Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Contribution of Citrate to the Synthesis of Acetyl Units in Synaptosomes of Developing Rat Brain

Abstract: The activities of pyruvate dehydrogenase, citrate synthase, and choline acetyltransferase in rat brain synaptosomes increased during on‐togenesis by 3 and 14 times, respectively. Activity of ATP‐citrate lyase decreased by 26% during the same period. Pyruvate consumption by synapto‐somes from 1‐day‐old animals was 40% lower than that found in older rats; however, citrate efflux from intrasynaptosomal mitochondria in immature synaptosomes was over twice as high as that in mature ones. The rates of production of synaptoplasmic acetyl‐CoA, ATP‐citrate lyase were 1.03, 1.40, and 0.49 nmol/min/mg protein in 1‐, 10‐day‐old, and adult rats, respectively. 3‐Bromopyruvate (0.5 mM) inhibited pyruvate consumption by 70% and caused a complete block of citrate utilization by citrate lyase in every age group. Parameters of citrate metabolism in cerebellar synaptosomes were the same as those in cerebral ones. These data indicate that production of acetyl‐CoA. from citrate in synaptoplasm may be regulated either by adaptative, age‐dependent changes in permeability and carrier capacity of the mitochondrial membrane or by the inhibition of synthesis of intramitochondrial acetyl‐CoA. ATP‐citrate lyase activity is not a rate‐limiting factor in this process. Metabolic fluxes of pyruvate to cytoplasmic citrate and acetyl‐CoA. are presumably the same in both cholinergic and noncholinergic nerve endings. The significance of citrate release from intrasynaptosomal mitochondria as a regulatory step in acetylcholine synthesis is discussed.
Anti-TNF-alpha treatment in rheumatoid arthritis with anti-Ro/SSA antibodies. Analysis of 17 cases among a cohort of 322 treated patients.

OBJECTIVE To compare the efficacy and safety of anti-TNF-alpha treatment in RA patients with and without anti-Ro antibodies, in order to detect any change in their immunological or clinical profile. METHODS Autoantibodies in 322 patients being treated with anti-TNF-alpha drugs were studied; 17 were found to be anti-Ro positive, while 305 were anti-Ro negative. RESULTS Two groups, comparable in terms of sex distribution, RA duration and anti-TNF-alpha drug employed, showed symmetrical, erosive polyarticular RA with high disease activity. Anti-TNF-alpha led to significant improvement in both groups. At baseline rheumatoid factor and ANA, globally positive in 68.6% and 40%, were more frequent in anti-Ro positive sera. ANA showed a rising trend beginning in the 6th month of treatment in both groups, which was always statistically significant compared to baseline. Anti-dsDNA antibodies, measured using either CLIFT and ELISA or the Farr assay, remained stable in the first 6 months, then increased at 12th and 18th month, and subsequently declined. No difference was detected between the two groups regarding the number or cause of dropouts, but lupus-like disease was more frequent in anti-Ro positive subjects (p = 0.012). In addition, two cases of NHL were detected. CONCLUSION Anti-TNF-alpha treatment was shown to be effective in patients with anti-Ro antibodies. Although anti-dsDNA and lupus-like disease were more frequent in anti-Ro positive patients, severe manifestations of systemic involvement were not observed. A longer follow-up is warranted to evaluate the risk of NHL in these patients.
Clinical and laboratory diagnosis of influenza

The clinical diagnosis of influenza can be very difficult or rather easy depending on the circumstances. It's easy when the epidemiological context is appropriate; the patient is a school kid or a teenager, and the symptoms are typical. On the other hand, it is hard when it fails to match any of the above premises, the more imformation that is missing, the more difficult it becomes. The symptomatology is correlated with age; therefore, typical clinical manifestations are only referred from 3–4 y old: rhinitis, fever with or without chills, cough, headache, joint and muscle pain and malaise. The patient often says he/she “feels sick” but his/her general condition is not at all serious. A rapid influenza diagnosis has been shown to reduce unnecessary test and antibiotics in pediatric patients and allows rational use of antivirals, early discharge from emergency departments and hospital wards, appropriate infection control measures and cohorting of infected patients. Tests that yield results in a timely manner that can influence clinical management are recommended to guide patient care. Results of testing should take into account the a priori likelihood of influenza infection based on the patient’s signs and symptoms, the sensitivity and specificity of the test used, and information on circulation of influenza in the community. Failing to use the option of microbiological diagnosis when appropriate is a missed opportunity that can generate anxiety without justification, avoid unnecessarily antibiotics, omit antiviral therapy when convenient, and a teaching possibility.
ITS primers with enhanced specificity for basidiomycetes ‐ application to the identification of mycorrhizae and rusts

