Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High-fat diet promotes lung fibrosis and attenuates airway eosinophilia after exposure to cockroach allergen in mice

ABSTRACT Obesity is an important risk factor for asthma but the mechanistic basis for this association is not well understood. In the current study, the impact of obesity on lung inflammatory responses after allergen exposure was investigated. C57BL/6 mice maintained on a high-fat diet (HFD) or a normal diet (ND) after weaning were sensitized and challenged with cockroach allergen (CRA). Airway inflammation was assessed based on inflammatory cell recruitment, measurement of lung Th1-Th2 cytokines, chemokines, eicosanoids, and other proinflammatory mediators as well as airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR). CRA-challenged mice fed a HFD exhibited significantly decreased allergen-induced airway eosinophilia along with reduced lung IL-5, IL-13, LTC4, CCL11, and CCL2 levels as well as reduced mucus secretion and smooth muscle mass compared to ND fed mice. However, allergen-challenged HFD fed mice demonstrated significantly increased PAI-1 and reduced PGE2 levels in the lung relative to corresponding ND fed mice. Interestingly, saline-exposed HFD fed mice demonstrated elevated baseline levels of TGF-β1, arginase-1, hypoxia-inducible factor-1α, and lung collagen expression associated with decreased lung function compared to corresponding ND fed mice. These studies indicate that a HFD inhibits airway eosinophilia while altering levels of PAI-1 and PGE2 in response to CRA in mice. Further, a HFD can lead to the development of lung fibrosis even in the absence of allergen exposure which could be due to innate elevated levels of specific profibrotic factors, potentially affecting lung function during asthma.
C USTOMER VALUATION OF FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS : A STATED PREFERENCE APPROACH

Knowledge of customer valuation of flight character istics is important for carriers to decide on servi ce and price levels. It may also be important for regu lators to have some knowledge of customer valuation of flight characteristics, as this customer valuati on determines to what extent individual flights are substitutes. Furthermore, valuation of characterist ics may play a role in infrastructure investment appraisal. Nonetheless, quantifications of customer valuations in civil aviation are fairly scarce. We conducted a stated preference survey to quantify customer preferences, using conjoint choice experiments. Flight characteristics considered are in-flight time, direct versus connecting flights, l andside access time, transfer time and fare. The valuation of flight characteristics depends on traveler characteristics. For instance, a high-inco me traveler is likely to value travel time higher than someone traveling on a leisure trip. We investigat e the effect of age, gender, income, experience, ffp-memb ership and composition of household on the valuation of flight characteristics. As conjoint choice experiments reflect discrete cho i es, we estimate a multinomial logit model to assess valuations of trip characteristics. We prese nt money values of the flight characteristics and compare them to the results of other studies.
PI3K and Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins Modulate Gentamicin- Induced Hair Cell Death in the Zebrafish Lateral Line

Inner ear hair cell death leads to sensorineural hearing loss and can be a direct consequence of aminoglycoside antibiotic treatment. Aminoglycosides such as gentamicin are effective therapy for serious Gram-negative bacterial infections such as some forms of meningitis, pneumonia, and sepsis. Aminoglycosides enter hair cells through mechanotransduction channels at the apical end of hair bundles and initiate intrinsic cell death cascades, but the precise cell signaling that leads to hair cell death is incompletely understood. Here, we examine the cell death pathways involved in aminoglycoside damage using the zebrafish (Danio rerio). The zebrafish lateral line contains hair cell-bearing organs called neuromasts that are homologous to hair cells of the mammalian inner ear and represents an excellent model to study ototoxicity. Based on previous research demonstrating a role for p53, Bcl2 signaling, autophagy, and proteasomal degradation in aminoglycoside-damaged hair cells, we used the Cytoscape GeneMANIA Database to identify additional proteins that might play a role in neomycin or gentamicin ototoxicity. Our bioinformatics analysis identified the pro-survival proteins phosphoinositide-dependent kinase-1 (PDK1) and X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (Xiap) as potential mediators of gentamicin-induced hair cell damage. Pharmacological inhibition of PDK1 or its downstream mediator protein kinase C facilitated gentamicin toxicity, as did Xiap mutation, suggesting that both PI3K and endogenous Xiap confer protection. Surprisingly, aminoglycoside-induced hair cell death was highly attenuated in wild type Tupfel long-fin (TL fish; the background strain for the Xiap mutant line) compared to wild type ∗AB zebrafish. Pharmacologic manipulation of p53 suggested that the strain difference might result from decreased p53 in TL hair cells, allowing for increased hair cell survival. Overall, our studies identified additional steps in the cell death cascade triggered by aminoglycoside damage, suggesting possible drug targets to combat hearing loss resulting from aminoglycoside exposure.
An implementation of a hygienic syntactic macro system for JavaScript: a preliminary report

