Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mitochondrial susceptibility in a model of paraquat neurotoxicity

Abstract Paraquat is a highly toxic herbicide capable of generating oxidative stress and producing brain damage after chronic exposure. The aim of this research was to investigate the contribution of mitochondria to the molecular mechanism of apoptosis in an in vivo experimental model of paraquat neurotoxicity. Sprague-Dawley adult female rats received paraquat (10 mg/kg i.p.) or saline once a week during a month. Paraquat treatment increased cortical and striatal superoxide anion levels by 45% and 18%, respectively. As a consequence, mitochondrial aconitase activity was significantly inhibited in cerebral cortex and striatum. Paraquat treatment increased cortical and striatal lipid peroxidation levels by 16% and 28%, respectively, as compared with control mitochondria Also, cortical and striatal cardiolipin levels were decreased by 13% and 49%, respectively. Increased Bax and Bak association to mitochondrial membranes was observed after paraquat treatment in cerebral cortex and striatum. Also, paraquat induced cytochrome c and AIF release from mitochondria. These findings support the conclusion that a weekly dose of paraquat during four weeks induces oxidative damage that activates mitochondrial pathways associated with molecular mechanisms of cell death. The release of apoptogenic proteins from mitochondria to cytosol after paraquat treatment would be the consequence of an alteration in mitochondrial membrane permeability due to the presence of high superoxide anion levels. Also, our results suggest that under chronic exposure, striatal mitochondria were more sensitive to paraquat oxidative damage than cortical mitochondria. Even in the presence of a high oxidative stress in striatum, equal levels of apoptosis were attained in both brain areas.
High dose barbiturates in non‐traumatic brain swelling: ICP reduction and effect on outcome.

High dose barbiturates were used to treat intracranial hypertension in 15 patients with nontraumatic brain lesions; (3 hypertensive hemorrhage, 4 subarachnoid hemorrhage, 5 infarction, 2 global anoxia-ischemia and 2 encephalitis). All had persistently raised intracranial pressure (ICP) while being treated with aggressive conventional therapy. The addition of barbiturates caused an initial lowering of ICP in 11 patients, but only 5 of these had sustained ICP reductions. Survival of the 5 patients with persistently lowered ICP and death of the remaining 10 may indicate an improvement in outcome attributable to the addition of high dose barbiturates to conventional therapy in non-traumatic brain swelling. Because of the resources required for their prolonged use, randomized studied in patients with intracranial hypertension are required to determine the effect of barbiturates on outcome.
In Vivo Detection of Myocardial Ischemia in Pigs Using Visible Light Spectroscopy

BACKGROUND: Monitoring tissue oxygenation (StO2) by visible light spectroscopy (VLS) can identify tissue ischemia, but its feasibility for detecting myocardial ischemia is not known. We hypothesized that VLS can reliably detect changes in myocardial StO2 in pigs subjected to acute regional or global myocardial ischemia. METHODS: In 11 pigs, regional myocardial ischemia was created by ligation of left anterior descending artery (LAD). Myocardial StO2 was determined from the ischemic and nonischemic left ventricular (LV) regions and compared to coronary venous saturations. Myocardial function was assessed by echocardiography. In six pigs, LV-StO2 was measured during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), after cardioplegic cardiac arrest, and during CPB with inadequate myocardial protection. Additionally, right ventricular (RV)- and LV-StO2 were assessed during acute RV pressure overload from pulmonary artery (PA) banding. RESULTS: StO2 baselines in pigs undergoing LAD occlusion were similar in the ischemic and nonischemic myocardium (70% ± 8% vs 74% ± 5%). After LAD ligation, StO2 rapidly declined (30 s: 59% ± 8%; 1 min:50 ± 9; 5 min:42% ± 4%; P < 0.05) in the ischemic myocardium. Decreases in StO2 correlated with coronary venous saturations (r = 0.88) and were associated with myocardial dysfunction. In pigs undergoing CPB, LV-StO2 remained unchanged with initiation of CPB or after cardioplegic cardiac arrest, but LV ischemia was detected by StO2 after aortic cross-clamp without adequate myocardial protection. Similarly, PA banding resulted in a profound decrease of RV-StO2 from 69% ± 6% to 52% ± 7% (P < 0.05) with recovery after PA release. CONCLUSIONS: VLS is a reliable method of detecting alterations in myocardial StO2 and can be a useful monitor for rapid identification of myocardial ischemia.
The occurrence of the post-thrombotic changes after an acute deep venous thrombosis. A prospective two-year follow-up study.

