Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Aggression supersedes individual oxygen demand to drive group air‐breathing in a social catfish

Abstract Group‐living is widespread among animals and comes with numerous costs and benefits. To date, research examining group‐living has focused on trade‐offs surrounding foraging, while other forms of resource acquisition have been largely overlooked. Air‐breathing has evolved in many fish lineages, allowing animals to obtain oxygen in hypoxic aquatic environments. Breathing air increases the threat of predation, so some species perform group air‐breathing, to reduce individual risk. Within species, individual air‐breathing can be influenced by metabolic rate as well as personality, but the mechanisms of group air‐breathing remain unexplored. It is conceivable that keystone individuals with high metabolic demand or intrinsic tendency to breathe air may drive social breathing, especially in hypoxia. We examined social air‐breathing in African sharptooth catfish Clarias gariepinus, to determine whether individual physiological traits and spontaneous tendency to breathe air influence the behaviour of entire groups, and whether such influences vary in relation to aquatic oxygen availability. We studied 11 groups of four catfish in a laboratory arena and recorded air‐breathing behaviour, activity and agonistic interactions at varying levels of hypoxia. Bimodal respirometry was used to estimate individual standard metabolic rate (SMR) and the tendency to utilize aerial oxygen when alone. Fish took more air breaths in groups as compared to when they were alone, regardless of water oxygen content, and displayed temporally clustered air‐breathing behaviour, consistent with existing definitions of synchronous air‐breathing. However, groups displayed tremendous variability in surfacing behaviour. Aggression by dominant individuals within groups was the main factor influencing air‐breathing of the entire group. There was no association between individual SMR, or the tendency to obtain oxygen from air when in isolation, and group air‐breathing. For C. gariepinus, synchronous air‐breathing is strongly influenced by agonistic interactions, which may expose subordinate individuals to risk of predation. Influential individuals exerted an overriding effect on risk‐taking by the entire group, for reasons independent of their physiological oxygen requirements. Overall, this illustrates that social context can obscure interactions between an individual's physiological and behavioural traits and their tendency to take risks to obtain resources.
Mechanisms Underlying Lateral GABAergic Feedback onto Rod Bipolar Cells in Rat Retina

GABAergic feedback inhibition from amacrine cells shapes visual signaling in the inner retina. Rod bipolar cells (RBCs), ON-sensitive cells that depolarize in response to light increments, receive reciprocal GABAergic feedback from A17 amacrine cells and additional GABAergic inputs from other amacrine cells located laterally in the inner plexiform layer. The circuitry and synaptic mechanisms underlying lateral GABAergic inhibition of RBCs are poorly understood. A-type and ρ-subunit-containing (C-type) GABA receptors (GABAARs and GABACRs) mediate both forms of inhibition, but their relative activation during synaptic transmission is unclear, and potential interactions between adjacent reciprocal and lateral synapses have not been explored. Here, we recorded from RBCs in acute slices of rat retina and isolated lateral GABAergic inhibition by pharmacologically ablating A17 amacrine cells. We found that amacrine cells providing lateral GABAergic inhibition to RBCs receive excitatory synaptic input mostly from ON bipolar cells via activation of both Ca2+-impermeable and Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors (CP-AMPARs) but not NMDA receptors (NMDARs). Voltage-gated Ca2+ (Cav) channels mediate the majority of Ca2+ influx that triggers GABA release, although CP-AMPARs contribute a small component. The intracellular Ca2+ signal contributing to transmitter release is amplified by Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release from intracellular stores via activation of ryanodine receptors. Furthermore, lateral nonreciprocal feedback is mediated primarily by GABACRs that are activated independently from receptors mediating reciprocal feedback inhibition. These results illustrate numerous physiological differences that distinguish GABA release at reciprocal and lateral synapses, indicating complex, pathway-specific modulation of RBC signaling.
A breast cancer cell microarray (CMA) as a rapid method to characterize candidate biomarkers

