Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chronic exposure to low doses of lipopolysaccharide and high-fat feeding increases body mass without affecting glucose tolerance in female rats

Obesity‐related inflammation may have a causal role in the development of diabetes and insulin resistance, and studies using animal models of chronic experimental endotoxemia have shown the link. However, many studies use only males, and much less is known about the role of obesity‐related inflammation in females. Therefore, we addressed how experimentally induced chronic inflammation affects body mass, energy intake, and glucose metabolism in female rats. Adult female Sprague Dawley rats were instrumented with slow release pellets that delivered a constant daily dose of 53 or 207 μg of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) per rat for 60 days. Control rats were instrumented with vehicle pellets. Due to inflammatory nature of high‐fat diet (HFD) half of the rats received HFD (60% of calories from lard), while the other half remained on control diet to detect possible interactions between two modes of induced inflammation. Our results showed that chronic LPS administration increased female rat body mass and calorie intake in a dose‐dependent manner, and that HFD further exacerbated these effects. Despite these effects, no effects of LPS and HFD were evident on female rat glucose metabolism. Only LPS elevated expression of inflammatory markers in the hypothalamus. To conclude, female rats respond to experimentally induced chronic inflammation by increasing body mass, but do not develop glucose intolerance in the given period of time.
Helicobacter pylori CagA Triggers Expression of the Bactericidal Lectin REG3γ via Gastric STAT3 Activation

Background Most of what is known about the Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) cytotoxin, CagA, pertains to a much-vaunted role as a determinant of gastric inflammation and cancer. Little attention has been devoted to potential roles of CagA in the majority of H. pylori infected individuals not showing oncogenic progression, particularly in relation to host tolerance. Regenerating islet-derived (REG)3γ encodes a secreted C-type lectin that exerts direct bactericidal activity against Gram-positive bacteria in the intestine. Here, we extend this paradigm of lectin-mediated innate immunity, showing that REG3γ expression is triggered by CagA in the H. pylori-infected stomach. Methodology/Principal Findings In human gastric mucosal tissues, REG3γ expression was significantly increased in CagA-positive, compared to CagA-negative H. pylori infected individuals. Using transfected CagA-inducible gastric MKN28 cells, we recapitulated REG3γ induction in vitro, also showing that tyrosine phosphorylated, not unphosphorylated CagA triggers REG3γ transcription. In concert with induced REG3γ, pro-inflammatory signalling downstream of the gp130 cytokine co-receptor via the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)3 and transcription of two cognate ligands, interleukin(IL)-11 and IL-6, were significantly increased. Exogenous IL-11, but not IL-6, directly stimulated STAT3 activation and REG3γ transcription. STAT3 siRNA knockdown or IL-11 receptor blockade respectively abrogated or subdued CagA-dependent REG3γ mRNA induction, thus demonstrating a requirement for uncompromised signalling via the IL-11/STAT3 pathway. Inhibition of the gp130-related SHP2-(Ras)-ERK pathway did not affect CagA-dependent REG3γ induction, but strengthened STAT3 activation as well as augmenting transcription of mucosal innate immune regulators, IL-6, IL-8 and interferon-response factor (IRF)1. Conclusions/Significance Our results support a model of CagA-directed REG3γ expression in gastric epithelial cells via activation of the IL-11/gp130/STAT3 pathway. This response might allow Gram-negative H. pylori to manipulate host immunity to favour its own survival, by reducing the fitness of co-habiting Gram-positive bacteria with which it competes for resources in the gastric mucosal niche.
“This Nation Has Never Honestly Dealt with the Question of a Peacetime Economy”: Coretta Scott King and the Struggle for a Nonviolent Economy in the 1970s

