Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mass allometry of the appendicular skeleton in terrestrial mammals

Most analyses on allometry of long bones in terrestrial mammals have focused on dimensional allometry, relating external bone measurements either to each other or to body mass. In this article, an analysis of long bone mass to body mass in 64 different species of mammals, spanning three orders of magnitude in body mass, is presented. As previously reported from analyses on total skeletal mass to body mass in terrestrial vertebrates, the masses of most appendicular bones scale with significant positive allometry. These include the pectoral and pelvic girdles, humerus, radius+ulna, and forelimb. Total hindlimb mass and the masses of individual hindlimb bones (femur, tibia, and metatarsus) scale isometrically. Metapodial mass correlates more poorly with body mass than the girdles or any of the long bones. Metapodial mass probably reflects locomotor behavior to a greater extent than do the long bones. Long bone mass in small mammals (<50 kg) scales with significantly greater positive allometry than bone mass in large (>50 kg) mammals, probably because of the proportionally shorter long bones of large mammals as a means of preserving resistance to bending forces at large body sizes. The positive allometric scaling of the skeleton in terrestrial animals has implications for the maximal size attainable, and it is possible that the largest sauropod dinosaurs approached this limit. J. Morphol. 251:195–209, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Knitting from the landscape: what are the interrelations between maker, material and landscape?

This thesis explores the interrelationships between Author-Practitioner-Researcher (APR), material and landscape, when working site-specifically from within their own landscape. It establishes the emotional connections between APR and crafted-garment and divulges the changing relationship of APR with landscape when used as the source of her crafts-practice (spinning, dyeing and knitting). This research addresses a lack of published literature by practitioner-researchers that tackles subjective reflections and emotional connections within their crafts-practice. The enquiry is an Auto – Anthropological reflective practice, putting the APR at the centre of the research, which highlights subjectivity as an intrinsic element of craft-research. Utilising experiential knowledge the APR’s developing perception and knowledge of the landscape in response to producing crafted-garments in this site-specific practice is ascertained. Cognitive mapping and journal analysis is employed to evaluate changes to the APR’s Umwelt, divulging her developing relationship with landscape. Reflective-practice enabled a qualitative evaluation of the making processes, through the experiences recorded in the reflective journal and compared against positioning statements, this revealed that ‘rawness’ acts as a conduit between the APR and the landscape. This holistic method of working also affected the development of an in-depth understanding of material and skill. The design consideration of the crafted-garments reflected the APR’s developing relationship with landscape, revealing that she had begun to design for her life within the landscape, originally designing garments to aesthetically reflect the landscape, intimating how her practice had become entwined with her life within the landscape. Analysis of the crafted-garments revealed memories and narrative had become embedded within them. The extent of the emotional attachment experienced between APR and the crafted-garments after their completion is established, being affected by the involvement of community within their production. The degree to which the crafted-garments created in this site-specific research act as a conduit to landscape is divulged as being derived through their authentic method of production.
Chinese International Students’ Perceptions of their Language Issues in U.S. Universities: A Comparative Study

Many students from China in U.S. universities have revealed their difficulties in using English in both communicative and academic contexts. Their difficulties have been a concern in the fields of academic practices and research studies. Accordingly, the current study was developed, to understand and support Chinese students in the U.S. universities. It compared two unpublished exploratory case studies conducted in two universities, which investigated difficulties faced by Chinese students via interviews. Through multi-faceted analysis of participants’ perceptions of their language issues, we argue that English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses or similar language courses should be more geared to academic writing and speaking for Chinese newcomers. The findings provide insights for reforming the curriculum of language courses in U.S. universities.
Therapeutic hypothermia in experimental models of focal and global cerebral ischemia and intracerebral hemorrhage

Experimental evidence shows that therapeutic hypothermia (TH) protects the brain from cerebral injury in multiple ways. In different models of focal and global cerebral ischemia, mild-to-moderate hypothermia reduces mortality and neuronal injury and improves neurological outcome. In models of experimental intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), TH reduces edema formation but does not show consistent benefi cial effects on functional outcome parameters. However, the number of studies of hypothermia on ICH is still limited. TH is most effective when applied before or during the ischemic event, and its neuroprotective properties vary according to species, strains and the model of ischemia used. Intrinsic changes in body and brain temperature frequently occur in experimental models of focal and global cerebral ischemia, and may have infl uenced studies on other neuroprotectants. This might be one explanation for the failure of a large amount of translational clinical neuroprotective trials. Hypothermia is the only neuroprotective therapeutic agent for cerebral ischemia that has successfully managed the transfer from bench to bedside, and it is an approved therapy for patients after cardiac arrest and children with hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy. However, the implementation of hypothermia in the treatment of stroke patients is still far from routine clinical practice. In this article, the authors describe the development of TH in different models of focal and global cerebral ischemia, point out why hypothermia is so efficient in experimental cerebral ischemia, explain why temperature regulation is essential for further neuroprotective studies and discuss why TH for acute ischemic stroke still remains a promising but controversial therapeutic option.
Transcriptional Activity Affects the H3K4me3 Level and Distribution in the Coding Region

