Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Salivary Gland Derived BDNF Overexpression in Mice Exerts an Anxiolytic Effect

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is abundant in the hippocampus and plays critical roles in memory and synapse formation, as well as exerting antidepressant-like effects in psychiatric disorders. We previously reported that BDNF is expressed in salivary glands and affects blood BDNF content. However, the function of salivary BDNF remains unclear. The aim of this study was to generate transgenic mice overexpressing BDNF in the salivary glands. Hence, we used the Lama construct (hemagglutinin (HA)-tagged mouse Bdnf cDNA) to specifically express BDNF in mouse salivary glands. Compared with control mice, Bdnf-HA transgenic mice showed increased blood BDNF and expressed salivary BDNF-HA. Molecular analysis revealed enhanced hippocampal BDNF levels and activation of the BDNF receptor, tyrosine kinase B (TrkB), in transgenic mice. In both the open field and elevated-plus maze tests, transgenic mice showed anxiolytic-like behavioral effects compared with control or sialoadenectomized mice. Among downstream components of the BDNF-TrkB signaling pathway, metabolic activation of the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) synthetic pathway was found, including higher levels of the GABA synthetic enzyme, glutamate decarboxylase 1 (GAD1). Thus, we have established a transgenic mouse expressing BDNF in the parotid gland that may be useful to examine the hippocampal effects of salivary BDNF.
Interfaces cerveau-ordinateur et rééducation fonctionnelle: étude de cas chez un patient hémiparésique

Les interfaces cerveau-ordinateur (BCIs: Brain-Computer Interfaces) utilisent l'activite cerebrale d'un individu pour dialoguer avec un ordinateur. L'aide a la communication (outil d'epellation, interface domotique) et la recuperation du mouvement (controle d'une prothese ou d'un robot) sont les applications les plus frequentes des BCIs dans le domaine de l'assistance. L'etude de cas presentee dans cet article montre que les BCIs peuvent egalement etre utilisees dans une approche therapeutique par neurofeedback pour la reeducation ou la recuperation fonctionnelle. Nous decrivons, dans un premier temps, les utilisations therapeutiques connues des interfaces cerveau-ordinateur. Puis nous presentons une experience clinique durant laquelle une BCI a ete utilisee comme outil d'aide a la reeducation motrice par un patient atteint d'une hemiparesie du cote droit.
Emerging internationalisation models in an uneven global terrain: findings from a global survey

We know little about how internationalisation processes are understood, rationalised and prioritised in different parts of the world. A global survey of internationalisation in universities was undertaken at the University of Southampton to fill this gap. Its purpose was to discover how strategic leaders in universities in different parts of the world defined, rationalised and prioritised a range of familiar internationalisation approaches. Based on a self-completion questionnaire survey administered to 500 universities in six major world regions including South America, North America, Middle East nations, Asian nations, Australia and New Zealand and sub-Saharan Africa, findings were processed from just under 200 responding universities. The findings suggest that internationalisation strategies in universities across the world seem to be based on three emergent value driven models. In western universities, a commercial imperative appears to underpin the internationalisation processes and understanding. In Confucian and many Middle East nations, there is a deep-seated cultural imperative at the heart of the internationalisation agenda. In the poorer universities of the south, a curriculum-value driven process seems to characterise the internationalisation priorities of universities there. The paper concludes that despite the global rhetoric about an emerging isomorphism in HE, wide disparities continue to exist, which entrench the poverty differentials that have always existed between universities in the north and those in the south. Further research is needed that identifies ways to develop a more responsible commercial purpose that can be reconciled with the needs of universities in the poorer parts of the world.
How singers influence the understanding of sung text

