Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Estrogen-dependent Production of Erythropoietin in Uterus and Its Implication in Uterine Angiogenesis*

Although erythropoietin (Epo) has been shown to possess in vitro angiogenic activity, its physiological significance has not been demonstrated. Normally angiogenesis does not occur actively in adults but an exception is the female reproductive organ. In the uterine endometrium, angiogenesis takes place actively for supporting the endometrial growth that occurs during transition from the diestrus to estrous stage. This transition is under control of 17β-estradiol (E2), an ovarian hormone, and can be mimicked by injection of E2 to ovariectomized (OVX) mouse. Thus, the uterus is a pertinent site to examine the Epo function in angiogenesis. We found that Epo protein and its mRNA were produced in an E2-dependent manner, when the uterus from OVX mouse was cultured in vitro. The de novoprotein synthesis was not needed for E2 induction of Epo mRNA. Administration of E2 to OVX mouse induced a rapid and transient increase in Epo mRNA in the uterus. Injection of Epo into the OVX mouse uterine cavity promoted blood vessel formation in the endometrium. Furthermore, injection of the soluble Epo receptor capable of binding with Epo into the uterine cavity of non-OVX mouse in diestrus stage inhibited the endometrial transition to proestrus stage, whereas heat-inactivated soluble Epo receptor allowed the transition to occur. These results, combined with our finding that the endothelial cells in uterine endometrium express Epo receptor, strongly suggest that Epo is an important factor for the E2-dependent cyclical angiogenesis in uterus.
Zoledronic acid significantly reduces skeletal complications compared with placebo in Japanese women with bone metastases from breast cancer: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

PURPOSE To investigate the efficacy and safety of zoledronic acid for the treatment of bone metastases from breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS Women with bone metastases (N = 228) were randomly assigned to receive 4 mg zoledronic acid (n = 114) or placebo (n = 114) via 15-minute infusions every 4 weeks for 1 year. The primary efficacy end point was the skeletal-related event (SRE) rate ratio between treatment groups. An SRE was defined as pathologic fracture, spinal cord compression, and radiation or surgery to bone. Secondary end points included percentage of patients with at least one SRE, time-to-first SRE, and Andersen-Gill multiple-event analysis. RESULTS The SRE rate ratio at 1 year (excluding HCM and adjusted for prior fracture) was 0.61 (permutation test; P = .027), indicating that zoledronic acid reduced the rate of SRE by 39% compared with placebo. The percentage of patients with at least one SRE (excluding HCM) was significantly reduced by 20% by zoledronic acid (29.8% v 49.6% for placebo; P = .003). Zoledronic acid significantly delayed time-to-first SRE (median not reached v 364 days; Cox regression; P = .007) and reduced the risk of SREs by 41% in multiple event analysis (risk ratio = 0.59; P = .019) compared with placebo. Zoledronic acid was well tolerated with a safety profile similar to placebo. No patient treated with zoledronic acid had grade 3 or 4 serum creatinine increase. CONCLUSION Zoledronic acid significantly reduced skeletal complications compared with placebo across multiple end points in Japanese women with bone metastases from breast cancer.
Non-linear method used for distortion correction of fish-eye lens: Comparative analysis of different mapping functions

A fish-eye camera equipped with fish-eye lens is capable of providing a wider field of view (close to 180°), which makes it useful for surveillance, security, flight simulators, visual combat simulators, hemispherical photography, astrophotography and ADAS (Advanced Driver's Assistance System) widely. Though such lenses are considered a key component of the next-generation of cameras, the frames captured suffer from high scale distortion. Thus, fish-eye lens distortion correction techniques and algorithms have been developed to remove such distortions, when required. This paper presents a generalized method for generating undistorted images taken by cameras having fish-eye lenses mounted on walls, ceilings, floors and vehicles at any pitch or tilted angle. Pitch here refers to the angle of the camera lens from the horizontal. The proposed approach comprises of mainly two steps, viz. correcting the fish-eye lens images to rectilinear images, and rescaling the generated output image to the same aspect ratio as of input image. The images captured by the used fish eye lenses possess barrel distortion, for correction of which a non-linear and non-iterative method is used.
Role of Mast Cells in Peripheral Nervous System Demyelination