The article describes an implementation scheme of a hygienic syntactic macro system for JavaScript. Instead of implementing the complex logic of a hygienic macro system from scratch, the proposed method heavily relies on an existing Scheme implementation of its hygienic syntactic macro system. A program written in our macro-enhanced version of JavaScript is first translated into a Scheme program. It is then macro-expanded by a macro expander of Scheme into a macro-free Scheme code. Finally, it is translated back to Javascript, which at this point is free of macros. To deal with the macro-enhanced syntax, an extensible parser architecture based on top-down operator precedence is proposed. A prototype hygienic macro system, including both the parser and the two-way translator, is implemented by only 2,000 lines of Scheme code.
Trans-splicing as a possible molecular mechanism for the multiple isotype expression of the immunoglobulin gene

We analyzed the molecular mechanism for the immunoglobulin (Ig) multiple isotype expression using a transgenic mouse (TG.SA) model system. Though most of the endogenous mu chain expression was excluded by the expression of the human rearranged mu transgene in the TG.SA mouse, a significant portion of splenic B lymphocytes could express the transgenic human IgM and endogenous mouse IgG simultaneously after stimulation with lipopolysaccharide and interleukin 4. The fluorescence- activated cell sorter-purified population of the human IgM+/mouse IgG+ cells expressed mRNA that consisted of properly spliced sequences of the transgenic VHDJH and the endogenous mouse C gamma genes (trans- mRNA), together with the transgenic human mu mRNA and germline transcripts of the mouse C gamma gene, without apparent rearrangement of the transgene. We also found that a lymphoma tumor, derived from the cross between the TG.SA mouse and another transgenic mouse carrying Ig H chain enhancer-driven c-myc oncogene, expressed about equal levels of the trans-mRNA and the transgenic mu mRNA without DNA rearrangement in either the transgene or the endogenous mouse switch region. These findings strongly support our previous proposal that the trans-splicing can account for the multiple isotype expression in this transgenic model and also suggest that novel molecular mechanism(s) might be involved in this reaction.
Mutagenesis and Repair in Bacillus anthracis: the Effect of Mutators

ABSTRACT We have generated mutator strains of Bacillus anthracis Sterne by using directed gene knockouts to investigate the effect of deleting genes involved in mismatch repair, oxidative repair, and maintaining triphosphate pools. The single-knockout strains are deleted for mutS, mutY, mutM, or ndk. We also made double-knockout strains that are mutS ndk or mutY mutM. We have measured the levels of mutations in the rpoB gene that lead to the Rifr phenotype and have examined the mutational specificity. In addition, we examined the mutational specificity of two mutagens, 5-azacytidine and N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitroso-guanidine. The mutY and mutM single knockouts are weak mutators by themselves, but the combination of mutY mutM results in very high mutation rates, all due to G:C → T:A transversions. The situation parallels that seen in Escherichia coli. Also, mutS knockouts are strong mutators and even stronger in the presence of a deletion of ndk. The number of sites in rpoB that can result in the Rifr phenotype by single-base substitution is more limited than in certain other bacteria, such as E. coli and Deinococcus radiodurans, although the average mutation rate per mutational site is roughly comparable. Hotspots at sites with virtually identical surrounding sequences are organism specific.
LANDSCAPE STRUCTURE AND HIERARCHICAL GENETIC DIVERSITY IN THE BROOK CHARR, SALVELINUS FONTINALIS

