Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Generation of cerebral cortical GABAergic interneurons from pluripotent stem cells

The cerebral cortex functions by the complex interactions of intrinsic and extrinsic neuronal activities, glial actions, and the effects of humoral factors. The intrinsic neuronal influences are mediated by two major subclasses: excitatory glutamatergic neurons that generally have axonal projections extending beyond the neuron's locality and inhibitory GABAergic neurons that generally project locally. These interneurons can be grouped based on morphological, neurochemical, electrophysiological, axonal targeting, and circuit influence characteristics. Cortical interneurons (CIns) can also be grouped based on their origins within the subcortical telencephalon. Interneuron subtypes, of which a dozen or more are thought to exist, are characterized by combinations of these subgrouping features. Due to their well‐documented relevance to the causes of and treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders, and to their remarkable capacity to migrate extensively following transplantation, there has been tremendous interest in generating cortical GABAergic interneurons from human pluripotent stem cells. In this concise review, we discuss recent progress in understanding how interneuron subtypes are generated in vivo, and how that progress is being applied to the generation of rodent and human CIns in vitro. In addition, we will discuss approaches for the rigorous designation of interneuron subgroups or subtypes in transplantation studies, and challenges to this field, including the protracted maturation of human interneurons.
Endocardial-Epicardial Phase Mapping of Prolonged Persistent Atrial Fibrillation Recordings

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Background: Endocardial-epicardial dissociation and focal breakthroughs in humans with atrial fibrillation (AF) have been recently demonstrated using activation mapping of short 10-second AF segments. In the current study, we used simultaneous endo-epi phase mapping to characterize endo-epi activation patterns on long segments of human persistent AF. Methods: Simultaneous intraoperative mapping of endo- and epicardial lateral right atrium wall was performed in patients with persistent AF using 2 high-density grid catheters (16 electrodes, 3 mm spacing). Filtered unipolar and bipolar electrograms of continuous 2-minute AF recordings and electrodes locations were exported for phase analyses. We defined endocardial-epicardial dissociation as phase difference of ≥20 ms between paired endo-epi electrodes. Wavefronts were classified as rotations, single wavefronts, focal waves, or disorganized activity as per standard criteria. Endo-Epi wavefront patterns were simultaneously compared on dynamic phase maps. Complex fractionated electrograms were defined as bipolar electrograms with ≥5 directional changes occupying at least 70% of sample duration. Results: Fourteen patients with persistent AF undergoing cardiac surgery were included. Endocardial-epicardial dissociation was seen in 50.3% of phase maps with significant temporal heterogeneity. Disorganized activity (Endo: 41.3% versus Epi: 46.8%, P=0.0194) and single wavefronts (Endo: 31.3% versus Epi: 28.1%, P=0.129) were the dominant patterns. Transient rotations (Endo: 22% versus Epi: 19.2%, P=0.169; mean duration: 590±140 ms) and nonsustained focal waves (Endo: 1.2% versus Epi: 1.6%, P=0.669) were also observed. Apparent transmural migration of rotational activations (n=6) from the epi- to the endocardium was seen in 2 patients. Electrogram fractionation was significantly higher in the epicardium than endocardium (61.2% versus 51.6%, P<0.0001). Conclusions: Simultaneous endo-epi phase mapping of prolonged human persistent AF recordings shows significant Endocardial-epicardial dissociation marked temporal heterogeneity, discordant and transitioning wavefronts patterns and complex fractionations. No sustained focal activity was observed. Such complex 3-dimensional interactions provide insight into why endocardial mapping alone may not fully characterize the AF mechanism and why endocardial ablation may not be sufficient.
Milk Processing Affects Structure, Bioavailability and Immunogenicity of β-lactoglobulin

