Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Functional Inactivation of the Mouse Nucleolar Protein Bop1 Inhibits Multiple Steps in Pre-rRNA Processing and Blocks Cell Cycle Progression*

Bop1 is a conserved nucleolar protein involved in rRNA processing and ribosome assembly in eukaryotes. Expression of its dominant-negative mutant Bop1Δ in mouse cells blocks rRNA maturation and synthesis of large ribosomal subunits and induces a reversible, p53-dependent cell cycle arrest. In this study, we have conducted a deletion analysis of Bop1 and identified a new mutant, Bop1N2, that also acts as a potent inhibitor of cell cycle progression. Bop1N2 and Bop1Δ are C-terminal and N-terminal deletion mutants, respectively, and share only 72 amino acid residues. Both mutant proteins are localized to the nucleolus and strongly inhibit rRNA processing, suggesting that activation of a cell cycle checkpoint by Bop1 mutants is linked to their inhibitory effects on rRNA and ribosome synthesis. By using these dominant-negative mutants as well as antisense oligonucleotides to interfere with endogenous Bop1, we identified specific rRNA processing steps that require Bop1 function in mammalian cells. Our data demonstrate that Bop1 is required for proper processing at four distinct sites located within the internal transcribed spacers ITS1 and ITS2 and the 3′ external spacer. We propose a model in which Bop1 serves as an essential factor in ribosome formation that coordinates processing of the spacer regions in pre-rRNA.
Inhibition of APC-mediated proteolysis by the meiosis-specific protein kinase Ime2

Proteolysis triggered by the anaphase-promoting complex (APC) is needed for sister chromatid separation and the exit from mitosis. APC is a ubiquitin ligase whose activity is tightly controlled during the cell cycle. To identify factors involved in the regulation of APC-mediated proteolysis, a Saccharomyces cerevisiae GAL-cDNA library was screened for genes whose overexpression prevented degradation of an APC target protein, the mitotic cyclin Clb2. Genes encoding G1, S, and mitotic cyclins were identified, consistent with previous data showing that the cyclin-dependent kinase Cdk1 associated with different cyclins is a key factor for inhibiting APCCdh1 activity from late-G1 phase until mitosis. In addition, the meiosis-specific protein kinase Ime2 was identified as a negative regulator of APC-mediated proteolysis. Ectopic expression of IME2 in G1 arrested cells inhibited the degradation of mitotic cyclins and of other APC substrates. IME2 expression resulted in the phosphorylation of Cdh1 in G1 cells, indicating that Ime2 and Cdk1 regulate APCCdh1 in a similar manner. The expression of IME2 in cycling cells inhibited bud formation and caused cells to arrest in mitosis. We show further that Ime2 itself is an unstable protein whose proteolysis occurs independently of the APC and SCF (Skp1/Cdc53/F-box) ubiquitin ligases. Our findings suggest that Ime2 represents an unstable, meiosis-specific regulator of APCCdh1.
Preliminary testing of sensitivity to input data quality in an elastographic reconstruction method

An elastographic reconstruction method has been developed to recover the material properties of soft tissue by model-based analysis of image data acquired at different states of mechanical loading. The algorithm utilizes image similarity as part of the cost function for a multi-resolution, non-linear optimization. Previous work with a phantom membrane used for simulated dermoscopic application has prompted this preliminary investigation of the relative effects of additive image noise and boundary condition determination errors on the performance of the method. The results as quantified by elasticity contrast and localization accuracy indicate that the reconstruction process is robust in the presence of realistic levels of image corruption and tolerates the majority of boundary condition mapping errors
Susceptibility of mouse mammary glands to murine gammaherpesvirus 72 (MHV-72) infection: evidence of MHV-72 transmission via breast milk.

