Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ras family proteins: New players involved in the diplotene arrest of Xenopus oocytes

Oogonia undergo numerous mitotic cell cycles before completing the last DNA replication and entering the meiotic prophase I. After chromosome pairing and chromatid exchanges between paired chromosomes, the oocyte I remains arrested at the diplotene stage of the first meiotic prophase. Oocyte growth then occurs independently of cell division; indeed, during this growth period, oocytes (4n DNA) are prevented from completing the meiotic divisions. How is the prophase arrest regulated? One of the players of the prophase block is the high level of intracellular cAMP, maintained by an active adenylate cyclase. By using lethal toxin from Clostridium sordellii (LT), a glucosyl‐transferase that glucosylates and inactivates small G proteins of the Ras subfamily, we have shown that inhibition of either Ras or Rap or both proteins is sufficient to release the prophase block of Xenopus oocytes in a cAMP‐dependent manner. The implications of Ras family proteins as new players involved in the prophase arrest of Xenopus oocytes will be discussed here.
Cytoplasmic factors that control nuclear behavior in mammalian oocytes: A re‐evaluation of studies performed as a student of Yoshio Masui

Studies performed by the author in the laboratory of Dr Yoshio Masui are reviewed and interpreted in the light of subsequent findings. The first series of studies indicated that that chromosome condensation during meiotic maturation of mouse oocytes is controlled initially by a stable protein that decays during maturation and subsequently by an unstable protein synthesized after germinal vesicle breakdown. Cyclin B is present in immature oocytes, becomes partially degraded near metaphase I and then re‐accumulates, suggesting that this may be protein whose activity was inferred from the original results. The second series of experiments indicated that factors which appear in the oocyte cytoplasm during maturation are able to remodel the sperm into metaphase‐like chromosomes, and that the supply of these factors is limited. Recent work indicates that these factors are required for the assembly of histones onto the sperm DNA, and has identified two molecular species, mNAP‐1 and NPM‐3, known to promote replication‐independent chromatin assembly in somatic cells, that are expressed in oocytes.
Significance of(1,3)-β-D-Glucan Detection in Three Kinds of Fluid Samples from Rat Model of Systemic Trichosporosis

OBJECTIVE To observe the significance of(1,3)-β-D-glucan in different humor samples on the rat model of systemic trichosporosis.METHODS Established the animal model with systemic infection of trichosporosis,to collect the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF),plasma and urine samples for determining,and checked with G-test,nested PCR and fungus culture.RESULTS In the earlier infection(10d),the sensitivity of G-test in the samples of plasma,BALF and urine were 80.00%,86.67%,and 6.67%,respectively,and had significant difference with control group.In the 30 plasma samples,the average sensitivity of G-test and nested-PCR blood fungus culture was 76.76%,68.85%,and 3.33%,respectively.With the statistical analysis,the sensitivity of G-test had significant deviation than fungus culture(P0.05). The concentration of(1,3)-β-D-glucan in the plasma increased at the initial infected stage and decreased as these rats got well,and reflected linear correlation with the number of infected viscera organs(P0.05). CONCLUSIONS The primary results suggested that the(1,3)-β-D-glucan detection in some fluid samples help to make early diagnosis,and evaluate the infection range and the prognosis of the systemic trichosporosis.
Evaluating an online augmented reality puzzle for DC circuits: Students' feedback and conceptual knowledge gain

Augmented reality (AR) enables users to overlay new information over the real environment, allowing them to get a clear perception of physical systems or even to interact with them. AR is a powerful and promising tool in many areas, including engineering‐related ones. Therefore, it has aroused growing interest in engineering education. The main objectives of this study are to examine engineering students' feedback and conceptual knowledge gain resulting from using an online AR app. The design and development of the app, named “AR DC circuit puzzle,” was driven by the intention to familiarize students with AR, using a tool that addresses direct current circuits' concepts, a subject belonging to almost all undergraduate engineering syllabi. Through structural equation modeling, the analysis of the relationships between several psychological traits related to the use of the AR app revealed that attitude toward the use of AR is very positive and mostly driven by the value students perceived this app to have in the context of their engineering training. The use of a pre‐ and posttest methodology resulted in large average normalized gains and effect sizes, indicating conceptual knowledge gain. The current worldwide situation triggered the massive use of digital tools; hence, it can be anticipated that in the future, there will be a greater need for online learning resources. This study, involving a large sample of engineering students in three consecutive academic years, shows that the used online tool based on AR can engage students and, with the right strategy, can promote knowledge gain.
30 Year‐Old Male with Headaches

