Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Paralytic Zebrafish Lacking Acetylcholine Receptors Fail to Localize Rapsyn Clusters to the Synapse

Physiological analysis of two lines of paralytic mutant zebrafish,relaxed and sofa potato, reveals defects in distinct types of receptors in skeletal muscle. In sofa potato the paralysis results from failed synaptic transmission because of the absence of acetylcholine receptors, whereasrelaxed mutants lack dihydropyridine receptor-mediated release of internal calcium in response to the muscle action potential. Synaptic structure and function appear normal inrelaxed, showing that muscle paralysis per se does not impede proper synapse development. However, sofa potatomutants show incomplete development of the postsynaptic complex. Specifically, in the absence of ACh receptors, clusters of the receptor-aggregating protein rapsyn form in the extrasynaptic membrane but generally fail to localize to the subsynaptic region. Our results indicate that, although rapsyn molecules are capable of self-aggregation, interaction with ACh receptors is required for proper subsynaptic localization.
Elastic Fibers in Saphenous Varicose Veins

The purpose of this study is to describe the elastic fibers of varicose collateral saphenous veins. Sections were obtained from venous segments of patients with essential varices and stained with resorcin-fuchsin for elastic system fibers and analyzed with laser scanning microscopy after Evans blue staining. Vein portions (270 μm) were classified as without thick ening, with a cushion, or with a diffuse thickening. The elastic material density of the intima (Dei) and media (Dem) were tested for differences by the Kruskal-Wallis test. Diffuse thickening (87.1 ±8.6 μm) represents 54.5% of the segment. Cushion occupies 23.5% with 42.4 ±4.66 μm, The elastic network present in the cushion is formed by elastic fibers of different diameters that branch into delicate oxytalan fibers in association with the smooth muscle cells. The diffuse thickening elastic network varies from elastic lamellae and delicate oxytalan fibers related to the intima smooth muscle cell bundles to fragmented elastic fibers in the collagenous areas. Dei increases as the intima enlarges (10.19, 14.63, and 16.01, respectively to without thickening, cushion, diffuse thickening). In the media, the elastic network encircles the circular muscle bundles connecting them to the elastic internal lamina and to elastic fibers in the adven titia. Smooth muscle cells were coiled by numerous oxytalan fibers and the elastic fibers are irregular and fragmented. In the sclerotic portions, the elastic fibers are sparse. No correlation was found between Dei and Dem. The important thickening of varicose vein intima shows increasing quantities of elastic material formerly associated with smooth muscle cells. In the media, the elastic network around smooth muscle cell bundles is disrupted and the Dem dimin ishes as the media becomes sclerotic.
A French cost-consequence analysis of the renoprotective benefits of irbesartan in patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension

ABSTRACT Objectives: We performed a cost-consequence analysis in a French setting of the renoprotective benefit of irbesartan in hypertensive type 2 diabetes patients over a 25-year period. Research design and methods: A previously published Markov model simulated progression from microalbuminuria to overt nephropathy, doubling of serum creatinine, end-stage renal disease and death. Three treatment strategies with analogous blood pressure control were compared: (A) control – conventionally medicated antihypertensive therapy (excluding angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, other angiotensin-2-receptor antagonists and dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers) initiated at microalbuminuria; (B) early irbesartan – (300 mg daily added to control, initiated with microalbuminuria) and (C) late irbesartan – (300 mg daily, initiated with overt nephropathy). Probabilities came from the Irbesartan in Reduction of Microalbuminuria-2 study, Irbesartan in Diabetic Nephropathy Trial and other sources. Clinical and economic outcomes were projected over 25 years. Annual discount rates were 3%. Results: Compared to control, early use of irbesartan added (mean ± standard deviation) 1.51 ± 0.08 undiscounted life years (discounted: 0.94 ± 0.05 years), while late irbesartan added 0.07 ± 0.01 (0.04 ± 0.01) years/patient. Early irbesartan added 1.03 ± 0.06 discounted quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), while late irbesartan added 0.06 ± 0.01 QALYs. Early and late irbesartan treatments were projected to save €22 314 ± 1273 and €6619 ± 820/patient, respectively versus control. Sensitivity analysis showed that even over short time horizons both irbesartan treatments were superior to the control group. Conclusions: In France, early irbesartan treatment improved quality and length of life and reduced costs in hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes and microalbuminuria. Late irbesartan therapy is beneficial, but earlier irbesartan leads to better outcomes.
Nanomaterials: biological effects and some aspects of applications in ecology and agriculture

