Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intrapancreatic Axonal Hyperbranching of Dorsal Root Ganglia Neurons in Chronic Pancreatitis Model Rats and its Relation to Pancreatic Pain

Objectives: Increase in number of intrapancreatic nerve bundles has been implicated in the generation of persistent pain in chronic pancreatitis. To examine the origin of these nerve fibers and the mechanisms linking neural morphological change to pain generation, we used neuronal tracing techniques in combination with immunohistochemistry in spontaneous chronic pancreatitis in the Wistar Bonn/Kobori (WBN/Kob) rats. Methods: For retrograde tracing, horseradish peroxidase was injected into the pancreas, and labeled neurons in the sensory ganglia were counted. For anterograde tracing, biotinylated dextran amine was injected into the dorsal root ganglia (DRGs), and labeled intrapancreatic sensory fibers were histochemically assessed. For assessment of pain generation, we evaluated c-Fos-positive neurons in the spinal dorsal horn and behavioral changes of the animals. Results: In WBN/Kob rats, the numbers of horseradish peroxidase-labeled neurons were decreased in the DRGs, and the numbers of biotinylated dextran amine-labeled intrapancreatic nerve fibers and terminals were increased. Biotinylated dextran amine-labeled nerve fibers contained growth-associated protein 43. The number of c-Fos-positive neurons in the dorsal horn was also increased and was correlated with intrapancreatic growth-associated protein 43 immunoreactivity. Grooming behavior was reduced in WBN/Kob rats, and this reduction was facilitated by exocrine stimulation. Conclusions: Axonal branching in DRG neurons innervating the pancreas increases in WBN/Kob rats, and these morphological changes are likely involved in pain generation in chronic pancreatitis.
Physical activity and psychological well-being in children with Type 1 diabetes

Abstract Physical activity and psychological well-being contribute to positive lifestyle and well-being in youngsters who have Type 1 diabetes. The aims of this study were to objectively assess the physical activity levels of children with Type 1 diabetes, and investigate associations between physical activity levels, psychological well-being and HbA1c. Thirty-six children, mean age 12.8 years, participated in the investigation. Physical activity was assessed using heart rate monitoring over four days. Children further completed the Diabetes Quality of Life for Youths Questionnaire, the Physical Self-Perception Profile for Children and the Self-Efficacy for Diabetes Scale. Routine outpatient HbA1c measurements were recorded. There were no significant associations between psychological well-being and physical activity, or HbA1c and physical activity, thus suggesting physical activity does not directly relate to psychological well-being in children with Type 1 diabetes. It may be that the effect of physical activity differs from that in children without Type 1 diabetes because of the place of physical activity within diabetes management and the need to balance this with insulin dosage and dietary intake to maintain blood glucose levels.
The information content of high, low and close prices

This paper attempts to reveal the predictability of candlestick analysis to future price and volatility. We find that high and low price series are more sensitive to price volatility than close prices. Difference of high and low price series is more effective to forecast volatility. More importantly, we find that there exists cointegration relationship among high, low and close price series. In the long run, close prices are more likely to be affected by high and low prices of past trading day.
Beyond the Situational Model: Bystander Action Consequences to Intervening in Situations Involving Sexual Violence

Sexual violence is a widely reported problem in college communities. To date, research has largely focused on bystander intervention as one way to help prevent this problem. Although perceived consequences of bystander intervention, such as the weighting of costs and benefits, have been examined, little research has explored what happens after a bystander intervenes. The current study investigated what bystanders report as perceived outcomes and actual consequences of their bystander actions in response to risk for sexual assault. Of the 545 surveyed, 150 reported having taking bystander action in the past month and qualitatively described their bystander behavior and the responses of those parties involved. A range of behavioral responses and intervention methods were identified. The most frequent responses reported by participants were victims conveying positive and perpetrators conveying negative responses. Different types of helping were associated with bystanders reporting different types of responses to their actions. Future research should incorporate additional measures of consequences of bystander intervention. Implications for policy and bystander intervention programs are discussed, stressing the need for bystander intervention programs to address a range of bystander behaviors and explain the potential consequences and risks of intervening.
Perceptual system of networked partner robots

This paper discusses how to extract human motion patterns of networked partner robots. Typically, human motions can be classified into body motions and gesture motions, and are extracted by human tracking and gesture recognition, respectively. In order to improve the performance of these motion recogntion methods, we use both of CCD camera image and distance information of a laser range finder. The proposed method for the human tracking is composed of differential extraction, particle velocity estimation, extraction of facial direction, and adaptive color matching, and 3D human modeling of laser range finder. Finally, we discuss the effectiveness of the the proposed method through several experimental results.
DNA metabarcoding multiplexing and validation of data accuracy for diet assessment: application to omnivorous diet