Murine gammaherpesvirus 72 (MHV-72) is a virus of wild rodents and serves as a convenient small animal model to understand the pathogenesis of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8) infection. In laboratory mice MHV-72 causes an acute infection of lung epithelial cells and establishes the latency in B lymphocytes. In this study, we investigated athymic nude and immunocompetent mice for distribution of virus in organs after infection with MHV-72. Ten days following subcutaneous dorsal injection of nude mice, virus replicated in lungs, lymphoid organs, salivary glands and also in mammary glands. The virus titre decreased by day 21 post-infection in former tissues, but increased in mammary glands. Presence of virus DNA sequences was detected in the lymphoid and non-lymphoid tissues until the death of the animals (about 1 month post-infection). Infection of immunocompetent mice with MHV-72 induced replication of virus up to 42 days post-infection in mammary glands reaching the highest level of infectious virus at day 8 post-infection. These data show that there is latent infection in mice never detected before. Moreover, virus DNA was detected using nested PCR (by amplification of a portion of gp150 gene sequence) in the mammary glands and the milk of mouse mothers infected with MHV-72 2 days before delivery. We demonstrated the presence of virus DNA also in the milk removed from the stomach of non-infected newborn mice, which were nourished by infected mothers (wet-nurses) for 1 or 2 days. The failure to detect the virus DNA in newborn mice lungs confirmed that they did not become infected from wet-nurses by the intranasal route. This suggests that MHV may be naturally transmitted to newborn mice via breast milk.
The Contributions of Urban Landscape to Urban Life

The issues of urban and urbanization emerged after the industrial revolution. Thus, cities that have increased rapidly in population have become points of attraction for people. Over the past century, the world population has begun to gather quickly in urban areas. Cities are transforming into unhealthy living environments with distorted ecological balance, lost green areas and aesthetic qualities. The value of accessible green spaces in urban areas is increasing to the unprecedented levels. The green space system seen as a necessity in the cities have provided the emergence of the "urban landscape" phenomenon. The issue of urban landscape is now a very serious concept. The landscape change is moving along with the level of civilization. Primarily, guidance service should be offered for more efficient, comfortable and protective areas. An interdisciplinary approach is needed in the creation of urban spaces. In this study, the term of urban landscape was explained and the researches about the contributions of urban landscape to urban life were examined and suggestions were made about the subject.
The predictive value of longitudinal neuropsychologic assessment in the early detection of brain tumor recurrence

Neuropsychologic tests are widely used to predict the course of progressive neurologic diseases, and recent research has demonstrated the specificity of cognitive measures, even in relatively diffuse diseases. However, the cognitive effects of brain tumors of similar histology and location are known to be highly variable. The authors used the specificity of cognitive function principle to compare two models for the early detection of low‐grade brain tumor recurrence prior to detection with clinically scheduled neuroimaging.
Five years of research at Akyatan Beach (Turkey): one of the main nesting site for green turtle, Chelonia mydas, in the Mediterranean

