Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A genomic region transcribed into a long noncoding RNA interacts with the Prss42/Tessp‐2 promoter in spermatocytes during mouse spermatogenesis, and its flanking sequences can function as enhancers

Spermatogenesis is regulated by many meiotic stage‐specific genes, but how they coordinate the many individual processes is not fully understood. The Prss/Tessp gene cluster is located on mouse chromosome 9F2‐F3, and the three genes at this site (Prss42/Tessp‐2, Prss43/Tessp‐3, and Prss44/Tessp‐4) are specifically activated during meiosis in pachytene spermatocytes. We searched for DNase I hypersensitive sites (HSs) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) at the Prss/Tessp locus to elucidate how they are activated. We found eight DNase I HSs, three of which were testis germ cell‐specific at or close to the Prss42/Tessp‐2 promoter, and a testis‐specific lncRNA, lncRNA‐HSVIII, that was transcribed from a region adjacent to the Prss42/Tessp‐2 gene. lncRNA‐HSVIII transcripts localized to nuclei of most pachytene spermatocytes and the cytosol of stage‐X pachytene spermatocytes and spermatids. Chromosome conformation capture revealed that the lncRNA‐HSVIII locus specifically interacted with the Prss42/Tessp‐2 promoter in primary and secondary spermatocytes. A 5.8‐kb genome sequence, encompassing the entire lncRNA‐HSVIII sequence and its flanking regions, significantly increased Prss42/Tessp‐2 promoter activity using a reporter‐gene assay, yet this construct did not change lncRNA‐HSVIII expression, indicating that the elevated promoter activity was likely through enhancer activity. Indeed, both upstream and downstream regions of the lncRNA‐HSVIII sequence significantly increased Prss42/Tessp‐2 promoter activity. Our data therefore identified the direct interaction of a genomic region in the lncRNA‐HSVIII locus with the Prss42/Tessp‐2 promoter in spermatocytes, and suggested that sequences adjacent to the lncRNA function as enhancers for the Prss42/Tessp‐2 gene. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 83: 541–557, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Temporal integration deficit in visual information processing by chronic schizophrenics.

The primary objective of the present study was to evaluate speed of visual information processing of chronic schizophrenics and normal subjects. Retarded information processing by schizophrenics has been attributed to a dysfunction at the earliest stage of processing. In the present study, by using a backward-masking paradigm and varying target duration we were able to evaluate whether schizophrenic and normals conform to an iconic or visual persistence theory of processing. Also, we evaluated whether schizophrenic and normal information processing is a function of the total time a stimulus is available for viewing prior to disruption (stimulus onset asynchrony, SOA), or whether it is the time following the stimulus offset prior to disruption by the mask (interstimulus interval, ISI). The former conforms more closely to a visual persistence and the latter to an iconic notion of processing. The results indicate that schizophrenics and normals conform to the processing of information as a function of the SOA as opposed to ISI. However, schizophrenic processing during the period of temporal integration (i.e., up to 130 msec) was significantly retarded when compared to normal controls. These findings suggest that for chronic schizophrenics, visual signals associated with target processing during the temporal integration period have either decayed at a slower rate or are more unstable than those of normals. Also discussed is the compatability of these findings with a visual persistence as opposed to an iconic model of information processing.
Nosocomial cardiac infections.

