Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An omega‐3 epoxide of docosahexaenoic acid lowers blood pressure in angiotensin II‐dependent hypertension (832.5)

Mediators of anti‐hypertensive actions of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are largely unknown. The omega‐3 epoxide of DHA, 19, 20‐EDP (epoxydocosapentaenoic acid) is metabolized by soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH), which also metabolizes the anti‐inflammatory and anti‐hypertensive arachidonic acid (ARA) epoxides, EETs (epoxyeicosatrienoic acids). Based in part on plasma levels of EDPs following a DHA‐rich diet, we hypothesized that 19, 20‐EDP contributes to the anti‐hypertensive actions of DHA in angiotensin‐II dependent hypertension. Treatment individually with 19, 20‐EDP, and a potent sEH inhibitor (sEHI) TPPU (1‐trifluoromethoxyphenyl‐3‐(1‐propionylpiperidin‐4‐yl) urea) significantly lowered blood pressure (BP) as compared to angiotensin‐II infused animals. The largest reduction in BP was obtained with the combination of 19, 20‐EDP and TPPU, which was more efficacious than the combination of 14, 15‐EET and TPPU. Oxylipin profiling revealed that 19, 20‐EDP and 14, 15‐EET infusion affected mostly metabolites of the P450 pathway but also renal levels of prostaglandin‐E2. Our findings suggest that 19, 20‐ EDP is a mediator of the anti‐hypertensive and anti‐inflammatory effects of DHA in angiotensin‐II dependent hypertension. It appears that 19, 20‐ EDP requires metabolic stabilization with a sEHI to be most effective in lowering BP, although both TPPU and 19, 20‐ EDP are so effective on their own that demonstrating additive or synergistic interactions is difficult.
Androgen receptors in chemically‐induced colon carcinogenesis

Cytoplasmic extracts (105,000 × g supernatants) prepared from the colon of 1,2‐dimethylhydrazine hydrochloride (DMH) treated male BD‐IX rats bound 3H‐5α‐dihydrotestosterone (DHT) with high affinity (Kd = 3 × 10−9 M) and low capacity (n = 20 fmoles/mg protein). Unoccupied saturable binding sites were not detected in normal intact colon but were observed in colons from gonadectomized rats. DHT receptors were present in both the ascending and descending segments of the colon. The DHT binding components sedimented as 7–8S species on linear sucrose density gradients and were effectively displaced by cyproterone acetate, but not by progesterone. Forty percent of the DMH‐induced colon tumors also bound DHT with high affinity and limited capacity. These results suggest that the sex steroids are involved in carcinogen‐induced colon tumorigenesis, and the action is mediated by their association with sex steroid specific receptors.
Proposed involvement of an internal promoter in regulation and synthesis of mitochondrial and cytoplasmic leucyl-tRNA synthetases of Neurospora.

Genetic analysis of an electrophoretic variant of the mitochondrial leucyl-tRNA synthetase [L-leucine:tRNALeu ligase (AMP-forming), EC 6.1. 1.4] indicates that it is either an allele of or linked closely to leu-5ts, a mutant that is known to produce a cytoplasmic leucyl-tRNA synthetase with an altered affinity for leucine as well as being deficient in the production of the mitochondrial enzyme. Immunological analysis indicates that the two synthetases have little, if any, structural homology. The pattern of synthesis of the enzymes in leu-5ts revertants, the reciprocal relationship of the production of the two enzymes in response to a negative regulatory element, presumably of mitochondrial origin, as well as the lack of detectable structural homology, led to the proposal that the phenotype of leu-5ts results from a mutational alteration in the structural gene for the cytoplasmic enzyme in a region involved in the initiation of transcription of the adjacent gene for the mitochondrial enzyme.
Angiotensins II and IV stimulate the rat adrenocortical cell proliferation acting via different receptors.

