Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of meiotic inhibitors and gonadotrophins on porcine oocytes in vitro maturation, fertilization and development

This study evaluated the effect of three reversible meiotic inhibitors (MINs) and their interaction with gonadotrophins (Gns) on the meiotic maturation and developmental competence of porcine oocytes. In experiment 1, the oocytes were matured for 22 hr in the presence or absence of dbcAMP (1 mM), cycloheximide (7 μM) or cilostamide (20 μM) with or without Gns, and for an additional 22 hr in the absence of MINs and Gns. At 22 hr of maturation, regardless of the presence of Gns, a higher proportion (p < .001) of oocytes cultured in the presence of MINs were effectively arrested at the germinal vesicle stage compared with the oocytes cultured without MINs. At 44 hr of maturation, the proportion of oocytes that reached MII was higher (p < .05) in groups with Gns compared with groups without Gns. In experiment 2, oocytes that were matured as in experiment 1 were inseminated and cultured for 7 days to evaluate fertilization parameters and blastocyst formation. Only oocytes from the dbcAMP + Gns group had higher (p < .05) efficiency of fertilization compared with the other treatment groups. The presence of dbcAMP during maturation also increased (p < .05) blastocyst formation and efficiency of blastocyst formation in both the presence and absence of Gns. These results indicate that the interaction of Gns with the tested MINs improved meiotic progression. In addition, regardless of supplementation with Gns, the presence of dbcAMP during the first maturation period increased and even doubled the capacity of oocytes to develop to the blastocyst stage.
Expansion of pluripotent human embryonic stem cells on human feeders

Human embryonic stem cells (HES) hold great potential for regenerative medicine because of their ability to differentiate to any cell type. However, a limitation is that HES cells require a feeder layer to stay undifferentiated. Routinely, mouse embryonic fibroblast is used. However, for therapeutic applications, contamination with mouse cells may be considered unacceptable. In this study, we evaluated three commercially available human foreskin feeder (HF) lines for their ability to support HES cell growth in media supplemented with serum or serum replacer. HES cells on HF in serum replacer–supplemented media were cultured for >30 passages. They remained undifferentiated, maintained a normal karyotype, and continued to be positive for the pluripotent markers Oct‐4, SOX‐2, SSEA‐4, GCTM‐2, Tra‐1‐60, Tra‐1‐81, and alkaline phosphatase. In vivo, HES cells formed teratomas in SCID mouse models that represent the three embryonic germ layers. In contrast, HES cells cultured on HF in serum‐supplemented media differentiated after three passages. Morphologically, the cells became cystic with a loss of intracellular Oct‐4. We have successfully adapted and cultured undifferentiated HES cells on three human feeder lines for >30 passages. No difficulties were observed with the exception of serum in the media. This study reveals a safe and accessible source for feeders for HES cell research and potential therapeutic applications. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The association between substance abuse and antidepressant-induced mania in bipolar disorder: a preliminary study.

BACKGROUND Estimates of the prevalence and features of antidepressant-induced mania vary widely, with few data available on its potential risk factors. METHOD Fifty-three DSM-IV bipolar patients were interviewed to retrospectively identify lifetime affective episodes, pharmacotherapy trials, and clinical outcomes, with corroboration from treating clinicians and reviews of medical, psychiatric, and pharmacy records. Particular attention was given to the possible relationship between antidepressant-induced mania and the presence of psychoactive substance abuse or dependence. RESULTS Antidepressant-induced mania or hypomania was evident in 39.6% (21/53) of the study group. Patients who developed manic features soon after starting an antidepressant had more antidepressant trials per year than those who did not (p < .05). A history of substance abuse and/or dependence was associated with substantially increased risk for antidepressant-induced mania (odds ratio = 6.99, 95% CI = 1.57 to 32.28, p = .007). Concomitant mood stabilizers were not uniformly associated with protection against inductions of mania during antidepressant trials. CONCLUSION Multiple antidepressant exposures among bipolar patients with histories of substance abuse and/or dependence may be associated with an elevated risk for antidepressant-induced mania.
A Structural Snapshot of Cytochrome P 450 2 B 4 in Complex with Paroxetine Provides Insights into Ligand Binding and Clusters of Conformational States