Nanosized materials have shown a relevant potential for practical application in a broad number of research fields, in industrial production and in everyday life. However, these substances acquire new properties and therefore may be biologically very active. This raise questions their potential toxic effects on living organisms. In some cases the nanosized materials or nano-composites possess distinct positive properties in enhancing the adaptation of plants in unfavorable conditions and in decreasing the negative effect of some chemical substances. The information about the positive and negative effects of nano-materials as well as the data concerned to the innovative approaches used by authors for the rapid assessment of the total toxicity with the exploitation of bacteria, Daphnia and plants are given. In last case a special attention is paid to the control of natural bioluminescence and chemoluminescence of living medium of organisms, the energy of the seed germination and the efficiency of the photosynthetic apparatus in growing plants by the estimation of chlorophyll fluorescence by the special “Floratest” biosensor. Three specific clases of nano-materials are analysed: a) nano-particles ZnO, Ag2O, FeOx, TiO2 and others, b) colloidal suspension of the same compounds, and c) nanostructured layered clay materials (acid saponites and Nb-containing saponite clays). The next features are analyzed: the biocidal activity (for nanoparticles), the improvement of the nutrition of plants on calcareous soils (for colloidal structures), the activity and performances as heterogeneous catalysts (for Nb-containing saponites, as selective oxidation catalysts for toxic organosulfur compounds into non-noxious products). The chemical and physical characterization of the nanosized materials described here was studied by different spectrophotometric and microscopic techniques, including AFM and SEM.
Volatile components of oiti fruit (Licania tomentosa Benth.).

The fresh fruits from Licania tomentosa Benth. (Chrysobalanaceae), were submitted to hydrodistillation in a modified Clevenger-type apparatus. Analysis of volatile oil were performed by GC and GC-MS. Comparison of results with literature data allowed the chemical characterization of 83% of compounds of mixture. Thirteen compounds were identified, three monoterpenes, five aliphatic esters, two alcohols, two ketones and one aldehyde. The alcohols were the major compounds (35.6%), but the esters showed great diversity.
Co-utility: Self-enforcing protocols without coordination mechanisms

Performing some task among a set of agents requires the use of some protocol that regulates the interactions between them. If those agents are rational, they may try to subvert the protocol for their own benefit, in an attempt to reach an outcome that provides greater utility. We revisit the traditional notion of self-enforcing protocols implemented using existing game-theoretic solution concepts, we describe its shortcomings in real-world applications, and we propose a new notion of self-enforcing protocols, namely co-utile protocols. The latter represent a solution concept that can be implemented without a coordination mechanism in situations when traditional self-enforcing protocols need a coordination mechanism. Co-utile protocols are preferable in decentralized systems of rational agents because of their efficiency and fairness. We illustrate the application of co-utile protocols to information technology, specifically to preserving the privacy of query profiles of database/search engine users.
Early events in the folding of an amphipathic peptide: A multinanosecond molecular dynamics study

Folding of the capped LQQLLQQLLQL peptide is investigated at the water–hexane interface by molecular dynamics simulations for 161.5 ns. Initially placed in the aqueous phase as a β‐strand, the peptide rapidly adsorbs to the interface, where it adopts an amphipathic conformation. The marginal presence of nonamphipathic structures throughout the complete trajectory indicates that the corresponding conformations are strongly disfavored at the interface. It is further suggestive that folding in an interfacial environment proceeds through a pathway of successive amphipathic intermediates. The energetic and entropic penalties involved in the conformational changes along this pathway markedly increase the folding time scales of LQQLLQQLLQL, explaining why the α‐helix, the hypothesized lowest free energy structure for a sequence with a hydrophobic periodicity of 3.6, has not been reached yet. The formation of a type I β‐turn at the end of the simulation confirms the importance of such motifs as initiation sites allowing the peptide to coalesce towards a secondary structure. Proteins 1999;36:383–399. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Differential chemokine gene expression in corneal transplant rejection.

