Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of acute nicotine on catecholamine turnover in various rat brain regions.

Acute effects of in vivo nicotine application on turnover rates of noradrenaline (NA), adrenaline (AD) and dopamine (DA) in rat occipital cortex, hippocampus, striatum, hypothalamus, thalamus, midbrain, pons/medulla and cerebellum were examined by determining the amine concentrations by high performance liquid chromatography. The regional turnover rates of catecholamines were evaluated by comparing the decline in concentrations produced by blockade of synthesis. Intraperitoneally injected fusaric acid (80 mg/kg), an inhibitor of dopamine-beta-hydroxylase, significantly decreased NA concentration in all eight regions examined, and AD concentration in the hypothalamus and pons/medulla. alpha-Methyl-p-tyrosine methylester (alpha-MPT, 400 mg/kg), an inhibitor of the tyrosine hydroxylase, induced significant and uneven decreases in regional DA concentrations 1 h after the i.p. injection. alpha-MPT also significantly decreased NA concentration in all the regions except the striatum. Subcutaneously injected nicotine 0.4-1 mg/kg significantly enhanced the fusaric acid-induced decline in NA concentrations in the hippocampus and cerebellum. AD decline in the midbrain by fusaric acid was significantly accelerated by nicotine (0.4 mg/kg), but was not affected by a larger dose (1 mg/kg). In the hippocampus, nicotine (1 mg/kg) significantly enhanced the alpha-MPT-induced decrease in NA concentration, while it reduced the decrease in DA concentration. These findings suggest that nicotine can affect the turnover of brain catecholamine in a regionally specific manner.
Nature of the charged-group effect on the stability of the C-peptide helix.

The residues responsible for the pH-dependent stability of the helix formed by the isolated C-peptide (residues 1-13 of ribonuclease A) have been identified by chemical synthesis of analogues and measurement of their helix-forming properties. Each of the residues ionizing between pH 2 and pH 8 has been replaced separately by an uncharged residue. Protonation of Glu-2- is responsible for the sharp decrease in helix stability between pH 5 and pH 2, and deprotonation of His-12+ causes a similar decrease between pH 5 and pH 8. Glu-9- is not needed for helix stability. The results cannot be explained by the Zimm-Bragg model and host-guest data for alpha-helix formation, which predict that the stability of the C-peptide helix should increase when Glu-2- is protonated or when His-12+ is deprotonated. Moreover, histidine+ is a strong helix-breaker in host-guest studies. In proteins, acidic and basic residues tend to occur at opposite ends of alpha-helices: acidic residues occur preferentially near the NH2-terminal end and basic residues near the COOH-terminal end. A possible explanation, based on a helix dipole model, has been given [Blagdon, D. E. & Goodman, M. (1975) Biopolymers 14, 241-245]. Our results are consistent with the helix dipole model and they support the suggestion that the distribution of charged residues in protein helices reflects the helix-stabilizing propensity of those residues. Because Glu-9 is not needed for helix stability, a possible Glu-9-. His-12+ salt bridge does not contribute significantly to helix stability. The role of a possible Glu-2-. Arg-10+ salt bridge has not yet been evaluated. A charged-group effect on alpha-helix stability in water has also been observed in a different peptide system [Ihara, S. , Ooi, T. & Takahashi, S. (1982) Biopolymers 21, 131-145]: block copolymers containing (Ala)20 and (Glu)20 show partial helix formation at low temperatures, pH 7.5, where the glutamic acid residues are ionized. (Glu)20(Ala)20Phe forms a helix that is markedly more stable than (Ala)20(Glu)20Phe. The results are consistent with a helix dipole model.
Normal dendrite growth in Drosophila motor neurons requires the AP‐1 transcription factor

