Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Immunohistochemical localization of the proteoglycans decorin, biglycan and versican and transforming growth factor‐β in human post‐burn hypertrophic and mature scars

The distributions of the small proteoglycans, decorin and biglycan and the large proteoglycan, versican, in normal skin and post‐burn hypertrophic and mature scars, were compared using monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies to the core proteins. Biglycan and verscan were virtually undetectable in normal dermis but readily seen in hypertrophic scars. Staining for decorin was strong throughout the dermis in normal skin but restricted to the deep dermis and a narrow zone under the epidermis in hypertrophic scar—areas which did not stain for versican. Decorin was absent or reduced in the nodules in these specimens. In mature post‐burn scars, staining for all three proteoglycans demonstrated an intensity that was intermediate between that in normal dermis and that in the nodules of the hypertrophic scars. Transforming growth factor‐β was present in the nodules of hypertrophic scars but the deep dermis of these specimens stained most intensely for this cytokine which was also found in the dermis of mature scars but was not detectable in normal dermis. The apparent co‐distribution of decorin and transforming growth factor‐β suggests that this proteoglycan may play an active role in the resolution of the scars. Changes in proteoglycan type and distribution could possibly account, at least in part, for the derangement of collagen and the altered physical properties of hypertrophic scar tissue.
Differential Effects of Intergroup Contact for Authoritarians and Social Dominators

Intergroup contact is among the most effective ways to improve intergroup attitudes. Research examining whether the effects of contact are contingent on individual differences is limited, however. The authors test a dual process model perspective of individual differences in contact and prejudice. Their model predicts that intergroup contact should be particularly effective for people high in right-wing authoritarianism, but not those high in social dominance orientation, because these ideological attitudes are driven by different underlying motivational goals. The authors confirm these hypotheses in longitudinal (N = 805) and cross-sectional (N = 1,343) national probability samples. They also isolate perceived social threat, but not competitive threat, as a mediator for the interaction of right-wing authoritarianism and contact on prejudice. The authors elaborate on the individual difference mechanisms that facilitate and inhibit the effects of intergroup contact on prejudice and discuss how these relations may depend on contextual factors and the varying functions of prejudice.
Low socioeconomic status of the opposite sex is a risk factor for middle aged mortality

Objectives: To examine the relations between subjective social status, and objective socioeconomic status (as measured by income and education) in relation to male/female middle aged mortality rates across 150 sub-regions in Hungary. Design: Cross sectional, ecological analyses. Setting: 150 sub-regions of Hungary. Participants and methods: 12 643 people were interviewed in the Hungarostudy 2002 survey, representing the Hungarian population according to sex, age, and sub-regions. Independent variables were subjective social status, personal income, and education. Main outcome measure: For ecological analyses, sex specific mortality rates were calculated for the middle aged population (45–64 years) in the 150 sub-regions of Hungary. Results: In ecological analyses, education and subjective social status of women were more significantly associated with middle aged male mortality, than were male education, male subjective social status, and income. Among the socioeconomic factors female education was the most important protective factor of male mid-aged mortality. Subjective social status of the opposite sex was significantly associated with mid-aged mortality, more among men than among women. Conclusion: Pronounced sex interactions were found in the relations of education, subjective social status, and middle aged mortality rates. Men seem to be more vulnerable to the socioeconomic status of women than women to the effects of socioeconomic status of men. Subjective social status of women was an important predictor of mortality among middle aged men as was female education. The results suggest that improved socioeconomic status of women is protective for male health as well as for female health.
Design of a Monochromatic Pattern for a Robust Structured Light Coding

In this paper we present a new pattern for the robust coding of the structured light based on the spatial neighborhood scheme and by means of the M-array approach. The pattern is robust as it allows a high error rate characterized by a Hamming distance higher than 3. We tackle the design problem with the definition of a small set of symbols associated to geometrical features with simple shapes. We benefit from the stripe, as it is one of the considered primitives, to embed the local orientation of the pattern. This is helpful while performing the search for the relevant neighborhood during the decoding process. The aim of this work is to use this pattern for the 3 - D reconstruction of dynamic scenes with fast and reliable detection and decoding stages. Ongoing results are presented to assess both the capabilities of the proposed pattern and the decoding algorithm with projections onto simple 3 - D scenes.
Effect of maternal rotavirus immunization on milk and serum antibody titers.