PURPOSE To evaluate the differential gene expression of chemokines after corneal transplantation and to determine the chemokines associated with allograft rejection. METHODS Orthotopic mouse corneal transplantation was performed in two fully mismatched-strain combinations using C57BL/6 (H-2b) and BALB/c (H-2d) mice as recipients and BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice as donors. Normal nonsurgical eyes served as negative control specimens and syngeneic transplants (isografts) as control specimens for the alloimmune response. Chemokine gene expression in accepted and rejected allografts and appropriate control specimens was determined by a multiprobe RNase protection assay system. RESULTS In eyes with rejected allografts, there was overexpression of regulated on activation normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES), macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1alpha, MIP-1beta, MIP-2, and monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1 in both C57BL/6 and BALB/c recipients. In addition, C57BL/6 eyes with rejected allografts expressed very high levels of interferon-gamma-inducible protein of 10 kDa (IP-10) mRNA, in contrast to BALB/c eyes with rejected allografts, in which IP-10 expression remained very low. In contrast, lymphotactin gene expression increased only slightly in rejected allografts, and eotaxin mRNA, which was also detected in normal eyes, remained unchanged among isograft and allograft groups. T-cell activation gene (TCA)-3 mRNA was not detected in any of the assayed eyes. CONCLUSIONS Increased expression of mRNA for select chemokines of the CXC (alpha) and CC (beta) families is associated with corneal allograft rejection. Significantly elevated IP-10 gene expression in high-rejector C57BL/6, but not in low-rejector BALB/c, hosts suggests that differential activation of chemokines may be related to differences in alloimmune reactivity observed among different murine strains.
Protection and Retrieval of Encrypted Multimedia Content: When Cryptography Meets Signal Processing

The processing and encryption of multimedia content are generally considered sequential and independent operations. In certain multimedia content processing scenarios, it is, however, desirable to carry out processing directly on encrypted signals. The field of secure signal processing poses significant challenges for both signal processing and cryptography research; only few ready-togo fully integrated solutions are available. This study first concisely summarizes cryptographic primitives used in existing solutions to processing of encrypted signals, and discusses implications of the security requirements on these solutions. The study then continues to describe two domains in which secure signal processing has been taken up as a challenge, namely, analysis and retrieval of multimedia content, as well as multimedia content protection. In each domain, state-of-the-art algorithms are described. Finally, the study discusses the challenges and open issues in the field of secure signal processing.
Atomistic simulations of interactions between the 1 / 2⟨111⟩ edge dislocation and symmetric tilt grain boundaries in tungsten

The strength of polycrystals is largely controlled by the interaction between lattice dislocations and grain boundaries. The atomistic details of these interactions are difficult to discern even by advanced high-resolution microscopy methods. In this paper we present results of atomistic simulations of interactions between an edge dislocation and three symmetric tilt grain boundaries in body-centred cubic tungsten. Our simulations reveal that the outcome of the dislocation–grain-boundary interaction depends sensitively on the grain boundary structure, the geometry of the slip systems in neighbouring grains, and the precise location of the interaction within the grain boundary. A detailed analysis of the evolution of the grain boundary structures and local stress fields during dislocation absorption and transmission is provided.
SODIUM, POTASSIUM, AND WATER IN CARDIAC TISSUES *

