Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The biophysical model for accuracy of cellular sensing spatial gradients of multiple chemoattractants

Spatial gradients of surrounding chemoattractants are the key factors in determining the directionality of eukaryotic cell movement. Thus, it is important for cells to accurately measure the spatial gradients of surrounding chemoattractants. Here, we study the precision of sensing the spatial gradients of multiple chemoattractants using cooperative receptor clusters. Cooperative receptors on cells are modeled as an Ising chain of Monod–Wyman–Changeux clusters subject to multiple chemical-gradient fields to study the physical limits of multiple chemoattractants spatial gradients sensing. We found that eukaryotic cells cannot sense each chemoattractant gradient individually. Instead, cells can only sense a weighted sum of surrounding chemical gradients. Moreover, the precision of sensing one chemical gradient is signicantly affected by coexisting chemoattractant concentrations. These findings can provide a further insight into the role of chemoattractants in immune response and help develop novel treatments for inflammatory diseases.
Chemotherapy responsiveness of human tumors as first transplant generation xenografts in the normal mouse: Six‐day subrenal capsule assay

Feasibility of utilizing human tumors as first transplant generation xenografts in the normal immunocompetent mouse for determining tumor sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents was demonstrated by applying subrenal capsule (SRC) assay methodology to fresh surgical explants in a six‐day time frame. A total of 37 human breast tumors were tested in assays in which 254 xenografts were implanted into control animals. Fifty (20%) of the controls showed some degree of partial regression in the six‐day assay period. Using a mean control growth having a positive change in tumor size as the criterion for evaluability, first transplant generation human breast tumors provided an evaluable assay rate of 86%. A tumor response profile was obtained as a result of testing seven clinically active drugs against 32 previously untreated breast cancers. The pattern of responses obtained indicated that no single agent was active against all tumors, nor were tumors which were responsive to one agent necessarily responsive to another, suggesting the feasibility of predicting individual tumor response to specific chemotherapeutic agents. Had these seven drugs been developmental agents of unknown activity which were being tested for the first time against such a panel of human tumors the results would have not only predicted their clinical activity, but the tumor response rates would have also provided an indication of the relative potential of each drug for the specific treatment of breast cancer.
The genus Retiboletus in China

Species of the genus Retiboletus (Boletaceae, Boletales) in China are investigated based on morphology and phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequences from nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and partial 28S regions and sequences from the translation elongation factor 1-a gene (tef1a). Six lineages are recovered among the collections studied. Five of these are documented and presented in the present paper, including three new species and two new combinations. The remaining species is not described due to the paucity of material. The specimens from China identified as “R. ornatipes” or “R. retipes” are in fact R. sinensis or R. kauffmanii, those labeled “R. griseus” are either R. fuscus or R. pseudogriseus. A key to all known taxa of the genus is provided. Phylogenetic relationships of taxa within Retiboletus are partially resolved. A preliminary biogeographical analysis shows that allied species of Retiboletus between eastern Asia and North/Central America are common but there are no Retiboletus species common to both continents. Species of Retiboletus in Japan and southern China are conspecific or closely related.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings and Novel Mutations in GM1 Gangliosidosis

Two unrelated children and their siblings of Arab origin were diagnosed as having GM1 gangliosidosis on the basis of clinical features and markedly low levels of β-galactosidase. The T2-weighted magnetic resonance images of the brain revealed certain characteristic features, including delayed myelination and abnormal appearance of the subcortical white matter, internal capsule, and basal ganglia. Their mutation analysis showed two novel mutations, which have not been described in an Arabic population. (J Child Neurol 2005;20:57—60).
Superfluid-Bose-glass transition in weakly disordered commensurate one-dimensional system.

We study the effect of commensurability (integer filling factor) on the superfluid (SF)\char21{}Bose-glass (BG) transition in a one-dimensional disordered system in the limit of weak disorder, when the effect is most pronounced and, on the other hand, may be traced via the renormalization-group analysis. The equation for the SF-BG phase boundary demonstrating the effect of disorder-stimulated superfluidity implies that the strength of disorder sufficient to restore superfluidity from Mott insulator (MI) is much larger than that enough to turn MI into BG. Thus we provide an explicit proof of the fact that at arbitrarily small disorder the SF and MI phases are always separated by BG. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Poverty and Migration in the Digital Age: Experimental Evidence on Mobile Banking in Bangladesh

Rapid urbanization is reshaping economies and intensifying spatial inequalities. In Bangladesh, we experimentally introduced mobile banking to very poor rural households and family members who had migrated to the city, testing whether mobile technology can reduce inequality by modernizing traditional ways to transfer money. One year later, for active mobile banking users, urban-to-rural remittances increased by 26 percent of the baseline mean. Rural consumption increased by 7.5 percent, and extreme poverty fell. Rural households borrowed less, saved more, sent additional migrants, and consumed more in the lean season. Urban migrants experienced less poverty and saved more but bore costs, reporting worse health. (JEL D31, G21, G51, I32, O15, O16, O18)
Effect of incision and flap reflection on postoperative pain after the removal of partially impacted mandibular third molars.

