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We present the Gab Hate Corpus (GHC), consisting of 27,665 posts from the social network service gab.com, each annotated for the presence of “hate-based rhetoric” by a minimum of three annotators. Posts were labeled according to a coding typology derived from a synthesis of hate speech definitions across legal precedent, previous hate speech coding typologies, and definitions from psychology and sociology, comprising hierarchical labels indicating dehumanizing and violent speech as well as indicators of targeted groups and rhetorical framing. We provide inter-annotator agreement statistics and perform a classification analysis in order to validate the corpus and establish performance baselines. The GHC complements existing hate speech datasets in its theoretical grounding and by providing a large, representative sample of richly annotated social media posts.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), originally described as a factor with a regulatory role in vascular growth and development, it is also known for its direct effects on neuronal cells. The discovery in the past decade that transgenic mice expressing reduced levels of VEGF developed late-onset motoneuron pathology, reminiscent of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), opened a new field of research on this disease. VEGF has been shown to protect motoneurons from excitotoxic death, which is a relevant mechanism involved in motoneuron degeneration in ALS. Thus, VEGF delays motoneuron degeneration and increases survival in animal models of ALS. VEGF exerts its anti-excitotoxic effects on motoneurons through molecular mechanisms involving the VEGF receptor-2 resulting in the activation of the PI3-K/Akt signaling pathway, upregulation of GluR2 subunit of AMPA receptors, inhibition of p38MAPK, and induction of the anti-apoptotic molecule Bcl-2. In addition, VEGF acts on astrocytes to reduce astroglial activation and to induce the release of growth factors. The potential use of VEGF as a therapeutic tool in ALS is counteracted by its vascular effects and by its short effective time frame. More studies are needed to assess the optimal isoform, route of administration, and time frame for using VEGF in the treatment of ALS.

One of the electroencephalographic (EEG) patterns that can be mistaken for paroxysmal clinical activity, when not taken into account and especially in children, is hypnagogic hypersynchrony (HH). This consists in generalised, paroxysmal, synchronic, symmetrical, slow, high voltage waves lasting 2 8 seconds, which appear in drowsiness and in stage I. It was observed that this pattern often appeared in children with learning disability (LD). AIMS. To correlate clinical data with the presence of HH during sleep in normal children and those with LD.We assessed 180 children between the ages of 6 12 years with normal neurological development, 130 of which suffered LD and 50 who did not have LD. EEG was performed with sleep deprivation, following the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology guidelines.The presence or absence of HH, together with its characteristics, was assessed. Of the children with LD, 35.38% displayed HH and of the children without LD, only 4% displayed HH. Since the characteristics of HH in the children with LD were different to previous descriptions, we put forward criteria with which to evaluate those differences.HH appeared more often in children with LD than in normal children. Qualitative, quantitative (p0.05) and morphological changes were found in the paroxysmal activity of HH during the stages of sleep in children with LD.

Several mechanisms have been found to be involved in the development of malignant epileptic syndromes in childhood and an immunological component has been shown in experimental studies of epilepsy. The effect of intravenous immunoglobulin (IgIV) has been reported in various cases of epilepsy which were difficult to control.To show the usefulness of IgIV in West s syndrome (WS) and Lennox Gastaut syndrome (LGS) which were difficult to control.We selected five patients who fulfilled the criteria for WS and LGS which were difficult to control. They were given IgIV for five days and subsequently six fortnightly doses of 0.5 g/kg/day. We recorded data on sex, age, onset of the disorder and laboratory investigations, including blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) immunoglobulin levels.Four girls with symptomatic WS and one boy with LGS as a symptom of a neuro infection. Treatment was started at the age of 8 14 months. The spasms varied between 204 and 1,074 in 24 hours, and were markedly reduced after IgIV was given. The IgG in the CSF rose as the number of spasms fell (p0.05).There was a satisfactory response to treatment, as reported in previous publications. It is a coadjuvant treatment for cases which are difficult to control and may also be useful in cases of symptomatic epilepsy where goods results are also obtained.