Bovine milk is subjected to various processing steps to warrant constant quality and consumer safety. One of these steps is pasteurization, which involves the exposure of liquid milk to a high temperature for a limited amount of time. While such heating effectively ameliorates consumer safety concerns mediated by pathogenic bacteria, these conditions also have an impact on one of the main nutritional whey constituents of milk, the protein β-lactoglobulin. As a function of heating, β-lactoglobulin was shown to become increasingly prone to denaturation, aggregation, and lactose conjugation. This review discusses the implications of such heat-induced modifications on digestion and adsorption in the gastro-intestinal tract, and the responses these conformations elicit from the gastro-intestinal immune system.
Uji Efektifitas Atraktan pada Lethal Ovitrap terhadap Jumlah dan Daya Tetas Telur Nyamuk Aedes aegypti

Abstract Control of Aedes aegypti mosquito as dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) vector can be conducted by using the ovitrap modified into a lethal ovitrap. The addition of attractant substances to the ovitrap can attract more mosquitoes to come in to the trap, and prevent the mosquitoes to lay eggs in other places. The aim of this research was to compare the percentage of the number of eggs trapped, the number of eggs that hatched and the percentage of larval mortality in lethal ovitrap modified with the addition of two types of attractant. This research was an experiment research with a complete random design. The samples used were female bloodfed Ae. aegypti mosquito. The insecticide used was water extract of Annona squamosa seed, and the attractants used were hay infus at water with concentration of 20% and larval rearing water of the Ae. aegypti. Aquades used as control. The results showed that hay infusion was more effective than larval rearing water in attracting female Ae. aegypti mosquito to lay eggs. The highest mortality was found in the combination of lethal ovitrap and hay infusion. The combination could be an alternative controlling strategy for DHF management program in order to reduce the density of Ae. aegypti mosquito and minimize the dengue transmission in a region. Keywords : Lethal Ovitrap, attractant, Aedes aegypti Abstrak Pengendalian nyamuk Aedes aegypti sebagai vektor demam berdarah dengue (DBD) dapat dilakukan dengan menggunaan ovitrap yang dimodifikasi menjadi lethal ovitrap. Penambahan zat atraktan pada ovitrap dapat menarik lebih banyak nyamuk untuk datang ke perangkap yang dipasang dan mencegah nyamuk bertelur di tempat lain. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk membandingkan persentase jumlah telur terperangkap, jumlah telur menetas dan mortalitas larva pada lethal ovitrap yang diberi tambahan dua jenis atraktan. Insektisida yang digunakan adalah ekstrak air biji srikaya (Annona squamosa), sedangkan atraktan yang digunakan adalah air rendaman jerami dengan konsentrasi 20% dan air bekas kolonisasi larva Ae. aegypti. Jenis penelitian ini adalah eksperimen dengan rancangan acak lengkap. Sampel yang digunakan adalah nyamuk Ae. aegypti betina yang kenyang darah. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa air rendaman jerami merupakan atraktan yang lebih berpengaruh dibandingkan air bekas kolonisasi Ae. aegypti dalam menarik nyamuk Ae. aegypti untuk bertelur. Mortalitas larva tertinggi terdapat pada kombinasi lethal ovitrap dengan air rendaman jerami. Kombinasi lethal ovitrap dengan atraktan air rendaman jerami dapat menjadi strategi pengendalian alternatif bagi pengelola program DBD untuk mengurangi kepadatan nyamuk Ae. aegypti dan meminimalisasi transmisi penyakit demam berdarah dengue di suatu wilayah. Kata kunci : Lethal Ovitrap, atraktan, Aedes aegypti
Time Spent by Ctenocephalides felis (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) Larvae in Food Patches of Varying Quality

Abstract Individual larval movement was studied in the laboratory to determine whether or not Ctenocephalides felis (Bouché) larvae display differences in the time spent in food patches of varying quality. Both early and late instars were tested. Young instars exhibited marked differences in their response to food patch quality. When no food was present, the mean time these larvae remained at the site was 24.5 h. When food patches contained feces only, eggs only, or equal amounts of feces and eggs, the time spent before leaving increased to 62.6, 120.5, and 192.3 h, respectively. The response by older instars was less dramatic. No differences were observed between food patches with only feces or eggs. Older larvae also remained longer in patches containing both feces and eggs (201.9 h). Our data suggest that C. felis larvae do not respond randomly to food patches of varying quality and that particular dietary components have an influence on movement behavior according to developmental stage. Obtaining all of the essential dietary components seems more critical in the early stages of development.
Seasonal Rhythm in the Thyroid Hormone Secretion of the Chick

