Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The reproductive cycle and determination of sexual maturity in male brown long‐eared bats, Plecotus auritus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae)

Observations of the external morphology of wild-caught and captive male brown long-eared bats (Plecotus auritus) revealed a marked seasonal pattern of spermatogenesis, similar to that established by histological examination of other temperate-zone vespertilionids, with a peak in testes size in August and a lag between testicular growth and epididymal distension. This was followed by complete cessation of spermatogenesis and shrinkage of the testes to prepubertal size. The period of peak spermatogenesis coincided with a reduction in the incidence of torpor and also a decline in body mass. This suggests that torpor and spermatogenesis may be incompatible in this species. Outside the season of testicular growth and epididymal distension, sexual maturity could not be confidently determined in P. auritus by the pigmentation of the tunica vaginalis surrounding the epididymis, a characteristic which has become established in other species. Instead, the size and shape of the caudae epididymides appeared to be a better criterion for defining sexual maturity in this species. Most males underwent testicular growth and epididymal distension, and were assumed to have reached sexual maturity, at an age of 15 months. However, some individuals (29%), particularly those in good condition (relatively heavy individuals), showed a degree of testicular and epididymal development in their first autumn, i.e. at 3 months of age, indicating that the onset of puberty may be dependent on body condition. Poor body condition was associated with delayed spermatogenesis in adult males.
Sexual dimorphism in neuronal number of the posterodorsal medial amygdala is independent of circulating androgens and regional volume in adult rats

The posterodorsal medial amygdala (MePD) in rodents integrates olfactory and pheromonal information, which, coupled with the appropriate hormonal signals, may facilitate or repress reproductive behavior in adulthood. MePD volume and neuronal soma size are greater in male rats than in females, and these sexual dimorphisms are maintained by adult circulating hormone levels. Castration of adult males causes these measures to shrink to the size seen in females 4 weeks later, whereas testosterone treatment of adult females for 4 weeks enlarges these measures to the size of males. We used stereological methods to count the number of cells in the MePD and found that, in addition to the sex difference in regional volume and soma size, males also have more MePD neurons than do females, yet these numbers are unaffected by the presence or absence of androgen in adults of either sex. Males also have more glial cells than do females, but, in contrast to the effects on neuronal number, the number of glial cells is affected by androgen in the right MePD of both sexes and, therefore, may contribute to regional volume changes in adulthood in that hemisphere. Thus, regional volume, neuronal size, and glial numbers vary in the MePD of adult rats in response to circulating androgens, but neuronal number does not. These results suggest that the sex difference in neuronal number in the rat MePD may be “organized” by androgens prior to adulthood, whereas regional volume, neuronal size, and glial numbers can be altered by androgens in adulthood. J. Comp. Neurol. 506:851–859, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Deregulated FADD expression and phosphorylation in T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma

In the present work, we show that T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma cells exhibit a reduction of FADD availability in the cytoplasm, which may contribute to impaired apoptosis. In addition, we observe a reduction of FADD phosphorylation that inversely correlates with the proliferation capacity and tumor aggressiveness. The resultant balance between FADD-dependent apoptotic and non-apoptotic abilities may define the outcome of the tumor. Thus, we propose that FADD expression and phosphorylation can be reliable biomarkers with prognostic value for T-LBL stratification.
Baseline survey of sexually transmitted infections in a cohort of female bar workers in Mbeya Region, Tanzania.

OBJECTIVES To determine baseline prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STI) and other reproductive tract infections (RTI) and their association with HIV as well as sociodemographic and behavioural characteristics in a newly recruited cohort of female bar workers in Mbeya Region, Tanzania. METHODS 600 female bar workers were recruited from 17 different communities during September to November 2000 and underwent gynaecological examination, laboratory testing for HIV/STI, and interviews using structured questionnaires. RESULTS HIV-1 seroprevalence was 68%. Prevalences of STI/RTI were high titre syphilis (TPPA/RPR >/=1/8), 9%; herpes simplex virus 2 antibodies, 87%; chlamydia, 12%; gonorrhoea, 22%; trichomoniasis, 24%; and bacterial vaginosis, 40%. HIV infection was associated with TPPA and HSV-2 seropositivity, bacterial vaginosis and clinically diagnosed genital ulcers, blisters, and warts. Reported high risk sexual behaviour during the past year (having multiple casual partners) was associated with prevalent STI. CONCLUSION Female bar workers in Mbeya are at high risk of STI and HIV infection. Targeted STI/HIV prevention interventions for these women and their sexual partners need to be reinforced. Methods should be sought to improve healthcare seeking and to provide easily accessible and affordable STI care services.
Photometric properties of resolved and unresolved magnetic elements

