Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cyclin-dependent kinases and stroke

Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are a group of enzymes predominately known for their role in cell cycle regulation in proliferating cell types. Increasing evidence, however, suggests that CDKs also promote death in neurones. These observations have lead to the notion that CDKs may serve as a therapeutic target for neuropathological conditions such as stroke. Accordingly, in this review, we will examine the evidence which indicates a role for CDKs in neuronal death and evaluate the potential of CDK inhibitors as a therapeutic target for stroke.
Shiga-like toxin II-related cytotoxins in Citrobacter freundii strains from humans and beef samples

By hybridizing colonies grown from 928 individual stool samples of patients suffering from diarrhea with oligonucleotide probes 772 and 849 complementary to Shiga-like toxin I (SLT-I) and SLT-II gene sequences, respectively, we identified two strains that hybridized with probe 849, which biochemical identification revealed as Citrobacter freundii. An additional five slt-II probe-positive isolates were screened from 81 beef samples. Polymerase chain reaction analysis and restriction of amplified products provided evidence for slt-II-related genes in all seven strains. From C. freundii LM 76, the genes encoding the A and B subunits were cloned in pUC 18 vectors and sequenced. The gene encoding the A subunit differed from that of Escherichia coli slt-IIvhc in 4 bases, resulting in two amino acid residue differences. In 11, 13, and 11 nucleotides, differentiation of slt-IIA, slt-IIcA, and vtx2haA, respectively, was found. These differences affected the predicted amino acid sequence as follows: there were six amino acid differences with SLT-IIA, five with SLT-IIcA, and four with VTx2haA. The nucleotide sequence of the gene encoding the B subunit is identical to slt-IIvhcB and differed from slt-IIcB and vtx2haB by only a single nucleotide base, but this resulted in a predicted amino acid sequence identical to that reported for these toxins. We therefore termed the toxin genes C. freundii slt-IIcA and slt-IIcB. Culture filtrates inoculated with material from the colonies from primary cultures were cytotoxic to Vero cells. Neutralization assays with antisera to E. coli SLT-I, SLT-II, and SLT-IIvhc revealed that antibodies against SLT-IIvhc reduced the C. freundii cytotoxic activity specifically and to the same degree as with the E. coli SLT-IIvhc control strain. In five of the seven strains tested, subcultivation on both a liquid or solid medium resulted in loss of cytotoxic activity. With polymerase chain reaction, we demonstrated that loss of cytotoxic activity ran parallel with the loss of slt genes. These data demonstrate the intergeneric occurrence of SLT-II-related toxins, which may well be a new marker of enteropathogenicity in C. freundii. Our findings that the toxin genes belong to the slt-II family plus their evident instability in the majority of strains should help pave the way to a better understanding of their role in diarrhea or food poisoning.
Members of the Editorial Board

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Sensitivity linearization technique for a time based MEMS accelerometer

A high-resolution, high-sensitivity capacitive accelerometer based on pull-in time measurement is described in this paper. The high sensitivity of pull-in time is being explored to implement high performance accelerometers, and non-linearity is the main characteristic compromising device performance. An electrostatic compensation technique that addresses the non-linearity problem, based on pull-in time duration control, is presented and tested. Capacitive parallel-plates MEMS structures were used and the measured sensitivities for different acceleration ranges confirm the potential of this technique and the overall accelerometer concept. The results show an accelerometer with 0.26 µs/μg sensitivity, over a 120 dB dynamic range.
Coding efficiency improvement using inter-picture processing of quantization error

As standard video encoder techniques have matured, their rate of improvement has slowed. Greater improvements are possible with purely new coding techniques; however, these are incompatible with conventional methods. As an alternative, a new coding concept with semi-compatibility has been proposed, and an enhancement to I-pictures efficiency has been discussed. This applied method reduces the quantization error using motion compensated inter-picture processing. In this report, we apply this method to P-pictures to improve the efficiency of B-pictures. The quantization error component of the prediction signal is canceled by averaging the bi-directional prediction. Experiments using MPEG-4 show significant improvement in the coding efficiency using the proposed method. The maximum PSNR gain reaches 2.3 dB in a static sequence. At least 0.5 dB can be achieved in a high motion sequence. Furthermore, the proposed method is more useful for the larger P-picture period.
Detection of JC Virus DNA in Human Tonsil Tissue: Evidence for Site of Initial Viral Infection

