Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Synaptogenesis in the cerebellar cortex: Differential regulation of gephyrin and GABAA receptors at somatic and dendritic synapses of Purkinje cells

In rodent cerebellar cortex, synaptogenesis occurs entirely postnatally, allowing study of the mechanisms of synapse formation in vivo. Here we monitored the clustering of GABAA receptors and the scaffolding protein gephyrin at GABAergic postsynaptic sites during rat cerebellar development. We found that GABAA receptors and gephyrin co‐aggregate at nascent synapses in the molecular and Purkinje cell layers with a similar time course. With few exceptions, gephyrin and GABAA receptor subunits clustered selectively in front of presynaptic boutons expressing the vesicular inhibitory amino acid transporter VIAAT and no ectopic localization of these molecules was observed. Surprisingly, gephyrin clusters outlining the cell body of Purkinje cells were transient, and disappeared rapidly at the end of the second postnatal week. The loss of gephyrin from perisomatic synapses was coincident with a significant reduction in the size of GABAA receptor clusters. Furthermore, these changes were accompanied by a developmental decrease in the size of synaptic appositions, as documented by electron microscopy. These findings suggest that gephyrin takes part in the initial assembly of postsynaptic specializations and reveal an unsuspected heterogeneity in the molecular organization of the postsynaptic apparatus at somatic and dendritic synapses of mature Purkinje cells. J. Comp. Neurol. 508:579–591, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Evaluation of pleural disease with 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography imaging.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To study the ability of positron emission tomography (PET) using 18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) to distinguish between benign and malignant disease in exudative pleural effusions and pleural thickening. DESIGN Prospective study of 98 consecutive patients presenting with either pleural thickening or an exudative pleural effusion. SETTING Department of pulmonary medicine of a university hospital. METHODS FDG-PET was performed on each subject before invasive procedures were used to determine the etiologic diagnosis. FDG-PET data were analyzed by visual interpretation. RESULTS Sixty-three of 98 patients were found to have malignant pleural disease after histologic analysis. Sixty-one of 63 patients with histologically confirmed malignant disease showed FDG uptake within the area of pleural thickening. Uptake was graded as intense in 51 cases and moderate in 10 cases. Only two patients with malignant pleural disease did not show increased FDG uptake. FDG-PET imaging showed an absence of FDG uptake, and correctly classified 31 of 35 benign lesions. For the remaining four lesions, intense FDG uptake was seen in one case of parapneumonic effusion, while moderate and localized uptake was observed in one parapneumonic, one tuberculous, and one uremic pleurisy. The sensitivity of the method to identify malignancy was 96.8% with a negative predictive value of 93.9%, while its specificity was 88.5% and its positive predictive value was 93.8%. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that FDG-PET is an effective tool for differentiating between benign and malignant pleural diseases.
Trajectory Tracking Control of Omnidirectional Wheeled Mobile Manipulators: Robust Neural Network-Based Sliding Mode Approach

This paper addresses the robust trajectory tracking problem for a redundantly actuated omnidirectional mobile manipulator in the presence of uncertainties and disturbances. The development of control algorithms is based on sliding mode control (SMC) technique. First, a dynamic model is derived based on the practical omnidirectional mobile manipulator system. Then, a SMC scheme, based on the fixed large upper boundedness of the system dynamics (FLUBSMC), is designed to ensure trajectory tracking of the closed-loop system. However, the FLUBSMC scheme has inherent deficiency, which needs computing the upper boundedness of the system dynamics, and may cause high noise amplification and high control cost, particularly for the complex dynamics of the omnidirectional mobile manipulator system. Therefore, a robust neural network (NN)-based sliding mode controller (NNSMC), which uses an NN to identify the unstructured system dynamics directly, is further proposed to overcome the disadvantages of FLUBSMC and reduce the online computing burden of conventional NN adaptive controllers. Using learning ability of NN, NNSMC can coordinately control the omnidirectional mobile platform and the mounted manipulator with different dynamics effectively. The stability of the closed-loop system, the convergence of the NN weight-updating process, and the boundedness of the NN weight estimation errors are all strictly guaranteed. Then, in order to accelerate the NN learning efficiency, a partitioned NN structure is applied. Finally, simulation examples are given to demonstrate the proposed NNSMC approach can guarantee the whole system's convergence to the desired manifold with prescribed performance.
Solidaristic Unionism and Support for Redistribution in Contemporary Europe

