Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neuroanatomical basis of the nerve growth factor ovulation–induction pathway in llamas†

Abstract The objective of the study was to characterize the anatomical framework and sites of action of the nerve growth factor (NGF)-mediated ovulation-inducing system of llamas. The expression patterns of NGF and its receptors in the hypothalamus of llamas (n = 5) were examined using single and double immunohistochemistry/immunofluorescence. We also compare the expression pattern of the P75 receptor in the hypothalamus of llama and a spontaneous ovulator species (sheep, n = 5). Both NGF receptors (TrkA and P75) were highly expressed in the medial septum and diagonal band of Broca, and populations of TrkA cells were observed in the periventricular and dorsal hypothalamus. Unexpectedly, we found NGF immunoreactive cell bodies with widespread distribution in the hypothalamus but not in areas endowed with NGF receptors. The organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis (OVLT) and the median eminence displayed immunoreactivity for P75. Double immunofluorescence using vimentin, a marker of tanycytes, confirmed that tanycytes were immunoreactive to P75 in the median eminence and in the OVLT. Additionally, tanycytes were in close association with GnRH and kisspeptin in the arcuate nucleus and median eminence of llamas. The choroid plexus of llamas contained TrkA and NGF immunoreactivity but no P75 immunoreactivity. Results of the present study demonstrate sites of action of NGF in the llama hypothalamus, providing support for the hypothesis of a central effect of NGF in the ovulation-inducing mechanism in llamas. Summary sentence Hypothalamic pathways for NGF actions in camelids.
Neurobehavioural functions during variable and stable short sleep schedules

We investigated whether variable sleep schedules might mitigate the neurobehavioural deficits induced by multiple nights of sleep restriction. In this 4‐night experiment, 78 young adults (age: 18–28 years) were randomly assigned to four groups: 8888, 8666, 8846 and 8486, where each digit corresponded to time‐in‐bed in hours for each study night. After one baseline night of 8‐hr time‐in‐bed, time‐in‐bed remained unchanged for the 8888 group, while the other groups had short sleep schedules (total time‐in‐bed = 18 hr) that differed in the number of time‐in‐bed changes. Sleep was monitored using actigraphy at home. Daytime neurobehavioural functions were assessed in the laboratory at single time points, after the baseline night, and again after 3 nights of the sleep manipulation period. For sustained attention, the 8888 group responded faster in the Psychomotor Vigilance Task after the manipulation period (p = .01), while responses became slower for the less variable sleep schedules (8666 and 8846; p < .01), but not the most variable sleep schedule (8486; p = .14). Processing speed also improved in the 8888 group and the variable 8846 and 8486 groups (p < .01), but not in the stable 8666 group (p = .09). Furthermore, subjective sleepiness was preserved in the 8888 and, importantly, 8486 groups (p > .05), but was elevated in the 8666 and 8846 groups (p < .05). These findings suggest that when sleep opportunities are limited across multiple nights, a variable sleep schedule that allows for prophylactic and/or recovery sleep on some nights may mitigate some daytime neurobehavioural deficits as compared with a schedule with no opportunity for recovery.
A domestic robotic rehabilitation device for assessment of wrist function for outpatients.

Introduction Available robot-assisted stroke rehabilitation systems are often limited in their utilization in the home environment, due to several barriers such as high cost, absence of therapists, tedious training tasks, or encumbering interfaces. This paper presents a low-cost robotic rehabilitation and assessment device for restoring wrist function, offering wrist exercises incorporating pronation-supination and flexion-extension movements. Furthermore, the device is designed for the assessment of joint stiffness of the wrist, and range of motion in two degrees of freedom. Methods: Mechanical/electrical design of the device as well as the control system is described. A preliminary evaluation focused on the measurement of the torsional stiffness of the limb is presented. It is evaluated by reconstructing the known stiffness values of torsional springs by measuring the motor current required to displace them. Results The device demonstrates the ability to determine the stiffness of an object with low-cost hardware. Use case scenarios of the device for training and assessment of the wrist are presented, allowing for a range of motion of ± 75 ° and ± 65 ° , for pronation-supination and flexion-extension respectively. Conclusion The device shows potential to help objectively quantify the stiffness of the wrist movement, which consecutively could be used to represent and quantify the degree of impairment of patients after stroke in a more objective manner. Further clinical study is necessary to examine this.
N-Heptane: Comparison of Spray Autoignition Experiments and Single Droplet Simulations