It was previously reported that degranulation of peripheral nerve mast cells is an early event in the development of experimental allergic neuritis (EAN). ’-’ We examined the possible consequences of this degranulation and ways in which it may be initiated. Vasoactive amines released by degranulating mast cells have been implicated in the development of demyelination by contributing to increased permeability of blood vessels. ’-3 We examined the effects of another granule component, neutral protease, on PNS myelin. Rat serosal mast cells were degranulated with Compound 48/80, a standard mast cell secretagogue, and the supernatant was incubated with freshly prepared bovine PNS myelin. The proteases released on degranulation degraded 72 t 1.7% of P, protein in 3 hours. As Po is the major PNS myelin protein, such extensive degradation may be expected to be associated with significant structural disruption. As basic peptides can stimulate degranulation of mast cells: we also examined the effects of the cationic myelin proteins P, and myelin basic protein (MBP) on isolated serosal mast cells. Degranulation was assayed by measuring the release of the granule enzyme 0-hexosaminidase. Incubation of mast cells with either P, or MBP led to the release of approximately 50% of total mast cell P-hexosaminidase, which was comparable to the effect obtained with Compound 48/80 (TABLE 1). Myelin-
Constructing ensembles of symbolic classifiers

Learning algorithms are an integral part of the data mining (DM) process. However, DM deals with a large amount of data and most learning algorithms do not operate in massive datasets. A technique often used to ease this problem is related to data sampling and the construction of ensembles of classifiers. Several methods to construct such ensembles have been proposed. However, these methods often lack an explanation facility. This paper proposes methods to construct ensembles of symbolic classifiers. These ensembles can be further explored in order to explain their decisions to the user. These methods were implemented in the ELE system, also described in this work. Experimental results in two out of three datasets show improvement over all base-classifiers. Moreover, according to the obtained results, methods based on single rule classification might be used to improve the explanation facility of ensembles.
Use of Quantum Dot Luminescent Probes To Achieve Single-Cell Resolution of Human Oral Bacteria in Biofilms

ABSTRACT Oral biofilms are multispecies communities, and in their nascent stages of development, numerous bacterial species engage in interspecies interactions. Better insight into the spatial relationship between different species and how species diversity increases over time can guide our understanding of the role of interspecies interactions in the development of the biofilms. Quantum dots (QD) are semiconductor nanocrystals and have emerged as a promising tool for labeling and detection of bacteria. We sought to apply QD-based primary immunofluorescence for labeling of bacterial cells with in vitro and in vivo biofilms and to compare this approach with the fluorophore-based primary immunofluorescence approach we have used previously. To investigate QD-based primary immunofluorescence as the means to detect distinct targets with single-cell resolution, we conjugated polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies to the QD surface. We also conducted simultaneous QD conjugate-based and fluorophore conjugate-based immunofluorescence and showed that these conjugates were complementary tools in immunofluorescence applications. Planktonic and biofilm cells were labeled effectively by considering two factors: the final nanomolar concentration of QD conjugate and the amount of antibody conjugated to the QD, which we define as the degree of labeling. These advances in the application of QD-based immunofluorescence for the study of biofilms in vitro and in vivo will help to define bacterial community architecture and to facilitate investigations of interactions between bacterial species in these communities.
Perceptions of Expertise and Transactive Memory in Work Relationships

People involved in close interpersonal relationships often develop a transactive memory system - a division of cognitive labor with respect to the encoding, storage, and retrieval of information from different substantive domains. The present study examined transactive memory systems using a sample of clerical office workers in a laboratory setting. It tested the general hypothesis that individual learning in work relationships is affected by perceptions of the relative expertise of coworkers. Participants were told that they would work on a task with a partner who had either similar or different work-related knowledge and job responsibilities. The findings supported the hypotheses that (a) people learn and recall more information in their own areas of expertise when their partner has different rather than similar work-related expertise; and (b) this effect reverses for recall of information outside work-related expertise. Taken together, the data showed that transactive memory is a property of work relationships, not just romantic relationships, and that role-based expertise can serve as its basis.
Glial Cell Inhibition of Neurons by Release of ATP