Ecological understanding of the role of consumer–resource interactions in natural food webs is limited by the difficulty of accurately and efficiently determining the complex variety of food types animals have eaten in the field. We developed a method based on DNA metabarcoding multiplexing and next‐generation sequencing to uncover different taxonomic groups of organisms from complex diet samples. We validated this approach on 91 faeces of a large omnivorous mammal, the brown bear, using DNA metabarcoding markers targeting the plant, vertebrate and invertebrate components of the diet. We included internal controls in the experiments and performed PCR replication for accuracy validation in postsequencing data analysis. Using our multiplexing strategy, we significantly simplified the experimental procedure and accurately and concurrently identified different prey DNA corresponding to the targeted taxonomic groups, with ≥60% of taxa of all diet components identified to genus/species level. The systematic application of internal controls and replication was a useful and simple way to evaluate the performance of our experimental procedure, standardize the selection of sequence filtering parameters for each marker data and validate the accuracy of the results. Our general approach can be adapted to the analysis of dietary samples of various predator species in different ecosystems, for a number of conservation and ecological applications entailing large‐scale population level diet assessment through cost‐effective screening of multiple DNA metabarcodes, and the detection of fine dietary variation among samples or individuals and of rare food items.
The effect of a familiarisation period on subsequent strength gain

Abstract Untrained subjects can display diverse strength gain following an identical period of resistance exercise. In this investigation, 28 untrained males completed 16-weeks of resistance exercise, comprising 4-weeks familiarisation, and 12-weeks of heavy-load (80–85%) activity. High and low responders were identified by the Δ1RM (Δ one repetition maximum) observed following familiarisation (25.1 ± 1.4%, 9.5 ± 1.4%, P < 0.0001) and differences in electromyographic root mean square amplitude (ΔEMGRMS 29.5 ± 8.3%, 2.4 ± 6.0%, P = 0.0140), and habitual and occupational activity patterns were observed between these respective groups. The strength gain (P < 0.0001) observed within high (29.6 ± 1.7%) and low (31.4 ± 2.7%) responding groups was similar during the heavy-load phase, yet ΔEMGRMS increased (P = 0.0048) only in low responders (31.5 ± 9.3%). Retrospectively, differences (P < 0.0001) in baseline 1RM strength of high- (19.7 ± 0.9 kg) and low-responding (15.6 ± 0.7 kg) groups were identified, and a strong negative correlation with Δ1RM after 16-weeks (r 2 = −0.85) was observed. As such, baseline 1RM strength provided a strong predicative measure of strength adaptation. The ΔEMGRMS suggests strength variability within high and low responders may be attributed to neural adaptation. However, differences in habitual endurance and occupational physical activity suggests one should consider screening not only recent resistance training, but also other modes of physical activity during participant recruitment.
A validation study of the Dementia Questionnaire.

OBJECTIVE To determine the validity of the Dementia Questionnaire (a semistructured informant interview) for the diagnosis of dementia. DESIGN Comparison of dementia status determined by a telephone-administered informant questionnaire with the criterion standard of clinical diagnosis established by examination and laboratory studies. SETTING Gerontology Research Center, the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. SUBJECTS Volunteer cohort of 42 men and 32 women aged 68 to 97 years. Subjects were selected from strata defined by Blessed Information Memory Concentration Test scores, with oversampling of borderline scores (3 to 10). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Sensitivity and specificity of the Dementia Questionnaire in comparison with the criterion standard of clinical diagnosis. SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURE Interrater reliability (kappa coefficient). RESULTS Sensitivity and specificity for dementia were 100% and 90%, respectively. Most false-positive findings were from subjects with cognitive impairment that did not meet criteria for dementia (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Revised Third Edition. Interrater reliability was high (kappa = 0.83). CONCLUSION The Dementia Questionnaire can be used effectively in research studies to screen for dementia.
Nephron-sparing surgery for treatment of reninoma: a rare renin secreting tumor causing secondary hypertension

Main findings A 25-year-old hypertensive female patient was referred to our institution. Initial workup exams demonstrated a 2.8 cm cortical lower pole tumor in the right kidney. She underwent laparoscopic partial nephrectomy without complications. Histopathologic examination revealed a rare juxtaglomerular cell tumor known as reninoma. After surgery, she recovered uneventfully and all medications were withdrawn. Case hypothesis Secondary arterial hypertension is a matter of great interest to urologists and nephrologists. Renovascular hypertension, primary hyperadosteronism and pheocromocytoma are potential diagnosis that must not be forgotten and should be excluded. Although rare, chronic pyelonephritis and renal tumors as rennin-producing tumors, nephroblastoma, hypernephroma, and renal cell carcinoma might also induce hypertension and should be in the diagnostic list of clinicians. Promising future implications Approximately 5% of patients with high blood pressure have specific causes and medical investigation may usually identify such patients. Furthermore, these patients can be successfully treated and cured, most times by minimally invasive techniques. This interesting case might expand knowledge of physicians and aid better diagnostic care in future medical practice.
Seroreactivity against glycolytic enzymes in inflammatory bowel disease

