Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Deletion of Type IIα Regulatory Subunit Delocalizes Protein Kinase A in Mouse Sperm without Affecting Motility or Fertilization*

Cyclic AMP stimulates sperm motility in a variety of mammalian species, but the molecular details of the intracellular signaling pathway responsible for this effect are unclear. The type IIα isoform of protein kinase A (PKA) is induced late in spermatogenesis and is thought to localize PKA to the flagellar apparatus where it binds cAMP and stimulates motility. A targeted disruption of the type IIα regulatory subunit (RIIα) gene allowed us to examine the role of PKA localization in sperm motility and fertility. In wild type sperm, PKA is found primarily in the detergent-resistant particulate fraction and localizes to the mitochondrial-containing midpiece and the principal piece. In mutant sperm, there is a compensatory increase in RIα protein and a dramatic relocalization of PKA such that the majority of the holoenzyme now appears in the soluble fraction and colocalizes with the cytoplasmic droplet. Unexpectedly the RIIα mutant mice are fertile and have no significant changes in sperm motility. Our results demonstrate that the highly localized pattern of PKA seen in mature sperm is not essential for motility or fertilization.
Effect of Low Dose Aspirin on Thrombus Formation at Arterial and Venous Microanastomoses and on the Tissue Microcirculation

&NA; In free flap/replantation surgery, failure is usually associated with thrombotic occlusion of a microvascular anastomosis (risk zone I) or, on occasion, flow impairment in the microcirculation of the transferred or replanted tissue (risk zone II). The objective of this study is to describe the effect of low dose aspirin on blood flow at both risk zones in microvascular surgery. Risk zone I: In rat femoral arteries and veins, thrombus formation was measured at the anastomoses using transillumination and videomicroscopy. Forty male Wistar rats were assigned in equal numbers to four groups: either arterial or venous injury with either aspirin (5 mg/kg systemically) or saline treatment. We found that aspirin significantly reduces thrombus formation at the venous anastomosis (p = 0.001). Risk zone II: In the isolated rat cremaster muscle downstream from an arterial anastomosis, we measured capillary perfusion, arteriolar diameters, and the appearance of platelet emboli for 6 hours in the muscle microcirculation. Sixteen male Wistar rats in two equal groups received either aspirin (5 mg/kg systemically) or saline. We found that in aspirin‐treated animals, capillary perfusion is significantly (p = 0.002) improved, whereas arteriolar diameters and emboli only slightly increased. In conclusion, low dose aspirin inhibits anastomotic venous thrombosis and improves microcirculatory perfusion in our rat model. These studies provide quantitative data confirming and clarifying the beneficial effects of low dose aspirin in microvascular surgery.
Key Aging-Associated Alterations in Primary Microglia Response to Beta-Amyloid Stimulation

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by a progressive cognitive decline and believed to be driven by the self-aggregation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide into oligomers and fibrils that accumulate as senile plaques. It is widely accepted that microglia-mediated inflammation is a significant contributor to disease pathogenesis; however, different microglia phenotypes were identified along AD progression and excessive Aβ production was shown to dysregulate cell function. As so, the contribution of microglia to AD pathogenesis remains to be elucidated. In this study, we wondered if isolated microglia cultured for 16 days in vitro (DIV) would react differentially from the 2 DIV cells upon treatment with 1000 nM Aβ1–42 for 24 h. No changes in cell viability were observed and morphometric alterations associated to microglia activation, such as volume increase and process shortening, were obvious in 2 DIV microglia, but less evident in 16 DIV cells. These cells showed lower phagocytic, migration and autophagic properties after Aβ treatment than the 2 DIV cultured microglia. Reduced phagocytosis may derive from increased CD33 expression, reduced triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) and milk fat globule-EGF factor 8 protein (MFG-E8) levels, which were mainly observed in 16 DIV cells. Activation of inflammatory mediators, such as high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) and pro-inflammatory cytokines, as well as increased expression of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), TLR4 and fractalkine/CX3C chemokine receptor 1 (CX3CR1) cell surface receptors were prominent in 2 DIV microglia, while elevation of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) was marked in 16 DIV cells. Increased senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) and upregulated miR-146a expression that were observed in 16 DIV cells showed to increase by Aβ in 2 DIV microglia. Additionally, Aβ downregulated miR-155 and miR-124, and reduced the CD11b+ subpopulation in 2 DIV microglia, while increased the number of CD86+ cells in 16 DIV microglia. Simultaneous M1 and M2 markers were found after Aβ treatment, but at lower expression in the in vitro aged microglia. Data show key-aging associated responses by microglia when incubated with Aβ, with a loss of reactivity from the 2 DIV to the 16 DIV cells, which course with a reduced phagocytosis, migration and lower expression of inflammatory miRNAs. These findings help to improve our understanding on the heterogeneous responses that microglia can have along the progression of AD disease and imply that therapeutic approaches may differ from early to late stages.
The Research on exoL of Succinoglycan Biosynthesis Gene in Bioflocculant Producing Bacterium F2