The most important nosocomial cardiac infections include nosocomial infective endocarditis on native and prosthetic valves, and nosocomial infections related to transvenous permanent pacemakers, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators and left ventricular assist devices. Although representing rare complications, they are of great importance because they are associated with high morbidity and mortality. Most of them are encountered in older-age groups, related to nosocomial invasive procedures performed within the preceding four to eight weeks of hospital admission. Nosocomial bacteraemia associated with infected central intravascular devices, genitourinary or gastrointestinal tract surgery and instrumentation, breaks in sterile surgical techniques at the implantation of prosthetic valves and cardiac devices as well as wound and skin infections, represent the most important risk factors. Staphylococcus aureus in native valve endocarditis and S. epidermidis in the presence of foreign bodies are the main implicated pathogens. However, because of the steeply increasing incidence of candidaemia in tertiary hospitals, nosocomial cardiac infections caused by Candida spp. have also been steadily increasing over the last decades. Diagnosis of nosocomial cardiac infections, particularly in the presence of foreign bodies, is often difficult because of the severity of patients' co-morbid illnesses and the co-existence of several risk factors. Diagnosis should be based on positive blood cultures and transoesophageal echocardiographic findings in febrile high-risk patients. Therapy necessitates a combination of antibiotics and surgical removal of foreign bodies. Prophylaxis should mainly target the prevention and/or appropriate treatment of bacteraemias secondary to infected intravascular devices, as well as application of prophylaxis guidelines whenever invasive hospital-based procedures are performed in high-risk individuals.
The behavior of a multiple channel active control system

The convergence behavior of an adaptive feedforward active control system is studied. This adjusts the outputs of a number of secondary sources to minimize a cost function comprising a combination of the sum of mean-square signals from a number of error sensors (the control error) and the sum of the mean-square signals fed to the secondary sources (the control effect). A steepest descent algorithm which performs this function is derived and analyzed. It is shown that some modes not only converge slowly but also require an excessive control effort for complete convergence. This ill-conditioned behavior can be controlled by the proper choice of the cost function minimized. Laboratory experiments using a 16-loudspeaker 32-microphone control system to control the harmonic sound in an enclosure are presented. The behavior of the practical system is accurately predicted from the theoretical analysis of the adaptive algorithm. The effect of errors in the assumed transfer matrix used by the steepest descent algorithm is briefly discussed. >
Zinc transporter 7 is located in the cis-Golgi apparatus of mouse choroid epithelial cells

The cellular localization of zinc transporter 7 protein in the mouse choroid plexus was examined in this study. Zinc transporter 7 immunoreactive cells were detected in the third, lateral, and fourth ventricles of CD-1 mouse brain. Distinct zinc transporter 7 immunoreactivity was concentrated in the perinuclear regions of the positive cells. The results from zinc autometallography showed that zinc-positive grains were also predominantly located in the perinuclear areas. Ultrastructural localization showed that zinc transporter 7 immunostaining was predominantly present in the membrane and cisternae of the cis-Golgi networks and some vesicle compartments. The results support the notion that zinc transporter 7 may participate in the transport of the cytoplasmic zinc into the Golgi apparatus, and may be involved in local packaging of zinc-binding proteins in the mouse choroid plexus.
National survey of counsellors working in primary care: evidence for growing professionalisation?

Primary care counsellors have frequently been reported to be poorly qualified, unsupervised and engaged in treating problems beyond their capabilities. However, previous surveys have been limited by small samples, third-party profiles and amalgamations of a range of professional groups offering primary care counselling (i.e. community psychiatric nurses [CPNs], practice nurses, counsellors, psychologists, psychiatrists). This is the first national survey to focus primarily on practice counsellors. Aim: To update figures on the prevalence of primary care counselling and obtain detailed profiles of practice counsellors' qualifications, experience and working practices. Method: A questionnaire requesting personal and work-related information was posted to 1660 counsellors: 1200 on the Counselling in Primary Care Trust mailing list and 460 identified from a telephone survey of 1 141 general practices contacted to determine whether they had counsellors. Results: Fifty-one per cent of practices contacted had counsellors. There was a 62% response rate to the survey, comprising 1031 scorable questionnaires. Seventy-five per cent of counsellors held a diploma-level qualification, with 31% having an additional first or masters degree. Only six reported having no relevant qualification. Counsellors had an average of 6.2 years' work experience in medical settings and 99% reported having regular supervision. Problems most commonly treated were depression, bereavement, anxiety and relationship problems. Seventy-seven per cent would not treat hallucinations and delusions, and 50% would not treat substance abuse. Twenty-four per cent used guidelines to assist appropriate referral. Conclusion: It would appear that the vast majority of practice counsellors are adequately trained, supervised and are meeting the criteria set out by national counselling regulatory bodies.
TGF‐β inhibits prolactin‐induced expression of β‐casein by a Smad3‐dependent mechanism

Transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β) is a multifunctional growth factor, affecting cell proliferation, apoptosis, and extracellular matrix homeostasis. It also plays critical roles in mammary gland development, one of which involves inhibition of the expression of milk proteins, such as β‐casein, during pregnancy. Here we further explore the underlying signaling mechanism for it. Our results show that TGF‐β suppresses prolactin‐induced expression of β‐casein mRNA and protein in primary mouse mammary epithelial cells, but its effect on protein expression is more evident. We also find out that this inhibition is not due to the effect of TGF‐β on cell apoptosis. Furthermore, inhibition of TGF‐β type I receptor kinase activity by a pharmacological inhibitor SB431542 or overexpression of dominant negative Smad3 substantially restores β‐casein expression. By contrast, inhibition of p38 and Erk that are known to be activated by TGF‐β does not alleviate the inhibitory effect of TGF‐β. These results are consistent with our other observation that Smad but not MAPK pathway is activated by TGF‐β in mammary epithelial cells. Lastly, we show that prolactin‐induced tyrosine phosphorylation of Jak2 and Stat5 as well as serine/threonine phosphorylation of p70S6K and S6 ribosomal protein are downregulated by TGF‐β, although the former event requires considerably long exposure to TGF‐β. We speculate that these events might be involved in repressing transcription and translation of β‐casein gene, respectively. Taken together, our results demonstrate that TGF‐β abrogates prolactin‐stimulated β‐casein gene expression in mammary epithelial cells through, at least in part, a Smad3‐dependent mechanism. J. Cell. Biochem. 104: 1647–1659, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Fruit quality parameters of some southern highbush blueberries (Vaccinium xcorymbosum L.) grown in Andalusia (Spain)

Physical and chemical parameters of fresh berries from three southern highbush ('O'Neal', 'Sharpblue' and 'Misty') blue- berry cultivars grown in Huelva (Southwestern Spain) under two production systems were measured and evaluated. ANOVA applied to data yielded significant differences between production systems for mean fruit size and mean fruit fresh weight (P 0,05) en la firmeza, contenido en azucar, pH o acidez titulable en los dos sistemas productivos, mientras que los tres cultivares ensayados arrojaron medias diferentes (P<0,05) para el peso fresco del fruto y todos los parametros quimicos controlados. Se aplico un analisis discriminante por pasos para la clasificacion y diferenciacion de los cultivares en funcion de las variables fisico-quimicas de las muestras de frutos, obteniendose altos porcentajes de cla- sificacion correcta y prediccion (81,1% y 74,8% respectivamente). Las variables con mayor poder discriminante fueron la acidez titulable, el tamano y el contenido en azucar del fruto. Palabras clave adicionales: analisis discriminante, 'Misty', 'O'Neal', produccion, 'Sharpblue'.
"Finger food menu" restores independence in dining.

Linda Jean is a senior nutrition service consultant for Vencor, Inc. She oversees nutrition care in 10 long-term care facilities in Massachusetts, and directly consults for three of them. Four years ago, she piloted a finger food menu for cognitively impaired residents and implemented a successful program that has worked to increase nutrient intake, decrease weight loss, and curtail the amount of high calorie and protein supplements that need to be provided.
Survey the Interference of Glutamate - Histamine in Central Nervous System in food intake at Broiler Chickens (A Physiological Approach to Neuro-Endocrinal system in poultry)