A 30-year-old Chinese male presented with an 8 week history of headaches, visual changes, lightheadedness and balance problems. These symptoms were attributed to increased intracranial pressure secondary to obstructive hydrocephalus. Computed tomography (CT) scans demonstrated an iso-or slightly hyperdense mass within both lateral ventricles. The septum pellucidum was not seen well on imaging studies and the tumor was centered on the midline. Contrast enhancement was mild to moderate. An MRI scan revealed a large midline mass obliterating large portions of the lateral ventricles and giving rise to obstructive hydrocephalus and transependymal edema. The mass was isointense on T1 weighted imaging and contained calcification On T2 weighted images it was relatively isointense with cortex (Fig 1a). There was moderate enhancement after the administration of gadolinium. Postoperative MRI scan showed gross total resection and some blood. After radiotherapy, the nerval symptoms had lapse to. But repeated MRI scans in the following 12 months showed recrudescence in the MRI findings and patient had more nerval symptomatic. Finally, the patient died of hydrocephalus and brain edema 20 months after the surgery. GROSS PATHOLOGY
EDITORIAL

In ischemia, energy failure is the primary event. Energy failure results in necrosis, and necrosis is the pathological hallmark of stroke. When there is energy failure, protein synthesis fails and new gene products that are necessary for programmed cell death cannot be expressed. Moreover, the morphologic characteristic of programmed cell death, apoptosis, cannot occur. Therefore, one would not expect that programmed cell death is relevant to cerebral ischemia. Nonetheless, many new observations suggest that programmed cell death may occur after cerebral ischemia in the border zone of infarcts and under conditions where cerebral ischemia is incomplete or transient. In these cases, energy failure is not complete or permanent and neurons may have apoptotic morphologic features (8). Furthermore, protein synthesis inhibitors such as cycloheximide may reduce ischemic neuronal injury, suggesting that expression of new protein is necessary for ischemic neuronal death(3). Further support for the hypothesis that neuronal cell death in ischemia is genetically regulated has been fueled by the recent discovery that there are mammalian homologues of the C. elegans death-regulatory genes. The elegant work of Horvitz et al demonstrates that a series of genes control neuronal cell death during development in the nematode C. elegans (reviewed in (5)). Key genes in the regulation of neuronal cell death in C elegans are the genes CED3, CED4, and CED9. CED 3 and 4 irreversibly commit the neuron to death, while expression of CED9 inhibits this key step. Recently the mammalian homologues of these genes have been iden-
Correspondence

article by Trillo-Pazos et al provocatively entitled “Detection of HIV-1 DNA in microglia/ macrophages, astrocytes and neurons isolated from brain tissue with HIV-1 encephalitis by laser capture microdissection. ” Unfortunately, the technology and methods applied in this study support neither the descriptive title nor many of the article’s statements (conclusions). The authors used laser capture microdissection (LCM) on 6 paraffin blocks from 4 cases of HIV encephalitis. Pooling material captured from 100 to 200 astrocytes or neurons, they conclude that both cell types are infected at the astonishing frequency of 0.5 to 1%. I do not believe the data in the manuscript support this conclusion nor the manuscript title. While LCM is all the rage, its limitations—particularly given the manner in which it was used in this manuscript—must be acknowledged. Contrary to the author’s claim LCM will not ensure “precise capture of individual cells without surrounding matter. ” Familiarity with the density of the central nervous system and the geometry of 5m thick paraffin sections immediately raises issues of specimen contamination by the dense neuropil. Unfortunately, the investigators worsen this problem by “pooling” captured material from hundreds of such specimens and subjecting the isolated material to 40 cycles of PCR. Given the abundance of HIV within the nervous system during encephalitis (1), it would be difficult to sample an encephalitic brain and not capture infected microglial processes that would generate a PCR signal after 40 cycles. HIV infection of the nervous system is complex enough without mudding the waters with inadequate experimental methodology.
Effect of BMI1 Knockdown on Cell Proliferation, Apoptosis, Invasiveness, and Migration of U251 Glioma Cells