Using data from the European Social Survey (2002–14), this article explores the effect of union membership on support for redistribution. The authors hypothesize that the wage-bargaining practices of unions promote egalitarian distributive norms, which lead union members to support redistribution, and that this effect is strongest among high-wage workers. Consistent with the authors’ expectations, the empirical analysis shows that the solidarity effect of union membership is strongest when unions encompass a very large share of the labor force or primarily organize low-wage workers. The authors also show that low-wage workers have become a significantly less important union constituency in many European countries over the time period covered by the analysis.
Hypophosphatemia and the Development of Rickets in Osteopetrotic (op/op) Mice

Our previous work has shown that op/op mice hyperabsorb dietary calcium in the vitamin D–deficient state and shunt that calcium into bone. Under these conditions, the op/op mice are hypocalcemic. The purpose of this study was to examine calcium metabolism and bone mineralization in vitamin D–deficient op/op mice. First, the op/op mice and their normal littermates were placed on a vitamin D–deficient, low phosphorus diet to limit bone mineralization. Under these circumstances, op/op mice survived, even when calcium was also removed from the diet. If the diet contained phosphate, op/op mice died from hypocalcemic tetany when calcium was also removed from the diet. Furthermore, serum calcium levels became similar to wild type in the op/op mice administered the vitamin D–deficient, low phosphorus diet, and op/op mice were able to increase serum calcium in response to 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3. The op/op mice developed rickets when their serum phosphorus level was too low to support bone mineralization. The op/op mice became hypophosphatemic on regimens in which normal mice were able to maintain normal serum phosphorus levels. It appears that the op/op mouse simply requires a higher dietary calcium and phosphorus level to prevent rickets and hypocalcemic tetany since the bone is not available as a source of these minerals. However, the ability of the op/op mouse to mineralize bone at low serum calcium and phosphorus levels remains unexplained.
Metabolic syndrome: Performance of five different diagnostic criterias

Background: The aim of this study is to describe the metabolic syndrome (MS) and to evaluate five diagnostic criteria of the MS with respect to their sensitivity and specificity in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Materials and Methods: It is a cross-sectional case control study of T2DM patients and their first degree relatives (FDRs) recruited using convenience sampling and data collected through questionnaire administered technique. Variables of interest included anthropometric indices, blood pressure, serum lipid profile, fasting blood sugar (FBS), proteinuria, and microalbuminuria. The Chi-square test was used for comparison of proportions. A P value of less than 0.05 was taken as statistically significant. Kappa statistic was used to test the degree of agreement between the diagnostic criteria. Results: The World Health Organization (WHO), International Diabetes Federation (IDF), revised National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP-R), NCEP Adult Treatment Panel (ATP)-III, and American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) criteria reported a prevalence of 87.1, 64.5, 61.3, 55.6, and 22.6%, respectively in persons with T2DM. Using the WHO criteria as a reference or gold standard, the sensitivity of the IDF, NCEP-R, NCEP ATP-III, and AACE criteria among persons with T2DM were 71.3, 67.6, 61.1, and 25.9% respectively. Using the WHO criteria as a reference or gold standard, the specificity of the IDF, NCEP-R, NCEP ATP-III, and AACE criteria among persons with T2DM were 81.3, 81.3, 81.3, and 100%, respectively. Using the WHO criteria as a reference or gold standard, the level of agreement of the IDF, NCEP-R, NCEP ATP-III, and AACE criteria with the WHO criteria among persons with T2DM (as estimated by the kappa statistics) were 0.30, 0.26, 0.21, and 0.08 respectively. Conclusion: The level of agreement appears to be generally poor, though the IDF criteria showed a fair level of agreement with the WHO criteria: Therefore the IDF criteria is recommended for screening of the MS in persons with T2DM because of its ease of application and its level of agreement with the WHO criteria being the best compared to the other three criteria.
An epigenetic mark generated by the incorporation of CENP-A into centromeric nucleosomes