ATP is released by neurons and functions as a neurotransmitter and modulator in the CNS. Here I show that ATP released from glial cells can also serve as a potent neuromodulator, inhibiting neurons in the retina of the rat. Activation of glial cells by focal ejection of ATP, ATPγS, dopamine, thrombin, or lysophosphatidic acid or by mechanical stimulation evoked hyperpolarizing responses and outward currents in a subset of retinal ganglion cells by increasing a Ba2+-sensitive K+ conductance in the neurons. This glia-evoked inhibition reduced the firing rate of those neurons that displayed spontaneous spike activity. The inhibition was abolished by the A1 adenosine receptor antagonist DPCPX (8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine) (10 nm) and was reduced by the ecto-ATPase inhibitor ARL-67156 (6-N,N-diethyl-d-β,γ-dibromomethyleneATP) (50 μm) and by the ectonucleotidase inhibitor AOPCP [adenosine-5′-O-(α,β-methylene)-diphosphonate] (250 μm). Selective activation of retinal glial cells demonstrated that Müller cells, but not astrocytes, mediate the inhibition. ATP release from Müller cells into the inner plexiform layer of the retina was shown using the luciferin–luciferase chemiluminescence assay. These findings demonstrate that activated glial cells can inhibit neurons in the retina by the release of ATP, which is converted to adenosine by ectoenzymes and subsequently activates neuronal adenosine receptors. The results lend support to the hypothesis that glial cells play an active role in information processing in the CNS.
Risk factors for respiratory failure with tetraplegia after acute traumatic cervical spinal cord injury.

OBJECTIVE To analyze risk factors for respiratory failure with tetraplegia after acute traumatic cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI). PATIENTS AND METHODS Total 180 tetraplegia cases after acute traumatic CSCI treated in Shanghai Changzheng Hospital from 2001 to 2011 were reviewed retrospectively and the frequency of respiratory failure in these patients were analyzed against the factors including age, gender, cause of injury, level/severity of injury, high-dose methylprednisolone (MP) therapy, and surgery intervention, using Chi-square test to look into the correlations of the prevalence of respiratory failure to those factors. RESULTS Of the 180 tetraplegia with acute traumatic CSCI, 29 patients (16.11%) developed respiratory failure. The factors, including age, level and severity of injury, high-dose MP therapy, and surgery intervention, were found to significantly correlate with the appearance of respiratory failure in tetraplegia after acute traumatic CSCI (p < 0.05), while no significant correlation was found between the other factors: gender and cause of injury and the frequency of respiratory failure. CONCLUSIONS Age, level/severity of injury, high-dose MP therapy, and surgery intervention are the four major relevant factors of respiratory failure in patients with acute traumatic CSCI. The appropriate and timing treatments involving high-dose MP therapy and surgical decompression and reconstruction can substantially increase the rates of clinical improvements and reduce the frequency of respiratory failure.
Comparison of three commonly used PCR‐based techniques to analyze MSI status in sporadic colorectal cancer

Several retrospective studies have shown that a high level of microsatellite instability (MSI‐H) is an important prognostic factor of a more favorable outcome in stage II and III colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. In this study, three commonly used polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐based MSI analysis techniques were compared (polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by silver‐staining [SSPAGE], fluorescence capillary electrophoresis [FCE], and denaturing high‐performance liquid chromatography [DHPLC]) on a limited group of CRC patients, to identify the most optimal detection technique. Pathology blocks of 26 CRC patients were subjected to microdissection and the Bethesda reference panel was used for MSI analysis. Considering the samples analyzed by both SSPAGE and FCE, 8.7% were MSI‐H, 8.7% were MSI‐L, and 82.6% were MSS using SSPAGE. FCE resulted in 16% MSI‐H, 4% MSI‐L, and 80% MSS. Due to difficulties in analyzing the dinucleotide markers on DHPLC, we only analyzed the mononucleotide markers with this technique. The results were 100% concordant to those obtained by FCE. SSPAGE is time consuming, subjective, and less user‐friendly and interpretable. DHPLC was not feasible due to interpretation difficulties for the dinucleotide markers. We recommend the use of FCE to analyze MSI status. This technique is sensitive, reproducible, user‐friendly and leads to easy interpretation and high‐throughput. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 20:52–61, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Early Childhood iPad Use and Effects on Visual Spatial Attention Span