ABSTRACT Histone lysine methylation and CpG DNA methylation contribute to transcriptional regulation. We have shown previously that dimethylated and trimethylated forms of histone H3 at lysine 4 (H3K4me2 and H3K4me3) are primarily depleted from CpG-methylated DNA regions by using patch-methylated stable episomes (minichromosomes) in human cells. This effect on H3K4me2 is clearly not linked to the transcriptional activity in the methylated DNA region; however, transcriptional activity may play a role in the presence of H3K4me3. Here, we present clear evidence of the impact of transcriptional activity on the overall level of H3K4me3 in the coding region and the lack of impact on H3K4me2. Our data also demonstrate the influence of transcriptional activity on the distribution of H3K4me3 and H3K4me2, but not that of total H3, in the 5′ end of the coding region relative to the 3′ end. The nature of the promoter (viral or endogenous) affects H3K4me3 much more than it affects H3K4me2, suggesting a potential fundamental difference in the recruitment of methyltransferase for H3K4 trimethylation.
Hormonal and behavioural detection of oestrus in blackbuck, Antilope cervicapra, and successful artificial insemination with fresh and frozen semen.

Hormonal detection of urinary pregnanediol-3 alpha-glucuronide proved an effective method of monitoring the progress of oestrous cycles in the blackbuck; observation of sexual behaviour in a vasectomized male was, however, a more practical procedure. Good correlation was observed between the occurrence of minimal pregnanediol concentrations in females and the maximal behavioural response by the male. On the basis of intervals between periods of behaviourally detected oestrus, a mean cycle length of 16.9 days (+/- 0.62, s.e.m.) was derived from 12 cycles (4 animals). Eleven females were inseminated in this study, 8 with freshly collected semen and 3 with frozen semen; 6 calves were obtained, 1 after the use of frozen semen. Pregnancy was monitored by measurements of pregnanediol-3 alpha-glucuronide excretion and by ultrasound scanning. The mean interval between insemination and parturition was 183.3 days inclusive, ranging from 182 to 186 days.
Development and Characterization of Protective Haemophilus parasuis Subunit Vaccines Based on Native Proteins with Affinity to Porcine Transferrin and Comparison with Other Subunit and Commercial Vaccines

ABSTRACT Haemophilus parasuis is the agent responsible for causing Glässer's disease, which is characterized by fibrinous polyserositis, polyarthritis, and meningitis in pigs. In this study, we have characterized native outer membrane proteins with affinity to porcine transferrin (NPAPT) from H. parasuis serovar 5, Nagasaki strain. This pool of proteins was used as antigen to developed two vaccine formulations: one was adjuvanted with a mineral oil (Montanide IMS 2215 VG PR), while the other was potentiated with a bacterial neuraminidase from Clostridium perfringens. The potential protective effect conferred by these two vaccines was compared to that afforded by two other vaccines, consisting of recombinant transferrin-binding protein (rTbp) A or B fragments from H. parasuis, Nagasaki strain, and by a commercially available inactivated vaccine. Five groups of colostrum-deprived piglets immunized with the vaccines described above, one group per each vaccine, and a group of nonvaccinated control animals were challenged intratracheally with a lethal dose (3 × 108 CFU) of H. parasuis, Nagasaki strain. The two vaccines containing rTbps yielded similar results with minimal protection against death, clinical signs, gross and microscopic lesions, and H. parasuis invasion. In contrast, the two vaccines composed of NPAPT antigen and commercial bacterin resulted in a strong protection against challenge (without deaths and clinical signs), mild histopathological changes, and no recovery of H. parasuis, thus suggesting their effectiveness in preventing Glässer's disease outbreaks caused by serovar 5.
The leaky UGA termination codon of tobacco rattle virus RNA is suppressed by tobacco chloroplast and cytoplasmic tRNAs(Trp) with CmCA anticodon.

