Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of 660‐nm gallium–aluminum–arsenide low‐energy laser on nerve regeneration after acellular nerve allograft in rats

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore and discuss the effects of 660‐nm gallium–aluminum–arsenide low‐energy laser (GaAlAs LEL) irradiation on neural regeneration after acellular nerve allograft repair of the sciatic nerve gap in rats. Methods: Eight male and female Sprague–Dawley rats were used as nerve donors, and 32 healthy Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: normal control group, acellular rat sciatic nerve (ARSN) group, laser group, and autograft group. Twelve weeks after surgery, nerve conduction velocity, restoration rate of tibialis anterior wet muscle weight, myelinated nerve number, and calcitonin gene‐related peptide (CGRP) protein and mRNA expression of the spinal cord and muscle at the injury site were quantified and statistically analyzed. Results: Compared with the ARSN group, laser therapy significantly increased nerve conduction velocity, restoration rate of tibialis anterior wet muscle weight, myelinated nerve number, and CGRP protein and mRNA expression of the L4 spinal cord at the injury site. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that 660‐nm GaAlAs LEL therapy upregulates CGRP protein and mRNA expression of the L4 spinal cord at the injury site and increases the rate of regeneration and target reinnervation after acellular nerve allograft repair of the sciatic nerve gap in rats. Low‐energy laser irradiation may be a useful, noninvasive adjunct for promoting nerve regeneration in surgically induced defects repaired with ARSN. Synapse 64:152–160, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
New Directions in Lung Cancer: Chemoprevention

Approximately 177,000 new cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed in 1995 in the United States, mak­ ing it the third most prevalent cancer site after prostate and breast. However, approximately 158,700 patients will die of lung cancer in the United States in 1996, more than the combined total of the next three leading sites of cancer death (colon-rectum, breast, prostate). The 5-year survival rate from lung cancer has improved from 9% in the early 1970s to 13% by the early 1990s. Although this represents a 44% improvement, clearly substantial work remains in a field where the 5-year mortality rate remains at 87%. Though ongoing clinical trials continue to investigate novel models of combined modality or single-agent therapy, much of the excitement in this field has revolved around the progress achieved over the last decade in upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) chemoprevention. This work has resulted from a rich collaboration between basic scientists and clini­ cal investigators that serves as a paradigm for translational research. As both basic scientists and clinical investigators proceed in their generally divergent pursuits, it is worth examining a model in which col­ laborative investigation has focused on a better appreciation of the biology of cancer cells as well as options for primary prevention.
Mesotocin and Nonapeptide Receptors Promote Estrildid Flocking Behavior

Why Birds of a Feather Flock Together The biological determination of sociality, that is, why one might choose to associate with others and how many, has been unclear. Goodson et al. (p. 862) show that in gregarious finches, oxytocin-like receptors and their cognate ligand, mesotocin, are associated with group size choices. Receptor distributions clearly differentiate territorial species from flocking species. Furthermore, these compounds appear to play a role in affecting choice in affiliation in mammals, and thus may be conserved across evolutionary distant taxa. Oxytocin and oxytocin-like receptors control group size preference in a songbird, suggesting an evolutionarily conserved role in social affiliation. Proximate neural mechanisms that influence preferences for groups of a given size are almost wholly unknown. In the highly gregarious zebra finch (Estrildidae: Taeniopygia guttata), blockade of nonapeptide receptors by an oxytocin (OT) antagonist significantly reduced time spent with large groups and familiar social partners independent of time spent in social contact. Opposing effects were produced by central infusions of mesotocin (MT, avian homolog of OT). Most drug effects appeared to be female-specific. Across five estrildid finch species, species-typical group size correlates with nonapeptide receptor distributions in the lateral septum, and sociality in female zebra finches was reduced by OT antagonist infusions into the septum but not a control area. We propose that titration of sociality by MT represents a phylogenetically deep framework for the evolution of OT’s female-specific roles in pair bonding and maternal functions.
Effects of CGRP receptor antagonism in nitroglycerin-induced hyperalgesia

