Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A non-catalytic function of PI3Kγ drives smooth muscle cell proliferation after arterial damage

ABSTRACT Arterial remodeling in hypertension and intimal hyperplasia involves inflammation and disrupted flow, both of which contribute to smooth muscle cell dedifferentiation and proliferation. In this context, our previous results identified phosphoinositide 3-kinase γ (PI3Kγ) as an essential factor in inflammatory processes of the arterial wall. Here, we identify for the first time a kinase-independent role of nonhematopoietic PI3Kγ in the vascular wall during intimal hyperplasia using PI3Kγ-deleted mice and mice expressing a kinase-dead version of the enzyme. Moreover, we found that the absence of PI3Kγ in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) leads to modulation of cell proliferation, associated with an increase in intracellular cAMP levels. Real-time analysis of cAMP dynamics revealed that PI3Kγ modulates the degradation of cAMP in primary VSMCs independently of its kinase activity through regulation of the enzyme phosphodiesterase 4. Importantly, the use of an N-terminal competing peptide of PI3Kγ blocked primary VSMC proliferation. These data provide evidence for a kinase-independent role of PI3Kγ in arterial remodeling and reveal novel strategies targeting the docking function of PI3Kγ for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Highlighted Article: PI3Kγ regulates VSMC proliferation independently of its kinase activity by controlling cAMP levels through PDE4D.
Allelopathic activity of cyanobacteria on green microalgae at low cell densities

Allelopathic interactions are thought to play an important role in phytoplankton ecology. Many cyanobacterial genera have been shown to produce compounds with allelopathic activity; however, most studies have used high cyanobacterial cell densities, typical of bloom situations. We investigated whether low cell densities of cyanobacteria exhibit allelopathic activity. Twenty-two cyanobacterial strains were cultured in laboratory conditions, and the effects of their exudates were tested on the microalgae Ankistrodesmus falcatus and Chlorella vulgaris. We found that the exudates from one strain of Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii caused an enhancement of A. falcatus growth, followed by a marked decrease in growth rates, and that exudates from one strain of Oscillatoria sp. strongly inhibited C. vulgaris, as confirmed by dose–response assays. After the removal of the stressors, the microalgae grew at normal rates. The responsible compounds showed low sensitivity to heat and proteinase treatments. However, the majority of the strains did not exhibit appreciable allelopathic activity. Allelopathy may thus be a less frequent process in cyanobacteria at low cell-densities.
Association of CYP4F2 and CTRP9 polymorphisms and serum selenium levels with coronary artery disease

Abstract Aims to explore the interaction between serum selenium level and CYP4F2 and CTRP9 gene polymorphisms in the development of coronary artery disease (CAD). A total of 200 cases of CAD were selected from the Central Hospital of Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hubei, China, and 200 healthy subjects cases were served as controls. The polymorphism of CYP4F2 and CTRP9 gene was detected by Sanger sequencing, and the serum selenium level was measured by hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry. The serum selenium level in the CAD group was significantly lower than that in the control group. The risk of CAD was decreased in the patients carrying the AA genotype in CYP4F2 rs3093135, while the frequency of the CC genotype of CTRP9 rs9553238 in CAD patients was higher than that in control subjects. Low serum selenium level and CTRP9 rs9553238 CC genotype play a positive role in the occurrence of CAD. The serum selenium level is negatively correlated with CAD. The polymorphism of the CYP4F2 rs3093135 and CTRP9 rs9553238 was significantly related to the susceptibility of CAD, and there is a synergistic effect between the serum selenium level and the CTRP9 rs9553238 CC genotype, which significantly increases the risk of CAD.
Floral morphology and taxonomic relations among the genera of Amaranthaceae in the New World and the Hawaiian Islands