Singers differ from other instrumental performers in that they generally combine words with music, as song. Diction is an important aspect of vocal pedagogy, since the singer’s foremost responsibility is perhaps to communicate the text and its meaning to the listener, whatever the language being sung. This study investigated the factors that are perceived to affect this communication process. We surveyed 143 singers, singing teachers, and listeners to choral and vocal music, asking them to list those factors they felt affected text intelligibility. In all, 43 factors were identified, of which 15 related to the performer (i.e. 33% of all statements made). These included those factors under the performers’ control, such as diction, technique and training, stage presence, and breathing and phrasing. Singing teachers made more performer-related statements than other respondents, and the more important respondents deemed it to be able to understand the text in a familiar language, the more performer-related factors they listed. Thus, the performer is seen to influence sung text intelligibility in a number of ways. Knowing more about these factors can inform vocal pedagogy, particularly diction, technique, and communication with the audience. Future research will investigate some of these factors in a more objective, controlled way.
the substance of kinship and the heat of the hearth: feeding, personhood, and relatedness among Malays in Pulau Langkawi

Malays on the island of Langkawi become complete persons, that is, kin, through living and consuming together in houses. Identity and substance are mutable and fluid. These perceptions suggest a processual view of kinship and personhood. They challenge anthropological definitions of kinship, which focus on procreation and which assume a universal division between the “biological” and the “social. ” [Malay, kinship, personhood, feeding, social, biological]
Diversity in Protein Synthesis and Viability ofHelicobacter pylori Coccoid Forms in Response to Various Stimuli

ABSTRACT The viability of the coccoid forms of Helicobacter pylori was evaluated by assessing protein synthesis. Metabolic labeling studies showed the synthesis of proteins and the specific protein profiles of H. pylori coccoids produced under various conditions. Harsh conditions such as aerobiosis and starvation (lack of horse serum) in the culture did not affect the synthesis of proteins in the coccoids. Lowering of the pH to that of gastric secretions induced expression of several proteins in the coccoids. However, the coccoids produced under prolonged microaerobic conditions exhibited a profile of acid stress-induced protein expression different from that induced by aerobiosis or starvation. Our data suggest that coccoid H. pylori exhibits diversity in viability following exposure to different stresses and that the response to acid stress of coccoid H. pylori could be involved in infection of the host stomach.
Therapeutic targeting of the mTOR‐signalling pathway in cancer: benefits and limitations

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) plays an important role in the regulation of protein translation, cell growth and metabolism. The mTOR protein forms two distinct multi‐subunit complexes: mTORC1 and mTORC2. The mTORC1 complex is activated by diverse stimuli, such as growth factors, nutrients, energy and stress signals; and essential signalling pathways, such as PI3K and MAPK, in order to control cell growth, proliferation and survival. mTORC1 also activates S6K1 and 4EBP1, which are involved in mRNA translation. The mTORC2 complex is resistant to rapamycin inhibitory activity and is generally insensitive to nutrient‐ and energy‐dependent signals. It activates PKC‐α and Akt and regulates the actin cytoskeleton. Deregulation of the mTOR‐signalling pathway (PI3K amplification/mutation, PTEN loss of function, Akt overexpression, and S6K1, 4EBP1 and eIF4E overexpression) is common in cancer, and alterations in components of the mTOR pathway have a major role in tumour progression. Therefore, mTOR is an appealing therapeutic target in many tumours. Here we summarize the upstream regulators and downstream effectors of the mTORC1 and mTORC2 pathways, the role of mTOR in cancer, and the potential therapeutic values and issues related to the novel agents targeting the mTOR‐signalling pathway.
Bk Ca Channel Activation Increases Cardiac Contractile Recovery following Hypothermic 1 Ischemia / Reperfusion. 2

