Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pharmacological MRI responses of raclopride in rats: The relationship with D2 receptor occupancy and cataleptic behavior

Pharmacological magnetic resonance imaging (phMRI) allows the visualization of brain pharmacological effects of drugs using functional MRI (fMRI). phMRI can help us facilitate central nervous system (CNS) drug development. However, there have been few studies demonstrating the dose relationship of the fMRI response induced by CNS drugs to underlying target engagement or behavioral efficacy. To clarify these relationships, we examined receptor occupancy measurements using positron emission tomography (PET) (n = 3~5), fMRI (n = 5~8) and a cataleptic behavior (n = 6) with raclopride, a dopamine D2 receptor antagonist (8, 20, and 200 μg/kg) on Wistar rats. Dopamine D2 receptor occupancy was increased dose dependently by raclopride (41.8 ± 2.7%, 8 μg/kg; 64.9 ± 2.8%, 20 μg/kg; 83.1 ± 3.0%, 200 μg/kg). phMRI study revealed significant positive responses to raclopride at 200 μg/kg specifically in the striatum and nucleus accumbens, related to dopaminergic system. Slight fMRI responses were observed at 20 μg/kg in some areas corresponding to the striatum and nucleus accumbens. There were no noticeable fMRI responses at 8 μg/kg raclopride administration. Raclopride at 200 μg/kg significantly increased the cataleptic score, although, at 8 and 20 μg/kg, raclopride had no significant effects. These findings showed that raclopride‐induced fMRI responses were observed at doses inducing cataleptic behavior and high D2 receptor occupancy, suggesting that phMRI can be useful for dose selection in clinical trial as an evaluation method of brain activity, which reflects behavioral responses induced by target engagements.
The Social/Professional Responsibility of Engineers

One of the most difficult of the ethical issues associated with scientific research for the military has to do with a researcher’s decision whether to become involved in such research at all, and if so, whether to draw a line between research she is willing to do and research she is not willing to do for the military. My aim in this paper is not to decide these questions, but rather to argue for a framework for thinking about them, a framework that would facilitate analysis and bring the important issues to the fore. The framework I propose places these matters in the context of broader questions about the social responsibilities of researchers. The focus here will be on engineers though most, if not all, of what is said applies to other researchers. The special emphasis on engineers is useful for a number of reasons. First, social responsibilities are often understood to arise from membership in a profession because of the special expertise or unique role of the profession in society. Thus, focusing on a particular profession allows us to see how the very conception of a profession implies criteria for choosing projects. Second, a large portion of American engineers are employed by the military or by companies with contracts from the military, and a large portion of the research being done for the military is done by engineers. (There are important differences in the circumstances of academic engineers, corporate engineers, and government engineers, but these will not be emphasized here.) From the ethics codes of engineering professional organizations and from the engineering ethics literature, it is clear that engineers generally see themselves as having responsibilities to society, to employers, to clients, and to coprofessionals or the profession as a whole. Many of the codes specify that the responsibility to protect the safety and welfare of society is paramount. It is this responsibility that we refer to when we talk about the social responsibilities of engineers. And it is this responsibility that comes into play in decisions about participation in military research. This responsibility can be understood to fall on the shoulders of individual engineers and/or on the shoulders of the profession, that is, members
Elo Method and Race Traits: A New Integrated System for Sport Horse Genetic Evaluation

Simple Summary The current selection of the Sardinian Anglo-Arab horse (SAA) for racing is not based on any scientific method because the breeders decide only on their knowledge of pedigree and on the comparison of racing results. The comparison between competitors is a common situation in sports and games, and it might cause problems in horse performance evaluation. To overcome this problem in the game of chess, Elo suggested using a method based on winning chances. Elo’s system assumed that ranking probability for two competitors could be estimated from their rating difference. Even in horse races, the ranking of each horse, and consequently its earnings, depends on the level of its competitors. A genetic index based on Elo’s rating can clearly show the value of each animal. The strength of this method is that it allows evaluation of a horse by considering various different traits such as wins, placings, earnings over the entire career altogether. Abstract This first survey on Sardinian Anglo-Arab horse (SAA) race traits highlights important aspects for the breeding purpose of this population. The heritability of the race traits were estimated through a trivariate model; the estimates were 0.39, 0.33, and 0.30 for the number of placings, total earnings and Elo rating, respectively. The genetic progress could be improved by using an MT genetic evaluation of stallions and mares, combining information from competition traits.
Nomenclatural availability of putative scientific generic names applied to the South American cichlid fish Apistogramma ramirezi Myers & Harry, 1948 (Teleostei: Cichlidae)

