Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hemodilution Is Common in Patients With Advanced Heart Failure

Background—Anemia frequently occurs in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients and is associated with a poor prognosis. A low hematocrit may result from an increased plasma volume (hemodilution) or from reduced red blood cell volume (true anemia). The prevalence and clinical outcome of CHF patients with hemodilution is unknown. Methods and Results—The prevalence of anemia and its effect on outcome was examined in 196 patients with CHF. The prevalence of hemodilution was assessed in a subset of 37 ambulatory anemic patients with I131-tagged albumin to measure red blood cell and plasma volume. Clinical outcome was monitored. Sixty-one percent of the CHF patients were anemic. The prevalence of anemia increased from 33% in patients with New York Heart Association class II heart failure to 68% in class IV CHF patients. Survival was reduced in anemic patients compared with patients with a normal hematocrit (P <0.05). In the subset of 37 anemic patients, 17 patients (46%) had hemodilution and 20 patients (54%) had a true anemia. Nine patients with hemodilution died or underwent urgent transplant compared with 4 patients in the true anemia group (P <0.04). Conclusion—Hemodilution is common in CHF patients. Anemia is associated with a poor prognosis in CHF. Patients with hemodilution tend to do worse than patients with true anemia, which suggests that volume overload may be an important mechanism contributing to the poor outcome in anemic CHF patients.
Morphological and quantitative analysis of spermatogonia in mouse testes using whole mounted seminiferous tubules. I. The normal testes

The spermatogonial populations in ten normal adult mice were analyzed using whole mounted seminiferous tubules. The undifferentiated A spermatogonia as well as the six generations of differentiating spermatogonia were clearly identifiable on whole mounts. Description plus quantitation of these cell types revealed that they behaved in essentially the same manner as their counterparts in the rat. Single undifferentiated A cells were classified as type A stem cell spermatogonia. They were distributed throughout the seminiferous epithelium, and by periodic mitoses, maintained their stock and furnished cells which would eventually differentiate. Although initially resembling the As spermatogonia, the progeny which were destined to differentiate were classified as type Aalv spermatogonia because they were linked by cytoplas‐mic bridges, and because they usually underwent one or more synchronous mitotic divisions to form short chains of aligned cells. Ultimately, division of Aal cells were no longer seen, and the cells appeared to gradually acquire the typical morphological characteristics of A1 spermatogonia; these continued to differentiate according to the well‐established pattern. It was concluded that the cyclic production of cohorts of A1 cells in this manner would ensure a continual supply of spermatogonia for differentiation.
Statistical methods of estimation and inference for functional MR image analysis

Two questions arising In the analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data acquired during periodic sensory stimulation are: i) how to measure the experimentally determined effect in fMRI time series; and ii) how to decide whether an apparent effect is significant Our approach is first to fit a time series regression model, including sine and cosine terms at the (fundamental) frequency of experimental stimulation, by pseudogeneralized least squares (PGLS) at each pixel of an image. Sinusoidal modeling takes account of locally variable hemodynamic delay and dispersion, and PGLS fitting corrects for residual or endogenous autocorrelation in fMRI time series, to yield best unbiased estimates of the amplitudes of the sine and cosine terms at fundamental frequency; from these parameters the authors derive estimates of experimentally determined power and its standard error. Randomization testing is then used to create inferential brain activation maps (BAMs) of pixels significantly activated by the experimental stimulus. The methods are illustrated by application to data acquired from normal human subjects during periodic visual and auditory stimulation.
Overcoming Consumer Resistance to Innovations – An Analysis of Adoption Triggers