In order to determine the the effective components of bioflocculant in F2, the core sequence of exoL was amplified from the F2 genome by the method of the homologous sequence. exoL is one of the important genes in succinoglycan biosynthesis. The sequenced result indicated that the core sequence of exoL in F2 had 100% homology with the main sequence of exoL in Agrobacterium tumefaciens str. C58.The conclusion was that exoL existed in the genome of F2 and one of the effective polysaccharide component of bioflocculant in F2 was succinoglycan.
Monitoring Mechanisms, Gender, and Information System Structure in Nigerian Non-Financial Listed Companies

Monitoring mechanisms are tools for companies to protect the interests of the shareholders, most especially, the minority shareholders from the deviant behaviour of the management and board members. This study examines the relationship between monitoring mechanisms (directorship, internal and external auditing), gender and information system structure in Nigerian non-financial listed companies. The empirical tests for the study are by quantitative analysis approach with data from annual reports and questionnaires (for information system structure and internal auditing not obtainable from annual reports). The findings reveal that both gender and information system structure significantly relates to monitoring mechanisms (directorship, internal auditing and external auditing). This empirical study adds to the literature on the antecedents of organizational attributes in respect of gender and information system structure as related to monitoring mechanisms, particularly in Sub-Saharan African. Likewise, the findings suggest policy implication for the board of directors regarding appropriate board composition and structuring of the information system of a company to mitigate agency problems.
Comparison of functional fibrinogen (FF/CFF) and FIBTEM in surgical patients – a retrospective study

Abstract Background: Fibrinogen-based clot firmness is reported as the maximum amplitude (MA) when using the citrated functional fibrinogen (CFF) assay in thrombelastography (TEG), and as the maximum clot firmness (MCF) together with several clot amplitude parameters when using the FIBTEM assay in thromboelastometry (ROTEM). Concern is currently being raised that these two tests have different platelet inhibiting performance and consequently provide different values. This is relevant for the clinical setting of fibrinogen replacement. We aim herein to compare the parameters of these two fibrinogen-based clot quality tests and their correlation with the plasma fibrinogen level as determined by the Clauss method. Methods: In total 261 whole blood samples taken from 163 clinical routine surgical patients were analyzed with TEG 5000 and ROTEM tests, and correlation with Clauss fibrinogen level was assessed. Results: Using TEG, the overall fibrin-based clot firmness measured in the CFF assay was significantly higher than the MCF measured by FIBTEM assay. Both assays showed significantly positive correlations with the fibrinogen levels measured using the Clauss method. However, individual values of Clauss fibrinogen concentration corresponded with different values for the two viscoelastometric tests; e.g. within the range of 1.9–2.1 g/L Clauss fibrinogen the median of CFF MA was 16.3 mm whereas FIBTEM MCF was 12.0 mm. Conclusions: We showed herein by measurements of citrated whole blood samples from surgical patients that CFF MA values were different from FIBTEM MCF values measured in the same sample. Awareness that these whole blood assays provide different clot amplitude results is mandatory, particularly if they are being considered as tools for guiding fibrinogen supplementation. Thromboembolic side effects caused by a potentially too high fibrinogen substitution must also kept in mind in this context.
Multidimensional Two-Level Multiphase Space Vector PWM Algorithm and Its Comparison With Multifrequency Space Vector PWM Method

