Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Liprin-α3 controls vesicle docking and exocytosis at the active zone of hippocampal synapses

Significance The presynaptic active zone is important for precise and fast information transfer at central nervous synapses. Invertebrate studies have indicated that Liprin-α proteins are important for active zone assembly and function, but localization and function of vertebrate Liprin-α proteins have remained enigmatic, and pre- or postsynaptic localization and roles have been proposed. Here we used stimulated emission depletion microscopy to directly show that Liprin-α3, but not Liprin-α2, prominently localizes to the active zone. We then generated Liprin-α3–KO mice and found that active zone structure and synaptic vesicle docking and exocytosis are impaired at their synapses. These data establish important functions of Liprin-α3 at the active zone of vertebrate synapses. The presynaptic active zone provides sites for vesicle docking and release at central nervous synapses and is essential for speed and accuracy of synaptic transmission. Liprin-α binds to several active zone proteins, and loss-of-function studies in invertebrates established important roles for Liprin-α in neurodevelopment and active zone assembly. However, Liprin-α localization and functions in vertebrates have remained unclear. We used stimulated emission depletion superresolution microscopy to systematically determine the localization of Liprin-α2 and Liprin-α3, the two predominant Liprin-α proteins in the vertebrate brain, relative to other active-zone proteins. Both proteins were widely distributed in hippocampal nerve terminals, and Liprin-α3, but not Liprin-α2, had a prominent component that colocalized with the active-zone proteins Bassoon, RIM, Munc13, RIM-BP, and ELKS. To assess Liprin-α3 functions, we generated Liprin-α3–KO mice by using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. We found reduced synaptic vesicle tethering and docking in hippocampal neurons of Liprin-α3–KO mice, and synaptic vesicle exocytosis was impaired. Liprin-α3 KO also led to mild alterations in active zone structure, accompanied by translocation of Liprin-α2 to active zones. These findings establish important roles for Liprin-α3 in active-zone assembly and function, and suggest that interplay between various Liprin-α proteins controls their active-zone localization.
Normal-weight obese syndrome: early inflammation?

BACKGROUND In obese subjects, the adipose mass represents an important source of proinflammatory cytokines. We have identified a new syndrome-the normal-weight obese (NWO) syndrome-in women with normal weight and body mass index but whose fat mass is >30% of their total body weight and whose risk of developing obesity-related diseases is likely increased. OBJECTIVE The aim of the present study was to verify the hypothesis that NWO women are characterized by early inflammation, related to body fat mass, and that their plasma proinflammatory cytokine concentrations are greater than those of nonobese women. DESIGN Twenty NWO, 20 preobese-obese, and 20 healthy (nonobese), age-matched white Italian women were studied. Anthropometric variables and plasma concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors were measured and compared between groups. RESULTS Plasma values and body-composition measures were significantly different between the preobese-obese and nonobese women. No significant differences in body weight, laboratory values, or CVD risk factors were found between the NWO and nonobese groups. Compared with concentrations in the NWO women, plasma concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-alpha were significantly lower in the nonobese group and were significantly greater in the preobese-obese group. IL-6 and TNF-alpha concentrations were related to fat mass distribution in the NWO women. CONCLUSIONS The proinflammatory cytokines could be regarded as significant prognostic indicators of the risk of obesity, CVD, and the metabolic syndrome in NWO women.
Arginine: an essential amino acid for the cat.