BACKGROUND The aim of the study is to investigate the development of subjective and objective findings during the first two years after DVT (deep venous thrombosis). METHODS This prospective two-year follow-up study was established in Tampere University Hospital in Finland. Twenty-six patients with a two-year follow-up after a phlebographically confirmed DVT were followed. Patients were treated conventionally with heparin and warfarin. Phlebography was repeated 7 months after DVT. Color-flow duplex imaging (CFDI) was performed in both legs 7 and 20 months after DVT. The subjective symptoms in both legs were recorded at the beginning and at the end of the follow-up. The development of venous reflux, obstruction and subjective symptoms after DVT were studied. RESULTS 50% of the legs with DVT had a pathological (deep reflux or obstructive change) CFDI-finding in the popliteal segment after a 20-month follow-up. The pathological findings in the control legs were rare. The rate of recanalisation was high. There was no difference between calf and more proximal DVTs. Pain (62%), oedema (46%) and pigmentation (35%) were common and only 27% of the legs with DVT were asymptomatic. CONCLUSIONS The development of the post-thrombotic syndrome begins quite early. The frequency of the subjective symptoms is high. Calf DVT may lead to postthrombotic sequelae in the popliteal segment.
Relative Motion Compensation of Maneuvering Targets for ISAR Imaging

This paper presents an inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) compensation algorithm of maneuvering targets with relative motion, which is an efficient algorithm based on a very flexible motion model. When the sub-signal satisfies the requirements of decomposition, numerical and experimental results have shown that algorithm is a very useful tool for ISAR imaging
Association between media use in adolescence and depression in young adulthood: a longitudinal study.

CONTEXT Although certain media exposures have been linked to the presence of psychiatric conditions, few studies have investigated the association between media exposure and depression. OBJECTIVE To assess the longitudinal association between media exposure in adolescence and depression in young adulthood in a nationally representative sample. DESIGN Longitudinal cohort study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS We used the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health (Add Health) to investigate the relationship between electronic media exposure in 4142 adolescents who were not depressed at baseline and subsequent development of depression after 7 years of follow-up. Main Outcome Measure Depression at follow-up assessed using the 9-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale. RESULTS Of the 4142 participants (47.5% female and 67.0% white) who were not depressed at baseline and who underwent follow-up assessment, 308 (7.4%) reported symptoms consistent with depression at follow-up. Controlling for all covariates including baseline Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale score, those reporting more television use had significantly greater odds of developing depression (odds ratio [95% confidence interval], 1.08 [1.01-1.16]) for each additional hour of daily television use. In addition, those reporting more total media exposure had significantly greater odds of developing depression (1.05 [1.0004-1.10]) for each additional hour of daily use. We did not find a consistent relationship between development of depressive symptoms and exposure to videocassettes, computer games, or radio. Compared with young men, young women were less likely to develop depression given the same total media exposure (odds ratio for interaction term, 0.93 [0.88-0.99]). CONCLUSION Television exposure and total media exposure in adolescence are associated with increased odds of depressive symptoms in young adulthood, especially in young men.
Recognizing diversity in coral symbiotic dinoflagellate communities

A detailed understanding of how diversity in endosymbiotic dinoflagellate communities maps onto the physiological range of coral hosts is critical to predicting how coral reef ecosystems will respond to climate change. Species‐level taxonomy of the dinoflagellate genus Symbiodinium has been predominantly examined using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the nuclear ribosomal array (rDNA ITS2) and downstream screening for dominant types using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Here, ITS2 diversity in the communities of Symbiodinium harboured by two Hawaiian coral species was explored using direct sequencing of clone libraries. We resolved sixfold to eightfold greater diversity per coral species than previously reported, the majority of which corresponds to a novel and distinct phylogenetic lineage. We evaluated how these sequences migrate in DGGE and demonstrate that this method does not effectively resolve this diversity. We conclude that the Porites spp. examined here harbour diverse assemblages of novel Symbiodinium types and that cloning and sequencing is an effective methodological approach for resolving the complexity of endosymbiotic dinoflagellate communities harboured by reef corals.
Impaired corticomuscular coherence during isometric elbow flexion contractions in humans with cervical spinal cord injury