A multilevel multiphase space vector pulsewidth modulation (SVPWM) algorithm has been introduced recently, in which the reference is separated into an integer part and a fractional part. The fractional part is, in essence, a two-level multiphase space vector algorithm. This paper shows that, with appropriate adaptations, the fractional part of the general space vector multilevel multiphase PWM can be applied as a stand-alone PWM method in conjunction with two-level voltage-source converters with any number of phases. Simulation results of the five- and six-phase cases are shown, and the new algorithm is compared with another recent multifrequency SVPWM algorithm, which follows the standard approach of selecting the switching vectors and calculating their application times using planes. The experimental verification is provided using a five-phase two-motor series-connected induction motor drive, supplied from a custom-designed five-phase voltage-source inverter.
Assessing the effects of concussion using the C3Logix Test Battery: An exploratory study

ABSTRACT The C3Logix is a computerized concussion assessment tool that measures a wider array of symptoms (i.e., balance and oculomotor functioning) than other computerized batteries. Although the C3Logix has been used increasingly by athletic organizations at all levels of play, its utility within the concussion population has not been extensively examined. The current study aimed to determine whether the C3Logix is sensitive to the effects of concussion. A total of 54 student-athletes enrolled at a large southern university completed the C3Logix at baseline and within days following a suspected concussion (mean = 2.93, SD = 3.14). Dependent-samples t-tests revealed that relative to their baselines, following concussion, athletes both reported significantly greater postconcussive symptoms and performed more poorly on measures of reaction time and computer-measured balance. Decrements in processing speed, visual acuity, and clinician-observed errors on tests of balance also trended toward significance. Results suggest that inclusion of measures of balance and oculomotor functioning in the assessment of concussion may provide additional clinical utility above and beyond domains typically measured by computerized concussion assessments.
Microwave therapy for cervical ectropion.

BACKGROUND Cervical ectropion is considered as one of the most common types of chronic cervicitis in China. Topical treatments for cervical ectropion including microwave tissue coagulation, are widely used in many hospitals in China. Nowadays, the necessary intervention for inflammatory cervical ectopy is controversial. OBJECTIVES To compare the efficacy and potential side effects of microwave tissue coagulation with other interventions or no intervention in the treatment of cervical ectropion. SEARCH STRATEGY We searched the Cochrane Menstrual Disorders and Subfertility Group Trials Register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, The Cochrane Library 2006, Issue 1), MEDLINE (1966 to 2005), EMBASE (1974 to 2005); The Chinese Biomedical Database (CBM, 1978 to 2005), The Chinese Medical Current Contents (CMCC, 1994 to 2005), CAJ Full-text Database (1994 to 2005) and Chinese Scientific Journals Database (1989 to 2005). We also searched related literature on the Internet with search engines such as Google, searched the reference lists of articles and hand searched relevant Chinese journals. SELECTION CRITERIA Only authentic randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Two authors independently interviewed the original authors of claimed RCTs published in China and then assessed the quality of the three included RCTs and extracted data. MAIN RESULTS No studies were found that met the participant inclusion criteria of the protocol. Although three studies were identified as authentic RCTs from 92 potential RCTs, it was not possible to confirm that the participants were symptomatic prior to treatment. Of these three studies two trials compared microwave therapy with laser and one compared microwave therapy with interferon-alpha suppository therapy. Microwave therapy showed a better effect on cervical appearance over laser therapy in the women with grade II and III and also improved cervical appearance over interferon-alpha suppository therapy. There was no difference in grade I women. Microwave therapy showed less adverse bleeding than laser therapy during the treatment. However, the methodological quality of the three RCTs was generally low. No trial compared treatment to no intervention and most trials didn't assess relief of symptoms or quality of life and satisfaction, which are very important to women. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS There are no RCTs comparing microwave therapy with other treatments or no treatment in symptomatic women with cervical ectropion. Although microwave therapy improved the appearance of the cervix over both laser therapy and interferon-alpha suppository therapy it is not clear if there is any other benefit for women.
Phosphorylation-induced Conformational Changes in the Retinoblastoma Protein Inhibit E2F Transactivation Domain Binding*