Traditionally, innovation adoption research has focused on the determinants of the states ‘adoption’ and ‘nonadoption’. Aiming at a more detailed understanding of innovation adoption and resistance behavior, this study takes a different perspective and analyzes the transition stage between the nonadoption state and the adoption state to investigate triggers that overcome initial consumer resistance. The study seeks to answer three questions within this novel perspective: (1) What are triggers that lead nonadopters to become adopters? (2) Do adopters and nonadopters differ in their assessment of adoption triggers? and (3) How do adoption triggers relate to innovation adoption barriers? We apply a qualitative exploratory approach that relies on 160 face-to-face interviews with both adopters and nonadopters about nine different innovations to generate a framework of adoption triggers. The results reveal that adoption triggers fall into three broad categories: ‘increasing innovation attraction’, ‘reducing barriers’ or ‘tilting the system’. In addition, we find that adopters and nonadopters differ significantly in their assessment of (potential) adoption triggers. Nonadopters mention performance improvements more frequently as crucial adoption triggers than adopters do. In contrast, adopters indicate knowledge acquisition and a social system push significantly more often than nonadopters do. However, adoption triggers and corresponding adoption barriers do not appear to be linked in a systematic way. Instead, adoption triggers such as a social system push exert influence independent of the existing adoption barriers. We suggest strategies for pre- and postlaunch strategies to facilitate adoption triggers. We also discuss the implications of our findings for theory and present further research opportunities.
Transcriptional Profiling Reveals Novel Interactions between Wounding, Pathogen, Abiotic Stress, and Hormonal Responses in Arabidopsis1,212

Mechanical wounding not only damages plant tissues, but also provides pathways for pathogen invasion. To understand plant responses to wounding at a genomic level, we have surveyed the transcriptional response of 8,200 genes in Arabidopsis plants. Approximately 8% of these genes were altered by wounding at steady-state mRNA levels. Studies of expression patterns of these genes provide new information on the interactions between wounding and other signals, including pathogen attack, abiotic stress factors, and plant hormones. For example, a number of wound-responsive genes encode proteins involved in pathogen response. These include signaling molecules for the pathogen resistance pathway and enzymes required for cell wall modification and secondary metabolism. Many osmotic stress- and heat shock-regulated genes were highly responsive to wounding. Although a number of genes involved in ethylene, jasmonic acid, and abscisic acid pathways were activated, many in auxin responses were suppressed by wounding. These results further dissected the nature of mechanical wounding as a stress signal and identified new genes that may play a role in wounding and other signal transduction pathways.
Diabetes induced in male transgenic mice by expression of human H-ras oncoprotein in pancreatic beta cells

Transgenic mice expressing an insulin-promoted H-ras hybrid gene in pancreatic beta cells developed beta-cell degeneration and diabetes. The disease was manifested in male mice by hyperglycemia, glycosuria, and reduced plasma insulin levels, which appeared around 5 months of age and led to premature death. Histological analyses revealed large holes within the islets of Langerhans and a reduced number of beta cells. The destruction of the islets was not associated with an obvious inflammatory activity. Ultrastructural analysis showed extensive engorgement in the endoplasmic reticulum of the residual beta cells from diabetic males. The females carrying the insulin-promoted ras gene did not manifest any of the physiological abnormalities observed in males and showed only minor histological and ultrastructural changes, even at much greater ages.
Cranial Irradiation Leads to Acute and Persistent Neuroinflammation with Delayed Increases in T-Cell Infiltration and CD11c Expression in C57BL/6 Mouse Brain

Radiotherapy is commonly employed to treat cancers of the head and neck and is increasingly used to treat other central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Exceeding the radiation tolerance of normal CNS tissues can result in sequelae contributing to patient morbidity and mortality. Animal studies and clinical experience suggest that neuroinflammation plays a role in the etiology of these effects; however, detailed characterization of this response has been lacking. Therefore, a dose–time investigation of the neuroinflammatory response after single-dose cranial irradiation was performed using C57BL/6 mice. Consistent with previous reports, cranial irradiation resulted in multiphasic inflammatory changes exemplified by increased transcript levels of inflammatory cytokines, along with glial and endothelial cell activation. Cranial irradiation also resulted in acute infiltration of neutrophils and a delayed increase in T cells, MHC II-positive cells, and CD11c-positive cells seen first at 1 month with doses ≥15 Gy. CD11c-positive cells were found almost exclusively in white matter and expressed MHC II, suggesting a “mature” dendritic cell phenotype that remained elevated out to 1 year postirradiation. Our results indicate that cranial irradiation leads to persistent neuroinflammatory changes in the C57BL/6 mouse brain that includes unique immunomodulatory cell populations.
Norovirus Transmission between Hands, Gloves, Utensils, and Fresh Produce during Simulated Food Handling