Background The release of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) from trigeminal nerves plays a central role in the pathophysiology of migraine and clinical evidence shows an antimigraine effect for CGRP receptor antagonists. Systemic administration of nitroglycerin (NTG), a nitrovasodilator, consistently provokes spontaneous-like migraine attacks in migraine sufferers; in the rat, systemic NTG induces a condition of hyperalgesia, probably through the activation of cerebral/spinal structures involved in nociceptive transmission. Aim The aim of this article is to test the analgesic effect of the CGRP receptor antagonist MK-8825 in two animal models of pain that may be relevant for migraine: the tail flick test and the formalin test performed during NTG-induced hyperalgesia. Results MK-8825 showed analgesic activity when administered alone at both the tail flick test and the formalin test. Furthermore, the CGRP antagonist proved effective in counteracting NTG-induced hyperalgesia in both tests. MK-8825 indeed reduced the nociceptive behavior when administered either simultaneously or prior to (30–60 minutes before) NTG. Conclusion These data suggest that MK-8825 may represent a potential therapeutic tool for the treatment of migraine.
Looming Global-Scale Failures and Missing Institutions

Navigating global changes requires a coevolving set of collaborative, global institutions. Energy, food, and water crises; climate disruption; declining fisheries; increasing ocean acidification; emerging diseases; and increasing antibiotic resistance are examples of serious, intertwined global-scale challenges spawned by the accelerating scale of human activity. They are outpacing the development of institutions to deal with them and their many interactive effects. The core of the problem is inducing cooperation in situations where individuals and nations will collectively gain if all cooperate, but each faces the temptation to take a free ride on the cooperation of others. The nation-state achieves cooperation by the exercise of sovereign power within its boundaries. The difficulty to date is that transnational institutions provide, at best, only partial solutions, and implementation of even these solutions can be undermined by internation competition and recalcitrance.
Details of Insect Wing Design and Deformation Enhance Aerodynamic Function and Flight Efficiency

Locust Wing Aerodynamics Insect wings function as deformable aerofoils, but the precise aerodynamic benefits of the observed deformations have remained obscure. Previous models have treated the wing as a flat plate, lacking any deformation, even though it is clear that the locust wing can twist and rotate along its length. Young et al. (p. 1549) validate a computational fluid dynamic model, using particle imaging velocimetry and smoke visualization of the flow around actual locusts, and use the model to investigate the effect of measured changes in wing shape during a stroke cycle. The complexity of insect wing venation directly affects the aerodynamics of flight via the intermediary of wing deformation. Measurements of locust wing kinematics validate a fluid dynamics model of the aerodynamic effects of wing deformation. Insect wings are complex structures that deform dramatically in flight. We analyzed the aerodynamic consequences of wing deformation in locusts using a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics simulation based on detailed wing kinematics. We validated the simulation against smoke visualizations and digital particle image velocimetry on real locusts. We then used the validated model to explore the effects of wing topography and deformation, first by removing camber while keeping the same time-varying twist distribution, and second by removing camber and spanwise twist. The full-fidelity model achieved greater power economy than the uncambered model, which performed better than the untwisted model, showing that the details of insect wing topography and deformation are important aerodynamically. Such details are likely to be important in engineering applications of flapping flight.
89Zr-Immuno-Positron Emission Tomography in Oncology: State-of-the-Art 89Zr Radiochemistry

Immuno-positron emission tomography (immunoPET) with 89Zr-labeled antibodies has shown great potential in cancer imaging. It can provide important information about the pharmacokinetics and tumor-targeting properties of monoclonal antibodies and may help in anticipating on toxicity. Furthermore, it allows accurate dose planning for individualized radioimmunotherapy and may aid in patient selection and early-response monitoring for targeted therapies. The most commonly used chelator for 89Zr is desferrioxamine (DFO). Preclinical studies have shown that DFO is not an ideal chelator because the 89Zr–DFO complex is partly unstable in vivo, which results in the release of 89Zr from the chelator and the subsequent accumulation of 89Zr in bone. This bone accumulation interferes with accurate interpretation and quantification of bone uptake on PET images. Therefore, there is a need for novel chelators that allow more stable complexation of 89Zr. In this Review, we will describe the most recent developments in 89Zr radiochemistry, including novel chelators and site-specific conjugation methods.
The metabotropic glutamate receptor antagonist 2‐methyl‐6‐(phenylethynyl) pyridine decreases striatal VGlut2 expression in association with an attenuation of L‐dopa‐induced dyskinesias

