Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tumor Rejection by Modulation of Tumor Stromal Fibroblasts

Interleukin (IL)-4–secreting tumors are rejected in mice, an effect that is thought to be immune mediated. However, solid tumors are embedded in a stroma that often contains tumor-promoting fibroblasts, a cell population whose function is also affected by IL-4. Here we show that IL-4–secreting tumors grew undiminished in IL-4 receptor (R)–deficient (IL-4R−/−) mice. In IL-4R+/+ mice they were long-term suppressed in the absence of T cells but complete rejection required T cells, compatible with the assumption that hematopoietic cells needed to respond to IL-4. Surprisingly, bone marrow (BM) chimeric mice revealed that IL-4R expression exclusively on non-BM–derived cells was sufficient for tumor rejection. Fibroblasts in the tumor stroma were identified as a target cell type for IL-4 because they accumulated in IL-4–secreting tumors and displayed an activated phenotype. Additionally, coinjection of IL-4R+/+ but not IL-4R−/− fibroblasts was sufficient for the rejection of IL-4–secreting tumors in IL-4R−/− mice. Our data demonstrate a novel mechanism by which IL-4 contributes to tumor rejection and show that the targeted modulation of tumor-associated fibroblasts can be sufficient for tumor rejection.
Earthquake Recurrence Intervals on the San Andreas Fault

Possible recurrence intervals between earthquakes of different magnitude that may be generated along the San Andreas fault are derived by relating long-term offset rates since mid-Tertiary time, displacements, and lengths of breaks recorded for historic earthquakes, and tectonic creep rates. The recurrence interval for earthquakes of different magnitude at a given point on the fault is believed to follow the relation: ! [Formula][1] where: Rx : recurrence interval at a point on the fault, D : displacement accompanying an earthquake of given magnitude (related empirically to Richter magnitude), S : long-term strain rate (from offset of geologic units), C : tectonic creep rate. The recurrence interval for earthquakes of different magnitudes for the total length of the fault is then derived by weighting [equation (1)][2] according to the number of break lengths in the total length as follows: ! [Formula][3] where: Rt : recurrence interval for entire fault, L : length of break (related empirically to Richter magnitude), Lt : total length of fault. Tectonic creep is believed to be related to Richter magnitude, for example, small for segments of the fault characterized by earthquakes of large magnitude, and large for segments characterized by small earthquakes; and [equations (1)][2] and [(2)][4] can be weighted according to this relationship. [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif [2]: #disp-formula-1 [3]: /embed/graphic-2.gif [4]: #disp-formula-2
Microbial Processes of the Methane Cycle at the North-western Shelf of the Black Sea

During expeditions in August 1995 and May 1997, the distribution of methane and the rates of its production and oxidation were studied in water and bottom sediments of the north-western shelf of the Black Sea. Experiments that involved the addition of 14CH3COOH and 14CO2 to sediment samples showed the main part of methane to be formed from CO2. Maximum values of methane production (up to 560–680 μmol m−2 day−1) were found in coastal sediments in summer-time. In spring, methane production in the same sediments did not exceed 3·6 μmol m−2 day−1. The δ13C values of methane ranged from −70·7 to −81·8‰, demonstrating its microbial origin and contradicting the concept of the migration of methane from the oilfields located on the Black Sea shelf. Experiments that involved the addition of 14CH4 to water and sediment samples showed that a considerable part of methane is oxidized in the upper horizons of bottom sediments and in the water column. Nevertheless, it was found that, in summer, part of the methane (from 20 to 235 μmol m−2 day−1) arrives at the atmosphere.
Decomposing Socioeconomic Inequality Determinants in Suicide Deaths in Iran: A Concentration Index Approach