BMI1 belongs to the polycomb-repressive complex 1 (PRC1) family of genes that are conserved chromatin silencers. These are essential for maintaining both the normal and cancerous stem cell state. In this study, we evaluated the effect of siRNA-mediated BMI1 knockdown on tumor cell properties such as invasion, migration, and apoptosis, as well as on cell signaling pathways responsible for tumor progression in the human glioma cell line, U251. Knockdown of BMI1 induced apoptosis by activating cleavage of PARP and caspase-3. It also decreased the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins, survivin, XIAP, Bcl-xL, and Mcl1. Additionally, BMI1 knockdown significantly decreased cell invasion and cell migration ability. BMI1 knockdown also decreased the phosphorylation of Akt/FOXO1/3a signaling proteins. Our results suggest that BMI1 knockdown induces apoptosis and decreases cell invasion and cell migration. Moreover, we believe these phenomenona are associated with decreased phoshorylation of Akt signaling proteins, which contributes to cancer progression.
Centrosome inheritance in insects: Fertilization and parthenogenesis

Centrosome biogenesis is unclear, although much structural and biochemical research has been performed in several experimental systems. An alternative model to study the assembly of functional centrosomes could be the process of zygotic centrosome formation at the beginning of embryonic development. Although it seems obvious that the sperm cell provides the centrosome at fertilization, some pieces of evidence are not in line with this point of view and give controversial results. Such an analysis could provide useful information if applied to a large variety of organisms. Since insects are a highly diverse group of organisms they provide a variety of models in which to study the process of centrosome reconstitution during fertilization. Moreover, many insect species reproduce by parthenogenesis, a special mode of reproduction in which embryonic development occurs without male contribution. Studies of unfertilized parthenogenetic eggs may therefore teach us much about the process of centrosome assembly in the absence of preexisting centrioles.
Socially interacting or indifferent neighbours? Randomization of movement paths to tease apart social preference and spatial constraints

Understanding how animals interact with their physical and social environment is a major question in ecology, but separating between these factors is often challenging. Observed interaction rates may reflect social behaviour – preferences or avoidance of conspecifics or certain phenotypes. Yet, environmental spatiotemporal heterogeneity also affects individual space use and interaction rates. For instance, clumped and ephemeral resources may force individuals to aggregate independently of sociality. Proximity‐based social networks (PBSNs) are becoming increasingly popular for studying social structures thanks to the parallel improvement of biotracking technologies and network randomization methods. While current methods focus on swapping individual identities among network nodes or in the data streams that underlies the network (e.g. individuals movement paths), we still need better tools to distinguish between the contribution of sociality and other factors towards those interactions. We propose a novel method that randomizes path segments among different time stamps within each individual separately (Part I). Temporal randomization of whole path segments (e.g. full days) retains their original spatial structure while decoupling synchronization among individuals. This allows researchers to compare observed dyadic association rates with those expected by chance given explicit space use of the individuals in each dyad. Further, since environmental changes are commonly much slower than the duration of social interactions, we can differentiate between these two factors (Part II). First, an individual's path is divided into successive time windows (e.g. weeks), and days are randomized within each time window. Then, by exploring how the deviations between randomized and observed networks change as a function of time window length, we can refine our null model to account also for temporal changes in the activity areas. We used biased‐correlated random walk models to simulate populations of socially indifferent or sociable agents for testing our method for both false‐positive and negative errors. Applying the method to a data set of GPS‐tracked sleepy lizards (Tiliqua rugosa) demonstrated its ability to reveal the social organization in free‐ranging animals while accounting for confounding factors of environmental spatiotemporal heterogeneity. We demonstrate that this method is robust to sampling bias and argue that it is applicable for a wide range of systems and tracking techniques, and can be extended to test for preferential phenotypic assortment within PBSNs.
Studies of the Life History of Nomophila Noctuella