The striatal glutamatergic hyperactivity is considered critical in the development of levodopa‐induced dyskinesias (LID) in Parkinson's disease (PD). Pharmacological antagonism of the metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs), in particular, the subtype mGluR5, can inhibit the expression of dyskinesia in both rodent and nonhuman primate models of PD. However, the exact mechanisms underlying the mGluR5 antagonism effects are not completely known. The vesicular glutamate transporters (VGluts) are localized in the synaptic vesicles of the striatal glutamatergic axonal terminals. The effects of mGluR5 antagonism modulating VGlut1 and VGlut2, as selective markers for the corticostriatal and thalamostriatal pathways, respectively, are still unknown. We investigated the effects of the mGluR5 antagonist, 2‐methyl‐6‐(phenylethynyl) pyridine (MPEP) on the striatal expression of VGlut1 and VGlut2 in levodopa‐treated hemiparkinsonian rats. Male Sprague–Dawley rats received a unilateral 6‐hydroxydopamine (6‐OHDA) administration in the nigrostriatal pathway. Rats were treated with: (a) levodopa (12 mg/kg/day with benserazide 15 mg/kg, ip) + vehicle; (b) MPEP (1.5 mg/kg/day, ip) + vehicle; (c) levodopa + MPEP, or (d) saline for 10 days. Levodopa treatment induced dyskinesias and did not modify the striatal expression of either VGlut1 or VGlut2. The administration of MPEP significantly attenuated LID and decreased the levels of VGlut2, but not the VGlut1, in the striatum ipsilateral to the lesion (P < 0.05). Our results suggest that the effects of MPEP on LID might be mediated by a modulating effect on VGlut 2 expression. Synapse, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Evidence for brain morphometric changes during the migraine cycle: A magnetic resonance-based morphometry study

Neurophysiological investigations have demonstrated that there are unique fluctuations in the migraine brain functional activity between the ictal and interictal periods. Here we investigated the possibility that there are fluctuations over time also in whole brain morphometry of patients affected by episodic migraine without aura (MO). Twenty-four patients with untreated MO underwent 3T MRI scans during (n = 10) or between attacks (n = 14) and were compared to a group of 15 healthy volunteers (HVs). We then performed voxel-based-morphometry (VBM) analysis of structural T1-weighted MRI scans to determine if changes in brain structure were observed over the course of the migraine cycle. Interictally, MO patients had a significantly lower gray matter (GM) density within the right inferior parietal lobule, right temporal inferior gyrus, right superior temporal gyrus, and left temporal pole than did HVs. Ictally, GM density increased within the left temporal pole, bilateral insula, and right lenticular nuclei, but no areas exhibited decreased GM density. These morphometric GM changes between ictal and interictal phases suggest that abnormal structural plasticity may be an important mechanism of migraine pathology. Given the functional neuroanatomy of these areas, our findings suggest that migraine is a condition associated with global dysfunction of multisensory integration and memory processing.
Disabled women and domestic violence as violent crime

This article overviews the findings of a domestic violence and disability study undertaken in 2005. The study was sponsored by Middlesbrough Domestic Violence Forum and funded by the Neighbourhood Support Fund, Middlesbrough, as one way of taking forward their equal opportunities commitments to this group of women, in the wake of the domestic homicide of a local disabled woman. Although local, it is one of the very few recent UK studies to address this issue, so its findings have national significance.
The gray area between synapse structure and function—Gray's synapse types I and II revisited