This prospective study evaluated human milk and serum antirotavirus antibody concentrations following maternal rotavirus immunization. Postpartum women (33) were randomized into 3 groups and received a single oral dose of rhesus rotavirus monovalent reassortant vaccine (10(4) pfu), tetravalent vaccine (10(4) pfu), or placebo. Milk (secretory [s] IgA) and serum (IgA and IgG) specimens were tested for antirotavirus isotype-specific antibody. Sera also were tested for G1- to G4-specific antibody. Prevaccine milk and serum isotype-specific antibody concentrations were not significantly different in the 3 groups. Postvaccine sIgA log titers were significantly greater in the 2 vaccine groups than the placebo group (P = .002). Mean log10 titers at 1 week were 2.1 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.0-2.3) in the 2 vaccine groups and 1.7 (95% CI, 1.5-1.9) in the placebo group. Milk titers did not differ between vaccine groups. There was no difference in reactogenicity between groups. The significantly higher milk concentrations of antibody to rotavirus in postpartum women who received rotavirus immunization persisted for 4 months.
The role of RNA pseudoknot stem 1 length in the promotion of efficient −1 ribosomal frameshifting 1

Abstract The ribosomal frameshifting signal present in the genomic RNA of the coronavirus infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) contains a classic hairpin-type RNA pseudoknot that is believed to possess coaxially stacked stems of 11 bp (stem 1) and 6 bp (stem 2). We investigated the influence of stem 1 length on the frameshift process by measuring the frameshift efficiency in vitro of a series of IBV-based pseudoknots whose stem 1 length was varied from 4 to 13 bp in single base-pair increments. Efficient frameshifting depended upon the presence of a minimum of 11 bp; pseudoknots with a shorter stem 1 were either non-functional or had reduced frameshift efficiency, despite the fact that a number of them had a stem 1 with a predicted stability equal to or greater than that of the wild-type IBV pseudoknot. An upper limit for stem 1 length was not determined, but pseudoknots containing a 12 or 13 bp stem 1 were fully functional. Structure probing analysis was carried out on RNAs containing either a ten or 11 bp stem 1; these experiments confirmed that both RNAs formed pseudoknots and appeared to be indistinguishable in conformation. Thus the difference in frameshifting efficiency seen with the two structures was not simply due to an inability of the 10 bp stem 1 construct to fold into a pseudoknot. In an attempt to identify other parameters which could account for the poor functionality of the shorter stem 1-containing pseudoknots, we investigated, in the context of the 10 bp stem 1 construct, the influence on frameshifting of altering the slippery sequence-pseudoknot spacing distance, loop 2 length, and the number of G residues at the bottom of the 5′-arm of stem 1. For each parameter, it was possible to find a condition where a modest stimulation of frameshifting was observable (about twofold, from seven to a maximal 17 %), but we were unable to find a situation where frameshifting approached the levels seen with 11 bp stem 1 constructs (48-57 %). Furthermore, in the next smaller construct (9 bp stem 1), changing the bottom four base-pairs to G·C (the optimal base composition) only stimulated frameshifting from 3 to 6 %, an efficiency about tenfold lower than seen with the 11 bp construct. Thus stem 1 length is a major factor in determining the functionality of this class of pseudoknot and this has implications for models of the frameshift process.
PHASE ADVANCE AFTER ONE OR THREE SIMULATED DAWNS IN HUMANS