Biogeographia - vol. XXI - 2000 (Pubb/icato il 30 giugno 2000) Biogeografia de|l’Anato|ia Five years of research at Akyatan Beach (Turkey): one of the main nesting site for green turtle, Cbeloma my/a'a5, in the Mediterranean MONICA AUREGGI *, GUIDO GEROSA *, SEDAT V. YERLI ** *CHELONMarz'ne Turtle Comen/ation and Research Program, Viale Va/Padana, 134/B — 1-0014] Roma (Italy) **Department of Biology, Hacettepe University, P. O.B0x 40 — 06696 — Ankara (Turkey) Key words: Turkey, green turtle, C/Je/onizz my:/ax, Mediterranean, predation, nesting site. SUMMARY Alcyatan beach is located on the South East coast ofTurkcy in the Cukurova region. The beach, composed of fine sand, has a rather homogeneous aspect throughout its 19.7 k.m length. The area is still unaffected by human inﬂuences, apart from limited local tourism which is mainly concentrated during the weekends. In 1994, a long-term monitoring project was initiated at Alcyatan beach in order to investigate the area and to suggest a conservation strategy plan. As result of the first year of research, Alcyatan is the most important nesting site for green turtle in the whole Mediterranean. C/aelmzia myda: was always the predominant species, while the loggerheacl turtle, Caretta caretta, were such a low percentage that they do not represent a significative portion ofa population, compared with all other nesting places in the Mediterranean. From 1994 to 1998, yearly surveys were conducted along the entire beach during the breeding season, which was estimated to be from the end of May until October. The total number of marine turtle nests laid varied during the five years of research. It was similar in 1994 and 1995, then, a drastic decrease of about the same amount was recorded in 1996 and 1997, whereas a considerable increase was found in 1998. The spatial nest distribution within each ltilornetre along the beach resulted to be similar during 1994, 1995 and 1997 whereas in 1998 a different situation was observed. As natural predation resulted to be the main threat to the green turtle population, detailed analyses relating to its impact and distribution within a stretch offour kilometres, 14-17 km, were Carried out in 1995, 1997 and 1998. Predation rate during the egg incubation period varied during the three years. The number of predated nests was always similar, while the number of total nests laid was different. INTRODUCTION Akyatan was firstly cited as marine turtle nesting site by Geldiay (1982) and then its importance for green turtle was highlighted by Baran and Kasparek (1989). In 1994, a long—term monitoring project was initiated at Akyatan beach in order to investigate the area and to suggest a conservation strategy plan. The research focused each year on the entire length of the beach (20 km) in order to evaluate the nest distribution between years and detailed studies on natural nest
Endoplasmic Reticulum Lipid Flux Influences Enterocyte Nuclear Morphology and Lipid-dependent Transcriptional Responses*

Responding to a high-fat meal requires an interplay between multiple digestive tissues, sympathetic response pathways, and the gut microbiome. The epithelial enterocytes of the intestine are responsible for absorbing dietary nutrients and preparing them for circulation to distal tissues, which requires significant changes in cellular activity, including both morphological and transcriptional responses. Following a high-fat meal, we observe morphological changes in the enterocytes of larval zebrafish, including elongation of mitochondria, formation and expansion of lipid droplets, and the rapid and transient ruffling of the nuclear periphery. Dietary and pharmacological manipulation of zebrafish larvae demonstrated that these subcellular changes are specific to triglyceride absorption. The transcriptional changes that occur simultaneously with these morphological changes were determined using RNA sequencing, revealing a cohort of up-regulated genes associated with lipid droplet formation and lipid transport via lipoprotein particles. Using a microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) inhibitor to block β-lipoprotein particle formation, we demonstrate that the transcriptional response to a high-fat meal is associated with the transfer of ER triglyceride to nascent β-lipoproteins, possibly through the activation of Creb3l3/cyclic AMP-responsive element-binding protein. These data suggest that a transient increase in ER lipids is the likely mediator of the initial physiological response of intestinal enterocytes to dietary lipid.
Competition-based rating system for medical websites credibility

In this paper, we propose a new approach to the aggregation of monadic ra- tings (5-step scale) done by crowdsourcing users for the evaluation of medical websites. We compare them pairwise with other evaluations done by the same users for other websites (whether they are higher or lower), and we will use an Elo rating algorithm to calculate website "credibility" values. Results show that this method of crowdsourcing evaluation is highly correlated with expert evaluations. As proposed, a competition-based model uses a 5-step scale as or- dinal and only compares which website is rated higher or lower by the same user. This approach can solve many problems associated with a 5-point scale, such as dierent understanding by users, user bias, and distribution skewness that can be clearly observed in results.
Exact analytical evaluation of second-order PMD impact on the outage probability for a compensated system