1. This work investigates the receptor acted upon by imidazoline compounds in the modulation of morphine analgesia. The effects of highly selective imidazoline ligands on the supraspinal antinociception induced by morphine in mice were determined. 2. Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) or subcutaneous (s.c.) administration of ligands selective for the I2-imidazoline receptor, 2-BFI, LSL 60101, LSL 61122 and aganodine, and the non selective ligand agmatine, increased morphine antinociception in a dose-dependent manner. Neither moxonidine, a mixed I2-imidazoline and α2-adrenoceptor agonist, RX821002, a potent α2-adrenoceptor antagonist that displays low affinity at I2-imidazoline receptors, nor the selective non-imidazoline α2-adrenoceptor antagonist RS-15385-197, modified the analgesic responses to morphine. 3. Administration of pertussis toxin (0.25 μg per mouse, i.c.v.) 6 days before the analgesic test blocked the ability of the I2-imidazoline ligands to potentiate morphine antinociception. 4. The increased effect of morphine induced by I2-imidazoline ligands (agonists) was completely reversed by idazoxan and BU 224. Identical results were obtained with IBI, which alkylates I2-imidazoline binding sites. Thus, both agonist and antagonist properties of imidazoline ligands at the I2-imidazoline receptors were observed. 5. Pre-treatment (30 min) with deprenyl, an irreversible inhibitor of monoamine oxidase B (IMAO-B), produced an increase of morphine antinociception. Clorgyline, an irreversible IMAO-A, given 30 min before morphine did not alter the effect of the opioid. At longer intervals (24 h) a single dose of either clorgyline or deprenyl reduced the density of I2-imidazoline receptors and prevented the I2-mediated potentiation of morphine analgesia. 6. These results demonstrate functional interaction between I2-imidazoline and opioid receptors. The involvement of G(i)-G(o) transducer proteins in this modulatory effect is also suggested.

Introduccion. Uno de los patrones electroencefalograficos (EEG) que puede confundirse con actividad clinica paroxistica cuando no se toma en cuenta, especialmente en los ninos, es la hipersincronia hipnagogica (HH), que consiste en ondas lentas generalizadas, paroxisticas, sincronicas y simetricas, de altos voltajes, cuya duracion es de 2-8 segundos, que se presentan en la somnolencia y el estadio I. Observamos que este patron se presento frecuentemente en los ninos con problemas de aprendizaje (PA). Objetivo. Correlacionar los datos clinicos con la presencia de HH durante el sueno en ninos normales y con PA. Pacientes y metodos. Se evaluaron 180 ninos, de 6-12 anos, con desarrollo neurologico normal, 130 de los cuales presentaron PA y 50 no los presentaron. Se realizaron EEG con deprivacion de sueno, bajo las recomendaciones de la Federacion Internacional de Neurofisiologia. Resultados. Se evaluo la presencia o ausencia de HH, asi como sus caracteristicas. El 35,38% de los ninos con PA presentaron HH. De los ninos sin PA, solo el 4% presentaron HH. Como las caracteristicas de la HH en los ninos con PA eran diferentes de lo descrito previamente, proponemos criterios para evaluar dichas diferencias. Conclusiones. La frecuencia de presentacion de la HH fue mayor en los ninos con PA que en los ninos normales. Se encontraron cambios cualitativos, cuantitativos (p< 0,05) y morfologicos en la actividad paroxistica de la HH durante los estadios del sueno en ninos con PA.