A clinical trial was carried out to evaluate the influence of incision and reflection of a flap on pain after the removal of partially erupted mandibular third molars. A sequential design for intraindividual comparisons was chosen. The patients underwent bilateral extraction of partially impacted mandibular third molars with a standard incision on one side (control) and without incision (test) on the other side. One week postoperatively, the patients were asked on which side they had experienced more postoperative pain. The preset level of significance (P < .05) was reached after 11 patients were treated. Eight patients had more severe pain on the control side, while three patients did not experience any difference in pain between the two sides. The nonsurgical approach did not increase the chair time and appeared to be an effective way of reducing postoperative discomfort after extraction of partially erupted third molars.
The role of Runx2 in facilitating autophagy in metastatic breast cancer cells

Breast cancer metastases cause significant patient mortality. During metastases, cancer cells use autophagy, a catabolic process to recycle nutrients via lysosomal degradation, to overcome nutritional stress for their survival. The Runt‐related transcription factor, Runx2, promotes cell survival under metabolic stress, and regulates breast cancer progression and bone metastases. Here, we identify that Runx2 enhances autophagy in metastatic breast cancer cells. We defined Runx2 function in cellular autophagy by monitoring microtubule‐associated protein light chain (LC3B‐II) levels, an autophagy‐specific marker. The electron and confocal microscopic analyses were utilized to identify alterations in autophagic vesicles. The Runx2 knockdown cells accumulate LC3B‐II protein and autophagic vesicles due to reduced turnover. Interestingly, Runx2 promotes autophagy by enhancing trafficking of LC3B vesicles. Our mechanistic studies revealed that Runx2 promotes autophagy by increasing acetylation of α‐tubulin sub‐units of microtubules. Inhibiting autophagy decreased cell adhesion and survival of Runx2 knockdown cells. Furthermore, analysis of LC3B protein in clinical breast cancer specimens and tumor xenografts revealed significant association between high Runx2 and low LC3B protein levels. Our studies reveal a novel regulatory mechanism of autophagy via Runx2 and provide molecular insights into the role of autophagy in metastatic cancer cells.
Formal Care Providers' Perceptions of Home- and Community-Based Services: Informing Dementia Care Quality

Little attention has been given to the perceptions of formal care providers on the nature and quality of home- and community-based dementia care. The purpose of this descriptive interpretive research was to explore formal care providers' perceptions of their experiences with Canadian home- and community-based dementia care. Participants within three personal interviews and six focus groups (n = 41) included nurses, social workers, therapists, home care aides, and Alzheimer Society personnel (front line/management) in rural and urban areas of Saskatchewan (n = 16), Manitoba (n = 20), and Ontario (n = 8). Two overarching thematic categories, Service Availability and Service Acceptability, emerged from the data analysis. Subthemes of availability were identified as: (a) challenges of service availability, including service wait lists, lack of home care provider training, lack of community-based dementia care infrastructure, and sociocultural and geographic barriers to accessing dementia services; and (b) essential facilitators of availability, including service infrastructure, service bridging, and agency partnerships to form coordinated care systems. Subthemes of acceptability were revealed as: (a) essential components of dementia care, including provision of comprehensive personal care and the use of dementia care professional practice knowledge within a home care setting; and (b) service challenges, including inadequate service time for the physical care and socioemotional support of the client and family caregiver, caregiver and formal provider difficulty with navigation of a fragmented care system, lack of system coordination, and financial costs of services. Essential, integrated dementia care could be established by listening to the “voices of formal care providers,” thereby decreasing dementia care costs and increasing the quality of life for those with dementia, and their family caregivers.
A null mutation in the Bacillus subtilis aconitase gene causes a block in Spo0A-phosphate-dependent gene expression

The citB gene of Bacillus subtilis encodes aconitase, the enzyme of the Krebs citric acid cycle, which is responsible for the interconversion of citrate and isocitrate. A B. subtilis strain with an insertion mutation in the citB gene was devoid of aconitase activity and aconitase protein, required glutamate for growth in minimal medium, and was unable to sporulate efficiently in nutrient broth sporulation medium. Mutant cells failed to form the asymmetric septum characteristic of sporulating cells and were defective in transcription of the earliest-expressed spo genes, that is, the genes dependent on the Spo0A phosphorelay. However, this early block in sporulation was partially overcome when cells of the citB mutant were induced to sporulate by resuspension in a poor medium. Accumulation of citrate in the mutant cells or in their culture fluid may be responsible for the early block, possibly because citrate can chelate divalent cations needed for the activity of the phosphorelay.
The Ontogenesis of Cortical Self‐Sustained After‐Discharges in Rats