Mammalian centromeres are defined epigenetically. Although the physical nature of the epigenetic mark is unknown, nucleosomes in which CENP-A replaces histone H3 are at the foundation of centromeric chromatin. Hydrogen/deuterium exchange MS is now used to show that assembly into nucleosomes imposes stringent conformational constraints, reducing solvent accessibility in almost all histone regions by >3 orders of magnitude. Despite this, nucleosomes assembled with CENP-A are substantially more conformationally rigid than those assembled with histone H3 independent of DNA template. Substitution of the CENP-A centromere targeting domain into histone H3 to convert it into a centromere-targeted histone that can functionally replace CENP-A in centromere maintenance generates the same more rigid nucleosome, as does CENP-A. Thus, the targeting information directing CENP-A deposition at the centromere produces a structurally distinct nucleosome, supporting a CENP-A-driven self-assembly mechanism that mediates maintenance of centromere identity.
Optimal Catheter Placement During Sonohysterography: A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Cervical to Uterine Placement

OBJECTIVE: To estimate whether the position of the catheter placement into either the uterus or cervix during the saline infusion sonohysterography affected the magnitude of pain. METHODS: A clinical trial was conducted with women undergoing saline infusion sonohysterogram randomized to intracervical or intrauterine balloon catheter placement. The primary outcome end points were the degrees of pain experienced after initial inflation and then after deflation of the balloon catheter at the completion of the saline infusion sonohysterogram. Pain was quantified with a 10-point visual analog pain scale. Secondary end points included total time for the saline infusion sonohysterogram and the total volume of infused saline necessary for adequate visualization of the endometrial cavity. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients were randomly assigned to intracervical balloon placement and 34 to intrauterine placement. After initial inflation there was significantly less pain with intracervical than intrauterine balloon placement (1.8 compared with 3.0, P=.02), although there was no difference in pain at the end of the procedure after deflation of the balloon (P=.66). Significantly less infused saline was required with intracervical catheter placement (19 mL compared with 40 mL, P=.001). Nulliparous women had significantly more pain than did parous women, both after initial balloon inflation and at completion of the saline infusion sonohysterogram (P<.05). CONCLUSION: Intracervical catheter placement results in significantly less pain during an saline infusion sonohysterography and also requires half the saline volume to perform the saline infusion sonohysterogram. Therefore, routine intracervical balloon placement should be considered for saline infusion sonohysterogram. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.Gov, www.clinicaltrials. gov, NCT00534963 LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: I
Chilling outweighs photoperiod in preventing precocious spring development

It is well known that increased spring temperatures cause earlier onset dates of leaf unfolding and flowering. However, a temperature increase in winter may be associated with delayed development when species' chilling requirements are not fulfilled. Furthermore, photosensitivity is supposed to interfere with temperature triggers. To date, neither the relative importance nor possible interactions of these three factors have been elucidated. In this study, we present a multispecies climate chamber experiment to test the effects of chilling and photoperiod on the spring phenology of 36 woody species. Several hypotheses regarding their variation with species traits (successional strategy, floristic status, climate of their native range) were tested. Long photoperiods advanced budburst for one‐third of the studied species, but magnitudes of these effects were generally minor. In contrast to prior hypotheses, photosensitive responses were not restricted to climax or oceanic species. Increased chilling length advanced budburst for almost all species; its effect greatly exceeding that of photoperiod. Moreover, we suggest that photosensitivity and chilling effects have to be rigorously disentangled, as the response to photoperiod was restricted to individuals that had not been fully chilled. The results indicate that temperature requirements and successional strategy are linked, with climax species having higher chilling and forcing requirements than pioneer species. Temperature requirements of invasive species closely matched those of native species, suggesting that high phenological concordance is a prerequisite for successful establishment. Lack of chilling not only led to a considerable delay in budburst but also caused substantial changes in the chronological order of species' budburst. The results reveal that increased winter temperatures might impact forest ecosystems more than formerly assumed. Species with lower chilling requirements, such as pioneer or invasive species, might profit from warming winters, if late spring frost events would in parallel occur earlier.
Prostaglandin D2 Affects the Maturation of Human Monocyte-Derived Dendritic Cells: Consequence on the Polarization of Naive Th Cells1