In the traditional view of the cell, ions and proteins are in dilute, aqueous ~ o I u t i o n , ~ ~ and the ionic gradients between the cell and its environment are maintained by the cell membrane. The chemical activities of the ions outside and inside the cell are considered to be equal and near unity. The cellular potentials are diffusion potentials which depend on the transmembrane activity gradients and the controlled, selective permeability of the membrane. The upper limits of the potentials which might develop from these activity gradients can be calculated by the well-known Nernst equation:
Regulation of the Heart's Functions

If a regulating system consists of a mechanism for sensing the essential parameters, detecting deviations from a “set” value, and initiating corrective action, then the arterial pressure-regulating mechanism is the only regulating system described for the circulation in any detail. This mechanism appears to be important in maintaining a level of mean arterial pressure within a narrow range. It does not appear, however, to play a dominant role in adjusting the level of the circulation to meet spontaneously changing circulatory demands under many circumstances. During spontaneous activity by intact dogs, an increase in systolic ventricular pressure (and mean arterial pressure) is frequently accompanied by tachycardia as though some other mechanism were overriding the pressoreceptor mechanism. Thus, it appears that the circulatory system as a whole is largely controlled by neural mechanisms, usually initiated by higher levels of the nervous system. Very little is known of the sensory limbs of reflex arcs that can serve to regulate the cardiovascular system as a whole.
Parallel Implementation of Centre Star Method in SMP Cluster for Multiple Sequence Alignment

Multiple Sequence Alignment is one of the most fundamental problems in computational molecular biology. The running time of the best known scheme for finding an optimal alignment, based on dynamic programming, increases exponentially with large number of input sequences. Hence, many approximation algorithms are suggested for the problem. Most of the bounded error approximation multiple sequence alignment algorithms developed for different objective functions use center star method which takes most of the overall running time in the above algorithms. Hence, there is a need to develop efficient parallel algorithm to speed up the solution of this time consuming problem. This paper presents a parallel centre star algorithm featuring a coarse grained parallelization approach. It is suitably implemented in SMP cluster using MPI library functions, which is the main architecture of current cluster systems. Results show that the proposed method offers an efficient way of getting the centre string to be used for large-scale multiple sequence alignment.
Improved Paint Baking Response of a Novel Al-Mg-Si Alloy Automotive Body Panels by Adding Zn Element and Pre-Ageing Matching

In the present work, the microstructure and properties of a novel Al-0.92Mg-0.78Si alloy with adding Zn element were investigated by electron back scattering diffraction (EBSD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high transmission electron microscopy (HREM), mechanical properties tests and Erichsen test. The alloy sheet was cold-rolled to about 1mm, then solution treated at 545 °C for 30mins, and immediately water quenched. After solution treatment, the alloy was pre-aged at 140 °C for 10mins. The average grain size of the alloy was about 20μm. The yield stress and elongation of pre-aged alloy was 137MPa and 30% respectively. The IE value of the alloy was 8.6mm. After paint baking at 170 °C for 30mins, the increment of yield stress was about 100MPa. The GP(II) zones were formed in the alloy during paint baking process through adding Zn element, which should play a very important role for improving paint hardening response significantly. GP(II) zones and η ́ phases were formed after artificial ageing at 170 °C for 10h.
Dietary Modulation of Drosophila Sleep-Wake Behaviour

