Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of Proprotein Convertases Is Associated with Loss of Growth and Tumorigenicity of HT-29 Human Colon Carcinoma Cells

Proprotein convertases (PCs) of the subtilisin/kexin family are responsible for the activation of prohormones, protrophic factors, and their receptors. We sought to determine whether loss of PC-mediated activities might affect the malignant phenotypes of cancer cells. Stable transfectants of α1-antitrypsin Portland (α1-PDX) cDNA, coding for a potent PC inhibitor, were analyzed in model HT-29 cells (HT-29/PDX) and in other cell lines. Expression of α1-PDX resulted in a proinsulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (pro-IGF-1R) processing blockade, hence inhibiting the ability of exogenous IGF-1 to induce tyrosine phosphorylation of its β-subunit and insulin-related substrate-1. Coexpression of IGF-1R with four different PCs or the novel convertase SKI-1 in the furin-defective LoVo-C5 cells demonstrated that pro-IGF-1R (∼200 kDa) cleavage into IGF-1R (β-subunit, ∼105 kDa) can be achieved by furin and PC5A, but not by PACE4, PC7, or SKI-1. Expression of α1-PDX resulted in reduction of DNA synthesis and in anchorage-independent growth. Following serum deprivation, the α1-PDX transfectants exhibited an enhanced apoptotic phenotype and were insensitive to IGF-1-mediated [3H]thymidine incorporation and protection against apoptosis. These cells showed reduced invasiveness that paralleled decreased mRNA levels of urokinase-type plasminogen activator and its receptor, tissue-type plasminogen activator, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1. Comparative subcutaneous inoculation of cells in nude mice revealed that animals injected with HT-29/PDX cells exhibited delayed and lower incidence of tumor development as well as reduced tumor size. Immunohistochemical analysis of CD31 antigen expression, a marker of endothelial cells, revealed reduced HT-29/PDX tumor vascularization. These findings indicate that PCs actively contribute to the growth and malignant phenotypes of HT-29 tumors, suggesting that PC inhibition strategies may be a useful adduct to the arsenal of colorectal anticancer gene therapies.
Oxidative Damage to Rhesus Macaque Spermatozoa Results in Mitotic Arrest and Transcript Abundance Changes in Early Embryos1

ABSTRACT Our objective was to determine whether oxidative damage of rhesus macaque sperm induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vitro would affect embryo development following intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) of metaphase II (MII) oocytes. Fresh rhesus macaque spermatozoa were treated with ROS as follows: 1 mM xanthine and 0.1 U/ml xanthine oxidase (XXO) at 37°C and 5% CO2 in air for 2.25 h. Sperm were then assessed for motility, viability, and lipid peroxidation. Motile ROS-treated and control sperm were used for ICSI of MII oocytes. Embryo culture was evaluated for 3 days for development to the eight-cell stage. Embryos were fixed and stained for signs of cytoplasmic and nuclear abnormalities. Gene expression was analyzed by RNA-Seq in two-cell embryos from control and treated groups. Exposure of sperm to XXO resulted in increased lipid peroxidation and decreased sperm motility. ICSI of MII oocytes with motile sperm induced similar rates of fertilization and cleavage between treatments. Development to four- and eight-cell stage was significantly lower for embryos generated with ROS-treated sperm than for controls. All embryos produced from ROS-treated sperm demonstrated permanent embryonic arrest and varying degrees of degeneration and nuclear fragmentation, changes that are suggestive of prolonged senescence or apoptotic cell death. RNA-Seq analysis of two-cell embryos showed changes in transcript abundance resulting from sperm treatment with ROS. Differentially expressed genes were enriched for processes associated with cytoskeletal organization, cell adhesion, and protein phosphorylation. ROS-induced damage to sperm adversely affects embryo development by contributing to mitotic arrest after ICSI of MII rhesus oocytes. Changes in transcript abundance in embryos destined for mitotic arrest is evident at the two-cell stage of development.
Topology of SREBP Cleavage-activating Protein, a Polytopic Membrane Protein with a Sterol-sensing Domain*