The essentiality of arginine for the near-adult cat was demonstrated in three preliminary and two main experiments. In the pre liminary experiments, changing cats (body weights all in excess of 1.6 kg) from a purified diet containing a complete amino acid mixture (basal) to a similar isonitrogenous diet without arginine ( â€”Arg) caused rapid loss of body weight ( mean Â±SE93.3 Â±6.8 g in the first 24 hours ), emesis, and inappetance. In the main experiments the mean Â±SE body weight of the cats was 2.6 Â±0.4 kg. When eight of these cats were given the â€”Argdiet after an overnight fast, they all exhibited emesis, had tetanic spasms, and one died. Other symptoms included hypersalivation, depression which in some cases was followed by hyperesthesia, hyperactivity, ataxia, and dyspnea. The plasma of these cats showed hyperammonemia and hyperglycemia indicating that the clinical condition was caused by acute ammonia intoxi cation. The eight cats given the comparable diet with arginine showed no ill effects. Five cats given the basal diet with ornithine replacing arginine on an equimolar basis showed neither an increase in plasma ammonia nor glucose concentrations. Cats given the â€”Argdiet had extremely low 120 minute post-prandial levels of plasma free arginine (less than one-quarter of the prefceding level ). It was concluded that the cat lacks the ability to synthesize ornithine. The consequence of this metabolic deficiency in the cat is that arginine is an essential nutrient: it provides a unique example of a nutrient so critical that one meal without dietary arginine may result in death. The â€”Argdiet supported growth in young rats, albeit at a slower rate than rats fed the basal diet. J. Nutr. 108: 1944-1953, 1978. INDEXING
Finishing of cotton fabric with wool keratin solution

In this paper,the cotton fabric was finished by the wool keratin solution.By the comparison experiments,the mechanical properties and the fabric handle of fabrics finished with keratin solution and water were tested.The finishing effect of keratin solution with cotton fabric was pointed.The best process conditions of finishing were performed and the process of finishing was described.The application and foreground were discussed.
Effect of potassium-enriched salt on cardiovascular mortality and medical expenses of elderly men.

BACKGROUND The beneficial effects of potassium-enriched salt on blood pressure have been reported in a few short-term trials. The long-term effects of potassium-enriched salt on cardiovascular mortality have not been carefully studied. OBJECTIVE The objective was to examine the effects of potassium-enriched salt on cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality and medical expenditures in elderly veterans. DESIGN Five kitchens of a veteran retirement home were randomized into 2 groups (experimental or control) and veterans assigned to those kitchens were given either potassium-enriched salt (experimental group) or regular salt (control group) for approximately 31 mo. Information on death, health insurance claims, and dates that veterans moved in or out of the home was gathered. RESULTS Altogether, 1981 veterans, 768 in the experimental [x (+/-SD) age: 74.8 +/- 7.1 y] and 1213 in the control (age: 74.9 +/- 6.7 y) groups, were included in the analysis. The experimental group had better CVD survivorship than did the control group. The incidence of CVD-related deaths was 13.1 per 1000 persons (27 deaths in 2057 person-years) and 20.5 per 1000 (66 deaths in 3218 person-years) for the experimental and control groups, respectively. A significant reduction in CVD mortality (age-adjusted hazard ratio: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.37, 0.95) was observed in the experimental group. Persons in the experimental group lived 0.3-0.90 y longer and spent significantly less (approximately US Dollars 426/y) in inpatient care for CVD than did the control group, after control for age and previous hospitalization expenditures. CONCLUSIONS This study showed a long-term beneficial effect on CVD mortality and medical expenditure associated with a switch from regular salt to potassium-enriched salt in a group of elderly veterans. The effect was likely due to a major increase in potassium and a moderate reduction in sodium intakes.
Effect of fruit juice intake on urinary quercetin excretion and biomarkers of antioxidative status.