OBJECTIVE The effects of angiotensins II (Ang II) and IV (Ang IV,3-8 fragment of angiotensin II) on the adrenocortical cell proliferation have been investigated in the rat. METHODS The male adult Wistar rats were injected subcutaneously with saline, captopril or captopril together with either Ang II or Ang IV. A part of animals received additionally losartan - an antagonist of AT1 subtype of angiotensin receptors. Bromodeoxyuridine (BrDU) incorporation into cell nuclei was used as the index of cell proliferation. RESULTS It was found that both Ang II and Ang IV increased the BrDU labeling in the adrenal cortex of captopril-pretreated rats. This effect involved mainly the zona glomerulosa cells. The proliferogenic effect of Ang II was blocked by AT1 receptor antagonist losartan. In contrast, losartan did not block the effect of Ang IV. CONCLUSION Both Ang II and Ang IV stimulate the adrenocortical cell proliferation in the rat, but they act via different receptors - AT1 in the case of Ang II and non-AT1 (probably AT4) in the case of Ang IV.
Comparative Analyses of Prophage-Like Elements Present in Two Lactococcus lactis Strains

ABSTRACT In this study, we describe the genetic organizations of six and five apparent prophage-like elements present in the genomes of the Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris strains MG1363 and SK11, respectively. Phylogenetic investigation as well bioinformatic analyses indicates that all 11 prophages belong to subdivisions of the lactococcal P335 group of temperate bacteriophages.
Dairy cow mortality. A review

Summary We reviewed the literature to give an overview over the mortality among dairy cows in countries with a relatively intensive dairy production. A total of 19 studies focussing on dairy cow mortality were identified. Information about objectives, measures of mortality, sample sizes, study designs, causes of death and risk factors from these studies is presented and discussed. Additionally, recommendations for future recordings of mortality that will enable better possibilities for comparison of study results, generalization of results from a study population to a larger population and meta‐analysis are given.
Transcript-specific, single-nucleotide polymorphism discovery and linkage analysis in hexaploid bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

Food security is a global concern and substantial yield increases in cereal crops are required to feed the growing world population. Wheat is one of the three most important crops for human and livestock feed. However, the complexity of the genome coupled with a decline in genetic diversity within modern elite cultivars has hindered the application of marker-assisted selection (MAS) in breeding programmes. A crucial step in the successful application of MAS in breeding programmes is the development of cheap and easy to use molecular markers, such as single-nucleotide polymorphisms. To mine selected elite wheat germplasm for intervarietal single-nucleotide polymorphisms, we have used expressed sequence tags derived from public sequencing programmes and next-generation sequencing of normalized wheat complementary DNA libraries, in combination with a novel sequence alignment and assembly approach. Here, we describe the development and validation of a panel of 1114 single-nucleotide polymorphisms in hexaploid bread wheat using competitive allele-specific polymerase chain reaction genotyping technology. We report the genotyping results of these markers on 23 wheat varieties, selected to represent a broad cross-section of wheat germplasm including a number of elite UK varieties. Finally, we show that, using relatively simple technology, it is possible to rapidly generate a linkage map containing several hundred single-nucleotide polymorphism markers in the doubled haploid mapping population of Avalon × Cadenza.
Haplotype variations in glutathione transferase zeta 1 influence the kinetics and dynamics of chronic dichloroacetate in children

Dichloroacetate (DCA) is biotransformed by glutathione transferase zeta 1 (GSTZ1), a bifunctional enzyme that, as maleylacetoacetate isomerase (MAAI), catalyzes the penultimate step in tyrosine catabolism. DCA inhibits GSTZ1/MAAI, leading to delayed plasma drug clearance and to accumulation of potentially toxic tyrosine intermediates. Haplotype variability in GSTZ1 influences short‐term DCA kinetics in healthy adults, but the impact of genotype in children treated chronically with DCA is unknown. Drug kinetics was studied in 17 children and adolescents with congenital mitochondrial diseases administered 1,2‐13C‐DCA. Plasma drug half‐life and trough levels varied 3–6‐fold, depending on GSTZ1/MAAI haplotype and correlated directly with urinary maleylacetone, a substrate for MAAI. However, chronic DCA exposure did not lead to progressive accumulation of plasma drug concentration; instead, kinetics parameters plateaued, consistent with the hypothesis that equipoise is established between the inhibitory effect of DCA on GSTZ1/MAAI and new enzyme synthesis. GSTZ1/MAAI haplotype variability affects DCA kinetics and biotransformation. However, these differences appear to be stable in most individuals and are not associated with DCA plasma accumulation or drug‐associated toxicity in young children.
The voices of rural high school youth: Qualitative secondary analysis and youth leadership modeling

