Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mechanisms of the negative potential associated with Leão’s spreading depolarization: A history of brain electrogenesis

Spreading depolarization (SD) is a self-propagated wave that provokes transient disorder of numerous cell and tissue functions, and that may kill neurons in metabolically compromised tissue. We examined the mechanisms underlying the main hallmark of SD, a giant extracellular potential (ΔVo) for which multiple electromotive forces have been proposed. The end-point is that neurons and not glia, dendritic channels and not spatial currents, and increased sodium conductance rather than potassium gradients, appear to be the main actors in the generation of the negative ΔVo. Neuronal currents are established by two mechanisms, a voltage independent dendritic current, and the differential polarization along the neuron membranes. Notably, despite of a marked drop of ion gradients, these evolve significantly during SD, and yet the membrane potential remains clamped at zero no matter how much inward current is present. There may be substantial inward current or none in function of the evolving portion of the neuron dendrites with SD-activated channels. We propose that the ΔVo promotes swelling-induced dendritic damage. Understanding SD electrogenesis requires all elements relevant for membrane potential, action currents, field potentials and volume conduction to be jointly considered, and it has already encouraged the search for new targets to limit SD-related pathology.
Permanent muscle weakness in hypokalemic periodic paralysis

Objective To map the phenotypic spectrum in 55 individuals with mutations in CACNA1S known to cause hypokalemic periodic paralysis (HypoPP) using medical history, muscle strength testing, and muscle MRI. Methods Adults with a mutation in CACNA1S known to cause HypoPP were included. Medical history was obtained. Muscle strength and MRI assessments were performed. Results Fifty-five persons were included. Three patients presented with permanent muscle weakness and never attacks of paralysis. Seventeen patients presented with a mixed phenotype of periodic paralysis and permanent weakness. Thirty-one patients presented with the classical phenotype of periodic attacks of paralysis and no permanent weakness. Four participants were asymptomatic. Different phenotypes were present in 9 of 18 families. All patients with permanent weakness had abnormal replacement of muscle by fat on MRI. In addition, 20 of 35 participants with no permanent weakness had abnormal fat replacement of muscle on MRI. The most severely affected muscles were the paraspinal muscles, psoas, iliacus, the posterior muscles of the thigh and gastrocnemius, and soleus of the calf. Age was associated with permanent weakness and correlated with severity of weakness and fat replacement of muscle on MRI. Conclusions Our results show that phenotype in individuals with HypoPP-causing mutations in CACNA1S varies from asymptomatic to periodic paralysis with or without permanent muscle weakness or permanent weakness as sole presenting picture. Variable phenotypes are found within families. Muscle MRI reveals fat replacement in patients with no permanent muscle weakness, suggesting a convergence of phenotype towards a fixed myopathy with aging.
Nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate activates two‐pore channel TPC1 to mediate lysosomal Ca2+ release in endothelial colony‐forming cells

Nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP) is the most recently discovered Ca2+‐releasing messenger that increases the intracellular Ca2+ concentration by mobilizing the lysosomal Ca2+ store through two‐pore channels 1 (TPC1) and 2 (TPC2). NAADP‐induced lysosomal Ca2+ release regulates multiple endothelial functions, including nitric oxide release and proliferation. A sizeable acidic Ca2+ pool endowed with TPC1 is also present in human endothelial colony‐forming cells (ECFCs), which represent the only known truly endothelial precursors. Herein, we sought to explore the role of the lysosomal Ca2+ store and TPC1 in circulating ECFCs by harnessing Ca2+ imaging and molecular biology techniques. The lysosomotropic agent, Gly–Phe β‐naphthylamide, and nigericin, which dissipates the proton gradient which drives Ca2+ sequestration by acidic organelles, caused endogenous Ca2+ release in the presence of a replete inositol‐1,4,5‐trisphosphate (InsP3)‐sensitive endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca2+ pool. Likewise, the amount of ER releasable Ca2+ was reduced by disrupting lysosomal Ca2+ content. Liposomal delivery of NAADP induced a transient Ca2+ signal that was abolished by disrupting the lysosomal Ca2+ store and by pharmacological and genetic blockade of TPC1. Pharmacological manipulation revealed that NAADP‐induced Ca2+ release also required ER‐embedded InsP3 receptors. Finally, NAADP‐induced lysosomal Ca2+ release was found to trigger vascular endothelial growth factor‐induced intracellular Ca2+ oscillations and proliferation, while it did not contribute to adenosine‐5′‐trisphosphate‐induced Ca2+ signaling. These findings demonstrated that NAADP‐induced TPC1‐mediated Ca2+ release can selectively be recruited to induce the Ca2+ response to specific cues in circulating ECFCs.
Butaphosphan Effects on Glucose Metabolism Involve Insulin Signaling and Depends on Nutritional Plan