After spinal cord injury (SCI), the reorganization of the neuromuscular system leads to increased antagonist muscles’ co‐activation—that is, increased antagonist vs. agonist muscles activation ratio—during voluntary contractions. Increased muscle co‐activation is supposed to result from reduced cortical influences on spinal mechanisms inhibiting antagonist muscles. The assessment of the residual interactions between cortical and muscles activity with corticomuscular coherence (CMC) in participants with SCI producing different force levels may shed new lights on the regulation of muscle co‐activation. To achieve this aim, we compared the net joint torque, the muscle co‐activation and the CMC ~ 10 and ~ 20 Hz with both agonist and antagonist muscles in participants with SCI and healthy participants performing actual isometric elbow flexion contractions at three force levels. For all participants, overall CMC and muscle co‐activation decreased with the increase in the net joint torque, but only CMC ~ 10 Hz was correlated with muscle co‐activation. Participants with SCI had greater muscle co‐activation and lower CMC ~ 10 Hz, at the highest force levels. These results emphasize the importance of CMC as a mechanism that could take part in the modulation of muscle co‐activation to maintain a specific force level. Lower CMC ~ 10 Hz in SCI participants may reflect the decreased cortical influence on spinal mechanisms, leading to increased muscle co‐activation, although plasticity of the corticomuscular coupling seems to be preserved after SCI to modulate the force level. Clinically, the CMC may efficiently evaluate the residual integrity of the neuromuscular system after SCI and the effects of rehabilitation.
How and why to hire a diverse workforce: what you need to know

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide suggestions for hiring teams, human resources departments and hiring decision-makers on how to create more diverse hiring practices. Design/methodology/approach The authors will be drawing on their experience in leadership roles running global organizations for women in technology and running technology divisions for one of the world’s largest banks. Findings By instituting one or more of the following recommendations, companies will move towards a higher level of inclusion of diverse candidates. Originality/value Diversity is important!
Tick-borne Great Island Virus: (II) Impact of age-related acquired immunity on transmission in a natural seabird host

Tick-borne pathogen transmission is dependent upon tick number per host and the physical and temporal distribution of each feeding stage. Age-related acquired immunity to tick and pathogen may also be important but has received less attention. In this study we evaluate which of these parameters has the greatest impact on Great Island Virus (GIV) transmission between Ixodes uriae ticks and common guillemots (Uria aalge). The study system is well suited to investigate age-related effects because the guillemot population is naturally divided into 2 groups, older breeding and younger pre-breeding adult birds. The physical distribution and timing of adult and nymphal tick feeding was similar for both guillemot age groups. However, breeding birds were parasitized by significantly more ticks (mainly nymphs). Calculations based on tick number predict virus prevalence should be higher in ticks that have fed on breeding rather than pre-breeding birds. However, empirical evidence indicates the reverse. Protective acquired immunity to GIV infection may be the reason why GIV prevalence is actually significantly lower in ticks that have fed on breeders. Far more breeding (74%) than pre-breeding (12%) guillemots had antibodies that neutralized 1 or more GIV strains. Estimates of the force of infection support the view that pre-breeding birds experience higher rates of virus infection than breeding birds. The results indicate age-related acquired immunity is a key factor in GIV transmission and highlight the need to consider age-related effects and host immunity when undertaking quantitative studies of tick-borne pathogen transmission.
Modeling genome coverage in single-cell sequencing