On the basis of ultrastructural parameters, the concept was formulated that asymmetric Type I and symmetric Type II synapses are excitatory and inhibitory, respectively. This “functional Gray synapses concept” received strong support from the demonstration of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate in Type I synapses and of the inhibitory neurotransmitter γ‐aminobutyric acid in Type II synapses, and is still frequently used in modern literature. However, morphological and functional evidence has accumulated that the concept is less tenable. Typical features of synapses like shape and size of presynaptic vesicles and synaptic cleft and presence of a postsynaptic density (PsD) do not always fit the postulated (excitatory/inhibitory) function of Gray's synapses. Furthermore, synapse function depends on postsynaptic receptors and associated signal transduction mechanisms rather than on presynaptic morphology and neurotransmitter type. Moreover, the notion that many synapses are difficult to classify as either asymmetric or symmetric has cast doubt on the assumption that the presence of a PsD is a sign of excitatory synaptic transmission. In view of the morphological similarities of the PsD in asymmetric synapses with membrane junctional structures such as the zonula adherens and the desmosome, asymmetric synapses may play a role as links between the postsynaptic and presynaptic membrane, thus ensuring long‐term maintenance of interneuronal communication. Symmetric synapses, on the other hand, might be sites of transient communication as takes place during development, learning, memory formation, and pathogenesis of brain disorders. Confirmation of this idea might help to return the functional Gray synapse concept its central place in neuroscience. Synapse, 2011. © 2011Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Efficacy and safety of a single occipital nerve blockade in episodic and chronic cluster headache: A prospective observational study

Background Treatment options for cluster headache (CH) include acute, transitional and prophylactic strategies. We assessed the efficacy and safety of a single occipital nerve block (ONB) in patients with episodic (eCH) and chronic CH (cCH). Methods In this prospective, observational study 101 CH were treated with a single ONB using triamcinolone 10 mg and bupivacaine. Attack frequency, pain intensity and side effects were assessed at days 1 and 7 after ONB and thereafter weekly for 60 days until recurrence of attacks. Results Baseline mean daily attack frequency was 2.9 ± 2.5 (eCH) and 3.3 ± 2.9 (cCH), which was reduced to 0.7 ± 1.2 (eCH) and 1.1 ± 1.4 (cCH) after one day (p = 0.08 for group difference) and to 1.1 ± 1.6 (eCH) and 1.9 ± 2.3 (cCH) after seven days (p = 0.01 for group difference). In patients with eCH the pain-free period lasted longer compared to cCH (p = 0.004). There was no association between the presence of local anesthesia and treatment response (p = 0.88). No serious adverse events occurred. Conclusion ONB is an easy, safe and effective transitional treatment option in case of insufficient response of CH to treatment both in patients with eCH and cCH. Patients with eCH have a better and more sustainable treatment response.
Melatonin protects against amyloid‐β‐induced impairments of hippocampal LTP and spatial learning in rats

Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most prevalent neurodegenerative disease in the elderly, leads to progressive loss of memory and cognitive deficits. Amyloid‐β protein (Aβ) in the brain is thought to be the main cause of memory loss in AD. Melatonin, an indole hormone secreted by the pineal gland, has been reported to produce neuroprotective effects. We examined whether melatonin could protect Aβ‐induced impairments of hippocampal synaptic plasticity, neuronal cooperative activity, and learning and memory. Rats received bilateral intrahippocampal injection of Aβ1‐42 or Aβ31‐35 followed by intraperitoneal application of melatonin for 10 days, and the effects of chronic melatonin treatment on in vivo hippocampal long‐term potentiation (LTP) and theta rhythm and Morris water maze performance were examined. We showed that intrahippocampal injection of Aβ1‐42 or Aβ31‐35 impaired hippocampal LTP in vivo, while chronic melatonin treatment reversed Aβ1‐42‐ or Aβ31‐35‐induced impairments in LTP induction. Intrahippocampal injection of Aβ31‐35 impaired spatial learning and decreased the power of theta rhythm in the CA1 region induced by tail pinch, and these synaptic, circuit, and learning deficits were rescued by chronic melatonin treatment. These results provide evidence for the neuroprotective action of melatonin against Aβ insults and suggest a strategy for alleviating cognition deficits of AD. Synapse 67:626–636, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Clinical features of migraine aura: Results from a prospective diary-aided study