Butaphosphan is an organic phosphorus compound used in several species for the prevention of rapid catabolic states, however, the mechanism of action remains unclear. This study aimed at determining the effects of butaphosphan on energy metabolism of mice receiving a normal or hypercaloric diet (HCD) and submitted or not to food restriction. Two experiments were conducted: (1) during nine weeks, animals were fed with HCD (n = 28) ad libitum, and at the 10th week, were submitted to food restriction and received butaphosphan (n = 14) or saline injections (n = 14) (twice a day, for seven days) and; (2) during nine weeks, animals were fed with a control diet (n = 14) or HCD (n = 14) ad libitum, and at the 10th week, all animals were submitted to food restriction and received butaphosphan or saline injections (twice a day, for seven days). In food restriction, butaphosphan preserved epididymal white adipose tissue (WAT) mass, increased glucose, NEFA, and the HOMA index. In mice fed HCD and submitted to food restriction, the butaphosphan preserved epididymal WAT mass. Control diet influences on PI3K, GCK, and Irs1 mRNA expression. In conclusion, butaphosphan increased blood glucose and reduced fat mobilization in overweight mice submitted to caloric restriction, and these effects are influenced by diet.
Safety of BRAF+MEK Inhibitor Combinations: Severe Adverse Event Evaluation

Aim: The selective BRAF and MEK inhibitors (BRAFi+MEKi) have substantially improved the survival of melanoma patients with BRAF V600 mutations. However, BRAFi+MEKi can also cause severe or fatal outcomes. We aimed to identify and compare serious adverse events (sAEs) that are significantly associated with BRAFi+MEKi. Methods: In this pharmacovigilance study, we reviewed FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) data in order to detect sAE reporting in patients treated with the combination therapies vemurafenib+cobimetinib (V+C), dabrafenib+trametinib (D+T) and encorafenib+binimetinib (E+B). We evaluated the disproportionate reporting of BRAFi+MEKi-associated sAEs. Significant associations were further analyzed to identify combination-specific safety signals among BRAFi+MEKi. Results: From January 2018 through June 2019, we identified 11,721 sAE reports in patients receiving BRAFi+MEKi. Comparison of BRAFi+MEKi combinations demonstrates that skin toxicities, including Stevens–Johnson syndrome, were disproportionally reported using V+C, with an age-adjusted reporting odds ratio (adj. ROR) of 3.4 (95%CI, 2.9–4.0), whereas fever was most significantly associated with D+T treatment with an adj. ROR of 1.9 (95%CI, 1.5–2.4). Significant associations using E+B treatment include peripheral neuropathies (adj. ROR 2.7; 95%CI, 1.2–6.1) and renal disorders (adj. ROR 4.1; 95%CI, 1.3–12.5). Notably, we found an increase in the proportion of Guillain–Barré syndrome reports (adj. ROR 8.5; 95%CI, 2.1–35.0) in patients administered E+B. Conclusion: BRAFi+MEKi combinations share a similar safety profile attributed to class effects, yet concomitantly, these combinations display distinctive effects that can dramatically impact patients’ health. Owing to the limitations of pharmacovigilance studies, some findings warrant further validation. However, the possibility of an increased risk for these events should be considered in patient care.
Altered Benthic Prey‐Availability Due to Episodic Oxygen Deficiency Caused by Drifting Algal Mats