An exact analytical method for evaluating the outage probability due to second-order polarization mode dispersion in a system with first-order compensation is presented. In an uncompensated system the outage is mainly due to the mean differential group delay, whereas higher order effects have low impact. It is shown that in a compensated system all orders contribute to the outage probability, whereas accounting for exact second-order only gives a slight overestimate. Approximate second-order models leaving residual higher order effects may lead to very different outage probabilities.
Estrogen: An Emerging Regulator of Insulin Action and Mitochondrial Function

Clinical trials and animal studies have revealed that loss of circulating estrogen induces rapid changes in whole body metabolism, fat distribution, and insulin action. The metabolic effects of estrogen are mediated primarily by its receptor, estrogen receptor-α; however, the detailed understanding of its mechanisms is incomplete. Recent investigations suggest that estrogen receptor-α elicits the metabolic effects of estrogen by genomic, nongenomic, and mitochondrial mechanisms that regulate insulin signaling, substrate oxidation, and energetics. This paper reviews clinical and experimental studies on the mechanisms of estrogen and the current state of knowledge regarding physiological and pathobiological influences of estrogen on metabolism.
Effects of reconstituted high-density lipoprotein infusions on coronary atherosclerosis: a randomized controlled trial.

CONTEXT High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is an inverse predictor of coronary atherosclerotic disease. Preliminary data have suggested that HDL infusions can induce atherosclerosis regression. OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of reconstituted HDL on plaque burden as assessed by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). DESIGN AND SETTING A randomized placebo-controlled trial was conducted at 17 centers in Canada. Intravascular ultrasound was performed to assess coronary atheroma at baseline and 2 to 3 weeks after the last study infusion. PATIENTS Between July 2005 and October 2006, 183 patients had a baseline IVUS examination and of those, 145 had evaluable serial IVUS examinations after 6 weeks. INTERVENTION Sixty patients were randomly assigned to receive 4 weekly infusions of placebo (saline), 111 to receive 40 mg/kg of reconstituted HDL (CSL-111); and 12 to receive 80 mg/kg of CSL-111. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary efficacy parameter was the percentage change in atheroma volume. Nominal changes in plaque volume and plaque characterization index on IVUS and coronary score on quantitative coronary angiography were also prespecified end points. RESULTS The higher-dosage CSL-111 treatment group was discontinued early because of liver function test abnormalities. The percentage change in atheroma volume was -3.4% with CSL-111 and -1.6% for placebo (P = .48 between groups, P<.001 vs baseline for CSL-111). The nominal change in plaque volume was -5.3 mm3 with CSL-111 and -2.3 mm3 with placebo (P = .39 between groups, P<.001 vs baseline for CSL-111). The mean changes in plaque characterization index on IVUS (-0.0097 for CSL-111 and 0.0128 with placebo) and mean changes in coronary score (-0.039 mm for CSL-111 and -0.071 mm with placebo) on quantitative coronary angiography were significantly different between groups (P = .01 and P =.03, respectively). Administration of CSL-111 40 mg/kg was associated with mild, self-limiting transaminase elevation but was clinically well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS Short-term infusions of reconstituted HDL resulted in no significant reductions in percentage change in atheroma volume or nominal change in plaque volume compared with placebo but did result in statistically significant improvement in the plaque characterization index and coronary score on quantitative coronary angiography. Elevation of HDL remains a valid target in vascular disease and further studies of HDL infusions, including trials with clinical end points, appear warranted. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00225719
A low cost 3D scanner based on structured light

Automatic 3D acquisition devices (often called 3D scanners) allow to build highly accurate models of real 3D objects in a cost‐ and time‐effective manner. We have experimented this technology in a particular application context: the acquisition of Cultural Heritage artefacts. Specific needs of this domain are: medium‐high accuracy, easy of use, affordable cost of the scanning device, self‐registered acquisition of shape and color data, and finally operational safety for both the operator and the scanned artefacts. According to these requirements, we designed a low‐cost 3D scanner based on structured light which adopts a new, versatile colored stripe pattern approach. We present the scanner architecture, the software technologies adopted, and the first results of its use in a project regarding the 3D acquisition of an archeological statue.
A Boronic-Chalcone Derivative Exhibits Potent Anticancer Activity through Inhibition of the Proteasome