Despite the rising prevalence of mobile media in young children’s lives, little research exists that examines the effects of mobile media use on early childhood cognitive development. This study will explore how mobile media use, specifically iPad use, in early childhood affects development of visual spatial attention span. Researchers will recruit 160 participants, ages 3 to 6, and categorize them into three groups: TV viewers only, interactive iPad users, and passive iPad users. Children will complete a computer task to measure the length of their visual spatial attention span. Parents will report on the average daily amount of media use, their child’s top three most viewed or used programs and apps, and the pervasiveness of media use, as well as complete a demographics survey. Research assistants will rate the level of exogenous stimuli children are exposed to in their top three programs and apps. Researchers predict that iPad use will be associated with shorter visual spatial attention spans in comparison to TV viewing, due to longer amounts of use, higher levels of exogenous stimuli, and higher levels of pervasiveness. In addition, researchers hypothesize that interactive iPad use will correlate with the shortest visual spatial attention spans due to highest levels of exogenous stimuli and longest amounts of use. The results will help parents and educators to more effectively monitor young children’s mobile
VDAC and the bacterial porin PorB of Neisseria gonorrhoeae share mitochondrial import pathways

The human pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae induces host cell apoptosis during infection by delivering the outer membrane protein PorB to the host cell's mitochondria. PorB is a pore‐forming β‐barrel protein sharing several features with the mitochondrial voltage‐dependent anion channel (VDAC), which is involved in the regulation of apoptosis. Here we show that PorB of pathogenic Neisseria species produced by host cells is efficiently targeted to mitochondria. Imported PorB resides in the mitochondrial outer membrane and forms multimers with similar sizes as in the outer bacterial membrane. The mitochondria completely lose their membrane potential, a characteristic previously observed in cells infected with gonococci or treated with purified PorB. Closely related bacterial porins of non‐pathogenic Neisseria mucosa or Escherichia coli remain in the cytosol. Import of PorB into mitochondria in vivo is independent of a linear signal sequence. Insertion of PorB into the mitochondrial outer membrane in vitro depends on the activity of Tom5, Tom20 and Tom40, but is independent of Tom70. Our data show that human VDAC and bacterial PorB are imported into mitochondria by a similar mechanism.
Kai, M. Roles of RNA-Binding Proteins in DNA Damage Response. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2016, 17, 310

The author would like to insert the citation after the following sentence, "These RBPs are detected on laser trackswithin one minute after laser irradiation, and are excluded from the laser tracks shortly (within 10-15 min, depending on conditions of laser irradiation) [1]", in the paper published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences [2]. [. ].
Tumour progression: random mutations or an integrated survival response to cellular stress conserved from unicellular organisms?

The current paradigm states that cancer progression is caused by random independent mutations, each selected for its survival advantages. The accelerated rates of phenotypic changes, the pleiotropic effect of several genes involved in progression--which need not be necessarily mutated for inducing the observed changes in cancer cell behaviour--lead us to propose an alternative hypothesis. Malignant progression might be a result of the unveiling of a cell-survival program, induced by various aggressions in the same way as the SOS system is induced and regulated in bacteria. This hypothesis depends on the homology between several genes involved in cancer progression (such as bcl2, mdm2, the mismatch repair genes, the heat shock protein genes, the pleiotropic resistance genes, the telomerase gene .) and several genes involved in the survival of prokaryotes and eukaryotes under stress. The development of multicellular organisms could not take place without the building of a control program, exemplified by the so-called anti-oncogenes. However, this control program had to integrate some weaknesses, in order to allow for embryogenesis, growth, and wound healing. These weaknesses, neutral from an evolutionary point of view--since most cancers are sporadic and kill their hosts long after the birth of the offspring--are exploited by the survival program of individual cells, inherited from the genome of prokaryotes and unicellular eukaryotes, and repressed but not suppressed in animals. If this theory is true, it is probable that (i) no anti-oncogenes will be found in unicellular organisms, (ii) the sensitivity to mutations will be higher in genes involved in proliferation and in anti-oncogenes such as p53 and Rb, than in genes not involved in the cancer process, (iii) a process of transfer of genetic information exists in cancer cells as it exists in bacteria. The identification of the genes governing the survival program could lead to new therapeutic approaches.
Geometry-Invariant Texture Retrieval Using a Dual-Output Pulse-Coupled Neural Network