Large quantities of drifting algal mats have become a common phenomenon on shallow sandy bottoms in the northern Baltic Sea. A decomposing algal mat rapidly induces hypoxic or anoxic conditions in the underlying sediment and interferes with the normal living-mode of the benthos, i.e., mobility, feeding, and predator-prey relationships. Field surveys have shown that bivalves, such as Macoma balthica, avoid the unfavourable anoxic conditions by emerging at the sediment surface. Due to low reburrowing rates these bivalves are exposed to epibenthic predators once the drift algae disperse. A series of aquarium experiments were conducted to test for differences in the survival of M. balthica when exposed to continuous predation without prior stress and short-term predation after hypoxic stress induced by algae (= 20% 02-saturation). Sublethally stressed adult M. balthica, that normally are outside the size-range of the isopod predator Saduriu entomon, became significantly more susceptible to predation when lying exposed at the sediment surface. The same effects were found with two other predators, the brown-shrimp Crangon crungon and the flounder Platichthysflesus. Drift algal mats induced an escape-reaction in the infauna more rapidly than mere hypoxia. This response is affected by temperature. which further underlines the importance of drift algae influencing prey availability. This paper discusses the role of the drift algae as a regulating factor for the infauna and demonstrates the importance of external structuring factors, such as hypoxic stress and algal mats, on predator-prey interactions.
Systematics and Phylogeny of the Subgenus Sarcophaga (Neobellieria) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae)

ABSTRACT The New World subgenus Sarcophaga (Neobellieria) Blanchard is revised. The subgenus as previously recognized was polyphyletic. Five species, Sarcophaga semimarginalis Hall, Sarcophaga sternalis (Reinhard), Sarcophaga subdiscalis Aldrich, Sarcophaga triplasia Wulp, and Sarcophaga yorkii Parker, are removed from the subgenus. The remaining five species of Neobellieria are paraphyletic relative to the subgenus Tolucamyia Dodge; accordingly, Tolucamyia is synonymized with Neobellieria. Neobellieria is redefined to include five species assigned previously to Neobellieria (Sarcophaga bullata Parker, Sarcophaga citellivora Shewell, Sarcophaga cooleyi Parker, Sarcophaga libera Aldrich, and Sarcophaga polistensis Hall), three species assigned previously to Tolucamyia [Sarcophaga cavagnaroi (Dodge), Sarcophaga schrameli Dodge, and Sarcophaga sigilla Reinhard], and one new species, Sarcophaga (Neobellieria) longisterna Giroux & Wheeler. Sarcophaga marstoniana (Dodge) is synonymized with S. sigilla. Lectotypes are designated for Sarcophaga bullata and S. cooleyi. Although there are relatively few rearing records for most Neobellieria species, some species develop primarily in vertebrates or vertebrate carrion; this group includes myiasis-causing species and species of importance in forensic entomology. Two species (S. libera and S. polistensis) are associated with nests of Hymenoptera.
Carvacrol may alleviate vascular inflammation in diabetic db/db mice

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with chronic low-grade inflammation. Carvacrol has been confirmed to possess anti-inflammatory properties, but its effect on diabetic vasculature remains unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible protective effects of carvacrol against vascular endothelial inflammation. The mice were divided into four groups (n=15 per group) as follows: Non-diabetic control mice, db/db mice, db/db mice + carvacrol (low) and db/db mice + carvacrol (high) groups. The effects of carvacrol on the pathomorphism of the thoracoab-dominal aorta in db/db mice were evaluated using hematoxylin and eosin and Masson's trichrome staining. The serum levels of insulin signaling molecules, such as phosphorylated insulin receptor, phosphorylated insulin receptor substrate-1, insulin, triglyceride (TG) and inflammatory cytokines [tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and IL-8] were measured by ELISA. Furthermore, the protein levels of the toll-like receptor (TLR)4/nuclear factor (NF)-κB inflammatory signaling pathway molecules were investigated in the thoracoabdominal aorta of db/db mice and in high glucose-induced endothelial cells. Vascular endothelial cell apoptosis and viability were assessed by using flow cytometry and Cell Counting Kit-8 assays, respectively. The results demonstrated that carva-crol alleviated vascular endothelial cell injury. Carvacrol reduced the expression levels of insulin signaling molecules, insulin, TG and inflammatory cytokines in the serum of db/db mice. Moreover, carvacrol reduced the activation of the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway in vivo and in vitro. In vitro, carvacrol inhibited high glucose-induced endothelial cell function by promoting vascular endothelial cell apoptosis and suppressing cell viability. These findings demonstrated that carvacrol could alleviate endothelial dysfunction and vascular inflammation in T2DM.
Interdependence and cooperation in daily life.