During learning and memory formation, information flow through networks is regulated significantly through structural alterations in neurons. Dendrites, sites of signal integration, are key targets of activity‐mediated modifications. Although local mechanisms of dendritic growth ensure synapse‐specific changes, global mechanisms linking neural activity to nuclear gene expression may have profound influences on neural function. Fos, being an immediate‐early gene, is ideally suited to be an initial transducer of neural activity, but a precise role for the AP‐1 transcription factor in dendrite growth remains to be elucidated. Here we measure changes in the dendritic fields of identified Drosophila motor neurons in vivo and in primary culture to investigate the role of the immediate‐early transcription factor AP‐1 in regulating endogenous and activity‐induced dendrite growth. Our data indicate that (a) increased neural excitability or depolarization stimulates dendrite growth, (b) AP‐1 (a Fos, Jun hetero‐dimer) is required for normal motor neuron dendritic growth during development and in response to activity induction, and (c) neuronal Fos protein levels are rapidly but transiently induced in motor neurons following neural activity. Taken together, these results show that AP‐1 mediated transcription is important for dendrite growth, and that neural activity influences global dendritic growth through a gene‐expression dependent mechanism gated by AP‐1. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol, 2008
MAPRes: An efficient method to analyze protein sequence around post‐translational modification sites

Functional switches are often regulated by dynamic protein modifications. Assessing protein functions, in vivo, and their functional switches remains still a great challenge in this age of development. An alternative methodology based on in silico procedures may facilitate assessing the multifunctionality of proteins and, in addition, allow predicting functions of those proteins that exhibit their functionality through transitory modifications. Extensive research is ongoing to predict the sequence of protein modification sites and analyze their dynamic nature. This study reports the analysis performed on phosphorylation, Phospho.ELM (version 3.0) and glycosylation, OGlycBase (version 6.0) data for mining association patterns utilizing a newly developed algorithm, MAPRes. This method, MAPRes (Mining Association Patterns among preferred amino acid residues in the vicinity of amino acids targeted for post‐translational modifications), is based on mining association among significantly preferred amino acids of neighboring sequence environment and modification sites themselves. Association patterns arrived at by association pattern/rule mining were in significant conformity with the results of different approaches. However, attempts to analyze substrate sequence environment of phosphorylation sites catalyzed for Tyr kinases and the sequence data for O‐GlcNAc modification were not successful, due to the limited data available. Using the MAPRes algorithm for developing an association among PTM site with its vicinal amino acids is a valid method with many potential uses: this is indeed the first method ever to apply the association pattern mining technique to protein post‐translational modification data. J. Cell. Biochem. 104: 1220–1231, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Interactions between an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (Scutellospora heterogama) and the root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) on sweet passion fruit (Passiflora alata)

The effects of inoculation of sweet passion fruit plants with the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus Scutellospora heterogama on the symptoms produced by Meloidogyne incognita race 1 and its reproduction were evaluated in two greenhouse experiments. In the 1st, the M. incognita (5000 eggs/plant) and S. heterogama (200 spores/plant) inoculations were simultaneous; in the 2nd, the nematodes were inoculated 120 days after the fungal inoculation. In both the experiments, 220 days after AM fungal inoculation, plant growth was stimulated by the fungus. In disinfested soil, control seedlings (without S. heterogama) were intolerant to parasitism of M. incognita, while the growth of mycorrhized seedlings was not affected. Sporulation of S. heterogama was negatively affected by the nematodes that did not impair the colonization. M. incognita did not affect mycorrhizal seedling growth. The establishment of mycorrhiza prior to the nematode infection contributed for the reduction of symptoms severity and reproduction of M. incognita in disinfested soil.
Microwave-Enhanced Sulphated Zirconia and SZ/MCM-41 Catalyzed Regioselective Synthesis of β-Amino Alcohols Under Solvent-Free Conditions

A solvent-free approach for the regioselective synthesis of β-amino alcohols in shorter reaction times and higher yields, compared to conventional heating is described. It involves microwave (MW) exposure of undiluted reactants in the presence of sulphated zirconia (SZ) or sulphated zirconia over MCM-41 (SZM) as catalyst. Both acid materials can be easily recovered and reused.
Effect of Increased Immunosuppression on Developmental Outcome of Opsoclonus Myoclonus Syndrome (OMS)