Summary: An ontogenetic development of cortical self‐sustained after‐discharges (SSADs) was studied in acute experiments on 98 male albino rats aged from 9 days to adulthood. Rhythmic electrical stimulation of one cortical sensorimotor area regularly elicited SSADs formed by spike‐and‐wave complexes starting from the postnatal day 15. Frequency of these complexes increased from 2.0 to 2.5 cycles/s in 15‐ and 18‐day‐old rats to 3.0 to 4.0 cycles/s in older animals. In younger animals SSADs were better expressed in the stimulated sensorimotor than in the visual area of both hemispheres, whereas in older rats the SSADs were fully generalized. The SSADs became longer with increasing age. A highly significant prolongation of the SSADs was seen in all age groups with repeated stimulations; this finding is discussed as a possible form of kindling.
Irrigation Water Management in Latin America

Latin American countries show a great potential for expanding their irrigated areas. Irrigation is important for strengthening local and regional economy and for enhancing food security. The present paper aimed at providing a brief review on key aspects of irrigation management in Latin America. Poor irrigation management can have great impact on crop production and on environment while good management reduces the waste of soil and water and help farmers maximizing their profits. It was found that additional research is needed to allow a better understanding of crop water requirements under Latin American conditions as well as to provide farmers with local derived information for irrigation scheduling. The advantages of deficit irrigation practices and the present and future opportunities with the application of remote sensing tools for water management were also considered. It is clear that due to the importance of irrigated agriculture, collaborative work among Latin American researchers and institutions is of paramount importance to face the challenges imposed by a growing population, environment degradation, and competition in the global market.
Retinal and Nonretinal Contributions to Extraclassical Surround Suppression in the Lateral Geniculate Nucleus

Extraclassical surround suppression is a prominent receptive field property of neurons in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) of the dorsal thalamus, influencing stimulus size tuning, response gain control, and temporal features of visual responses. Despite evidence for the involvement of both retinal and nonretinal circuits in the generation of extraclassical suppression, we lack an understanding of the relative roles played by these pathways and how they interact during visual stimulation. To determine the contribution of retinal and nonretinal mechanisms to extraclassical suppression in the feline, we made simultaneous single-unit recordings from synaptically connected retinal ganglion cells and LGN neurons and measured the influence of stimulus size on the spiking activity of presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons. Results show that extraclassical suppression is significantly stronger for LGN neurons than for their retinal inputs, indicating a role for extraretinal mechanisms. Further analysis revealed that the enhanced suppression can be accounted for by mechanisms that suppress the effectiveness of retinal inputs in evoking LGN spikes. Finally, an examination of the time course for the onset of extraclassical suppression in the LGN and the size-dependent modulation of retinal spike efficacy suggests the early phase of augmented suppression involves local thalamic circuits. Together, these results demonstrate that the LGN is much more than a simple relay for retinal signals to cortex; it also filters retinal spikes dynamically on the basis of stimulus statistics to adjust the gain of visual signals delivered to cortex. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) is the gateway through which retinal information reaches the cerebral cortex. Within the LGN, neuronal responses are often suppressed by stimuli that extend beyond the classical receptive field. This form of suppression, called extraclassical suppression, serves to adjust the size tuning, response gain, and temporal response properties of neurons. Given the important influence of extraclassical suppression on visual signals delivered to cortex, we performed experiments to determine the circuit mechanisms that contribute to extraclassical suppression in the LGN. Results show that suppression is augmented beyond that provided by direct retinal inputs and delayed, consistent with polysynaptic inhibition. Importantly, these mechanisms influence the effectiveness of incoming retinal signals, thereby filtering the signals ultimately conveyed to cortex.
TGF‐β–induced fibrosis and SMAD signaling: oligo decoys as natural therapeutics for inhibition of tissue fibrosis and scarring