Background It is recognized that socioeconomic status (SES) has a significant impact on health and wellbeing; however, the effect of SES on suicide is contested. This study explored the effect of SES in suicide deaths and decomposed inequality into its determinants to calculate relative contributions. Methods Through a cross-sectional study, 546 suicide deaths and 6,818 suicide attempts from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2014 in Ilam Province, Western Iran were explored. Inequality was measured by the absolute concentration index (ACI) and decomposed contributions were identified. All analyses were performed using STATA ver. 11.2 (Stata Corp., College Station, TX, USA). Results The overall ACI for suicide deaths was -0.352 (95% confidence interval, -0.389 to -0.301). According to the results, 9.8% of socioeconomic inequality in suicide deaths was due to addiction in attempters. ACI ranged from -0.34 to -0.03 in 2010–2014, showing that inequality in suicide deaths declined over time. Conclusion Findings showed suicide deaths were distributed among the study population unequally, and our results confirmed a gap between advantaged and disadvantaged attempters in terms of death. Socioeconomic inequalities in suicide deaths tended to diminish over time, as suicide attempts progressed in Ilam Province.
Analysis of the Contribution of Reverse Transcriptase and Integrase Proteins to Retroviral RNA Dimer Conformation

ABSTRACT All retroviruses contain two copies of genomic RNA that are linked noncovalently. The dimeric RNA of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) undergoes rearrangement during virion maturation, whereby the dimeric RNA genome assumes a more stable conformation. Previously, we have shown that the packaging of the HIV-1 polymerase (Pol) proteins reverse transcriptase (RT) and integrase (IN) is essential for the generation of the mature RNA dimer conformation. Analysis of HIV-1 mutants that are defective in processing of Pol showed that these mutant virions contained altered dimeric RNA conformation, indicating that the mature RNA dimer conformation in HIV-1 requires the correct proteolytic processing of Pol. The HIV-1 Pol proteins are multimeric in their mature enzymatically active forms; RT forms a heterodimer, and IN appears to form a homotetramer. Using RT and IN multimerization defective mutants, we have found that dimeric RNA from these mutant virions has the same stability and conformation as wild-type RNA dimers, showing that the mature enzymatically active RT and IN proteins are dispensable for the generation of mature RNA dimer conformation. This also indicated that formation of the mature RNA dimer structure occurs prior to RT or IN maturation. We have also investigated the requirement of Pol for RNA dimerization in both Mason-Pfizer monkey virus (M-PMV) and Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMuLV) and found that in contrast to HIV-1, Pol is dispensable for RNA dimer maturation in M-PMV and MoMuLV, demonstrating that the requirement of Pol in retroviral RNA dimer maturation is not conserved among all retroviruses.
Overcoming EPC Class 1 Gen 2 RFID limitations with p-persistent CSMA

Nowadays, Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) is a widely spread technology used in a diverse set of applications. One of the main problems faced by RFID networks is tag collision. This occurs when two or more tags respond simultaneously to the RFID reader, causing errors and bringing retransmissions in the wireless channel, increasing the delay required to identify the whole set of tags in the coverage range of the reader. There are two standards for RFID tag identification: ISO 18000-7 and EPC Class 1 Gen 2. We propose in this paper a p-persistent CSMA mechanism for RFID tag identification; we also compare our mechanism with the EPC Class 1 Gen 2 as well as with a non-persistent CSMA approach that has been proposed in the literature. We show that the mechanism we propose provides a lower identification delay than the two other mechanisms. Furthermore, our mechanism uses less identification cycles than its non-persistent CSMA counterpart. Keywords− RFID, EPC Class 1 Gen 2, p-persistent CSMA.
Evaluation of the WET sensor compared to time domain reflectometry

Abstract This paper concentrates on the experimental calibration of a rapid, non-destructive sensor to investigate the salinization process by measuring the dielectric properties of the soil to estimate both the soil water content (θ) and pore water electrical conductivity (σ p ) for different soil types. The proposed sensor depends on the frequency domain reflectometry (FDR) technique and is called the WET sensor. It estimates the dielectric permittivity (Ka ) and bulk electrical conductivity (σ a ) of soil. Then, it utilizes both of them to estimate θ and σ p . The new sensor is compared to time domain reflectometry (TDR) measurements. Time domain reflectometry is a well established technique for Ka and σ a measurements in soils. The study involves experimental measurements in the laboratory using five different soil types and a range of θ values. In each soil type, three different electrical conductivity solutions (σ w ) were used. The results revealed that the calibration coefficients of water content and the soil parameter are significantly dependent on the soil type and slightly affected by electrical conductivity of the moistening solution.
Jurassic Tectonics of North China: A Synthetic View