ABSTRACT Human noroviruses (HuNoVs), a leading cause of food-borne gastroenteritis worldwide, are easily transferred via ready-to-eat (RTE) foods, often prepared by infected food handlers. In this study, the transmission of HuNoV and murine norovirus (MuNoV) from virus-contaminated hands to latex gloves during gloving, as well as from virus-contaminated donor surfaces to recipient surfaces after simulated preparation of cucumber sandwiches, was inspected. Virus transfer was investigated by swabbing with polyester swabs, followed by nucleic acid extraction from the swabs with a commercial kit and quantitative reverse transcription-PCR. During gloving, transfer of MuNoV dried on the hand was observed 10/12 times. HuNoV, dried on latex gloves, was disseminated to clean pairs of gloves 10/12 times, whereas HuNoV without drying was disseminated 11/12 times. In the sandwich-preparing simulation, both viruses were transferred repeatedly to the first recipient surface (left hand, cucumber, and knife) during the preparation. Both MuNoV and HuNoV were transferred more efficiently from latex gloves to cucumbers (1.2% ± 0.6% and 1.5% ± 1.9%) than vice versa (0.7% ± 0.5% and 0.5% ± 0.4%). We estimated that transfer of at least one infective HuNoV from contaminated hands to the sandwich prepared was likely to occur if the hands of the food handler contained 3 log10 or more HuNoVs before gloving. Virus-contaminated gloves were estimated to transfer HuNoV to the food servings more efficiently than a single contaminated cucumber during handling. Our results indicate that virus-free food ingredients and good hand hygiene are needed to prevent HuNoV contamination of RTE foods.
In vitro activities of A-gliadin-related synthetic peptides: damaging effect on the atrophic coeliac mucosa and activation of mucosal immune response in the treated coeliac mucosa.

BACKGROUND Gliadin amino acid sequence(s) responsible for toxicity in susceptible individuals have not been fully elucidated. Previous in vitro studies have suggested the presence of active sequences in the NH(2)-terminal part of the A-gliadin molecule. In this paper the in vitro activity of A-gliadin synthetic peptides 31-55, 31-43, and 44-55 has been investigated. METHODS Organ culture of jejunal mucosa from untreated and treated coeliac patients was used. In the first system enterocyte height was used as a measure of peptide toxicity; in the second system evidence of activated mucosal cell-mediated immune response was sought. RESULTS Peptides 31-55 and 31-43 were active on untreated coeliac mucosa at a concentration of 0.5 mg/ml and peptide 44-55 only at a concentration of 3 mg/ml. In in vitro-cultured treated coeliac mucosa peptides 31-55 and 31-43 at 1 mg/ml and peptide 44-55 at 3 mg/ml were able to induce enhanced epithelial expression of HLA-DR and 4F2 molecules and the appearance of CD25 positive cells. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that 31-43 and 44-55 A-gliadin peptides are both active, even if to different extents. In vitro systems remain essential tools to screen material to be subsequently tested in vivo.
Interpersonal, intrapersonal, extrapersonal? Qualitatively investigating coordinative couplings between rowers in Olympic sculling.