Inactivation of the retinoblastoma protein (Rb) through phosphorylation is an important step in promoting cell cycle progression, and hyperphosphorylated Rb is commonly found in tumors. Rb phosphorylation prevents its association with the E2F transcription factor; however, the molecular basis for complex inhibition has not been established. We identify here the key phosphorylation events and conformational changes that occur in Rb to inhibit the specific association between the E2F transactivation domain (E2FTD) and the Rb pocket domain. Calorimetry assays demonstrate that phosphorylation of Rb reduces the affinity of E2FTD binding ∼250-fold and that phosphorylation at Ser608/Ser612 and Thr356/Thr373 is necessary and sufficient for this effect. An NMR assay identifies phosphorylation-driven conformational changes in Rb that directly inhibit E2FTD binding. We find that phosphorylation at Ser608/Ser612 promotes an intramolecular association between a conserved sequence in the flexible pocket linker and the pocket domain of Rb that occludes the E2FTD binding site. We also find that phosphorylation of Thr356/Thr373 inhibits E2FTD binding in a manner that requires the Rb N-terminal domain. Taken together, our results suggest two distinct mechanisms for how phosphorylation of Rb modulates association between E2FTD and the Rb pocket and describe for the first time a function for the structured N-terminal domain in Rb inactivation.
Serum adiponectin concentration and cardiovascular risk factors in climacteric women

Objective Adiponectin plays a significant role in the modulation of glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. We attempted to evaluate the relationship between adiponectin level and parameters of the menopausal metabolic syndrome: body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, lipid profile and insulin resistance indices. Subjects and methods Thirty-two women and ten men aged 40–63 years were included. The percentage of body fat and of abdominal fat deposits were measured with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Serum adiponectin, tumour necrosis factor-α (TNFα) and leptin were measured with commercially available radioimmunoassay kits. To exclude the influence of nutritional factors on adiponectin secretion, diet content was analysed in the preceding three days. Results Postmenopausal non-obese women had a non-significantly lower level of adiponectin compared with premenopausal women of corresponding body mass. Serum adiponectin level was significantly lower in postmenopausal obese women than in non-obese women (p = 0.0023). Men with similar age and body mass to the women had the lowest level of adiponectin (p = 0.06). Three months of estrogen replacement therapy in women with surgical menopause did not significantly change the serum level of adiponectin. We found a negative correlation of adiponectin with leptin, insulin resistance index and total cholesterol, and a positive correlation with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Adiponectin level was negatively correlated with free testosterone, but we did not find such a relationship with estradiol. There was no correlation of adiponectin level with TNFα; however, serum TNFα correlated positively with leptin. The dietary analysis showed no differences between the diets of obese and non-obese women over the preceding three days. Moreover, mean diastolic and systolic blood pressures were noted to be significantly lower in premenopausal women than in postmenopausal non-obese women (p = 0.05). Conclusions Our results suggest that adiponectin could be a marker of risk for developing menopausal metabolic syndrome. Moreover, it is possible that sex steroids have an influence on adiponectin secretion.
Autophagy is induced during cell death by incompatibility and is essential for differentiation in the filamentous fungus Podospora anserina