This letter proposes a novel dual-output pulse coupled neural network model (DPCNN). The new model is applied to obtain a more stable texture description in the face of the geometric transformation. Time series, which are computed from output binary images of DPCNN, are employed as translation-, rotation-, scale-, and distortion-invariant texture features. In the experiments, DPCNN has been well tested by using Brodatz's album and the VisTex database. Several existing models are compared with the proposed DPCNN model. The experimental results, based on different testing data sets for images with different translations, orientations, scales, and affine transformations, show that our proposed model outperforms existing models in geometry-invariant texture retrieval. Furthermore, the robustness of DPCNN to noisy data is examined in the experiments.
The Distribution of Household Wealth in India

This paper reviews the principal source of India’s wealth distribution statistics, which is constituted by the five decennial Reserve Bank of India National Sample Survey Organization Surveys on Debt and Investment of 1961-62, 1971-72, 1981-82, 1991-92, and 2002-03. The data available are described, critically appraised, and analyzed to present some salient findings in terms of the levels of debt, the levels of asset-holdings across the states of the Indian Union and over time, wealth composition, and aspects of vertical and horizontal inequality in the distribution of wealth. The centrality of land and real estate in the wealth status of India is underlined, and some broad aspects of redistributive anti-poverty policy are spelt out.
RANK is the essential signaling receptor for osteoclast differentiation factor in osteoclastogenesis.

Osteoclast differentiation factor (ODF) is a ligand for osteoclastogenesis-inhibitory factor/osteoprotegerin (OCIF/OPG), and mediates an essential signal for osteoclastogenesis. Soluble-form ODF binds directly to osteoclast progenitors, suggesting the presence of a membrane-bound receptor for ODF (ODFR) on the cells. To understand the ODF-mediated signal transduction mechanism in osteoclastogenesis, we molecularly cloned ODFR from a mouse macrophage-like osteoclast progenitor cell line, C7. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed that ODFR is identical to RANK, a recently identified member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) family, which is involved in the regulation of dendritic cell function. A polyclonal antibody against the extracellular domain of RANK induced osteoclastogenesis in the presence of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF). In contrast, both a genetically engineered soluble RANK and Fab fragment of the antibody blocked the binding of ODF to RANK and ODF-mediated osteoclastogenesis. These results indicate that RANK is the signaling receptor essential for ODF-mediated osteoclastogenesis.
AICD Overexpression in Neuro 2A Cells Regulates Expression of PTCH1 and TRPC5

Amyloid precursor protein (APP), implicated in Alzheimer's disease, is a transmembrane protein of undetermined function. APP is cleaved by gamma-secretase that releases the APP intracellular domain (AICD) in the cytoplasm. In vitro and in vivo studies have implicated the role of AICD in cell signaling and transcriptional regulation of Gsk3β, KAI1, BACE1, EGFR, and other proteins. In this study, by overexpressing AICD in mouse neuroblastoma cell lines, we have demonstrated the alteration in the expressions of two proteins, patched homolog 1 (PTCH1), a receptor for sonic hedgehog signaling, and transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily C member 5 (TRPC5), a component of receptor-activated nonselective calcium permeant cation channel. Our results indicate the possibility of regulation by AICD in developmental processes as well as in the maintenance of calcium homeostasis at the transcription level.