Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Functional Organization of the Parahippocampal Cortex: Dissociable Roles for Context Representations and the Perception of Visual Scenes

The human parahippocampal cortex has been ascribed central roles in both visuospatial and mnemonic processes. More specifically, evidence suggests that the parahippocampal cortex subserves both the perceptual analysis of scene layouts as well as the retrieval of associative contextual memories. It remains unclear, however, whether these two functional roles can be dissociated within the parahippocampal cortex anatomically. Here, we provide evidence for a dissociation between neural activation patterns associated with visuospatial analysis of scenes and contextual mnemonic processing along the parahippocampal longitudinal axis. We used fMRI to measure parahippocampal responses while participants engaged in a task that required them to judge the contextual relatedness of scene and object pairs, which were presented either as words or pictures. Results from combined factorial and conjunction analyses indicated that the posterior section of parahippocampal cortex is driven predominantly by judgments associated with pictorial scene analysis, whereas its anterior section is more active during contextual judgments regardless of stimulus category (scenes vs objects) or modality (word vs picture). Activation maxima associated with visuospatial and mnemonic processes were spatially segregated, providing support for the existence of functionally distinct subregions along the parahippocampal longitudinal axis and suggesting that, in humans, the parahippocampal cortex serves as a functional interface between perception and memory systems. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The functional neuroanatomy of the parahippocampal cortex is still subject to considerable debate. Specifically, its relative contributions to visuospatial and mnemonic functions remain unclear. This study constitutes the first evidence for the existence of distinct information-processing properties along the parahippocampal longitudinal axis. Our findings implicate the posterior section of the parahippocampus in visuospatial perception and the anterior section in contextual mnemonic processes. Our study provides novel neuroanatomical information critical for understanding the diversity of the purported functions of the human parahippocampal cortex.
Longitudinal outcomes of very low birth weight: Neuropsychological findings

To investigate the effects of very low birth weight (VLBW, <1500 g) on the development of neuropsychological skills, we assessed 67 children with birth weight <750 g, 64 with birth weight 750–1499 g, and 67 term-born controls. Growth modeling of raw scores from mean ages 7–14 years revealed persistent VLBW sequelae. Even when adjusting for IQ, the <750 g group scored more poorly than the term-born group on measures of language processing, verbal list learning, and perceptual–motor and organizational abilities. This group also made slower age-related progress than the control group on tests of perceptual-motor and executive functions. Environmental factors moderated group differences in change on other cognitive measures. These results revealed further evidence for slower skill development in both VLBW groups relative to controls, as well as“catch-up” growth in the 750–1499 g group on some measures. The findings suggest age-related changes in the cognitive sequelae of VLBW that depend on the skill assessed, the degree of VLBW, and environmental factors. (JINS, 2004, 10, 149–163.)
An early warning system.

T he alarm has sounded. The United States has a higb school graduation crisis. The crisis does not stem, however, from any precipitous drop in the percentage of students who graduate. In fact, graduation rates are about as high as they have ever been. What makes current graduation rates alarming Is a reality of the new U.S. economy: It is practically impossible for individuals lacking a high school diploma to earn a living or participate meaningfully in civic life. Adding to the urgency is evidence of disproportionately low graduation rates among low-income and minority youth. Recent estimates suggest that between one-third and one-half of minorities do not earn a high school diploma (Education Week, 2007). Policymakers and educators have tended to view dropping out of high school in two contradictory ways. On the one hand, they view it as predictable, given the high dropout rates in certain demographic categories and geographic locations. At the same time, they view the experiences that precede a specific student's dropping out as mysterious, difficult to predict, and idiosyncratic. Some students unaccountably "hecome bored with school"; "fall in with the wrong crowd"; or experience a jarring life event, such as a pregnancy or a parent's unemployment, that precipitates their dropping out of school.
In vivo fluorescence microscopy for quantitative analysis of the hepatic microcirculation in hamsters and rats.