Aims. We investigate the photometric signature of magnetic flux tubes in the solar photosphere. Methods. We developed two-dimensional, static numerical models of isolated and clustered magnetic flux tubes. We investigated the emergent intensity profiles at different lines-of-sight for various spatial resolutions and opacity models. Results. We found that both geometric and photometric properties of bright magnetic features are determined not only by the physical properties of the tube and its surroundings, but also by the particularities of the observations, including the line/continuum formation height, the spatial resolution, and the image analysis techniques applied. We show that some observational results presented in the literature can be interpreted by considering bright magnetic features to be clusters of smaller elements, rather than a monolithic flux tube.
The relative impacts of daytime and night‐time warming on photosynthetic capacity in Populus deltoides

In order to investigate the relative impacts of increases in day and night temperature on tree carbon relations, we measured night-time respiration and daytime photosynthesis of leaves in canopies of 4-m-tall cottonwood ( Populus deltoides Bartr. ex Marsh) trees experiencing three daytime temperatures (25, 28 or 31 ∞ C) and either (i) a constant nocturnal temperature of 20 ∞ C or (ii) increasing nocturnal temperatures (15, 20 or 25 ∞ ∞ ∞ C). In the first (day warming only) experiment, rates of night-time leaf dark respiration ( R dark ) remained constant and leaves displayed a modest increase (11%) in light-saturated photosynthetic capacity ( A max ) during the day (1000‐1300 h) over the 6 ∞ C range. In the second (dual night and day warming) experiment, R dark increased by 77% when nocturnal temperatures were
The Induction of Lipocalin-2 Protein Expression in Vivo and in Vitro *

Background: Lipocalin-2 is induced in obesity/type 2 diabetes. Results: TNFα and IFNγ induce LCN2 in vivo. STAT1 and NF-κB are required for LCN2 induction and bind the human LCN2 promoter. Conclusion: An interplay between ERKs, STAT1, and NF-κB signaling pathways mediates the IFNγ and TNFα induction of LCN2. Significance: Cytokine modulation of LCN2 increases our understanding of gene regulation in obesity/type 2 diabetes. Lipocalin-2 (LCN2) is secreted from adipocytes, and its expression is up-regulated in obese and diabetic mice and humans. LCN2 expression and secretion have been shown to be induced by two proinflammatory cytokines, IFNγ and TNFα, in cultured murine and human adipocytes. In these studies, we demonstrated that IFNγ and TNFα induced LCN2 expression and secretion in vivo. Although we observed a strong induction of LCN2 expression and secretion from white adipose tissue (WAT) depots, the induction of LCN2 varied among different insulin-sensitive tissues. Knockdown experiments also demonstrated that STAT1 is required for IFNγ-induced lipocalin-2 expression in murine adipocytes. Similarly, knockdown of p65 in adipocytes demonstrated the necessity of the NF-κB signaling pathway for TNFα-mediated effects on LCN2. Activation of ERKs by IFNγ and TNFα also affected STAT1 and NF-κB signaling through modulation of serine phosphorylation. ERK activation-induced serine phosphorylation of both STAT1 and p65 mediated the additive effects of IFNγ and TNFα on LCN2 expression. Our results suggest that these same mechanisms occur in humans as we observed STAT1 and NF-κB binding to the human LCN2 promoter in chromatin immunoprecipitation assays performed in human fat cells. These studies substantially increase our knowledge regarding the requirements and mechanisms used by proinflammatory cytokines to induce LCN2 expression.
Simple intrinsic defects in gallium arsenide