Abstract ALTHOUGH methods for the actual measurement of thyroid hormone secretion have not been available until recently, it is generally assumed from indirect evidence that the thyroid gland undergoes seasonal cycles of activity, being most active, under natural environmental conditions, in winter and least active in summer. Recent investigations on certain goitrogenic compounds, typified by thiouracil and thiourea, have resulted in the development of a technique whereby either the average thyroid hormone secretion of animals can be estimated, or the thyroidal activity of unknown compounds can be assayed. This method was first outlined by Dempsey and Astwood (1943) for rats, and applied to day-old chicks by Mixner, Reineke and Turner (1944). In this method sufficient thiouracil is given to inhibit the formation of hormone by the chick’s own thyroid, permitting an increased output of thyrotrophic hormone by the pituitary and compensatory enlargement of the thyroid gland. If thyroxine is injected at .
Plasma microRNA-720 may predict prognosis and diagnosis in glioma patients

Abstract We enrolled 122 patients with glioma who received surgery treatment in our hospital from June 2010 to May 2012, and 60 healthy individuals. We found that the plasma miR-720 in the glioma group was significantly higher than that in the healthy control group (3.19 ± 1.26 vs 0.98 ± 0.65, P<0.001). The sensitivity and specificity were 71.3% (95%CI: 62.4–79.1%) and 83.3% (71.5–91.7%), respectively. The results indicated that the plasma miR-720 level was associated with tumor grade (t = 104.418, P<0.001). The advanced tumor tended to have higher miR-720 expression level. No significant association was found between miR-720 and age, sex, tumor size, KPS and tumor position (P=0.438, 0.514, 0.518, 0.058, 0.226). The multivariate cox analysis indicated that the high expression of miR-720 (HR = 1.48, 95%CI: 1.12–2.97, P=0.023) was independently predictors of adverse prognosis in patients with glioma. The high expression of miR-720 was also associated with recurrence or development in patients with glioma (HR = 1.47, 95%CI: 1.18–3.14, P=0.012). Plasma miR-720 has a moderate diagnostic ability in early diagnostic of glioma and may be a potential tumor biomarker. The high plasma miR-720 was related to adverse prognosis in patients with glioma and could be a prognosis predictor of glioma patients.
QTL Mapping and Prediction of Haploid Male Fertility Traits in Maize (Zea mays L.)

Chromosome doubling of maize haploids is a bottleneck in the large-scale application of doubled haploid (DH) technology. Spontaneous chromosome doubling (SCD) of haploid has been taken as an important method in the production of DH lines and low haploid male fertility (HMF) is a main limiting factor for the use of SCD. To study its genetic basis, haploids of 119 DH lines derived from a cross between inbred lines Qi319 and Chang7-2 were used to map the quantitative trait locus (QTL) contributing to HMF. Three traits including anther emergence rate (AER), anther emergence score (AES) and pollen production score (PPS) of the haploid population were evaluated at two locations. The heritability of the three traits ranged from 0.70 to 0.81. The QTL contributing to AER, AES and PPS were identified on the chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9 and 10. Five major QTL, qAER5-1, qAER5-2, qAES3, qPPS1 and qPPS5, were found and each could explain more than 15% of the phenotypic variance at least in one environment. Two major QTL, qPPS1 and qPPS5, and two minor QTL, qAES2 and qAER3, were repeatedly detected at both locations. To increase the application efficiency of HMF in breeding programs, genomic prediction for the three traits were carried out with ridge regression best linear unbiased prediction (rrBLUP) and rrBLUP adding QTL effects (rrBLUP-QTL). The prediction accuracies of rrBLUP-QTL were significantly higher than that by rrBLUP for three traits (p < 0.001), which indirectly indicates these QTL were effective. The prediction accuracies for PPS were 0.604 (rrBLUP) and 0.703 (rrBLUP-QTL) across both locations, which were higher than that of AER and AES. Overall, this study provides important information to understand the genetic architecture of SCD of maize haploids.
Winter spacing and non-breeding social system of the Coal Tit Parus ater in a subalpine forest