ABSTRACT Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy is a demyelinating disease of the human central nervous system that results from lytic infection of oligodendrocytes by the polyomavirus JC (JCV). Originally, JCV was thought to replicate exclusively in human glial cells, specifically oligodendrocytes. However, we have recently shown that JCV can replicate in cells of lymphoid origin such as hematopoietic precursor cells, B lymphocytes, and tonsillar stromal cells. To determine whether tonsils harbor JCV, we tested a total of 54 tonsils, 38 from children and 16 from adult donors. Nested PCRs with primer sets specific for the viral T protein and regulatory regions were used for the detection of JCV DNA. JCV DNA was detected in 21 of 54 tonsil tissues, or 39% (15 of 38 children and 6 of 16 adults) by using regulatory-region primers and in 19 of 54 tonsil tissues, or 35% (13 of 38 children and 6 of 16 adults) by using the T-protein primers. The DNA extracted from children’s nondissected tonsil tissue, isolated tonsillar lymphocytes, and isolated stromal cells that demonstrated PCR amplification of the JCV regulatory region underwent cloning and nucleotide sequencing. Of the regulatory-region sequences obtained, nearly all contained tandem repeat arrangements. Clones originating from nondissected tonsil tissue and tonsillar lymphocytes were found to have sequences predominantly of the Mad-1 prototype strain, whereas the majority of clones from the DNA of tonsillar stromal cells had sequences characteristic of the Mad-8br strain of JCV. A few clones demonstrated structures other than tandem repeats but were isolated only from tonsillar lymphocytes. These data provide the first evidence of the JCV genome in tonsil tissue and suggest that tonsils may serve as an initial site of viral infection.
Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Extracts of Ananas comosus

The biosynthesis of nanoparticles has been proposed as a cost effective and environmental friendly alternative to chemical and physical methods. Plant mediated synthesis of nanoparticles is a green chemistry approach that intercom nects nanotechnology and plant biotechnology. In the present study, synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) or (Green-Silver) has been demonstrated using extracts of Ananas comosus reducing aqueous silver nitrate. The AgNPs were characterized by Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-vis) Spectrometer, Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDAX), Selected Area Diffraction Pattern (SAED) and High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM). TEM micrographs showed spherical particles with an average size of 12 nm. The XRD pattern showed the characteristic Bragg peaks of (111), (200), (220) and (311) facets of the face center cubic (fcc) silver nanoparticles and confirmed that these nanoparticles are crystalline in nature. The different types of antioxidants presented in the pineapple juice synergistically reduce the Ag metal ions, as each antioxidant is unique in terms of its structure and antioxidant function. The re- action process was simple for formation of silver nanoparticles and AgNPs presented in the aqueous medium were quite stable, even up to 4 months of incubation. This work proved the capability of using biomaterial towards the synthesis of silver nanoparticle, by adopting the principles of green chemistry.
Expression of E-Cadherin and Beta-Catenin in Trophoblastic Tissue in Normal and Pathological Pregnancies

E-cadherin and &bgr;-catenin are cell–cell adhesion molecules, which are thought to play an important role in trophoblastic differentiation and remodelling during gestation. Their expression may be altered in pathological conditions with trophoblastic invasion. In this study, we used immunohistochemical methods to study the pattern of expression of E-cadherin and &bgr;-catenin in villous trophoblastic tissue in normal and pathological pregnancies. In villous trophoblastic tissue, E-cadherin had a membranous distribution, whereas &bgr;-catenin had a mixed-membranous and granular cytoplasmic distribution. The levels of expression of E-cadherin and &bgr;-catenin correlated with each other. From first to third trimesters, the expression of both E-cadherin and &bgr;-catenin showed a decreasing trend. In preeclampsia, there was an up-regulation of E-cadherin and &bgr;-catenin expression. In placenta accreta, the level of expression of both did not differ from that in normal third-trimester placenta. In gestational trophoblastic diseases, there was a general trend of down-regulation of both E-cadherin and &bgr;-catenin. Altered expression of E-cadherin and &bgr;-catenin may play a role in the development of normal and pathological placentas.
Functional differentiation of hypoglossal neurons in cats.