Abstract: This paper gives a synthetic view on the Jurassic tectonics of North China, with an attempt to propose a framework for the stepwise tectonic evolution history. Jurassic sedimentation, deformation and magmatism in North China have been divided into three stages. The earliest Jurassic is marked by a period of magmatism quiescence (in 205–190 Ma) and regional uplift, which are considered to be the continuation of the “Indosinian movement” characterized by continent‐continent collision between the North and South China blocks. The Early to Middle Jurassic (in 190–170 Ma) was predominated by weak lithospheric extension expressed by mantle‐derived plutonism and volcanism along the Yanshan belt and alongside the Tan‐Lu fault zone, normal faulting and graben formation along the Yinshan‐Yanshan tectonic belt, depression and resuming of coal‐bearing sedimentation in vast regions of the North China block (NCB). The Middle to Late Jurassic stage started at 165±5 Ma and ended up before 136 Ma; it was dominated by intensive intraplate deformation resulting from multi‐directional compressions. Two major deformation events have been identified. One is marked by stratigraphic unconformity beneath the thick Upper Jurassic molasic series in the foreland zones of the western Ordos thrust‐fold belt and along the Yinshan‐Yanshan belt; it was predated 160 Ma. The other one is indicated by stratigraphic unconformity at the base of the Lower Cretaceous and predated 135 Ma. During this last stage, two latitudinal tectonic belts, the Yinshan‐Yanshan belt in the north and the Qinling‐Dabie belt in the south, and the western margin of the Ordos basin were all activated by thrusting; the NCB itself was deformed by the NE to NNE‐trending structural system involving thrusting, associated folding and sinistral strike‐slip faulting, which were spatially partitioned. Foliated S‐type granitic plutons aged 160–150 Ma were massively emplaced in the Jiao‐Liao massif east of the Tan‐Lu fault zone and indicate important crustal thickening in this part of the NCB. The Jurassic deformation patterns, different tectonic systems and multi‐directional contractions in North China recorded far‐field effects of synchronous convergences, toward the East Asian continent, of three different plates, the Siberian plate in the north, the paleo‐Pacific oceanic plate in the east and the Lhasa block in the southwest. This Middle to Late Jurassic intraplate orogenesis and pervasive shortening deformation preceded lithospheric attenuation and thinning in East China, which most possibly started by the Early Cretaceous around 135 Ma.
Oxygen consumption in new‐born rats

The rectal temperature of the new-born rat closely approximates to that of its environment. The ability of the rat to maintain a relatively constant body temperature in the cold is fairly well developed by the age of 3 weeks. Adolph (1957) concluded, largely from the work of Antoschkina (1939) and Fairfield (1948), that the new-born rat does not respond to cold with an increase in heat production (as indicated by an increase in 02 consumption) until the age of 3-4 days. If this were true, then the new-born rat would differ from the new-born of most mammalian species in this respect. Rabbits (Giaja, 1925; Adamsons, 1959), cats (Leichtentritt, 1919; Hill, 1959), dogs (Gelineo, 1957; McIntyre & Ederstrom, 1958; Adamsons, 1959), pigs (Mount, 1959), sheep (Cross, Dawes & Mott, 1959), rhesus monkeys (Dawes, Jacobson, Mott & Shelley, 1960) and human infants (Day, 1943; Bruck, Bruck & Lemtis, 1958) all show a metabolic response to cold shortly after birth. Adolph's conclusion does not agree with the findings of Gelineo & Gelineo (1951) and Hahn & Koldovsky (1958) which suggest that the new-born rat is to some extent capable of increasing 02 consumption in the cold shortly after birth. As the new-born rat is now so widely used in experimental work it was decided to determine in more detail the influence of age on minimal O2 consumption, on the neutral environmental temperature at which 02 consumption is minimal, and on the maximal increase in 02 consumption that is observed with cooling. Observations were also made on the effect of varying the 02 content of the inspired air on the 02 consumption of young rats at the neutral environmental temperature, and on the effect of breathing 50 % 02 on the metabolic response to cold. A preliminary account of this work has been given (Taylor, 1960).
Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity of CdS-Decorated TiO2/Carbon Core-Shell Microspheres Derived from Microcrystalline Cellulose

