Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Oviduct secretion in the ewe and the effect of oviduct fluid on oxygen uptake by ram spermatozoa in vitro.

In recent years, interest in the role played by oviduct fluids in reproduction has increased. With the development of a method for the continuous collection of oviduct fluid from the rabbit (Clewe & Mastroianni, 1960) it became possible to measure the rate of oviduct secretion in the unanaesthetized animal. By slightly modifying their collection apparatus, oviduct fluid was collected from the ewe by Black, Duby & Reisen (1963) and more recently by Perkins, Goode, Wilder & Henson (1965), Restall & Wales (1966) and Wales & Restall (1966). The oviduct provides a liquid medium for gametes during transport and fertilization. Whether this fluid does more than provide a protective environment is unknown. Spermatozoan respiration is stimulated by oviduct fluid from the cow (Olds & VanDemark, 1957), rabbit (Hamner & Williams, 1963) and ewe (Black, Crowley, Duby & Spilman, 1966; Wales & Restall, 1966). It has been suggested (Wales & Restall, 1966) that the stimulatory effect of oviduct fluid on spermatozoan respiration is due to the presence of substrate. Little attention has been given to the respiration stimulatory properties of oviduct fluid collected at various times during the oestrous cycle. Since the composition of oviduct fluid changes with the endocrine state of the animal, it seems likely that these changes would manifest themselves in the effect the fluid has on spermatozoan respiration. These studies were undertaken to determine whether or not the ability of oviduct fluid to stimulate spermatozoan respiration changes during the oestrous cycle. In addition, the efficacy of the methods used in the collection of oviduct fluid was evaluated. Twenty ewes demonstrating normal oestrous cycles were used in this study. Collection of oviduct fluid was carried out between September and January of 2 years. A collection device was attached to each animal as previously described (Black et al., 1963). The collection device was slightly modified by substituting a soft plastic vial and case for the collection chamber embedded in a solid plastic block. The plastic vial in which oviduct secretions accumulated
Distinct developmental expression of synaptotagmin I and IX in the mouse brain

Synaptotagmin IX has been postulated to function as a major Ca2+ sensor for dense-core vesicle exocytosis in neuroendocrine cells. In this study, we investigated the subcellular localization and developmental expression profile of synaptotagmin IX in the mouse brain and found that it is mainly present in the dense-core vesicle fraction, which is devoid of synaptotagmin I and synaptophysin. We also found that the synaptotagmin IX expression level is constant throughout the postnatal development of the mouse brain, whereas the synaptotagmins I, II, III, VI, and XII are upregulated in parallel with synaptogenesis. These findings suggest that synaptotagmin IX regulates the transport of certain vesicles in the brain other than synaptic vesicles.
Strategising for innovation and inter-firm collaboration: capability analysis in assessing competitive superiority

The resource based view of the firm has not been systematically applied to strategising innovation and inter-firm collaboration. By examining the role of organisational capabilities in innovation and business relationship management we attempt, in this paper, to put forward a collaboration-innovation-advantages model, synthesising the various findings in the literature on 'market oriented innovation' from a resource-based view. We deploy the conceptual framework to assess firm competitive market posture and performance advantages through organisational innovation and inter-firm collaboration capabilities within 327 Finnish firms across different industries both in the manufacturing and service sector. Our empirical results reinforce the claim that a balanced managerial and technological innovation capability profile plays an essential role in understanding how positional and performance advantages are generated in a competitive context. However, appropriate business relationship management capabilities are needed, facilitating the preceding interface in a positive manner. We discuss the implications of these findings for theory and practice.
Synthesis of Enniatin‐like Cyclic Depsipeptides via ‘Direct Amide Cyclization’

The synthesis of several 18-membered cyclodepsipeptides with an alternating sequence of a,a-disubstituted a-amino acids and a-hydroxy acids (compounds 14a–14e) is described. The ring closure via macrolactonization was accomplished by treatment of a diluted suspension of the corresponding linear precursors 12a–12e in toluene with HCl gas, i.e., the so-called 'direct amide cyclization'. The incorporation of the a,a-disubstituted a-amino acids was achieved via the 'azirine/oxazolone method' with 2H-azirin-3-amines of type 6 and 9 as building blocks. The structure of the cyclic depsipeptide 14a was established by X-ray crystallography.
Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis

Note: This article was posted on the Archives Web site as an Early Online Release. Early Online Release articles have been peer reviewed, copyedited, and reviewed by the authors. Additional changes or corrections may appear in these articles when they appear in a future print issue of the Archives. Early Online Release articles are citable by using the Digital Object Identifier (DOI), a unique number given to every article. The DOI will typically appear at the end of the abstract.
On the localization and mediation of the centrally induced hyperactive urinary bladder response to L-dopa in the rat.

The hyperactive bladder response observed after central adrenergic stimulation with L-dopa, following enzymatic blockade of its peripheral metabolism, was studied in the rat. The bladder response was recorded by a cystometric procedure. The hyperactive bladder action thus produced was noted after transection of the CNS at the level of the superior colliculi but not when the transection was made caudal to the inferior colliculi. No effect was seen after transection of the cauda equina at L6, i.e. parasympathetic decentralisation of the bladder. It is concluded that the hyperactive bladder reaction seen after central adrenergic stimulation is produced in the mesencephalic-pontine region and mediated to the bladder via a central coupling to parasympathetic pathways.
Comparison between p53 protein measurements using the luminometric immunoassay and immunohistochemistry with detection of p53 gene mutations using cDNA sequencing in human breast tumors

The p53mutational status of 226 representative primary breast cancer samples, derived from a population‐based cohort, was analyzed using cDNA‐based sequencing. The results were compared with those obtained with immunohistochemistry (IHC) on microwave‐treated paraffin sections and the p53 specific luminometric immunoassay (LIA) on cytosols, all from the same individuals. Thirty‐seven mutations were found using cDNA sequencing and were categorized into A) missense mutations in the evolutionarily conserved regions; B) missense mutations outside the evolutionarily regions; and C) deletions, insertions and nonsense mutations. Using optimal cut‐off values, LIA detected 15 of 16 missense mutations in category A, in which IHC detected all 16. In category B, 10 of 13 and 7 of 13 mutations were detected, respectively. Some of the samples in category A had a very high p53 protein content when measured with the LIA, the reason for this being discussed. IHC detected 0 of 5 stop codon and 0 of 3 deletions/insertions mutations, while the LIA method detected 2 of 5 stop codon mutations and 1 of 3 deletion/insertion mutations. Compared with cDNA sequencing, protein analyses using optimal cut‐off values resulted in an overall sensitivity and specificity of 64.9% and 89.9%, respectively, for the LIA method. Corresponding values were 72.2% and 92% for IHC. In addition, patients from whom p53 mutations could be detected by cDNA sequencing had a statistically significant (p = 0.0137) shorter survival, which was not readily apparent using the alternative LIA or IHC approaches at optimal cut‐off values. Int. J. Cancer (Pred. Oncol.) 79:376–383, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Health status of diabetic persons in an Asian-Pacific population: evidence from Guam.

OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to document the sociodemographic, physical, and psychosocial health characteristics of self-reported diabetic Asian-Pacific Americans in Guam. METHODS Data from Guam's 1991 Behavioral Risk Factor Survey were analyzed using analysis of variance. RESULTS Diabetic men are significantly more likely than nondiabetic men to be Chamorro, not to have graduated from high school, to be unemployed, and to be impoverished. Diabetic women are also significantly more likely than nondiabetic women to be impoverished. Hypertension is more prevalent among diabetic men and women than among nondiabetic persons. Diabetic men are at greater risk than nondiabetic men for heart attack, and are significantly more likely to assess their physical health as poor. Diabetic women are more likely than nondiabetic women to suffer strokes. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study indicate significant differences in the health status of diabetic and nondiabetic Asian-Pacific persons in Guam and extends our understanding of the health characteristics and service needs of this rapidly growing and under-studied population.
Expression of Genes Encoding F1-ATPase Results in Uncoupling of Glycolysis from Biomass Production in Lactococcus lactis