Glutamate and histamine are two inhibitory factors of appetite in central nervous system of birds. In the present study, interference effect of glutamate-histamine was evaluated. The broiler weighing 700±50gr, implanted sterile canule in right ventricle of their brine, were used. Animals were fasted for 24 hours before intra-ventricular micro-injection. After canule-implantation the birds were divided to different groups in terms of kind of injection drugs. Each group included 8 broilers and one group was considered as control. Glutamate, histamine, histamine antagonist and glutamate-histamine solutions were injected to right ventricle of brain and then the amount of food intake in all groups in minutes 15, 30,45,60,90,120,180 and 240 after injection was measured. Results showed that intra-ventricular injection of glutamate, histamine and histamine-glutamate caused statistically considerable decrease in food intake compared to control groups (P<0.05), whereas histamine antagonist induced significant increase in food intake in comparison to control group in all times (P<0.05). In minutes 30,45,60,120 and 180,appetite in glutamate-histamine was less than group glutamate but finally in minute 240 there was not seen any significant difference between two groups. In conclusion, it seemed the inhibitory effect of histamine on glutamate receptors prevented the intensive effect of contemporarily injection of these two drugs.
Effect of ivermectin on infection with gastro-intestinal nematodes in Sierra Leone

Abstract Levels of intestinal nematode infections were assessed six months after a two year trial of ivermectin for efficacy against onchocerciasis had ended. In the trial the inhabitants of six villages in Sierra Leone were offered treatment with ivermectin or placebo at six monthly intervals for four rounds in total. Quantitative faecal egg counts were carried out on stool samples provided by 202 subjects, all of whom had received all four rounds of treatment, in two of the villages (Dodo and Mogibisi). These data were analysed by a novel procedure in which a 3-way ANOVA with negative binomial errors enabled village and host gender influences on the outcome of treatment to be identified. Necator americanus was the most common species showing an overall prevalence of 90% but a higher intensity in Mogibisi relative to Dodo, particularly among male subjects. Neither prevalence nor intensity of infection were altered in ivermectin-treated compared with placebo-treated subjects. Trichuris trichiura was the least common species with a prevalence of 15%. It was concluded that there was no significant protection from infection with this species among the ivermectin relative to the placebo-treated subjects. Ascaris lumbricoides, with an overall prevalence of 39%, was more common among female (50%) compared with male (27%) villagers. Prevalence was not significantly affected by ivermectin but the intensity of infection declined by 91.3% in Dodo whilst in Mogibisi intensity was only reduced by 14.6%. The results indicate that the long-term benefits of treatment of necatoriasis and trichuriasis with ivermectin are likely to be minimal whilst those of ascariasis will depend on the individual characteristics of local communities and may differ quite markedly within a limited geographical area. Possible explanations for the discrepancy in efficacy between villages are considered.
Effect of extreme fish consumption on dietary and plasma antioxidant levels and fatty acid composition.

OBJECTIVE To assess the effects of high-fish and low-fish diets on plasma concentrations of fatty acids and selected antioxidants. DESIGN AND SUBJECTS The effects of fish consumption on dietary and plasma antioxidant levels and fatty acid composition were studied as part of a large dietary survey of Finnish adults (n = 1861). High-fish consumers were matched with low-fish consumers and 41 pairs were identified. The members of each pair were of the same sex, from the same 10 y age group, and from the same or adjacent areas. There were 21 men and 20 women in each group, with a mean age of 54.3 y. METHODS The fish consumption of the subjects was investigated with a qualitative food questionnaire. Additionally, a 3 d food record was used to estimate the diet. Two indices were defined to describe the oxidation potential of the diets. The plasma alpha-tocopherol, gamma-tocopherol, and beta-carotene concentrations and various fatty acids were analysed. RESULTS The mean fish intake was 103 g/d in the high-fish and 5 g/d in the low-fish group. The dietary intakes of vitamin C, protein, total n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, mercury, selenium, and salt and the theoretical oxidative potential were higher (P < 0.05) and the saturated fatty acid intake lower (P < 0.01) in the high-fish than in the low-fish group. The dietary vitamin E intake was similar in both groups but the ratio of dietary vitamin E/PUFA was higher (P < 0.01) in the high-fish than in the low-fish group (0.85 and 0.75, respectively). The plasma n-3 PUFAs were higher (P < 0.001) and n-6 PUFAs lower (P < 0.001) in the high-fish than in the low-fish group. There were no differences in plasma antioxidant levels between the groups. CONCLUSION This study shows that extreme fish consumption does not affect plasma antioxidant levels.
A 3.4-7 GHz Transformer-Based Dual-mode Wideband VCO

