Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Differential Cellular Localization of Galectin-1 and Galectin-3 in the Regressing Corpus Luteum of Mice and Their Possible Contribution to Luteal Cell Elimination

Galectin-1 and galectin-3, β-galactoside–binding lectins, are predominantly expressed in the regressing corpus luteum (CL) of mouse ovary. This study revealed the expression patterns and cellular localizations of galectins during CL formation and regression by ISH and IHC. Galectin-1 mRNA expression temporarily increased in active CL, preceding the expression of progesterone degradation enzyme 20α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (20α-HSD), which represents functional luteolysis. The expressions of both galectin-1 and galectin-3 remarkably increased in the structurally regressing CL, which vigorously expressed 20α-HSD and contained abundant apoptotic luteal cells. Ultrastructurally, galectin-1– and galectin-3–immunoreactive cells were identified as fibroblasts and infiltrating macrophages, respectively. In addition, some populations of luteal cells themselves expressed galectin-3 in regressing CL and formed unique demarcation membranes in the cytoplasm, showing a non-typical apoptotic feature. Ovary of adult mice with repeated estrus cycles contained CL of three different generations. Among them, the old CL formed during previous estrus cycles consisted of galectin-3–positive luteal cells. The galectin-3–positive old CL was resistant to apoptosis and seemed to be eliminated by a mechanism different from apoptosis. The stage- and cell-specific expression of galectin in CL suggests its differential contribution to luteolysis, and this expression may be mediated by major regulatory molecules of CL function, prolactin and/or prostaglandin F2α.
VR/AR Technologies' Cross Boundary Contribution to Cultural Inheritance: A Qualitative Study Based on the Cases from China and Japan

In recent years, the introduction of VR/AR technologies has drawn great attention from all over the world. Such technologies have been applied to multiple fields, including automotive telematics and culture creatives. As part of culture industry, cultural inheritance may also be significantly stimulated by technology integration, including regional and international culture renaissance as well as education of culture. In Internet age, cultural communication and globalization have formed a global market with great potential, for both material and intangible cultures. The situation for culture inheritance might also be greatly improved by the help of such frontier technologies. This paper will pay particular attention to the changes that VR/AR technologies could potentially make to traditional culture inheritance cause, especially from the aspect of cross industry open innovation in Internet-age. We will try to investigate VR/AR's applications and the upcoming contributions to cultural inheritance. This research is based on the investigations to a series of evidences in China, together with a complementary case from Japan. Mainly, the changes to macro environment and industry structure will be discussed, which are concluded and generalized based on all cases.
hSK4/hIK1, a Calmodulin-binding KCa Channel in Human T Lymphocytes

Human T lymphocytes express a Ca2+-activated K+ current (IK), whose roles and regulation are poorly understood. We amplified hSK4 cDNA from human T lymphoblasts, and we showed that its biophysical and pharmacological properties when stably expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells were essentially identical to the native IK current. In activated lymphoblasts, hSK4 mRNA increased 14.6-fold (Kv1.3 mRNA increased 1.3-fold), with functional consequences. Proliferation was inhibited when Kv1.3 and IK were blocked in naive T cells, but IK block alone inhibited re-stimulated lymphoblasts. IK and Kv1.3 were involved in volume regulation, but IK was more important, particularly in lymphoblasts. hSK4 lacks known Ca2+-binding sites; however, we mapped a Ca2+-dependent calmodulin (CaM)-binding site to the proximal C terminus (Ct1) of hSK4. Full-length hSK4 produced a highly negative membrane potential (V m ) in Chinese hamster ovary cells, whereas the channels did not function when either Ct1 or the distal C terminus was deleted (V m ∼0 mV). Native IK (but not expressed hSK4) current was inhibited by CaM and CaM kinase antagonists at physiological V m values, suggesting modulation by an accessory molecule in native cells. Our results provide evidence for increased roles for IK/hSK4 in activated T cell functions; thus hSK4 may be a promising therapeutic target for disorders involving the secondary immune response.
Toll-Like Receptor 4 on Nonhematopoietic Cells Sustains CNS Inflammation during Endotoxemia, Independent of Systemic Cytokines