In decerebrate and unanesthetized cats, changes in the intracellular potential of neurons in the hypoglossal nucleus following stimulation of the hypoglossal nerve were recorded.1. Of 158 cells examined, motoneurons (94.3%), interneurons (5.7%) were distinguished by hypoglossal nerve stimulation.2. Two groups of motoneurons responded differently in critical frequency for SD and/or IS blocking to the antidromic stimulation.3. Sizes of the motor axons were estimated from the conduction distance and latency of antidromic invasion to each motoneuron. The diameter distribution revealed gross unimodal configuration with the peak between 3 and 5μ. 4. Some of the characters of the potential change in the “respiratory” hypoglossal motoneurons and slow fluctuations of various rhythm in others were reported.
Visual hallucinations in CBS: reply from the author

To the Editor: We appreciate Dr Ng’s comments on our report (1). Certainly, we should be concerned about the presence of dementia in our patient. Indeed, the total MMSE score (18/30) in our case indicated a moderate cognitive decline. However, the patient was able to live an independent life for her age (89 years). She did not present parkinsonism, nor fluctuation of consciousness level. Although we could not completely exclude the possibility of diffuse Lewy body dementia (DLBD), it is probable that she did not have dementia (2). According to White and Cummings (3), there are psychiatric symptoms that both schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have in common. This might suggest that an unknown neurochemical alteration involving the dopaminergic and/or cholinergic axis underlies these two mental disorders. Based on the hypothesis that hallucination and delusion belong to cholinergic deficiency syndrome, Lemstra et al. (4) advocated prescribing a cholinomimetic system for these symptoms. Based on the above, we conclude that there might be an imbalance between the monoaminergic (dopaminergic) system and the cholinergic system that causes hallucination and delusion in AD as well as schizophrenia. Indeed, a cholinesterase inhibitor is used to protect against psychotic symptoms in both AD (5–7) and schizophrenia (8). In addition to inhibiting the breakdown of acetylcholine, galantamine augments the sensitivity to nicotinic agonists by modeling the structure of the nicotinic receptor. Atypical antipsychotics are tried for various symptoms in AD (9). We propose that the patients reported by Dr Ng and those reported by us presenting visual hallucinations in CBS have a pathogenic imbalance between acetylcholine and dopamine in common. Finally, as Dr Ng suggested, we should be vigilant for the emergence of dementia in this patient. Two years have passed since her first visit to the outpatient clinic in our hospital, and she has remained in the same state as before.
Enhanced fertility and chill tolerance after cold-induced reproductive arrest in females of temperate species of the Drosophila buzzatii complex

ABSTRACT Long-term exposure to low temperatures during adult maturation might decrease fertility after cold recovery as a consequence of carry-over effects on reproductive tissues. This pattern should be more pronounced in tropical than in temperate species as protective mechanisms against chilling injuries are expected to be more effective in the latter. We initially determined the lower thermal thresholds to induce ovarian maturation in four closely related Drosophila species, two inhabiting temperate regions and the other two tropical areas of South America. As expected, only temperate species regularly experience cold-inducing conditions for reproductive arrest during winter in their natural environment. Subsequently, we exposed reproductively arrested and mature females to cold-inducing conditions for reproductive arrest over a long period. Following cold exposure, tropical species exhibited a dramatic fertility decline, irrespective of reproductive status. In contrast, not only were temperate females fecund and fertile but also fertility was superior in females that underwent cold-induced reproductive arrest, suggesting that it might act as a protecting mechanism ensuring fertility after cold recovery. Based on these findings, we decided to evaluate the extent to which reproductive status affects cold tolerance and energy metabolism at low temperature. We found a lower metabolic rate and a higher cold tolerance in reproductively arrested females, although only temperate species attained high levels of chill tolerance. These findings highlight the role of cold-induced reproductive arrest as part of an integrated mechanism of cold adaptation that could potentially contribute to the spread of temperate species into higher latitudes or altitudes. Summary: Temperate but not tropical females of the Drosophila buzzatii complex under reproductive arrest improve fitness after cold acclimation. Such cold adaptation could contribute to spread temperate species into cooler environments.
Development of Phoria in Children