This paper compares quantitative and qualitative secondary analyses and describes a checklist for evaluating quality and sufficiency of qualitative secondary data and their further analysis in respect to different types of qualitative data. Whilst quantitative secondary analysis approach has been widely explored and employed in education and social sciences, this has not been the case with the qualitative secondary analysis. As existing literature primarily reports the outcomes of qualitative secondary research, little attention is dedicated to the details of evaluation of qualitative secondary data and their further analyses. Qualitative secondary analysis has important implications for qualitative educational and social researchers interested in generating new knowledge via conducting unobtrusive and time/cost efficient research with the wider utilization of existing qualitative data. Introduction In recent decades, secondary data analysis has become popular among educational and other social science researchers due to increased quantity and accessibility of quantitative and qualitative data (Burstein, 1978; Dargentas, 2006; Fielding, 2000; Hakim, 1982; Heaton, 2004; Murphy & Schlaerth, 2010; Vartanian, 2011). These publicly available data provide researchers with resources to examine and analyze new hypotheses, inform research questions apart from the original objective of data collection, and derive new and/or additional interpretations and conclusions that were absent in the original research
A Multisite Pilot Study of Extended-Release Injectable Naltrexone Treatment for Previously Opioid-Dependent Parolees and Probationers

A feasibility study was conducted to pilot test the ability of 5 sites to recruit, treat, and retain opioid-dependent offenders in a trial of extended-release injectable naltrexone (XR-NTX). The participants, 61 previously opioid-dependent individuals under legal supervision in the community, received up to 6 monthly injections of Depotrex brand naltrexone and completed a 6-month follow-up interview. Six-month outcomes showed that those who completed treatment had significantly fewer opioid-positive urines and were less likely to have been incarcerated than those who had not completed treatment. The findings indicate that XR-NTX holds promise as a feasible, effective treatment option for opioid-dependent offenders.
Modeling of Viscoelastic Behavior of an Epoxy Molding Compound During and After Curing

The generalized Maxwell model and Williams-Ladel-Ferry (WLF) equation of epoxy molding compound (EMC) under different temperatures were first identified. Via measuring the loss and storage moduli of the specimens under different curing conditions, an equation relating the degree of cure to the relaxation modulus, called the cure shift factor (aC), was obtained. Considered with the WLF equation, which defines the temperature shift factor (aT), the total shift factor was proposed as the product of aT and aC. With this dualistic shift factor, the relaxation modulus of EMC under any degree of cure coupling with different temperatures could be defined.
Effects of an AT1 receptor antagonist, an ACE inhibitor and a calcium channel antagonist on cardiac gene expressions in hypertensive rats

1 This study was undertaken to determine whether the AT1 receptor directly contributes to hypertension‐induced cardiac hypertrophy and gene expressions. 2 Stroke‐prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) were given orally an AT1 receptor antagonist (losartan, 30 mg kg−1 day−1), an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (enalapril 10 mg kg−1 day−1), a dihydropyridine calcium channel antagonist (amlodipine, 5 mg kg−1 day−1), or vehicle (control), for 8 weeks (from 16 to 24 weeks of age). The effects of each drug were compared on ventricular weight and mRNA levels for myocardial phenotype‐ and fibrosis‐related genes. 3 Left ventricular hypertrophy of SHRSP was accompanied by the increase in mRNA levels for two foetal phenotypes of contractile proteins (skeletal α‐actin and β‐myosin heavy chain (β‐MHC)), atrial natriuretic polypeptide (ANP), transforming growth factor‐β‐1 (TGF‐β1) and collagen, and a decrease in mRNA levels for an adult phenotype of contractile protein (α‐MHC). Thus, the left ventricle of SHRSP was characterized by myocardial transition from an adult to a foetal phenotype and interstitial fibrosis at the molecular level. 4 Although losartan, enalapril and amlodipine lowered blood pressure of SHRSP to a comparable degree throughout the treatment, losartan caused regression of left ventricular hypertrophy of SHRSP to a greater extent than amlodipine (P < 0.01). 5 Losartan significantly decreased mRNA levels for skeletal α‐actin, ANP, TGF‐β1 and collagen types I, III and IV and increased α‐MHC mRNA in the left ventricle of SHRSP. Amlodipine did not alter left ventricular ANP, α‐MHC and collagen types I and IV mRNA levels of SHRSP. 6 The effects of enalapril on left ventricular hypertrophy and gene expressions of SHRSP were similar to those of losartan, except for the lack of inhibition of collagen type I expression by enalapril. 7 Unlike the hypertrophied left ventricle, there was no significant difference between losartan and amlodipine in the effects on non‐hypertrophied right ventricular gene expressions of SHRSP. 8 Our results show that hypertension causes not only left ventricular hypertrophy but also molecular transition of myocardium to a foetal phenotype and interstitial fibrosis‐related molecular changes. These hypertension‐induced left ventricular molecular changes may be at least in part mediated by the direct action of local angiotensin II via the AT1 receptor.
The role of cytokine deficiencies and cytokine autoantibodies in clinical dermatology