We investigate the structural properties and energy levels of simple intrinsic defects in gallium arsenide. The first-principles calculations (1) apply boundary conditions appropriate to charge defects in supercells and enable quantitatively accurate predictions of defect charge transitions with a supercell approximation, (2) are demonstrated to be converged with respect to cell size and (3) assess the sensitivity to model construction to Ga pseudopotential construction (3d core or 3d valence) and density functionals (local density or generalized gradient approximation). With these factors controlled, we present the first quantitatively reliable survey of defect levels in GaAs, reassess the available literature and begin to decipher the complexity of GaAs defect chemistry. The computed defect level spectrum spans the experimental GaAs band gap, defects exhibit multiple bistabilities with (sometimes overlapping) negative-U systems, express more extensive charge states than previously anticipated and collectively suggest that our atomistic understanding of GaAs defect physics needs to be reassessed.
Efficient Computer Manipulation of Tensor Products

Abstract : It is shown how to construct a modified version sub i of a (presumably efficient) subroutine sub i for solving the linear system A sub i x = b , i=1,. ,k, so that the linear system can be solved by just one call to each of the subroutines SUB sub i . i=1,. ,k. Polynomial interpolation and spline interpolation in several variables are given as examples. (Author)
Host galaxies and black hole masses of low- and high-luminosity radio-loud active nuclei

We investigate the host galaxy luminosities of BL Lac objects (BLLs) and radio-loud quasars (RLQs) at z < 0.5, imaged with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). From a homogeneous treatment of the data, we construct the host-galaxy luminosity functions (HGLFs) and find that RLQ hosts are ∼0.5 mag brighter than those of BLLs: (M R ) R L Q = -24.0, (M R ) B L L = -23.5. For both classes, the HGLFs exhibit a remarkably different distribution with respect to that of normal (inactive) ellipticals, with clear preference for more luminous galaxies to show nuclear activity. We make use of the black hole mass-bulge luminosity (M B H -L b u l g e ) relation, derived for nearby inactive ellipticals, to estimate the central black hole mass in our sample of radio-loud active galaxies. In spite of a ∼2 mag difference of intrinsic nuclear luminosity, BLLs and RLQs have black holes (BHs) of similar mass (<M B H /M O .) B L L = 5.6 × 10 8 , (M B H /M O .) R L Q = 1.0 x 10 9 ). This implies that the two types of objects are radiating at very different rates with respect to their Eddington luminosity.
Measurement depth e ff ects on the apparent temperature sensitivity of soil respiration in field studies

Measurement depth effects on the apparent temperature sensitivity of soil respiration in field studies A. Graf, L. Weihermüller, J. A. Huisman, M. Herbst, J. Bauer, and H. Vereecken Forschungszentrum Jülich, Agrosphere Institute (ICG-4), Institute for Chemistry and Dynamics of the Geosphere, 52425 Jülich, Germany Received: 7 April 2008 – Accepted: 7 April 2008 – Published: 6 May 2008 Correspondence to: A. Graf (a.graf@fz-juelich.de) Published by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union.
Training, hypnosis, and drugs: artificial synaesthesia, or artificial paradises?

The last few years have seen the publication of a number of studies by researchers claiming to have induced “synaesthesia,” “pseudo-synaesthesia,” or “synaesthesia-like” phenomena in non-synaesthetic participants. Although the intention of these studies has been to try and shed light on the way in which synaesthesia might have been acquired in developmental synaesthestes, we argue that they may only have documented a phenomenon that has elsewhere been accounted for in terms of the acquisition of sensory associations and is not evidently linked to synaesthesia. As synaesthesia remains largely defined in terms of the involuntary elicitation of conscious concurrents, we suggest that the theoretical rapprochement with synaesthesia (in any of its guises) is unnecessary, and potentially distracting. It might therefore, be less confusing if researchers were to avoid referring to synaesthesia when characterizing cases that lack robust evidence of a conscious manifestation. Even in the case of those other conditions for which conscious experiences are better evidenced, when training has been occurred during hypnotic suggestion, or when it has been combined with drugs, we argue that not every conscious manifestation should necessarily be counted as synaesthetic. Finally, we stress that cases of associative learning are unlikely to shed light on two highly specific characteristic of the majority of cases of developmental synaesthesia in terms of learning patterns: First, their resistance to change through exposure once the synaesthetic repertoire has been fixed; Second, the transfer of conditioned responses between concurrents and inducers after training. We conclude by questioning whether, in adulthood, it is ever possible to acquire the kind of synaesthesia that is typically documented in the developmental form of the condition. The available evidence instead seems to point to there being a critical period for the development of synaesthesia, probably only in those with a genetic predisposition to develop the condition.
Use and Isolation of Urinary Exosomes as Biomarkers for Diabetic Nephropathy