Coordinative couplings are commonly classified as interpersonal and intrapersonal. Interpersonal coordination is normally thought of as between organisms but a subset can also be considered where the co-actors movements are coupled to an environmental rhythm. This can be termed extrapersonal coordination. This study explores how coordination is achieved in a situation that demands that at least one actor makes use of extrapersonal sources. In this case multi-seat rowing, where one actor cannot see the other one behind them. A qualitative approach using experiential knowledge from expert rowers (N=9) and coaches (N=4) was used to examine how interpersonal coordination was achieved and maintained in 2 person rowing boats. It was reported that where possible, both rowers coordinated their movements by coupling with an invariant provided by the boat. This invariant is underpinned by perception of water flow past the boat; which is in turn used to determine changes in acceleration - 'rowing with the boat. ' Bow seat also identified the rower in front and stroke seat identified the looming of the stern as viable alternative sources for coupling.
Measuring ‘normalcy’ in plant gene expression after herbivore attack

Plants make drastic changes to their transcriptome to appropriately respond to environmental change, and the regulation of genes that are specific to abiotic and biotic stresses is a key to plant survival. The coordination of defence gene transcription is often coupled with significant adjustments in the levels of expression of primary metabolic and structural genes to relocate resources, repair damage and/or induce senescence. This complicates the process of finding suitable ‘housekeeping’ or reference genes to use in measurements of gene expression by real‐time reverse transcription (RT–PCR) in response to herbivore attack. Several software programs have been developed to identify candidate reference genes, but measurement of their expression may still not yield an appropriate gene or suite of genes for normalization. This is especially true in plant–herbivore interactions where tissue damage is immediate and continuous. Here, we show that 12 traditional reference genes customarily used in RT–PCR analysis are not stably expressed after insect attack. We describe the pitfalls of using traditional reference genes and why insect attack may be affecting whole cell metabolism. We propose a method using RNA quantification in combination with an external spike of commercially available mRNA as normalization factors in studies involving herbivory, multiple stress treatments or species where stable reference genes are unknown.
Vav Synergizes with Protein Kinase CΘ to Mediate IL-4 Gene Expression in Response to CD28 Costimulation in T Cells1

The secretion of IL-4, which displays many important immunoregulatory functions, is restricted to cells of the Th2 subtype. In this study, we investigated the early signaling events leading to the activation of IL-4 transcription. Vav, the protein kinase C (PKC) isoform Θ, and the adaptor protein SLP76 (SH2-domain-containing leukocyte protein of 76 kDa), induced transcription from the IL-4 promoter. Vav and PKCΘ synergistically activated human IL-4 promoter transcription and IL-4 mRNA production and were found to be constitutively associated in vivo. CD3/CD28-induced IL-4 transcription was inhibited upon coexpression of dominant negative forms of Vav, the adaptor proteins LAT (linker for activation of T cells) and SLP76, PKCΘ, and components of the pathways leading to the activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 7 (MKK7), mixed lineage kinase 3 (MLK3)) and NF-κB (IκB kinase α and IκB kinase β). The Vav/PKCΘ-mediated synergistic activation of IL-4 transcription was not inhibited by cyclosporin A. Three independent experimental approaches revealed that Vav/PKCΘ-derived signals selectively target the P1 and positive regulatory element (PRE)-I elements contained within the human IL-4 promoter. Vav/PKCΘ strongly activated a luciferase reporter construct controlled by trimerized P1 or PRE-I elements and furthermore stimulated DNA binding of nuclear proteins to the P1 and PRE-I elements. Vav/PKCΘ-induced transcription from the IL-4 promoter was almost completely abrogated by mutation of either the P1 or the PRE-I element within the entire IL-4 promoter.
Perturbative predictions for color superconductivity on the lattice

Takeru Yokota,a,b,∗ Yuhma Asano, Yuta Ito, Hideo Matsufuru, f Yusuke Namekawa, Jun Nishimura, f Asato Tsuchiya and Shoichiro Tsutsui Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences Program (iTHEMS), RIKEN, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8581, Japan Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577 Japan National Institute of Technology, Tokuyama College, Gakuendai, Shunan, Yamaguchi 745-8585, Japan High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), 1-1 Oho, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0801, Japan f School of High Energy Accelerator Science, Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), 1-1 Oho, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0801, Japan Department of Physics, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan Department of Physics, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan Quantum Hadron Physics Laboratory, RIKEN Nishina Center, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan E-mail: takeru.yokota@riken.jp
Synthetic biology challenges long‐held hypotheses in translation, codon bias and transcription