A specially designed apparatus that can simulate the waveform of the dawn or dusk signal at any latitude and any day of the year has been shown to phase shift the circadian pacemaker in rodents and primates at a fraction of the illuminance previously used. Until recently, it was considered that rather high illuminances or rather long exposure episodes to room light were necessary to phase shift human circadian rhythms. This experiment shows that, under controlled conditions of a modified constant routine protocol, a single dawn signal is sufficient to phase advance the timing of the onset of secretion of the pineal hormone melatonin. The significant phase advance of salivary melatonin of 20 minutes, which is enhanced to 34 minutes after three consecutive dawn signals, is small, but appears to be of sufficient magnitude to entrain the human circadian pacemaker, which has an endogenous period of about 24.2h. (Chronobiology International, 17(5), 659–668, 2000)
Dibenzo-α-pyrones from the endophytic fungus Alternaria sp. Samif01: isolation, structure elucidation, and their antibacterial and antioxidant activities

Abstract The EtOAc extract of the liquid fermentation of Alternaria sp. Samif01, an endophytic fungus obtained from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, showed antibacterial activity against several tested bacterial pathogens. Fractionation of this extract led to the isolation of seven dibenzo-α-pyrones (1–7), including one new compound, 2-acetoxy-2-epi-altenuene (1) and one new natural product, 3-epi-dihydroaltenuene A (2). The structures of the new metabolites were elucidated by comprehensive analysis of the spectroscopic data including (1D, 2D) NMR and HRESIMS, while the absolute configuration of 1 was determined by TDDFT–ECD computation. Altenuisol (5), 4-hydroxyalternariol-9-methyl ether (6), and alternariol (7) showed inhibitory activities against the tested bacteria with minimum inhibitory concentration values in the range of 86.7–364.7 μM. A preliminary structure–antibacterial activity relationship was discussed. In addition, compounds 2, 5 and 6 displayed promising antioxidant effects using DPPH and hydroxyl radical assays. The cytotoxicity of the isolated compounds was evaluated as well. The endophytic fungus Alternaria sp. Samif01 isolated from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge produced seven bioactive dibenzo-α-pyrones, including one new compound (1), whose absolute configuration was determined by ECD calculation.
RGC-32 Mediates Transforming Growth Factor-β-induced Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Human Renal Proximal Tubular Cells*

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) occurs in several disease states, including renal fibrosis and carcinogenesis. Myofibroblasts produced from EMT of renal tubular cells are responsible for the deposition of extracellular matrix components in a large portion of renal interstitial fibrosis. Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) plays an essential role in the EMT of renal tubular cells, but the molecular mechanism governing this process remains largely unknown. In this study, we found that RGC-32 (response gene to complement 32) is critical for TGF-β-induced EMT of human renal proximal tubular cells (HPTCs). RGC-32 is not normally expressed in the HPTCs. However, TGF-β stimulation markedly activates RGC-32 while inducing an EMT, as shown by the induction of smooth muscle α-actin (α-SMA) and extracellular matrix proteins collagen I and fibronectin, as well as the reduction of epithelial marker E-cadherin. TGF-β function is mediated by several signaling pathways, but RGC-32 expression in HPTCs appears to be mainly regulated by Smad. Functionally, RGC-32 appears to mediate TGF-β-induced EMT of HPTCs. Blockage of RGC-32 using short hairpin interfering RNA significantly inhibits TGF-β induction of myofibroblast marker gene α-SMA while repressing the expression of E-cadherin. In contrast, overexpression of RGC-32 induces α-SMA expression while restoring E-cadherin. RGC-32 also inhibits the expression of another adherens junction protein, N-cadherin, suggesting that RGC-32 alone induces the phenotypic conversion of renal epithelial cells to myofibroblasts. Additional studies show that RGC-32 stimulates the production of extracellular matrix components fibronectin and collagen I. Mechanistically, RGC-32 induces EMT via the activation of other transcription factors such as Snail and Slug. RGC-32 knockdown inhibits the expression of Snail and Slug during TGF-β-induced EMT. Taken together, our data demonstrate for the first time that RGC-32 plays a critical role in TGF-β-induced EMT of renal tubular cells.
Verbal learning and memory in patients with dementia with Lewy bodies or Parkinson's disease with dementia

