Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Protein kinase C‐mediated contractile responses of arteries from diabetic rats

1 The role of protein kinase C (PKC) in mediating enhanced contractile responses of aortae and mesenteric arteries from male rats with 12–14 week streptozotocin‐induced diabetes to noradrenaline (NA) was investigated using the PKC activator, phorbol 12,13‐dibutyrate (PDB), and the PKC inhibitor, staurosporine. 2 Maximum contractile responses of aortae and mesenteric arteries from diabetic rats to NA were significantly enhanced compared with responses of arteries from age‐matched control animals. The maximum NA responses were increased by 59.6 ± 7.9% in aortae and by 54.9 ± 7.4% in mesenteric arteries from diabetic animals, compared to their respective controls. 3 Pretreatment of aortae and mesenteric arteries from both control and diabetic animals with staurosporine (5 × 10−8 m) caused marked inhibition of contractile responses to a maximum concentration of NA (10−5 m in aortae; 3 × 10−5 m in mesenteric arteries). In the presence of staurosporine, no difference was observed in the magnitude of contractile responses of arteries from control and diabetic rats to NA. 4 Maximum contractile responses of mesenteric arteries from diabetic rats to PDB were significantly increased (by 45.0 ± 4.9%) compared to responses of arteries from control animals. In contrast, no significant difference was found in the magnitude of contractile responses of aortae from control and diabetic rats to PDB. 5 Staurosporine (5 × 10−8 m) caused marked attenuation of contractile responses of arteries from control and diabetic rats to a maximum concentration of PDB (3 × 10−6 m). In the presence of staurosporine, the difference in magnitude of contractile responses of mesenteric arteries from control and diabetic rats to PDB was abolished. 6 Contractile responses of aortae and mesenteric arteries from control and diabetic rats to PDB were reduced in the absence of extracellular Ca2+, and in the presence of the Ca2+ channel blockers, nifedipine (3 × 10−6 m) or verapamil (3 × 10−6 m). Under these conditions, no difference was found in the magnitude of contractile responses of mesenteric arteries from control and diabetic rats to PDB. 7 These data suggest that enhanced contractile responses of aortae and mesenteric arteries from streptozotocin‐induced diabetic rats to NA may result, at least in part, from increased activation of PKC. In addition, increased activation of PKC‐mediated processes, which are dependent on the presence of extracellular Ca2+, may further contribute to the enhanced contractile responses of diabetic mesenteric arteries to NA.
Morphology and electrophoretic protein profiles of female salivary glands in four Oriental black fly species (Diptera: Simuliidae)

ABSTRACT Saliva of female flies is responsible for localized hypersensitivity reactions and life-threatening systemic hemorrhagic syndromes in humans and animals. In this study, morphology and electrophoretic protein profiles of female salivary glands of Oriental black flies in the subgenus Simulium Latreille s. str. , Simulium (Simulium) nigrogilvum, S. (S.) rufibasis, S. (S.) nodosum, and subgenus Gomphostilbia Enderlein, S. (Gomphostilbia) asakoae were analyzed. The paired female salivary glands of the four simuliid species were morphologically similar and situated on either side of the esophagus. Each gland is composed of two main parts, a secretory arm and a reservoir. In each species, the size of the gland correlated with salivary gland protein contents. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed differences of electrophoretic protein profiles and specifically major protein bands of the female salivary glands in each species, suggesting that protein profiles might be useful for construction of an additional tool to distinguish these black fly species. The information obtained from this study is an initial step for further research on salivary proteins that are involved in vertebrate hemostatic response.
Porous silicon decorated metallic nanoparticles for growing vertically aligned carbon nanotubes

Carbon nanotubes have been envisioned as promising functional materials in nanoelectronics and electron field emitters. All these applications require that the CNT are highly oriented. There are many studies to improve the growth process but only few research studies have investigated new methods to deposit metallic nanoparticles on the porous silicon. Thus this paper is aiming at synthesizing metallic nanoparticles on top of porous silicon.
The release of glutamate from cortical neurons regulated by BDNF via the TrkB/Src/PLC‐γ1 pathway

The brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) participates in the regulation of cortical neurons by influencing the release of glutamate. However, the specific mechanisms are unclear. Hence, we isolated and cultured the cortical neurons of Sprague Dawley rats. Specific inhibitors of TrkB, Src, PLC‐γ1, Akt, and MEK1/2 (i.e., K252a, PP2, U73122, LY294002, and PD98059, respectively) were used to treat cortical neurons and to detect the glutamate release from cortical neurons stimulated with BDNF. BDNF significantly increased glutamate release, and simultaneously enhanced phosphorylation levels of TrkB, Src, PLC‐γ, Akt, and Erk1/2. For BDNF‐stimulated cortical neurons, K252a inhibited glutamate release and inhibited the phosphorylation levels of TrkB, Src, PLC‐γ, Erk1/2, and Akt (P < 0.05). PP2 reduced the glutamate release from BDNF‐stimulated cortical neurons (P < 0.05) and inhibited the phosphorylation levels of TrkB and PLC‐γ1 (P < 0.05). However, PP2 had no effect on the phosphorylation levels of Erk1/2 or Akt (P > 0.05). U73122 inhibited the glutamate release from BDNF‐stimulated cortical neurons, but had no influence on the phosphorylation levels of TrkB, Src, Erk1/2, or Akt (P > 0.05). LY294002 and PD98059 did not affect the BDNF‐stimulated glutamate release and did not inhibit the phosphorylation levels of TrkB, Src, or PLC‐γ1. In summary, BDNF stimulated the glutamate release from cortical neurons via the TrkB/Src/PLC‐γ1 signaling pathway. J. Cell. Biochem. 114: 144–151, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Light and electron microscopic study of neuronal nitric oxide synthase‐immunoreactive neurons in the rat subiculum

Neurons in the rat subiculum that are capable of producing nitric oxide were studied by using an antibody to the neuronal isoform of nitric oxide synthase (nNOS). In the light microscope, the staining pattern with the nNOS antibody closely resembled that seen following histochemical processing with nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase. Immunostained neurons were found in all layers, and, in addition, large dendrites in the apical dendrite layer were also immunopositive. Although a few immunolabelled cells had the typical morphology of interneurons, most were found to have the characteristics of pyramidal neurons. In the subiculum, these immunoreactive pyramidal neurons were concentrated mainly in the most superficial cell layers and closest to the CA1 region, but pyramidal neurons in the CA1 layer of the hippocampus were consistently immunonegative.
A Novel Graduate Course Takes a Systematic Approach to Teaching Digital System Timing

A new graduate-level computer engineering course takes a systematic and comprehensive approach to teaching digital system timing. The course addresses practical aspects of timing analysis and design for clocked synchronous systems, multiple-clock systems, and asynchronous, or clockless, systems. The course aims to prepare graduates to solve real-world timing problems. The course syllabus is online at www.csee. ogi.edu/class/ee572.
Use and Misuse of the PSE

Summary The principles underlying the development of the Present State Examination and the instruments and computer programmes associated with it are discussed in the light of comments made in three recent papers by psychiatrists trained in the German tradition of clinical phenomenology. Many of their comments are cogent and highly relevant to the future development of the system. Some common misunderstandings are also considered; in particular, those that lead to results being interpreted outside the limits of the specifications laid down. The potential for improvement in the system is emphasized and the next stage of development briefly described.
Building and applying requirements models

Software requirements are traditionally documented in a relatively unstructured text requirements document. A better approach is to use modern tools to create a requirements model. A requirements model structures the information to facilitate management of requirements churn and flow-through of information to design and test artifacts. In this paper we describe the requirements model and explain how using such a model can lead to interval reduction and improved product quality. © 2003 Lucent Technologies Inc.
Distribution and terminal arborizations of cutaneous mechanoreceptors in the glabrous finger pads of the monkey

