Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The vest-collar as a rodent collar to prevent licking and scratching during experiments

Various types of restraint collars have been used for research animals, and the Elizabethan collar (E-collar) is the most commonly used. However, animals can be choked by the E-collar or they tend to remove it; furthermore, repeated rubbing and scratching of the collar may chafe the neck. We developed a new restraint collar with a vest to overcome these limitations. The vest-collar (V-collar) can be worn similarly to a vest, in contrast to the E-collar, which is fixed around the neck. A cone-shaped collar is attached to the vest in the V-collar and is made of Eva foam to surround the chest softly, accompanied by a transparent polyvinyl chloride (PVC) film for visibility. To evaluate the performance of the V-collar, we conducted experiments with mice wearing the V-collar and the E-collar. Both groups showed normal weight gain and food intake. Glucose and stress hormone levels showed no significant differences, and no stress-associated leukocyte profiles were observed during the experiments. However, despite the short experimental duration, more than half of the mice in the E-collar group showed injury to the skin on the neck, with increased thickness of the epidermal and keratin layers. Moreover, inflammatory cell counts were higher in the E-collar group than in the V-collar group. In conclusion, the V-collar, in contrast to the E-collar, does not cause skin injuries in animals and is thus beneficial for animals and investigators. Investigators can effectively use the V-collar to enhance laboratory animal welfare.
The Ondine curse, false suffocation alarms, trait-state suffocation fear, and dyspnea-suffocation fear in panic attacks.

Ley 1 still inexplicably and evasively ignores my point that patients with the Ondine curse do not feel distressed while actually suffocating. He simply confuses the matter by gratuitously suggesting that an alarm system has to be either off or maximally on. Clearly many physiological alarm systems produce mounting discomfort and activation but do not lead to a full-fledged maximum reaction unless adaptive action has failed to be effective. Ley obscures the issue by a physiologically unwarranted dictum about how alarm systems work. Central sleep apnea is a pathological feature of the breathing control mechanism; patients with central sleep apnea breathe insufficiently except during full wakefulness. Such patients are quite similar to patients with the Ondine curse, so this does not contradict my views. In obstructive sleep apnea, obesity or upper airway narrowing may result in hypoxia and hypercapnia, which may induce central apnea. During sleep apnea, the usual response
Peritoneal absorption of moxalactam

We evaluated the rate and extent of the systemic absorption of moxalactam given intraperitoneally to patients with peritonitis and end-stage renal disease who were being maintained on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. Moxalactam was administered at a concentration of 200 mg per 2-liter dialysate for the first dose, followed by 60 mg per 2-liter exchange for 23 1-h exchanges. Moxalactam concentrations in serum (mean +/- standard deviation) were 2.5 +/- 0.9 mg/liter after the first hourly dialysis, increasing to 10.3 +/- 4.8 mg/liter after 24 h of drug administration. Moxalactam levels in serum at 1 h were above the minimal inhibitory concentrations for most gram-negative organisms except Pseudomonas aeruginosa. No adverse effects of the drug were observed.
The staphylococcal scalded-skin syndrome: isolation and partial characterization of the exfoliative toxin.

Sterile, cell-free filtrates of five strains of coagulase-positive phage group II staphylococci that were cultured in vivo produced exfoliation in newborn mice after intraperitoneal, oral, or subcutaneous administration. Filtrates prepared in a similar manner from coagulase-positive staphylococci of other phage groups failed to produce exfoliation. All filtrates contained staphylococcal alpha hemolysin, the activity of which could be neutralized with specific antiserum. The toxin responsible for the exfoliative phenomenon was a macromolecular ampholyte with a molecular weight of the same order as that of alpha hemolysin. Its behavior was similar to that of alpha hemolysis on gel filtration on Sephadex, Pevikon-block electrophoresis, ultrafiltration, and ultracentrifugation. It was partially separated from alpha hemolysin by precipitation with ammonium sulfate. Isoelectric focusing showed that the exfoliative toxin had an isoelectric point of 7.0 and could be completely separated from the more basic alpha hemolysin by this technique. After purification, approximately 0.5 jxg of the powdered toxin was sufficient to cause exfoliation in the newborn mouse. The identification and separation of the staphylococcal exfoliative toxin and the production of a skin lesion with a partially purified preparation establish this toxin as the etiologic agent of the skin changes seen in children with the staphylococcal scalded-skin syndrome.
Decreased expression of adipose CD36 and FATP1 are associated with increased plasma non-esterified fatty acids during prolonged fasting in northern elephant seal pups (Mirounga angustirostris)