We have designed two taxon‐selective primers for the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region in the nuclear ribosomal repeat unit. These primers, ITS1‐F and ITS4‐B, were intended to be specific to fungi and basidiomycetes, respectively. We have tested the specificity of these primers against 13 species of ascomycetes, 14 of basidiomycetes, and 15 of plants. Our results showed that ITS4‐B, when paired with either a ‘universal’ primer ITS1 or the fungal‐specific primer ITS1‐F, efficiently amplified DNA from all basidiomycetes and discriminated against ascomycete DNAs. The results with plants were not as clearcut. The ITS1‐F/ITS4‐B primer pair produced a small amount of PCR product for certain plant species, but the quantity was in most cases less than that produced by the ‘universal’ ITS primers. However, under conditions where both plant and fungal DNAs were present, the fungal DNA was amplified to the apparent exclusion of plant DNA. ITS1‐F/ITS4‐B preferential amplification was shown to be particularly useful for detection and analysis of the basidiomycete component in ectomycorrhizae and in rust‐infected tissues. These primers can be used to study the structure of ectomycorrhizal communities or the distribution of rusts on alternate hosts.
Phosphomannanase (PR-Factor), an Enzyme Required for the Formation of Yeast Protoplasts

The PR-factor, an enzyme necessary for the production of protoplasts from yeast, was identified and was named phosphomannanase. The enzyme released mannan and mannan-proteins from yeasts harvested in the logarithmic phase of growth. The size of the molecules released was greater than 200,000 daltons, which indicated that the enzyme splits very few bonds of the yeast wall. The PR-factor also depolymerized phosphomannans produced by the Hansenula species. The degradation of these substances was due to the splitting of mannosidic bonds. However, the phosphodiester bonds present in these phosphomannans were involved in the specificity of the enzyme, and the number of mannosidic bonds cleaved was dependent on the number of phosphodiester bonds present. We studied the products of degradation of Hansenula phosphomannans and were unable to identify the exact bond split by the enzyme. After enzymatic digestion and subsequent splitting of phosphodiester bonds, phosphomannan Y-2448 yielded products too complex to be separated. Phosphomannan Y-1842 was shown to have a structure more complex than that previously proposed. The action of the enzyme on the phosphate-rich walls of Saccharomyces was studied. Mannan, containing intact phosphodiester bonds, was released from the walls. Mild acid hydrolysis of this released material split the diester bonds to yield monosaccharide and polysaccharide terminated in mannose-6-phosphate. From these products, we deduced that the enzyme cleaved a mannosidic bond adjacent to a mannose, which is also phosphodiester linked through carbon 1. The significance of phosphodiester bonds in the attachment of mannan and mannan-protein enzymes to the wall of yeast is discussed.
Limit-dilution analysis of weak influenza-immune T cell responses associated with H-2Kb and H-2Db.

