Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effect of recombinant equine growth hormone on the biomechanical properties of healing superficial digital flexor tendons in horses.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of recombinant equine growth hormone (rEGH) on the in vitro biomechanical properties of healing superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) in horses. STUDY DESIGN Completely randomized design. SAMPLE POPULATION Twelve Standardbred horses, 3 to 7 years of age, with ultrasonographically normal forelimb SDFT. METHODS One week after induction of collagenase (2,000 U) induced superficial flexor tendonitis, horses were randomly divided into groups of 6. One group was administered intramuscular rEGH (10 microg/kg/day for 1 week, then 20 microg/kg/day for 5 weeks), whereas the other group (control subjects) were administered an equivalent volume of saline (0.9% NaCl) solution. At the end of this 6-week treatment, horses were killed and one forelimb SDFT from each horse was harvested for biomechanical testing under uniaxial tension. Results were analyzed using an unpaired Student's t test; significance was set at P <or=. 05. RESULTS SDFT from horses treated with rEGH had significantly larger mean cross-sectional areas and lower mean values for ultimate and yield tensile stress, whereas tendons from the control group were biomechanically stiffer than those from the rEGH-treated horses. CONCLUSIONS Administration of rEGH to horses for 6 weeks, 1 week after collagenase induced injury to the SDFT, resulted in a significant increase in tendon cross-sectional area, a concomitant reduction in ultimate and yield tensile stress, and reduced tendon stiffness. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Using this model of tendonitis, rEGH had a negative effect on the biomechanical properties of equine SDFT in the early phases of healing. Based on our results, administration of rEGH to treat superficial flexor tendonitis cannot be recommended.
Carbonate-rich melts in the oceanic low-velocity zone and deep mantle

Deep extensions of low seismic velocities in the mantle beneath volcanic centers are commonly attributed to high temperatures and have been used as a possible characteristic of hot plumes originating at the core-mantle boundary. To address this issue, we examine the effect of volatiles on melting to determine if regions of low seismic velocities may also be interpreted as regions of melting without elevated temperatures. We find that for the very small amounts of H2O in the oceanic mantle, the effect on solidus temperatures is a reduction of at most ~13 °C, which can be neglected. In contrast, even the smallest amount of carbonate reduces solidus temperatures more than 300 °C at pressures greater than 1.9 GPa. The close match between detailed seismic imaging of the upper boundary of the low-velocity zone on the East Pacific Rise and the sharp temperature decrease for the carbonated lherzolite solidus at ~1.9 GPa supports earlier suggestions that the low-velocity zone (~70–150 km depth) is caused by melting due to the presence of carbonate. For locally elevated concentrations of carbonate subducted into the mantle along with oceanic crust, melting of the resulting carbonated lherzolite and carbonated eclogite could also occur at greater depths, possibly into the lower mantle, without elevated temperatures. Thus seismic imaging of deep low-velocity regions may reveal the locations of old subducted crust rather than hot plumes.
Congenital microcephaly

The underlying etiologies of genetic congenital microcephaly are complex and multifactorial. Recently, with the exponential growth in the identification and characterization of novel genetic causes of congenital microcephaly, there has been a consolidation and emergence of certain themes concerning underlying pathomechanisms. These include abnormal mitotic microtubule spindle structure, numerical and structural abnormalities of the centrosome, altered cilia function, impaired DNA repair, DNA Damage Response signaling and DNA replication, along with attenuated cell cycle checkpoint proficiency. Many of these processes are highly interconnected. Interestingly, a defect in a gene whose encoded protein has a canonical function in one of these processes can often have multiple impacts at the cellular level involving several of these pathways. Here, we overview the key pathomechanistic themes underlying profound congenital microcephaly, and emphasize their interconnected nature. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The cardiac homeobox gene Csx/Nkx2.5 lies genetically upstream of multiple genes essential for heart development.