The NH2-terminal fragments of sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs) are released from endoplasmic reticulum membranes by proteases whose activities depend upon SREBP cleavage-activating protein (SCAP), a polytopic endoplasmic reticulum membrane protein. The activity of SCAP is inhibited by sterols, which appear to interact with the polytopic membrane domain of SCAP. Here, we use protease protection and N-linked glycosylation site-mapping techniques to define the topology of the eight membrane-spanning domains of SCAP. The data indicate that the NH2 terminus and COOH terminus of SCAP face the cytosol. The long intralumenal loops after membrane-spanning segments 1 and 7 are glycosylated, confirming their lumenal location. The region comprising membrane-spanning segments 2–6 shows sequence resemblance to putative sterol-sensing domains in three other proteins: 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase (HMG-CoA reductase), the Niemann-Pick C1 protein, and the morphogen receptor Patched. The orientation of the eight membrane-spanning segments in SCAP is consistent with the model proposed for HMG-CoA reductase (Olender, E. H., and Simoni, R. D. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 4223–4235). The membrane-spanning domains of SCAP and HMG-CoA reductase confer sterol sensitivity upon the functional activities of the two molecules. The common membrane topology of the two proteins is consistent with the notion that sterols regulate both proteins by a common mechanism.
Antiserum to murine leukemia virus recognizes novel cell surface molecules associated with growth control and transformation

Antiserum directed against murine leukemia virus also reacts with several external proteins present in rat cells transformed by a temperature‐sensitive Rous sarcoma virus. Reaction of iodinated cell extracts with anti‐MLV (murine leukemia virus) serum revealed the presence of a 200,000 dalton iodinated component detectable also by metabolic labelling with glucosamine only in serum‐starved cultures restricted in the expression of transformation. A similar assay with iodinated cells that express the transformed phenotype revealed the preferential recognition of two components with an approximate molecular weight of 100,000 daltons as well as an additional 65,000‐dalton external component. Growth of the transformed non‐producer NT3‐KR cells in the presence of inducers of C‐type viruses leads to an increased synthesis of a 100,000‐dalton glycoprotein (gp100) recognized by the anti‐MLV serum, which is also recognized by the antiserum in NRK‐MSV‐MLV transformed producer cells, in addition to a virus‐like glycoprotein of 71,000 dalton (gp71). Absorption of the anti‐MLV serum with monolayers of NT3‐KR cells eliminated the ability of the serum to recognize the gplOO but not the gp71 from NRK‐MSV‐MLV‐transformed producer cells. The mediation of post‐translational changes in growth control is suggested by the transformation‐dependent alteration in the molecular weight of the non‐virion surface proteins recognized by anti‐MLV serum in the rat cells used in this study.
High glucose levels promote the proliferation of breast cancer cells through GTPases

Hyperglycemia or diabetes mellitus (DM), which is characterized by high blood glucose levels, has been linked to an increased risk of cancer for years. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of the pathophysiological link are not yet fully understood. In this study, we demonstrate that high glucose levels promote the proliferation of breast cancer cells by stimulating epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activation and the Rho family GTPase Rac1 and Cdc42 mediate the corresponding signaling induced by high glucose levels. We further show that Cdc42 promotes EGFR phosphorylation by blocking EGFR degradation, which may be mediated by the Cbl proteins, whereas the Rac1-mediated EGFR phosphorylation is independent of EGFR degradation. Our findings elucidate a part of the underlying molecular mechanism of the link between high glucose levels and tumorigenesis in breast cancer and may provide new insights on the therapeutic strategy for cancer patients with diabetes or hyperglycemia.
Reconstruction of the Subjective Temporal Distance of Past Interpersonal Experiences After Mortality Salience