ABSTRACT We studied how the introduction of an additional ATP-consuming reaction affects the metabolic fluxes in Lactococcus lactis. Genes encoding the hydrolytic part of the F1 domain of the membrane-bound (F1F0) H+-ATPase were expressed from a range of synthetic constitutive promoters. Expression of the genes encoding F1-ATPase was found to decrease the intracellular energy level and resulted in a decrease in the growth rate. The yield of biomass also decreased, which showed that the incorporated F1-ATPase activity caused glycolysis to be uncoupled from biomass production. The increase in ATPase activity did not shift metabolism from homolactic to mixed-acid fermentation, which indicated that a low energy state is not the signal for such a change. The effect of uncoupled ATPase activity on the glycolytic flux depended on the growth conditions. The uncoupling stimulated the glycolytic flux threefold in nongrowing cells resuspended in buffer, but in steadily growing cells no increase in flux was observed. The latter result shows that glycolysis occurs close to its maximal capacity and indicates that control of the glycolytic flux under these conditions resides in the glycolytic reactions or in sugar transport.
Effects of milk protein genetic variants on milk yield and composition

Summary Effects of genetic variants of the milk proteins, αs1-casein, β-casein, κ-casein and β-lactoglobulin (βlg), on milk yield and composition, particularly the protein composition, were investigated in milk samples from 289 Jersey and 249 Friesian cows in eight commercial herds. Milk protein genotypes had no significant effect on yields over a complete lactation of milk and fat, but significant differences in fat content were detected for β-casein (B, A1B, A2 > A1A2) and βlg (B, AB > A) variants. Significant differences between β-lg variants were also found with total solids (B, AB > A), casein (B, AB > A), whey protein (A > AB > B) and βlg (A > AB, AC > B > BC) concentrations. Casein genotypes were not significantly different in total protein and casein concentrations but many differences were found in casein composition. αs1-Casein variants significantly affected αs1-casein (BC > B) and κ-casein (B > BC) concentrations. β-Casein variants affected concentration and proportion of β-casein (A1B, A2B > A1, A1A2, A2, B), αs1-casein (A1, A2 > B) and κ-casein (B > A2) and concentration of whey protein (A1 > most other β-casein variants). κ-Casein variants affected concentration and proportion of κ-casein (B > AB > A), proportion of αs1-casein (A > AB > B) and concentration of βlg (A > AB, B) and α-lactalbumin (A, AB > B). Differences in milk composition were found between breeds, herds and ages, and with stage of lactation. The potential use of milk protein genotypes as an aid in dairy cattle breeding is discussed.
Interaction Between Cigarette Smoke and Mycoplasma Infection: A Murine Model

Cigarette smoke has a major impact on health issues worldwide. Although genetics certainly is a factor in the sensitivity to cigarette smoke, other lung environmental factors, such as infection, potentially could interact with cigarette smoke to induce inflammatory changes associated with various diseases. Four groups of BALB/c mice (smoking only; smoking + M. pneumoniae infection; mycoplasma only; saline control) were studied for eight weeks to determine the interactive outcomes of inflammation and structural changes in the smoking plus mycoplasma group. This group did have significantly higher amounts of neutrophil degranulation in the outer airway wall area (smooth muscle to alveolar attachments) (p = 0.03) and mRNA expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (p = 0.045). Although there was not a significant difference in alveolar tissue elastin between the groups, the smoking plus mycoplasma group had a level approximately 20% below the other groups. Even in this relatively short duration study, it appears that an infectious process can interact with cigarette smoke to produce a destructive type of inflammatory response (activated neutrophils and metalloproteinase-9) seen in the outer airway wall area.
When and how to eradicate Helicobacter pylori: role of histamine receptor antagonists.