Transforming‐growth factor‐β (TGF‐β) is a pleiotrophic growth factor that is synthesized by many cells in the body. This growth factor is chemotactic for fibroblasts, stimulates fibroblast proliferation, and increases the synthesis of a number of extracellular matrix proteins including collagens. The TGF‐β activator protein is a transacting factor, which binds to the TGF‐β element in the distal promoter of the COL1A1 collagen gene and induces transcription of this gene. Although transient TGF‐β1 activity participates in repair and regeneration of tissues, persistent TGF‐β1 function affects excessive fibrosis and ultimately scarring of both skin and internal organs. Scarring of internal organ (e.g., liver and lung) results in a loss of function and ultimately death may occur. The central issue of this review is that phosphorothioate double‐stranded decoys or other decoys decrease procollagen gene expression, procollagen synthesis, and collagen during fibrogenesis. The rationale is that the decoys containing the TGF‐β element or other gene transcription regulatory CIS‐elements bind the transacting proteins preventing the latter from binding to the CIS‐element in the 5′‐flanking region of the natural gene resulting in transcription inhibition. We will, in part, focus on aspects involved in TGF‐β1–induced fibrosis that occur during fibrogenesis and the use of the dsTGF‐β element containing oligodeoxynucleotide decoys to control excessive collagen synthesis, and deposition resulting from persistent TGF‐β. In our model of regulation of collagen synthesis, these double‐stranded oligo decoys act as promoter competitors, binding to the activator protein either in the cytoplasm or in the nucleus. The significance of the proposed studies is that these novel natural antifibrotics will mimic the effect of glucocorticoids on collagen synthesis during fibrogenesis without the unwanted side effects of these steroids. Based on our previous studies on the molecular mechanisms by which glucocorticoids selectively decrease collagen synthesis, designed phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotides resistant to nuclease action will mimic the effects of glucocorticoids at the molecular, cellular, and in vivo levels of collagen synthesis. However, the glucocorticoids significantly inhibit noncollagen protein synthesis. Both the single‐stranded and double‐stranded oligodeoxynucleotide specifically decrease collagen synthesis without an inhibitory effect on noncollagen protein synthesis. In this review, we will specifically ask if TGF‐β–induced collagen synthesis is inhibited in cell culture and in vivo by using the double‐stranded oligodeoxynucleotide decoys, will this inhibit fibrogenesis and ultimately scarring?
Geriatric oral health issues in Australia.

AIM To identify and discuss geriatric oral health issues in Australia. METHODS A discussion of the demographic trends, oral health trends, and barriers to dental care for older Australians is presented, together with a review of Australian public and private sector geriatric dental services, geriatric dental research, and geriatric dental education. CONCLUSIONS Key geriatric oral health issues for Australia include: edentulism is decreasing and older Australians are retaining more natural teeth; coronal and root caries are significant problems, especially as older adults become more functionally dependent, cognitively impaired, and medically compromised; the oral health status of institutionalised older Australians is poor; the onset of severe oral diseases appears to occur in many older Australians prior to their institutionalisation, when they are homebound and dependent upon carers; carers of older adults do not have access to practical education about dental care; the majority of older Australians are eligible to use public-funded dental services, but barriers limit their access to these services; few Australian public or private dental services are designed with a geriatric focus; geriatric dental education does not have a high profile in Australian dental schools; no specialty exists in Australia for geriatric dentistry, nor is there a national geriatric dentistry association.
Complex‐environment rearing prevents prenatal hypoxia‐induced deficitsin hippocampal cellular mechanisms necessary for memory consolidationin the adult Wistar rat

Hypoxic episodes in utero can result in enduring and debilitating neurological sequelae that include nonprogressive motor disorders and/or significant learning deficits. The extent of long‐term disruption of synaptic function following prenatal hypoxia and its subsequent effect on learning ability, however, remain to be established. Polysialylation of the neural cell adhesion molecule, a cellular event integral to the consolidation of diverse learning paradigms, was used to correlate cellular end points with learning deficits as a consequence of prenatal hypoxia. Pregnant Wistar dams exposed to hypobaric hypoxia during gestational days 10–20 had significantly reduced litter sizes, but the lack of effect on subsequent pup weight gain suggested no gross developmental deficit. By contrast, adult animals with prior in utero hypoxia exhibited significant learning difficulties in both acquisition of a water maze spatial learning task and recall of a passive avoidance paradigm. Learning deficits correlated with a significant reduction in the frequency of polysialylated neurons in the dentate infragranular zone and a blunting of their transient activation 12 hr following task acquisition. Rearing animals with prior prenatal hypoxia in a complex environment, however, eliminated the task acquisition and recall deficits and restored dentate polysialylated cell frequency and their transient posttraining increase. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Ultra-Sensitive Refractive Index Sensor With Slightly Tapered Photonic Crystal Fiber

We fabricate a miniature ultra-sensitive refractive index sensor based on a tapered photonic crystal fiber (PCF) modal interferometer. The PCF is slightly tapered and a little elongated to keep the size compact. The total length is ~ 2 cm, and the potential sensitivity is more than 1600 nm/RIU (refractive index unit), which is nearly eight times as high as that of an untapered PCF interferometer.