BACKGROUND Epidemiologic studies suggest that foods rich in flavonoids might reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to investigate the effect of intake of flavonoid-containing black currant and apple juice on urinary excretion of quercetin and on markers of oxidative status. DESIGN This was a crossover study with 3 doses of juice (750, 1000, and 1500 mL) consumed for 1 wk by 4 women and 1 man corresponding to an intake of 4.8, 6.4, and 9.6 mg quercetin/d. RESULTS Urinary excretion of quercetin increased significantly with dose and with time. The fraction excreted in urine was 0.29-0.47%. Plasma quercetin did not change with juice intervention. Plasma ascorbate increased during intervention because of the ascorbate in the juice. Total plasma malondialdehyde decreased with time during the 1500-mL juice intervention, indicating reduced lipid oxidation in plasma. Plasma 2-amino-adipic semialdehyde residues increased with time and dose, indicating a prooxidant effect of the juice, whereas erythrocyte 2-aminoadipic semialdehyde and gamma-glutamyl semialdehyde concentrations, Trolox-equivalent antioxidant capacity, and ferric reducing ability of plasma did not change. Glutathione peroxidase activity increased significantly with juice dose. CONCLUSIONS Urinary excretion of quercetin seemed to be a small but constant function of quercetin intake. Short-term, high intake of black currant and apple juices had a prooxidant effect on plasma proteins and increased glutathione peroxidase activity, whereas lipid oxidation in plasma seemed to decrease. These effects might be related to several components of the juice and cannot be attributed solely to its quercetin content.
Eggs: How Much Is Safe?

DOES BODY MASS INDEX AFFECT PROGRESSION-FREE OR OVERALL SURVIVAL IN PATIENTS WITH OVARIAN CANCER? RESULTS FROM SCOTROC I TRIAL Barrett SV, Paul J, Hay A, et al; Scottish Gynaecological Cancer Trials Group. Ann Oncol 2008;19:898–902. Response from Catherine M. Olsen, PhD, MPH, BSc Cancer and Population Studies Group Queensland Institute of Medical Research Brisbane, Australia School of Population Health University of Queensland Brisbane, Australia Email: Catherine.Olsen@qimr.edu. au
Yellow fever virus capsid protein is a potent suppressor of RNA silencing that binds double-stranded RNA

Significance Until it was demonstrated that the Aedes aegypti mosquito transmitted yellow fever, the disease was possibly the most feared pestilence in the western hemisphere. This finding, by Walter Reed’s Yellow Fever Commission, is credited with eradication of the disease in many areas, through sanitation programs designed to eliminate the vector. Since this discovery, the mosquito has been widely believed to be complicit in the transmission of viral diseases, earning the enmity of humans everywhere. However, we show here that yellow fever virus encodes a protein that blocks the mosquito’s immune response, suggesting the pathogen’s continued existence in nature depends on staying one step ahead of the vector’s antiviral defense. Mosquito-borne flaviviruses, including yellow fever virus (YFV), Zika virus (ZIKV), and West Nile virus (WNV), profoundly affect human health. The successful transmission of these viruses to a human host depends on the pathogen’s ability to overcome a potentially sterilizing immune response in the vector mosquito. Similar to other invertebrate animals and plants, the mosquito’s RNA silencing pathway comprises its primary antiviral defense. Although a diverse range of plant and insect viruses has been found to encode suppressors of RNA silencing, the mechanisms by which flaviviruses antagonize antiviral small RNA pathways in disease vectors are unknown. Here we describe a viral suppressor of RNA silencing (VSR) encoded by the prototype flavivirus, YFV. We show that the YFV capsid (YFC) protein inhibits RNA silencing in the mosquito Aedes aegypti by interfering with Dicer. This VSR activity appears to be broadly conserved in the C proteins of other medically important flaviviruses, including that of ZIKV. These results suggest that a molecular “arms race” between vector and pathogen underlies the continued existence of flaviviruses in nature.
Progress and challenges in macroencapsulation approaches for type 1 diabetes (T1D) treatment: Cells, biomaterials, and devices

Macroencapsulation technology has been an attractive topic in the field of treatment for Type 1 diabetes due to mechanical stability, versatility, and retrievability of the macro‐capsule design. Macro‐capsules can be categorized into extravascular and intravascular devices, in which solute transport relies either on diffusion or convection, respectively. Failure of macroencapsulation strategies can be due to limited regenerative capacity of the encased insulin‐producing cells, sub‐optimal performance of encapsulation biomaterials, insufficient immunoisolation, excessive blood thrombosis for vascular perfusion devices, and inadequate modes of mass transfer to support cell viability and function. However, significant technical advancements have been achieved in macroencapsulation technology, namely reducing diffusion distance for oxygen and nutrients, using pro‐angiogenic factors to increase vascularization for islet engraftment, and optimizing membrane permeability and selectivity to prevent immune attacks from host's body. This review presents an overview of existing macroencapsulation devices and discusses the advances based on tissue‐engineering approaches that will stimulate future research and development of macroencapsulation technology. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 1381–1402. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Cocoa inhibits platelet activation and function.

