Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Circadian gene methylation in rotating-shift nurses: a cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT Investigating the methylation status of the circadian genes may contribute to a better understanding of the shift work-related circadian disruption in individuals exposed to artificial light at night. In the present study, we determined the methylation status of the circadian genes associated with a shift work pattern among nurses and midwives participating in a cross-sectional study in Lodz, Poland. Quantitative methylation polymerase chain reaction assays were used to assess promoter CpG methylation in PER1, PER2, PER3, CRY1, CRY2, BMAL1, CLOCK, and NPAS2 in genomic DNA from whole blood of 347 women having a rotating-shift work schedule and 363 women working days only. The percentage of methylated reference (PMR) was assessed using fluorescent probes for PER1, PER2, PER3, CRY1, and NPAS2, and the percentage of gene methylation, as the methylation index (MI), using two sets of primers for BMAL1, CLOCK, and CRY2. We tested the possible association between current and lifetime rotating night-shift work characteristics and circadian gene methylation by using proportional odds regression model with blood DNA methylation, categorized into tertiles, and adjusted for age, current smoking status, folate intake and blood collection time. The findings indicated that CpG methylation in PER2 promoter was significantly decreased (P < 0.004) among nurses and midwives currently working rotating shifts, as compared with day-working nurses and midwives. The lower percentage of PER2 methylation was associated with a higher monthly frequency of current night duties (2–7 night shifts, and eight or more night shifts per month) (P = 0.012) and was associated at borderline significance (P = 0.092) with the lifetime duration of shift work (>10 ≤ 20 years and >20 ≤ 43 years of rotating-shift work) among nurses and midwives (N = 710). Moreover, women with a longer lifetime duration of shift work presented a lower status of PER1 methylation (P = 0.040) than did the women with up to 10 years of rotating-shift work. Long lifetime duration of shift work (> 10 years) among current rotating night-shift workers (N = 347) was associated with BMAL1 hypomethylation (P = 0.013). Among eight of the investigated circadian genes, only PER1, PER2, and BMAL1 showed differential methylation attributable to the rotating-shift work of nurses and midwives. The findings on blood-based DNA methylation in the circadian genes may provide a better insight into the mechanistic principles underlying the possible health effects of night-shift work but these should be verified in further studies recruiting larger populations of shift workers.
Effects of different transplanting dates on yield and quality of basmati rice (Oryza sativa) varieties

Results of field experiment conducted during kharif 2008 at Hisar, revealed that early transplanting dates (25 June and 10 July) increase the grain yield (3.5 t/ha and 3.4 t/ha) and yield contributing character of basmati rice (Oryza sativa L.) as compared to late planting (25 July). The late planting, improved the quality traits viz. hulling, milling and head rice recovery than early planting. Pusa Sugandha 4 recorded the highest grain yield, longest kernel and length breadth ratio. In interaction effect, Taraori Basmati and CSR 30 recorded statistically similar yield across the dates of transplanting, while Pusa Basmati and Pusa Sugandha 4 yield declined markedly with late transplanting.
Evaluating academics’ knowledge sharing intentions in Malaysian public universities

Academics are the pillars of Institutions of Higher Learning (IHLs) where knowledge is created and shared. Willing academics will determine the quality of knowledge being shared between themselves and their students. In this research, a pilot study is conducted among academics in public IHLs, whereby the theory of planned behaviour(TPB) is adapted to study the academics’ intention to share. Responses are obtained from 45 academics out of 399 survey questionnaires sent via email. This study uses the partial least square (PLS) method where variance-based structural equation modelling (SEM) is applied. The analysed data showed that social network, attitude, management support, social media, and perceived behavioural control (PBC) are significant factors for academics’ intention to share while commitment, trust and subjective norms are not significant. Perceived cost and facilitating conditions are significant but have a negative relationship with their knowledge sharing intention. Several limitations were observed, such as the use of cross-sectionalstudy and the lack of moderating factors. This study would facilitate IHLsin identifying the relevant conditions to be addressed when appointing academics in warranting that academics would be sharing their knowledge for the benefits of the whole community, within and outside the IHLs
Finite element biphasic indentation of cartilage: A comparison of experimental indenter and physiological contact geometries