An X-ray crystal structure of cytochrome P450 2B4 in complex with the drug paroxetine was solved at 2.14 Å resolution. The structure revealed a conformation intermediate to that of the recently solved complex with amlodipine and of the more compact complex with 4-(4-chlorophenyl)imidazole in terms of the placement of the F-G cassette. Moreover, the comparison of the new structure with 15 previously solved structures of P450 2B4 revealed some new insights into determinants of active site size and shape. The 2B4-paroxetine structure is nearly superimposable on a previously solved closed structure in a ligand free state. Despite the overall conformational similarity among multiple closed structures, the active site cavity volume of the paroxetine complex is enlarged. Further analysis of the accessible space and binding pocket near the heme reveals a new subchamber that resulted from the movement of secondary structural elements and rearrangements of active site side chains. Overall, the results from the comparison of all the 16 structures of P450 2B4 demonstrate a cluster of protein conformations that were observed in the presence or absence of various ligands. This article has not been copyedited and formatted. The final version may differ from this version. JPET Fast Forward. Published on April 30, 2013 as DOI: 10.1124/jpet.113. 204776 at A PE T Jornals on July 8, 2017 jpet.asjournals. org D ow nladed from
Performance and behaviour of broiler chickens as affected by the housing system Leistung und Verhalten von Broilern in Abhängigkeit vom Haltungssystem

Poultry production has undergone immense change and has become increasingly industrialized over the last 50 years. The later resulted in increasing demands for growth and meat production of broiler chickens. Indeed, the performance of the modern broiler chicken represents one of the most marked increases in livestock productivity achieved by selective breeding. In association with the continuing selection for improved production performance, there have been implications for housing in order to achieve production objectives (SHANAWANY, 1988; PREISINGER, 2005). However, such practices have been heavily criticized and there is now growing concern about housing and handling of broilers with these being the major issues in the debate on broiler welfare (BESSEI, 1992; ELWINGER, 1995; MCLEAN et al., 2002; DUNCAN, 2002; JULIAN, 2005; DAWKINS et al., 2004; PREISINGER, 2005). Welfare is clearly a characteristic of an individual animal and is concerned with the effects of all aspects of genotype and environment on that individual (DUNCAN, 1981), as well as its attempts to cope with that environment (BROOM, 1986). The notion is that good welfare is provided when the individual is able to adapt to or to cope with the constraints of housing and management conditions to which it is exposed to (DUNCAN, 2002). Apart from the major argument about the welfare of poultry managed and housed intensively, there is evidence that compromised welfare is usually associated with a reduction in productivity (FEDDES et al., 2002; JONES et al., 2005; JULIAN, 2005). In practice, behavioural measures are often the starting point for assessing an animal’s response to its environment and hence, its welfare (DAWKINS, 2003). The notion is that welfare assessment can provide insights into important factors when designing environments for broiler chickens. Previous work on broiler’s behaviour has been focused on the main type of housing for commercial broiler production; the litter bedded floor housing systems (BLOKHUIS and VAN DER HAAR, 1990; BESSEI, 1992; BOKKERS and KOENE, 2003; THOMAS et al., 2004). However, comparative information about the performance and behaviour of broilers housed in cages is scarce. The introduction of cages in fattening broilers
Test–Retest Reliability and Internal Consistency of the Activity Card Sort–Australia (18-64)

The Activity Card Sort (ACS) measures activity engagement levels. The Activity Card Sort–Australian version for adults aged 18 to 64 (ACS-Aus (18-64)) was recently developed, and psychometric properties have not yet been determined. This study was established to determine the test–retest reliability and internal consistency of the ACS-Aus (18-64) and describe activity engagement trends for healthy adults. Fifty-four adults aged 18 to 64 participated in this descriptive study. The ACS-Aus (18-64) demonstrated excellent test–retest reliability (r = .92, p < .001) and acceptable internal consistency (α = .83). Adults aged 18 to 40 retained a lower percentage of activities than adults aged 41 to 64 for personal care, daily life, home maintenance activities (t = −2.22, p = .03), and recreation and relaxation activities (t = −2.38, p = .02). The ACS-Aus (18-64) may be used to explore the activity engagement patterns of community-dwelling Australian adults aged 18 to 64. Further research will determine validity for clinical populations.
Amplification of a transgene within a long array of replication origins favors higher gene expression in animal cells

Plasmids with both a mammalian replication initiation region (IR) and a matrix attachment region (MAR) are spontaneously amplified in transfected cells, and generate extrachromosomal double minute (DM) or chromosomal homogeneously staining region (HSR). We previously isolated the shortest core IR (G5) required for gene amplification. In this study, we ligated the G5 DNA to create direct or inverted repeats, mixed the repeats with an expression plasmid, and transfected the mixture into human COLO 320DM or hamster CHO DG44 cells. Consequently, we found that the transfected sequence generated DMs or HSR where, surprisingly, the plasmid sequence was embedded within a long stretch of G5 sequences. The amplified structure from the direct G5 repeats was stable, whereas that from the inverted repeats was not. The amplification might be explained by the efficient replication/multimerization of the G5 repeat and recombination with the co-transfected plasmid in an extrachromosomal context. The product might then be integrated into a chromosome arm to generate a HSR. The expression from the plasmid within the long G5 array was much higher than that from a simple plasmid repeat. Because G5 is a core IR that favors gene expression, a long array of G5 provides an excellent environment for gene expression from the embedded plasmid.
University Curricula in Agricultural and Extension Education: An Analysis of What We Teach and What We Publish