Chalcones and their derivatives have been shown to have potent anticancer activity. However, the exact mechanisms of cytotoxic activity remain to be established. In this study, we have evaluated a series of boronic chalcones for their anticancer activity and mechanisms of action. Among the eight chalcone derivatives tested, 3,5-bis-(4-boronic acid-benzylidene)-1-methyl-piperidin-4-one (AM114) exhibited most potent growth inhibitory activity with IC50 values of 1.5 and 0.6 μM in 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay and colony formation assay, respectively. The cytotoxic activity of AM114 was shown to be associated with the accumulation of p53 and p21 proteins and induction of apoptosis. Mechanistic studies showed that AM114 treatment inhibited the chymotrypsin-like activity of the 20S proteasome in vitro, leading to a significant accumulation of ubiquitinated p53 and other cellular proteins in whole cells. In vitro studies showed that AM114 did not significantly disrupt the interaction of p53 and murine double minute 2 protein. It is noteworthy that AM114 as a single agent was preferentially toxic to cells with wild-type p53 expression, whereas combination of this compound with ionizing radiation (IR) significantly enhanced the cell-killing activity of IR in both wild-type p53 and p53-null cells. Together, these results indicate that the boronic chalcone derivative AM114 induces significant cytotoxic effect in cancer cells through the inhibition of the cellular proteasome and provide a rationale for the further development of this class of compounds as novel cancer chemotherapeutic agents.
Curved Casimir Operators and the BGG Machinery

We prove that the Casimir operator acting on sections of a homogeneous vector bundle over a generalized flag manifold naturally extends to an invariant differential operator on arbitrary parabolic geometries. We study some properties of the resulting invariant operators and compute their action on various special types of natural bundles. As a first application, we give a very general construction of splitting operators for parabolic geometries. Then we discuss the curved Casimir operators on differential forms with values in a tractor bundle, which nicely relates to the machinery of BGG sequences. This also gives a nice interpretation of the resolution of a finite dimensional representation by (spaces of smooth vectors in) principal series representations provided by a BGG sequence.
Levels of Soluble Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products in Acute Ischemic Stroke without a Source of Cardioembolism

Background and Purpose Low levels of soluble receptor for advanced glycation end products (sRAGE) are associated with three conventional vascular risk factors (3Fs: diabetes, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia), nondiabetic coronary artery disease, and Alzheimer's disease. However, the association between sRAGE and acute ischemic stroke (AS), especially AS without a source of cardioembolism, has not yet been established. Methods Patients with AS without a source of cardioembolism (n=259) and age-matched controls (n=300) were grouped according to the presence of 3Fs: AS patients with and without 3Fs (3Fs+ AS and 3Fs- AS, respectively) and controls with and without 3Fs (3Fs+ control and 3Fs- control, respectively). Levels of sRAGE were analyzed among the four groups. Results sRAGE was significantly higher in the controls than in the AS patients (855 pg/mL vs. 690 pg/mL, p<0.01). sRAGE was significantly higher in 3Fs- controls (996 pg/mL, p<0.05) than in 3Fs+ controls (721 pg/mL), and in AS group regardless of the 3Fs (629 pg/mL in 3Fs- and 705 pg/mL in 3Fs+). The lowest tertile of sRAGE was associated with an increased risk of AS in the 3Fs- group [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 4.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.6-10.3, p<0.01] but not in the 3Fs+ group. The level of sRAGE was also correlated with neurological severity in the 3Fs- AS group (r=-0.32, p<0.05) but not in the 3Fs+ AS group. Conclusions Low plasma levels of sRAGE is a potential biomarker for the risk of AS and may reflect the neurological severity of the condition, especially in subjects without identifiable conventional risk factors.