Abstract In experimental cartilage indentation studies, the indenter is typically a plane-ended or hemispherically ended cylinder and can be either porous or non-porous. Joints such as the hip and knee, however, have much higher radii of curvature than those used in experimental indentation testing. In order to interpret the results from such testing in a physiological context it is therefore useful to explore the effect of contact geometry on the pore pressure and strain distribution generated in the cartilage layer. Articular cartilage can be described as a saturated porous medium, and can be considered a biphasic material consisting of a porous, permeable solid matrix, and an interstitial fluid phase. This behaviour has been predicted in this study using the ABAQUS soils consolidation procedure. Four contact geometries were modelled: two typical experimental configurations (5 mm radii cylindrical indenter and hemispherical indenters) and two effective radii representative of the hip and knee (20 and 100mm). A 10 per cent deformation, or a load of 0.9kN, was applied over a ramp time of 2 s, which was then maintained for a further 100 s. The porous indenter generated less pore pressure compared with the equivalent non-porous indenter and produced higher values of compress-ive strain in the solid matrix. The predictions made using the cylindrical indenters, porous and non-porous, were dominated by the concentrations at the edge of the indenter and overestimated the peak compressive strain in the tissue by a factor of 21 and a factor of 14 respectively when compared with the hip model. The hemispherical indenter predicted peak strains in similar positions to those predicted using physiological radii, however, the magnitude was overestimated by a factor of 2.3 when compared with the knee and by 5.7 when compared with the hip. The pore pressure throughout the cartilage layer reduced significantly as the radius of the indenter was increased.
EPSTEIN–BARR VIRUS (EBV) INFECTION IN INFECTIOUS MONONUCLEOSIS: VIRUS LATENCY, REPLICATION AND PHENOTYPE OF EBV‐INFECTED CELLS

Primary Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection may manifest itself as a benign lymphoproliferative disorder, infectious mononucleosis (IM). EBV infection has been characterized in lymphoreticular tissues from nine patients with IM using the abundantly expressed EBV‐encoded nuclear RNAs (EBERs) as a marker of latent infection. Expression of the virus‐encoded nuclear antigen (EBNA) 2 and of the latent membrane protein (LMP) 1 was seen in variable proportions of cells in all cases. Double labelling revealed heterogeneous expression patterns of these proteins. Thus, in addition to cells revealing phenotypes consistent with latencies I (EBNA2−/LMP1−) and III (EBNA2+/LMP1+), cells displaying a latency II pattern (EBNA2−/LMP1+) were observed. Cells expressing EBNA2 but not LMP1 were also detected; whilst this may represent a transitory phenomenon, the exact significance of this observation is at present uncertain. EBER‐specific in situ hybridization in conjunction with immunohistochemistry revealed expression of the EBERs mainly in B‐lymphocytes, many of which showed features of plasma cell differentiation. By contrast, convincing evidence of latent EBV infection was not found in T‐cells, epithelial or endothelial cells. Double‐labelling immunohistochemistry revealed expression of the replication‐associated BZLF1 protein in small lymphoid cells, often showing plasmacytoid differentiation. There was no unambiguous expression of this protein in other cell types. These results suggest that B‐cells are the primary target of EBV infection and that plasma cells may be a source of infectious virus found in the saliva of IM patients. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The President’s Questioners

Are members of the White House press corps unified in their treatment of the president at any given time, or does their behavior differ by demographic and professional attributes? This study addresses this issue through multidimensional measurement of the aggressiveness of questions put to nine presidents (1953–2000) in news conferences. In addition to the familiar print/broadcast distinction, three largely unexamined attributes are explored: (1) organizational status (journalists affiliated with prominent vs. marginal news outlets), (2) interpersonal familiarity (frequent vs. infrequent news conference participants), and (3) gender (male vs. female journalists). The results indicate that print/broadcast and organizational status, which received the most attention in previous research, are the least consequential here. By contrast, previously unexamined attributes of familiarity and gender were more consequential. Frequent participants were in some respects more aggressive than infrequent participants. Female journalists were in some respects more aggressive than their male counterparts in the earlier part of the study period, but these differences attenuated over time. Explanations for these differences, which may include processes that govern entry into the press corps and/or subsequent on-the-job factors, are also discussed.
Lipoxin A4 Counterregulates GM-CSF Signaling in Eosinophilic Granulocytes1

Eosinophils are granulated leukocytes that are involved in many inflammation-associated pathologies including airway inflammation in asthma. Resolution of eosinophilic inflammation and return to homeostasis is in part due to endogenous chemical mediators, for example, lipoxins, resolvins, and protectins. Lipoxins are endogenous eicosanoids that demonstrate antiinflammatory activity and are synthesized locally at sites of inflammation. In view of the importance of lipoxins (LXs) in resolving inflammation, we investigated the molecular basis of LXA4 action on eosinophilic granulocytes stimulated with GM-CSF employing the eosinophilic leukemia cell line EoL-1 as well as peripheral blood eosinophils. We report herein that LXA4 (1–100 nM) decreased protein tyrosine phosphorylation in EoL-1 cells stimulated with GM-CSF. Additionally, the expression of a number of GM-CSF-induced cytokines was inhibited by LXA4 in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, using a proteomics approach involving mass spectrometry and immunoblot analysis we identified 11 proteins that were tyrosine phosphorylated after GM-CSF stimulation and whose phosphorylation was significantly inhibited by LXA4 pretreatment. Included among these 11 proteins were α-fodrin (nonerythroid spectrin) and actin. Microscopic imaging showed that treatment of EoL-1 cells or blood eosinophils with GM-CSF resulted in the reorganization of actin and the translocation of α-fodrin from the cytoplasm to the plasma membrane. Importantly, α-fodrin translocation was prevented by LXA4 but actin reorganization was not. Thus, the mechanism of LXA4 action likely involves prevention of activation of eosinophilic granulocytes by GM-CSF through inhibition of protein tyrosine phosphorylation and modification of some cytoskeletal components.
Stable Shareholdings, the Decision Horizon Problem and Earnings Smoothing