Background A detailed evaluation of migraine aura symptoms is crucial for classification issues and pathophysiological discussion. Few studies have focused on the detailed clinical aspects of migraine aura. Methods We conducted a prospective diary-based study of migraine aura features including presence, quality, laterality, duration of each aura symptom, their temporal succession; presence of headache and its temporal succession with aura. Results Seventy-two patients completed the study recording the characteristics of three consecutive auras (n = 216 auras). Visual symptoms occurred in 212 (98%), sensory symptoms in 77 (36%) and dysphasic symptoms in 22 (10%). Most auras had more than one visual symptom (median 2, IQR 1–3, range 1–4). The majority of patients (56%) did not report a stereotyped aura on the three attacks with respect to visual features, the combination and/or temporal succession of the three aura symptoms. Fifty-seven percent of patients also reported a different scenario of temporal succession between aura and headache in the three attacks. Five per cent of aura symptoms were longer than four hours. Conclusion These findings show a high inter- and intravariability of migraine with aura attacks. Furthermore, they provide reliable data to enrich and clarify the spectrum of the aura phenotype.
Perceptual quality of 4K-resolution video content compared to HD

With the introduction of 4K UHD video and display resolution, questions arise on the perceptual differences between 4K UHD and upsampled HD video content. In this paper, a striped pair comparison has been performed on a diverse set of 4K UHD video sources. The goal was to subjectively assess the perceived sharpness of 4K UHD and downscaled/upscaled HD video. A striped pair comparison has been applied in order to make the test as straightforward as possible for a non-expert participant population. Under these conditions and over this set of sequences, on average, on 54.8% of the sequences (17 out of 31), 4K UHD resolution content could be identified as being sharper compared to its HD down and upsampled alternative. The probabilities in which 4K UHD could be differentiated from downscaled/upscaled HD range from 83.3% for the easiest to assess sequence down to 39.7% for the most difficult sequence. Although significance tests demonstrate there is a positive sharpness difference from camera quality 4K UHD content compared to the HD downscaled/upscaled variations, it is very content dependent and all circumstances have been chosen in favor of the 4K UHD representation. The results of this test can contribute to the research process of developing metrics indicating visibility of high resolution features within specific content.
Macrophage metalloelastase (MMP-12) as a target for inflammatory respiratory diseases

Background: MMPs are known to regulate the turnover of extracellular matrix and have been suggested to be important in lung disease associated with tissue remodeling. Macrophage elastase (MMP-12) is able to degrade extracellular matrix components such as elastin and is involved in tissue remodeling in inflammatory respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), including emphysema. Recent studies using MMP-12 inhibitors have demonstrated a reduction in both the inflammatory process and airspace enlargement in lung tissue. Objective/methods: This review discusses the potential involvement of MMP-12 in the pathophysiological process and proposes MMP-12 as a target for inflammatory disorders of the respiratory system. Results/conclusions: MMP-12 plays a predominant role in the inflammatory process induced by cigarette smoke, and therefore is potentially an important therapeutic target for the treatment of COPD.
Widespread Occurrence of Self-Cleaving Ribozymes

Once thought to be an oddity, small catalytic RNAs have been found in a wide range of organisms. Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) and cytoplasmic polyadenylation element–binding protein 3 (CPEB3) ribozymes form a family of self-cleaving RNAs characterized by a conserved nested double-pseudoknot and minimal sequence conservation. Secondary structure–based searches were used to identify sequences capable of forming this fold, and their self-cleavage activity was confirmed in vitro. Active sequences were uncovered in several marine organisms, two nematodes, an arthropod, a bacterium, and an insect virus, often in multiple sequence families and copies. Sequence searches based on identified ribozymes showed that plants, fungi, and a unicellular eukaryote also harbor the ribozymes. In Anopheles gambiae, the ribozymes were found differentially expressed and self-cleaved at basic developmental stages. Our results indicate that HDV-like ribozymes are abundant in nature and suggest that self-cleaving RNAs may play a variety of biological roles.