Mikrogeophagus Meulengracht-Madsen, 1968 is the oldest available generic name that has Apistogramma ramirezi as type species. Papiliochromis Meulengracht-Madsen, 1975 is an objective junior synonym of Mikrogeophagus . Papiliochromis Kullander, 1977 is an objective junior synonym of Mikrogeophagus and an objective junior synonym and homonym of Papiliochromis Meulengracht-Madsen, 1975. The name Microgeophagus used in an aquarium book by Frey 1957 is a nomen nudum because it was not used as a valid name. Many usages of Microgeophagus are erroneous subsequent spellings of Mikrogeophagus . Pseudogeophagus used by Hoedeman 1969 and Pseudoapistogramma used by Axelrod 1971 are nomina nuda. Mikrogeophagus , Microgeophagus , Pseudogeophagus , and Pseudoapistogramma were proposed with a direct or inferred reference to a non-existent publication about the behaviour of A. ramirezi . The case of A. ramirezi suggests that ornamental fish magazines may be unreliable sources of nomenclatural information.
Evaluation of the competition between alfalfa and sainfoin sown in mixture

Alfalfa and sainfoin are pluriannual forage legumes that are well adapted to the agronomic condi- tions of NE Spain. However the persistence of sainfoin decreased when sown with alfalfa in mixture. It could be attributed to the fact that the cutting frequency was more suitable for alfalfa. In order to evaluate the per- sistence of sainfoin in mixture, the evolution of the annual forage yield in these species was compared, when sown in pure stands or using two types of mixtures, on alternate rows or mixed on the same row. Two har- vesting rates were established, one that was most suited to alfalfa and the other to sainfoin. The study was conducted in rainfed conditions in Badules (Teruel) and under irrigation in Zaragoza during 2011-2013. The results confirm the lower yields and persistence of sainfoin when mixed with alfalfa under irrigation, which could be attributed to the allelopathic effects of alfalfa on sainfoin. There is no evidence of allelopathic phe- nomena arising in rainfed conditions in the two sowing modes employed. Cutting frequency had no influence on the occurrence of allelopathic phenomena.
Niches for Skeletal Stem Cells of Mesenchymal Origin

With very few exceptions, all adult tissues in mammals are maintained and can be renewed by stem cells that self-renew and generate the committed progeny required. These functions are regulated by a specific and in many ways unique microenvironment in stem cell niches. In most cases disruption of an adult stem cell niche leads to depletion of stem cells, followed by impairment of the ability of the tissue in question to maintain its functions. The presence of stem cells, often referred to as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) or multipotent bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs), in the adult skeleton has long been realized. In recent years there has been exceptional progress in identifying and characterizing BMSCs in terms of their capacity to generate specific types of skeletal cells in vivo. Such BMSCs are often referred to as skeletal stem cells (SSCs) or skeletal stem and progenitor cells (SSPCs), with the latter term being used throughout this review. SSPCs have been detected in the bone marrow, periosteum, and growth plate and characterized in vivo on the basis of various genetic markers (i.e., Nestin, Leptin receptor, Gremlin1, Cathepsin-K, etc.). However, the niches in which these cells reside have received less attention. Here, we summarize the current scientific literature on stem cell niches for the SSPCs identified so far and discuss potential factors and environmental cues of importance in these niches in vivo. In this context we focus on (i) articular cartilage, (ii) growth plate cartilage, (iii) periosteum, (iv) the adult endosteal compartment, and (v) the developing endosteal compartment, in that order.
The deubiquitinase USP44 promotes Treg function during inflammation by preventing FOXP3 degradation