Inflammatory agonists such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induce robust systemic as well as CNS responses after peripheral administration. Responses in the innate immune system require triggering of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), but the origin of CNS sequelas has been controversial. We demonstrate expression of TLR4 transcripts in mouse brain in the meninges, ventricular ependyma, circumventricular organs, along the vasculature, and in parenchymal microglia. The contribution of TLR4 expressed in CNS resident versus hematopoietic cells to the development of CNS inflammation was examined using chimeric mice. Reciprocal bone marrow chimeras between wild-type and TLR4 mutant mice show that TLR4 on CNS resident cells is critically required for sustained inflammation in the brain after systemic LPS administration. Hematopoietic TLR4 alone supported the systemic release of acute phase cytokines, but transcription of proinflammatory genes in the CNS was reduced in duration. In contrast, TLR4 function in radiation-resistant cells was sufficient for inflammatory progression in the brains of chimeric mice, despite the striking absence of cytokine elevations in serum. Surprisingly, a temporal rise in serum corticosterone was also dependent on TLR4 signaling in nonhematopoietic cells. Our findings demonstrate a requirement for TLR4 function in CNS-resident cells, independent of systemic cytokine effects, for sustained CNS-specific inflammation and corticosterone rise during endotoxemia.
Roseomonas, a new genus associated with bacteremia and other human infections

In the 1980s, a pink bacterium different from species of the genus Methylobacterium was implicated in human infection. Using biochemical tests and DNA hybridization, we examined 42 strains of pink-pigmented, gram-negative bacteria that were not members of the genus Methylobacterium. The isolates included 6 strains each of CDC "pink coccoid" groups I, II, III, and IV; 10 isolates from Gilardi's "unnamed taxon"; and 8 blood isolates from ill, debilitated, or immunosuppressed patients. The DNA hybridization studies supported the creation of six genomospecies encompassing the 42 strains. Reactions for esculin hydrolysis, glycerol oxidation, and D-mannose oxidation enabled separation of genomospecies 1 through 4. These tests, as well as motility, nitrate reduction, citrate utilization, and oxidation of L-arabinose, D-galactose, and D-xylose, differentiated genomospecies 5 and 6 from each other and from genomospecies 1 through 4. These organisms were susceptible in vitro to the aminoglycosides, tetracycline, and imipenem and generally susceptible to the quinolones. We propose the new genus, Roseomonas, for these bacteria to include three named species, Roseomonas gilardii sp. nov., Roseomonas cervicalis sp. nov., and Roseomonas fauriae sp. nov., and three unnamed genomospecies.
Plasma Leptin Levels and Body Fat Distribution

The relation between body fat distribution and plasma leptin levels in the human was investigated in 51 obese and 41 non-obese subjects. Plasma levels of leptin showed a positive correlation with body mass index and subcutaneous fat area at the umbilicus level. However, a significant correlation between its plasma levels and visceral fat area was found in neither non-obese nor obese subjects. These results suggest that plasma leptin levels might be attributed mainly to the extent of subcutaneous adiposity in human obesity.
A Single Amino Acid Substitution in 1918 Influenza Virus Hemagglutinin Changes Receptor Binding Specificity

ABSTRACT The receptor binding specificity of influenza viruses may be important for host restriction of human and avian viruses. Here, we show that the hemagglutinin (HA) of the virus that caused the 1918 influenza pandemic has strain-specific differences in its receptor binding specificity. The A/South Carolina/1/18 HA preferentially binds the α2,6 sialic acid (human) cellular receptor, whereas the A/New York/1/18 HA, which differs by only one amino acid, binds both the α2,6 and the α2,3 sialic acid (avian) cellular receptors. Compared to the conserved consensus sequence in the receptor binding site of avian HAs, only a single amino acid at position 190 was changed in the A/New York/1/18 HA. Mutation of this single amino acid back to the avian consensus resulted in a preference for the avian receptor.
Prolonged Production of Reactive Oxygen Species in Response to B Cell Receptor Stimulation Promotes B Cell Activation and Proliferation