Prior studies argue that stable shareholders do not encourage firm managers to manage their earnings to achieve short‐term earnings goals. They also state that firm managers with stable shareholders have an incentive to report smooth earnings to maintain long‐term relationships with such shareholders. We focus on cross‐shareholdings and stable shareholdings owned by financial institutions as stable shareholdings in Japan, and investigate the effect of these ownership structures on earnings management patterns. Specifically, we hypothesize that stable shareholdings are positively associated with the informational components of earnings smoothing. Consistent with our hypothesis, we first find that as stable shareholdings increase, managers are more likely to conduct earnings smoothing that provides useful information to stable shareholders. Further, our additional analysis shows that stable shareholdings reduce incentives for managers to cut discretionary expenditures to meet short‐term earnings benchmarks, implying that stable shareholdings could reduce the possibility of a myopic problem. These results suggest that managers with stable shareholdings tend to report smoother and less volatile earnings, and do not tend to pursue earnings management to attain short‐term earnings targets.
A synthetic cationic antimicrobial peptide inhibits inflammatory response and the NLRP3 inflammasome by neutralizing LPS and ATP

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are one of the most important defense mechanisms against bacterial infections in insects, plants, non-mammalian vertebrates, and mammals. In the present study, a class of synthetic AMPs was evaluated for anti-inflammatory activity. One cationic AMP, GW-A2, demonstrated the ability to inhibit the expression levels of nitric oxide (NO), inducible NO synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated macrophages. GW-A2 reduced LPS-induced increases in the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase and protein kinase C-α/δ and the activation of NF-κB. GW-A2 also inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome activation induced by LPS and ATP. Furthermore, in the mice injected with LPS, GW-A2 reduced (1) the concentration of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in the serum; (2) the concentration of TNF-α in the peritoneal lavage; (3) the expression levels of iNOS, COX-2 and NLRP3 in the liver and lung; (4) the infiltration of polymorphonuclear neutrophils in the liver and lung. The underlying mechanisms for the anti-inflammatory activity of GW-A2 were found to be partially due to LPS and ATP neutralization. These results provide insights into how GW-A2 inhibits inflammation and the NLRP3 inflammasome and provide a foundation for the design of rational therapeutics for inflammation-related diseases.
Specialized use of two fingers in free‐ranging aye‐ayes (Daubentonia madagascariensis)

The aye‐aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) possesses a highly specialized hand with two fingers, the third and the fourth, being used in a way unparalleled by any other primate. We observed the use of the third and the fourth fingers in various activities in four free‐ranging aye‐ayes. We found that the thin third finger was used exclusively or preferably for tapping, inserting into the mouth (probably for cleaning the teeth) and probing for nectar, kernels and insects in bamboo, twigs and live wood. In contrast, the robust fourth finger was used preferably when eating jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus). When probing for invertebrates in soft plant tissues and in dead wood, both fingers were used in high proportions. To extract the contents from coconuts, the two fingers were apparently used for different tasks. From this small (686 observations), but unique, study of free‐ranging aye‐ayes, we conclude that the third finger appears to be specialized for use in tasks requiring high mobility, sensitivity and precision, whereas the fourth finger appears to be specialized for tasks requiring strength, scooping action and deep access. Am. J. Primatol. 70:786–795, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Rituximab for Peripheral Ulcerative Keratitis With Wegener Granulomatosis

Purpose: To demonstrate the effectiveness of Rituximab in the management of peripheral ulcerative keratitis (PUK) associated with Wegener granulomatosis (WG). Methods: A 50-year-old female with WG, confirmed by skin biopsy and positive anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies 3 years prior, was presented with a corneoscleral granulomatous mass that affected the superior limbus and with vasculitic PUK in the right eye. The mass was treated daily with oral prednisone (1 mg·kg−1·d−1) in conjunction with weekly maintenance treatment of 10 mg of methotrexate. After 2 months of treatment, the volume of the nodular granulomatous lesion decreased. However, the PUK and corneal thinning persisted, which presented a risk for corneal perforation. Subsequently, two 1000-mg infusions of rituximab were administered at weekly intervals. Results: One week after the first administration of rituximab, we observed persistence of corneal thinning, flattening of the nodular lesion, and disappearance of the necrotic foci. After the second rituximab treatment, the patient exhibited no signs of corneal perforation and we further observed total epithelialization of the PUK. No systemic side effects were seen. After 2 months, no nodular lesion was observed, although conjunctival epithelialization from the previous PUK remained. Weekly methotrexate and 10 mg of prednisone per day were maintained. Conclusions: Rituximab seems to offer therapeutic promise in the treatment of refractory PUK associated with WG. Rituximab may be the elective treatment for severe anterior ocular inflammation associated with risk for corneal perforation, as a result of WG.
Gynaecologic concerns for young women exposed to gonadotoxic chemotherapy