RNA‐1 molecules from tobacco rattle virus (TRV) and pea early‐browning virus (PEBV), two members of the tobravirus group, have recently been shown to contain internal, in‐frame UGA termination codons which are suppressed in vitro. Our results suggest that a UGA stop codon also exists in RNA‐1 of pepper ringspot virus (PRV), another tobravirus. UGA suppression may therefore be a universal feature of the expression of tobravirus genomes. We have isolated two natural suppressor tRNAs from uninfected tobacco plants on the basis of their ability to promote readthrough over the leaky UGA codon of TRV RNA‐1 in a wheat germ extract depleted of endogenous mRNAs and tRNAs. Their amino acid acceptance and nucleotide sequences identify the two UGA‐suppressor tRNAs as chloroplast (chl) and cytoplasmic (cyt) tryptophan‐specific tRNAs with the anticodon CmCA. These are the first UGA suppressor tRNAs to be identified in plants. They have several interesting features. (i) Chl tRNA(Trp) suppresses the UGA stop codon more efficiently than cyt tRNA(Trp). (ii) Chl tRNA(Trp) contains an A24:U11 pair in the D‐stem as does the mutated Escherichia coli UGA‐suppressor tRNA(Trp) which is a more active suppressor than wild‐type tRNA(Trp). (iii) The suppressor activity of chl tRNA(Trp) is dependent on the nucleotides surrounding the stop codon because it recognizes UGA in the TRV context but not the UGA in the beta‐globin context.
The roles of c‐Jun NH2‐terminal kinases (JNKs) in obesity and insulin resistance

Obesity is currently at epidemic levels worldwide and is associated with a wide range of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, fatty liver disease and certain forms of cancer. Obesity‐induced chronic inflammation is central to the disrupted metabolic homeostasis which underlies many of these conditions. While research over the past decade has identified many of the cells and signalling molecules that contribute to obesity‐induced inflammation, perhaps the best characterised are the stress‐activated c‐Jun NH2‐terminal kinases (JNKs). JNKs are activated in obesity in numerous metabolically important cells and tissues such as adipose tissue, macrophages, liver, skeletal muscle and regions of the brain and pituitary. Elegant in vivo mouse studies using Cre‐LoxP‐mediated recombination of the JNK1 and JNK2 genes have revealed the remarkably diverse roles that JNKs play in the development of obesity‐induced inflammation, impaired glucose homeostasis and hepatic steatosis. While JNK activation in classical metabolically active tissues such as skeletal muscle and adipose tissue only appears to play a minor role on the induction of the above‐mentioned pathologies, recent studies have clearly established the important roles JNK signalling fulfils in macrophages, the liver and cells of the anterior pituitary. Collectively, these studies place JNKs as important mediators of obesity and obesity‐associated disruptions to metabolic homeostasis.
Purification and Characterization of an Iron Superoxide Dismutase and a Catalase from the Sulfate-Reducing BacteriumDesulfovibrio gigas

ABSTRACT The iron-containing superoxide dismutase (FeSOD; EC 1.15.1.1 ) and catalase (EC 1.11.1.6 ) enzymes constitutively expressed by the strictly anaerobic bacterium Desulfovibrio gigas were purified and characterized. The FeSOD, isolated as a homodimer of 22-kDa subunits, has a specific activity of 1,900 U/mg and exhibits an electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrum characteristic of high-spin ferric iron in a rhombically distorted ligand field. Like other FeSODs from different organisms, D. gigas FeSOD is sensitive to H2O2 and azide but not to cyanide. The N-terminal amino acid sequence shows a high degree of homology with other SODs from different sources. On the other hand, D. gigas catalase has an estimated molecular mass of 186 ± 8 kDa, consisting of three subunits of 61 kDa, and shows no peroxidase activity. This enzyme is very sensitive to H2O2and cyanide and only slightly sensitive to sulfide. The native enzyme contains one heme per molecule and exhibits a characteristic high-spin ferric-heme EPR spectrum (gy,x = 6.4, 5.4); it has a specific activity of 4,200 U/mg, which is unusually low for this class of enzyme. The importance of these two enzymes in the context of oxygen utilization by this anaerobic organism is discussed.
Origin of microglia in the quail retina: Central‐to‐peripheral and vitreal‐to‐scleral migration of microglial precursors during development

The origin, migration, and differentiation of microglial precursors in the avascular quail retina during embryonic and posthatching development were examined in this study. Microglial precursors and developing microglia were immunocytochemically labeled with QH1 antibody in retinal whole mounts and sections. The retina was free of QH1+ macrophages at embryonic day 5 (E5). Ameboid QH1+ macrophages from the pecten entered the retina from E7 on. These macrophages spread from central to peripheral areas in the retina by migrating on the endfeet of the Müller cells and reached the periphery of the retina at E12. While earlier macrophages were migrating along the inner limiting membrane, other macrophages continued to enter the retina from the pecten until hatching (E16). From E9 on, macrophages were seen to colonize progressively more scleral retinal layers as development advanced. Macrophages first appeared in the ganglion cell layer at E9, in the inner plexiform layer at E12, and in the outer plexiform layer at E 14. Therefore, it seems that macrophages first migrated tangentially along the inner retinal surface and then migrated from vitreal to scleral levels to gain access to the plexiform layers, where they differentiated into ramified microglia. Macrophages appeared to differentiate shortly after arrival in the plexiform layers, as poorly ramified QH1+ cells were seen as early as E12 in the inner plexiform layer and at E14 in the outer plexiform layer. Radial migration of macrophages toward the outer plexiform layer continued until posthatching day 3, after which retinal microglia showed an adult distribution pattern. We also observed numerous vitreal macrophages intimately adhered to the surface of the pecten during embryonic development, when macrophages migrated into the retina. These vitreal macrophages were not seen from hatching onwards, when no further macrophages entered the retina. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
External sources of political connections: Financial advisors and Chinese acquisitions