The transcription factor forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) is essential for the development of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and their function in immune homeostasis. Previous studies have shown that in natural Tregs (nTregs), FOXP3 can be regulated by polyubiquitination and deubiquitination. However, the molecular players active in this pathway, especially those modulating FOXP3 by deubiquitination in the distinct induced Treg (iTreg) lineage, remain unclear. Here, we identify the ubiquitin‐specific peptidase 44 (USP44) as a novel deubiquitinase for FOXP3. USP44 interacts with and stabilizes FOXP3 by removing K48‐linked ubiquitin modifications. Notably, TGF‐β induces USP44 expression during iTreg differentiation. USP44 co‐operates with USP7 to stabilize and deubiquitinate FOXP3. Tregs genetically lacking USP44 are less effective than their wild‐type counterparts, both in vitro and in multiple in vivo models of inflammatory disease and cancer. These findings suggest that USP44 plays an important role in the post‐translational regulation of Treg function and is thus a potential therapeutic target for tolerance‐breaking anti‐cancer immunotherapy.
Modeling Parkinson's Disease in Zebrafish.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Parkinson disease (PD) is one of the commonest neurodegenerative disorders that affects the motor system, and includes cardinal motor symptoms such as resting tremor, cogwheel rigidity, bradykinesia and postural instability. Its prevalence is increasing worldwide due to increase in life span. Although, two centuries since the first description of the disease, no proper cure with regard to treatment strategies and control of symptoms could be reached. One of the major challenges faced by the researchers is to have a suitable research model. RESULTS Rodents are the most common PD models used but no single model can replicate the true nature of PD. In this review, we aim to discuss another animal model, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) which is gaining popularity. Zebrafish brain has all the major structures found in the mammalian brain, complete with neurotransmitters systems, and possesses a functional blood-brain barrier similar to humans. From the perspective of PD research, the zebrafish possesses the ventral diencephalon which is thought to be homologous to the mammalian substantia nigra. We summarize the various zebrafish models available to study PD, namely chemical-induced and genetic models. CONCLUSION The zebrafish can complement to the use of other animal models for the mechanistic study of PD and help in the screening of new potential therapeutic compounds.
Grape seed extract-soluplus dispersion and its antioxidant activity

Abstract Objective The main objective of this work was to formulate a nanodispersion containing grape seed extract and analyzed its release profile, antioxidant potential of the prepared formulations. Methods The grape seed extract (GSE) containing proanthocyanidins (PC’s) has been dispersed in polymer matrix soluplus (SOLU) by the freeze-drying method. The morphological analysis was carried out using atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The in-vitro release of the nanodispersion formulations was evaluated by simulated intestinal fluid (SIF). The antioxidant activity of GSE and the formulation were evaluated by employing various in-vitro assays such as 2, 2’-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS), 2, 2-diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and peroxidation inhibiting activity. Results The formulation FIII (1:5) resulted in a stable formulation with a higher loading efficiency of 95.36%, a particle size of 69.90 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.154 and a zeta potential value of −82.10 mV. The antioxidant efficiency of GSE-SOLU evaluated by DPPH was found to be 96.7%. The ABTS and FRAP model exhibited a dose-dependent scavenging activity. Linoleic model of FIII formulation and GSE exhibited a 66.14 and 86.58% inhibition respectively at 200 µg/l. Conclusions The main reason for excellent scavenging activity of the formulations can be attributed to the presence of monomeric, dimeric, oligomeric procyanidins and the phenolic group. The present work denotes that GSE constitutes a good source of PC’s and will be useful in the prevention and treatment of free radical related diseases.
Loneliness and social integration as mediators between physical pain and suicidal ideation among elderly men

Abstract Objectives: Suicide in the elderly is a complex and significant public health problem. The purpose of our study was to examine the role of loneliness and social integration as potential mediators in the relationship between physical pain and suicidal ideation in the elderly. Design: Descriptive, bivariate correlations, and moderated mediation analyses were performed. Setting: Personal meetings were held with participants in their homes. Participants: A total of 198 elderly men aged 65 and over. Measurements: Self-report measures: Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation, Physical pain subscale, Multidimensional Social Integration in Later Life Scale, and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale (Version 3). Results: Our findings showed that the association between physical pain and suicidal ideation was mediated by loneliness and social integration. Further analyses revealed that this mediation model was significant among single, but not married, men. Conclusions: Physical pain and social factors are both important in understanding suicidality in late life. Elderly single men who experience physical pain may be lonelier and less socially integrated, and these factors may contribute to higher risk of suicidal ideation.
Beyond Cholera: Characterization of zot-Encoding Filamentous Phages in the Marine Fish Pathogen Vibrio anguillarum