Twenty-three genera of Amaranthaceae occur in the New World. Two endemic genera occur in the Hawaiian Islands. Among the genera of the subfamily Amaranthoideae, Celosia, Cyathula and Achyranthes have their main distributions in the Old World; the two last-named genera are represented in the Americas only by widespread weeds. All the New World genera of the subfamily Gomphrenoideae are mainly or entirely restricted to this region. Characters of androecium and gynoecium are fundamental in the recognition of genera within the family. Androecia of different genera may be structurally and phylogenetically more similar than would appear from a cursory examination. It is suggested that the type of staminal tubes found in Pseudogomphrena and Froelichia can be derived from that in Alternanthera and Froelichiella by reduction of filament length and a fusion of pseudostaminodia with the filaments. The staminal tube in Gomphrena could result from a further decrease in distance between pseudostaminodia of the Pseudogomphrena type, and a deeper forking of the pseudostaminodia; each so-called apical filament lobe in Gomphrena would then be homologous with half a pseudostaminodium in Pseudogomphrena. Much of the variation in the androecia of these and other genera, as well as within genera such as Pfaffia, can be explained as the combined results of coalescence and splitting-up tendencies. Splitting up of staminal tubes may not necessarily take place along the borders of phylogenetically original filaments and pseudostaminodia. The Amaranthus-type of pollen is found in the majority of genera of the subfamily Amaranthoideae, but also in the Chenopodiaceae. A group of genera within the subfamily Gomphrenoideae also has pollen very similar to, or identical with, this type. Most genera of the subfamily Gomphrenoideae have pollen of the Gomphrena-type. Pseudoplantago has unilocular (at anthesis) anthers, a characteristic of the subfamily Gomphrenoideae, but floral structure as well as pollen morphology connect the genus to a group of genera within the Amaranthoideae, subtribe Achyranthinae. The combination of subcuboidal shape and opercula with radially arranged hooked protuberances, makes the pollen of Pseudoplantago unique among the angiosperms studied so far. Floral morphology and palynological characteristics indicate a close relationship between Pfaffia and Alternanthera. Both genera, as currently accepted, are relatively homogeneous from pollen morphological points of view. There are no correlations between pollen morphology and the variation in the androecium in Pfaffia, nor would pollen structure support recognition of Hebanthe as a distinct genus. Woehleria and Irenella may be derived from, or be of the same origin as, Dicraurus and Iresine. All four genera are placed in the subfamily Gomphrenoideae because of the bisporangiate anthers, but their pollen structure is very close to, or identical with, that of the Amaranthus-type. Pseudogomphrena combines characteristics of Gomphrena and Pfaffia.
Multiple γ‐aminobutyric acid plasma membrane transporters GAT‐1, GAT‐2, GAT‐3 in the rat retina

γ‐Aminobutyric acid (GABA) plasma membrane transporters (GATs) influence synaptic neurotransmission by high‐affinity uptake and release of GABA. The distribution and cellular localization of GAT‐1, GAT‐2, and GAT‐3 in the rat retina have been evaluated by using affinity‐purified polyclonal antibodies directed to the C terminus of each of these GAT subtypes. Small GAT‐1‐immunoreactive cell bodies were located in the proximal inner nuclear layer (INL) and ganglion cell layer (GCL), and processes were distributed to all laminae of the interplexiform layer (IPL). Varicose processes were in the optic fiber layer (OFL) and the outer plexiform layer (OPL). Weak GAT‐1 immunostaining surrounded cells in the INL and GCL, and it was found in the OFL and OPL and in numerous processes in the outer nuclear layer (ONL) that ended at the outer limiting membrane. GAT‐1 is therefore strongly expressed by amacrine, displaced amacrine, and interplexiform cells and weakly expressed by Müller cells. GAT‐2 immunostaining was observed in the retina pigment epithelium and the nonpigmented ciliary epithelium. GAT‐3 immunoreactivity was distributed to the OFL, to all laminae of the IPL, GCL and INL, and to processes in the ONL that ended at the outer limiting membrane. Small GAT‐3‐immunoreactive cell bodies were in the proximal INL and GCL. GAT‐3 is therefore strongly expressed by Müller cells, and by some amacrine and displaced amacrine cells. Together, these observations demonstrate a heterologous distribution of GATs in the retina. These transporters are likely to take up GABA from, and perhaps release GABA into, the synaptic cleft and extracellular space. This suggests that GATs regulate GABA levels in these areas and thus influence synaptic neurotransmission. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Is the release of phytosiderophores in zinc-deficient wheat plants a response to impaired iron utilization?