Peptic ulcer is today frequently considered to be an infectious disease. The bacteria assumed to be the cause of gastric or duodenal ulcer was first called Campylobacter pyloridis and later C. pylori because of its structural similarity to other Campylobacter species. Later, unique characteristics were reported, and it was renamed Helicobacter pylori (Hp). In retrospect, it was presumably first described in man in 1938 (Doenges 1938), although the clinical significance was not established until 1983 (Warren 1983, Warren and Marshall 1983). It is a spiral-shaped, gram-negative bacteria with four to six flagella and dimensions of 0.5 x 3.0 micron. With the help of these flagella, it moves into the mucous layer overlying the gastric epithelium where it colonizes at the interface of the mucous layer and the surface epithelial cells. It can be found in any part of the gastrointestinal tract demonstrating gastric epithelium, i.e. the stomach and metaplastic areas of the esophagus or the duodenum. One characteristic of this bacteria is the production of a urease enzyme that catalyzes urea to ammonium and bicarbonate. The production of ammonium causes the development of an alkaline microenvironment that protects it from the gastric acid. In the presence of urea, the organism will therefore replicate to a pH as low as 4.3 and survive without replication to a pH as low as 2.3. In Western countries, an increase in the prevalence of Hp infection is observed in the population with progressing age. In childhood, infection before the age of 20 years is rare. At the age of 60 years or older, however, the prevalence rate is on the order of 40% to 60% (Dooley et al. 1989, Perez-Perez et al. 1988, Marshall 1994). The seroconversion rate in adults is lower than 1% per year (Parsonnet et al. 1992). The infection seems to be stable, probably persisting for many years or even a lifetime.
Control of yeast GAL genes by MIG1 repressor: a transcriptional cascade in the glucose response.

Glucose repression is a global regulatory mechanism in yeast. We have investigated how glucose regulates the GAL genes, which are required for galactose fermentation. We found that the GAL genes are controlled by a transcriptional cascade. Thus, GAL4, which encodes an activator of the GAL genes, is repressed by MIG1, a zinc finger protein that binds to the GAL4 promoter. MIG1 has a dual role in control of the GAL genes, since MIG1 also binds to the promoter of GAL1, a gene regulated by GAL4. A disruption of MIG1 interacts synergistically with a disruption of GAL80, a gene involved in galactose induction. This suggests that the MIG1‐dependent response to glucose is amplified by down‐regulation of the induction pathway.
NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING FOR MINING NEUROANATOMICAL RELATIONS AMONG BRAIN REGIONS

NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING FOR MINING NEUROANATOMICAL RELATIONS AMONG BRAIN REGIONS Identifying the relations among different regions of the brain is vital for a better understanding of how the brain functions. While a large number of studies have investigated the neuroanatomical and neurochemical connections among brain structures, their specific findings are found in publications scattered over a large number of years and different types of publications. Text mining techniques have provided the means to extract specific types of information from a large number of publications with the aim of presenting a larger, if not necessarily an exhaustive picture. By using natural language processing techniques, the present study aims to identify relations among brain regions in general and relations relevant to the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) in particular. We introduce a linguistically motivated approach based on patterns defined over the constituency and dependency parse trees of sentences. Besides the presence of a relation between a pair of brain regions, the proposed method also identifies the directionality of the relation, which enables the creation and analysis of a directional brain region connectivity graph. The approach is evaluated over the manually annotated data sets of the WhiteText Project. In addition, as a case study, the method is applied to extract and analyze the connectivity graph of PVT, which is an important brain region that is considered to influence many functions ranging from arousal, motivation, and drug-seeking behavior to attention. The results of the PVT connectivity graph show that PVT may be a new target of research in mood assessment.
Effects of time, sex, ethnic origin, and area of residence on prevalence of asthma in Israeli adolescents.