Diabetes represents a major threat to public health and the number of patients is increasing alarmingly in the global scale. Particularly, the diabetic kidney disease (nephropathy, DN) together with its cardiovascular complications cause immense human suffering, highly increased risk of premature deaths, and lead to huge societal costs. DN is first detected when protein appears in urine (microalbuminuria). As in other persisting proteinuric diseases (like vasculitis) it heralds irreversible damage of kidney functions up to non-functional (end-stage) kidney and ultimately calls for kidney replacement therapy (dialysis or kidney transplantation). While remarkable progress has been made in understanding the genetic and molecular factors associating with chronic kidney diseases, breakthroughs are still missing to provide comprehensive understanding of events and mechanisms associated. Non-invasive diagnostic tools for early diagnostics of kidney damage are badly needed. Exosomes – small vesicular structures present in urine are released by all cell types along kidney structures to present with distinct surface assembly. Furthermore, exosomes carry a load of special proteins and nucleic acids. This “cargo” faithfully reflects the physiological state of their respective cells of origin and appears to serve as a new pathway for downstream signaling to target cells. Accordingly, exosome vesicles are emerging as a valuable source for disease stage-specific information and as fingerprints of disease progression. Unfortunately, technical issues of exosome isolation are challenging and, thus, their full potential remains untapped. Here, we review the molecular basis of exosome secretion as well as their use to reveal events along the nephron. In addition to novel molecular information, the new methods provide the needed accurate, personalized, non-invasive, and inexpensive future diagnostics.
Phenol coupling initiated by one-electron oxidation of tyrosine units in peptides and histone.

Phenoxyl radicals generated pulse radiolytically by the reaction of N.3 with Gly-Tyr decay biomolecularly (2k = 4.7 X 10(8)M-1 s-1) with efficient formation of 2,2'-dimers, which enolize rapidly (k = 2.7 X 10(4) s-1) to produce the 2,2'-biphenolic product. The build-up of the characteristic 2,2'-biphenol fluorescence (400 nm) and absorption also indicated a delayed (k = 80 s-1) process, probably involving the phenoxyl <-> phenoxy-quinol equilibrium. About 60 per cent of the Gly-Tyr phenoxyls were found to dimerize to the 2,2'-biphenol, and a similarly efficient 2,2'-coupling seems to occur with other tyrosyls, such as Lys-Tyr-Lys and histone. gamma-Radiolysis was applied to estimate relative yields of formation of 2,2'-biphenols under various conditions. Dimerization is almost completely inhibited by cysteine or oxygen, consistent with phenoxyl 'repair' by cysteine or O-. 2; disproportionation of O-. 2 with SOD prevents repair. The phenol 2,2'-coupling is less efficient for . OH- and inefficient for e-aq-initiation.
Phosphorylation of Endothelial Nitric-Oxide Synthase Is Diminished in Mesenteric Arteries from Septic Rabbits Depending on the Altered Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/Akt Pathway: Reversal Effect of Fluvastatin Therapy