This insect, one of the common and widely distributed species of the world, is of considerable economic importance, but for some reason seems to have received but little attention from American entomologists. In 1919 the insect became so abundant as to seriously damage several newly seeded fields of sweet clover on the Experiment Station farm at the University of Illinois. Nearly every year injury by this insect is reported from some localities in Illinois.
Gallstone ileus

Thirty‐seven patients (33 women and four men, median age 78 years) were operated on for gallstone ileus over a 12‐year period with a median follow‐up of 6·2 years. Twenty‐three patients (62 per cent) had serious concomitant diseases. Plain abdominal radiographs performed at admission were diagnostic in only 17 patients (46 per cent) and other procedures such as ultrasonography, gastrointestinal contrast studies and computed tomographic scan were required in ten patients (27 per cent). The diagnosis was made before operation in 27 patients (73 per cent) but in only 17 (46 per cent) at admission. Obstructing stones were located in the terminal ileum in 27 patients (73 per cent), in the proximal ileum or jejunum in five (14 per cent), in the duodenum in two (5 per cent), and in the colon in three (8 per cent). In six instances (16 per cent), more than one stone was involved. Cholecystduodenal fistula was the most frequent fistula type (n = 25, 68 per cent), followed by cholecystcolonic (n = 2, 5 per cent) and cholecystduodenocolonic (n = 2, 5 per cent) types. The site of the fistula was not established in the other eight instances. A one‐stage procedure consisting of the removal of the impacted stone, fistula repair and cholecystectomy was performed in eight patients, two of whom died. A second group of six patients underwent a two‐stage procedure consisting of enterolithotomy followed by elective biliary surgery, with no mortality. Removal of impacted stones was the only surgical treatment in the remaining 23 patients, with five deaths. Operative mortality and morbidity rates associated with the initial procedure did not differ significantly among the three therapeutic groups, which were comparable in terms of patient age, associated concomitant diseases and APACHE II score. However, later biliary complications were prominent in patients treated only by enterolithotomy. These results support the view that a one‐stage procedure is, when feasible, a valid option and may be the procedure of choice. When local or surgical conditions argue against a one‐stage procedure, biliary surgery at a second stage should be considered, if residual stones are present. In poor risk patients, non‐operative methods should be considered.
Table of Contents

This paper deals with a new unpublished Nabataean inscription found in al-ʿAdnāniyah town, which is located to the north of Muʾtah in the Governorate of Karak in southern Jordan. The inscription represents a new addition to the corpus of Nabataean inscriptions from the Moab Plateau. The text, which is dated to the 29th year of Aretas IV, mentions the construction of rbʿyʾ, a term that has not been attested previously in Nabataean.
Gender differences in ischemic heart disease among Middle-Eastern population

Background/Aim. In the past three decades, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) was commonly regarded as a part of obesity-related glomerulopathy (ORG), a distinct entity featuring proteinuria, glomerulomegaly, progressive glomerulosclerosis, and a decline of renal function. The present study aimed to evaluate the glomerular morphometry, clinical features, and a two-year outcome in the obese and non-obese FSGS patients. Methods. The study included 35 FSGS patients (23 males, aged 46.5 ? 15.2 years) divided into two groups: obese [body mass index (BMI) ? 27 kg/m2 (18 patients, aged 47.2 ? 15.5 years)] and non-obese [BMI < 27 kg/m2 (17 patients, aged 45.7 ? 15.2 years)]. The serum concentrations of proteins, albumin, cholesterol, tri-glyceride, and creatinine were determined at the time of the biopsy, and 6, 12, and 24 months after the biopsy. Cock-croft-Gault (BMI < 27 kg/m2) and Cockcroft-GaultLBW (BMI ? 27 kg/m2) formulas were calculated. Glomerular radius (GR), glomerular volume (GV), and glomerular density (GD) were compared morphometrically between the two groups. Results. At the time of the kidney biopsy and 6 months later, the obese had significantly lower glomerular filtration rate (GFR) compared to the non-obese. After 24 months of follow-up, there were not any differences between the groups. The obese had a significantly higher GR (109.44 ? 6.03 ? m vs. 98.53 ? 14.38 ? m) and GV (3.13 ? 0.49 ? 106 ? m3 vs. 2.26 ? 0.83 ? 106 ? m3), and only slightly lower GD (1.91 ? 0.39/mm2 vs. 1.95 ? 0.61/mm2) compared to the non-obese. A significant positive association between GV and BMI (r = 0.439) was found. After 12 months of follow-up, a significantly higher percentage of the non-obese patients reached complete remission compared to the obese (71.4% vs. 37.5%, respectively; p = 0.041), but after 24 months there were no significant differences. Conclusion. Obese patients, at the time of the kidney biopsy and 6 months later, had already a significantly lower kidney function compared to the non-obese ones. However, 12 and 24 months after, this difference was not statistically significant. Also, 24 months after, there was no significant difference between the two groups in the percentage of patients with complete remission of the nephrotic syndrome.
CHEMO‐ORIENTATION