A limiting-dilution analysis has been made of influenza-immune cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response patterns associated with H-2Kb and H-2Dd in the B10.A(5R), and H-2Kk and H-2Db in the B10.A(2R) and B10.A(4R) recombinant mouse strains. In previous in vivo experiments the H-2Kb allele has been shown to be associated with low responsiveness or nonresponsiveness, whereas Db-restricted influenza-specific responses were found to be weak in recombinant strains that possessed the Kk allele. Influenza-immune CTL restricted to the more "dominant" H-2Dd and H-2Kk alleles were found consistently when primed T cells were restimulated in vitro under limiting-dilution conditions. Precursors were present at frequencies of at least twice background levels (lysis of normal targets) in the great majority of experiments, performed with or without added helper factors. The H-2Kb- and H-2Db-restricted responses were much more variable and, for H-2Kb but not for H-2Db, were completely absent when the culture medium did not contain added interleukin preparations. Even so, experiments in which individual microcultures were tested on more than one target demonstrated conclusively both that H-2Kb-restricted CTL can be generated under limiting-dilution conditions and that most, if not all, of these T cells do not cross-react with influenza virus presented in the context of H-2Dd. The characteristics of these "weak" responses are thus that they are more help dependent and show evidence of greater variability between individual mice than the "dominant" CTL clones do.
Linking Entropy at Rest with the Underlying Structural Connectivity in the Healthy and Lesioned Brain

The brain is a network that mediates information processing through a wide range of states. The extent of state diversity is a reflection of the entropy of the network. Here we measured the entropy of brain regions (nodes) in empirical and modeled functional networks reconstructed from resting state fMRI to address the connection of entropy at rest with the underlying structure measured through diffusion spectrum imaging. Using 18 empirical and 18 modeled stroke networks, we also investigated the effect that focal lesions have on node entropy and information diffusion. Overall, positive correlations between node entropy and structure were observed, especially between node entropy and node strength in both empirical and modeled data. Although lesions were restricted to one hemisphere in all stroke patients, entropy reduction was not only present in nodes from the damaged hemisphere, but also in nodes from the contralesioned hemisphere, an effect replicated in modeled stroke networks. Globally, information diffusion was also affected in empirical and modeled strokes compared with healthy controls. This is the first study showing that artificial lesions affect local and global network aspects in very similar ways compared with empirical strokes, shedding new light into the functional nature of stroke.
Depletion of Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells Inhibits Tumor Growth and Prevents Bone Metastasis of Breast Cancer Cells

Elevated levels of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) have been reported in breast cancer patients, but the significance remains undefined. Using three immunocompetent mouse models of breast cancer bone metastasis, we identified a key role for pDC in facilitating tumor growth through immunosuppression and aggressive osteolysis. Following infiltration of macrophages upon breast cancer dissemination, there was a steady increase in pDC within the bone, which resulted in a sustained Th2 response along with elevated levels of regulatory T cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Subsequently, pDC and CD4+ T cells, producing osteolytic cytokines, increased with tumor burden, causing severe bone damage. Microcomputed tomography and histology analyses of bone showed destruction of femur and tibia. The therapeutic significance of this finding was confirmed by depletion of pDC, which resulted in decreased tumor burden and bone loss by activating tumor-specific cytolytic CD8+ T cells and decreasing suppressor cell populations. Thus, pDC depletion may offer a novel adjuvant strategy to therapeutically influence breast cancer bone metastasis.
Impact of Placental Restriction on the Development of the Sympathoadrenal System

We have investigated the impact of chronic restriction of placental function on circulating catecholamine concentrations and responses to the indirectly acting, sympathomimetic amine, tyramine, in the fetal sheep in late gestation. In 10 ewes, endometrial caruncles or placental placentation sites were removed before conception (placental restriction (PR) group). Fetal sheep in the PR group were hypoxemic throughout late gestation and growth-restricted(3.02 ± 0.35 kg) when compared with control fetal sheep (4.30 ± 0.29 kg; n = 8) at 140 d of gestation. Fetal plasma concentrations of noradrenaline and adrenaline were higher (p < 0.05) in the PR(7.06 ± 3.17 pmol/mL and 2.89 ± 2.01 pmol/mL, respectively) than in the control group (3.55 ± 0.54 pmol/mL and 1.30 ± 0.48 pmol/mL, respectively) throughout late gestation. Plasma noradrenaline, but not adrenaline concentrations, increased significantly between 110 and 140 d of gestation in both the PR and control group, and there was a significant inverse relationship between plasma noradrenaline and arterial Po2 in the PR and control groups (plasma noradrenaline = 12.34 - 0.40 Po2). In the PR group, plasma noradrenaline increased (p < 0.05) after tyramine infusion from 4.51 ± 1.28 pmol/mL to a peak of 19.40 ± 3.56 pmol/mL. In the control group, noradrenaline increased from 2.08 ± 0.30 pmol/mL to a peak of 12.23 ± 1.67 pmol/mL after tyramine infusion. There was no difference, however, in the maximal proportional changes in plasma noradrenaline concentrations in the PR (319 ± 55%) and control(449 ± 100%) groups after tyramine. We conclude that the most likely source of the increased plasma catecholamines in the PR group is enhanced catecholamine synthesis and secretion from developing sympathetic neurons.
Neuromodulatory complement of the pericardial organs in the embryonic lobster, homarus americanus