This article highlights the work of Coretta Scott King in the struggle for governmental guarantees to employment in the 1970s. In the two decades after her husband’s death, Scott King devoted herself to achieving governmental guarantees to employment and disentangling militarism and violence from the economy. For her, this was the continuation of the civil rights movement. Considering the efforts of Scott King highlights the class content of the long civil rights struggle after the 1960s and the contested evolution of neoliberalism. Further, focusing on the unsuccessful efforts of Scott King also reveals the difficulty of achieving legislation to ameliorate the crisis of unemployment, and how racism and patriarchy structured labor markets during this period.
Comparison of Application Methods for Suppressing the Pecan Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) with Beauveria bassiana Under Field Conditions

Abstract The pecan weevil, Curculio caryae (Horn), is a key pest of pecans. The entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin is pathogenic to C. caryae. One approach to managing C. caryae may be application of B. bassiana directed toward adult weevils as they emerge from the soil to attack nuts in the tree canopy. Our objective was to compare different application methods for suppression of C. caryae adults. Treatments included direct application of B. bassiana (GHA strain) to soil under the tree canopy, soil application followed by cultivation, soil application in conjunction with a cover crop (Sudan grass), direct application to the tree trunk, and application to the trunk with an UV radiation–protecting adjuvant. The study was conducted in a pecan orchard in Byron, GA, in 2005 and 2006. Naturally emerging C. caryae adults, caught after crawling to the trunk, were transported to the laboratory to determine percentage mortality and signs of mycosis. When averaged over the 15-d sampling period, weevil mortality and signs of mycosis were greater in all treatments than in the nontreated control in 2005 and 2006; >75% average mortality was observed with the trunk application both years and in the trunk application with UV protection in 2005. Results indicated trunk applications can produce superior efficacy relative to ground application, particularly if the ground application is followed by cultivation. Efficacy in the cover crop treatment, however, did not differ from other application approaches. Future research should focus on elucidating the causes for treatment differences we observed and the extent to which B. bassiana–induced C. caryae mortality reduces crop damage.
The Effect of Kernel Size and Texture on the Malting Properties of Sorghum

The effect of kernel size and texture of kernels on the malting properties of sorghum was investigated. Twelve sorghum cultivars were used for the study. The physical features of the kernels that were determined included the endosperm texture, endosperm type and kernel size. Also determined were the germination energy and germination capacity. To monitor the malting properties, the malting loss, hot water extract, cold-water extract and diastatic power were determined. The effect of duration of germination on the root and shoot lengths of kernels was also investigated. Two of the cultivars were floury while the other cultivars were corneous. All the cultivars were non-waxy. The mean percentage values of the germination energy and germination capacity were 84.92% and 91.75% respectively. As the germination period increased, root and shoot lengths of all the twelve cultivars also increased. The greatest change in the root and shoot lengths was observed between the second and third day of the germination period. The malting loss increased with the germination period and ranged between 15.5-33.0%. The malting loss for all cultivars reached its peak between the second and third day of germination. Malting loss was least for floury endosperm. The diastatic activity increased throughout the duration of germination. The diastatic activity was positively correlated with the cold water extract (r = 0.99) and hot water extract (r = 0.29). The cold water extract increased as the diastatic activity increased. The corneous grains were relatively high in diastatic activity but no correlation was obtained between the size indices and malting properties of the cultivars. Keywords: Sorghum, Kernel size, texture, malting properties J Food Tech in Africa (2002) 7, 78-81
Customers' perceptions of online retailing service quality and their satisfaction

Online service quality is one of the key determinants of the success of online retailers. This exploratory study revealed some important findings about online service quality. First, the study identified six key online retailing service quality dimensions as perceived by online customers: reliable/prompt responses, access, ease of use, attentiveness, security, and credibility. Second, of the six, three dimensions, notably reliable/prompt responses, attentiveness, and ease of use, had significant impacts on both customers' perceived overall service quality and their satisfaction. Third, the access dimension had a significant effect on overall service quality, but not on satisfaction. Finally, this study discovered a significantly positive relationship between overall service quality and satisfaction. Important managerial implications and recommendations are also presented.
Multi-chain oriented logical topology for wireless sensor networks