Background: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) carry autoantibodies such as perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies. The aim of the current study was to further characterize the immune reactivity in IBD. Methods: We used an immunoproteomic approach with extracts from granulocytes and serum from ulcerative colitis (UC) patients and controls to identify target antigens. By means of Western blot analysis, we screened 60 UC and 60 Crohn's disease (CD) patients, 60 diseased, and 60 healthy controls for the antibodies. We performed gene array experiments on RNA extracted from colonic mucosal biopsies from 42 IBD patients and six controls. Results: We identified aldolase A, phosphoglycerate mutase, alpha‐enolase, triose‐phosphate isomerase, and malate dehydrogenase as target antigens in IBD. Seroreactivity to at least one of these five antigens was detected in 53.3% of UC patients, 38.3% of CD patients, and 8.3% of controls. Seroreactivity to at least two antigens was detected in 16.7% of UC patients, 11.7% of CD patients, and none of the controls. Gene array experiments showed a significant upregulation of aldolase A, phosphoglycerate mutase, alpha‐enolase, and pyruvate kinase mRNA in biopsies from IBD patients, but not controls. UC and CD patients also showed enhanced expression of hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1, a transcription factor that induces expression of glycolytic enzymes. Conclusions: IBD patients show strong seroreactivity toward enzymes involved in the glycolysis. IBD patients also have increased colonic mRNA expression of glycolytic enzymes, which is triggered by hypoxia through the transcription factor HIF‐1. Inflamm Bowel Dis 2011
Local expression of IGF‐1 accelerates muscle regeneration by rapidly modulating inflammatory cytokines and chemokines

Muscle regeneration following injury is characterized by myonecrosis accompanied by local inflammation, activation of satellite cells, and repair of injured fibers. The resolution of the inflammatory response is necessary to proceed toward muscle repair, since persistence of inflammation often renders the damaged muscle incapable of sustaining efficient muscle regeneration. Here, we show that local expression of a muscle‐restricted insulin‐like growth factor (IGF)‐1 (mIGF‐1) transgene accelerates the regenerative process of injured skeletal muscle, modulating the inflammatory response, and limiting fibrosis. At the molecular level, mIGF‐1 expression significantly down‐regulated proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐alpha and interleukin (IL)‐1beta, and modulated the expression of CC chemokines involved in the recruitment of monocytes/macrophages. Analysis of the underlying molecular mechanisms revealed that mIGF‐1 expression modulated key players of inflammatory response, such as macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), high mobility group protein‐1 (HMGB1), and transcription NF‐KB. The rapid restoration of injured mIGF‐1 transgenic muscle was also associated with connective tissue remodeling and a rapid recovery of functional properties. By modulating the inflammatory response and reducing fibrosis, supplemental mIGF‐1 creates a qualitatively different environment for sustaining more efficient muscle regeneration and repair. —Pelosi, L. , Giacinti, C. , Nardis, C. , Borsellino, G. , Rizzuto, E. , Nicoletti, C. , Wannenes, F. , Battistini, L. , Rosenthal, N. , Molinaro, M. , Musaro, A. Local expression of IGF‐1 accelerates muscle regeneration by rapidly modulating inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. FASEB J. 21, 1393–1402 (2007)
Maintenance and Exchange of the Aromatic Amino Acid Pool in Escherichia coli

The pool of phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan is formed in Escherichia coli K-12 by a general aromatic transport system [Michaelis constant (Km) for each amino acid approximately 5 × 10−7m] and three further transport systems each specific for a single aromatic amino acid (Km for each amino acid approximately 2 × 10−6m, reference 3). When the external concentration of a particular aromatic amino acid is saturating for both classes of transport system, the free amino acid pool is supplied with external amino acid by both systems. Blocking the general transport system reduces the pool size by 80 to 90% but does not interfere with the supply of the amino acid to protein synthesis. If, however, the external concentration is too low to saturate specific transport, blocking general transport inhibits the incorporation of external amino acid into protein by about 75%. It is concluded that the amino acids transported by either class of transport system can be used for protein synthesis. Dilution of the external amino acid or deprivation of energy causes efflux of the aromatic pool. These results and rapid exchange observed between pool amino acid and external amino acids indicate that the aromatic pool circulates rapidly between the inside and the outside of the cell. Evidence is presented that this exchange is mediated by the aromatic transport systems. Mutation of aroP (a gene specifying general aromatic transport) inhibits exit and exchange of the small pool generated by specific transport. These findings are discussed and a simple physiological model of aromatic pool formation, and exchange, is proposed.
Semantic Role Labeling using Linear-Chain CRF