The pericardial organs (POs) are a pair of neurosecretory organs that surround the crustacean heart and release neuromodulators into the hemolymph. In adult crustaceans, the POs are known to contain a wide array of peptide and amine modulators. However, little is known about the modulatory content of POs early in development. We characterize the morphology and modulatory content of pericardial organs in the embryonic lobster, Homarus americanus. The POs are well developed by midway through embryonic (E50) life and contain a wide array of neuromodulatory substances. Immunoreactivities to orcokinin, extended FLRFamide peptides, tyrosine hydroxylase, proctolin, allatostatin, serotonin, Cancer borealis tachykinin‐related peptide, cholecystokinin, and crustacean cardioactive peptide are present in the POs by approximately midway through embryonic life. There are two classes of projection patterns to the POs. Immunoreactivities to orcokinin, extended FLRFamide peptides, and tyrosine hydroxylase project solely from the subesophageal ganglion (SEG), whereas the remaining modulators project from the SEG as well as from the thoracic ganglia. Double‐labeling experiments with a subset of modulators did not reveal any colocalized peptides in the POs. These results suggest that the POs could be a major source of neuromodulators early in development. J. Comp. Neurol. 451:79–90, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
ScholarWorks @ UTRGV ScholarWorks @ UTRGV

This research examines the relation between government economic policy uncertainty and firm cash holdings. We find evidence that policy uncertainty is positively related to firm cash holdings due to firms’ precautionary motives and, to a lesser extent, investment delays. The relation between policy uncertainty and cash holdings is more pronounced for firms dependent on government spending and extends beyond business cyclicality. Further analysis indicates that the effects of policy uncertainty on corporate cash holdings are distinct from those of political, market, or other macroeconomic uncertainty.
A low-power ternary content addressable memory (TCAM) with segmented and non-segmented matchlines

This paper presents a ternary content-addressable memory (TCAM) cell structure with low capacitance comparison logic and two techniques to reduce power consumption in TCAM. The first technique employs non-segmented match lines (MLs) to reduce match time during search operation and the second technique employs MLs segmentation to reduce power consumption during search operation in ternary content-addressable memories (TCAMs). The TCAM cell contribution to the match-line (ML) capacitance is reduced by 75% or 50% depending on the globally masked bit in search data by using low capacitance comparison logic TCAM cell as compared to the conventional nor-comparison logic TCAM cell. In MLs segmentation technique, the search operation is pipelined by breaking the match-lines into two segments. If the stored words are not matched with the search data in their first segment, then the searching operation is discontinued for the second segment, thus reducing power. In non-segmented MLs technique, the search operation is not pipelined and is carried out for complete data word in TCAM. We have employed these techniques in a 144 X 144-bit TCAM in 1.2 V, 0.13 mum CMOS technology (UMC), illustrating an overall power reduction of 60% in segmented MLs technique and overall match time reduction of 40% in non-segmented technique, compared to a conventional, non-segmented MLs architecture.
APDMS mediated self-assembly of alumina nanospheres

We report a simple method to create spherical aggregates of alumina nanospheres. Alumina nanospheres were dispersed in ethanol and capped by 3-Aminopropyldimethylethoxysilane (APDMS). APDMS acts as a cross linker between nanoparticles to form micro/nano spherical aggregates. Created spheres were distributed on Si and SiN substrates utilizing spin-coating method. Eventually, spherical aggregates with diameter distribution of 400–2800 nm were achieved. The spatial distribution and size of the spherical structures were adjustable by changing the concentration of the used surfactant, APDMS. Higher concentration of surfactant resulted in more aggregation of alumina nanoparticles leading to larger spheres in diameter. Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM) was used to characterize and quantize micro/nanostructures distribution and shape.
Novel QTL and Meta-QTL Mapping for Major Quality Traits in Soybean