Tissue microarrays (TMAs) have become an invaluable tool in cancer research to evaluate expression and subcellular localization of proteins in cells and tissues. As the catalogs of candidate biomarkers and therapeutic targets become more extensive, there is a need to characterize and validate these targets and biomarkers in cell lines as a primary biological system in research laboratories. Thus, cell microarrays (CMAs) are useful as a high-throughput screening tool. Here, we constructed a CMA containing 32 publicly available immortalized breast cell lines with the goal of creating a method to rapidly screen for antigens of interest in breast cancer research in a relatively easy, rapid and cost-effective manner. As proof of concept, we performed immunocytochemical staining of the HER2 receptor, as the status of this protein is relevant to breast cancer and has previously been reported for these cell lines. We observed a complete concordance of our staining with the published status of HER2 in these cell lines. In addition, we examined the expression of CD44, epithelial markers EpCAM and E-cadherin and tyrosine phosphoproteins. The labeling of these proteins correlates with the known biology of the cell lines. Our results demonstrate the utility of our method to screen for potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets in breast cancer and we suggest that CMAs be used as a general approach in breast cancer research.
Stab wound injury of the zebrafish telencephalon: A model for comparative analysis of reactive gliosis

Reactive glia, including astroglia and oligodendrocyte progenitors (OPCs) are at the core of the reaction to injury in the mammalian brain with initially beneficial and later partially adverse functions such as scar formation. Given the different glial composition in the adult zebrafish brain with radial ependymoglia but no parenchymal astrocytes, we examined the glial response to an invasive stab wound injury model in the adult zebrafish telencephalon. Strikingly, already a few days after injury the wound was closed without any scar tissue. Similar to mammals, microglia cells reacted first and accumulated close to the injury site, while neither GFAP+ radial ependymoglia nor adult OPCs were recruited to the injury site. Moreover, OPCs failed to increase their proliferation after this injury, while the number of proliferating GFAP+ glia was increased until 7 days after injury. Importantly, neurogenesis was also increased after injury, generating additional neurons recruited to the parenchyma which survived for several months. Thus, these data suggest that the specific glial environment in the adult zebrafish telencephalon is not only permissive for long‐term neuronal survival, but avoids scar formation. Invasive injury in the adult zebrafish telencephalon may therefore provide a useful model to untangle the molecular mechanisms involved in these beneficial glial reactions. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Infliximab Treatment of Sarcoidosis

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether there is sufficient evidence in the literature to support the use of infliximab in the treatment of sarcoidosis. DATA SOURCES AND SELECTION: Literature was accessed through MEDLINE (1966–August 2002), OVID (2001–January 2003), and bibliographic searches. Additional databases were also searched. Published literature relevant to the use of infliximab in the treatment of sarcoidosis was evaluated. DATA SYNTHESIS: In theory, tumor-necrosis factor-α blockade appears to be an optimal strategy for treating sarcoidosis. Case series reporting the use of infliximab in refractory sarcoidosis was reviewed to evaluate its potential role as a treatment option. CONCLUSIONS: Although there is insufficient evidence suggesting that infliximab is an appropriate alternative to conventional treatment options as first-line therapy for sarcoidosis, the preliminary outlook on its use in treatment-refractory cases is promising.
Drotrecogin alfa (activated) in adults with septic shock.

BACKGROUND There have been conflicting reports on the efficacy of recombinant human activated protein C, or drotrecogin alfa (activated) (DrotAA), for the treatment of patients with septic shock. METHODS In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial, we assigned 1697 patients with infection, systemic inflammation, and shock who were receiving fluids and vasopressors above a threshold dose for 4 hours to receive either DrotAA (at a dose of 24 μg per kilogram of body weight per hour) or placebo for 96 hours. The primary outcome was death from any cause 28 days after randomization. RESULTS At 28 days, 223 of 846 patients (26.4%) in the DrotAA group and 202 of 834 (24.2%) in the placebo group had died (relative risk in the DrotAA group, 1.09; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.92 to 1.28; P=0.31). At 90 days, 287 of 842 patients (34.1%) in the DrotAA group and 269 of 822 (32.7%) in the placebo group had died (relative risk, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.90 to 1.19; P=0.56). Among patients with severe protein C deficiency at baseline, 98 of 342 (28.7%) in the DrotAA group had died at 28 days, as compared with 102 of 331 (30.8%) in the placebo group (risk ratio, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.74 to 1.17; P=0.54). Similarly, rates of death at 28 and 90 days were not significantly different in other predefined subgroups, including patients at increased risk for death. Serious bleeding during the treatment period occurred in 10 patients in the DrotAA group and 8 in the placebo group (P=0.81). CONCLUSIONS DrotAA did not significantly reduce mortality at 28 or 90 days, as compared with placebo, in patients with septic shock. (Funded by Eli Lilly; PROWESS-SHOCK ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00604214.).
Unaggregated serum IgA binds to neutrophil FcαR at physiological concentrations and is endocytosed but cross‐linking is necessary to elicit a respiratory burst