The fabrication of reusable and biodegradation materials from renewable resources such as cellulose is essential for a sustainable world. The core-shell structured CdS-decorated TiO2/Carbon microspheres (CdS/TiO2/Carbon MS) photocatalyst was synthesized with controlled hydrolysis and a novel sonochemical method. It was prepared by using crosslinked microcrystalline cellulose as the core, tetrabutyl titanate as the titania source and CdS as the photosensitizer. The morphology, chemical structure and properties of the obtained material were characterized by many means. Additionally, the photocatalytic activity of the CdS/TiO2/Carbon MS was evaluated by the photodegradation efficiency of Rhodamine B solution, which reached 95.24% under visible light irradiation. This study demonstrated the excellent photocatalytic performance of CdS/TiO2/Carbon MS, which might have promising applications in environmental treatments.
Behavioral and Neurochemical Consequences of Pentylenetetrazol-Induced Kindling in Young and Middle-Aged Rats

(1) Objectives: Epilepsy disorder is likely to increase with aging, leading to an increased incidence of comorbidities and mortality. In spite of that, there is a lack of information regarding this issue and little knowledge of cognitive and emotional responses in aging subjects following epileptogenesis. We investigated whether and how aging distress epilepsy-related behavioral and biochemical outcomes are associated with cognition and emotion. (2) Methods: Young and middle-aged Wistar rats (3 or 12 months old) were treated with pentylenetetrazol (PTZ, 35 mg/kg) and injected on alternated days for 20 (young rats) and 32 days (middle-aged rats). Kindling was reached after two consecutive stages 4 plus one stage 5 or 6 in Racine scale. Control and kindled rats were evaluated in the elevated plus-maze (EPM) and object-recognition tests and their hippocampus was collected 24 h later for mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) dosage. (3) Results: Middle-aged rats presented a higher resistance to develop kindling, with a decrease in the seizure severity index observed following the 4th and 9th PTZ injections. Middle-aged rats displayed an increased duration of the first myoclonic seizure and an increased latency to the first generalized seizure when compared to younger rats. The induction of kindling did not impair the animals’ performance (regardless of age) in the object-recognition task and the EPM test as well as it did not alter the hippocampal levels of MAPKs. (4) Significance: Our findings reveal that, despite age-related differences during epileptogenesis, middle-aged rats evaluated after kindling performed similarly during discriminative learning and emotional tasks in comparison to young animals, with no alteration of hippocampal MAPKs. Additional investigation must be carried out to explore the electrophysiological mechanisms underlying these responses, as well as the long-term effects displayed after kindling.
Mangrove, Avicennia marina, Establishment and Growth under the Arid Climate of Kuwait

The State of Kuwait is making concerted efforts to enhance greenery along its coastline. This study was conducted during 1999–2002 for identifying key soil factors associated with successful establishment and rapid growth in Avicennia marina. Based on the review of available data, repeated visits to potential sites, on-site assessment and laboratory characterization of soils, five sites (Shuwaikh, Sulaibikhat I, Sulaibikhat II, Doha, and Sabiya) were selected for establishing pilot plantations. Acclimatized seedlings were used to establish these plantations. Periodic data indicated wide variations both in seedling survival and growth both among sites and at different locations within each site. The highest seedling survival (71.0 to 81.2%) was observed in the Doha site and ranged from 16.1 to 78.0% in other sites. In general, seedlings planted along the tidal line showed the survivability and produced greater number of branches than those planted farther away from the tidal line. Postplanting on-site and laboratory analyses of soil samples showed that the highest seedling survival was associated with the presence of silty loam or fine-textured sand fractions in the upper 5 cm layer, medium to coarse textured sand material between 5 and 30 cm and an anaerobic silty loam or clayey layer below 30 cm depth. In contrast, greater proportion of gravel or clay fractions in the upper 30 cm layers increased seedling mortality and affected plant growth. Other factors such as low soil moisture, poor drainage conditions, high soil salinity and high sodicity also increased seedling mortality in some areas.
Antimicrobial Peptides: Multifunctional Drugs for Different Applications