To achieve high process efficiency, modern combustion machines, inject liquid hydrocarbon fuels into compressed air at high temperatures and high pressure, resulting in a limited residence time of the fuel in the combustion chamber or a premixing duct before autoignition. The residence time however, is the only available time to provide a well stirred mixture with a lean overall equivalence ratio, near the adiabatic flammability limit, reducing the combustion temperature and in turn the production of thermal nitric oxides (NOx ) produced via the Zeldovich mechanism [1]. This paper details new results of experiments conducted in a Ludwieg–tube type wind tunnel, providing high temperature (≤1000K) and pressure (≤ 1.5MPa) flows with moderate flow rates (≤ 100m/s). N-heptane was injected into the flow in a simple unobstructed jet in cross flow (JICF) configuration in the middle of the test section. Single droplet numerical simulations were then conducted with an in-house code, the closed–vessel–simulation (CVS), which allows the simulation of the autoignition of a single droplet in a closed environment with fixed overall mixture ratio, using a reduced n-heptane kinetic with 67 species and 437 reactions [2]. The simulations were compared to the spray experiments, by assuming a Rosin-Rammler distribution for the spray and mapping the CVS results onto this distribution. The results show a promising similarity of the simulations and the experiments with a spray ignition likelihood distribution that has a maximum near the MMD (Mass Median Diameter). Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Pesticides and Environmental Contaminants in Organic Honeys According to Their Different Productive Areas toward Food Safety Protection

Monitoring contaminant residues in honey helps to avoid risks to human health, as it is a natural product widely consumed in all population groups, including the most vulnerable, such as children and the elderly. This is important for organic honey production that may be negatively influenced by geographical area pollution. Considering the importance of collecting data on the occurrence of various xenobiotics in different geographical areas, this study aimed to investigate the presence of contaminant residues (persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and pesticides, including glyphosate and metabolites) in organic honey samples from different production areas using different analytical methods, in order to confirm their incidence and possible impact on the food safety traits of organic production. Regarding POPs, traces of benzofluoroanthene and chrysene were detected in honey from intensive orchards and arable lands. Traces of all polychlorobiphenyl (PCB) congeners were detected at different percentages in almost all of the samples, regardless of the origin area. Traces of polybromodiphenylethers (PBDE 28, 33, and 47) were found in different percentages of samples from all of the geographical areas examined. Traces of organochlorines (OCs) and organophosphates (OPs) were identified in honey samples belonging to all of the geographical areas. No glyphosate, glufosinate, and aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) residues were detected.
Functional and clinical implications of genetic structure in 1686 Italian exomes