Abstract Explaining the extent, causes, and consequences of biotic distributions in space is fundamental to our understanding of how species evolve and cope with particular environments. Yet, identifying extrinsic barriers to migration imposed by landscape structure and predicting their impacts on intraspecific genetic diversity remains a major challenge in population biology. In this study, 30 populations (771 individuals) of brook charr (Salvelinus fontinalis, Salmonidae) representing six major river drainages from Maine, USA, were characterized at six microsatellite loci to quantify the role of landscape features, such as habitat size, altitude, contemporary and historical connectivity, in shaping genetic diversity at three spatial scales: within lakes, within river drainages, and among river drainages. Within-population expected heterozygosity was negatively correlated with altitude, whereas no significant correlation was observed with lake size. Conversely, the extent of heterozygote deficiency within lakes was negatively associated with habitat size. The hierarchical analysis of genetic variance revealed that the extent of among-drainage differentiation was unexpectedly low relative to the pronounced population structuring within drainage. Geographically proximate St. John and Penobscot River drainages were characterized by opposite effects of altitude and geographic distance in shaping the pattern of population differentiation within drainages. The geographic pattern of differentiation among drainages could not be accounted for either by an isolation by distance or by a stepwise range expansion model. Overall, this study provided evidence for the role of contemporary landscape features in shaping the observed pattern of genetic diversity at smaller geographic scales (within and among populations within river drainage). On a broader geographic scale, contemporary landscape structure appeared to be only a minor factor determining the observed pattern of genetic structuring among drainages. These results add to the increasing evidence for nonequilibrium conditions between drift and migration in a wide array of animal taxa. The development of more realistic theoretical descriptions of nonequilibrium population structure thus appears to be important to better understand the relative influence of historical and ecological factors in shaping genetic variation in young habitats, such as recently deglaciated areas. Corresponding Editor: B. Bowen
CARACTERÍSTICAS ANTROPOMÉTRICAS DE ESCOLARES DA REDE PÚBLICA MUNICIPAL DE ARAPIRACA, ALAGOAS

The study aimed to evaluate the anthropometric characteristics of schoolchildren of both sexes enrolled in a public school in the city of Arapiraca-AL in 2010. The sample consisted of 620 schoolchildren of both sexes, aged 9 years, enrolled in a school in the municipal Arapiraca, Alagoas. We measured total body mass and height (to calculate body mass index - BMI), waist circumference as well as anatomical and skin folds. To collect data to utlize a balance Techline BAL-150Pa®, a Sanny stadiometer®, a metal anthropometric tape Sanny® and a skinfold caliper Sanny®. We used the statistic of central tendency. For both sexes the results indicate that schoolchildren are within the normal range for height by age for BMI, waist to anatomical and relative body fat. It is concluded that for both sexes, mean values ​​were within normal range, however, females had higher levels of relative body fat.
Social Risk and Attribution: How Considering the Social Risk of Attributions Can Improve the Performance of Kelley's ANOVA Model in Applied Research

Classic models of attribution are increasingly used, despite serious problems with their empirical validation. This study revisits Kelley's (1967) ANOVA model of attribution and argues that it will most usefully predict attributions when attributional processes are socially “safe” and have few social consequences. The results demonstrate that attributions are most likely to be inconsistent with Kelley's predictions when attributional information and the attributions themselves are socially consequential or risky, but are more likely to be made as predicted when they are socially safe. Applications of Kelley's model, therefore, should pay attention to the extent to which attributions and attributional information are socially consequential or risky, particularly when analyzing the use of consensus information.
Genotyping and Prevalence of Pyrazinamide- and Moxifloxacin-Resistant Tuberculosis in China, 2000 to 2010