Csx/Nkx2.5 is a vertebrate homeobox gene with a sequence homology to the Drosophila tinman, which is required for the dorsal mesoderm specification. Recently, heterozygous mutations of this gene were found to cause human congenital heart disease (Schott, J.-J., Benson, D. W., Basson, C. T., Pease, W., Silberbach, G. M., Moak, J. P., Maron, B. J., Seidman, C. E. and Seidman, J. G. (1998) Science 281, 108-111). To investigate the functions of Csx/Nkx2.5 in cardiac and extracardiac development in the vertebrate, we have generated and analyzed mutant mice completely null for Csx/Nkx2.5. Homozygous null embryos showed arrest of cardiac development after looping and poor development of blood vessels. Moreover, there were severe defects in vascular formation and hematopoiesis in the mutant yolk sac. Interestingly, TUNEL staining and PCNA staining showed neither enhanced apoptosis nor reduced cell proliferation in the mutant myocardium. In situ hybridization studies demonstrated that, among 20 candidate genes examined, expression of ANF, BNP, MLC2V, N-myc, MEF2C, HAND1 and Msx2 was disturbed in the mutant heart. Moreover, in the heart of adult chimeric mice generated from Csx/Nkx2.5 null ES cells, there were almost no ES cell-derived cardiac myocytes, while there were substantial contributions of Csx /Nkx2.5-deficient cells in other organs. Whole-mount &bgr;-gal staining of chimeric embryos showed that more than 20% contribution of Csx/Nkx2. 5-deficient cells in the heart arrested cardiac development. These results indicate that (1) the complete null mutation of Csx/Nkx2.5 did not abolish initial heart looping, (2) there was no enhanced apoptosis or defective cell cycle entry in Csx/Nkx2.5 null cardiac myocytes, (3) Csx/Nkx2.5 regulates expression of several essential transcription factors in the developing heart, (4) Csx/Nkx2.5 is required for later differentiation of cardiac myocytes, (5) Csx/Nkx2. 5 null cells exert dominant interfering effects on cardiac development, and (6) there were severe defects in yolk sac angiogenesis and hematopoiesis in the Csx/Nkx2.5 null embryos.
Methamphetamine Changes NMDA and AMPA Glutamate Receptor Subunit Levels in the Rat Striatum and Frontal Cortex

Methamphetamine (METH) is a powerful psychostimulant whose noxious effects depend largely on the pattern of abuse. METH‐induced glutamate release may overactivate N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate and α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazole propionic acid receptors (NMDAR and AMPAR, respectively) causing excitotoxicity. In the brain, these receptors are also known for their essential role in mediating memory consolidation. Therefore, we assessed glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression as a marker for astrogliosis and neurodegeneration by using Fluoro‐Jade C (F‐J C) staining. Moreover, we investigated the effect of two METH regimens on NMDAR NR1 and NR2A and on AMPAR GluR2 subunit expression in the rat striatum and frontal cortex 24 h after drug treatment. Adult Sprague‐Dawley rats were injected subcutaneously (s.c.) on six consecutive days with saline (control and acute groups) or with an increasing dose of METH (10, 15, 15, 20, 20, 25 mg/kg/day; ED group). On the seventh day, both METH groups were given a “bolus” of 30 mg/kg METH, whereas controls received saline. We evaluated the expression levels of GFAP by both Western blot and immunohistochemical assays and concluded that there was no difference from control levels. In addition, neither drug regimen resulted in neurodegeneration within 24 h of last METH administration. In the frontal cortex of the acute group, NR1 expression level was decreased, and both NR2A and GluR2 were increased. Also, in the striatum of the acute group, the expression level of GluR2 was significantly increased, and both GluR2 and NR2A levels were augmented in the striatum of the ED group. Taken together, these results suggest a protective mechanism by decreasing permeability and/or functionality of AMPAR and NMDAR to counteract METH‐induced glutamate overflow in the brain. Moreover, these results may explain, in part, the mnemonic deficits and psychotic behavior associated with METH abuse.
Adjunctive Renal Sympathetic Denervation to Modify Hypertension as Upstream Therapy in the Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation (H‐FIB) Study: Clinical Background and Study Design

Hypertension is the most important risk factor directly attributable to the high prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF), and is one of the few modifiable risk factors for AF. Activation and overactivity of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of both essential hypertension and AF. Catheter‐based renal sympathetic denervation (RSDN) appears to be an effective adjunctive treatment for refractory hypertension, and may be beneficial in other conditions characterized by SNS overactivity, such as left ventricular hypertrophy and atrial arrhythmias.
Effects of Cell Differentiation and Assay Conditions on the UDP-Glucuronosyltransferase Activity in Caco-2 Cells