Purpose of review Due to the improved long-term survival of adolescents and young women with systemic malignancies such as lymphomas and leukaemia undergoing gonadotoxic chemotherapy, preservation of future fertility has been the focus of recent ubiquitous interest. This review summarizes, in brief, the recent progress in the various attempts to prevent premature ovarian failure in these young women with unconsumed fertility potential. Recent findings The investigational endeavours of ovarian cryopreservation await the clinical experience of auto- or xenotransplantation, or in-vitro maturation of thawed primordial follicles, and in-vitro fertilization. Although promising, this procedure is not available yet. Moreover, the risk of possible reimplantation of malignant stem cells with the thawed cryopreserved ovary has been highlighted following experimental animal observations. The gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist has been efficient in primates in a prospective study, and in young women in several nonrandomized series. The disruption of the acid sphingomyelinase gene, or sphingosine-1-phosphate, in rodents can prevent follicle destruction by ionizing radiation, possibly indicating in-vivo protection in cancer patients at risk of iatrogenic sterilization. Summary The recent enormous scientific advance lends hope that the future may hold answers to the questions regarding safety and efficiency of oocyte, follicle, or ovarian tissue cryopreservation, and the most efficient means of using the thawed tissue - auto-, hetero-, or xenotransplantation versus IVM on the one hand, and in-vivo pharmacological attempts to minimize follicle depletion by gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist or other modalities on the other hand. Until then, a combination of all the clinically available modalities should be offered to these young women with unconsumed fertility potential who face gonadotoxic therapy.
The effect of a partial relaxation of the school-district system on land prices and academic performance: An empirical analysis in Japan

This study investigates the extent to which gradual and partial relaxation of the school-district system for public high schools impacts land prices and student academic achievement. In Matsue City, Japan, students from outside the school district were strictly prohibited from enrolling in general public schools. For many years, students who lived beyond the district boundary were unable to attend the most academic high school that prepared students to apply to high-status universities. In 2008, however, the school-district system was eliminated in the top academic track, where students were preparing to apply to prestigious universities. In the general track, up to 5% of all prospective candidates were allowed to enroll from outside the school district. Since 2016, the percentage of students allowed to enroll from outside the school district has risen to 20%. The present study applies hedonic land-price models using the fixed-effect approach, together with panel data from 2003 to 2018 and a regression discontinuity approach focusing on the boundary of the school district. The findings show that relaxing the school-district system significantly reduced land-prices within school districts with high-quality high schools. This suggests that relaxing the school-district system may reduce the value attributed to living in a high-quality school district. The impact of this change on the number of candidates successfully applying to universities is also analyzed. Although partial relaxation of the school-district system will expand the disparity of the ratio of successful applicants attending prestigious universities, the ratio of students attending national universities or all universities does not change. This implies that a partial relaxation of the system may affect only highly academic students.
Validity of a single lactate measure to predict fixed lactate thresholds in athletes

ABSTRACT This study aimed to validate the use of a single blood lactate concentration measure taken following a 12 km h−1 running stage (BLC12) to predict and monitor fixed blood lactate concentration (FBLC) thresholds. Three complementary studies were undertaken. Study I: the relationships between BLC12 and the running speeds at FBLC of 3 mmol L−1 (S3mM) and 4 mmol L−1 (S4mM) measured during a multistage running field test were examined in 136 elite athletes. Study II: data from 30 athletes tested one year apart were used to test the predictive capacity of the equations obtained in Study I. Study III: 80 athletes were tested before and after an intensified training period to examine whether training-induced changes in FBLC thresholds could be predicted and monitored by BLC12. Study I: BLC12 was significantly (P < 0.001) and inversely related to S3mM (R2 = 0.89) and S4mM (R2 = 0.95). Study II: prediction models yielded robust correlations between the estimated and measured FBLC thresholds (r = 0.94–0.99; P < 0.001). Study III: estimated changes predicted actual training-induced changes in FBLC thresholds (r = 0.81–0.91; P < 0.001). This study gives empirical support to use a single lactate measure during a sub-maximal running field test as a simple, low-cost and practical alternative to FBLC thresholds in athletes.