BACKGROUND Epidemiologic studies have shown inverse associations between dietary polyphenols and mortality from coronary heart disease. However, the basis for this protective association is uncertain. Food polyphenols reportedly have antioxidant properties and decrease platelet function in vitro. OBJECTIVE This study sought to evaluate whether consumption of a polyphenol-rich cocoa beverage modulates human platelet activation and primary hemostasis. DESIGN Peripheral blood was obtained from 30 healthy subjects before and 2 and 6 h after ingestion of a cocoa beverage (n = 10), a caffeine-containing control beverage (n = 10), or water (n = 10). Platelet activation was measured in terms of expression of activation-dependent platelet antigens and platelet microparticle formation by using fluorescent-labeled monoclonal antibodies and flow cytometry. Primary platelet-related hemostasis was measured with a platelet function analyzer. RESULTS Ex vivo epinephrine- or ADP-stimulated expression of the fibrinogen-binding conformation of glycoprotein IIb-IIIa was lower 2 and 6 h after consumption of cocoa than before consumption. Cocoa consumption also decreased ADP-stimulated P-selectin expression. In contrast, epinephrine-induced platelet glycoprotein IIb-IIIa expression increased after consumption of the caffeine-containing beverage but not after water consumption. Platelet microparticle formation decreased 2 and 6 h after cocoa consumption but increased after caffeine and water consumption. Primary hemostasis in response to epinephrine in vitro was inhibited 6 h after cocoa consumption. The caffeine-containing beverage inhibited ADP-induced primary hemostasis 2 and 6 h after consumption. CONCLUSIONS Cocoa consumption suppressed ADP- or epinephrine-stimulated platelet activation and platelet microparticle formation. Cocoa consumption had an aspirin-like effect on primary hemostasis.
Transport mobility 5 years after stroke in an urban setting

Abstract Background People after stroke may have residual problems with mobility that can affect their independence and mode of transport. However, there is limited knowledge about transport mobility several years after stroke. Objective The objective was to survey the outdoor mobility and transportation in an urban setting five years post-stroke. Method This cross-sectional study was based on a mail survey focusing on long-term consequences after stroke. The survey comprises a set of self-evaluated questionnaires and was sent to 457 persons, of whom 281 responded (61.5%). From the survey, items regarding transportation and mobility were selected and analyzed. Results A high level of mobility function was reported with regard to outdoor mobility and different modes of transport. However, one-fifth still reported problems with outdoor mobility and mode of transport. Some perceived barriers were reported, predominantly mobility aspects such as transfer to/from, and getting on/off specific transportation mode/s. The respondents reported some communication problems and cognitive impairments, but these were not reported as prominent barriers when using public transport. A total of 67% were active drivers and were more often men (p = 0.002), younger (p ≤ 0.001), and were less dependent at discharge from the acute hospital (p ≤ 0.001). Conclusions Five years post-stroke, mobility problems were the dominant barrier reported when using transport modes. Individualized transport training is needed during rehabilitation to increase possibility to participate. Infrastructure and transportation planning should focus on older, women, and people with impairments to be able to facilitate the use of public transport and mobility.
Improved outcome with repeated intracoronary injection of bone marrow-derived cells within a registry: rationale for the randomized outcome trial REPEAT.