In this work, a dual-mode oscillator built around a transformer-based resonator is proposed. By making use of this technique, a wideband VCO is designed that features a 69% tuning range spanning from 3.4 GHz to 7 GHz. An excellent 14.8 dB power-frequency-tuning-normalized figure of merit, accounting of -118.6 dBc/Hz phase noise at 1 MHz offset from the 4.6 GHz carrier at 1 mW power consumption, is reported
Assessment of Human Pancreatic Islet Architecture and Composition by Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy

The recent success of pancreatic islet transplantation has generated considerable enthusiasm. To better understand the quality and characteristics of human islets used for transplantation, we performed detailed analysis of islet architecture and composition using confocal laser scanning microscopy. Human islets from six separate isolations provided by three different islet isolation centers were compared with isolated mouse and non-human primate islets. As expected from histological sections of murine pancreas, in isolated murine islets α and δ cells resided at the periphery of the β-cell core. However, human islets were markedly different in that α, β, and δ cells were dispersed throughout the islet. This pattern of cell distribution was present in all human islet preparations and islets of various sizes and was also seen in histological sections of human pancreas. The architecture of isolated non-human primate islets was very similar to that of human islets. Using an image analysis program, we calculated the volume of α, β, and δ cells. In contrast to murine islets, we found that populations of islet cell types varied considerably in human islets. The results indicate that human islets not only are quite heterogeneous in terms of cell composition but also have a substantially different architecture from widely studied murine islets.
Negotiating identities through the ‘cultural practice’ of labia elongation among urban Shona women and men in contemporary Zimbabwe

Dominant Eurocentric discourses on African traditional cultural practices linked to sexuality construct these practices as retrogressive for women in these localities. These discourses take the form of women and sexual rights promoted by some women activists and scholars, whose work mainly focuses on the so-called traditional rural women as victims of these gendered sexual practices. In many ways, such approaches manufacture and exaggerate differences between Western and African women, while reproducing colonial discourses that construct Africans as backward. This article interrogates the modern-traditional binary which underpin conventional representations of some sexual practices as cultural. Following African feminist scholars who argue for research which explores the significance and meanings such sexual practices hold for those women who engage in them, this article draws on a study I conducted with Shona speaking women and men in Zimbabwe who participated and/or were interested in the practice of labia elongation. The targeted women and men, in their 20s -30s, live in relatively affluent houses in Harare, and are identified as urban, modern and middle-class. The study sought to explore why such women (as well as men) who identify as modern were so interested and invested in a sexual practice that has often been constructed as traditional and cultural. By exploring how women and men invoke notions of culture and tradition, the article demonstrates the creative and complex ways in which the young adults position themselves in relation to this practice in particular, and in relation to gender and sexuality more generally. Venganai, Hellen: ”Negotiating Identities Through the ‘Cultural Practice’ of Labia Elongation Among Urban Shona Women and Men in Contemporary Zimbabwe”, Culture Unbound, Volume 8, issue 3, 2016: 306–324. Published by Linköping University Electronic Press: http://www.cultureunbound. ep.liu. se
Reduced-size witricity charger design and its parametric study

Wireless electricity (Witricity) application is recently gaining interest owing to its effectiveness and reliability in mid-range wireless power transfer (WPT). This paper presents a parametric study on Witricity design in order to achieve a good coupling efficiency in term of S21 at the targeted frequency. The dimension of the design is 80 mm × 80 mm, which offer 75% size reduction compared to previous design of 161 mm × 161 mm. The results show that it is possible to compute the resonance frequency by varying the thickness of the substrate, dimension of the capacitors and the number of turns at transmitter and receiver side.