To reconstruct the phenotypical and clinical implications of the Italian genetic structure, we thoroughly analyzed a whole‐exome sequencing data set comprised of 1686 healthy Italian individuals. We found six previously unreported variants with remarkable frequency differences between Northern and Southern Italy in the HERC2, OR52R1, ADH1B, and THBS4 genes. We reported 36 clinically relevant variants (submitted as pathogenic, risk factors, or drug response in ClinVar) with significant frequency differences between Italy and Europe. We then explored putatively pathogenic variants in the Italian exome. On average, our Italian individuals carried 16.6 protein‐truncating variants (PTVs), with 2.5% of the population having a PTV in one of the 59 American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) actionable genes. Lastly, we looked for PTVs that are likely to cause Mendelian diseases. We found four heterozygous PTVs in haploinsufficient genes (KAT6A, PTCH1, and STXBP1) and three homozygous PTVs in genes causing recessive diseases (DPYD, FLG, and PYGM). Comparing frequencies from our data set to other public databases, like gnomAD, we showed the importance of population‐specific databases for a more accurate assessment of variant pathogenicity. For this reason, we made aggregated frequencies from our data set publicly available as a tool for both clinicians and researchers (http://nigdb.cineca.it; NIG‐ExIT).
A prospective study of waist circumference trajectories and incident cardiovascular disease in China: the Kailuan Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND Single measurements of waist circumference (WC) predict the incident cardiovascular disease (CVD); however, long-term patterns of WC and their association with the incidence of CVD are poorly characterized. OBJECTIVE We aimed to identify WC trajectories and determine their association with incident CVD (stroke and myocardial infarction) and examine whether the association persisted among individuals without obesity. METHODS We included 75,535 participants from a community-based cohort in China who were aged >18 y and free of stroke, coronary artery disease, and cancer in 2010 (the baseline). WC and other covariates were repeatedly measured in 2006, 2008, and 2010. WC trajectories were identified by latent mixture modeling. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to examine the association between WC trajectories and incident CVD, after adjustment for age, sex, income, education, systolic blood pressure, lipid profiles, plasma concentrations of glucose, C-reactive protein, smoking, and alcohol drinking. RESULTS We identified 4 WC trajectories based on 2006 WC measurement and change patterns during 2006-2010: low stable (n = 12,072; mean WC 74.1-75.1 cm), moderate stable (n = 41,750; mean WC 85.1-86.6 cm), moderate-high stable (n = 19,914; mean WC 95.6-97.2 cm), and high stable (n = 1,799; mean WC 106.3-110.9 cm). During 2010-2016, we documented 2819 incident CVD events. Compared with the low-stable group, groups with elevated WC trajectories had a higher risk of CVD events during 6 y of follow-up (2010-2016). Adjusted HRs (95% CIs) were 1.49 (1.21, 1.83) for the moderate stable group, 1.71(1.38, 2.12) for the moderate-high stable group, and 1.45 (1.06, 2.00) for the high stable group. After further adjusting for BMI or excluding obese participants, we observed similar results. The positive association between WC and incident CVD was higher in individuals who were aged <60 y (P-interaction < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS WC trajectory patterns were associated with altered risk of CVD among Chinese adults, even among people without BMI-defined obesity. When stratifying by age, the association was observed to be higher in younger adults.
The effects of using a combination of static stretching and aerobic exercise on muscle tendon unit stiffness and strength in ankle plantar-flexor muscles

ABSTRACT The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of using a combination of static stretching and aerobic exercise on muscle tendon unit stiffness and muscle strength in the ankle plantar-flexor muscles. Fifteen healthy males (23.3 ± 2.7 years, 170.3 ± 6.5 cm, 64.9 ± 8.7 kg) received three different interventions, in random order. Intervention 1 received 10 min of aerobic exercise after five cycles of one minute of static stretching. Intervention 2 received 10 min of aerobic exercise before the static stretching. Intervention 3 received 5 min of aerobic exercise both before and after the static stretching. The range of motion of ankle dorsiflexion, stretch tolerance, muscle tendon unit stiffness, peak torque of ankle plantarflexion, and the amplitude of electromyography were measured. In all interventions, the range of motion and stretch tolerance significantly increased (p < 0.05), but muscle tendon unit stiffness decreased significantly for all interventions (p < 0.05). Peak torque of ankle plantar flexion and amplitude of electromyography significantly increased for Interventions 1 and 3 (p < 0.05), while these significantly decreased for Intervention 2 (p < 0.05). These data indicated that range of motion and stretch tolerance were increased, but muscle tendon unit stiffness was decreased regardless of the order of static stretching and aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise after static stretching increased the peak torque and amplitude of electromyography.
Lysosomal agents inhibit store-operated Ca2+ entry