Background. Although the prevalence of phoria in adults is well documented, data are scarce on phoria in children. We present results using modified clinical technique vision screening and data from the Orinda Longitudinal Study of Myopia on a large, population-based sample of nonstrabismic children to document the prevalence of phoria with age. Methods. We collected cross-sectional (N=1495) and longitudinal (N=469) data. Phoria data were collected by cover tests administered by one observer who subjectively classified phoria as orthophoria, esophoria, or exophoria in 2 δ steps. Results. Ninety-seven percent of the children were orthophoric at distance, and there were no significant changes with age. Near phoria showed a more normal distribution, with a 10.8% decrease in the prevalence of exophoria (from 31.8 to 21.0%) and a 5.5% increase in the prevalence of esophoria (from 6.7 to 12.2%) between kindergarten and fifth grade. Conclusions. Children are typically orthophoric or exophoric at near, but convergent shifts occur with age.
Long-term follow-up of persons inadvertently inoculated with SV40 as neonates.

SIMIAN virus 40 (SV40) is a papovavirus that is latent in rhesus-monkey kidneys used for tissue culture of poliovirus. SV40 was present in vaccines administered to millions of people and was later found to be oncogenic in laboratory animals, notably newborn hamsters, and capable of transforming human cells in vitro. However, studies of large groups of people inoculated with SV40-contaminated vaccines have yielded no evidence of oncogenicity in human beings, despite continued concern.1 , 2 We studied mortality from cancer in 1073 children who were born between 1960 and 1962 and who, as newborn infants, received monovalent oral poliovirus vaccine or inactivated .
Rabies DNA Vaccines: Current Status and Future

Rabies continues to be a significant cause of human and animal mortality, despite the availability of safe and effective prophylactics. Apart from limited access, the cost and complex schedules of rabies biologics often impact on the success of post-exposure prophylaxis in humans in the endemic countries. Mass vaccination of dogs, critical in rabies control, often fails to achieve its goal in rabies-endemic countries due to logistic, animal and vaccine-related issues. DNA vaccination has been proposed as a cheaper and efficient strategy for rabies prophylaxis, and its feasibility has been demonstrated in a number of animal models including companion animals, since 1994. Despite the proven efficacy, the technology suffers from a few drawbacks that limit its large-scale application, such as delayed and weaker immune responses in larger animals. Recent advances in the field of vector design and delivery hold promise for enhancement of rabies DNA vaccine efficacy. The present article provides an overview of developments in the field of DNA rabies vaccination and its future prospects.
The 3111T/C polymorphism of hClock is associated with evening preference and delayed sleep timing in a Japanese population sample

Sleep timing is influenced by the circadian system. Morningness‐eveningness (ME) preference in humans is affected by the free‐running period, which is determined by circadian clock‐relevant genes. In this study, we investigated association between the 3111T/C polymorphism in the 3′‐flanking region of hClock (Homo sapiens Clock homolog) and ME preference in 421 Japanese subjects. The Horne–Ostberg ME questionnaire (MEQ) scores showed normal distribution, with mean score of 51.2 ± 1.4 (range, 25–73), and scores were positively correlated with sleep onset time (r = 0.541, P < 0.001) and wake time (r = 0.513, P < 0.001). MEQ scores were significantly lower in subjects with 3111C/C (n = 12) than in subjects with 3111T/C (n = 106, P < 0.001) or 3111T/T (n = 303, P < 0.001), suggesting a stronger eveningness preference in 3111C/C homozygotes. This group also showed significantly delayed sleep onset (P < 0.001), shorter sleep time (P < 0.001), and greater daytime sleepiness (P < 0.001) in comparison to parameters in the subjects with the 3111T allele. There was no significant difference in any of these parameters between the 3111C/T and 3111T/T genotypes. The influence of the 3111T/C polymorphism on ME preferences in Caucasian populations remains controversial. The present findings in a Japanese population sample, which should have a relatively low risk of population stratification effects, suggest the significance of the association of the 3111C/C allele of hClock with evening preference. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
High Power Three-Section Integrated Master Oscillator Power Amplifier at 1.5  $\mu \text{m}$