Opsoclonus myoclonus syndrome (OMS) produces long-term cognitive, behavioral, and motor deficits. Objective was to see if more aggressive treatment improved outcome. Assessment included opsoclonus myoclonus syndrome rating, developmental/cognitive and motor assessment, and adaptive behavior. Fourteen subjects completed testing. Nine had neuroblastoma. Onset was at 10 to 35 months; onset to diagnosis: 2 days to 14 months, and onset to first treatment: 5 days to 15 months. Initial treatment was corticotropin (12), oral steroids (3), plus intravenous immunoglobulin in all. Ten received rituximab, 5 cyclophosphamide. Age at testing ranged from 2.5 to 10.3 years. Adaptive Behavior Score (11 subjects), mean 93.5; estimated Intelligence Quotient/Developmental Quotient mean 93.5; Motor: mean 92.8. Residual opsoclonus myoclonus syndrome symptoms at the time of the evaluation were generally minor; opsoclonus myoclonus syndrome scores ranged from 0 to 6. Comparison to previously reported opsoclonus myoclonus syndrome subjects showed improved outcomes: Adaptive behavior, cognitive and motor scores were significantly higher (P < .001) in new subjects. Outcomes have improved with more aggressive immunosuppression, with most opsoclonus myoclonus syndrome survivors now functioning at or near normal.
Studies on Mechanical Properties of Jute/E-Glass Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Hybrid Composites

Hybrid materials of any class are essential for current demands. This paper deals with the hybrid effect of composites made of jute/E-Glass fibers which are fabricated by hand layup method using LY556 Epoxy resin and HY951 hardener. The properties of this hybrid composite are determined by testing like tensile, flexural, impact, and inter laminar shear strength which are evaluated experimentally according to ASTM standards. The result of the test shows that hybrid composite of jute/ E-glass fiber has far better properties than that of jute fiber composite. However, it is found that the hybrid composite has better strength as compared to jute fiber composite fabricated separately with glass fiber.
Effect of losartan on plasma C-reactive protein in type 2 diabetic patients with microabluminuria.

Recent data suggest that the renin-angiotensin system may participate in inflammatory responses and that angiotensin II is a proinflammatory mediator in renal damage (1). An association between C-reactive protein (CRP), a sensitive marker of inflammation, and urinary albumin excretion in the microalbuminuric range has been reported in nondiabetic as well as type 2 diabetic subjects in the Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Study (2). Angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor antagonists have been shown to have a renal protective effect and to reduce proteinuria in type 2 diabetic patients with either microalbuminuria or overt nephropathy (3,4,5); therefore, we investigated whether the beneficial effects …
A free-form mass model of the Hubble Frontier Fields cluster AS1063 (RXC J2248.7−4431) with over one hundred constraints

JL acknowledges a grant from the Seed Funding for Basic Research of the University of Hong Kong (Project No. 201411159166) for this work. JMD acknowledges support of the consolider project CSD2010-00064 and AYA2012-39475-C02-01 funded by the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad. The work of JS was supported at IAP by ERC Project No. 267117 (DARK) hosted by the Pierre and Marie Curie University – Paris 6, and at JHU by NSF grant OIA-1124403.
Improved survival with an implanted defibrillator in patients with coronary disease at high risk for ventricular arrhythmia.

METHODS: Over the course of five years, 196 patients in New York Heart Association functional class I, II, or III with prior myocardial infarction; a left ventricular ejection fraction < or = 0.35; a documented episode of asymptomatic unsustained ventricular tachycardia; and inducible, nonsuppressible ventricular tachyarrhythmia on electrophysiologic study were randomly assigned to receive an implanted defibrillator (n = 95) or conventional medical therapy (n=101). We used a two-sided sequential design with death from any cause as the end point.
Action research to improve the pre-registration midwifery curriculum Part. 2: Case study evaluation in seven sites in England.