Cell differentiation increases UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) gene expression in Caco-2 cells. Glucuronidation of 13 UGT substrates, 1-naphthol, diclofenac, epitestosterone, estradiol, ethinylestradiol, indomethacin, oxazepam, R- and S-propranolol, propofol, testosterone, trifluoperazine, and zidovudine, were studied to derive a broad view on the effect of cell differentiation on the glucuronidation activities of different human UGTs. In parallel, the glucuronidation of these compounds in human liver microsomes (HLM) and human intestinal microsomes (HIM) was analyzed. Because many of the substrates are highly lipophilic, the effects of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) concentrations in the reaction mixture on glucuronidation rates were tested, as well as the effect of alamethicin, a pore-forming peptide. Large differences were observed in the effects of DMSO and alamethicin between recombinant UGTs and Caco-2 cells and HLM and HIM, and, therefore, the activity assays were performed under multiple conditions. Regardless of the assay conditions, however, the results clearly indicated that although differentiation increases glucuronidation activity, the rates in Caco-2 cells are mostly very low, much lower than those in either HLM or HIM. One clear exception was observed: substrates of UGT1A6, such as 1-naphthol, were glucuronidated at very high rates in both undifferentiated and differentiated Caco-2 cells. It may thus be concluded that Caco-2 cells, even differentiated ones, do not provide a good model system to assess first-pass drug glucuronidation in the intestine.
Impact of Climate Change on the Relict Tropical Fish Fauna of Central Sahara: Threat for the Survival of Adrar Mountains Fishes, Mauritania

Background Four central Sahara mountainous massifs provide habitats for relict populations of fish. In the Adrar of Mauritania all available data on the presence and distribution of fish come from pre-1960 surveys where five fish species were reported: Barbus pobeguini, Barbus macrops, Barbus mirei, Sarotherodon galilaeus, and Clarias anguillaris. Since 1970, drought has had a severe impact in the Adrar where rainfall decreased by 35%. To investigate whether the relict populations of fish have survived the continuing drought, a study was carried out from 2004 to 2008. Methodology/Principal Findings An inventory of perennial bodies of water was drawn up using a literature review and analysis of topographical and hydrological maps. Field surveys were carried out in order to locate the bodies of water described in the literature, identify the presence of fish, determine which species were present and estimate their abundance. The thirteen sites where the presence of fish was observed in the 1950s -Ksar Torchane, Ilij, Molomhar, Agueni, Tachot, Hamdoun, Terjit, Toungad, El Berbera, Timagazine, Dâyet el Mbârek, Dâyet et-Tefla, Nkedeï- were located and surveyed. The Ksar Torchane spring -type locality and the only known locality of B. mirei- has dried up at the height of the drought in 1984, and any fish populations have since become extinct there. The Timagazine, Dâyet el Mbârek and Dâyet et-Tefla pools have become ephemeral. The Hamdoun guelta appears to be highly endangered. The fish populations at the other sites remain unchanged. Four perennial pools which are home to populations of B. pobeguini are newly recorded. Conclusion/Significance The tropical relict fish populations of the Adrar mountains of Mauritania appear to be highly endangered. Of thirteen previously recorded populations, four have become extinct since the beginning of the drought period. New fish population extinctions may occur should low levels of annual rainfall be repeated.
Micrognathozoa: A new class with complicated jaws like those of Rotifera and Gnathostomulida