Recent electrophysiological studies demonstrated that neurons in the somatosensory cortex of monkeys respond to tangential forces applied to glabrous skin. To unravel the peripheral basis for this cortical response, we determined the distribution of presumptive low‐threshold mechanoreceptors innervating the distal finger pads of monkeys. Endings were reconstructed in immunolabeled serial sections imaged by epifluorescence and confocal microscopy. Although classically implicated as cutaneous stretch receptors, no Ruffini corpuscles were found in the glabrous skin. Ruffini‐like endings were only detected at the base of the finger nails. Pacinian corpuscles were sparsely distributed in the deep dermis. Meissner corpuscles (MCs) in dermal papillary ridges had a comparably high density in the thumb, index, and fifth fingers. Each MC was innervated by several large‐caliber axons. Within the limits of our reconstructions, some of these axons terminated in only one MC, whereas others innervated several MCs. Merkel endings covered about 80% of the base of the intermediate epidermal ridges that form the pattern of fingerprints. In some cases, the distal tip of a Merkel‐related axon gave rise to a several terminal branches that supplied endings to tightly circumscribed (30–70 μm) clusters of Merkel cells. In other cases, the nodes of axons gave rise to en passant branches that formed extended chains of endings among Merkel cells spread over territories up to 300 μm long. Based on their relatively diffuse distributions, the axons that innervate multiple MCs or the axons with en passant Merkel terminations seem most suited to transduce tangential forces. J. Comp. Neurol. 445:347–359, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cancer Cell Cycles

Uncontrolled cell proliferation is the hallmark of cancer, and tumor cells have typically acquired damage to genes that directly regulate their cell cycles. Genetic alterations affecting p16INK4a and cyclin D1, proteins that govern phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein (RB) and control exit from the G1 phase of the cell cycle, are so frequent in human cancers that inactivation of this pathway may well be necessary for tumor development. Like the tumor suppressor protein p53, components of this “RB pathway,” although not essential for the cell cycle per se, may participate in checkpoint functions that regulate homeostatic tissue renewal throughout life.
Orange: data mining toolbox in python

Orange is a machine learning and data mining suite for data analysis through Python scripting and visual programming. Here we report on the scripting part, which features interactive data analysis and component-based assembly of data mining procedures. In the selection and design of components, we focus on the flexibility of their reuse: our principal intention is to let the user write simple and clear scripts in Python, which build upon C++ implementations of computationally-intensive tasks. Orange is intended both for experienced users and programmers, as well as for students of data mining.
Comparative Genetic Diversity of Pseudomonas stutzeri Genomovars, Clonal Structure, and Phylogeny of the Species

ABSTRACT A combined phylogenetic and multilocus DNA sequence analysis of 26 Pseudomonas stutzeri strains distributed within the 9 genomovars of the species has been performed. Type strains of the two most closely related species (P. balearica, former genomovar 6, and P. mendocina), together with P. aeruginosa, as the type species of the genus, have been included in the study. The extremely high genetic diversity and the clonal structure of the species were confirmed by the sequence analysis. Clustering of strains in the consensus phylogeny inferred from the analysis of seven nucleotide sequences (16S ribosomal DNA, internally transcribed spacer region 1, gyrB, rpoD, nosZ, catA, and nahH) confirmed the monophyletic origin of the genomovars within the Pseudomonas branch and is in good agreement with earlier DNA-DNA similarity analysis, indicating that the selected genes are representative of the whole genome in members of the species.
Implementation Studies: Time for a Revival? Personal Reflections on 20 Years of Implementation Studies

This paper presents a review of three decades of implementation studies and is constructed in the form of a personal reflection. The paper begins with a reflection upon the context within which the book Policy and Action was written, a time when both governments and policy analysts were endeavouring to systematize and improve the public decision-making process and to place such decision-making within a more strategic framework. The review ends with a discussion about how public policy planning has changed in the light of public services reform strategies. It is suggested that as a result of such reforms, interest in the processes of implementation have perhaps been superseded by a focus upon change management and performance targets. It is further argued that this has resulted in the reassertion of normative, top-down processes of policy implementation. The paper raises points that are important ones and indeed are reflected throughout all four papers in the symposium issue. These are: (1) the very real analytical difficulties of understanding the role of bureaucratic discretion and motivation; (2) the problem of evaluating policy outcomes; and (3) the need to also focus upon micro political processes that occur in public services organizations. In conclusion, the paper emphasizes the continued importance of implementation studies and the need for policy analysts to understand what actually happens at policy recipient level.
The majority of nondipping men do not have increased cardiovascular risk: a population-based study