1. A new classification system for chemo‐orientation mechanisms is suggested, based on delineating (a) internal and external orientation information available to an organism, (b) mode of information processing, (c) type of motor output pattern, and (d) guidance systems that modulate or direct motor output.
Further similarities between astrocytes and perisinusoidal stellate cells of liver (Ito cells): Colocalization of desmin and glial fibrillary acidic protein in astroglial primary cultures

The colocalization of desmin and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in astrocytes was inferred from previous studies demonstrating a unique antigenic composition comprising GFAP, desmin and vimentin in perisinusoidal stellate cells (PSC) of liver which share several features with astrocytes. In the present study the colocalization of GFAP and desmin was investigated by double‐immunolabeling experiments in 12‐day‐old rat astroglial primary cultures with antiserum against GFAP and two commercial monoclonal antibodies against desmin, antibodies of clone DEU‐10 and clone DEB‐5. These antibodies selectively decorated the perisinusoidal stellate cells (PSC) of liver for which desmin is known to be a marker. The results obtained with astroglial cells demonstrate that both GFAP and desmin are coexpressed in morphologically different types, process‐bearing and process‐lacking astrocytes. The expression of desmin was apparently more pronounced in process‐lacking astrocytes and was considerably lower in process‐bearing ones. In process‐lacking astrocytes, in contrast to filamentous cytoplasmic staining for GFAP, the immunoreactivity for desmin was non‐filamentous and was irregularly spread in the perinuclear cytoplasm of the cells, while in process‐bearing astrocytes the pattern of staining for desmin was similar to that of GFAP. The variability in the intensity and pattern of staining for desmin in astrocytes might be due to transitional stages of differentiation for part of the cells. This interpretation was supported by the presence of GFAP in the cells weakly expressing smooth muscle alpha‐actin and the absence of GFAP in the cells enriched with microfilaments.
Angiogenesis inhibitor SR 25989 upregulates thrombospondin‐1 expression in human vascular endothelial cells and foreskin fibroblasts

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of SR 25989, a member of the thienopyridine family devoid of antiplatelet activity but possessing anti‐angiogenic properties, on the regulation of proteins involved in matrix remodeling during wound healing or tumor progression. Human endothelial cells grown in the presence of SR 25989 showed moderate increases in the production of activators (tissue plasminogen activator and urokinase) and one inhibitor (plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1) of fibrinolysis, together with a significant rise in intracellular thrombospondin‐1. SR 25989 induced a similar increase in thrombospondin‐1 in human foreskin fibroblasts. This over‐expression of thrombospondin‐1 was correlated to a decrease in cell density. A concomitant increase in the tumor suppressor gene protein p53 was observed in endothelial cells and in fibroblasts, in which the slowing down of proliferation could be related to an accumulation of cells in the S and G2 M phases of the cell cycle. Northern blot analysis revealed a temporary rise in thrombospondin‐1 transcripts, followed by a decrease along with a moderate increase in p53 transcripts. Thus the anti‐angiogenic properties of SR 25989 appear to result from an upregulation of thrombospondin‐1 which is possibly mediated by p53. The thienopyridine SR 25989 could therefore be a good candidate for adjuvant anti‐angiogenic therapy in cancer.