Cytokines are small, secreted proteins that are essential for promoting and maintaining a normal immune response. Upregulation of cytokines frequently occurs in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Conversely, several immunodeficiency, autoimmune and autoinflammatory disorders are known to occur due to a downregulation or absence of cytokines. Here, we review the diagnosis and clinical management of cytokine deficiency syndromes in dermatology. We will review the biology of cytokines, and the current approved indications for recombinant cytokines and anticytokine antibodies. We will also review the role of cytokine deficiencies and cytokine autoantibodies in immunodeficiency syndromes, as well as in autoimmune disorders. Finally, we will examine autoinflammatory disorders due to cytokine deficiencies.
Non‐genetic risk factors for gastroschisis

Gastroschisis is an abdominal wall defect typically located to the right of the umbilical cord in which intestines and occasionally other abdominal contents herniate through the abdominal wall opening. The etiology of this defect is unknown. The increased recurrence risks observed in families with a child with gastroschisis suggest that genetic factors play a role in its causation. However, non‐genetic factors are also important, as evidenced by the increased occurrence of gastroschisis among younger mothers, the increasing prevalence of gastroschisis in recent years observed by several birth defects surveillance systems, and the frequent occurrence of gastroschisis in a cluster pattern. Despite recognition of the importance of non‐genetic factors in gastroschisis causation, no factors, other than young maternal age, have been definitively identified, limiting the development of prevention strategies. This article summarizes the currently available literature on non‐genetic risk factors for gastroschisis, including investigations of sociodemographic factors, maternal therapeutic medication and non‐therapeutic drug exposures, chemical exposures, and other factors. The article also discusses some of the challenges faced by investigators working to better understand gastroschisis etiology. Published 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Distributed beamforming for two-way relay networks with reciprocal channels

This paper studies the achievable rate region for a two-way relay network with collaborative beamforming under the assumption that the source-to-relay and relay-to-source channels are reciprocal. Specifically, we investigate the achievable rate regions for two cases where the relay cluster is subject to a sum-power constraint or to individual-power constraints. We can show that the optimal beamforming vectors obtained from solving the weighted sum inverse-SNR minimization (WSISMin) problems are sufficient to characterize the corresponding achievable rate region. Furthermore, we derive the closed forms for those optimal beamforming vectors and consequently propose the partially distributed algorithms to implement the optimal beamforming, where each relay node only needs the local channel information and one global parameter.
Impact of Climate Change on Agricultural Trade and Food Security in ECOWAS

This paper investigates the impact of climate change on agricultural trade flows inside and outside the ECOWAS region. To reach its objectives, the study uses a trade module of trade cost minimization built within a bio-economic optimization model of cropland allocation. The results showed that the pattern of trade in ECOWAS induced by climatic factors will depend on socio-economic conditions that may prevail during the century. No specific pattern of trade flows is predicted, but there are some countries that may export food to other countries some years and may in turn become importers in other years. Furthermore, several countries may become dependent on products outside ECOWAS trade to meet their domestic food demands. The factors that may ease the cost of trade in ECOWAS on food imports may be an adjustment of the common exterior tariffs. In fact, the study showed that a trade policy that reduces the common exterior tariffs of between 5% and 10% could induce the reduction of total trade cost of about 3% to 7% respectively.
The angiotensin II type 2 receptor in the brain