My43 is a monoclonal antibody directed against FcαRs on monocytes that also recognizes neutrophil (PMN) FcαRs and is able to elicit a respiratory burst in purified cells. It appears to be directed against the immunoglobulin A (IgA) binding site of FcαRs or an epitope in close proximity, since IgA and My43 compete for binding to PMNs. My43 immunoblotted FcαR that had been affinity purified from PMN membranes and immunoprecipitated a 50–70 kDa protein from radiolabeled PMN membranes, apparently identical to that purified on IgA‐Sepharose. These results suggest the presence of a single class of FcαR on PMNs. Binding of unaggregated monomeric or dimeric serum IgA to FcαRs on PMNs occurs at physiological concentrations, suggesting that in vivo FcαRs are saturated with ligand. This binding does not elicit a respiratory burst. Purified PMNs do not express surface IgA, since receptor‐bound IgA is lost from the cell surface by endocytosis at room temperature although not at 4°. Rapid endocytosis of receptor‐bound IgA has been demonstrated by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. Unoccupied receptor that is able to bind IgA or My43 is subsequently reexpressed. Cross‐linking of surface‐bound IgA using F(ab')2 anti‐α chain antibodies triggers an oxidative burst. After internalization of the surface IgA the same F(ab')2 anti‐α chain antibodies do not trigger the burst. J. Leukoc. Biol. 56: 481–487; 1994.
The long-term course of alcoholism, 5, 10 and 16 years after treatment.

AIMS To discover the long-term stability of drinking behaviour following an in-patient treatment episode. DESIGN Three follow-up periods were used at 5, 10 and 16 years. The patients were classified as being abstinent, improved or unimproved on the basis of self-reported drinking behaviour. Patients who could not be interviewed at follow-up were classified as unimproved. SETTING An alcohol dependence treatment programme at the University Hospital Tuebingen, Germany. PARTICIPANTS We were able to locate all 96 patients at the 16-year follow-up. Seventy were alive and 26 had died. We collected information from 59 of the 70 surviving patients. The remaining 11 patients could be located and were definitely alive. FINDINGS Thirty-eight of the 70 patients were abstinent, 10 were improved and 22 (including the 11 living patients without further information) were classified as unimproved. Our main finding indicates that the so-called 'improved drinking' is very inconsistent over time. In contrast, the abstinent and unimproved patients were much more stable in their drinking behaviour. CONCLUSIONS This study extends our knowledge of the drinking trajectory and outcome from only a few years of follow-up to 16 years. Complete abstinence and unimproved drinking behaviour were the most stable drinking patterns observed over the long term, confirming study results obtained primarily from English-speaking countries.
Recommendations for Management of Diabetes During Ramadan