The present article examines the effect of mortality salience on the subjective temporal distance of past experiences with close friends. Since mortality salience motivates relational strivings, it should also affect the perception of past interpersonal experiences that influence the anticipation of future closeness and continuity of the friendship. Three studies were conducted with a total of 428 Japanese college students. Study 1 revealed that a smaller temporal distance of an experience of positive conduct from a friend was associated with greater satisfaction with the friendship. Study 2 found that the temporal distance of such an experience was perceived as smaller in the mortality salience than in the control condition. Study 3 found equivalent results with respect to the temporal distance of the participants’ positive conduct toward a close friend. These results suggest that people cope with existential concerns through reconstructing autobiographical memories in the interpersonal domain.
Does Family Support, Students’ Future Thoughts and Credit Use Influence their Career Choices? The Case of Students at Vaal University of Technology

It is difficult to ignore the growing influence of families in the everyday lives of young South Africans. The family influence can be on the students’ future thoughts, credit use and career choices among others. Using a data set of 150 students from Wits University and Vaal University, the current study investigates the influence of family support on students' career choices and the mediating role of credit use and future thoughts in this relationship. The results indicate that family support, future thoughts and credit use all influence student career choices in a positive way. However, only credit use has a significant impact on student career choices – hence indicating that credit availability and use plays a paramount role and influence on student career choices when compared to family support and student future thought. Implications of the research findings and future research directions are suggested in this study.
DF Relaying Networks With Randomly Distributed Interferers

In this paper, we study a decode-and-forward (DF) relaying network with random interferers, in which the source transmits its message to the destination with the help of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$N$ </tex-math></inline-formula> DF relays. We consider the interference-limited environments, where the reception at the relays and the destination are corrupted by random interferers, which are distributed according to a homogeneous Poisson point process. To improve the system performance, relay selection based on received signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) has been employed to select the best relay among <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$N$ </tex-math></inline-formula> ones. We examine the network performance by deriving the analytical outage probability under Rayleigh fading transmission channels and Nakagami-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$m$ </tex-math></inline-formula> fading interference channels. Moreover, we compute the asymptotic expressions of outage probability, and confirm that the system diversity order on SIR is equal to <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\frac {2}{\alpha }$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, where <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\alpha $ </tex-math></inline-formula> denotes the path loss factor. Furthermore, we see that the major limitation of system results from the second hop. Numerical and simulation results are demonstrated to validate the proposed analysis as well.
THE EFFECT OF GOVERNMENT EDUCATION SPENDING ON ECONOMIC GROWTH THROUGH SCHOOL ENROLLMENT IN INDONESIA

This paper examines the effect of government spending on education on growth as an indirect process through enrollment rate, specifically in Indonesia. Using a panel data set of 26 provinces from 2000 to 2010 and applying fixed effect approach of panel regression, we find that government spending on education has a positive relationship with enrollment with one-year lag; also, the data show that enrollment affect growth significantly. By enacting the chain rule, government spending on education has a positive effect in economic growth indirectly. Together, these findings suggest that raise government spending on education can increase enrollment rate and enhance economic growth.
Identification of High-Z Materials With Photoneutrons Driven by a Low-Energy Electron Linear Accelerator

Contraband-detection systems can use X-rays and photoneutrons delivered from the same 7-MeV electron linear accelerator (e-LINAC) to stimulate and extract information from inspected materials. The X-ray attenuation information is used to measure the mass thickness, which is combined with the photoneutron attenuation information to categorize inspected materials as common organic materials, metals, and heavy metals. Once a heavy metal is found, the beta-delayed neutrons stimulated by the (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\gamma$ </tex-math></inline-formula>,fission) reaction are measured by a polyethylene-moderated <sup>3</sup>He counter to clarify if the material is fissile. The presence of neutron events 2000 <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \text {s}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> after the X-ray pulse confirms the existence of the fissile material. The isotopes in the material are then identified using the time-of-flight method to analyze the resonant attenuation of the fissile material to the 10<sup>−1</sup>-10<sup>2</sup> eV photoneutrons emitted from and thermalized by the D<sub>2</sub>O photon-to-neutron convertor, which converts X-rays to photoneutrons. Eight high-Z simulants are tested to confirm the feasibility of identifying the isotopes from the photoneutron resonance. The underlying principles and experimental results are discussed.
Proliferative potential of human fibroblasts: An inverse dependence on cell size