ABSTRACT Pharmacological manipulation of lysosome membrane integrity or ionic movements is a key strategy for probing lysosomal involvement in cellular processes. However, we have found an unexpected inhibition of store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) by these agents. Dipeptides [glycyl-L-phenylalanine 2-naphthylamide (GPN) and L-leucyl-L-leucine methyl ester] that are inducers of lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP) uncoupled endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-store depletion from SOCE by interfering with Stim1 oligomerization and/or Stim1 activation of Orai. Similarly, the K+/H+ ionophore, nigericin, that rapidly elevates lysosomal pH, also inhibited SOCE in a Stim1-dependent manner. In contrast, other strategies for manipulating lysosomes (bafilomycin A1, lysosomal re-positioning) had no effect upon SOCE. Finally, the effects of GPN on SOCE and Stim1 was reversed by a dynamin inhibitor, dynasore. Our data show that lysosomal agents not only release Ca2+ from stores but also uncouple this release from the normal recruitment of Ca2+ influx. Summary: Lysosomal agents uncouple ER Ca2+-release from store-operated Ca2+ entry, predominantly by inhibiting Stim1 oligomerization and its activation of Orai.
The Role of BAR Proteins and the Glycocalyx in Brain Endothelium Transcytosis

Within the brain, endothelial cells lining the blood vessels meticulously coordinate the transport of nutrients, energy metabolites and other macromolecules essential in maintaining an appropriate activity of the brain. While small molecules are pumped across specialised molecular transporters, large macromolecular cargos are shuttled from one side to the other through membrane-bound carriers formed by endocytosis on one side, trafficked to the other side and released by exocytosis. Such a process is collectively known as transcytosis. The brain endothelium is recognised to possess an intricate vesicular endosomal network that mediates the transcellular transport of cargos from blood-to-brain and brain-to-blood. However, mounting evidence suggests that brain endothelial cells (BECs) employ a more direct route via tubular carriers for a fast and efficient transport from the blood to the brain. Here, we compile the mechanism of transcytosis in BECs, in which we highlight intracellular trafficking mediated by tubulation, and emphasise the possible role in transcytosis of the Bin/Amphiphysin/Rvs (BAR) proteins and glycocalyx (GC)—a layer of sugars covering BECs, in transcytosis. Both BAR proteins and the GC are intrinsically associated with cell membranes and involved in the modulation and shaping of these membranes. Hence, we aim to summarise the machinery involved in transcytosis in BECs and highlight an uncovered role of BAR proteins and the GC at the brain endothelium.
Preconception Care Program for Women with Inflammatory Bowel Disease Using Intervention Mapping: A Protocol for Program Development

The prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease in Korea is rapidly increasing. Women with inflammatory bowel disease have a higher risk of adverse birth outcomes than healthy women, and the magnitude of this risk is related to the severity of the disease at the time of pregnancy. For a woman with inflammatory bowel disease to have a healthy pregnancy, interventions are needed to manage the disease before pregnancy—implying a need for pregnancy planning. In this study, the intervention mapping protocol was used to develop a program for this purpose. This protocol contains the following stages: needs assessment, setting of program outcomes and performance objectives, selection of methods and strategies based on theory, and development of the program and its materials. Through individual in-depth interviews and a literature review, individual and environmental determinants were assessed and six change objectives of the program were set. The methods and practical strategies were developed based on the information-motivation-behavioral skills model, self-efficacy theory, and social support theory. The final program, consisting of four sessions and the corresponding materials, was completed by making revisions based on a content validity assessment by experts and a pilot test. Follow-up studies on the implementation of this program will be conducted in the future.
Isolation and Identification of a New Feruloylated Tetrasaccharide from Bagasse Lignin-Carbohydrate Complex Containing Phenolic Acid

Problems concerning the mode of linkages between phenolic acids and carbohydrates in gramineous plant cellwalls have attracted considerable interest in recent years.1<2) We have demonstrated that ferulic and pcoumaric acids released by alkaline treatment of sugarcane bagasse are esterified to the different molecular species, carbohydrate and lignin moieties, respectively,3] and isolated a feruloylated trisaccharide, O-[5-O-(transferuloyl)-a-L-arabinofuranosyl]-(.l -åo3)-0-/? -D-xylopyranosyl-(l ->4)-D-xylopyranose, from the enzymatic hydrolysate of the bagasse lignin-carbohydrate complex (LCC). 4) Recently, the same feruloylated trisaccharide has been isolated from Zea mays shoots,5} barley aleurone layers6) and straw,7) and wheat bran.8) In this
Influence of VI:II ratio on the properties of MOCVD‐grown ZnO thin films