SUMMARY The northern elephant seal pup (Mirounga angustirostris) undergoes a 2–3 month post-weaning fast, during which it depends primarily on the oxidation of fatty acids to meet its energetic demands. The concentration of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) increases and is associated with the development of insulin resistance in late-fasted pups. Furthermore, plasma NEFA concentrations respond differentially to an intravenous glucose tolerance test (ivGTT) depending on fasting duration, suggesting that the effects of glucose on lipid metabolism are altered. However, elucidation of the lipolytic mechanisms including lipase activity during prolonged fasting in mammals is scarce. To assess the impact of fasting and glucose on the regulation of lipid metabolism, adipose tissue and plasma samples were collected before and after ivGTTs performed on early (2 weeks, N=5) and late (6–8 weeks; N=8) fasted pups. Glucose administration increased plasma triglycerides and NEFA concentrations in late-fasted seals, but not plasma glycerol. Fasting decreased basal adipose lipase activity by 50%. Fasting also increased plasma lipase activity twofold and decreased the expressions of CD36, FAS, FATP1 and PEPCK-C by 22–43% in adipose tissue. Plasma acylcarnitine profiling indicated that late-fasted seals display higher incomplete LCFA β-oxidation. Results suggest that long-term fasting induces shifts in the regulation of lipolysis and lipid metabolism associated with the onset of insulin resistance in northern elephant seal pups. Delineation of the mechanisms responsible for this shift in regulation during fasting can contribute to a more thorough understanding of the changes in lipid metabolism associated with dyslipidemia and insulin resistance in mammals.
Why Do Women Underperform Under Stereotype Threat?

This study investigated the role of negative thinking as a potential mediator of performance deficits under stereotype threat. After being assigned to a stereotype-threat or a no-threat condition, 60 female participants were asked to complete a difficult math task. Using the thought-listing technique, women under stereotype threat reported a higher number of negative thoughts specifically related to the test and to mathematics compared with women in the no-threat condition. Moreover, women under stereotype threat also showed a sharp decrease in performance that (a) was most pronounced in the second half of the test and (b) was mediated by the increase in negative thinking.
Role of ADAMTS5 in Unexplained Fetal Growth Restriction (FGR)

ABSTRACT Aim: We aim to determine the role of serum and placental A disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motif 5 (ADAMTS5) in fetal growth restriction (FGR). Material and Methods: 43 pregnancies suffering FGR and 45 healthy ones were homogenized for their body mass indices, ages, and gestational weeks. Expression of ADAMTS5 in placental samples was determined by immunohistochemical methods and concurrent maternal serum ADAMTS5 levels were determined with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Expression of ADAMTS5 was higher in FGR group than the healthy control in placenta. Both the cytoplasmic staining pattern of the syncytiotrophoblasts and staining of the decidual plate were shown in the FGR group; but not in the control group. A negative correlation between serum ADAMTS5 levels and birth weight in FGR group was observed. Conclusion: Increased ADAMTS5 levels were observed in placental insufficiency cases. This study demonstrates that ADAMTS5 may be a sensitive indicator of placental insufficiency which has variable factors in etiology. Additional work is needed to delineate the mechanism of its involvement.
An efficient e‐mail protocol providing perfect forward secrecy for mobile devices

With the explosive growth of Internet applications, e‐mail has become a popular medium for various types of data transmission. To ensure the confidentiality of an e‐mail, many secure e‐mail protocols have been proposed in recent years. In 2005, Sun et al. proposed an e‐mail protocol that claimed to have perfect forward secrecy. However, Dent pointed out some flaws of this protocol. According to Dent's comments, Kim et al. proposed two e‐mail protocols to overcome these weaknesses. In this article, we propose an efficient and secure e‐mail protocol that provides perfect forward secrecy. Our protocol is more suitable for mobile devices which have limited battery energy. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Preclinical Testing of Neuroprotective Neurotrophic Factors in a Model of Chronic Motor Neuron Degeneration