Recent clinical studies indicate that blockade of the renin-angiotensin system is important to prevent stroke, and accumulating results of basic research also indicate the possible involvement of the central renin-angiotensin system in ischaemic brain damage and cognition. When the angiotensin II type 1 receptor is blocked by an angiotensin type 1 receptor blocker, unbound angiotensin II acts preferentially on the angiotensin II type 2 (AT2) receptor. These results suggest the pathophysiological importance of the AT2 receptor in the clinical use of angiotensin type 1 receptor blockers, which are widely used in patients with hypertension with the expectation of a decrease in the onset of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. We review here the possible roles of AT2 receptor activation in the brain, focusing on ischaemic stroke, cognitive function and neurogenesis, and potential effects of specific AT2 receptor agonists.
Semi-interactive region segmentation based on sparse representation

Region segmentation is an important and challenging task. The applications range from tumour detection in medical imaging, computer aided surveillance, object location, pattern separation etc. Sparsity based data modelling in recent times have produced state of the art results in many image processing tasks. In this paper, we propose a semi-interactive region segmentation in sparse framework. Proper data modelling is the key to learning based segmentation. We propose a hybrid feature vector which is a combination of weighted RGB values and the proposed histogram estimated by first multiplying Gaussian weight to each count of the pixel intensity according to its respective position in the patch. We study the effect of various parameters such as patch size, number of atoms in dictionary, number of training feature vectors and sparsity constraint on the segmentation behaviour. We test our proposed segmentation algorithm on the subset of images from BSDS300 (Berkeley Segmentation Dataset).
Neurite outgrowth induced by NGF or L1CAM via activation of the TrkA receptor is sustained also by the exocytosis of enlargeosomes

Significance Much of the available information on NGF-induced neural cell differentiation has been first obtained by the study of a cultured cell line, the pheochromocytoma PC12. Using the pheochromocytoma PC12 cells, we now demonstrate two new aspects of the differentiation process, possibly important also in neurons: (i) the direct binding, activation, and signaling of the NGF receptor TrkA by a neural adhesion protein, L1CAM, when administered as a soluble construct and also when surface-exposed by adjacent cells; and (ii) the expression, in the PC12 exposed for a few hours to NGF treatment, of an exocytic vesicle, the enlargeosome, that cooperates with an endocytic vesicle in the enlargement of the cell surface, which is necessary for neurite outgrowth to take place. NGF binding to its protein kinase receptor TrkA is known to induce neurite outgrowth and neural cell differentiation. The plasma membrane expansion, necessary for the process, was shown to be contributed by the VAMP7-dependent exocytosis of endocytic vesicles. Working with wild-type PC12 (wtPC12), a cell model widely used to investigate NGF-induced neurite outgrowth, we found that a few hours of treatment with the neurotrophin (and to a lower extent with basic FGF and EGF) induces the appearance of enlargeosome vesicles competent for VAMP4-dependent exocytosis abundant in high REST-PC12 clones. Both the neurite length assay and the immunocytochemistry of enlargeosomes exocytosis revealed that activation of TrkA is induced not only by NGF, but also by the L1 adhesion protein, L1CAM, whose soluble construct binds the receptor with submicromolar affinity. In the intact wtPC12, the L1CAM construct induced autophosphorylation and internalization of TrkA followed by the activation of the PI3K, MEK, and PKCγ signaling cascades, analogous to the responses induced by NGF. Down-regulation of either VAMP7 or VAMP4 revealed the coparticipation of the two corresponding vesicles to the outgrowth responses induced by NGF and L1CAM. Finally, mixing experiments of wtPC12 cells rich in TrkA with high REST PC12 cells transfected with L1CAM documented the transactivation of the receptor by the adhesion protein surface-exposed in adjacent cells. In view of the known inhomogeneous surface distribution of both L1CAM and TrkA in various neural cells including neurons, their transcellular binding could be restricted to discrete sites, governing local signaling events distinct from those induced by soluble messengers.