Using intravital fluorescence microscopy and epi-illumination, the hepatic microcirculatory system of Syrian golden hamsters was analyzed, and the morphology and microhemodynamics were compared to those of rats. After contrast enhancement with 1 mumol/kg acridine orange i.v. , the epi-illumination technique allows for visualization of capillary sinusoids and postsinusoidal venules, which are running in parallel with the liver surface, while afferent microvessels could be visualized in only few of the liver lobules investigated. In rat livers, the capillary sinusoids showed morphology similar to that of hamsters, however, postsinusoidal venules could frequently not be observed when applying epi-illumination, since these microvessels are piercing perpendicularly into the depth of the liver tissue. Microhemodynamic analysis, including the sinusoidal perfusion rate, sinusoidal red blood cell velocity and diameters, microvascular white blood cell (WBC) count and the phenomenon of WBC-endothelium interaction, as well as the hepatocellular uptake of the fluorescent compound acridine orange were found to be similar in hamsters as compared to rats. Although transillumination for in vivo microscopy may have the potential to visualize the complete hepatic microcirculatory system due to an increased focus depth, the epi-illumination technique has the advantage for quantitative assessment not only of the morphology of the hepatic microcirculatory system and microvascular blood perfusion, but also allows for evaluation of cellular phenomena within the hepatic microvessels, such as WBC accumulation, WBC-endothelium interaction, phagocytotic activity of Kupffer cells, and hepatocellular transport of fluorescent compounds. Hepatic microcircular disturbances, including accumulation of WBCs and WBC-endothelium interaction are causative in the development of organ failure in conditions such as hemorrhagic and septic shock, and, in particular, postischemic reperfusion injury following liver surgery and liver transplantation. Since accumulation of WBCs and their interaction with the microvascular endothelium are primarily found in postsinusoidal venules, in vivo microscopy of the hamster liver represents a favorable model for studies on cellular phenomena within the hepatic microcirculation.
Sinus Pathology and Anatomy in Relation to Complications in Lateral Window Sinus Augmentation

Antral pathoses and anatomical variations increase the risk of surgical complications during a lateral window sinus augmentation procedure. Therefore, an understanding of maxillary sinus diseases and anatomies is imperative. In the first part of this article, common sinus diseases will be reviewed, which include acute/chronic rhinosinusitis, mucoceles, pseudocysts, retention cysts, and odontogenic diseases of the maxillary sinus. In addition, a treatment strategy will be proposed toward the management of these antral diseases. In the second part, anatomical variations of the maxillary sinus, for example, the septum and artery that is in approximation to the osteotomy site will be discussed. Knowledge of diagnosing and managing sinus pathoses and anatomies could assist surgeons in reducing the incidence of sinus augmentation complications.
Remote Sensing of Vital Signs Using a Doppler Radar and Diversity to Overcome Null Detection

Vital signs detection by means of several topologies based on Doppler radar are proposed in this paper with the aim of overcoming the problem of null detection. They are based on phase and frequency diversity. The proposed topologies are an alternative to I/Q demodulation and double-sideband transmission. Four topologies are proposed, three of them based on phase diversity and one based on frequency diversity. The first topology is based on using two phase-shifted receivers. The second one is based on a physical antenna displacement between two receivers. A third system with a dynamic phase variation is also presented, which permits to work with only one receiver. The last topology is a radar with frequency diversity within the 2.4 GHz ISM band, which permits a dynamic change of the frequency dynamically in order to place the receiver always in a maximum. A system to empirically characterize nulls is also developed to validate the proposed topologies.
Experimental Infection of NOD/SCID Mice Reconstituted with Human CD34+ Cells with Epstein-Barr Virus