Many neurotrophic factors have been shown to enhance survival of embryonic motor neurons or affect their response to injury. Few studies have investigated the potential effects of neurotrophic factors on more mature motor neurons that might be relevant for neurodegenerative diseases. Using organotypic spinal cord cultures from postnatal rats, we have demonstrated that insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) significantly increase choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity, but brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotrophin-4 (NT-4/5), and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) do not. Surprisingly, ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) actually reduces ChAT activity compared to age-matched control cultures. Neurotrophic factors have also been shown to alter the sensitivity of some neurons to glutamate neurotoxicity, a postulated mechanism of injury in the neurodegenerative disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Incubation of organotypic spinal cord cultures in the presence of the glutamate transport inhibitor threo-hydroxyaspartate (THA) reproducibly causes death of motor neurons which is glutamate-mediated. In this model of motor neuron degeneration, IGF-I, GDNF, and NT-4/5 are potently neuroprotective, but BDNF, CNTF, and NT-3 are not. The organotypic glutamate toxicity model appears to be the best preclinical predictor to date of success in human clinical trials in ALS.
Relative N Fertilizer Efficiency and Mineralization of Organic Amendments as Assessed by Tall Fescue ( Festuca arundinacea )

A capability to determine the availability of nitrogen in organic amendments is necessary to ensure that such materials will provide sufficient nitrogen to the growing crop and cause minimal environmental degradation. Greenhouse bioassays were used to evaluate N availability of organic by-products, including several employed in the field study of this research. Tall fescue was grown in greenhouse pots amended with Huck’s Hen Blend yard waste compost, Panorama yard waste compost, Wolf Creek biosolids compost, Rivanna biosolids compost, and pelletized poultry litter at concentrations estimated to supply 100% agronomic N. Five inorganic N treatments applied at 0N (0% agronomic N), 0.5N (50% N), 1N (100% N), 1.5N (150% N), and 2N (200% N) were used to establish an N calibration curve. Yield, plant nitrogen uptake, and total Kjeldahl N, NO3 and NH4 concentrations of amended soils were compared against the inorganically fertilized treatments in order to determine organic N mineralization rates and N fertilizer values. Nitrogen mineralization rates were greatest in the poultry litter (21.4%) and Panorama yard waste compost (4.5%) amended plots. Nitrogen uptake (120 mg/pot, 133 mg/pot, respectively) in these treatments were greater than that achieved in the control (0N) (91.3 mg/pot) treatment. Wolf Creek biosolids compost and Huck’s Hen Blend yard waste compost induced N immobilization (-5.00% and 0.18%, respectively), and had N uptake values similar to the control (92.6 mg/pot and 95.7 mg/pot). Rivanna biosolids compost immobilized N (-14.8%) but N uptake (136 mg/pot) was greater than that in the control due to the relatively high inorganic N content in the amendment. The total N concentration and C:N values were less reliable variables in predicting N mineralization when a significant portion of the total N was in the inorganic form.
Impact of moods and social context on eating behavior

The relationship of moods and social context to energy and nutrient intakes was examined to ascertain if these variables interact or function independently. The subjects were 78 predominantly white, obese women participating in weight-loss studies. Mean age was 36.7 (SD=7.6) and mean Body Mass Index was 32.1 (SD=3.6). Subjects completed 2-week baseline food diaries recording everything they ate, including moods and people present during the meals. Meals eaten in positive and negative moods were significantly larger than meals eaten in a neutral mood. Meals eaten with other people were significantly larger than meals eaten alone. There were no significant moods by social context interactions for total energy intake. Moods and social context functioned additively to increase the risk of over-eating. Macro nutrient analysis revealed only a main effect for social context. Percentage of calories from fat and protein were greater, whereas the percentage of carbohydrate was less in social context meals compared to meals eaten alone. Clinicians should conduct a functional analysis to assess exposure to the frequency and types of risky situations. Teaching people to cope more effectively with social situations and moods may increase the efficacy of weight loss and maintenance programs.
Adjuvant mitotane treatment for adrenocortical carcinoma.