MOTIVATION Single-cell DNA sequencing is necessary for examining genetic variation at the cellular level, which remains hidden in bulk sequencing experiments. But because they begin with such small amounts of starting material, the amount of information that is obtained from single-cell sequencing experiment is highly sensitive to the choice of protocol employed and variability in library preparation. In particular, the fraction of the genome represented in single-cell sequencing libraries exhibits extreme variability due to quantitative biases in amplification and loss of genetic material. RESULTS We propose a method to predict the genome coverage of a deep sequencing experiment using information from an initial shallow sequencing experiment mapped to a reference genome. The observed coverage statistics are used in a non-parametric empirical Bayes Poisson model to estimate the gain in coverage from deeper sequencing. This approach allows researchers to know statistical features of deep sequencing experiments without actually sequencing deeply, providing a basis for optimizing and comparing single-cell sequencing protocols or screening libraries. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION The method is available as part of the preseq software package. Source code is available at http://smithlabresearch.org/preseq. CONTACT andrewds@usc.edu SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary material is available at Bioinformatics online.
Local Delivery of a Synthetic Endostatin Fragment for the Treatment of Experimental Gliomas

OBJECTIVE:Endostatin is an anti-angiogenic agent that blocks matrix-metalloproteinase-2 and inhibits endothelial cell proliferation. Currently, endostatin is available through recombinant technology, which limits its broader use. In this study, a synthetic endostatin fragment (EF) was analyzed to determine its anti-angiogenic properties when locally delivered by controlled-release polymers and to establish its effect as a treatment for experimental gliomas. METHODS:Cytotoxicity of EF against 9L gliosarcoma and F98 glioma was determined in vitro. EF was loaded into polyanhydride-poly-(bis-[carboxyphenoxy-propane]-sebacic-acid) (pCPP:SA) polymers at increasing concentrations. Pharmacokinetics of the EF/polymer formulations were defined in vitro. Anti-angiogenic properties of the EF/polymer formulations were evaluated in the rat-cornea micropocket assay. Toxicity and efficacy of locally delivered EF polymers either alone or combined with systemic bischloroethylnitrosourea (carmustine) were determined in rats intracranially challenged with 9L gliosarcoma. RESULTS:EF showed scarce cytotoxicity against 9L and F98 in vitro. EF/pCPP:SA formulations showed sustained release by day 19. Mean corneal angiogenesis index 20 days after tumor implantation was 4.5 ± 0.7 for corneas implanted with 40% EF/pCPP:SA compared with controls (8.5 ± 1.3, P = 0.02). Intracranial efficacy studies showed that EF polymers alone did not prolong animal survival. Combination of 40% EF/pCPP:SA polymers with systemic bischloroethylnitrosourea (carmustine) prolonged survival (median survival of 44 d, P = 0.001) and generated 33% long-term survivors. CONCLUSION:Controlled-release polymers can effectively deliver a biologically active EF in a sustained fashion. EF inhibits angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo, and even though EF does not prolong survival as a single agent, it exhibits a synergistic effect when combined with systemic bischloroethylnitrosourea (carmustine) in the intracranial 9L gliosarcoma model.
Age and Nursing Affect the Neonatal Porcine Uterine Transcriptome1

ABSTRACT The lactocrine hypothesis for maternal programming of neonatal development was proposed to describe a mechanism through which milk-borne bioactive factors, delivered from mother to nursing offspring, could affect development of tissues, including the uterus. Porcine uterine development, initiated before birth, is completed postnatally. However, age- and lactocrine-sensitive elements of the neonatal porcine uterine developmental program are undefined. Here, effects of age and nursing on the uterine transcriptome for 48 h from birth (Postnatal Day [PND] = 0) were identified using RNA sequencing (RNAseq). Uterine tissues were obtained from neonatal gilts (n = 4 per group) within 1 h of birth and before feeding (PND 0), or 48 h after nursing ad libitum (PND 2N) or feeding a commercial milk replacer (PND 2R). RNAseq analysis revealed differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with both age (PND 2N vs. PND 0; 3283 DEGs) and nursing on PND 2 (PND 2N vs PND 2R; 896 DEGs). Expression of selected uterine genes was validated using quantitative real-time PCR. Bioinformatic analyses revealed multiple biological processes enriched in response to both age and nursing, including cell adhesion, morphogenesis, and cell-cell signaling. Age-sensitive pathways also included estrogen receptor-alpha and hedgehog signaling cascades. Lactocrine-sensitive processes in nursed gilts included those involved in response to wounding, the plasminogen activator network and coagulation. Overall, RNAseq analysis revealed comprehensive age- and nursing-related transcriptomic differences in the neonatal porcine uterus and identified novel pathways and biological processes regulating uterine development.
Spinalization unmasks clonidine's alpha 1-adrenergic mediated excitation of the flexor reflex in rats