ABSTRACT Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-induced lymphoproliferative disease is an important complication in the context of immune deficiency. Impaired T-cell immunity allows the outgrowth of transformed cells with the subsequent production of predominantly B-cell lymphomas. Currently there is no in vivo model that can adequately recapitulate EBV infection and its association with B-cell lymphomas. NOD/SCID mice engrafted with human CD34+ cells and reconstituted mainly with human B lymphocytes may serve as a useful xenograft model to study EBV infection and pathogenesis. We therefore infected reconstituted mice with EBV. High levels of viral DNA were detected in the peripheral blood of all infected mice. All infected mice lost weight and showed decreased activity levels. Infected mice presented large visible tumors in multiple organs, most prominently in the spleen. These tumors stained positive for human CD79a, CD20, CD30, and EBV-encoded RNAs and were light chain restricted. Their characterization is consistent with that of large cell immunoblastic lymphoma. In addition, tumor cells expressed EBNA1, LMP1, and LMP2a mRNAs, which is consistent with a type II latency program. EBV+ lymphoblastoid cell lines expressing human CD45, CD19, CD21, CD23, CD5, and CD30 were readily established from the bone marrow and spleens of infected animals. Finally, we also demonstrate that infection with an enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-tagged virus can be monitored by the detection of infected EGFP+ cells and EGFP+ tumors. These data demonstrate that NOD/SCID mice that are reconstituted with human CD34+ cells are susceptible to infection by EBV and accurately recapitulate important aspects of EBV pathogenesis.
Effect of different glycaemic conditions on gene expression of neuropeptides involved in control of food intake in rainbow trout; interaction with stress

SUMMARY To assess mechanisms relating to food intake and glucosensing in fish, and their interaction with stress, we evaluated changes in the expression of orexigenic (NPY) and anorexigenic (POMC, CART and CRF) peptides in central glucosensing areas (hypothalamus and hindbrain) of rainbow trout subjected to normoglycaemic (control), hypoglycaemic (4 mg insulin kg–1) or hyperglycaemic (500 mg glucose kg–1) conditions for 6 h under normal stocking density (NSD; 10 kg fish mass m–3) or under stress conditions induced by high stocking density (HSD; 70 kg fish mass m–3). Hyperglycaemic NSD conditions resulted in decreased mRNA levels of NPY and increased levels of CART and POMC in the hypothalamus as well as increased mRNA levels of CART and CRF in the hindbrain compared with hypo- and normoglycaemic conditions. HSD conditions in normoglycaemic fish induced marked changes in the expression of all peptides assessed: mRNA levels of NPY and CRF increased and mRNA levels of POMC and CART decreased in the hypothalamus, whereas the expression of all four peptides (NPY, POMC, CART and CRF) decreased in the hindbrain. Furthermore, HSD conditions altered the response to changes in glycaemia of NPY and POMC expression in the hypothalamus and CART expression in the hypothalamus and the hindbrain. The results are discussed in the context of food intake regulation by glucosensor systems and their interaction with stress in fish.
Chicken parathyroid hormone‐related protein and its expression during embryologic development

A parathyroid hormone‐related protein (PTHrP) is the probable cause of humoral hypercalcemia in malignancy, but its normal physiologic role remains unknown. Since current evidence suggests that PTHrP may have a role in embryonic development, we cloned a genomic fragment that encodes chicken PTHrP (cPTHrP) and studied the expression of PTHrP in developing chick embryos. Blot hybridization of chicken genomic DNA with a cPTHrP genomic DNA probe showed a single band, suggesting that a single‐copy gene encodes cPTHrP. By screening a chicken genomic library with the human probe an open reading frame was identified that corresponds to the human PTHrP (hPTHrP) exon IV. Compared to the human sequence the 5′ splice junction is highly conserved and the two predicted propeptide residues are identical. The sequence predicts a mature peptide of 139 amino acids; all of the first 21 and 94 of the first 112, but only 8 of the final 27 residues of cPTHrP are identical to the human sequence. The structural features required for PTH receptor binding and activation are highly conserved between chicken and hPTHrP. Poly(A)‐enriched RNA from 3–15 day chicken embryos was surveyed by hybridization to the chicken probe. A hybridizing band of 1.45 kb was found in tissues derived from all three germ layers, including brain, heart, lung, liver, gizzard, intestine, chorioallantoic membrane, yolk sac, and skeletal muscle. An additional 1.2 kb hybridizing band was found in some tissues. The conservation of the PTHrP sequence between chicken and mammals supports the view that PTHrP has an important physiologic role. The presence of PTHrP mRNA in early embryos suggests that this role may be in embryonic development.
MECHANISM-BASED INACTIVATION AND REVERSIBILITY: IS THERE A NEW TREND IN THE INACTIVATION OF CYTOCHROME P450 ENZYMES?