The aim of this paper is to present a simplified take on applying linear-chain conditional random fields (CRF) to semantic role labeling (SRL), with a focus on German. The dataset is adapted from the semantic parsing track of the CoNLL-2009 shared task on syntactic and semantic dependencies in multiple languages. By treating SRL as a sequence labeling task, the framework architecture becomes very simple. Building on a set of hand-crafted features, a linear-chain CRF model is trained which jointly performs argument identification and classification in a single step. The best results on the sequence tagging task are obtained by the model which integrates basic argument and predicate features, as well as a binary feature indicating if a given argument is a syntactic child of the predicate in the dependency tree. We found that for our system, employing more distinct features on syntactic dependents of the predicate impaired model performance.
Locomotion mode classification using force myography

In this paper, we developed a force myography (FMG) system to capture the volumetric changes in thigh muscles during locomotion and applying it to recognize the current locomotion mode. The force myographic signal is acquired from eight sensors wrapped around the thigh. Six healthy volunteers participated in the study and five locomotion modes i.e. level walk (LW), ramp ascent (RA), ramp descent (RD), stair ascent (SA) and stair descent (SD) were tested in the study. To evaluate the classification performance of the FMG system, linear discriminant analysis (LDA) classifier was used. The average classification accuracy for locomotion modes was 92.5±7.1% with 97.2% classification accuracy for stair ascent walking.
Low Temperature-Induced Alterations in the Chloroplast and Microsomal Membranes of Dunaliella salina.

The metabolic regulation of membrane lipid composition has been examined using the cell wall-less, unicellular green alga Dunaliella salina (UTEX 1644) as a model system. Low temperature stress was employed to initiate and study the regulatory response.When cultures growing logarithmically at 30 degrees C were chilled to 12 degrees C, cell division ceased for approximately 100 hours, and then the cells resumed logarithmic growth at a slower rate. The phospholipid, glycolipid and protein content, on a per cell basis, was, in each case, approximately 20% higher in cells grown at 12 degrees C. The volume of the 12 degrees C-acclimated cells was 2.8 times that of 30 degrees C-grown cells. The quantity of chloroplast membrane, as determined by morphometric analysis, was 20% greater, whereas the content of microsomal membrane material was more elevated, being approximately 2.8 times that of 30 degrees C-grown cells.Lipid compositional analyses were carried out on purified chloroplasts and microsomes isolated from Dunaliella grown at 30 and 12 degrees C and also from cells 12 and 60 hours following a shift from 30 to 12 degrees C. In both chloroplast and microsomal phospholipids fatty acid unsaturation increased during acclimation to low temperature. Generally, microsomal phospholipids responded more quickly and to a greater extent than did chloroplast phospholipids. Despite these alterations, little change in the relative proportions of phospholipid classes was observed in either cell fraction.In sharp contrast to the pattern of phospholipid change, chloroplast glycolipids responded to low temperature by significantly increasing the proportion of one specific class, digalactosyl diglycerides, relative to monogalactosyl diglycerides, while showing minimal change in fatty acid distribution within any given glycolipid class.The ease and rapidity with which Dunaliella cells can be manipulated with respect to environmental stress and isolation of intact cell organelles makes it particularly well suited for research on intermembrane lipid dynamics within the plant cell.
Probing the Reproducibility of Leaf Growth and Molecular Phenotypes: A Comparison of Three Arabidopsis Accessions Cultivated in Ten Laboratories1[W]

A major goal of the life sciences is to understand how molecular processes control phenotypes. Because understanding biological systems relies on the work of multiple laboratories, biologists implicitly assume that organisms with the same genotype will display similar phenotypes when grown in comparable conditions. We investigated to what extent this holds true for leaf growth variables and metabolite and transcriptome profiles of three Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) genotypes grown in 10 laboratories using a standardized and detailed protocol. A core group of four laboratories generated similar leaf growth phenotypes, demonstrating that standardization is possible. But some laboratories presented significant differences in some leaf growth variables, sometimes changing the genotype ranking. Metabolite profiles derived from the same leaf displayed a strong genotype × environment (laboratory) component. Genotypes could be separated on the basis of their metabolic signature, but only when the analysis was limited to samples derived from one laboratory. Transcriptome data revealed considerable plant-to-plant variation, but the standardization ensured that interlaboratory variation was not considerably larger than intralaboratory variation. The different impacts of the standardization on phenotypes and molecular profiles could result from differences of temporal scale between processes involved at these organizational levels. Our findings underscore the challenge of describing, monitoring, and precisely controlling environmental conditions but also demonstrate that dedicated efforts can result in reproducible data across multiple laboratories. Finally, our comparative analysis revealed that small variations in growing conditions (light quality principally) and handling of plants can account for significant differences in phenotypes and molecular profiles obtained in independent laboratories.