We have investigated the intracellular sources and physiological function of reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced in primary B cells in response to BCR stimulation. BCR stimulation of primary resting murine B cells induced the rapid production of ROS that occurred within minutes and was maintained for at least 24 h after receptor stimulation. While the early production of ROS (0–2 h) was dependent on the Nox2 isoform of NADPH oxidase, at later stages of B cell activation (6–24 h) ROS were generated by a second pathway, which appeared to be dependent on mitochondrial respiration. B cells from mice deficient in the Nox2 NADPH oxidase complex lacked detectable early production of extracellular and intracellular ROS after BCR stimulation but had normal proximal BCR signaling and BCR-induced activation and proliferation in vitro and mounted normal or somewhat elevated Ab responses in vivo. In contrast, neutralizing both pathways of BCR-derived ROS with the scavenger N-acetylcysteine resulted in impaired in vitro BCR-induced activation and proliferation and attenuated BCR signaling through the PI3K pathway at later times. These results indicate that the production of ROS downstream of the BCR is derived from at least two distinct cellular sources and plays a critical role at the later stages of B cell activation by promoting sustained BCR signaling via the PI3K pathway, which is needed for effective B cell responses to Ag.
SPERM COMPETITION AND THE EVOLUTION OF SEMINAL FLUID COMPOSITION

Male ejaculates include large amounts of seminal fluid proteins (Sfps) that influence male sperm competitive success. In spite of their diverse proximate functions, Sfps involved in sperm competition increase male fitness in one of three ways: (1) “avoidance” proteins help males avoid sperm competition, (2) “defense” proteins help males defend their sperm from displacement by the female's subsequent mate, and (3) “offense” proteins aid males in displacing sperm of preceding males. Here, we present a population genetic model of the evolution of allocation of finite resources by males to the three kinds of Sfps. We analyze the influence of relative efficiencies of different Sfps, of plasticity in resource allocation, and of differences in viability costs of Sfps. We find that in absence of plasticity or different viability costs, equal investment in defense and offense Sfps evolves, irrespective of their relative efficiency. In all cases, males evolve to invest more in avoidance when avoidance proteins are increasingly efficient, and when offense is more efficient than defense. Differences in viability costs result in lower investment in costly proteins, whereas plasticity has complex effects, influencing both the optimal seminal fluid composition and maintenance of variation in investment in these proteins across populations.
Complete Genome Sequence of Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium Strain SO2 (Sequence Type 302) Isolated from an Asymptomatic Child in Mexico

ABSTRACT The complete genome sequence of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium strain SO2, isolated from an asymptomatic child in Mexico, was determined using PacBio single-molecule real-time technology. Strain SO2 has six complete chromosomal prophages, namely, ST104, Gifsy-2, ST64B, Gifsy-1, ELPhiS, and FSL SP-004, and carries a Salmonella virulence plasmid.
Mitochondrial DNA evolution in mice.