Recent studies with cytochrome P450 (P450) enzymes from the 2E and 2B subfamilies have shed light on what may be a new trend in the mechanism-based inactivation of P450s: reversibility. The reversible inactivation of P450-type enzymes was first reported in the mid-1990s by Dexter and Hager [Dexter AF and Hager LP (1995) J Am Chem Soc 117:817–818], who studied the transient heme N-alkylation of chloroperoxidase by allylbenzene and 1-hexyne. While characterizing small tert-butyl acetylenes as mechanism-based inactivators of P450s 2E1 and 2B4, Hollenberg and coworkers observed the reversible inactivation of an acetylene-inactivated T303A mutant of P450 2E1. The mechanism of reversibility was a combined product of the structure of the inactivator and the positioning of conserved amino acid residues, threonine 303 (alanine in the mutant) and glutamate 302, in the enzyme active site. Reversibility was also observed with both wild-type P450 2B4 and the T302A mutant of 2B4, although this inactivation and reversibility did not seem to depend on the T302 residue. Subsequent studies have attempted to elucidate the chemical/structural requirements of the inactivator in determining reversibility and have shown that both the size and the chemical nature of functional groups play an important role. At this time, reversibility has only been observed with P450 2E and 2B enzymes during their mechanism-based inactivation by terminal alkynes. Future studies with P450s from other subfamilies and structurally distinct inactivators will greatly aid our understanding of the molecular and chemical determinants of reversibility.
Incidence and mortality of interstitial lung disease in rheumatoid arthritis: a population-based study.

OBJECTIVE Interstitial lung disease (ILD) has been recognized as an important comorbidity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We undertook the current study to assess incidence, predictors, and mortality of RA-associated ILD. METHODS We examined a population-based incidence cohort of patients with RA and a matched cohort of individuals without RA. All subjects were followed up longitudinally. The lifetime risk of ILD was estimated. Cox proportional hazards models were used to compare the incidence of ILD between cohorts, to investigate predictors, and to explore the impact of ILD on survival. RESULTS Patients with RA (n = 582) and subjects without RA (n = 603) were followed up for a mean of 16.4 and 19.3 years, respectively. The lifetime risk of developing ILD was 7.7% for RA patients and 0.9% for non-RA subjects. This difference translated into a hazard ratio (HR) of 8.96 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 4.02-19.94). The risk of developing ILD was higher in RA patients who were older at the time of disease onset, in male patients, and in individuals with more severe RA. The risk of death for RA patients with ILD was 3 times higher than in RA patients without ILD (HR 2.86 [95% CI 1.98-4.12]). Median survival after ILD diagnosis was only 2.6 years. ILD contributed approximately 13% to the excess mortality of RA patients when compared with the general population. CONCLUSION Our results emphasize the increased risk of ILD in patients with RA. The devastating impact of ILD on survival provides evidence that development of better strategies for the treatment of ILD could significantly lower the excess mortality among individuals with RA.
Partner-Specific Odor Recognition in an Antarctic Seabird