Philosophers and scientists have long debated the nature of human social interactions and the prevalence of mutual dependence, conflict of interests, and power asymmetry in social situations. Yet, there is surprisingly little empirical work documenting the patterns of interdependence that people experience in daily life. We use experience sampling to study how people think about 3 dimensions of interdependence in daily life and how these dimensions relate to cooperation. In Study 1, 139 romantic couples (n = 278) reported on situations experienced with their partner (k = 6,766); in Study 2, individuals (n = 284) reported on situations experienced with any other person (k = 7,248), over the course of 1 week. Across both samples, we found that most social interactions were perceived as containing moderate mutual dependence, equal power, and corresponding interests. When couples reported on the same situation (Study 1), they largely agreed on their experienced interdependence and cooperation, suggesting that their reports reflect an underlying shared reality. In daily interactions across both samples, higher mutual dependence and lower conflict of interests were associated with more cooperation, whereas relative power was not directly related to cooperation. These associations replicated in laboratory experiments (Study 2). In daily life, high mutual dependence and high relative power exacerbated the negative relation between conflict of interests and cooperation. Finally, prevalent patterns of interdependence and the experience of specific interdependent situations affected multiple relationship outcomes. Our findings stress the importance of studying a diverse array of interdependent situations-and especially situations with corresponding interests-to better understand cooperation in daily life. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Introducing Creative Dramatics in Tertiary ESL Education

The value of creative dramatics in ESL education is widely acknowledged. However, many students are unfamiliar, or uncomfortable, with the creative process. This paper proposes a curriculum design aimed at developing skills in creating narrative structures and drama. It is the thesis of this paper that, when given a strong grasp of basic narrative elements and how these elements can be applied to create narratives and dramas, students are able to pursue task-oriented creative dramatic learning projects with greater independence, efficacy, and enthusiasm. The focus of instruction is to approach the topics of narrative and drama structurally. First, basic elements and structures are defined, followed by the identification of examples of these elements and structures as they operate within popular narratives such as fairy tales or contemporary films. Once students have a working grasp of these elements and structures, they are led through a series of exercises in applying their understanding.
RELATIONSHIP OF PREVIOUS TRAP OCCUPANCY TO CAPTURE OF WHITE-FOOTED MICE (PEROMYSCUS LEUCOPUS)

Abstract Adult white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) were more likely to be captured in traps previously occupied by conspecific individuals of the opposite sex than in traps previously occupied by the same sex, especially during breeding season. Sex of a mouse in the 3rd capture by a particular trap appeared related to the sexes of mice in both the 1st and 2nd captures. Breeding females were more likely to be captured in traps previously containing males than nonbreeding females. Breeding individuals occurred more often than expected in traps that previously held other breeding mice of the same sex rather than nonbreeding mice. Captures of juveniles were more likely to follow previous captures of juveniles than of adults, probably because members of the same litter were being captured. Finally, white-footed mice were less likely to be captured in traps that previously held a potential predator, short-tailed shrew (Blarina brevicauda).
INFLUENCE OF CALCIUM CHLORIDE (CaCl2) ON FRUIT QUALITY OF PEAR (Pyrus communis) CV. LE CONTE DURING STORAGE

An experiment was conducted at Postharvest laboratory, Department of Horticulture, The University of Agriculture Peshawar, during 2010 to evaluate the “Influence of calcium chloride (CaCl2) on fruit quality of pear (Pyrus communis) cv. Le-conte”. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three factors i.e. CaCl2 concentration (0, 3, 6 and 9%), dipping time (5, 10 and 15 minutes) and storage durations (0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 days). The maximum ascorbic acid (7.93 mg/100 g), reducing sugar (5.86%), while the least percent weight loss (4.52%), pH of fruit juice (4.42), total soluble solids (TSS) (19.83%) and percent disease incidence (2.56%) were observed in fruits treated with 9% CaCl2 solution. The dipping time also significantly influenced the quality attributes of pear fruits during storage. The more ascorbic acid (6.88 mg/100 g) and reducing sugar (5.44%) were recorded in the pear fruits dipped for 15 minutes. Storage duration significantly affected the fruit quality during 40 days storage. The highest reducing sugar recorded in fresh pear fruits while the highest ascorbic acid (7.83 mg/100 g) were observed in pear fruit stored for 10 days storage duration, while more non-reducing sugar (7.03%) recorded in the fruits stored for 30 days. In the interaction of CaCl2 concentration × dipping time, the highest total soluble solid (31.88%) noted in the fruits stored for 40 days and dipped for 5 minutes in CaCl2 solution. It is concluded that pear fruit perform best in the postharvest life when treated with 9% CaCl2 solution and dipped for 15 minutes. It retained most of the quality attributes up to 10 days storage at ambient temperature while a significant decline was recorded in fruit quality when extended the storage duration from 20 to 40 days.
Expression Pattern Analysis of Four Mlo Genes from Rose