Clonidine exerts alpha 2-adrenergic mediated depressant effects on most behaviors measured in a normal animal. However, in the spinal- transected (spinalized) animal, clonidine apparently facilitates the flexor reflex through a stimulation of spinal alpha 1-adrenoceptors. The purpose of the present study was to determine if spinalization per se causes the shift in clonidine's profile from an alpha 2- to an alpha 1-adrenergic agonist. The hindlimb flexor reflex was elicited by electrical pulses delivered through electrodes implanted subcutaneously in the hindpaw and was measured with a force transducer and polygraph. In contrast to an alpha 2-adrenergic mediated inhibition of the flexor reflex in intact rats, clonidine produced an alpha 1-adrenergic mediated increase in flexor reflex amplitude in spinalized rats. Because decerebration did not alter the depression due to clonidine, and intraventricular (but not intrathecal) administration of oxymetazoline mimicked the effect of clonidine, the depressant effects of alpha 2-adrenergic agonists are mediated through alpha 2-adrenergic receptors localized in the brainstem. Alternate methods for inducing a functional spinal transection (spinal block with intrathecal procaine; spinal ligation) indicated that the shift in clonidine's effect from inhibition of the flexor reflex to excitation occurred immediately following spinalization. Spinal ligation did not produce alpha 1- adrenergic supersensitivity at 15 min or 2 hr after transection, as measured by alterations in [3H]prazosin receptor binding or behavioral responses to clonidine. Thus, the shift in clonidine's effects from alpha 2-adrenergic mediated inhibition of the flexor reflex in intact rats to alpha 1-adrenergic mediated excitation in spinalized rats results because spinal transection unmasks clonidine's alpha 1- adrenergic stimulatory effect. Other conditions under which clonidine exerts alpha 1-adrenoceptor mediated excitatory effects on behavior are discussed.
The nexus of displacement, asset vulnerability and the Right to the City: the case of the refugees and urban poor of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

This paper examines the asset vulnerability and livelihood strategies of refugees and the urban poor in slum settlements of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The Asset Vulnerability Framework is used as the analytical framework of how household’s assets are affected by vulnerability. Using qualitative analysis, factors which impact on the livelihood assets of both groups are examined. The paper focuses on the five main assets as indicated by Moser, while conceptualising further the assets which both populations aspire to accumulate, and which are necessary for them to prosper – rights, in this case the Right to the City. The paper, therefore, attempts to develop linkages between these areas: asset vulnerability, displacement and the Right to the City.
Yolk androgens and the development of avian immunity: an experiment in jackdaws (Corvus monedula)

SUMMARY Maternally derived androgens have been shown to influence offspring phenotype in various ways. In birds, the benefits of prenatal androgen exposure, such as increased competitiveness and accelerated growth in nestlings, have been suggested to be balanced by costs, such as reduced immune function. In this study, we used an integrative approach to examine the influence of yolk androgens on the development of immune function in jackdaw (Corvus monedula) nestlings. Specifically, we tested whether the effects of yolk androgens on offspring immunity may extend over the first few days of life and be detectable even after several weeks. We manipulated yolk androgen concentrations in jackdaw eggs and estimated immune responsiveness by challenging the young with different pathogens at different stages of the nestling period. Six-day-old chicks hatched from eggs with elevated yolk androgen levels had lower pre-challenge antibody titres against lipopolysaccharide (LPS) than control chicks. However, antibody titres against LPS did not differ between treatment groups eight days after a challenge with LPS. During the late nestling phase, both humoral (towards diphtheria/tetanus antigens) and cell-mediated (towards phytohaemagglutinin) immune responsiveness were lower in chicks from yolk androgen-treated eggs compared with control chicks. Our experimental study on jackdaw chicks shows that elevated yolk androgen levels result in a general immunosuppression in offspring; this conclusion was based on results for several immunological tests of both humoral and cell-mediated immunity conducted at 1–2 and 3–4 weeks of age.