This study extends knowledge of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) diversity in mice to include 208 animals belonging to eight species in the subgenus Mus. Highly purified mtDNA from each has been subjected to high-resolution restriction mapping with respect to the known sequence of one mouse mtDNA. Variation attributed to base substitutions was encountered at about 200 of the 300 cleavage sites examined, and a length mutation was located in or near the displacement loop. The variability of different functional regions in this genome was as follows, from least to most: ribosomal RNA, transfer RNA, known proteins, displacement loop and unidentified reading frames. --Phylogenetic analysis confirmed the utility of the Sage and Marshall revision of mouse classification, according to which there are at least four species of commensal mice and three species of aboriginal mice in the complex that was formerly considered to be one species. The most thoroughly studied of these species is Mus domesticus, the house mouse of Western Europe and the Mediterranean region, which is the mitochondrial source of all 50 of the laboratory strains examined and of the representatives of wild house mice introduced by Europeans to North and South America during the past few hundred years. --The level of mtDNA variation among wild representatives of M. domesticus is similar to that for the Eastern European house mouse (M. musculus) and several other mammalian species. By contrast, among the many laboratory strains that are known or suspected to stem from the pet mouse trade, there is little interstrain variation, most strains having the "old inbred" type of domesticus mtDNA, whose frequency in the 145 wild mice examined is low, about 0.04. Also notable is the apparent homogeneity of mtDNA in domesticus races that have fixed six or more fused chromosomes and the close relationship of some of these mtDNAs to those of karyotypically normal mice. --In addition, this paper discusses fossil and other evidence for the view that in mice, as in many other mammals, the average rate of point mutational divergence in mtDNA is 2-4% per million years. From this, it is estimated that the commensal association between mice and our ancestors began more than a million years ago, i.e., at an early stage in the evolution of Homo erectus.
The Problem with “Magnitude-based Inference”

Purpose A statistical method called “magnitude-based inference” (MBI) has gained a following in the sports science literature, despite concerns voiced by statisticians. Its proponents have claimed that MBI exhibits superior type I and type II error rates compared with standard null hypothesis testing for most cases. I have performed a reanalysis to evaluate this claim. Methods Using simulation code provided by MBI’s proponents, I estimated type I and type II error rates for clinical and nonclinical MBI for a range of effect sizes, sample sizes, and smallest important effects. I plotted these results in a way that makes transparent the empirical behavior of MBI. I also reran the simulations after correcting mistakes in the definitions of type I and type II error provided by MBI’s proponents. Finally, I confirmed the findings mathematically; and I provide general equations for calculating MBI’s error rates without the need for simulation. Results Contrary to what MBI’s proponents have claimed, MBI does not exhibit “superior” type I and type II error rates to standard null hypothesis testing. As expected, there is a tradeoff between type I and type II error. At precisely the small-to-moderate sample sizes that MBI’s proponents deem “optimal,” MBI reduces the type II error rate at the cost of greatly inflating the type I error rate—to two to six times that of standard hypothesis testing. Conclusions Magnitude-based inference exhibits worrisome empirical behavior. In contrast to standard null hypothesis testing, which has predictable type I error rates, the type I error rates for MBI vary widely depending on the sample size and choice of smallest important effect, and are often unacceptably high. Magnitude-based inference should not be used.
Inflation expectations and low inflation in New Zealand*

Abstract This paper finds that the changing behaviour of inflation expectations can explain much of the unusually low inflation in New Zealand. Across several empirical specifications of the Phillips curve, we observe that inflation expectations have become more backward-looking. We also find that the speed of adjustment in inflation expectations, proxied by the spread between short- and longer-term inflation expectations, can explain the unusually low inflation.
Prognostic significance of serum microRNA-221 expression in human epithelial ovarian cancer

Objective To evaluate the feasibility of using serum microRNA (miR)-221 as a noninvasive diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Methods In this retrospective study, real-time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction was used to measure miR-221 expression in serum samples from patients with EOC and healthy age-matched controls. Correlations between serum miR-221 levels and clinicopathological factors and prognosis were explored. Results Serum miR-221 was upregulated in patients with EOC (n = 96) compared with healthy controls (n = 35). The level of serum miR-221 expression was significantly associated with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage, and tumour grade. Furthermore, multivariate analysis of overall survival showed that high serum miR-221 expression was an independent unfavourable prognostic factor in EOC. Conclusions These findings indicate that serum miR-221 may have a role as a novel diagnostic and prognostic marker, and may have potential as a therapeutic target in EOC.
The effect of scaling and root planing on the clinical and microbiological parameters of periodontal diseases: 12-month results.