A new microscopic aschelminth‐like animal, Limnognathia maerski nov. gen. et sp. , is described from a cold spring at Disko Island, West Greenland, and assigned to Micrognathozoa nov. class. It has a complex of jaws in its pharynx, and the ultrastructure of the main jaws is similar to that of the jaws of advanced scleroperalian gnathostomulids. However, other jaw elements appear also to have characteristics of the trophi of Rotifera. Jaw‐like structures are found in other protostome taxa as well—for instance, in proboscises of kalyptorhynch platyhelminths, in dorvilleid polychaetes and aplacophoran mollusks—but studies of their ultrastructure show that none of these jaws is homologous with jaws found in Gnathostomulida, Rotifera, and Micrognathozoa. The latter three groups have recently been joined into the monophylum Gnathifera Ahlrichs, 1995, an interpretation supported by the presence of jaw elements with cuticular rods with osmiophilic cores in all three groups. Such tubular structures are found in the fulcrum of all Rotifera and in several cuticular sclerites of both Gnathostomulida and Micrognathozoa. The gross morphology of the pharyngeal apparatus is similar in the three groups. It consists of a ventral pharyngeal bulb and a dorsal pharyngeal lumen. The absence of pharyngeal ciliation cannot be used as an autapomorphy in the ground pattern of the Gnathifera because the Micrognathozoa has the plesiomorphic alternative with a ciliated pharyngeal epithelium.
Treatment of retraction pockets and cholesteatoma

MIDDLE-ear cholesteatoma may be defined in broad terms, from a clinical viewpoint, as a 'middle-ear condition (disease) presenting stratified squamous epithelium which produces macroscopic amounts of keratin, which are not self-cleansing'. Histopathologically, all look the same: like a classical epidermoid cyst, for which the terms we traditionally use, i.e. cholesteatoma or keratoma, are semantically inappropriate. Pathologically, such a 'cholesteatomatous' condition, can, however, be viewed as consisting of more than one entity. Retraction pockets (Buckingham and Ferrer, 1969; Sade and Avraham, 1981a) on the one hand and middle-ear epidermoid cysts on the other, both have probably different origins and present different therapeutic dilemmas (Sade, 1977, 1980, 1981b). However, both have several points in common, such as the state in which stratified squamous epithelium synthesizes keratin to amounts which cannot be self-cleansed, their tendency to recur—as well as the accompanying effects, such as inflammatory reaction or pressure leading to bone erosion.
Natural killer cell activation and interferon production by peripheral blood lymphocytes after exposure to bacteria

We have previously shown that peripheral blood natural killer (NK) cells have significant levels of cytotoxic activity against Shigella flexneri-infected HeLa cells. In this report, we show that NK cell activity against K562 tumor cells and Shigella flexneri-infected HeLa cells can be greatly enhanced by preincubating peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) for 18 h with kanamycin-treated Shigella flexneri or Salmonella typhimurium. Cell-free supernatants obtained from PBL-bacteria cultures contained high levels of interferon (IFN) activity, which was characterized as a mixture of IFN-gamma and IFN-alpha. Cytotoxic activity associated with PBL precultured with shigellae was associated with predominantly CD16+ (Leu-11+) and CD2+ (OKT-11+) cells. Further, IFN production was dependent upon the presence of CD16+ and CD2+ cells at culture initiation. Enhancement of cytotoxic activity associated with PBL-bacteria cultures did not, however, appear to be dependent upon IFN production, since low numbers of bacteria which failed to stimulate IFN production induced high levels of NK cell activity. Lipopolysaccharide appeared not to be involved in bacteria-induced IFN production or enhanced NK cell activity, since Salmonella lipopolysaccharide failed to induce IFN production or enhance NK cell activity. These results suggest that IFN production by NK cells and the killing of bacteria-infected cells play an important role in host defense against facultative intracellular bacterial infections.
Group Judgment and Advice-Taking: The Social Context Underlying CEO Compensation Decisions

Groups are often tasked with making important organizational decisions. For example, CEO compensation judgments are made by groups of decision makers with no specialized compensation training who receive advice from a third party with a potential bias. This study seeks to understand the effects of this challenging context on decision making. We explore whether and how decision makers adjust their judgments, considering the potential for advisor bias. This is an essential issue in CEO compensation that is difficult to assess through traditional archival research based on publicly available data. Our study explores how decision makers, in the context of compensation committees, process and use advice provided by external parties. Our findings illustrate that individuals adjust for known conflicts of interest in the information provided to them. However, we do not find that individuals discount lavish advice to a greater extent than more modest advice, and the group decision-making process fails to correct for this tendency.
Dynamics of flowering and fruit production in two eastern North American terrestrial orchids, Tipularia discolor and Liparis lilifolia