In filamentous fungi, a cell death reaction occurs when cells of unlike genotype fuse. This cell death reaction, known as incompatibility reaction, is genetically controlled by a set of loci termed het loci (for heterokaryon incompatibility loci). In Podospora anserina, genes induced during this cell death reaction (idi genes) have been identified. The idi‐6/pspA gene encodes a serine protease that is the orthologue of the vacuolar protease B of Saccharomyces cerevisiae involved in autophagy. We report here that the PSPA protease participates in the degradative autophagic pathway in Podospora. We have identified the Podospora orthologue of the AUT7 gene of S. cerevisiae involved in the early steps of autophagy in yeast. This gene is induced during the development of the incompatibility reaction and was designated idi‐7. We have used a GFP–IDI7 fusion protein as a cytological marker of the induction of autophagy. Relocalization of this fusion protein and detection of autophagic bodies inside the vacuoles during the development of the incompatibility reaction provide cytological evidence of induction of autophagy during this cell death reaction. Therefore, cell death by incompatibility in fungi appears to be related to type II programmed cell death in metazoans. In addition, we found that pspA and idi‐7 null mutations confer differentiation defects such as the absence of female reproductive structures, indicating that autophagy is required for differentiation in Podospora.
OpenSEA: Semi-Formal Methods for Soft Error Analysis

Alpha-particles and cosmic rays cause bit flips in chips. Protection circuits ease the problem, but cost chip area and power, and so designers try hard to optimize them. This leads to bugs: an undetected fault can bring miscalculations, the checker that alarms about harmless faults incurs performance penalty. Such bugs are hard to find: circuit simulation with tests is inefficient since it enumerates the huge fault time-location space, and formal methods do not scale since they explore the whole inputs. In this paper, we use formal methods on designer's input tests, while keeping time-location open. This idea is at the core of the tool OpenSEA. OpenSEA can (i) find latches vulnerable to and protected against faults, (ii) find tests that exhibit checker false alarms, (iii) use fixed and open inputs, and (iv) use environment assumptions. Evaluation on a number of industrial designs shows that OpenSEA produces valuable results.
Cultured Representatives of Two Major Phylogroups of Human Colonic Faecalibacterium prausnitzii Can Utilize Pectin, Uronic Acids, and Host-Derived Substrates for Growth

ABSTRACT Faecalibacterium prausnitzii is one of the most abundant commensal bacteria in the healthy human large intestine, but information on genetic diversity and substrate utilization is limited. Here, we examine the phylogeny, phenotypic characteristics, and influence of gut environmental factors on growth of F. prausnitzii strains isolated from healthy subjects. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA sequences indicated that the cultured strains were representative of F. prausnitzii sequences detected by direct analysis of fecal DNA and separated the available isolates into two phylogroups. Most F. prausnitzii strains tested grew well under anaerobic conditions on apple pectin. Furthermore, F. prausnitzii strains competed successfully in coculture with two other abundant pectin-utilizing species, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron and Eubacterium eligens, with apple pectin as substrate, suggesting that this species makes a contribution to pectin fermentation in the colon. Many F. prausnitzii isolates were able to utilize uronic acids for growth, an ability previously thought to be confined to Bacteroides spp. among human colonic anaerobes. Most strains grew on N-acetylglucosamine, demonstrating an ability to utilize host-derived substrates. All strains tested were bile sensitive, showing at least 80% growth inhibition in the presence of 0.5 μg/ml bile salts, while inhibition at mildly acidic pH was strain dependent. These attributes help to explain the abundance of F. prausnitzii in the colonic community but also suggest factors in the gut environment that may limit its distribution.
Pilot Placement Algorithms for OFDM Based Communications in Indoor Wideband Channels

This work considers the placement of pilot symbols in orthogonal frequency division multiplexed transmissions, to minimise the mean squared error in the corresponding channel estimation. We show that further improvements in this widely investigated topic are possible, for example, in indoor wideband channels, which are subject to significantly correlated scattering processes. Noting that the naive approach incurs a prohibitive complexity, low complexity greedy solutions are developed. A measurement campaign is conducted to estimate real-world channel statistics in an indoor wideband environment. It is confirmed that practical channels are correlated, even to the extent of exhibiting rank deficiencies, and that the proposed placement algorithms result in improved channel estimation performance.