The effect of zinc nutritional status on the time course of phytosiderophore release, and uptake of iron and translocation of iron to the shoot, was studied in nutrient solution cultures for two cultivars of wheat (Triticum aestivum. cv. Aroona: T. durum, cv. Duratit) differing in their susceptibility to zinc deficiency. In the zinc-efficient cultivar Aroona, under zinc deficiency translocation of iron from roots to shoot was significantly decreased in 13- and 15-day-old plants, whereas release of phytosiderophores was enhanced when the plants were 16 days old. As zinc deficiency became more severe in older plains, translocation of iron to the shoot was further decreased and release of phytosiderophores was further enhanced. Resupplying zinc in nutrient solution to zinc-deficient plants significantly increased the translocation of iron to the shoot after 48 and 72 h. Concomitantly the release of phytosiderophores was repressed. The other cultivar Durati classified as zinc-inefficient in field observations differed from cv. Aroona by showing a lower rate of phytosiderophore release under Zinc deficiency, and a less impaired translocation of iron to the shoot. Foliar application of iron citrate to zinc-deficient Aroona plants repressed the release of phytosiderophores and increased iron concentrations in shoot and roots. Application of 55Fe to the leaves demonstrated that retranslocation of iron from the shoot to the roots was not affected by the zinc nutritional status. It is concluded that enhanced release of phytosiderophores in zinc-deficient wheat plants was induced primarily by impaired trans-location of iron lo the shoot.
The Role of Middle School Sports Involvement in Understanding High School Sexual Violence Perpetration

A number of studies have examined the association between male involvement in sports and sexual violence (SV) perpetration, especially among college-age males. Less is known about the association between sports involvement and SV perpetration for adolescent males and females. To address this gap, the current study examined sports involvement in middle school (no sports, no/low contact, and high contact) among 1,561 students, who were then followed into high school and asked about the frequency of SV perpetration. Results from logistic regression models indicated that, even after controlling for mother’s education, race/ethnicity, SV perpetration in middle school, and traditional beliefs about masculinity and substance use, middle school sports participation was significantly associated with risk of SV perpetration in high school. Compared with youth who reported no sports involvement in middle school, youth categorized as no/low contact sports involvement had greater odds of SV perpetration in high school. Sex differences emerged, revealing that no/low contact sports involvement was associated with SV perpetration for females and high contact sports involvement was associated with SV perpetration for males, compared with no sports involvement. These findings suggest potential opportunities to intervene in middle school to improve coaching practices, enhance respectful relationships, and modify athletes’ norms, attitudes, and behaviors to reduce risk for SV perpetration in high school.
Effects of Shading in Summer on Yield and Quality of Tomatoes Grown on a Single-truss System

This study was conducted to examine the yield and quality of tomato fruits grown on a single-truss system shaded during the summer. Tomato seeds were sown on the 10th of every month from February to September and the seedlings were grown in NFT. The plants were covered with cheesecloth at the shading level of 0 (control), 30 (light shading), 55 (medium shading), and 83% (heavy shading) from 10 days after the first anthesis. The nutrient solution was cooled to 25°C from July to September. As the shading level increased, total fruit yield decreased with loss of fruit weight. The total fruit yield of each crop was individually correlated linearly with the mean value of daily integrated solar radiation during fruit development. Regression analysis indicated that the decrease of total fruit yield, corresponding to the loss of 1 MJ·m−2 of the daily integrated solar radiation, would increase from 84 to 100 g/plant if the average air temperature increased from 19 to 27°C. Marketable fruit yield in the control plot was highest in the Feb. crop and significantly lower from Apr. crop to Jul. crops, because of the high incidence of cracked fruits. The incidence of cracked fruits was decreased by shading. It was estimated that shading which decreased daily integrated solar radiation to 5–6 MJ·m−2 effectively increased marketable fruit yields when the air temperature exceeded 25°C. Summer harvested fruits had high titratable acidity. Shading was apt to decrease the brix and increase the titratable acidity of fruits.
Interleukin-1β Upregulates MMP-9 Expression in Stromal Cells of Human Giant Cell Tumor of Bone