Since our last publication about diabetes and fasting during Ramadan (1), we have received many inquires and comments concerning important issues that were not discussed in the previous document, including the voluntary 1- to 2-day fasts per week that many Muslims practice throughout the year, as well as the effect of prolonged fasting (more than 18 h a day) in regions far from the equator during Ramadan when it occurs in summer—a phenomenon expected to affect millions worldwide for the next 10–15 years. Since 2005, there have been substantial additions to the literature, including two studies examining the effect of structured education and support for safe fasting, both of which had promising results (2,3). In addition, new medications, such as the incretin-based therapies, have been introduced with less risk for hypoglycemia. According to a 2009 demographic study, Islam has 1.57 billion adherents, making up 23% of the world population of 6.8 billion, and is growing by ∼3% per year (4). Fasting during Ramadan, a holy month of Islam, is a duty for all healthy adult Muslims. The high global prevalence of type 2 diabetes—6.6% among adults age 20–79 years (5)—coupled with the results of the population-based Epidemiology of Diabetes and Ramadan 1422/2001 (EPIDIAR) study, which demonstrated among 12,243 people with diabetes from 13 Islamic countries that ∼43% of patients with type 1 diabetes and ∼79% of patients with type 2 diabetes fast during Ramadan (6), lead to the estimate that worldwide more than 50 million people with diabetes fast during Ramadan. Ramadan is a lunar-based month, and its duration varies between 29 and 30 days. Muslims who fast during Ramadan must abstain from eating, drinking, use of oral medications, and smoking from predawn to after sunset; however, there are no restrictions on food or fluid intake between sunset …
Phylogeographical structure of the Dover sole Microstomus pacificus: the larval retention hypothesis and genetic divergence along the deep continental slope of the northeastern Pacific Ocean

Population genetic variability and phylogeographical structure of the Dover sole, Microstomus pacificus (Teleostei: Pleuronectidae), were examined along the continental slope of the northeastern Pacific Ocean using sequences of the left domain of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region. Six sites were sampled in three primary biogeographical provinces (based on surface water temperatures), ranging from the subarctic to the warm temperate zones. Many haplotypes were discerned, totalling 90 for 110 individuals. Neighbour joining and parsimony analyses of the entire data set showed that some groups of haplotypes of adult Dover sole were widely distributed, suggesting either panmixia or homoplasy and reversals. However, a substantial number of groups of related haplotypes were geographically circumscribed, and there were significant differences among sites in the distribution of restricted haplotypes (based on a reduced number of characters), supporting geographical structure. Geographical differentiation of populations appeared to be consistent with the member‐vagrant hypothesis for retention of the pelagic larvae in currents and recruitment to adult habitats, reducing long‐distance dispersal. Results of this study indicate phylogeographical structure among some populations, despite extended pelagic larval periods, and apparent environmental homogeneity in the adult habitats along the continental slope.
Oscillation Energy Analysis of Inter-Area Low-Frequency Oscillations in Power Systems

Low-frequency inter-area oscillation is a potentially dangerous phenomenon in power systems involving exchange of power among generators in different areas. In this paper, we study the characteristics of inter-area oscillation by analyzing the distribution of the oscillation energy. First, we introduce equations for the kinetic energy of generators and the potential energy of network branches, derived from the linearization of system dynamic equations. Then, we study the mode composition and the distribution of the generators' kinetic energy during low-frequency oscillations. A modal kinetic energy participation factor is proposed for evaluating the participation of each generator in the oscillation. The relationships among electromagnetic power oscillation distribution, rotor speed deviation, and generator kinetic energy are analyzed and compared to their modal parameter left eigenvectors, right eigenvectors, and linear participation factors, respectively. The bus voltage angle deviation, active power oscillation, and branch potential energy are calculated using the right eigenvector from modal analysis. The distribution characteristics of voltage angle oscillation and branch potential energy in inter-area oscillation is developed. The simulation results for a four-generator two-area system and the New England 10-machine 39-bus system illustrate the feasibility and validity of the proposed theory and method for analysis of inter-area oscillations.
Simultaneous quantification of catecholamines in rat brain by high-performance liquid chromatography with on-line gold nanoparticle-catalyzed luminol chemiluminescence detection.