Human foreskin fibroblast‐like cells were separated on the basis of DNA content and cell size by fluorescence‐activated cell sorting. Subpopulations of “large” or “small” cells with the same (G1) DNA content were clonally expanded and found to contain predominantly nondividing or highly proliferative cells, respectively. From the rate of clonal growth, we deduce that small cells divide faster than large cells. Intermediate‐sized cells were found to yield primarily smaller (“attenuated”) clones. The clonal data can be incorporated into a previously reported kinetic model of clonal attenuation. This version of the model postulates that small “stem” cells yield larger daughters which have only a limited proliferative potential. We also postulate that a progressive increase in cell size can account for the decreasing concentration of DNA polymerase alpha, which has been reported in older cultures.
INTERACTIONS AMONG MOTHS, CROSSBILLS, SQUIRRELS, AND LODGEPOLE PINE IN A GEOGRAPHIC SELECTION MOSAIC

Abstract Repeated patterns among biological communities suggest similar evolutionary and ecological forces are acting on the communities. Conversely, the lack of such patterns suggests that similar forces are absent or additional ones are present. Coevolution between a seed predator, the red crossbill (Loxia curvirostra complex), and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) exemplifies the ecological and evolutionary predictions for coevolving systems. In the absence of another seed predator and preemptive competitor (pine squirrels Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), natural selection by crossbills results in the evolution of larger cones with thicker distal scales, while relaxation of selection by squirrels results in the evolution of cones with more seeds and a greater ratio of seed mass to cone mass. However, in one range, the Little Rocky Mountains, distal scale thickness has diverged as expected but cone size has not. In these mountains seed predation by lodgepole pine cone borer moths (Eucosma recissoriana) was about 10 times greater than in other ranges lacking squirrels. We quantified moth predation and cone traits and found that moths select for smaller cones with fewer seeds. Thus, selection by moths in the Little Rocky Mountains counters both selection by crossbills for large cone size and relaxation of selection by squirrels favoring more seeds per cone and accounts for the relatively small and few-seeded cones in these mountains. It is also apparent that selection by crossbills changes seed defenses in a manner that favors seed predation by moths, whereas selection by squirrels likely reduces such predation. These results demonstrate the importance of considering the evolutionary consequences of community context in locally evolved (coevolved) traits and interactions.
Exogenous application of transforming growth factor beta 1 stimulates arteriogenesis in the peripheral circulation

Increased expression of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF‐ß1) during collateral artery growth, as well as its numerous effects on monocytes/macrophages and the smooth muscle cell cycle and differentiation, suggest a modulating role for this growth factor during arteriogenesis. We studied the effects of exogenously applied TGF‐ß1 on arteriogenesis as well as its interactions with monocytes, endothelial cells, and smooth muscle cells. In a New Zealand White (NZW) rabbit model of femoral artery ligation, increased expression of active TGF‐ß1 was found around proliferating arteries in NZW rabbits. The exogenous application of TGF‐ß1 led to an increase in both the number of visible collateral arteries as well as the conductance of the collateral circulation (4.0 ± 0.5 ml/min/100 mmHg vs. 28.9 ± 3.7 ml/min/100 mmHg, P < 0.05). Fluorescence activated cell sorting analysis showed an increase in the expression of the MAC‐1 receptor in both rabbit and human monocytes after treatment with TGF‐ß1 (control: 91.2 ± 4.2/482 ± 21.7; TGF‐ß1 200 ng/ml 193.9 ± 6.7/ 675.5 ± 25.7, P < 0.05 for all differences). TGF‐ß1 treated monocytes showed an increased endothelial adhesion and transmigration in transendothelial migration assays (5.75 ± 0.63 × 105 vs. 10.11 ± 0.04 × 105, P < 0.05). TGF‐ß1 had no direct pro‐angiogenic effect on human umbilical vein endothelial cells in a spheroid model of angiogenesis and inhibited the angiogenic effects of vascular endothelial growth factor.
Pricing Behavior for Sustainably Farmed Fish in International Trade: The Case of Norwegian Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar)