Giant cell tumor (GCT) of bone is a progressive, potentially malignant process that destroys skeletal tissue. It consists of multinucleated giant cells, which are hypothesized to be derived from a monocyte/macrophage lineage and mononuclear stromal cells, and the precise relationship of these cells is not fully understood. Recently, we demonstrated that the production of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in GCT stromal cells is regulated by certain factor(s) secreted by the multinucleated giant cells. In the present study, we evaluated for the presence of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and attempted to establish its possible role for the induction of MMP-9 in GCT stromal cells. Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), we have demonstrated that the primary GCT cultures secrete both IL-1β and MMP-9. The addition of monoclonal antibody (mAb) against IL-1β partially abrogated, but did not abolish, MMP-9 expression. Our results on gelatin zymography, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), a.
Registration of ‘Roberts’ Soybean with High Yield and Good Quality

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Recommended Sampling Intervals for Arsenic in Private Wells

Geogenic arsenic in drinking water is a worldwide problem. For private well owners, testing (e.g., private or government laboratory) is the main method to determine arsenic concentration. However, the temporal variability of arsenic concentrations is not well characterized and it is not clear how often private wells should be tested. To answer this question, three datasets, two new and one publicly available, with temporal arsenic data were utilized: 6370 private wells from New Jersey tested at least twice since 2002, 2174 wells from the USGS NAWQA database, and 391 private wells sampled 14 years apart from Bangladesh. Two arsenic drinking water standards are used for the analysis: 10 µg/L, the WHO guideline and EPA standard or maximum contaminant level (MCL) and 5 µg/L, the New Jersey MCL. A rate of change was determined for each well and these rates were used to predict the temporal change in arsenic for a range of initial arsenic concentrations below an MCL. For each MCL and initial concentration, the probability of exceeding an MCL over time was predicted. Results show that to limit a person to below a 5% chance of drinking water above an MCL, wells that are ½ an MCL and above should be tested every year and wells below ½ an MCL should be tested every 5 years. These results indicate that one test result below an MCL is inadequate to ensure long‐term compliance. Future recommendations should account for temporal variability when creating drinking water standards and guidance for private well owners.
Neural Correlates of Modality-Sensitive Deviance Detection in the Audiovisual Oddball Paradigm

The McGurk effect, an incongruent pairing of visual /ga/–acoustic /ba/, creates a fusion illusion /da/ and is the cornerstone of research in audiovisual speech perception. Combination illusions occur given reversal of the input modalities—auditory /ga/-visual /ba/, and percept /bga/. A robust literature shows that fusion illusions in an oddball paradigm evoke a mismatch negativity (MMN) in the auditory cortex, in absence of changes to acoustic stimuli. We compared fusion and combination illusions in a passive oddball paradigm to further examine the influence of visual and auditory aspects of incongruent speech stimuli on the audiovisual MMN. Participants viewed videos under two audiovisual illusion conditions: fusion with visual aspect of the stimulus changing, and combination with auditory aspect of the stimulus changing, as well as two unimodal auditory- and visual-only conditions. Fusion and combination deviants exerted similar influence in generating congruency predictions with significant differences between standards and deviants in the N100 time window. Presence of the MMN in early and late time windows differentiated fusion from combination deviants. When the visual signal changes, a new percept is created, but when the visual is held constant and the auditory changes, the response is suppressed, evoking a later MMN. In alignment with models of predictive processing in audiovisual speech perception, we interpreted our results to indicate that visual information can both predict and suppress auditory speech perception.
Motor recovery by the aberrant pyramidal pathway in a patient with cerebral infarct