Background A complex relationship exists between diet and sleep but despite its impact on human health, this relationship remains uncharacterized and poorly understood. Drosophila melanogaster is an important model for the study of metabolism and behaviour, however the effect of diet upon Drosophila sleep remains largely unaddressed. Methodology/Principal Findings Using automated behavioural monitoring, a capillary feeding assay and pharmacological treatments, we examined the effect of dietary yeast and sucrose upon Drosophila sleep-wake behaviour for three consecutive days. We found that dietary yeast deconsolidated the sleep-wake behaviour of flies by promoting arousal from sleep in males and shortening periods of locomotor activity in females. We also demonstrate that arousal from nocturnal sleep exhibits a significant ultradian rhythmicity with a periodicity of 85 minutes. Increasing the dietary sucrose concentration from 5% to 35% had no effect on total sucrose ingestion per day nor any affect on arousal, however it did lengthen the time that males and females remained active. Higher dietary sucrose led to reduced total sleep by male but not female flies. Locomotor activity was reduced by feeding flies Metformin, a drug that inhibits oxidative phosphorylation, however Metformin did not affect any aspects of sleep. Conclusions We conclude that arousal from sleep is under ultradian control and regulated in a sex-dependent manner by dietary yeast and that dietary sucrose regulates the length of time that flies sustain periods of wakefulness. These findings highlight Drosophila as an important model with which to understand how diet impacts upon sleep and wakefulness in mammals and humans.
Musculoskeletal responses of 2-year-old Thoroughbred horses to early training. 4. Morphometric, microscopic and biomechanical properties of the digital tendons of the forelimb

Abstract AIM: To determine the weight, volume, density and cross-sectional area (CSA) of the digital flexor tendons, common digital extensor tendon (CDET) and suspensory ligament (SL) of the forelimb of young Thoroughbred horses in early training, and to assess the response to a training programme of known parameters of superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) tissue at mid-metacarpal level. METHODS: The tendons of seven 2-year-old Thoroughbred horses in training were inspected, transected into segments of known length, and compared with those from seven untrained horses matched for age, sex and breed. The weight, volume, density and CSA of each segment, and the crimp angle, histological features, and biomechanical ultimate stress and stiffness of tendon samples from the mid-metacarpal region of the SDFT were determined. RESULTS: There was no macroscopic evidence of swelling or discolouration in any of the tendon segments or cut surfaces. The volumes of SDFT and CDET segments of horses in the trained group were significantly greater than those in the untrained group (p=0.036 and p=0.039, respectively). A greater increase in volume than weight resulted in a lower density in the SDFT but not CDET in trained compared with untrained horses (p=0.038). CSA of these two tendons was significantly greater in the trained group (p=0.002 and 0.036, respectively), the percentage increase being greater in the CDET than the SDFT. The number of tenocytes at four sites in the mid-metacarpal SDFT region was less in trained than untrained horses (p=0.025). There was no histological evidence of inflammation, and no difference in crimp angle between groups. There was no significant between-group difference in stiffness or ultimate stress of tendon strips. CONCLUSIONS: Volume and CSA of the SDFT and CDET were larger in trained than untrained horses. The SDFT was less dense in the trained group. Because no evidence of tendonitis was detected and training appeared to have no significant effect on crimp angle or biomechanical properties of tendon strips, the size and density changes were presumed to be adaptive and induced by the training. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Although evident in this in vitro study, the detection of adaptive from initial pathological increase in size of the SDFT is likely to be difficult in vivo.
Glycinergic Synapse Development, Plasticity, and Homeostasis in Zebrafish

The zebrafish glial glycine transporter 1 (GlyT1) mutant provides an animal model in which homeostatic plasticity at glycinergic synapses restores rhythmic motor behaviors. GlyT1 mutants, initially paralyzed by the build-up of the inhibitory neurotransmitter glycine, stage a gradual recovery that is associated with reductions in the strength of evoked glycinergic responses. Gradual motor recovery suggests sequential compensatory mechanisms that culminate in the down-regulation of the neuronal glycine receptor. However, how motor recovery is initiated and how other forms of plasticity contribute to behavioral recovery are still outstanding questions that we discuss in the context of (1) glycinergic synapses as they function in spinal circuits that produce rhythmic motor behaviors, (2) the proteins involved in regulating glycinergic synaptic strength, (3) current models of glycinergic synaptogenesis, and (4) plasticity mechanisms that modulate the strength of glycinergic synapses. Concluding remarks (5) explore the potential for distinct plasticity mechanisms to act in concert at different spatial and temporal scales to achieve a dynamic stability that results in balanced motor behaviors.