The purpose of this study is to examine how the competitive advantage on international markets based on sustainable production is reflected in the pricing behavior of farmed fish, using Norwegian Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) as an example. The salmon is widely consumed and highly traded due to the rapid development of aquaculture. Norway, which has been successful in regulating and innovating for sustainable aquaculture, accounts for more than half of world production. A model dealing with pass-through of exchange rates and tariff rates based on the exporter’s profit maximization was applied to 28 major countries importing from Norway, using yearly panel data for 2000–2016. Significant evidence of price discrimination was observed in Asian countries where Norway has a high market share, such as China, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam. This implies that the market structure of imperfect competition played a major role, suggesting the need to diversify imports to transform the market structure in favor of consumers in Asian countries. Research on the pricing behavior of fisheries products, including cultured fish, is limited in international trade. This paper addresses the gap by applying the pass-through model with changes in tariff rate as well as exchange rate.
Predicting the Aspirations of Vocational Learners: A Pilot Study

Since the late 1990’s, both nationwide and local initiatives have been focussed on reducing the disparity in higher education (HE) participation for underrepresented groups. More commonly known as ‘widening participation’ (WP), these initiatives increasingly focused on raising the awareness, aspirations and attainment levels of young people from low socioeconomic backgrounds. It has been widely recognised that background characteristics may contribute to determining a young person’s aspirations, influencing the educational or employment pathways they follow in the future. This study explores the background characteristics and aspirations of student’s studying vocational programmes (BTEC National Diploma) at further education (FE) colleges in the south west of England. The findings of the student sample demonstrate firstly that females are over three times more likely to aspire to attend university than males. Students who attend secondary schools with higher achievement rates are more likely to aspire to attend HE, and students who have two parents that have HE qualifications are over three times more likely to aspire to attend university themselves. The study concludes more needs to be done in order to raise aspirations and support young people to attend HE, especially those young people currently studying post-16 vocational pathways.
Kinematic characteristics of the stroke and orientation of the hand during front crawl resisted swimming

Abstract The aim of this study was to examine the acute effect of front crawl sprint resisted swimming with different added resistances on the kinematic characteristics of the stroke and the orientation of the hand. Ten female swimmers swam four maximal trials (25 m) with small, moderate, large, and no added resistance respectively. Four camcorders were used to record the underwater motion of the right hand and digitizing was undertaken using the Ariel Performance Analysis System. Stroke rate, the stroke length, and mean swimming velocity were significantly decreased, whereas the total duration of the stroke and the relative duration of the pull and push phases were significantly increased during resisted swimming. The increase in the total duration of the stroke was accompanied by an increase in absolute pull length, while no alterations were observed in relative pull length or medial-lateral displacements of the hand. Moreover, the mean resultant velocity of the hand, as well as the pitch and the sweepback angles of the hand were not modified. In conclusion, resisted swimming appears to be a specific form of training, at least regarding its acute effect, although long-term effects should be investigated further.
A New QoS-Aware Web Service Recommendation System Based on Contextual Feature Recognition at Server-Side

Quality of service (QoS) has been playing an increasingly important role in today’s Web service environment. Many techniques have been proposed to recommend personalized Web services to customers. However, existing methods only utilize the QoS information at the client-side and neglect the contextual characteristics of the service. Based on the fact that the quality of Web service is affected by its context feature, this paper proposes a new QoS-aware Web service recommendation system, which considers the contextual feature similarities of different services. The proposed system first extracts the contextual properties from WSDL files to cluster Web services based on their feature similarities, and then utilizes an improved matrix factorization method to recommend services to users. The proposed framework is validated on a real-world dataset consisting of over 1.5 million Web service invocation records from 5825 Web services and 339 users. The experimental results prove the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method.