Among the factors produced at inflammatory sites and those capable of modulating dendritic cell (DC) functions, PGD2 may be important in the outcome of immune responses. The biological roles for PGD2 are in part effected through two plasma membrane G protein-coupled receptors: the D prostanoid (DP) receptor and the chemoattractant receptor-homologous molecule expressed on Th2 lymphocytes (CRTH2). In this report, we studied the effects of PGD2 and of its major physiological metabolite, 15-deoxy-Δ12,14-PGJ2 (15d-PGJ2), on the functions of human monocyte-derived DC. First, we show that PGD2 exerts in vitro chemotactic effects on monocytes via CRTH2 activation while it inhibits the chemokine-driven migration of monocyte-derived DC through DP. We also report that PGD2 and 15d-PGJ2 alter the LPS- and allergen-induced DC maturation and enhance the CD80/CD86 ratio on mature DC in a DP- and CRTH2-independent manner. Moreover, PGD2 and 15d-PGJ2 strongly reduce the secretion of the Th1 promoting cytokine IL-12 and affect the synthesis of chemokines involved in Th1 cell chemotaxis, particularly CXCL10. Inhibition of cytokine/chemokine secretion implicates at least in part DP, but not CRTH2. The effects exerted by PGD2 are associated with the phosphorylation of CREB, but do not parallel with the deactivation of the NF-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways. In contrast, 15d-PGJ2 seems to target other cellular proteins. Finally, in a model of Th CD45RA+ differentiation induced by allergen- and superantigen-pulsed DC, PGD2 impacts on the orientation of the immune response by favoring a Th2 response.
Protective effect of the long pentraxin PTX3 against histone-mediated endothelial cell cytotoxicity in sepsis

Bundling extracellular histone proteins together blocks their cytotoxic effects and protects against sepsis. Smothering Killer Proteins Sepsis is a potentially fatal condition in which inflammation in response to infection goes out of control, and treatment options are limited. Histones are proteins normally found in the nucleus. During sepsis, histones released from dead cells can kill nearby healthy cells. Daigo et al. identified an interaction between pentraxin 3, a protein found in the circulation, and histone proteins. Pentraxin 3 bundled the histones into aggregates that no longer killed healthy cells. When the researchers injected pentraxin 3 into mice with sepsis, the mice had less inflammation and survived. Thus, pentraxin 3 might be an effective therapy against sepsis in humans. Pentraxin 3 (PTX3), a member of the long pentraxin subfamily within the family of pentraxins, is a soluble pattern recognition molecule that functions in the innate immune system. Innate immunity affords the infected host protection against sepsis, a potentially life-threatening inflammatory response to infection. Extracellular histones are considered to be the main cause of septic death because of their cytotoxic effect on endothelial cells, which makes them a potential therapeutic target. We found that PTX3 interacted with histones to form coaggregates, which depended on polyvalent interactions and disorder in the secondary structure of PTX3. PTX3 exerted a protective effect, both in vitro and in vivo, against histone-mediated cytotoxicity toward endothelial cells. Additionally, the intraperitoneal administration of PTX3 reduced mortality in mouse models of sepsis. The amino-terminal domain of PTX3, which was required for coaggregation with histones, was sufficient to protect against cytotoxicity. Our results suggest that the host-protective effects of PTX3 in sepsis are a result of its coaggregation with histones rather than its ability to mediate pattern recognition. This long pentraxin–specific effect provides a potential basis for the treatment of sepsis directed at protecting cells from the toxic effects of extracellular histones.
Reciprocal relationship between mouse germ‐cell mutagenesis and basic genetics: From early beginnings to future opportunities