OBJECTIVE To identify factors which facilitate and inhibit the effectiveness of current pre-registration midwifery programmes. DESIGN The case study part of an action research project. SETTING Seven case study institutions in England. PARTICIPANTS Student midwives, midwives, midwifery managers/supervisors of midwives, midwife teachers, collaborators in the study. FINDINGS It emerged, following a synthesis of all data, that the pre-registration midwifery curriculum should have five key outcomes: students should feel confident and competent as midwives; students must have achieved the statutory requirements for registration; students should be committed to undertaking the whole role and responsibilities of a midwife; students must be equipped to take responsibility and accept accountability for their actions; students must recognise the need for career long learning. Whilst overall these new programmes were considered to be effective in preparing students for their role as midwives, there was variability in the degree to which these five key outcomes were achieved by the case study students. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE There needs to be agreement as to what constitutes fitness for practice at the point of registration; assessment schemes, particularly those relating to practice capabilities, need to be valid, reliable and robust with the benefit of the doubt being given in favour of childbearing women when students are 'borderline'; fitness for purpose requires clarification to avoid employers having unreal expectations of new qualifiers which may result in attrition due to excessive stress; review of curricula should take account of the importance of personal qualities and learning strategies which enable students to cope with complexity, uncertainty, decision making and 'being a midwife' before course completion.
A systematic review on Richter syndrome: what is the published evidence?

A systematic and comprehensive search of literature was performed using MEDLINE databases from 1st January 1978 to 2nd November 2009 and hand search of references. A search performed by combining the Medical Subject Headings (MESH) terms ‘Richter's syndrome’ and ‘chronic lymphocytic leukemia’ (CLL) yielded 143 citations. Ten additional case–control studies judged relevant for the purpose of study were also included. In total, 45 case reports, 18 case series, and 9 case–control studies were identified. For the purpose of this review, only case series and case–control studies were considered. The following conclusions could be drawn from the studies analyzed in this review: (i) some biological markers (i.e. CD38 expression and genotype, absence of del13q) or clinical features (i.e. bulky lymph node involvement), although not validated in prospective trials, may be considered for close monitoring and a careful biopsy policy; (ii) PET, is not yet standardized in RS, however, it may be useful in the diagnosis and to choose the site for biopsy; (iii) when diagnosed RS should be treated with a combination of rituximab and polychemotherapy; (iii) younger patients who respond to initial therapy should be offered allogeneic SCT, if feasible. Despite the paucity of data, it is important to note that this article represents the first systematic review of the entire body of available clinical evidence useful for an appropriate management of Richter transformation.
An HMM approach to realistic haptic human-robot interaction

A robot controller is developed for human-robot handshaking. The focus of the work is to provide realistic experiences for the human participant in haptic interactions with a robot. To achieve this goal, a position-based admittance controller is implemented. By using haptic data as inputs, a Hidden Markov Model-based high-level controller is used to estimate human intentions and modify the reference trajectory accordingly. The overall control framework is implemented onto a robot with validation experiments carried out with human participants.
Intrapulmonary Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Micafungin in Adult Lung Transplant Patients

ABSTRACT Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis is a life-threatening infection in lung transplant recipients; however, no studies of the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics (PKPD) of echinocandins in transplanted lungs have been reported. We conducted a single-dose prospective study of the intrapulmonary and plasma PKPD of 150 mg of micafungin administered intravenously in 20 adult lung transplant recipients. Epithelial lining fluid (ELF) and alveolar cell (AC) samples were obtained via bronchoalveolar lavage performed 3, 5, 8, 18, or 24 h after initiation of infusion. Micafungin concentrations in plasma, ELF, and ACs were determined using high-pressure liquid chromatography. Noncompartmental methods, population analysis, and multiple-dose simulations were used to calculate PKPD parameters. Cmax in plasma, ELF, and ACs was 4.93, 1.38, and 17.41 μg/ml, respectively. The elimination half-life in plasma was 12.1 h. Elevated concentrations in ELF and ACs were sustained during the 24-h sampling period, indicating prolonged compartmental half-lives. The mean micafungin concentration exceeded the MIC90 of Aspergillusfumigatus (0.0156 μg/ml) in plasma (total and free), ELF, and ACs throughout the dosing interval. The area under the time-concentration curve from 0 to 24 h (AUC0-24)/MIC90 ratios in plasma, ELF, and ACs were 5,077, 923.1, and 13,340, respectively. Multiple-dose simulations demonstrated that ELF and AC concentrations of micafungin would continue to increase during 14 days of administration. We conclude that a single 150-mg intravenous dose of micafungin resulted in plasma, ELF, and AC concentrations that exceeded the MIC90 of A. fumigatus for 24 h and that these concentrations would continue to increase during 14 days of administration, supporting its potential activity for prevention and early treatment of pulmonary aspergillosis.
Quasi-optical antenna array amplifiers