ABSTRACT We investigated the prevalence, trends, and risk factors for pyrazinamide (PZA) and moxifloxacin (MOX) resistance among tuberculosis (TB) cases in China and also analyzed the population structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains. All the M. tuberculosis strains enrolled in this study were collected from the national TB prevalence surveys. Each strain was genotyped by analyzing the regions of RD105 and IS6110 in the NTF region. The Bactec MGIT 960 system was used to detect the drug susceptibility of M. tuberculosis isolates to PZA and MOX. Based on the genotyping results, 241 (66.4%) strains were classified as Beijing genotype in 2000, which was significantly lower than in 2010 (76.2%, P < 0.01). The proportion of the modern Beijing genotype increased significantly from 49.6% in 2000 to 68.1% in 2010 (P < 0.01), while no significant difference was observed in the rate of ancient Beijing genotype between 2000 and 2010 (P = 0.676). In addition, we found that the proportion of PZA resistance in 2010 (15.0%) was significantly higher than that in 2000 (9.6%, P = 0.04). For MOX, there were more MOX-resistant isolates detected in 2010 (7.7%) than in 2000 (3.0%). In conclusion, our data demonstrate that the Beijing genotype was the predominant M. tuberculosis lineage during the past decade. The proportion of Beijing genotype isolates significantly increased from 2000 to 2010, largely due to an increase in the modern Beijing sublineage. In addition, resistance to PZA and MOX increased significantly in China between 2000 and 2010.
Association Study of 71 European Crohn's Disease Susceptibility Loci in a Japanese Population

Background:A large-scale meta-analysis of a series of European genome-wide association studies revealed 71 susceptibility loci for Crohn's disease (CD). However, it is not clear whether these susceptibility loci are also shared with Japanese populations. Methods:We genotyped 71 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) comprising 1311 CD cases and 6585 controls of Japanese descent, and their associations with CD were evaluated using the Cochran–Armitage trend test. In addition, genotype–phenotype analyses were conducted on the SNPs showing associations with Japanese CD based on the Montreal classification. Results:Twenty-seven SNPs showed at least nominal association (P < 0.05) and 11 of them remained significant even after Bonferroni correction (P < 0.0007). Despite high statistical power, we could not find any association in 17 loci. Moreover, SNPs in 9 loci were rare or absent in the Japanese population. Genetic variations involved in the innate immune system (NOD2, ATG16L1, and IRGM) showed no association with CD susceptibility in the Japanese population. Genotype–phenotype analyses showed that rs3810936, a marker of TNFSF15, correlated with severe CD phenotypes. Conclusions:Our study suggests that there is a differential genetic background of CD susceptibility between Japanese and European populations.
Highly Luminescent PbS/ZnS Nanoparticles Synthesized by a Microwave Method

Abstract Nanoparticles with PbS core of 12 nm and shell of approximately 3 nm were synthesized at PbS:ZnS ratios of 1.01:0.1 using Merca Ptopropionic Acid as stabilizing agent. PbS/ZnS nanoparticles present a dramatically increase of Photoluminescence intensity, confirming the confinement of the PbS core by increasing the Quantum Yield from 0.63 to 0.92 by the addition of the ZnS shell. In this case, the synthesis by microwave method allows obtaining nanoparticles with enhanced optical characteristics in shorter reaction time than those of nanoparticles synthesized by colloidal method.
GABA-B Receptor Activation in the Rat Globus pallidus Potently Suppresses Pentylenetetrazol-Induced Tonic Seizures

To determine the involvement of the globus pallidus in mediating epilepsy, the effects of microinjection of a GABA uptake blocker (tiagabine), a benzodiazepine agonist (zolpidem) and a GABA-B receptor agonist (baclofen) on pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced tonic seizure were examined in adult rats. Administration of PTZ induced tonic seizures in all control animals, accompanied with a 100% mortality rate. Pretreatment with bilateral intrapallidal microinjection of tiagabine (1 mM) suppressed the incidence of tonic seizures to 67.7% and reduced the mortality rate to 16.7%. Furthermore, the latency to tonic seizures was 1,275 ± 277 s, which was significantly longer than that of the corresponding control animals (319 ± 225 s). On the other hand, administration of zolpidem (1 mM) was without significant effects on the mortality rate, the incidence and latency of the tonic seizure. In sharp contrast, microinjection of baclofen (1mM) completely suppressed PTZ-induced tonic seizures and reduced the mortality rate to 0%. This effect was largely abolished by co-injection of the GABA-B receptor antagonist CGP55845. To elucidate the direct cellular action of baclofen, the excitability and membrane potential of globus pallidus neurons were studied by cell-attached and whole-cell patch-clamp recordings in the brain slice. Bath application of baclofen (50 µM) significantly reduced the firing of these neurons, and was often accompanied by a clear membrane hyperpolarization, in a CGP55845-sensitive manner. These data suggest that activation of GABA-B receptors in globus pallidus could significantly modulate PTZ-induced tonic seizures.
Comparison of Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium LT2 and Non-LT2 Salmonella Genomic Sequences, and Genotyping of Salmonellae by Using PCR