This study considers the effects of an external form of political connection, namely, politically connected financial advisors, on the value creation of Chinese acquiring firms over the period 2004–2014. Using data consisting of 1,623 Chinese mergers and acquisitions (M&As) deals, we show that politically connected financial advisors create significantly higher market value for acquiring firms, after controlling for firms' own political connections and reputation. Further analysis indicates that the appointment of political advisers can improve an acquiring firm's long‐term industry‐adjusted operating performance and help acquirers reduce bid premiums. We show that private firms and stock‐pay acquisitions are more likely to appoint politically connected financial advisors in M&A transactions, whereas our findings remain unchanged after controlling for endogeneities.
Optimal Team Contests to Induce More Efforts

We show that, if the team sports designer puts more weight on the performance of high-ability members (e.g., star players) than on low-ability members, the designer encourages the low-ability member to free ride on the high-ability members so that the high-ability members exert even greater efforts. Thus, the designer’s choice approximates the best shot team contest. With more weight on the low-ability member’s performance, the choice approximates the weakest link team contest to undermine the free riding. The approximations work better with more convex effort cost function and/or smaller heterogeneity of group members.
Does the persistence of pulsatile antegrade pulmonary blood flow following bidirectional Glenn procedure affect long term outcome?

OBJECTIVES To evaluate outcomes of the Glenn procedure with or without pulsatile antegrade pulmonary blood flow during palliation of patients with functionally single ventricles. METHODS The clinical records of 111 consecutive patients who underwent a bidirectional Glenn procedure for palliation of single ventricle morphologies at our institution between 1997 and 2010 were reviewed. We specifically excluded infants with the diagnosis of hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Following the Glenn procedure, there were 57 patients (Group 1) with and 54 (Group 2) without antegrade pulmonary blood flow. We reviewed their long term data from our database to determine whether the presence of forward flow after the Glenn procedure affected outcome. RESULTS There was 1 early hospital death (in Group 1). The mean SaO2 at discharge was higher in Group 1 (83%±2 vs 78%±4; P<0.001). There was no difference in duration of chest drain insertion, length of intensive care and hospital stay between the two groups. The median follow-up time was 7.1 years (range, 1.7-14.9 years). Sixty-five patients underwent Fontan completion (35 from Group 1) a median of 3.6 years (Group 1) and 3.3 (Group 2) after the Glenn procedure. Three patients died following Fontan completion (1 from Group 1). The 5- and 10-year survival (95% CI) was 96% (84-98%) and 96% (84-98%) in Group 1, and 88% (74-94%) and 82% (66-91%) in Group 2, respectively (log-rank; P=0.03). There was no significant difference in SaO2 levels, or incidence of systemic atrioventricular valve regurgitation or ventricular dysfunction in survivors between groups at the last follow-up. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that leaving antegrade flow following a Glenn procedure improves oxygen saturation significantly and while it does not impact on short term outcome or hospital stay, long-term outcome is significantly better.
Reduced visual attention in heterogeneous textures is reflected in occipital alpha and theta band activity

Increasing context heterogeneity has been found to reduce attention deployment towards an embedded target item. Heterogeneity in visual search tasks is typically induced by segmenting the background into several perceptual groups. In the present study, however, context heterogeneity was induced by varying whole-field heterogeneity, i.e., the degree of distractor variability within the entire context. This allowed us to (i) more gradually vary context heterogeneity, and (ii) investigate attention deployment on a whole-field scale. Results showed that both search performance and amplitude of the N2pc (lateralized ERP; posterior contralateral negativity in the N2 range) monotonically decreased with increasing context heterogeneity, which confirmed that there was less efficient attention deployment for more heterogeneous contexts. The amplitude of the bilateral N2 exhibited a U-shaped function, suggesting global perception for the lowest and highest levels of heterogeneity, but local processing for intermediate heterogeneity levels. Independent component analyses revealed an occipital ERP-contributing effective source cluster that may reflect stimulus representations on a saliency map. With increasing heterogeneity, these sources exhibited more theta band activity for distractors and less theta band activity for targets. Alpha band activity of a second component cluster varied with heterogeneity level, and low-theta/delta activity of a third source cluster distinguished target presence versus absence. In sum, our results suggest that independent brain sources contributed to the differential processing of heterogeneous versus homogeneous contexts.