In the genus Parus, non-breeding social territoriality has often been attributed to the presence of food hoarding which, by increasing the value of an area, is thought to favour the existence of exclusive territories. To test this, it is necessary to analyse the social structure of hoarding populations inhabiting different environments. I studied Coal Tit spacing patterns and winter social systems in a colour-ringed hoarding population inhabiting a mountain coniferous forest in the Pyrenees. Using data on home range, range overlap and social coherence, the social system was found to be based on adult birds that had previously bred together and which occupied relatively small home ranges. Large home ranges of resident juveniles overlapped extensively with each other and with those of adults. However, resident juveniles were resighted much closer to their ringing place than was expected at random, suggesting restricted floater ranges. Associations, composed mainly of juveniles, seemed to be rather large and loose, with little coherence. No territorial defence by any group of birds was detected during the study. Therefore, the social organization described for the present Coal Tit population is similar to the loose, non-territorial basic flock system of non-hoarding species. Resident social patterns seemed to be linked primarily to the availability of breeding resources, probably leading to the high site fidelity of adults and the floater life of resident juveniles. On the other hand, short-term survival chances may attract transients to a rich food supply and thus affect flocking strategies of birds. High availability of resources allowing a high population density seems to be the main proximate factor influencing the spacing patterns described.
A GAP ANALYSIS AND COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION STRATEGY FOR RIVERINE ECOSYSTEMS OF MISSOURI

North America harbors an astounding proportion of the world's freshwater species, but it is facing a freshwater biodiversity crisis. A first step to slowing the loss of biodiversity involves identifying gaps in existing efforts to conserve biodiversity and prioritizing opportunities to fill these gaps. In this monograph we detail two separate, but complementary, conservation planning efforts—a Gap Analysis (GAP) and a State Wildlife Action Plan (WAP)—for Missouri that address this first step. The goal of the Missouri Aquatic GAP Project was to identify riverine ecosystems, habitats, and species not adequately represented (i.e., gaps) within existing conservation lands. The goal of the freshwater component of the Missouri Wildlife Action Plan was to identify and map a set of conservation-opportunity areas (COAs) that holistically represent all riverine ecosystems, habitats, and species in Missouri. Since conservation planning is a geographical exercise, both efforts utilized geographic information systems (GIS). Four principal GIS data sets were used in each planning effort: (1) a hierarchical riverine ecosystem classification, (2) predicted species distributions, (3) public ownership/stewardship, and (4) a human-threat index. Results of the gap analyses are not encouraging. Forty five, mostly rare, threatened, or endangered, species are not represented in lands set aside for conserving biodiversity. Results also illustrate the fragmented nature of conservation lands, which are mainly situated in the uplands and fail to provide connectivity among riverine habitats. Furthermore, many conservation lands are severely threatened by an array of human disturbances. In contrast, results of the WAP provide hope that relatively intact riverine ecosystems still exist. A total of 158 COAs, representing ;6% of the total kilometers of stream in Missouri, were selected for the WAP. This illustrates that a wide spectrum of biodiversity can be represented within a small portion of the total resource base, but the area of conservation concern is often much larger. Identifying priority riverscapes for conservation is an important first step toward effective biodiversity conservation. Yet, achieving the ultimate goal of conserving biodiversity will require vigilance on the part of all responsible parties, with particular attention to addressing and coordinating the many remaining logistical tasks.
Deep Characterization of Circular RNAs from Human Cardiovascular Cell Models and Cardiac Tissue