Synthetic biology is a powerful experimental approach, not only for developing new biotechnology applications, but also for testing hypotheses in basic biological science. Here, examples from our research using the best model system, Escherichia coli, are reviewed. New evidence drawn from synthetic biology has overturned several long‐standing hypotheses regarding the mechanisms of transcription and translation: (i) all native aminoacyl‐tRNAs are not equally efficient in translation at equivalent concentrations; (ii) accommodation is not always rate limiting in translation, and may not be for any aminoacyl‐tRNA; (iii) proline is the only N‐alkyl‐amino acid in the genetic code not because of special suitability for protein structure, but because of its comparatively high nucleophilicity; (iv) the usages of most sense codons in E. coli do not correlate with cognate tRNA abundances and (v) class II transcriptional pausing and termination by T7 RNA polymerase cannot be assumed to occur in vivo based on in vitro data. Implications of these conclusions for the biotechnology field are discussed.
Photoautotrophic growth of sugarcane plantlets in vitro as affected by photosynthetic photon flux and vessel air exchanges

SummaryExplants of sugarcane, a C4 plant, were cultured in vitro for 18d on Floridalite (a solid cube consisting of vermiculite and cellulose fibers) used as supporting material with sugar-free Murashige and Skoog liquid medium with double-strength KH2PO4, MgSO4, FeSO4, and Na2-EDTA in the vessel with enhanced natural ventilation. CO2 concentration in the culture room was kept at 1500 μmol mol−1 (four times the atmospheric CO2 concentration) during the photoperiod. A factorial experiment was designed with two levels of photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) and three levels of N (number of air exchanges of the vessel). The results were compared with those in the control treatment (photomixotrophic culture using sugar-containing agar medium under low PPF and low N). PPF and N showed significant positive effects on the growth of sugarcane plantlets in vitro. In the photoautotrophic (using sugar-free medium) treatments with relatively high PPF (200–400 μmol m−2 s−1) and high N (2–10 h−1), the growth of plantlets was four to seven times greater than that in the control. Also, the culture period for multiplication and rooting was shortened from 30 d in the control to 18 d or less in the photoautotrophic, high PPF, and high N treatments. Use of porous supporting material in photoautotrophic treatments promoted rooting and plantlet growth significantly.
Multiwavelet neural network and its approximation properties

A model of multiwavelet-based neural networks is proposed. Its universal and L(2) approximation properties, together with its consistency are proved, and the convergence rates associated with these properties are estimated. The structure of this network is similar to that of the wavelet network, except that the orthonormal scaling functions are replaced by orthonormal multiscaling functions. The theoretical analyses show that the multiwavelet network converges more rapidly than the wavelet network, especially for smooth functions. To make a comparison between both networks, experiments are carried out with the Lemarie-Meyer wavelet network, the Daubechies2 wavelet network and the GHM multiwavelet network, and the results support the theoretical analysis well. In addition, the results also illustrate that at the jump discontinuities, the approximation performance of the two networks are about the same.
Fuzzy association of vessel targets in heterogeneous remote sensing images

The purpose of this letter is to present a method for data association in spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and optical vessel detection reports. Firstly, we analyze the track prediction uncertainty which makes the association problem difficult to be solved. Then in the condition with speed information unknown in detection reports, we use the vessel's sailing angle based on the dead reckoning and multiple features to get a fuzzy correlation matrix. In the matching step, the well-known global nearest neighbor (GNN) criterion is used to get a optimal matching. The experiment results in different condition show that the proposed method is efficient for data association in large-scale maritime surveillance.