Intrinsic restrictions of sensor nodes and unreliable nature of wireless communication direct the designers to develop power efficient and resource utilizing protocols for wireless sensor networks(WSNs). Different types of energy-efficient protocols have been proposed based on different topologies. In this paper we address the issue of logical topology of WSNs in conserving energy and efficient utilization of constraint resources. We discuss how topology may play vital role in conserving energy, establishing reliable communication as well as decreasing the response time and propose a multi-chain oriented logical topology for wireless sensor networks. Moreover, we develop two different protocols, one for data collection from the target are and another for data dissemination among the sensor nodes, to run on the top of the proposed topology. Analytical and simulation results show that the proposed topology facilitates both protocols to save noticeable amount of energy, reduce latency and also uses minimum resources.
Co-occurrence of autism spectrum disorder and very early onset schizophrenia: a case report

Co-occurrence of autism spectrum disorder and very early onset schizophrenia: a case report Very early onset schizophrenia (VEOS) is a chronic and debilitating psychiatric disorder and has received too little attention in the medical literature. Previous studies have suggested that VEOS had a tendency of a worse prognosis and outcome than adult onset schizophrenia. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a life-long impairing heterogeneous disorder, characterized by severe and pervasive impairments in multiple areas of psychological development. Co-occurrence of ASD and VEOS is reported very rarely in the literature. This paper reports on a case diagnosed as ASD with a VEOS comorbidity. With this case report, it is aimed to review the differential diagnosis, common and different clinical features, neuroimaging findings and genetic and environmental etiologies of these two psychopathologies in the light of the literature.
Intrinsic Motivation Inventory: Psychometric Properties in the Context of First Language and Mathematics Learning

Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) is a multidimensional measurement grounded on the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) used in assessing the subjective experiences of participants when developing an activity. The aim of this study is to analyze the characteristics of IMI among Portuguese students, testing four organizational models (unidimensional, multidimensional, hierarchical and bi-factor). A total of 3685 students from the 5th to the 12th grades (50.4% boys) participated in the study (M = 13.67, SD = 2.26). Two versions of IMI were used (First Language and Mathematics) with twenty-one items distributed over five subscales: Enjoyment, Perceived Competence, Pressure/Tension, Perceived Choice and Value/Utility. The confirmatory factor analysis corroborated the multidimensionality of intrinsic motivation, and that the bi-factor model presented the best fit indexes. This model showed the existence of one general factor, resulting from the contribution of all individual dimensions and the particularities of most of them. Furthermore, results also highlighted satisfactory reliability scores both through Cronbach's alpha scores and Composite reliability scores. These results indicate that this scale is appropriate to evaluate the underlying constructs of the theoretical model of SDT and allows for the calculation of a global measure of intrinsic motivation, as well as specific measures for their predictors.
How to assess the impact of an electronic document? And what does impact mean anyway?: Reliable usage statistics in heterogeneous repository communities

Purpose – Usually the impact of research and researchers is quantified by using citation data: either by journal‐centered citation data as in the case of the journal impact factor (JIF) or by author‐centered citation data as in the case of the Hirsch‐ or h‐index. This paper aims to discuss a range of impact measures, especially usage‐based metrics, and to report the results of two surveys.Design/methodology/approach – The first part of the article analyzes both citation‐based and usage‐based metrics. The second part is based on the findings of the surveys: one in the form of a brainstorming session with information professionals and scientists at the OAI6 conference in Geneva, the second in the form of expert interviews, mainly with scientists.Findings – The results of the surveys indicate an interest in the social aspects of science, like visualizations of social graphs both for persons and their publications. Furthermore, usage data are considered an appropriate measure to describe quality and coverage .
Steroid Injection Versus Physiotherapy for Patients With Adhesive Capsulitis of the Shoulder