24 Introduction: Mitochondrial BKCa channels are thought to provide protection during ischemic 25 insults in the heart. Rottlerin (a.k.a mallotoxin) has been implicated as a potent BKCa activator. 26 The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) investigate the efficacy of BKCa channel activation as 27 a cardioprotective strategy during ischemic cardioplegic arrest and reperfusion (CP/R) and 2) 28 assess the specificity of rottlerin for BKCa channels. 29 Methods: Wild-type (Wt) and BKCa knockout (KO) mice were subjected to an isolated heart 30 model of ischemic CP/R. Mechanism of rottlerin-induced cardioprotection was also investigated 31 using H9c2 cells subjected to in vitro CP/reoxygenation and assessed for mitochondrial 32 membrane potential and ROS production. 33 Results. CP/R decreased LVDP, +/dP/dt, and coronary flow (CF) in wt mice. Rottlerin dose34 dependently increased the recovery of LV function and CF to near baseline levels. BKCa KO 35 hearts treated with or without 500nM rottlerin were similar to wt CP hearts. H9c2 cells subjected 36 to in vitro CP/R displayed reduced mitochondrial membrane potential and increased ROS 37 generation, both of which were significantly normalized by rottlerin. 38 Conclusion: Activation of BKCa channels rescues ischemic damage associated with CP/R, 39 likely via effects on improved mitochondrial membrane potential and reduced ROS generation. 40 New and Noteworthy 41 BKCa channel activation may be an important strategy to alleviate myocardial stunning, a significant 42 clinical problem. We demonstrate that BKCa activation with the small molecule rottlerin is potently 43 cardioprotective for ischemic insults associated with hypothermic cardioplegic arrest and reperfusion. 44 Activation of BKCa promotes reduced ROS and preserves mitochondrial membrane potential. 45
Secondary Traumatization, Burnout, and Vicarious Traumatization

Abstract Trauma therapy influences the personal and professional lives of therapists as they cope with the secondary traumatic stress associated with treating trauma survivors. Therapists go through an internal process as they try both to make sense out of the stories they hear from clients, and to integrate those stories into their own existing cognitive schemas. During this process of integration, trauma therapists often experience secondary traumatic stress reactions that negatively impact the treatment process, as well as their own experiences of self. Secondary traumatic stress, vicarious traumitization, and worker burnout are distinctly different processes that practitioners need to differentiate, even though they are often similar in their initial presentation.
Reduced olfactory bulb volume in patients with schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE The authors' goal in this study was to compare the size of olfactory bulbs of patients with schizophrenia and those of healthy subjects. METHOD Magnetic resonance imaging scans of olfactory bulbs were obtained from 26 patients with schizophrenia and 22 healthy comparison subjects. A reliable region of interest procedure was used to measure olfactory bulb volume. RESULTS Patients exhibited 23% smaller bilateral bulb volume than comparison subjects, independent of acute clinical, demographic, or treatment measures. Bulb volume correlated with odor detection sensitivity in healthy subjects but not in patients with schizophrenia. CONCLUSIONS Patients with schizophrenia exhibit structural olfactory deficits as well as functional olfactory deficits. The olfactory system may be a model system in which to study the neurobiology of the disorder.
Preparation, characterization, and in vivo evaluation of tanshinone IIA solid dispersions with silica nanoparticles

We prepared solid dispersions (SDs) of tanshinone IIA (TSIIA) with silica nanoparticles, which function as dispersing carriers, using a spray-drying method and evaluated their in vitro dissolution and in vivo performance. The extent of TSIIA dissolution in the silica nanoparticles/TSIIA system (weight ratio, 5:1) was approximately 92% higher than that of the pure drug after 60 minutes. However, increasing the content of silica nanoparticles from 5:1 to 7:1 in this system did not significantly increase the rate or extent of TSIIA dissolution. The physicochemical properties of SDs were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray powder diffraction, and Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy. Studying the stability of the SDs of TSIIA revealed that the drug content of the formulation and dissolution behavior was unchanged under the applied storage conditions. In vivo tests showed that SDs of the silica nanoparticles/TSIIA had a significantly larger area under the concentration-time curve, which was 1.27 times more than that of TSIIA (P < 0.01). Additionally, the values of maximum plasma concentration and the time to reach maximum plasma concentration of the SDs were higher than those of TSIIA and the physical mixing system. Based on these results, we conclude that the silica nanoparticle based SDs achieved complete dissolution, increased absorption rate, maintained drug stability, and showed improved oral bioavailability compared to TSIIA alone.
THE FINE STRUCTURE OF CHONDROCOCCUS COLUMNARIS