BACKGROUND/AIMS Previously, we reported that SRP resulted in a decrease in mean pocket depth and attachment level and reduced prevalence and levels of Bacteroidesforsythus, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Treponema denticola at 3 and 6 months post-SRP in 57 subjects with adult periodontitis. 32 of the 57 subjects were monitored at 9 and 12 months. Thus, the purpose of the present investigation was to evaluate the microbial and clinical effects of SRP in 32 (mean age 48+/-11) subjects over a 12-month period. METHOD Clinical assessments of plaque, gingival redness, suppuration, bleeding on probing, pocket depth and attachment level were made prior to SRP and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-therapy. Subgingival plaque samples were taken at each visit and analyzed using the checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization technique for the presence and levels of 40 subgingival species. Each subject also received maintenance scaling at each of the subsequent monitoring visits. Differences in clinical parameters and prevalence and levels of bacterial species were analyzed pre- and post-therapy using the Wilcoxon signed ranks test. The Quade test for related samples was used for analysis of multiple visits. RESULTS Mean pocket depth (mm+/-SEM) decreased from 3.2+/-0.3 at baseline to 2.9+/-0.3 at 12 months (p<0.01). Mean attachment level showed significant reduction at 6 months, but did not diminish further. Bleeding on probing and plaque were significantly reduced at 12 months (p<0.001, p<0.05, respectively). P. gingivalis, B. forsythus and T. denticola decreased in prevalence and levels up to the 6-month visit and remained at these lower levels at 9 and 12 months. Significant increases in levels and prevalence were noted at 12 months for Actinomyces naeslundii genospecies 2, Actinomyces odontolyticus, Fusobacterium nucleatum ss polymorphum, Streptococcus mitis, Capnocytophaga sp, and Veillonella parvula. CONCLUSIONS The data suggest that the maintenance phase of therapy may be essential in consolidating clinical and microbiological improvements achieved as a result of initial therapy.
Tropical rain forest fragmentation, howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata), and dung beetles at Los Tuxtlas, Mexico

In Neotropical rain forests, fresh mammal dung, especially that of howler monkeys, constitutes an important resource used by dung beetles as food and for oviposition and further feeding by their larvae. Tropical rain forest destruction, fragmentation, and subsequent isolation causing reductions in numbers of and the disappearance of howler moneys may result in decreasing numbers of dung beetles, but this has not been documented. In this study, we present information on the presence of howlers and dung beetles in 38 isolated forest fragments and 15 agricultural habitats. Howler monkeys were censused by visual means, while dung beetles were sampled with traps baited with a mixture of howler, cow, horse, and dog dung. Results indicated that loss of area and isolation of forest fragments result in significant decrements in howlers and dung beetles. However, dung beetle abundance was found to be closely related to the presence of howler monkeys at the sites and habitats investigated. Scenarios of land management designed to reduce isolation among forest fragments may help sustain populations of howler monkeys and dung beetles, which may have positive consequences for rain forest regeneration. Am. J. Primatol. 48:253–262, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Determining a Relationship between Higher Education Financial Position and Tuition Discount Rates.

Institutions have increased the practice of tuition discounting, that is, the strategic use of price discrimination. During the past 30 years, both the average percent discount given to students and the proportion of students receiving tuition breaks have increased. As this practice has increased, there are financial determinants and implications that must be addressed. The purpose of this study was to conduct a thorough investigation of one of the issues embedded within tuition discounting practices: the relationship between an institution’s overall financial position and its price discrimination practices. The five component ratios of the financial vulnerability index (FVI)—debt ratio, revenue concentration index, surplus margin ratio, administrative costs ratio, and size ratio—served as a proxy for institutional financial position. Ordinary least-squares regression was used to test the data. There were two main findings. First, institutional financial position had a relationship to tuition discount rates for stable institutions (FVI .20). As the FVI increased for unstable institutions, tuition discount rates increased, indicating that institutions used their current resources as an investment in the future of the institution.