This study compared verbal learning and memory in patients with autopsy-confirmed dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and patients with Parkinson's disease with dementia (PDD). A total of 24 DLB patients, 24 PDD patients, and 24 normal comparison participants were administered the California Verbal Learning Test. The three groups were matched on demographic variables, and the two patient groups were matched on the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale. The results indicated that DLB patients recalled less information than PDD patients on all but one recall measure and displayed a more rapid rate of forgetting. In contrast, the PDD patients committed a greater percentage of perseveration errors than the DLB patients. The two groups did not differ in the percentage of recall intrusion errors or any measures of recognition. A discriminant function analysis (DFA) using short-delay cued recall, percentage of perseveration errors, and List B recall differentiated the DLB and PDD groups with 81.3% accuracy. The application of the DFA algorithm to another sample of 42 PDD patients resulted in a 78.6% correct classification rate. The results suggest that, despite equivalent levels of general cognitive impairment, patients with DLB or PDD exhibit a different pattern of verbal learning and memory deficits.
Essential Requirement for IFN Regulatory Factor 7 in Autoantibody Production but Not Development of Nephritis in Murine Lupus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a prototypic systemic autoimmune disease characterized by the production of autoantibodies against nuclear components. Recent genetic studies of SLE patients have revealed that IFN regulatory factor (IRF) 7 gene polymorphisms are associated with an increased risk of SLE, but the precise role of IRF7 in SLE development is not fully understood. We investigated the role of IRF7 in the pathogenesis of SLE using a mouse model and saw a curious dissociation of autoantibody production and development of glomerulonephritis. SLE was chemically induced into IRF7-deficient mice, and glomerulonephritis with deposits of IgG and lipogranulomas were observed after 10 mo. However, these mice failed to produce anti-dsDNA, ssDNA, ribonucleoprotein, and Sm autoantibodies. Following the chemical induction, IRF7-deficient mice expressed substantially lower levels of IFN-stimulated genes than did wild-type mice, but NF-κB target genes were equally upregulated in both strains. Therefore, the type I IFN pathway seems critical for the autoantibody production, but the NF-κB activation is sufficient for the development of glomerulonephritis in this model. Our study thus demonstrates a specific requirement for IRF7 in autoantibody production and uncovers a new layer of complexity in the pathogenesis of SLE.
Doppler sonography of the superior mesenteric artery in Crohn's disease.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate blood flow in the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) in patients with active and inactive Crohn's disease (CD) using Doppler sonography to dynamically assess the changes of resistance in both fasting and postprandial states. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Doppler sonography of the SMA was performed on 15 patients (mean age, 38 +/- 4 years) with active CD and on 15 patients (mean age, 41 +/- 5 years) with inactive CD. Imaging was performed at both fasting and 15 min after an 1890-kJ meal. A preliminary examination of 10 healthy volunteers with no signs of intestinal disease (mean age, 28 +/- 2 years) was necessary to define the parameters of normality. Because we wanted to express the postprandial resistive change in the SMA, we introduced a parameter called resistive difference (RD), defined as the mathematic difference between the resistive index measured at fasting (highest value) and measured at 15 min after the meal (lowest value). RESULTS By evaluating the relationship between the RD and extension of disease, we found a direct correlation between progressive extension of disease and reduction of the RD in patients with active CD (correlation coefficient, .98) whereas we found no such correlation in patients with inactive CD (correlation coefficient, .05). CONCLUSION We believe that Doppler sonography of the SMA is a promising noninvasive method to detect inflammatory disease of the small bowel, to evaluate its extension, and to document resolution of disease after therapy.
Effect of multiquantum barriers on performance of InGaN/GaN multiple-quantum-well light-emitting diodes

In this paper we demonstrate that the improvement in the emission intensity afforded by the introduction of multiquantum barrier (MQB) structures in an InGaN/GaN multiple-quantum-well (MQW) light-emitting diode (LED) is attributable to increased excitation cross sections. Over the temperature range from 300 to 20 K, the excitation cross sections of the MQW emissions possessing MQB structures were between 9.6 × 10-12cm2and 5.3 × 10-15cm2, while those possessing GaN barriers were between 8.1 × 10-12cm2and 4.5 × 10-15cm2. We found, however, that the figure of merit for the LED light output was the capture fraction of the cross section; we observed that the dependence of the optical intensity on the temperature coincided with the evolution of the capture fraction. This analysis permitted us to assign the capture cross-section ratios at room temperature for the MQWs with MQBs and with GaN barriers as 0.46 and 0.35. Furthermore, the MQW system possessing well-designed MQB structures not only exhibited the thermally insensitive luminescence but also inhibited energetic carrier overflow.
Apoptosis initiated by dependence receptors: a new paradigm for cell death?