Endothelial dysfunction plays a crucial role in the pathophysiology of sepsis. Alterations in endothelial nitric-oxide synthase (eNOS) may contribute to the impaired endothelial function. We investigated whether the regulatory mechanism for eNOS phosphorylation and activation is altered in a rabbit lipopolysaccharide-induced septic model. Following induction of sepsis, a time-dependent marked reduction in eNOS phosphorylation was observed in mesenteric arteries, with a significant decrease in eNOS expression. Likewise, Akt phosphorylation was progressively and profoundly reduced, although total Akt remained unchanged. Furthermore, the amounts of the two subunits of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K) in the membranous pool were diminished without changes in the total amount of the PI3-K heterodimer, indicating a decrease in translocation to the membranes. In vivo treatment with fluvastatin restored the decrease in eNOS phosphorylation in septic mesenteric vessels. This was possibly the result of the recovery of Akt phosphorylation. Treatment with the PI3-K inhibitor wortmannin partially inhibited the fluvastatin-induced increases in phosphorylation of Akt and eNOS, and the decrease in translocation of PI3-K heterodimer to the membranes during sepsis was slightly improved by fluvastatin. Sepsis-induced impairment of eNOS expression was also nearly normalized by fluvastatin. It is noteworthy that rabbits treated with fluvastatin exhibited a dramatic improvement in sepsis survival. The present results showed vascular abnormalities of the PI3-K/Akt pathway involved in the impairment of eNOS phosphorylation and activation in sepsis. We also suggest that fluvastatin would ameliorate vascular endothelial dysfunction, in part, presumably via its recovery effect on Akt-dependent eNOS phosphorylation. It may be potentially useful for therapy of sepsis.
Comparative Antifungal Activities and Plasma Pharmacokinetics of Micafungin (FK463) against Disseminated Candidiasis and Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis in Persistently Neutropenic Rabbits

ABSTRACT Micafungin (FK463) is an echinocandin that demonstrates potent in vitro antifungal activities against Candida and Aspergillus species. However, little is known about its comparative antifungal activities in persistently neutropenic hosts. We therefore investigated the plasma micafungin pharmacokinetics and antifungal activities of micafungin against experimental disseminated candidiasis and invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in persistently neutropenic rabbits. The groups with disseminated candidiasis studied consisted of untreated controls (UCs); rabbits treated with desoxycholate amphotericin B (DAMB) at 1 mg/kg of body weight/day; or rabbits treated with micafungin at 0.25, 0.5, 1, and 2 mg/kg/day intravenously. Compared with the UCs, rabbits treated with micafungin or DAMB showed significant dosage-dependent clearance of Candida albicans from the liver, spleen, kidney, brain, eye, lung, and vena cava. These in vivo findings correlated with the results of in vitro time-kill assays that demonstrated that micafungin has concentration-dependent fungicidal activity. The groups with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis studied consisted of UCs; rabbits treated with DAMB; rabbits treated with liposomal amphotericin B (LAMB) at 5 mg/kg/day; and rabbits treated with micafungin at 0.5, 1, and 2 mg/kg/day. In comparison to the significant micafungin dosage-dependent reduction of the residual burden (in log CFU per gram) of C. albicans in tissue, micafungin-treated rabbits with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis had no reduction in the concentration of Aspergillus fumigatus in tissue. DAMB and LAMB significantly reduced the burdens of C. albicans and A. fumigatus in tissues (P < 0.01). Persistent galactomannan antigenemia in micafungin-treated rabbits correlated with the presence of an elevated burden of A. fumigatus in pulmonary tissue. By comparison, DAMB- and LAMB-treated animals had significantly reduced circulating galactomannan antigen levels. Despite a lack of clearance of A. fumigatus from the lungs, there was a significant improvement in the rate of survival (P < 0.001) and a reduction in the level of pulmonary infarction (P < 0.05) in micafungin-treated rabbits. In summary, micafungin demonstrated concentration-dependent and dosage-dependent clearance of C. albicans from persistently neutropenic rabbits with disseminated candidiasis but not of A. fumigatus from persistently neutropenic rabbits with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis.
Helium cluster dissolution in molybdenum

Helium retention and diffusion in molybdenum is studied on an atomistic scale with ab initio methods. The thermal stability of helium–vacancy clusters is quantified within the framework of density functional theory. Calculated helium emission rates are used to derive a desorption spectrum which is compared with experimental results. The agreement between the current calculations and available experiments is satisfactory except in the high temperature end of the spectrum. The current results indicate that above 1100 K He migration is assisted by lattice defects such as vacancies, rather than through interstitial diffusion.