Abstract To compare the effect of steroid injection and physiotherapy for patients with adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder (ACS). An electronic search was performed on Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane library, and reference lists were also reviewed for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing steroid injection and physiotherapy for patients with ACS. The quality of included studies were assessed using PEDro scale. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used for comparisons. The primary outcome was functional improvement. Nine RCTs including 453 patients were identified. From 6–7 weeks to 24–26 weeks postintervention, no superiority was noted in favor of either steroid injection or physiotherapy for functional improvement (SMD 0.28; 95% CI −0.01–0.58; P = 0.06) or pain relief (SMD −0.10; 95% CI −0.70–0.50; P = 0.75). Steroid injection provided more improvement in passive external rotation at 24 to 26 weeks (3 studies, SMD 0.42; 95% CI 0.11–0.72; P = 0.007) but not at 6 to 7 weeks (4 studies, SMD 0.63; 95% CI 0.36–0.89; P = 0.32) or 12 to 16 weeks (3 studies, SMD −0.07; 95% CI −0.79–0.65; P = 0.85). Steroid injection was as safe as physiotherapy for patients with ACS (risk ratio 0.94; 95% CI 0.67–1.31). Both steroid injection and physiotherapy are equally effective for patients with ACS. One steroid injection might be the 1st choice for ACS. Results should be interpreted with caution due to the heterogeneity among the studies.
Radiographic measurement for femoral varus in Pomeranian dogs with and without medial patellar luxation

Summary Objectives: To measure radiographically the inclination angle (ICA), femoral varus angle (FVA), anatomical lateral distal femoral angle (aLDFA), and mechanical lateral distal femoral angle (mLDFA) in Pomeranian dogs with and without medial patellar luxation (MPL). Materials and methods: Stifles of 34 Pomeranian dogs were graded and allocated into three groups: normal, grades I-II MPL, and grade III MPL. Angle values were measured from craniocaudal radiographs of the hindlimbs by each of the three examiners on three separate occasions. Results: Each of the three groups consisted of 15 stifles. Means ± SD for the ICA, FVA, aLDFA and mLDFA in the normal stifles were 136.46 ± 7.12°, 5.85 ± 3.18°, 95.21 ± 3.48° and 99.46 ± 4°, respectively. No significant differences (p >0.05) in the measured values for the ICA between groups were observed. The FVA, aLDFA and mLDFA values in grade III MPL group were significantly (p <0.05) greater than those in the other two groups. Significant differences in the three angles between the normal and grades I-II MPL groups were not observed. Clinical significance: Significant change of distal femoral varus exists in Pomeranian dogs with grade III MPL.
SCARN a Novel Class of SCAR Protein That Is Required for Root-Hair Infection during Legume Nodulation

Rhizobial infection of legume root hairs requires a rearrangement of the actin cytoskeleton to enable the establishment of plant-made infection structures called infection threads. In the SCAR/WAVE (Suppressor of cAMP receptor defect/WASP family verpolin homologous protein) actin regulatory complex, the conserved N-terminal domains of SCAR proteins interact with other components of the SCAR/WAVE complex. The conserved C-terminal domains of SCAR proteins bind to and activate the actin-related protein 2/3 (ARP2/3) complex, which can bind to actin filaments catalyzing new actin filament formation by nucleating actin branching. We have identified, SCARN (SCAR-Nodulation), a gene required for root hair infection of Lotus japonicus by Mesorhizobium loti. Although the SCARN protein is related to Arabidopsis thaliana SCAR2 and SCAR4, it belongs to a distinct legume-sub clade. We identified other SCARN-like proteins in legumes and phylogeny analyses suggested that SCARN may have arisen from a gene duplication and acquired specialized functions in root nodule symbiosis. Mutation of SCARN reduced formation of infection-threads and their extension into the root cortex and slightly reduced root-hair length. Surprisingly two of the scarn mutants showed constitutive branching of root hairs in uninoculated plants. However we observed no effect of scarn mutations on trichome development or on the early actin cytoskeletal accumulation that is normally seen in root hair tips shortly after M. loti inoculation, distinguishing them from other symbiosis mutations affecting actin nucleation. The C-terminal domain of SCARN binds to ARPC3 and ectopic expression of the N-terminal SCAR-homology domain (but not the full length protein) inhibited nodulation. In addition, we found that SCARN expression is enhanced by M. loti in epidermal cells and that this is directly regulated by the NODULE INCEPTION (NIN) transcription factor.
Comparative Proteomics Reveals a Significant Bias Toward Alternative Protein Isoforms with Conserved Structure and Function