BACKGROUND Adrenocortical carcinoma is a rare neoplasm characterized by a high risk of recurrence after radical resection. Whether the use of mitotane is beneficial as an adjuvant treatment has been controversial. Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy of adjuvant mitotane in prolonging recurrence-free survival. METHODS We performed a retrospective analysis involving 177 patients with adrenocortical cancer who had undergone radical surgery at 8 centers in Italy and 47 centers in Germany between 1985 and 2005. Adjuvant mitotane was administered to 47 Italian patients after radical surgery (mitotane group), whereas 55 Italian patients and 75 German patients (control groups 1 and 2, respectively) did not receive adjuvant treatment after surgery. RESULTS Baseline features in the mitotane group and the control group from Italy were similar; the German patients were significantly older (P=0.03) and had more stage I or II adrenocortical carcinomas (P=0.02) than did patients in the mitotane group. Recurrence-free survival was significantly prolonged in the mitotane group, as compared with the two control groups (median recurrence-free survival, 42 months, as compared with 10 months in control group 1 and 25 months in control group 2). Hazard ratios for recurrence were 2.91 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.77 to 4.78; P<0.001) and 1.97 (95% CI, 1.21 to 3.20; P=0.005), respectively. Multivariate analysis indicated that mitotane treatment had a significant advantage for recurrence-free survival. Adverse events associated with mitotane were mainly of grade 1 or 2, but temporary dose reduction was needed in 13% of patients. CONCLUSIONS Adjuvant mitotane may prolong recurrence-free survival in patients with radically resected adrenocortical carcinoma.
Inferring propensity amongst lung and breast carcinomas via overlapped gene expression profiles

Reconstruction of biological networks for topological analyses helps in correlation identification between various types of biomarkers. These networks have been vital components of System Biology in present era. Genes are the basic physical and structural unit of heredity. Genes act as instructions to make molecules called proteins. Alterations in the normal sequence of these genes are the root cause of various diseases and cancer is the prominent example disease caused by gene alteration or mutation. These slight alterations can be detected by microarray analysis. The high throughput data obtained by microarray experiments aid scientists in reconstructing cancer specific gene regulatory networks. The purpose of experiment performed is to find out the overlapping of the gene expression profiles of breast and lung cancer data, so that the common hub genes can be sifted and utilized as drug targets which could be used for the treatment of diseased conditions. In this study, first the differentially expressed genes have been identified (lung cancer and breast cancer), followed by a filtration approach and most significant genes are chosen using paired t-test and gene regulatory network construction. The obtained result has been checked and validated with the available databases and literature.
Effects of maternal betamethasone administration on fetal and maternal blood pressure and heart rate in the baboon at 0.7 of gestation.

OBJECTIVE We sought to determine the effects of the intramuscular maternal administration of betamethasone to the pregnant baboon at 0.7 of gestation on fetal blood pressure and heart rate. STUDY DESIGN We treated pregnant baboons at 0.7 of gestation with intramuscular betamethasone (n = 4), at a weight-adjusted dose equivalent to the daily dose administered to women in preterm labor or with saline solution (n = 5). Four injections were given at 12-hour intervals. Fetal and maternal blood pressure and heart rate were recorded continuously. Within-group differences and between-group differences were analyzed with repeated measures analysis of variance. RESULTS Fetal blood pressure increased significantly after betamethasone treatment. Fetal heart rate, maternal blood pressure, and heart rate did not change. CONCLUSION Exposure of the developing primate fetus to exogenous glucocorticoid at 0.7 of gestation elevates fetal blood pressure. These findings confirm and extend the observations in the fetal sheep. Further studies are needed to evaluate the mechanisms that are involved and possible long-term consequences of these cardiovascular effects of antenatal glucocorticoid exposure in the fetal primate.
Metalloproteinase Activity Secreted by Fibrogenic Cells in the Processing of Prolysyl Oxidase