A BSTRACT . Rose ( Rosa hybrida ) is one of the most economically important ornamentals worldwide. Powdery mildew ( Podosphaera pannosa ) is a major disease in cut and potted roses. In dicots such as arabidopsis ( Arabidopsis thaliana ), pea ( Pisum sativum ), and tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum ), loss-of-function mutations in mildew resistance locus o ( Mlo ) genes confer high levels of broad-spectrum resistance to powdery mildew. Here, we present spatiotemporal expression patterns of four Mlo genes from R. hybrida based on real-time ﬂuorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Phylogenetically closely related R. hybrida mildew resistance locus o ( RhMLO ) genes showed similar or overlapping tissue speciﬁcity and analogous responsiveness to external stimuli. RhMLO1 and RhMLO2 transcriptional levels were upregulated more than 2-fold by external stimuli, especially by inoculation with powdery mildew fungus P. pannosa at early time points. This phenomenon was not found for RhMLO3 or RhMLO4 . The results RhMLO1 and RhMLO2 play important roles in rose–powdery mildew pathogen interactions. useful information for the study of mechanisms of powdery mildew susceptibility in rose. The all candidate have been in susceptibility complementation or gene knockout. shown for candidate genes from other we found that transcript levels of RhMLO1 RhMLO2 signiﬁcantly by biotic and abiotic stresses, by inoculation with P. pannosa at early time points (6–48 h). Taken together, our results indicate that RhMLO2 had similar expression patterns and were analogously by a variety of stimuli in our
Statistical Mechanics of Population

models of interacting populations. They tried to obtain salient properties of popula­ tions which are rather insensitive to initial conditions and details of assumptions. In their 'statistical mechanical' treatment of population dynamics, they regarded LVM as a first principle. However, in Lotka-Volterra type model parameters specifying the dynamical system are given in terms of groups and not in terms of individuals. Namely, the growth rate of population of each species called Mal­ thusian parameter is given in terms of the intraspecific and interspecific interaction, and not in terms of the trait of each individual of a species, such as viability, fecundity, motility, and social behaviors such as helping or attacking towards neigh­ bors. In this sense their treatment is not fully statistical mechanical, but rather
Sensitivity of secondary structure propensities to sequence differences between α‐ and γ‐synuclein: Implications for fibrillation

The synucleins are a family of intrinsically disordered proteins involved in various human diseases. α‐Synuclein has been extensively characterized due to its role in Parkinson's disease where it forms intracellular aggregates, while γ‐synuclein is overexpressed in a majority of late‐stage breast cancers. Despite fairly strong sequence similarity between the amyloid‐forming regions of α‐ and γ‐synuclein, γ‐synuclein has only a weak propensity to form amyloid fibrils. We hypothesize that the different fibrillation tendencies of α‐ and γ‐synuclein may be related to differences in structural propensities. Here we have measured chemical shifts for γ‐synuclein and compared them to previously published shifts for α‐synuclein. In order to facilitate direct comparison, we have implemented a simple new technique for re‐referencing chemical shifts that we have found to be highly effective for both disordered and folded proteins. In addition, we have developed a new method that combines different chemical shifts into a single residue‐specific secondary structure propensity (SSP) score. We observe significant differences between α‐ and γ‐synuclein secondary structure propensities. Most interestingly, γ‐synuclein has an increased α‐helical propensity in the amyloid‐forming region that is critical for α‐synuclein fibrillation, suggesting that increased structural stability in this region may protect against γ‐synuclein aggregation. This comparison of residue‐specific secondary structure propensities between intrinsically disordered homologs highlights the sensitivity of transient structure to sequence changes, which we suggest may have been exploited as an evolutionary mechanism for fast modulation of protein structure and, hence, function.