For decades, cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been the leading cause of death throughout most developed countries. Several studies relate RNA splicing, and more recently also circular RNAs (circRNAs), to CVD. CircRNAs originate from linear transcripts and have been shown to exhibit tissue-specific expression profiles. Here, we present an in-depth analysis of sequence, structure, modification, and cardiac circRNA interactions. We used human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiac myocytes (hiPSC-CMs), human healthy and diseased (ischemic cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy) cardiac tissue, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) to profile circRNAs. We identified shared circRNAs across all samples, as well as model-specific circRNA signatures. Based on these circRNAs, we identified 63 positionally conserved and expressed circRNAs in human, pig, and mouse hearts. Furthermore, we found that the sequence of circRNAs can deviate from the sequence derived from the genome sequence, an important factor in assessing potential functions. Integration of additional data yielded evidence for m6A-methylation of circRNAs, potentially linked to translation, as well as, circRNAs overlapping with potential Argonaute 2 binding sites, indicating potential association with the RISC complex. Moreover, we describe, for the first time in cardiac model systems, a sub class of circRNAs containing the start codon of their primary transcript (AUG circRNAs) and observe an enrichment for m6A-methylation for AUG circRNAs.
Effects of subcutaneous esketamine on blood pressure and heart rate in treatment-resistant depression

Introduction and objectives: The impact of multiple subcutaneous (s.c.) esketamine injections on the blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) of patients with unipolar and bipolar treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is poorly understood. This study aimed to assess the cardiovascular safety of multiple s.c. doses of esketamine in patients with TRD. Methods: Seventy TRD patients received 394 weekly s.c. esketamine injections in conjunction with oral antidepressant therapy for up to six weeks. Weekly esketamine doses were 0.5, 0.75 or 1.0 mg/kg according to each patient’s response to treatment. Participants were monitored before each treatment and every 15 minutes thereafter for 120 minutes. We assessed systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and HR measurements for the entire treatment course. Results: BP increased after the first s.c. esketamine injection, reaching maximum mean SBP/DBP levels of 4.87/5.54 mmHg within 30–45 minutes. At the end of monitoring, 120 minutes post dose, vital signs returned to pretreatment levels. We did not detect significant differences in BP between doses of 0.5, 0.75, and 1 mg/kg esketamine. Mean HR did not differ significantly between doses or before and after s.c. esketamine injection. Conclusions: The BP changes observed with repeated s.c. esketamine injections were mild and well tolerated for doses up to 1 mg/kg. The s.c. route is a simple and safe method of esketamine administration, even for patients with clinical comorbidities, including obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. However, 14/70 patients experienced treatment-emergent transient hypertension (SBP >180 mmHg and/or a DBP >110 mmHg). Therefore, we strongly recommend monitoring BP for 90 minutes after esketamine dosing. Since s.c. esketamine is cheap, requires less frequent dosing (once a week), and is a simpler procedure compared to intravenous infusions, it might have an impact on public health.
Assessing Conservation Action for Substitution of Missing Dynamics on Former Military Training Areas in Central Europe

Disproportionately large numbers of threatened and endangered species and unusually high biodiversity have been documented on former military training areas. However, throughout the world, nature protection areas on former military grounds are faced with the dilemma of preserving ecosystems that must change. In central Europe, many of these areas are characterized by dry acidic grasslands on sandy soils. However, these resource‐limited ecosystems are faced with two interacting threats: missing disturbance dynamics and increasing atmospheric nitrogen deposition from urban agglomerations. The goal of this study was to assess the effectiveness of conservation action for substitution of missing dynamics. Impacts on plant species assembly, performance of functional groups, soil nutrient availability, and successional trajectory are analyzed. Of particular concern is mimicking beneficial effects of military maneuver on pioneer species such as Corynephorus canescens, which is endangered in many countries. In a controlled field experiment, we manipulated mechanical disturbances representing conservation measures—harrowing, topsoil removal, tilling, and tank driving. Our findings suggest that only topsoil removal and tank driving effectively remove organic material and create self‐sustaining vegetation dynamics. Topsoil removal affects both filters in community assembly: the abiotic filter related to soil resources and the biotic filter related to competition between species. We further demonstrate that plant functional groups based on growth form show different rates of recruitment after disturbance with graminoids‐dominating initial dynamics. This study provides basic information on effective conservation strategies for dry acidic grasslands on former military training areas.