Antimicrobial peptides (APs) are an important part of the innate immune system in epithelial and non-epithelial surfaces. So far, many different antimicrobial peptides from various families have been discovered in non-vertebrates and vertebrates. They are characterized by antibiotic, antifungal and antiviral activities against a variety of microorganisms. In addition to their role as endogenous antimicrobials, APs participate in multiple aspects of immunity. They are involved in septic and non-septic inflammation, wound repair, angiogenesis, regulation of the adaptive immune system and in maintaining homeostasis. Due to those characteristics AP could play an important role in many practical applications. Limited therapeutic efficiency of current antimicrobial agents and the emerging resistance of pathogens require alternate antimicrobial drugs. The purpose of this review is to highlight recent literature on functions and mechanisms of APs. It also shows their current practical applications as peptide therapeutics and bioactive polymers and discusses the possibilities of future clinical developments.
Effect of central corneal thickness, corneal curvature, and axial length on applanation tonometry.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of central corneal thickness (CCT), corneal curvature, and axial length on applanation tonometry in an in vivo study. METHODS In a masked, prospective clinical trial, we examined 125 eyes of 125 patients scheduled for cataract surgery. Corneal curvature was measured by means of keratometry and axial length by A-scan ultrasonography. By cannulating the anterior chamber before surgery, intraocular pressure (IOP) was set to 20, 35, and 50 mm Hg in a closed system by means of a water column. After measuring thickness, the IOP was measured with an applanation tonometer. Pearson product moment correlations and multiple linear regression analyses were performed, and significance levels were evaluated by the paired, 2-tailed t test. RESULTS The difference between measured and real IOP was significantly dependent (P < .001) on CCT. The associations between IOP and corneal curvature or IOP and axial length were not statistically significant (P = .31). The association between IOP reading and CCT is shown in the "Dresdner correction table," which illustrates an approximately 1-mm Hg correction for every 25-microm deviation from a CCT of 550 microm. The correction values were positive as thickness decreased and negative as thickness increased. CONCLUSIONS Central corneal thickness significantly affects IOP readings obtained by applanation tonometry according to the Goldmann principle. A correction of IOP readings by considering CCT according to the Dresdner correction table might be helpful for determining an accurate IOP value.
Different types of signal coupling in the visual cortex related to neural mechanisms of associative Processing and perception

The hypothesis of object representation by synchronization in the visual cortex has been supported by our recent experiments in monkeys. They demonstrated local synchrony among /spl gamma/ activities (30-90 Hz) and their perceptual modulation, according to the rules of figure-ground segregation. However, /spl gamma/-synchrony in primary visual cortex is restricted to few mm, challenging the synchronization hypothesis for larger cortical object representations. The restriction is due to randomly changing phase relations among locally synchronized patches which, however, form continuous waves of /spl gamma/-activity, traveling across object representations. The phase continuity of these waves may support coding of object continuity. Interactions across still larger distances, measured among cortical areas in human data, involve amplitude envelopes of /spl gamma/ signals. Based on models with spiking neurons we discuss potentially underlying mechanisms. Most important for /spl gamma/ synchronization are local facilitatory connections with distance-dependent delays. They also explain the occurrence of /spl gamma/ waves and the restriction of /spl gamma/-synchrony. Fast local feedback inhibition generates /spl gamma/ oscillations and supports local synchrony, while slow shunting inhibitory feedback supports figure-ground segregation. Finally, dispersion in inter-areal far projections destroys coherence of /spl gamma/ signals, but preserves their amplitude modulations. In conclusion, we propose that the hypothesis of associative processing by /spl gamma/ synchronization be extended to more general forms of signal coupling.