly. Cells synthesize a large pool of IFT particle proteins in the cell body, but only a small portion engages in active transport within the flagella at any given time. The atypical small G protein Rab‐like 5 (RABL5) has been shown to move in an IFT‐like manner in the flagella, but its function in ciliogenesis is controversial. In this report, we demonstrate that IFT22, the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii homolog of RABL5, is a bona fide IFT particle complex B subunit. Although the amount of IFT22 remains unaffected by depletion of either complex A or B, depletion of IFT22 leads to a smaller pool of both complex A and B. Strikingly, the smaller cellular pool of IFT particles does not lead to a reduced distribution of IFT particles to flagella. Instead, the amount of IFT particle proteins, including IFT22 itself, increase in the flagella. Moreover, cells over‐expressing IFT22 also accumulate IFT particles in their flagella. Taken together, these data indicate that, in C. reinhardtii, IFT22 controls the cellular levels of both complex A and B, thus plays a critical role in determining the cellular availability of IFT particles. In addition, although IFT22 may not directly carry any precursors for flagellar assembly, it controls how many IFT particles participate in ferrying precursors into flagella. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Women's sexual working models: An evolutionary‐attachment perspective

In three studies, we developed and validated a self‐report measure of women's sexual working models. In a pilot study we created an initial version of the Women's Sexual Working Models Scale (WSWMS), administered it to an exploratory sample of 470 women, and identified its 5‐factor structure. Study 1 confirmed the 5‐factor structure in a new sample: (1) Fostering commitment; (2) Evaluating a sexual partner's suitability; (3) Promoting frequent sexual activity through positive affect; (4) Restricting sexuality through shamefulness; and (5) Negative emotions that signal incompatibility with relationship goals. In Study 2, 444 Israeli women completed the WSWMS. Confirmatory factor analysis provided cross‐national evidence for the generalizability of the underlying factor structure of the WSWMS.
Older and younger adults use fewer neural resources during audiovisual than during auditory speech perception

This study looks at age-related differences in the brain processes involved in audiovisual (AV) speech perception in multi-talker background babble. The behavioural findings clearly show that both younger adults (YA) and older adults (OA) benefited equally well from AV speech relative to auditory-only (A) speech. Results pertaining to a condition that presented only a photograph alongside spoken words (AVphoto) supports the notion that an AV speech benefit cannot be achieved without the availability of dynamic visual speech cues provided by the lips. Interestingly, OA performed more poorly than YA in speechreading but, in line with the inverse effectiveness hypothesis, OA showed larger auditory enhancement effects suggesting that OA benefit more from AV speech. Analyses of the auditory N1 event-related potential (ERP) showed that AV speech trials lead to an amplitude reduction relative to A-only trials. This reduction was similar in YA and OA. In addition to the amplitude reduction, in both age groups the N1 related to AV speech trials peaked earlier, but this latency shift was larger for OA indicating that OA benefit more from AV speech than YA. These findings suggest that AV speech processing is more efficient because fewer neural resources are required to achieve superior performance. This idea of efficiency is further discussed with implications to higher-level cognition and successful aging.
Expression profiling shows differential molecular pathways and provides potential new diagnostic biomarkers for colorectal serrated adenocarcinoma

Serrated adenocarcinoma (SAC) is a recently recognized colorectal cancer (CRC) subtype accounting for 7.5 to 8.7% of CRCs. It has been shown that SAC has a poorer prognosis and has different molecular and immunohistochemical features compared with conventional carcinoma (CC) but, to date, only one previous study has analyzed its mRNA expression profile by microarray. Using a different microarray platform, we have studied the molecular signature of 11 SACs and compared it with that of 15 matched CC with the aim of discerning the functions which characterize SAC biology and validating, at the mRNA and protein level, the most differentially expressed genes which were also tested using a validation set of 70 SACs and 70 CCs to assess their diagnostic and prognostic values. Microarray data showed a higher representation of morphogenesis‐, hypoxia‐, cytoskeleton‐ and vesicle transport‐related functions and also an overexpression of fascin1 (actin‐bundling protein associated with invasion) and the antiapoptotic gene hippocalcin in SAC all of which were validated both by quantitative real‐time PCR (qPCR) and immunohistochemistry. Fascin1 expression was statistically associated with KRAS mutation with 88.6% sensitivity and 85.7% specificity for SAC diagnosis and the positivity of fascin1 or hippocalcin was highly suggestive of SAC diagnosis (sensitivity = 100%). Evaluation of these markers in CRCs showing histological and molecular characteristics of high‐level microsatellite instability (MSI‐H) also helped to distinguish SACs from MSI‐H CRCs. Molecular profiling demonstrates that SAC shows activation of distinct signaling pathways and that immunohistochemical fascin1 and hippocalcin expression can be reliably used for its differentiation from other CRC subtypes.