Zonula occludens toxin (Zot) is a conserved protein in filamentous vibriophages and has been reported as a putative toxin in Vibrio cholerae. Recently, widespread distribution of zot-encoding prophages was found among marine Vibrio species, including environmental isolates. However, little is known about the dynamics of these prophages beyond V. cholerae. In this study, we characterized and quantified the zot-encoding filamentous phage VAIϕ, spontaneously induced from the fish pathogen V. anguillarum. VAIϕ contained 6117 bp encoding 11 ORFs, including ORF8pVAI, exhibiting 27%–73% amino acid identity to Inovirus Zot-like proteins. A qPCR method revealed an average of four VAIϕ genomes per host genome during host exponential growth phase, and PCR demonstrated dissemination of induced VAIϕ to other V. anguillarum strains through re-integration in non-lysogens. VAIϕ integrated into both chromosomes of V. anguillarum by recombination, causing changes in a putative ORF in the phage genome. Phylogenetic analysis of the V. anguillarum Inoviridae elements revealed mosaic genome structures related to mainly V. cholerae. Altogether, this study contributes to the understanding of Inovirus infection dynamics and mobilization of zot-like genes beyond human pathogenic vibrios, and discusses their potential role in the evolution of the fish pathogen V. anguillarum.
Tetravalent Immunogen Assembled from Conserved Regions of HIV-1 and Delivered as mRNA Demonstrates Potent Preclinical T-Cell Immunogenicity and Breadth

A vaccine will likely be one of the key tools for ending the HIV-1/AIDS epidemic by preventing HIV-1 spread within uninfected populations and achieving a cure for people living with HIV-1. The currently prevailing view of the vaccine field is to introduce protective antibodies, nevertheless, a vaccine to be effective may need to harness protective T cells. We postulated that focusing a T-cell response on the most vulnerable regions of the HIV-1 proteome while maximizing a perfect match between the vaccine and circulating viruses will control HIV-1 replication. We currently use a combination of replication-deficient simian (chimpanzee) adenovirus and poxvirus modified vaccinia virus Ankara to deliver bivalent conserved-mosaic immunogens to human volunteers. Here, we exploit the mRNA platform by designing tetravalent immunogens designated as HIVconsvM, and demonstrate that mRNA formulated in lipid nanoparticles induces potent, broad and polyfunctional T-cell responses in a pre-clinical model. These results support optimization and further development of this vaccine strategy in experimental medicine trials in humans.
Delivery Systems For Peptides/Oligonucleotides And Lipophilic Nucleoside Analogs

Drug delivery systems (DDS) are developed for drugs with nonideal properties, such as poor solubility, tissue damage, and loss of drug activity after administration. The formulation of pharmacologically active drug molecules in DDS can improve or abolish toxic side effects and suboptimal therapeutic effects. This article focuses on DDSs for the delivery of peptides, DNA, plasmids, oligodeoxynucleotides, siRNA, and lipophilic nucleoside derivatives. Keywords: nanosized drug delivery system; liposomes; drug molecules; oligodeoxynucleotides; lipophilic nucleoside derivatives
Transcriptome Profile Changes Associated With Heat Shock Reaction in the Entomopathogenic Nematode, Steinernema carpocapsae

The entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae has been used for control of soil insects. However, S. carpocapse is sensitive to environmental factors, particularly temperature. We studied an S. carpocapse group that was shocked with high temperature. We also studied the transcriptome-level responses associated with temperature stress using a BGIseq sequencing platform. We de novo assembled the reads from the treatment and control groups into one transcriptome consisting of 43.9 and 42.9 million clean reads, respectively. Based on the genome database, we aligned the clean reads to the Nr, Gene Ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases and analyzed the differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Compared with the control, the heat-shocked group had significant differential expression of the heat shock protein (HSP) family, antioxidase [glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) and superoxide dismutase (SOD)], monooxygenase (P450), and transcription factor genes (DAF-16 and DAF-2). These DEGs were demonstrated to be part of the Longevity pathway and insulin/insulin-like signaling pathway. The results revealed the potential mechanisms, at the transcriptional level, of S. carpocapsae under thermal stress.
EVALUATION OF ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES OF SOME TRAGOPOGON SPECIES GROWING IN TURKEY