This paper compares what we teach and what we publish in the field of agricultural and extension education as one step in the process of identifying cutting edge themes for inclusion in curricula. An analysis of content of existing undergraduate and graduate agricultural and extension education courses at 22 public universities in the United States was conducted in June, 2003, using course summary information available on university web sites. The identification of trends in articles published recently in the field of agricultural and extension education was also undertaken as a step toward understanding what topics and issues are on the frontier of the field. This review focused on literature from four influential journals in the field (The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education, Journal of Extension, and Journal of Agricultural Education) published from 19982002. Titles and abstracts of 684 refereed articles were examined. Themes identified in this review were then compared with higher agricultural and extension education courses listed by selected U.S. universities. The paper concludes with recommendations for curricula based on the gap between these published themes and courses listed by universities.
Oxaliplatin/5-FU without leucovorin chemotherapy in metastatic colorectal cancer.

PURPOSE Fluorouracil (5-FU) and leucovorin combination therapy have shown synergistic or additive effect against advanced colorectal cancer, but the frequency of mucositis and diarrhea is increased. Most previous studies have used high dose leucovorin (300 approximately 500 mg/m(2)). However, some studies of oxaliplatin and 5-FU with low-dose or high-dose leucovorin in Korea have shown similar response rates. Therefore, we studied the necessity of leucovorin and evaluated the objective tumor response rates and toxicities of a regimen of oxaliplatin and 5-FU without leucovorin every 2 weeks in metastatic colorectal cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty-four patients with metastatic colorectal cancer were enrolled between January 2002 and March 2003. Patients received 85 mg/m(2) of oxaliplatin on day 1, a bolus 5-FU 400 mg/m(2) on day 1 and a continuous 5-FU infusion at 600 mg/m(2)/ 22 hours days 1 and 2, every 2 weeks. RESULTS Of the 24 patients treated, 17 patients received previous 5FU with leucovorin and/or other chemotherapy. Three patients could not be evaluated. Five partial responses were observed with overall response rate of 21% (n=24). Of the previous chemotherapy group (n=17), 4 partial responses were observed with response rate of 24%. Median overall survival was 18 months (range 4 approximately 32 months) and median progression free survival was 4 months (range 2 approximately 6 months). This regimen was well tolerated and only 1 grade 3 anemia was observed. CONCLUSION Oxaliplatin/5-FU combination therapy without leucovorin achieved a relatively high response rate even in patients resistant to the previous 5-FU chemotherapy, and toxicity was minimal.
Effects of Antithrombin III in Patients With Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation Diagnosed by Newly Developed Diagnostic Criteria for Critical Illness

A study was conducted to test the hypotheses that antithrombin III (antithrombin) improves disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) when applied to DIC patients diagnosed by sensitive criteria and that the administration of high-dose antithrombin is a beneficial treatment for DIC. Twenty-three DIC patients diagnosed based on the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine (JAAM) DIC diagnostic criteria were treated with either high-dose (60 IU/kg/day) or low-dose (30 IU/kg/day) antithrombin concentrates for 3 days. The clinical conditions that cause DIC were restricted to systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and sepsis. Data of antithrombin activity, platelet counts, coagulation and fibrinolytic markers, and DIC scores before antithrombin administration (day 0), on days 1 to 3, and on day 7 were retrospectively collected from computer-based records. Patients who met the JAAM DIC criteria were administered either high-dose (12 patients) or low-dose (11 patients) antithrombin. The patients’ backgrounds and antithrombin activity (high dose, 51.5 ± 14.5%; low dose, 62.6 ± 19.3%; P = .153) on day 0 were identical in the 2 groups. The JAAM DIC score and prothrombin time ratio on day 7 significantly improved when compared with those on day 0. However, mortality at 28 days as well as interaction within the antithrombin doses administered showed no difference. There were also no differences in the time course of the platelet counts, coagulation and fibrinolytic markers, and DIC scores in the 2 groups. The authors conclude that the effects of antithrombin on prognosis and coagulation and fibrinolytic parameters are independent of the doses administered in patients with SIRS/sepsis-associated DIC.
Assessment of general movements: towards a better understanding of a sensitive method to evaluate brain function in young infants

The consistent presence of an abnormal quality of general movements (GMs) during the first postnatal months points to a high risk for the development of a neurological disability. To elucidate the significance of abnormal GMs during a single assessment, a classification system for abnormal GMs was developed. To this end six term and ten preterm infants with abnormal GMs were studied longitudinally with video and electromyographic (EMG) recordings till 59 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA). Two basic categories of abnormal GMs were distinguished: (1) mildly abnormal GMs (two types), which lacked fluency while conserving pattern complexity, and (2) definitely abnormal GMs (four types), which lacked fluency and complexity altogether. GM type before 39 weeks PMA correlated with findings on neonatal ultrasound brain scans. GM quality after 47 weeks PMA was strongly related to neurodevelopmental outcome at IK years of age, suggesting that the absence of the age‐specific ‘fidgety’ character of GMs could be a herald of disability.
Correlated motion and the effect of distal mutations in dihydrofolate reductase

Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) catalyzes the reduction of dihydrofolate to tetrahydrofolate. The catalytic rate in this system has been found to be significantly affected by mutations far from the site of chemical activity in the enzyme [Rajagopalan, P. T. R, Lutz, S. , and Benkovic, S. J. (2002) Biochemistry 41, 12618–12628]. On the basis of extensive computer simulations for wild-type DHFR from Escherichia coli and four mutants (G121S, G121V, M42F, and M42F/G121S), we show that key parameters for catalysis are changed. The parameters we study are relative populations of different conformations sampled and hydrogen bonds. We find that the mutations result in long-range structural perturbations, rationalizing the effects that the mutations have on the kinetics of the enzyme. Such perturbations also provide a rationalization for the reported nonadditivity effect for double mutations. We finally examine the role a structural perturbation will have on the hydride transfer step. On the basis of our new findings, we discuss the role of coupled motions between distant regions in the enzyme, which previously was reported by Radkiewicz and Brooks.
A dynamic quantitative evaluation of higher education return: evidence from Taiwan education expansion†

This study analyzes the dynamics of the rate of the return to college share on wage rates, by controlling for the effects of individual schooling. Using an endogenous selection model enables controlling the labor idiosyncratic matching structure and unobserved characteristics of people and cities. A 1% increase in college share in the workforce raised the wages by approximately 0.7% for the less educated groups, and approximately 0.5% for the college-educated group. The dynamics of externalities from the share of college graduates rose from approximately 0.3% in 1998 to approximately 0.8% in 2002, and then decreased gradually to approximately 0.5%. The estimation results also show that the expanding higher education benefits female more than male.
Do Electoral Laws Affect Women’s Representation?

Numerous studies have found that proportional electoral rules significantly increase women’s representation in national parliaments relative to majoritarian and mixed rules. These studies, however, suffer from serious methodological problems including the endogeneity of electoral laws, poor measures of cultural variables, and neglect of time trends. This article attempts to produce more accurate estimates of the effect of electoral rules on women’s representation by using within-country comparisons of electoral rule changes and bicameral systems as well as matching methods. The main finding is that the effect of electoral laws is not as strong as in previous studies and varies across cases. The policy implication is that changes in electoral laws may not provide a quick and consistent fix to the problem of low women’s representation.
Building the Evidence Base for Postoperative and Postpartum Advice

Recommendations for activity after obstetric and gynecologic procedures remain based on tradition and anecdote. After reviewing the current evidence base, guidelines, and practice for postdischarge instructions related to physical activity after the most common obstetric and gynecologic surgical procedures, we conclude that the available data do not support many of the recommendations currently provided. Restrictions on lifting and climbing stairs should likely be abandoned. Guidance on driving should focus on the concern regarding cognitive function and analgesics rather than concerns of wound separation/dehiscence. Given the impact of these recommendations on daily life events, consistent, evidence-based advice on when and how women can safely resume exercise, driving, working, and sexual intercourse is critical. The evidence base informing advice for most of these issues is minimal; we need prospective, well-designed studies to help guide us and our patients.
Hospitalizations Associated With Rotavirus Gastroenteritis in the United States, 1993–2002

Background: In the United States, rotavirus gastroenteritis remains a common disease of children that results in many hospitalizations, clinic visits and medical costs. It is a common cause of morbidity and is associated with a high economic burden in developing countries. Prevention of hospitalizations is the primary target of rotavirus vaccines. Methods: To update estimates of rotavirus hospitalization rates in the United States, we conducted a retrospective analysis of 10 years of national hospitalization data associated with gastroenteritis and used both direct and indirect methods to estimate the percentage of cases associated with rotavirus gastroenteritis. Results: During 1993–2002, an average of 18% of all hospitalizations with gastroenteritis among children <5 years old were associated with rotavirus infection as determined by the rotavirus-specific International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision, Clinical Modification code. The annual proportion of rotavirus-associated hospitalizations increased from 15% in 1993–1995 to 21% in 2000–2002. Hospitalizations associated with rotavirus and those associated with nonspecific gastroenteritis had a marked wintertime seasonality and similar age distribution, which peaked among children between 3 and 24 months old. Using indirect estimation methods, 58,000 to 70,000 rotavirus-associated hospitalizations were estimated to occur each year in the United States. Conclusions: Rotavirus gastroenteritis remains an important cause of hospitalizations in the United States, and the rate has not declined from 1993 through 2002.