Objective To investigate whether nondipping and diabetes are independently related to metabolic risk profile and prevalence of target organ damage in a population setting. Methods A population-based cohort of 70-year-old men (n = 1057) was examined with 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp and lipid and glucose determinations. We defined nondipping as a night–day systolic blood pressure ratio ⩾ 1 (n = 66). Urinary albumin excretion rate and echocardiographically determined left ventricular geometry were used as indices of target organ damage. Results Nondipping was not related to hypertension, but diabetes was more common in nondippers (26%) than in dippers (14%, P < 0.05). Nondiabetic nondippers did not differ from dippers regarding insulin sensitivity, plasma glucose or lipids. However, nondipping in diabetic subjects was associated with the most pronounced impairments in body mass index, serum triglycerides and fasting plasma glucose. Measures of target organ damage did not differ between nondippers and dippers in the whole population, but an interaction (P < 0.05) between nondipping and diabetes contributed to an increased left ventricular mass in diabetic nondippers. The urinary albumin excretion rate was independently related to diabetes. Conclusions In this population study, an interaction between diabetes and nondipping was demonstrated regarding fasting plasma glucose, lipid levels and left ventricular mass, indicating that nondipping is a marker of risk in diabetic subjects. However, in the nondiabetic majority of the population, nondipping was not associated with either metabolic disturbances or target organ damage.
A Review of Recent Changes in Major Marine-Terminating Outlet Glaciers in Northern Greenland

Over the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) has accelerated and contributed to global sea level rise. This has been partly attributed to dynamic changes in marine terminating outlet glaciers. Outlet glaciers at the northern margin of the ice sheet drain 40% of its area but are comparatively less well studied than elsewhere on the ice sheet (e.g. central-west or south-east). In order to improve our understanding of this region of the GrIS, this paper synthesizes previously-published research on 21 major marine terminating outlet glaciers. Over the last 130 years, there has been a clear pattern of glacier retreat, particularly over the last two decades. This was accompanied by velocity increases on the majority of glaciers for which records exist. Despite a distinct signal of retreat, however, there is clear variability within the region, which has complicated efforts to determine the precise drivers of recent changes, such as changes in ice tongue buttressing, atmospheric and /or oceanic warming, in addition to the possibility of glacier surging. Thus, there is an important need for further work to ascertain the precise drivers of glacier change, which is likely to require datasets on recent changes in the ocean-climate system (particularly sub-surface ocean temperatures) and numerical modelling of glacier sensitivity to these various forcings. Objective identification of surge-type glaciers is also required. Given that Northern Greenland is predicted to undergo greater warming due to Arctic Amplification during the 21st century, we conclude that the region has the potential to become an increasingly important source of mass loss.
An open mapping theorem for o-minimal structures

We fix an arbitrary o-minimal structure (R, ω, …), where (R, <) is a dense linearly ordered set without end points. In this paper “definable” means “definable with parameters from R”, We equip R with the interval topology and Rn with the induced product topology. The main result of this paper is the following. Theorem. Let V ⊆ Rnbe a definable open set and suppose that f: V → Rnis a continuous injective definable map. Then f is open, that is, f(U) is open whenever U is an open subset of V. Woerheide [6] proved the above theorem for o-minimal expansions of a real closed field using ideas of homology. The case of an arbitrary o-minimal structure remained an open problem, see [4] and [1]. In this paper we will give an elementary proof of the general case. Basic definitions and notation. A box B ⊆ Rn is a Cartesian product of n definable open intervals: B = (a1, b1) × … × (an, bn) for some ai, bi, ∈ R ∪ {−∞, +∞}, with ai < bi, Given A ⊆ Rn, cl(A) denotes the closure of A, int(A) denotes the interior of A, bd(A) ≔ cl(A) − int(A) denotes the boundary of A, and ∂A ≔ cl(A) − A denotes the frontier of A, Finally, we let π: Rn → Rn− denote the projection map onto the first n − 1 coordinates. Background material. Without mention we will use notions and facts discussed in [5] and [3]. We will also make use of the following result, which appears in [2].
ANTIBIOTIC SENSITIVITY PATTERN OF PNEUMOCOCCI RELATIVELY INSENSITIVE TO PENICILLIN AND CEPHALOSPORIN ANTIBIOTICS