Liparis lili/olia (L.) Richard and Tipularia discolor (Pursh) Nutall. are common terrestrial orchids in deciduous forests of eastern North America. Although the species have different breeding systems, fruit production in both species is pollinator limited. Liparis is self-incompatible while Tipularia is selfcompatible but anther cap retention promotes outcrossing. Annual variation in the number of plants in flower does not appear to be related to any easily identifiable climatological variable. The number of flowers per inflorescence does not vary greatly in either species. Observed differences in flowering and fruiting are most likely influenced by historical events at the individual level, especially costs associated with sexual reproduction and leaf herbivory. Results from these studies demonstrate the importance of long-term observations to understanding variations in patterns of reproduction of terrestrial orchid species.
Preditores motivacionais da teoria da autodeterminação (TAD) para a aderência à prática de musculação em academias de ginástica na cidade de Sombrio (SC)

RESUMO O objetivo do estudo foi identificar quais são os preditores motivacionais da Teoria da Autodeterminação (TAD) que proporcionam à aderência à prática de musculação em academias de ginástica, em indivíduos entre de 18 a 25 anos, na cidade de Sombrio/SC. Participaram da pesquisa 38 participantes, em 4 academias de ginástica, sendo 24 femininos e 14 masculinos, com no mínimo 6 meses de prática regular da modalidade, por meio de amostragem não probabilística. A pesquisa quantitativa foi expressa pelo instrumento BREQ2 (Behavioural Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire). Os resultados apontaram as seguintes médias: Preditor de regulação externa (0,20), preditor de regulação introjetada (1,71), preditor de regulação identificada (3,38), amotivação (0,20) e preditor de motivação intrínseca (3,09). O estudo concluiu que a regulação identificada, que pertence ao grupo de motivação extrínseca, com média de 3,38, e a motivação intrínseca com média de 3,09, foram os preditores motivacionais de maior influência na promoção da aderência a prática regular de musculação da amostra pesquisada. Esse dado revela que a determinação da aderência somente ocorre quando a motivação surge do prazer individual frente à determinada tarefa.
Multi-objective parameter CPG optimization for gait generation of a quadruped robot considering behavioral diversity

This paper presents a gait multi-objective optimization system that combines bio-inspired Central Patterns Generators (CPGs) and a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm. CPGs are modeled as autonomous differential equations, that generate the necessary limb movement to perform the required walking gait. In order to optimize the walking gait, four conflicting objectives are considered, simultaneously: minimize the body vibration, maximize the velocity, maximize the wide stability margin and maximize the behavioral diversity. The results of NSGA-II for this multi-objective problem are discussed. The effect of the inclusion of a behavioral diversity objective in the system is also studied in terms of the walking gait achieved. The experimental results show the effectiveness of this multi-objective approach. The several walking gait solutions obtained correspond to different trade-off between the objectives.
Phospholipase D Facilitates Efficient Entry of Influenza Virus, Allowing Escape from Innate Immune Inhibition*

Background: Identifying host factors used by influenza can aid in the defense against pandemics that threaten public health. Results: Phospholipase D (PLD) contributes to viral infection and innate immune evasion strategies. Conclusion: Inhibition of PLD activity reduces influenza reproduction. Significance: PLD inhibition presents a novel approach to restrict influenza infection and viral escape. Lipid metabolism plays a fundamental role during influenza virus replication, although key regulators of lipid-dependent trafficking and virus production remain inadequately defined. This report demonstrates that infection by influenza virus stimulates phospholipase D (PLD) activity and that PLD co-localizes with influenza during infection. Both chemical inhibition and RNA interference of PLD delayed viral entry and reduced viral titers in vitro. Although there may be contributions by both major isoenzymes, the effects on viral infectivity appear to be more dependent on the PLD2 isoenzyme. In vivo, PLD2 inhibition reduced virus titer and correlated with significant increases in transcription of innate antiviral effectors. The reduction in viral titer downstream of PLD2 inhibition was dependent on Rig-I (retinoic acid-inducible gene-1), IRF3, and MxA (myxovirus resistance gene A) but not IRF7. Inhibition of PLD2 accelerated the accumulation of MxA in foci as early as 30 min postinfection. Together these data suggest that PLD facilitates the rapid endocytosis of influenza virus, permitting viral escape from innate immune detection and effectors that are capable of limiting lethal infection.