Among birds, the Procellariiform seabirds (petrels, albatrosses, and shearwaters) are prime candidates for using chemical cues for individual recognition. These birds have an excellent olfactory sense, and a variety of species nest in burrows that they can recognize by smell. However, the nature of the olfactory signature--the scent that makes one burrow smell more like home than another--has not been established for any species. Here, we explore the use of intraspecific chemical cues in burrow recognition and present evidence for partner-specific odor recognition in a bird.
Pharmacological prevention and management of restenosis

Importance of the field: The introduction of percutaneous intervention represented a major milestone in the management of obstructive arterial disease. Restenosis following intervention has been a key limitation of this therapy and, despite availability of a variety of therapeutic options, remains a challenging clinical entity. Areas covered in this review: The aim of this review is to summarize the extensive literature regarding prevention and management of restenosis following percutaneous intervention. While systemic pharmacological approaches to reduce restenosis have not yielded convincing long-term results, drug-eluting stents (DES) have proven very effective, though their undoubted efficacy seems to be achieved at the collateral cost of delayed healing of the stented segment. The optimal management of DES restenosis remains under investigation: treatment options include repeat DES, angioplasty, brachytherapy or drug-eluting balloon. What the reader will gain: A comprehensive overview of systemic and local drug delivery approaches for prevention and treatment of restenosis. Take home message: Current approaches to prevent and treat restenosis are efficacious, but there remains some distance to be travelled before patients or physicians can be fully satisfied with available therapies.
Assessment of low-flow CSF drainage as a treatment for AD

Objective: This prospective, randomized, controlled study was designed to investigate the safety, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy of long-term CSF drainage via a low-flow ventriculoperitoneal shunt in subjects suffering from AD. Methods: Twenty-nine subjects selected for probable AD (National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Diseases and Stroke–Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Association criteria) were screened to exclude normal pressure hydrocephalus or other etiologies of dementia and randomized to treatment (shunt) or no treatment groups. The study endpoint was the comparison of group performance on psychometric testing at quarterly intervals for 1 year. Shunted subjects had CSF withdrawn for MAP-tau and Aβ(1-42) assays at the same time intervals. Results: There was no mortality from the surgical procedure, and no patient sustained a subdural hematoma. Five notable postoperative adverse events, which resolved without permanent neurologic deficit, were reported in the shunt group. Group mean Mattis Dementia Rating Scale total scores showed little change over the year in the shunt-treatment group, in contrast to a decline in the control group (p = 0.06). Mini-Mental State Examination mean scores supported a trend in favor of shunt treatment (p = 0.1). There was a concomitant decrease in ventricular CSF concentrations of AD biomarkers MAP-tau and Aβ(1-42). Conclusions: The surgical procedure and the device are reasonably safe. Adverse events were consistent with shunt procedures for hydrocephalus in this older population. The endpoint data show a trend in favor of the treated group. A larger, randomized, double-blinded, controlled, clinical trial is underway.
The Microbiota of the Vagina and Its Influence on Women's Health and Disease

Abstract:Explorations of the vaginal microbiota (VMB) began over 150 years ago. Using light microscopy and bacterial cultures, the concept of normal versus abnormal microbiota in women began to emerge. The latter became known by the term “bacterial vaginosis” (BV). BV microbiota is dominated by Gardnerella vaginalis and includes a number of anaerobic organisms. In contrast, normal flora is dominated by various Lactobacilli. BV microbiota is associated with vaginal discharge, poor pregnancy outcomes, pelvic inflammatory disease, postoperative wound infections and endometritis after elective abortions. In addition, BV flora predisposes women to infection by human immunodeficiency virus and sexually transmitted diseases. Application of molecular techniques over the past decade has significantly advanced our understanding of the VMB. It is far more complex than previously recognized and is composed of many previously unknown organisms in addition to those already identified by culture. Analyses using high-throughput sequencing techniques have revealed unique microbial communities not previously recognized within the older, established vaginal flora categories. These new findings will inform the design of future clinical investigations of the role of the VMB in health and disease.