Penicillin‐insensitive pneumococci, of 10 serotypes, which had been isolated in Australia and New Guinea from healthy carriers and patients with pneumococcal infections, were shown to be relatively resistant to penicillin G, penicillin V, methicillin, cloxacillin, cephaloridine and cephalothin, compared with pneumococci fully sensitive to penicillin G. Most penicillin‐insensitive pneumococci either were fully sensitive to ampicillin or showed a slight decrease in sensitivity. The size of inoculum, measured in viable units, had little effect on the minimal inhibitory concentration of penicillin G; this applied to both penicillin‐insensitive and penicillin‐sensitive pneumococci. In bactericidal tests, the minimal bactericidal concentration of penicillin G either equalled or exceeded the minimal inhibitory concentration.
The transmission of anti-Brucella agglutinins from the mother to the young in Erinaceus europaea

The transmission of anti-Brucella agglutinins to the young from mothers immunized during pregnancy, and from mothers immunized before and during pregnancy was studied. There is no significant transfer of anti-Brucella agglutinins before birth, and the post-natal transfer of these antibodies is of a very low order. The highest concentration obtained in the sera of suckling young was only 3% of that in the maternal sera. At parturition the titre of the milk is of the same order as that of the maternal serum, but with suckling it declines to about 25% of the maternal serum titre.
Superantigen activation and kinetics of cytokines in the Long–Evans rat

This study was conducted to identify and quantify, over time, selected cytokine responses in Long–Evans rats that were exposed to staphylococcus enterotoxin B (SEB). The kinetics of selected cytokines [interleukin‐2 (IL‐2), IL‐6, interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)] and phenotype and cell cycle analysis of T lymphocytes were determined in Long–Evans rats administered a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) dose of either 50 μg or 500 μg of SEB. Rats injected with 50 μg SEB had significantly elevated levels of IL‐2, IL‐6 and IFN‐γ in their serum 2 hr post‐injection. IL‐2 serum levels were significantly elevated at 2 hr and returned to near control values by 12 hr while both IL‐6 and IFN‐γ peaked at 6 hr but remained significantly increased at 24 hr post SEB exposure. A 500 μg dose of SEB did not further enhance these cytokine responses. When spleen cells were collected for culture 2 hr after rats were injected i.p. with 50 μg SEB and cocultured with SEB, TNF and IL‐6 levels were significantly increased after 2 hr incubation, while IL‐2 and IL‐6 were significantly elevated at 6 hr. Production of all these cytokines in spleen cell cultures continued to increase over the 24 hr sampled. Peritoneal cells were collected for culture either at 1 hr or 2 hr after injection of either 50 μg or 500 μg of SEB. IL‐6 was significantly increased after 1 hr in culture while TNF was significantly increased by 2 hr regardless of whether the cells were harvested 1 or 2 hr after SEB injection. The greatest response for both IL‐6 and TNF occurred when cells from animals injected with 50 μg SEB were restimulated in vitro with SEB. The peak levels for IL‐6 were at 12 hr post SEB exposure while TNF peaked at 6 hr. The percentage of CD4+ cells was significantly increased at 48 hr and 72 hr post SEB (50 μg) administration while the percentage of CD8+ cells remained similar to control values for the 168‐hr test period. A similar pattern was observed in cell cycling where the CD4+ cells proliferated up to 2 days post SEB injection and then were significantly suppressed at day 3. The CD8+ cells were comparable to control values. These studies demonstrate that the cytokine responses in Long–Evans rats exposed to a superantigen are somewhat similar to those that occur in mice and humans, e.g. a rapid short increase in the production of IFN‐γ and TNF that was accompanied by an increase in the production of IL‐2. Additional responses noted in this species, however, were a marked increase in IL‐6 production, as well as an early increase in the number and cycling of CD4+ cells followed by a down‐regulation of these events. These activities occurred in the absence of notable histopathological alteration of lymphoid organs. The results indicate that the Long–Evans rat is an acceptable animal model to investigate the pathogenesis of superantigen‐induced disease and that IL‐6 may be an active mediator of this process.