Several quasi-optical transmission wave amplifiers are presented: (1) a two-level power-combining PHEMT patch-antenna lens amplifier with 8 dB of absolute power gain at 9.7 GHz used for beamforming and beam-switching; (2) a saturated class-A polarization-preserving 24-MESFET patch array which produces 0.7 Watts at 10 GHz with 21% power-added efficiency; and (3) an X-band 2-stage low-noise CPW PHEMT amplifier cell using anti-resonant slot antennas with 21.7 dB active gain, 3.2 dB noise figure and a 6% 3 dB bandwidth. <<ETX>>
Behavioural Evidence of Sex-Linked Colour Vision Polymorphism in the Squirrel Monkey Saimiri ustus

Squirrel monkeys, like most Neotropical primates, display a sex-linked colour vision polymorphism. Here we assess the colour perception of 8 Saimiri ustus by a behavioural paradigm using Munsell colour chips as discriminating stimuli. A random variation in brightness assured that discriminations were based on colour rather than brightness cues. Results indicate that all males showed random performances when presented with stimuli which, in previous experiments with human colour-blind individuals and dichromatic non-human primates, proved to be difficult to discriminate. Females behaved as trichromats. The different phenotypes in S. ustus may offer diverse advantages in feeding ecology and are in agreement with the existence of vision polymorphism, as described for other species of squirrel monkeys.
Sporotrichosis Centering Siliguri and its Sub-Himalayan Neighbours

1 Department of Microbiology, MGM Medical College and LSK Hospital, Kishanganj, Bihar and “The Microbes” Pathological Laboratory, Siliguri, Darjeeling, India 2 Department of Pathology, D Y Patil Medical College, Pimpri, Pune BPKIHS, Dharan, Nepal 3 Department of Pathology, North Bengal Medical College, Siliguri, Darjeeling, West Bengal, India 4 Sharma’s Skin Foundation, Siliguri, Darjeeling, West Bengal, India *Corresponding author
Targeted Temperature Management at 33°C or 36°C Produces Equivalent Neuroprotective Effects in the Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Rat Model of Ischemic Stroke

ABSTRACT Targeted temperature management (TTM, 32°C to 36°C) is one of the most successful achievements in modern resuscitation medicine. It has become standard treatment for survivors of sudden cardiac arrest to minimize secondary brain damage. TTM at 36°C is just as effective as TTM at 33°C and is actually preferred because it reduces adverse TTM-associated effects. TTM also likely has direct neuroprotective effects in ischemic brains in danger of stroke. It remains unclear, however, whether higher temperature TTM is equally effective in protecting the brain from the effects of stroke. Here, we asked whether TTM at 36°C is as effective as TTM at 33°C in improving outcomes in a middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model of ischemic stroke. After dividing rats randomly into MCAO, MCAO+33°C TTM, MCAO+36°C TTM, and sham groups, we subjected all of them except for the sham group to MCAO for 3 h (for the behavioral tests) or 4 h (for all other biochemical analyses). We found TTM protocols at both 33°C and 36°C to produce comparable reductions of infarct volumes in the MCAO territory and equally attenuate the extracellular release of high mobility group box 1 in postischemic brains. Both the TTM conditions prevent the mRNA induction of a major pro-inflammatory cytokine, tissue necrosis factor-&agr;, in the ischemic penumbra region. Finally, both the TTM protocols produce similar improvements in neurological outcomes in rats, as measured by a battery of behavior tests 21 h after the start of reperfusion. These data acquired in a rat MCAO model suggest TTM at 36°C has excellent therapeutic potential for improving clinical outcomes for patients with acute ischemic stroke.