Cells of Chondrococcus columnaris were sectioned and examined in the electron microscope after fixation by two different methods. After fixation with osmium tetroxide alone, the surface layers of the cells consisted of a plasma membrane, a dense layer (mucopeptide layer), and an outer unit membrane. The outer membrane appeared distorted and was widely separated from the rest of the cell. The intracytoplasmic membranes (mesosomes) appeared as convoluted tubules packaged up within the cytoplasm by a unit membrane. The unit membrane surrounding the tubules was continuous with the plasma membrane. When the cells were fixed with glutaraldehyde prior to fixation with osmium tetroxide, the outer membrane was not distorted and separated from the rest of the cell, structural elements (peripheral fibrils) were seen situated between the outer membrane and dense layer, and the mesosomes appeared as highly organized structures produced by the invagination and proliferation of the plasma membrane. The mesosomes were made up of a series of compound membranes bounded by unit membranes. The compound membranes were formed by the union of two unit membranes along their cytoplasmic surfaces.
The role of scientific positivism in European popular educational movements: the case of France

Scientific positivism was one of the most influential ideologies of progress in the early modern period and had a powerful impact on the formation of popular educational movements in the 19th century in Europe. This paper considers the form it took in France, probably the most sophisticated example, which itself influenced other European movements. It traces, briefly, the rise of positivism from Bacon through the Scottish Enlightenment philosophers to Auguste Comte and then considers how this movement found an educational vehicle in, firstly, the French Grand-Orient organization of freemasonry and then through the universités populaires. It is argued that the strength of the movement was in its resistance to authoritarian epistemologies, in particular clericalism, and in its commitment to learning based on individual experience and experimentation. In France, it becomes adopted by the Radical Party, led by Jules Ferry, as an official ideology for reforming education having first been widely diffused through Masonic educational organizations. It informs a ‘third way’ politics opposed both to laissez faire capitalism and revolutionary Marxism offering an apparently ‘scientific’ neutrality. The study demonstrates the importance of freemasonry as a vehicle for popular educational movements in the 19th century and the notions of class harmony it promoted, which underpinned the foundations of the newly emerging welfare state.
Contextualizing and Critiquing the Fantastic Prosumer: Power, Alienation and Hegemony

The ‘prosumer’ has emerged to become a central figure in contemporary culture. Through the melding of production with consumption, both mainstream and progressive analysts conceptualize prosumption to be a liberating, empowering and, for some, a prospectively revolutionary institution. In this article, these fantastic associations are critically assessed using an approach that situates prosumption activities, including contemporary online applications often referred to as ‘cocreation’, in three social-historical contexts: capitalism as a political economy dominated by mediated abstractions; capitalist society as a hierarchical order; and alienation as a pervasive norm. Among other conclusions, we find that prosumption (particularly its Web 2.0 iterations), constitutes an emerging hegemonic institution; one that effectively frames and contains truly radical imaginations while also tapping into existing predilections for commodity-focused forms of self-realization.
Selective Blockade of the Intermediate-Conductance Ca2+-Activated K+ Channel Suppresses Proliferation of Microvascular and Macrovascular Endothelial Cells and Angiogenesis In Vivo

Objective—Ca2+-activated K+ (KCa) channels have been proposed to promote mitogenesis in several cell types. Here, we tested whether the intermediate-conductance KCa channel (IKCa1) and the large-conductance KCa channel (BKCa) contribute to endothelial cell (EC) proliferation and angiogenesis. Material and Results—Function and expression of IKCa1 and BKCa/Slo were investigated by patch-clamp analysis and real-time RT-PCR in human umbilical vein ECs (HUVECs) and in dermal human microvascular ECs 1 (HMEC-1). HMEC-1 expressed IKCa1 and BKCa/Slo, whereas HUVECs expressed IKCa1. A 48-hour exposure to basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) augmented IKCa1 current amplitudes and induced a 3-fold increase in IKCa1 mRNA expression in HUVECs and HMEC-1. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was also effective in upregulating IKCa1. BKCa/Slo expression and current amplitudes in HMEC-1 were not altered by bFGF. bFGF- and VEGF-induced EC proliferation was suppressed by charybdotoxin, clotrimazole, or the selective IKCa1 blocker 1-[(2-chlorophenyl)diphenylmethyl]-1H-pyrazole (TRAM-34), whereas inhibition of BKCa/Slo by iberiotoxin was ineffective. In the Matrigel plug assay in mice, administration of TRAM-34 for 2 weeks significantly suppressed angiogenesis by ≈85%. Conclusions—bFGF and VEGF upregulate expression of IKCa1 in human ECs. This upregulation of IKCa1 seems to be required for mitogen-induced EC proliferation and angiogenesis in vivo. Selective IKCa1 blocker might be of therapeutic value to prevent tumor angiogenesis.
Heterophile Antibodies Indicate Progression of Autoimmunity in Human Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Before Clinical Onset