We report on the impact the MOCVD VI:II ratio during growth has on the properties of ZnO thin films grown on glass slides using diethyl zinc (DEZ) and tert-butanol (TBOH) as precursors. Our work displays the critical effect of this growth parameter on the defects located in the crystal lattice. Oxygen vacancies and other oxygen-induced defects are shown to affect the films' tensile strain, stress, grain size, bandgap structure, and dispersion properties.
Efficacy and Safety of Nutraceutical on Menopausal Symptoms in Post-Menopausal Women: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

Abstract Background Menopausal symptoms severely reduce the quality of life of post-menopausal women worldwide. Nutraceuticals are widely prescribed as a viable and safer alternative and complementary approach to standard therapies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of a nutraceutical in post-menopausal women. Methods The study was designed as a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Post-menopausal women aged 45–60 years old were enrolled and randomly assigned to either treatment (n = 50) or placebo group (n = 51). The intervention, a proprietary combination of soy isoflavone, black cohosh, chasteberry and evening primrose oil extracts, and the placebo, were administered to each group for total of 12 weeks. Menopausal symptoms, endocrine profiles, and blood chemistry were evaluated at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks of the study. Results Nutraceutical supplementation demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in hot flushes and sweating (p < 0.0001), sleep problems (p < 0.0005), depressed mood (p = 0.0004) and irritability symptoms (p < 0.0003) compared with the placebo group. There were no significant differences in hormonal levels between the test and placebo groups, however levels of C-reactive protein were significantly decreased. Moreover, serum LDL-C and triglyceride levels were significantly lower than baseline levels in the treatment group at 6- and 12-week timepoints. No adverse effects were reported during the treatment. Conclusion These data indicate that a nutraceutical containing a combination of four medicinal herbs effectively and safely improved menopausal symptoms, as well as general health indicators, in post-menopausal women.
Internal motions of the rare gas atom in dimethyl ether-krypton

The free jet millimeter-wave absorption spectra of two isotopomers of the weakly bonded dimethyl ether-Kr complex have been assigned and measured. The Kr atom lies in the σ v symmetry plane of dimethyl ether perpendicularto the COC plane, at a r 0 -distance of 3.67 A from its center of mass (cm). The line connecting the krypton atom to cm forms an r 0 -angle of 70° with the O-cm line. The observed conformation is in agreement with the global minimum as found with a distributed polarizability model. Many rotational transitions are split into two component lines, due to the motion of Kr relative to dimethyl ether in the complex. The corresponding splitting has been used to determine the barrier to the internal motion. Information on the dissociation energy has been deduced from the centrifugal distortion effects.
The Ontogeny of Hippocampus-Dependent Memories

The formation of memories that contain information about the specific time and place of acquisition, which are commonly referred to as “autobiographical” or “episodic” memories, critically relies on the hippocampus and on a series of interconnected structures located in the medial temporal lobe of the mammalian brain. The observation that adults retain very few of these memories from the first years of their life has fueled a long-standing debate on whether infants can make the types of memories that in adults are processed by the hippocampus-dependent memory system, and whether the hippocampus is involved in learning and memory processes early in life. Recent evidence shows that, even at a time when its circuitry is not yet mature, the infant hippocampus is able to produce long-lasting memories. However, the ability to acquire and store such memories relies on molecular pathways and network-based activity dynamics different from the adult system, which mature with age. The mechanisms underlying the formation of hippocampus-dependent memories during infancy, and the role that experience exerts in promoting the maturation of the hippocampus-dependent memory system, remain to be understood. In this review, we discuss recent advances in our understanding of the ontogeny and the biological correlates of hippocampus-dependent memories.