Advances in high-throughput mass spectrometry are making proteomics an increasingly important tool in genome annotation projects. Peptides detected in mass spectrometry experiments can be used to validate gene models and verify the translation of putative coding sequences (CDSs). Here, we have identified peptides that cover 35% of the genes annotated by the GENCODE consortium for the human genome as part of a comprehensive analysis of experimental spectra from two large publicly available mass spectrometry databases. We detected the translation to protein of “novel” and “putative” protein-coding transcripts as well as transcripts annotated as pseudogenes and nonsense-mediated decay targets. We provide a detailed overview of the population of alternatively spliced protein isoforms that are detectable by peptide identification methods. We found that 150 genes expressed multiple alternative protein isoforms. This constitutes the largest set of reliably confirmed alternatively spliced proteins yet discovered. Three groups of genes were highly overrepresented. We detected alternative isoforms for 10 of the 25 possible heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins, proteins with a key role in the splicing process. Alternative isoforms generated from interchangeable homologous exons and from short indels were also significantly enriched, both in human experiments and in parallel analyses of mouse and Drosophila proteomics experiments. Our results show that a surprisingly high proportion (almost 25%) of the detected alternative isoforms are only subtly different from their constitutive counterparts. Many of the alternative splicing events that give rise to these alternative isoforms are conserved in mouse. It was striking that very few of these conserved splicing events broke Pfam functional domains or would damage globular protein structures. This evidence of a strong bias toward subtle differences in CDS and likely conserved cellular function and structure is remarkable and strongly suggests that the translation of alternative transcripts may be subject to selective constraints.
Myeloid-derived suppressor cells: mechanisms of action and recent advances in their role in transplant tolerance

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) are a heterogeneous population of immature hematopoietic precursors known to suppress immune responses in infection, chronic inflammation, cancer, and autoimmunity. In this paper, we review recent findings detailing their mode of action and discuss recent reports that suggest that MDSC are also expanded during transplantation and that modulation of MDSC can participate in preventing graft rejection as well as graft-versus-host disease.
At a Single Glance: Fast Periodic Visual Stimulation Uncovers the Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Brief Facial Expression Changes in the Human Brain

Detecting brief changes of facial expression is vital for social communication. Yet, how reliably, how fast these changes are detected and how long they are processed in the human brain remain unknown. High-density electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded in 18 participants presented with a neutral-expression face at a rate of 5.88 Hz (F) for 80 s. Every five faces, the face changed expression to fear, disgust or happiness (different stimulation sequences). The resulting 1.18 Hz (F/5) EEG response and its harmonics objectively indexed detection of a brief change of facial expression. This response was recorded in every participant in a few minutes but was largely reduced for inverted faces, indicating that it reflects high-level processes. Although this response focused on occipito-temporal sites, different expression changes evoked reliably distinct topographical maps, pointing to partly distinct neural generators. These effects were also observed at a faster 12 Hz frequency rate and a lower ratio of expression change (1/9). Time-domain analysis showed that a brief change of expression inserted in a dynamic stimulation sequence elicits specific occipito-temporal responses between 100 and 310 ms, indicating a rapid change detection process followed by a long integration period of facial expression information in the human brain.