AIMS Regenerative therapies have evolved as a promising new option in the treatment of post-infarction heart failure. A major limitation of intracoronary application of autologous bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells (BM-MNCs) is that homing of the applied cells is profoundly reduced in patients with post-infarction heart failure compared with patients with acute myocardial infarction. However, early pilot and also randomized controlled trials have demonstrated significant improvements in overall cardiac function. The aim of the present analysis was to quantify a potential mortality risk reduction and reduced hospitalization in order to provide data for a prospective outcome trial. METHODS AND RESULTS The results of an ongoing single-centre registry including 297 post-infarction heart failure patients suggest that repeated intracoronary application of autologous bone marrow-derived cells is associated with a significant better 2-year survival compared with a single BM-MNC application (2-year survival 93.6 vs. 84.0%, P = 0.03). Likewise, mortality is significantly lower at 2-year follow-up compared with the mortality estimated by the use of the Seattle Heart Failure Model (SHFM) in patients receiving repeated BM-MNC application (observed mortality 6.4%, predicted mortality 16.2%, P = 0.02). Although the trend persisted at 3-year follow-up, the mortality reduction was no longer statistically significant between single and repeated treatment (mortality 21.9 vs. 13.7%, P = 0.06). CONCLUSION Repeated intracoronary administration of BM-MNC appears to be associated with improved clinical outcome compared with single treatment at 2 years. This registry provides the rationale for the design of the multicentre randomized, controlled, open-label REPEAT trial, which prospectively compares the effects of single vs. repeated intracoronary application of autologous BM-MNC on total and SHFM-predicted mortality in patients with chronic post-infarction heart failure.
Detection of overweight and obesity in a national sample of 6-12-y-old Swiss children: accuracy and validity of reference values for body mass index from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the International Obesity Task Force.

BACKGROUND For defining overweight in children, reference values for body mass index (BMI) are available from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF). However, these 2 sets of reference criteria differ, and their accuracy in classifying adiposity has not yet been validated in most countries. OBJECTIVE We compared BMI criteria from the IOTF and the CDC with percentage of body fat (%BF) from multisite skinfold thicknesses (SFTs) for identification of overweight in 6-12-y-old Swiss children. DESIGN In a representative sample (n = 2431), weight, height, and 4 SFTs were measured. Regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate BMI as an indicator of adiposity. RESULTS BMI and %BF were well correlated (r(2) = 0.74), and the areas under the ROC curves for overweight and obesity were 0.956-0.992. The sensitivity and specificity of the IOTF and CDC overweight criteria and of the CDC obesity criteria were high. The sensitivity of the IOTF obesity criteria was only 48% and 62% in boys and girls, respectively. Overall, the performance of the CDC criteria was superior. With the use of the CDC criteria, the prevalence of overweight in girls and boys was 19.1% and 20.3%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS BMI is an excellent proxy measure of adiposity in 6-12-y-old children. In Swiss children, both BMI criteria accurately predict overweight, but the sensitivity of the IOTF obesity criteria is poor. They failed to detect one-half of the children identified as obese on the basis of %BF from SFTs.
Healthcare utilization after liver transplantation is highly variable among both centers and recipients

The relationship between healthcare utilization before and after liver transplantation (LT), and its association with center characteristics, is incompletely understood. This was a retrospective cohort study of 34 402 adult LTs between 2002 and 2013 using Vizient inpatient claims data linked to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database. Multivariable mixed‐effects linear regression models evaluated the association between hospitalization 90 days pre‐LT and the number of days alive and out of the hospital (DAOH) 1 year post‐LT. Of those patients alive at LT discharge, 24.7% spent ≥30 days hospitalized during the first year. Hospitalization in the 90 days pre‐LT was inversely associated with DAOH (β = −3.4 DAOH/week hospitalized pre‐LT; P = .002). Centers with >30% of their liver transplant recipients hospitalized ≥30 days in the first LT year were typically smaller volume and/or transplanting higher risk recipients (Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease [MELD] score ≥35, inpatient or ventilated pre‐LT). In conclusion, pre‐LT hospitalization predicts 1‐year post‐LT hospitalization independent of MELD score at the patient‐level, whereas center‐specific post‐LT healthcare utilization is associated with certain center behaviors and selection practices.