OBJECTIVES--To study effects of time, sex, ethnic origin, and area of residence on prevalence of asthma in Israeli adolescents. DESIGN--Retrospective survey of asthma from computerised medical draft records of conscripts examined up to the end of 1989. SETTING--Five regional centres in Israel. SUBJECTS--443 186 conscripts (262 836 males and 180 350 females) aged 17-18 who were born over a nine year period. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Asthma determined by medical history, physical examination, and lung function tests at rest and after exercise. RESULTS--Asthma was more prevalent in males than females (26.5/1000 v 21.4/1000, relative risk 1.25 (95% confidence interval 1.19 to 1.32)). Subjects were split into three groups according to year of birth, and prevalence of asthma increased over time from 18/1000 to 24/1000 to 36/1000 (risk of asthma 0.56 (0.54 to 0.59) for first birth group relative to last birth group and 0.69 (0.66 to 0.72) for second group relative to last group). Risk of asthma was also affected by ethnic origin (highest for Western origin and lowest for north African origin, relative risk 1.63 (1.56 to 1.71)) and area of residence (highest in the central coastal region--risk of 1.24 (1.19 to 1.30) relative to the north coastal region--and lowest in inland areas--risk of 0.67 (0.64 to 0.70) relative to north coastal region). CONCLUSIONS--Prevalence of asthma in Israel is increasing and is higher in males, in people of Western origin, and in those living in the most industrialised coastal region.
Clear cell adenocarcinoma of the urinary bladder

Clear cell adenocarcinoma of the lower urinary tract, and particularly of the bladder, is a rare neoplasm and its histogenesis remains obscure. The authors report the clinical and pathologic findings of a 55-year-old male with clear cell carcinoma of the bladder. The histogenesis of the tumor is discussed, and 35 cases reported in the literature are reviewed.
Cross-Pollination of Nontransgenic Corn Ears with Transgenic Bt Corn: Efficacy Against Lepidopteran Pests and Implications for Resistance Management

ABSTRACT The efficacy of nontransgenic sweet corn, Zea mays L. , hybrids cross-pollinated by Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) sweet corn hybrids expressing Cry1Ab toxin was evaluated in both field and laboratory studies in Minnesota in 2000. Non-Bt and Bt hybrids (maternal plants) were cross-pollinated with pollen from both non-Bt and Bt hybrids (paternal plants) to create four crosses. Subsequent crosses were evaluated for efficacy in the field against European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner), and corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), and in laboratory bioassays against O. nubilalis. Field studies indicated that crosses with maternal Bt plants led to low levels of survival for both O. nubilalis and H. zea compared with the non-Bt × non-Bt cross. However, the cross between non-Bt ears and Bt pollen led to survival rates of 43 and 63% for O. nubilalis and H. zea larvae, respectively. This intermediate level of survival also was reflected in the number of kernels damaged. Laboratory bioassays for O. nubilalis, further confirmed field results with larval survival on kernels from the cross between non-Bt ears and Bt pollen reaching 60% compared with non-Bt crossed with non-Bt. These results suggest that non-Bt refuge plants, when planted in proximity to Bt plants, and cross-pollinated, can result in sublethal exposure of O. nubilalis and H. zea larvae to Bt and may undermine the high-dose / refuge resistance management strategy for corn hybrids expressing Cry1Ab.
Validation of a Commercial Dry-Form Broth Microdilution Device (Sensititre) for Testing Tedizolid, a New Oxazolidinone

ABSTRACT Tedizolid, a novel oxazolidinone antibacterial with potent activity against a wide range of Gram-positive pathogens, was recently approved by regulatory authorities for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections. A commercial broth microdilution device (Sensititre; Thermo Fisher Scientific) was validated using 285 selected Gram-positive isolates, and the device was documented to have 100.0% essential and categorical agreement with reference MIC results and excellent MIC endpoint reproducibility.
Earnings Quality and Stock Returns

An exclusive focus on bottom-line income misses important information about the quality of earnings. Accruals (the difference between accounting earnings and cash flow) are reliably, negatively associated with future stock returns. Earnings increases that are accompanied by high accruals, suggesting low-quality earnings, are associated with poor future returns. We explore various hypotheses -- earnings manipulation, extrapolative biases about future growth, and under-reaction to business conditions -- to explain accruals' predictive power. Distinctions between the hypotheses are based on evidence from operating performance, the behavior of individual accrual items, and discretionary versus nondiscretionary components of accruals.