Isoflavone, protein, and oil are the most important quality traits in soybean. Since these phenotypes are typically quantitative traits, quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping has been an efficient way to clarify their complex and unclear genetic background. However, the low-density genetic map and the absence of QTL integration limited the accurate and efficient QTL mapping in previous researches. This paper adopted a recombinant inbred lines (RIL) population derived from ‘Zhongdou27’and ‘Hefeng25’ and a high-density linkage map based on whole-genome resequencing to map novel QTL and used meta-analysis methods to integrate the stable and consentaneous QTL. The candidate genes were obtained from gene functional annotation and expression analysis based on the public database. A total of 41 QTL with a high logarithm of odd (LOD) scores were identified through composite interval mapping (CIM), including 38 novel QTL and 2 Stable QTL. A total of 660 candidate genes were predicted according to the results of the gene annotation and public transcriptome data. A total of 212 meta-QTL containing 122 stable and consentaneous QTL were mapped based on 1,034 QTL collected from previous studies. For the first time, 70 meta-QTL associated with isoflavones were mapped in this study. Meanwhile, 69 and 73 meta-QTL, respectively, related to oil and protein were obtained as well. The results promote the understanding of the biosynthesis and regulation of isoflavones, protein, and oil at molecular levels, and facilitate the construction of molecular modular for great quality traits in soybean.
Translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire (PPAQ) to the Brazilian population.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the total activity performed by women with low-risk pregnancy as well as translate and pursue a cross-cultural adaptation of the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire (PPAQ) to the Brazilian reality. DESIGN We conducted a cross-sectional quantitative study including 305 women between 16 and 40 years of age with low-risk pregnancies. SETTING The Department of Public Health, State University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil. METHODS We applied an adapted version of PPAQ to assess the levels of physical activity and the intensity in the metabolic equivalent task (MET), which could be distinguished as follows: sedentary (< 1.5 METs), light (1.5-3.0 METs), moderate activity (3.0-6.0 METs), and vigorous activity (>6.0 METs). The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare energy expenditure (MET) with socio-demographic variables. RESULTS More than half of the participants performed activities that were classified as light (51.4%). If we group the activities that were categorized as sedentary and light, this value increases to 74.7%, showing a high prevalence of insufficiently active pregnant women. Lower energy expenditure was observed in the third gestational trimester among pregnant women with lower educational level, single women, and mixed-race women (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION There is a prevalence of physical inactivity during the three trimesters of pregnancy. The results validate PPAQ for the Brazilian population to serve as a basis for future public policies focused on combating the health problems of mother-infant pairs.
LRH-1-dependent programming of mitochondrial glutamine processing drives liver cancer

Xu et al. identify the nuclear receptor liver receptor homolog 1 (LRH-1) as a key regulator in the process of hepatic tumorigenesis through the coordination of a noncanonical glutamine pathway that is reliant on the mitochondrial and cytosolic transaminases glutamate pyruvate transaminase 2 (GPT2) and glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase 1 (GOT1), which fuel anabolic metabolism.
REMOVAL OF SALT AND PEPPER NOISE USING ADVANCED MODIFIED DECISION BASED UNSYMMETRIC TRIMMED MEDIAN FILTER IN COLOUR AND GRAY SCALE IMAGES

An improved decision-based algorithm for the restoration of gray-scale and colour images that are highly corrupted by Salt-and-Pepper noise, is proposed in this paper which efficiently removes the salt and pepper noise while preserving the details in colour images using Iterative Modified Decision based Unsymmetric Trimmed Median Filter. The performance of the proposed method is analyzed by using various qualities of metrics, such as Mean Square Error (MSE) and Peak Signal to Noise ratio (PSNR). Simulation results clearly show that the proposed method is out performs both in qualitative as well quantitative fidelity criteria, when it is compared with MDBUTMF.