Lysyl oxidase is secreted from fibrogenic cells as a 50-kDa proenzyme that is proteolytically processed to the mature enzyme in the extracellular space. To characterize the secreted proteinase activity, a truncated, recombinant form of lysyl oxidase was prepared as a proteinase substrate containing the sequence of the propeptide cleavage region. The processing proteinase activity secreted by cultured fibrogenic cells resists inhibitors of serine or aspartyl proteinases as well as tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases-2 (MMP-2) but is completely inhibited by metal ion chelators. Known metalloproteinases were tested for their activity toward this substrate. Carboxyl-terminal procollagen proteinase (C-proteinase), MMP-2, and conditioned fibrogenic cell culture medium cleave the lysyl oxidase substrate to the size of the mature enzyme. The NH-terminal sequence generated by arterial smooth muscle conditioned medium and the C-proteinase but not by MMP-2, i.e. Asp-Asp-Pro-Tyr, was identical to that previously identified in mature lysyl oxidase isolated from connective tissue. The C-proteinase activity against the model substrate was inhibited by a synthetic oligopeptide mimic of the cleavage sequence (Ac-Met-Val-Gly-Asp-Asp-Pro-Tyr-Asn-amide), whereas this peptide also inhibited the generation of lysyl oxidase activity in the medium of fetal rat lung fibroblasts in culture. In toto, these results identify a secreted metalloproteinase activity participating in the activation of prolysyl oxidase, identify inhibitors of the processing activity, and implicate procollagen C-proteinase in this role.
Crystal structure of the tetramerization domain of the p53 tumor suppressor at 1.7 angstroms

The p53 protein is a tetrameric transcription factor that plays a central role in the prevention of neoplastic transformation. Oligomerization appears to be essential for the tumor suppressing activity of p53 because oligomerization-deficient p53 mutants cannot suppress the growth of carcinoma cell lines. The crystal structure of the tetramerization domain of p53 (residues 325 to 356) was determined at 1.7 angstrom resolution and refined to a crystallographic R factor of 19.2 percent. The monomer, which consists of a beta strand and an alpha helix, associates with a second monomer across an antiparallel beta sheet and an antiparallel helix-helix interface to form a dimer. Two of these dimers associate across a second and distinct parallel helix-helix interface to form the tetramer.
Some effects produced by adrenaline upon neuromuscular propagation in rats

Some fifty years have passed since the first reports of a potentiating action of suprarenal extracts on the contractions of fatigued muscle (Dessy & Grandis, 1904; Panella, 1907). This subject has inspired a voluminous literature, which has been conspicuous for the variety of phenomena described and the diversity of explanatory hypotheses. A historical survey is out of the question, but reference may be made to four authors who give useful reviews covering the greater part of the field: Gruber (1919); Wastl (1928); Burn (1945) and Goffart (1952). A study of this literature gives a somewhat confusing impression, mainly because of the paucity of well established facts. It is, for instance, still not agreed whether adrenaline has an action of any importance on neuromuscular propagation (cf. Brown, Biilbring & Burns, 1948); or whether adrenaline really alters the membrane potential of muscle fibres (cf. Brown, Goffart & Vianna Dias, 1950; Hutter & Loewenstein, 1955). With this picture in mind it seemed to us that a detailed investigation of the effects of adrenaline at various critical points in neuromuscular propagation should provide a concrete answer to some fairly simple questions. We have suggested in a previous publication (Krnjevid & Miledi, 1958b) that two main types of failure of neuromuscular propagation are associated with fatigue. Post-synaptic failure, which commonly tends to occur first, is characterized by the failure of initiation of conducted impulses in the muscle fibres. It is apparently caused by two principle factors: a rise in the threshold of the fibre; and a reduced sensitivity of the end-plate to ACh. Presynaptic failure of conduction, on the other hand, prevents impulses from reaching the nerve ending. We have now studied the effects of adrenaline on these kinds of failure in rat muscle both in vitro and in situ. We have also looked for alterations in the resting potential of muscle fibres.