The scientific foundations for several mammalian germ‐line mutagenesis tests in common use today were laid in the 1930s, 1940s, and early 1950s. Subsequent developments in the field have had multiple objectives: detection of muta‐genicity of environmental agents (which has led to the development of numerous methodologies), identification of biological and physical factors that affect mutation yield, analysis of the structural nature of the genetic alterations, and assessment of the organismic effects of various types of mutations. Mutagenesis studies have made numerous contributions to basic genetics by generating mutant types that led to elucidation of sex‐determining mechanisms in mammals; formulation of the single‐active‐, or inactive‐, X‐chromosome hypothesis; correlation of genetic and cytological maps; discovery of genetic “imprinting” phenomena; study of developmental pathways and cell lineages, etc. Particularly useful are sets of complexly overlapping deletions that have been recovered in radiation mutagenesis studies, propagated in breeding stocks, and genetically analyzed; these have constituted prerequisites for molecular genetic studies aimed at development of the DMA structure‐function relationships for important genomic regions. Mutagenesis experiments have also served to identify mutagens that are particularly effective in inducing specific types of genetic lesions desired for basic studies. Reciprocally, basic genetics has contributed to the development of mutagenesis tests and has enhanced the value of the specific‐locus test by adding to its quantitative capabilities the capability for qualitatively characterizing the actions of mutagens.
Reference Range for Intrapatient Variability in Blood-Pool and Liver SUV for 18F-FDG PET

18F-FDG PET qualitative tumor response assessment or tumor-to-background ratios compare targets against blood-pool or liver activity; standardized uptake value (SUV) semiquantitation has artifacts and is validated by a stable normal-tissue baseline. The aim of this study was to document the normal intrapatient range of scan-to-scan variation in blood-pool SUV and liver SUV and to identify factors that may adversely affect it (increase its spread). Methods: Between July 2009 and June 2010, 132 oncology patients had 2 PET/CT scans. Patient preparation, acquisition, and reconstruction protocols were held stable, uniform, and reproducible. Mean SUV (body weight) values were obtained from 2-dimensional regions of interest in the aortic arch blood pool and in the right lobe of the liver. Results: Of the 132 patients, 65 had lymphoma. Their mean age was 62.5 y. The group’s mean serum glucose level was 6.0 mmol/L at the first visit and 5.9 mmol/L at the second visit. The mean 18F-FDG dose was 4.1 MBq/kg at the first visit and 4.0 at the second. At the first visit, the group’s mean blood-pool SUV was 1.55 (SD, 0.38); at the second, 1.58 (SD, 0.37)—not statistically different. The group’s mean liver SUV was 2.17 (SD, 0.44) at the first visit and 2.29 (SD, 0.44) at the second (P = 0.005). Visit-to-visit intrapatient variation in blood-pool and liver SUVs had gaussian distributions. The variation in blood-pool SUV had a mean of 0.03 and SD of 0.42. The variation in liver SUV had a mean of 0.12 and SD of 0.50. Using 95th percentiles, the reference range in our patient population for intrapatient variation was −0.8 to 0.9 for blood pool SUV and −0.9 to 1.1 for liver SUV. Subanalysis by cancer type and chemotherapy suggested that the rise in liver SUV between the 2 visits was largely due to the commencement of chemotherapy, but no factors were identified as systematically affecting intrapatient variation, and no factors were identified as increasing its spread. Conclusion: In our patient cohort, the reference range for intrapatient variation in blood-pool and liver SUVs is −0.8 to 0.9 and −0.9 to 1.1, respectively.
Social Inequalities

Social inequality means the existence of social status groups and, therefore, a normatively embedded structure of social stratification. This chapter deals with social inequalities and their dynamics as conditional and causal factors and as results of processes of radical change. Concerning the first aspect, the chapter discusses social class inequalities and dynamics of (absolute) impoverishment, relative deprivation, and rising expectations among certain social groups that may determine ‘transformative’ pressure or even revolutionary situations. Regarding the impact of social transformations on social inequalities, the chapter suggests that the more radical and complex the social transformations, the greater are their effects on social structures and regimes of social inequality. This thesis is underpinned by providing empirical findings on social mobility and income inequality in different historical waves and (sub-)types of transformation. Finally, the chapter identifies seven crucial bundles of factors determining the extent of income inequality as an outcome of current societal transformations and their characteristics.