Abstract Introduction: The aberrant pyramidal tract (APT) refers to the collateral pathway of the pyramidal tract (PT) descending through the medial lemniscus in the midbrain and pons. We report on a patient who showed changes of the APT from the early stage to the chronic stage concurrent with motor recovery following an infarct in the cerebral peduncle. Patient concerns: An 84-year-old female patient presented with moderate motor weakness of her upper and lower extremities (2+/2+) due to cerebral infarct on the right cerebral peduncle of midbrain. One week after her stroke, her motor weakness was similar to that at the onset (2+/2+). During 5 weeks’ rehabilitation, her motor weakness recovered to the point that she was able to move upper and lower extremities against gravity with some resistance (4-/4-). Diagnosis: Cerebral infarct on the right cerebral peduncle of midbrain Interventions: She participated in a comprehensive rehabilitative management program, including movement therapy, neurotrophic drugs, and neuromuscular electrical stimulation therapy of the left finger extensor and ankle dorsiflexor muscles. Outcomes: On 1-week and 6-week diffusion tensor tractographys (DTTs), the right PT was not reconstructed, but the right APT, which descended through the medial lemniscus pathway at the midbrain and pons and the pyramid at the medulla, was observed. The right APT became thicker on six-week DTT compared with 1-week DTT. On 1-week transcranial magnetic stimulation study, an motor evoked potential with delayed latency and decreased amplitude was evoked from the affected (right) hemisphere (latency: 24.4 msec and amplitude: 0.2uV). In contrast, its latency was decreased and amplitude was increased on six-week transcranial magnetic stimulation study (latency: 21.8 msec, amplitude: 0.8 uV) Conclusions: We demonstrated changes in the APT from the early stage to the chronic stage concurrent with motor recovery in a patient with an infarct in the cerebral peduncle. Our findings have important implications that a spared APT could contribute to the motor recovery in patients with cerebral infarct when the PTis completely injured at the onset of cerebral infarct,.
Assessing the long-term contribution of nurse plants to restoration of Mediterranean forests through Markovian models

Summary 1. Based on short-term experimental data, facilitative interactions between woody plants (nurse-recruit interactions) have been described as essential for the restoration of Mediterranean forests. However, the long-term effects of nurse plants on vegetation dynamics are unknown. This study aims to project post-fire vegetation dynamics from easily retrieved data, and to asses the long-term contribution of nurse plants to forest restoration. 2. In an area burned 20 years ago, we compared post-fire dynamics in three states of regeneration: pioneer scrubland; spontaneous pine regeneration stands; and late successional scrubland. For each regeneration state, we obtained an interaction matrix with the frequency of recruitment of a given species under the canopy of every other species in the community. These matrices provided the raw data to develop Markov chain models of community dynamics. We used sensitivity analyses to explore how small shifts in replacement probabilities between species (or between functional groups) may affect the similarity of the projected community to an undisturbed reference community. 3. Plots in the pioneer state had the lowest frequency of facilitative interactions. Matrix projection showed that, under the current frequency of facilitation, these pioneer scrublands would remain so in the long term. By contrast, the building state had the highest frequency of facilitation, and its projection suggested that it should reach a steady state very similar to the reference community. These results confirm that nurse facilitative effects are fundamental for a secondary successional trajectory of the post-fire dynamics. 4. Sensitivities showed that secondary succession may be launched in the pioneer state by increasing the frequency of seedlings of tall shrubs, evergreen and deciduous trees under small shrubs. 5. Synthesis and applications . Our Markov chain successional model is an analytical tool which can be applied rapidly and easily to determine successional trajectories for forest restoration. It allows: (i) evaluation of post-fire dynamics and identification of areas in need of intensive intervention (i.e. where secondary succession remains arrested leading to stasis in the pioneer state); (ii) assessment of the role of long-term facilitative nurse effects on restoration; and (iii) identification of species-pair combinations and functional nurse groups of value for further planting efforts.
Lower Rate of Seropositivity to Measles among Young Health Care Personnel (HCP) in New York City.

We examined the prevalence of measles antibody among 12,349 newly hired HCP between 2009-2019 and found that younger HCP were significantly more likely to have no immunity. Compared to a 92.2% seropositive rate among 1,057 persons hired at age > 50, only 84.4% of ~10,000 HCP < 40 years of age at hire had protective antibody (p<.00001). These findings have important implications for measles prevention in the healthcare setting.