A distinct group of receptors including DCC, UNC5, RET and Ptc1 is known to function in ligand‐dependent neuronal growth and differentiation or axon guidance. Acting as “dependence receptors”, they may also regulate neuronal cell survival by inducing apoptosis in the absence of cognate ligand. Receptor‐initiated apoptosis requires proteolytic (caspase) cleavage and exposure of a pro‐apoptotic region in the cytoplasmic domains of the receptors. In contrast, classical apoptosis induced by growth factor or cytokine deprivation involves loss of survival signaling without receptor cleavage. DCC, UNC5, RET and Ptc1 are downregulated or mutated in diverse cancers, and show properties characteristic of tumor suppressors, consistent with their ability to promote neuronal cell death. Dysfunctional dependence receptors have been linked to the loss of specific neurons in certain inherited and neurodegenerative diseases. Dependence receptor‐initiated apoptosis represents a novel paradigm for the controlled removal of specific cells during neural development and elimination of malignant cells that have strayed beyond regions of ligand availability. BioEssays 26:656–664, 2004. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Crystallographic Study of Peptidoglycan Biosynthesis Enzyme MurD: Domain Movement Revisited

The biosynthetic pathway of peptidoglycan, an essential component of bacterial cell wall, is a well-recognized target for antibiotic development. Peptidoglycan precursors are synthesized in the bacterial cytosol by various enzymes including the ATP-hydrolyzing Mur ligases, which catalyze the stepwise addition of amino acids to a UDP-MurNAc precursor to yield UDP-MurNAc-pentapeptide. MurD catalyzes the addition of D-glutamic acid to UDP-MurNAc-L-Ala in the presence of ATP; structural and biochemical studies have suggested the binding of the substrates with an ordered kinetic mechanism in which ligand binding inevitably closes the active site. In this work, we challenge this assumption by reporting the crystal structures of intermediate forms of MurD either in the absence of ligands or in the presence of small molecules. A detailed analysis provides insight into the events that lead to the closure of MurD and reveals that minor structural modifications contribute to major overall conformation alterations. These novel insights will be instrumental in the development of new potential antibiotics designed to target the peptidoglycan biosynthetic pathway.
Functional Analysis of the Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Cyclization ElementsIndicates Major Differences between Mosquito-Borne and Tick-Borne Flaviviruses

ABSTRACT The linear, positive-stranded RNA genome of flaviviruses is thought to adopt a circularized conformation via interactions of short complementary sequence elements located within its terminal regions. This process of RNA cyclization is a crucial precondition for RNA replication. In the case of mosquito-borne flaviviruses, highly conserved cyclization sequences (CS) have been identified, and their functionality has been experimentally confirmed. Here, we provide an experimental identification of CS elements of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). These elements, termed 5′-CS-A and 3′-CS-A, are conserved among various tick-borne flaviviruses, but they are unrelated to the mosquito-borne CS elements and are located at different genomic positions. The 5′-CS-A element is situated upstream rather than downstream of the AUG start codon and, in contrast to mosquito-borne flaviviruses, it was found that the entire protein C coding region is not essential for TBEV replication. The complementary 3′-CS-A element is located within the bottom stem rather than upstream of the characteristic 3′-terminal stem-loop structure, implying that this part of the proposed structure cannot be formed when the genome is in its circularized conformation. Finally, we demonstrate that the CS-A elements can also mediate their function when the 5′-CS-A element is moved from its natural position to one corresponding to the mosquito-borne CS. The recognition of essential RNA elements and their differences between mosquito-borne and tick-borne flaviviruses has practical implications for the design of replicons in vaccine and vector development.