In the current study, antioxidant activities of the aerial parts and roots of Tragopogon longirostris Bisch. ex Sch. Bip. var. longirostris and T. pratensis subsp. orientalis L. were evaluated. Antioxidant activity of the Tragopogon aqueous methanol extracts were investigated by DPPH scavenging and superoxide anion scavenging assays. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents of the extracts were calculated using Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride colorimetric methods and determined ranging from 63.45dO. 25 to 68.92+0.42 mg/g caffeic acid and from 4+1 to 210+9 mg/g quercetin respectively. Furthermore the phenolic acids; chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, rosmarinic acid, p-coumaric acid and flavonoids; apigenin, luteolin, quercetin, hyperoside, rutin, hesperidin in T. longirostris var. longirostris and T. pratensis subsp. orientalis have been determined qualitatively and quantitatively using reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography Chlorogenic acid was determined in all samples investigated. The highest content of chlorogenic acid was detected in aerial part extract of T longirostris var. longirostris as 578.22 ± 4.19 /ug/mg.
Ecophysiological and Genetic Studies on Some Species of the Genus Suaeda Forssk ex Scop. In the Mediterranean Sea Coast

2 Abstract: Suaeda is one of the most important native flora in Egypt deserts, have a great polymorphic characters between and within their species. Due to the lack of information on ecophysiological and genetic behaviors of Suaeda genus, this study aimed to clarify ecophysiological and genetic behaviors of three species of Suaeda, S. vera, S. pruinosa and S. vermiculata. Samples had been collected from different habitats along the Mediterranean Coast of Egypt. The results showed that CaCO was higher in soil supporting both S. vera 3 and S. pruinosa and lower in soil supporting S. vermiculata. Ca decreased under saline conditions in the three studied species and total soluble carbohydrates increased. Crude protein decreased under saline conditions in both S. vera and S. vermiculata. Ascorbic acid increased in S. vera and S. pruinosa under saline conditions and decreased in S. vermiculata under saline conditions. Proline increased and betaine decreased in S. pruinosa while betaine increased and proline decreased in S. vermiculata under saline conditions. SDS-PAGE protein of the studied species produced 50% of polymorphism. Eight isozyme systems including acid phosphatase, alcohol dehydrogenase, and -esterases, aldehyde oxidase, malic acid, malate dehydrogenase and peroxidase produced 76% of polymorphism. Five RAPD and five ISSR primers produced 73% and 99% of polymorphism. AFLP produced 48% of polymorphism. ISSR relatively produced higher polymorphism than RAPD and AFLP. The PCR product using specific primer of CMO and BADH genes generated bands with fragment size 500 bp and 1000 bp, respectively proofing that glycine betaine mechanisms for salinity tolerance is used by all Suaeda genotypes in different habitats.
The effectiveness of five natural products against three species of harmful algae

The effects of five natural products on the growth of three harmful algae species including Chattonella marina Hara et Chihara, Alexandrium tamarense Balech and Karenia mikimotoi (Miyake & Kominami ex Oda) G. Hansen & Ø. Moestrup were observed. Four products including ε‐polylysine, betaine, stachydrine and berberine exhibited selectively inhibitory effects against the three algae. However, the other product chitosan had no obvious inhibition against the above algae. Berberine and ε‐polylysine exhibited relatively higher inhibitory capability against C. marina, and betaine had the highest inhibitory effect against A. tamarense. While only berberine could effectively inhibit the growth of K. mikimotoi with LC50, 120 at 3.1 mg/L. The fast inhibitory effect against K. mikimotoi and environmental safety of berberine suggested that it might be a potential algaecide against K. mikimotoi.