INTRODUCTION Several mechanisms have been found to be involved in the development of malignant epileptic syndromes in childhood and an immunological component has been shown in experimental studies of epilepsy. The effect of intravenous immunoglobulin (IgIV) has been reported in various cases of epilepsy which were difficult to control. OBJECTIVE To show the usefulness of IgIV in West s syndrome (WS) and Lennox Gastaut syndrome (LGS) which were difficult to control. PATIENTS AND METHODS We selected five patients who fulfilled the criteria for WS and LGS which were difficult to control. They were given IgIV for five days and subsequently six fortnightly doses of 0.5 g/kg/day. We recorded data on sex, age, onset of the disorder and laboratory investigations, including blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) immunoglobulin levels. RESULTS Four girls with symptomatic WS and one boy with LGS as a symptom of a neuro infection. Treatment was started at the age of 8 14 months. The spasms varied between 204 and 1,074 in 24 hours, and were markedly reduced after IgIV was given. The IgG in the CSF rose as the number of spasms fell (p< 0.05). CONCLUSIONS There was a satisfactory response to treatment, as reported in previous publications. It is a coadjuvant treatment for cases which are difficult to control and may also be useful in cases of symptomatic epilepsy where goods results are also obtained.

Previous investigation has shown that osmotically loaded erythrocytes can act as drug carriers in systemic circulation, whereas chemically modified erythrocytes can be targeted to organs of the mononuclear phagocytic system because of changes introduced in the membrane that are recognized by macrophage cells. In this study we have examined the delivery of 125I-labelled carbonic anhydrase (125I-CA) carried by mouse erythrocytes, either loaded, or loaded and cross-linked with bis(sulphosuccinimidyl)suberate (BS3) and 3,3'-dithiobis-(sulphosuccinimidyl propionate), into homologous peritoneal macrophages maintained in culture. The hypotonically loaded mouse erythrocytes show a slight recognition by macrophages, similar to native erythrocytes. CA loaded into erythrocytes is thus delivered to a limited extent into macrophages. Neither the number of recognized loaded 51Cr-labelled erythrocytes nor the amount of delivered 125I-CA is affected by the presence of serum components or IgG. In contrast, cross-linking these loaded erythrocytes results in a greater phagocytosis by macrophages as assessed by microscopic observations, producing a markedly increased amount of targeted enzyme. The amount of CA delivered into macrophages, after BS3 cross-linker treatment of erythrocytes, is dependent on the presence of serum components in the incubation medium. Thus these cross-linking treatments improve the capacity of loaded mouse erythrocytes to deliver significant amounts of targeted enzyme to macrophage cells, increasing the therapeutic potential of carrier erythrocytes.

Mouse native and hypotonically loaded erythrocytes were treated with two cross-linking reagents: bis(sulphosuccinimidyl)suberate (BS3)- and 3,3'-dithiobis-(sulphosuccinimidyl propionate) (DTSP), excluding clustering agents. Microscopic analyses revealed that band 3 cross-linked native and hypotonically loaded erythrocytes are more strongly recognized by peritoneal macrophages than native and loaded erythrocytes as a result of the cross-linking of band 3 protein in accordance with studies in vivo. Macrophage-recognition analyses of 51Cr-labelled erythrocytes also demonstrated increased recognition of cross-linked and cross-linked loaded erythrocytes. This shows that the only action of these two band 3 cross-linkers on mouse erythrocytes promotes recognition by macrophages without requiring the use of clustering agents. The extent of recognition of BS3 cross-linked and cross-linked loaded erythrocytes by macrophages is dependent on the presence or absence of homologous serum or immunoglobulins. In contrast, the presence of serum factors or IgG in the incubation medium did not seem to influence the recognition of DTSP-modified erythrocytes by macrophages. These results seem to indicate a different mechanism of recognition for the erythrocytes modified with either one or the other band 3 cross-linker. In summary, the unique use of both band 3 cross-linkers procedures can be used to target carrier erythrocytes conveying active compounds to macrophages, with possible therapeutical applications. Different mechanisms of induction of macrophage recognition by these band 3 cross-linkers could reveal differential actions on erythrocytes or the involvement of different factors in the recognition process.