ABSTRACT Genes of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium LT2 expected to be specifically present in Salmonella were selected using the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) program. The 152 selected genes were compared with 11 genomic sequences of Salmonella serovars, including Salmonella enterica subsp. I and IIIb and Salmonella bongori (V), and were clustered into 17 groups by their comparison patterns. A total of 38 primer pairs were constructed to represent each of the 17 groups, and PCR was performed with various Salmonella subspecies including Salmonella enterica subsp. I, II, IIIa, IIIb, IV, VI, and V to evaluate a comprehensive DNA-based scheme for identification of Salmonella subspecies and the major disease-causing Salmonella serovars. Analysis of PCR results showed that Salmonella enterica subsp. I was critically divided from other subspecies, and Salmonella strains belonging to S. enterica subsp. I were clustered based on their serovars. In addition, genotypic relationships within S. enterica subsp. I by PCR results were investigated. Also, Salmonella signature genes, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium signature genes, and Salmonella enterica subsp. I signature genes were demonstrated based on their PCR results. The described PCR method suggests a rapid and convenient method for identification of Salmonella serovars that can be used by nonspecialized laboratories. Genome sequence comparison can be a useful tool in epidemiologic and taxonomic studies of Salmonella.
A New Algorithm for Fetal QRS Detection in Abdominal Recordings

The acquisition and the analysis of electrophysiological signals are often followed by the detection of parameters of clinical importance. In the case of fetal electrocardiogram signal, the presence of QRS complex is the best indi- cator of the fetal heart rate, as it is directly correlated with the fetal cardiac ac- tivity. However, to detect this complex, it is necessary to separate the signal from the maternal ECG signal. In this paper, a new algorithm for the fetal QRS detection is presented. This algorithm is based on two methods: the blind source separation method and the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) meth- od. The results obtained by the application of this algorithm to recordings of fetal electrocardiogram signals from the DaISy database show its good performance.
Left ventricular twist: comparison between two- and three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography in healthy volunteers.

AIMS left ventricular (LV) twist is the result of clockwise rotation of the base and counterclockwise rotation of the apex. The aims of this study were to investigate the feasibility of the three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (3DSTE) to assess LV twist values and compare the data measured by two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (2DSTE) in a group of healthy volunteers. METHODS AND RESULTS fifty individuals were enrolled in the protocol. LV twist was defined as net difference between averaged 2DSTE apical (4 segments) and basal (6 segments) rotations. 3DSTE twist was obtained from the LV volumetric image and shown as the averaged global value of 16 segments. Time-to-peak by both techniques was also measured and compared. Significant differences between the two techniques were calculated using the paired Student t-test. P-values of <0.05 were considered significant. Reliable LV twist measurement was possible in 39 of 50 individuals (78%). 2DSTE twist mean peak value was 13.8 + 7.9° with a mean time-to-peak of 388.3 ± 152.3 ms and global 3DSTE twist mean peak value was 10.2 + 7.6° with a mean time-to-peak of 371.8 ± 127.5 ms. Peak LV twist values by 3DSTE was significantly smaller than by 2DSTE (P < 0.01) whereas time-to-peak results showed no significant difference. CONCLUSION 3DSTE is feasible to assess LV twist deformation. Whereas further investigations using 3DSTE are needed to validate this promising technology, comparing 2DSTE and 3DSTE should be done with caution, as values for peak LV twist differ.