A new method based on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with on-line gold nanoparticle-catalyzed luminol chemiluminescence (CL) detection was developed for the simultaneous quantitation of catecholamines in rat brain. In the present CL system, gold nanoparticles were produced by the on-line reaction of H2 O2 , NaHCO3 -Na2 CO3 (buffer solution of luminol) and HAuCl4. Norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (EP) and dopamine (DA) could strongly enhance the CL signal of the on-line gold nanoparticle-catalyzed luminol system. The UV-visible absorption spectra and transmission electron microscopy studies were carried out, and the CL enhancement mechanism was proposed. Catecholamines promoted the on-line formation of more gold nanoparticles, which better catalyzed the luminol-H2 O2 CL reaction. The good separation of NE, EP and DA was achieved with isocratic elution using a mixture of methanol and 0.2% aqueous phosphoric acid (5:95, v/v) within 8.5 min. Under the optimized conditions, the detection limits, defined as a signal-to-noise ratio of 3, were in the range of 1.32-1.90 ng/mL, corresponding to 26.4-38.0 pg for 20 μL sample injection. The recoveries of catecholamines added to rat brain sample were >94.6%, with the precisions <5.5%. The validated HPLC-CL method was successfully applied to determine NE and DA in rat brain without prior sample purification.
Mechanisms of cerebellar gait ataxia

The cerebellum is important for movement control and plays a critical role in balance and locomotion. As such, one of the most characteristic and sensitive signs of cerebellar damage is gait ataxia. How the cerebellum normally contributes to locomotor behavior is unknown, though recent work suggests that it helps generate appropriate patterns of limb movements, dynamically regulate upright posture and balance, and adjust the feedforward control of locomotor output through errorfeedback learning. The purpose of this review is to examine mechanisms of cerebellar control of locomotion, emphasizing studies of humans and other animals. Implications for rehabilitation are also considered.
Focal liver lesions: characterization with triphasic spiral CT.

PURPOSE To assess whether triphasic spiral CT enables characterization of a wide range of focal liver lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS One hundred five patients with suspected focal liver disease underwent triphasic liver CT. After injection of contrast material, the liver was scanned in arterial (scanning delay, 22-27 seconds), portal (scanning delay, 49-73 seconds), and equilibrium (scanning delay, 8-10 minutes) phases. Enhancement of each lesion in each phase was evaluated, and the lesions were tabulated according to one of 11 enhancement patterns. RESULTS In 94 patients, 375 liver lesions were detected. The nature of the lesion was confirmed in 326 lesions (87%). Six of 11 enhancement patterns were always due to benign disease and caused by areas with hyper- or hypoperfusion, hemangiomas, cysts, focal nodular hyperplasias, or benign but nonspecified lesions. Two of 11 patterns were always due to malignant disease, and one pattern was due to malignant disease in 38 (97%) of 39 patients with known malignancy elsewhere or with chronic liver disease. The other two patterns were seen in metastases and partly fibrosed hemangiomas. CONCLUSION Triphasic liver CT enables characterization of a wide range of focal liver lesions, including the benign liver lesions that occur most frequently.
Modification of Tau by 8-Nitroguanosine 3′,5′-Cyclic Monophosphate (8-Nitro-cGMP)

Neurofibrillar tangles caused by intracellular hyperphosphorylated tau inclusion and extracellular amyloid β peptide deposition are hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. Tau contains one or two cysteine residues in three or four repeats of the microtubule binding region following alternative splicing of exon 10, and formation of intermolecular cysteine disulfide bonds accelerates tau aggregation. 8-Nitroguanosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (8-nitro-cGMP) acts as a novel second messenger of nitric oxide (NO) by covalently binding cGMP to cysteine residues by electrophilic properties, a process termed protein S-guanylation. Here we studied S-guanylation of tau and its effects on tau aggregation. 8-Nitro-cGMP exposure induced S-guanylation of tau both in vitro and in tau-overexpressed HEK293T cells. S-guanylated tau inhibited heparin-induced tau aggregation in a thioflavin T assay. Atomic force microscopy observations indicated that S-guanylated tau could not form tau granules and fibrils. Further biochemical analyses showed that S-guanylated tau was inhibited at the step of tau oligomer formation. In P301L tau-expressing Neuro2A cells, 8-nitro-cGMP treatment significantly reduced the amount of sarcosyl-insoluble tau. NO-linked chemical modification on cysteine residues of tau could block tau aggregation, and therefore, increasing 8-nitro-cGMP levels in the brain could become a potential therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer's disease.