We present the design and the performance of a monolithically integrated master oscillator power amplifier at 1.5 μm. The three-section device includes a distributed feedback laser, a modulation section, and a high power tapered amplifier. In order to mitigate the coupling effects of the light reflected at the facets, the device has been designed with a bent longitudinal axis and a tilted front facet. The device delivers >400 mW mode-hopping free output power. In static regime, the modulation section allows an extinction ratio of 35 dB.
Concurrency in Main-Memory Database Systems

The availability of terabytes of main-memory has sparked a renewed interest in main-memory database systems. In this thesis, we first determine the optimal mechanism for creating snapshots in main-memory systems which can be used to execute OLAP queries. Then, we introduce tentative execution, a mechanism which allows long-running transactions to be efficiently executed. Lastly, we describe our multi-tenancy approach which uses operating system mechanisms to enforce service level agreements.
Platelet-Rich Plasma Prolongs Myofibroblast Accumulation in Corneal Stroma with Incisional Wound

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has an effect on corneal stromal cells in a rat model of wound healing following corneal incision. Materials and Methods: The effect of PRP on corneal wound healing in vivo was investigated in a corneal incision wound model in rats. 40 rats were wounded by deep corneal incision, and treated with either topically administered PRP (20 rats) or sodium chloride (20 rats). At 4 h and 1, 3, and 5 days after incision, α-smooth muscle actin (α SMA), SMAD2 and SMAD3 expression and apoptosis in stromal cells were evaluated by immunohistochemistry, and IL-1β mRNA expression was evaluated by real time PCR. Results: PRP-treated corneas exhibited reduced stromal cell apoptosis at day 3 and day 5 (p = 0.038, and <0.001, respectively) relative to controls. Interleukin-1β mRNA expression, however, was unchanged in PRP-treated corneas relative to controls. Topical PRP treatment resulted in a higher proportion of αSMA-positive myofibroblasts recruited to the wound site relative to control corneas. PRP did not affect activation of SMAD2 but activation of SMAD3 was significantly reduced at day 1 (p = 0.001) and dramatically increased at day 5 (p = 0.032). Conclusions: PRP treatment resulted in suppressed stromal cell apoptosis followed by SMAD3 activation and a greater proportion of myofibroblasts present at the wound site. Suppression of stromal cell apoptosis after corneal wounding by use of a growth factor-rich formulation may lead to myofibroblast accumulation by modulation of the TGF-β pathway.
Glucose Deprivation‐Induced Oxidative Stress in Human Tumor Cells: A Fundamental Defect in Metabolism?

Abstract: Recently, glucose deprivation‐induced oxidative stress has been shown to cause cytotoxicity, activation of signal transduction (i.e., ERK1, ERK2, JNK, and Lyn kinase), and increased expression of genes associated with malignancy (i.e., bFGF and c‐Myc) in MCF‐7/ADR human breast cancer cells. These results have led to the proposal that intracellular oxidation/reduction reactions involving hydroperoxides and thiols may provide a mechanistic link between metabolism, signal transduction, and gene expression in these human tumor cells. The current study shows that several other transformed human cell types appear to be more susceptible to glucose deprivation‐induced cytotoxicity and oxidative stress than untransformed human cell types. In a matched pair of normal and SV40‐transformed human fibroblasts the cytotoxic process is shown to be dependent upon ambient O2 concentration. A theoretical model to explain the results is presented and implications to unifying modern theories of cancer are discussed.