We previously reported serum cytokines in a group of long term non-progressors to Type 1 diabetes; this reactivity detected in ELISA is now identified as heterophile antibody in some sera. Here, we characterize heterophile antibody activity. A 14 kDa-polypeptide from heterophile antibody containing serum bound to an anti-IL-4 column, but IL-4 was not detected by Western blot or by MS/MS sequencing. However, in 2/13 heterophile antibody positive sera, T-cell growth was potentiated and was blocked by an anti-human immunoglobulin. To examine the relationship between low affinity heterophile antibody presence and disease progression, 1100 archived serum samples were analyzed with two pairs of antibodies from 443 diabetes-free first degree relatives of Type 1 diabetes mellitus patients for heterophile antibody; 95 individuals developed diabetes on follow-up. Twenty-two individuals, whose serum was heterophile antibody positive with the second pair of antibodies (but negative with the first pair of antibodies), had a significantly higher incidence of developing diabetes after five years. Thirty-seven individuals with heterophile antibody reactivity with the first pair of antibodies, regardless of reactivity with the second pair of antibodies, had a significantly lower incidence of developing diabetes. While we cannot exclude the presence of genuine cytokine in all sera, these data indicate the presence of distinct groups of heterophile antibodies in patients at high risk to develop diabetes. Thus, anti-Ig heterophilic antibodies with different immunochemical reactivities are linked to the progression of or protection from Type 1 diabetes autoimmunity.
Estimation of dynamic neural activity including informative priors into a Kalman filter based approach

The EEG recordings contain dynamic information inherent to its nature, therefore, the accurate estimation of neural activity is highly dependent on the inclusion of such information in the inverse problem solution. The present study proposes the inclusion of informative priors into a Kalman filter based solution, aimed to include the different dynamics present on the data. This is achieved by decomposing a space-time-frequency, here after s-f-t, representation of the data to extract different dynamics contained in the EEG signals. Attained results using physiological-based simulations, show that including more informative s-f-t priors along with a temporal-based solution, the reconstruction of neural activity can be improved, in the present study, we achieved an average localization error of 4 mm, compared to 47 mm using the baseline approach.
A Survey on High Mobility Wireless Communications: Challenges, Opportunities and Solutions

Providing reliable broadband wireless communications in high mobility environments, such as high-speed railway systems, remains one of the main challenges faced by the development of the next generation wireless systems. This paper provides a systematic review of high mobility communications. We first summarize a list of key challenges and opportunities in high mobility communication systems, then provide comprehensive reviews of techniques that can address these challenges and utilize the unique opportunities. The review covers a wide spectrum of communication operations, including the accurate modeling of high mobility channels, the transceiver structures that can exploit the properties of high mobility environments, the signal processing techniques that can harvest the benefits (e.g., Doppler diversity) and mitigate the impairments (e.g., carrier frequency offset, intercarrier interference, channel estimation errors) in high mobility systems, and the mobility management and network architectures that are designed specifically for high mobility systems. The survey focuses primarily on physical layer operations, which are affected the most by the mobile environment, with some additional discussions on higher layer operations, such as handover management and control-plane/user-plane decoupling, which are essential to high mobility operations. Future research directions on high mobility communications are summarized at the end of this paper.