Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification of mouse blastocyst genes that are downregulated by double‐stranded RNA‐mediated knockdown of Oct‐4 expression

Oct‐4 is an essential transcription factor involved in the differentiation of the inner cell mass (ICM) in mouse blastocysts, and is thought to be the pluripotent gene of embryonic stem cells. However, downstream genes of Oct‐4 and the mechanism by which it regulates the transcription machinery remain unclear. Here, we specifically knocked down Oct‐4 gene expression in mouse blastocysts by double‐stranded RNA (dsRNA) interference. A recently developed method, the annealing control primer (ACP) technique, was then used to identify the downstream genes of Oct‐4. By using 120 arbitrary ACP, 10 clones were found to be differentially expressed in the knocked down embryos and the cloned genes were analyzed by DNA sequencing and BLAST searching. Quantitative real time reverse transcription (RT)‐polymerase chain reaction (PCR) confirmed that the expression of these genes is altered by Oct‐4 knockdown. Of the 10 genes, 8 (Atp6ap2, GK003, Ddb1, hRscp, Dppa1, Dpp3, Sap18, and Rent1) were downregulated and 2 (Rps14 and ETIF2B) were upregulated in Oct‐4 dsRNA‐injected blastocysts. One of the downregulated genes is developmental pluripotency associated‐1 (Dppa1), which has already been identified as being an Oct‐4 downstream gene. Two other genes, Rent1 and Sap18, were found to be Oct‐4 downstream genes for the first time. The genes identified here will provide insights into the roles played by Oct‐4 during embryonic development. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 70: 390–396, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Executive Insights: Emerging Market Segments in a Transitional Economy: A Study of Urban Consumers in China

How to integrate the emerging consumer segments in transitional economies into multinational corporations’ global marketing strategies presents a significant challenge. An analysis of China's urban consumers based on a 1997 national survey reveals several market segments that are distinctive in their demographics, psychographics, lifestyles, media usage, and consumption patterns. The findings suggest that multinational corporations need to adapt to the local market conditions in China and other transitional economies.
Africa 2050

This article offers a vision of what Africa could be in 2050. In such a scenario, average per capita income would increase six-fold, an additional 1.4 billion Africans would join the middleclass, the number of poor would shrink to fewer than 50 million, and Africa’s share of global gross domestic product (GDP) would triple. For people, the biggest change would be better, less vulnerable jobs with higher productivity; for economies, dramatic productivity increases driven by private sector investment, diversification, and more competition; and for the continent, better integrated sub-regions and relations with the world based on trade and investment rather than aid. In the face of a multi-polar global economy, aging and population growth, increased competition for natural resources, rapid innovation, climate change, urbanization, and natural resource wealth, Africa needs to manage the risk of fragility and conflict, inequality, and the middle-income trap to achieve such a vision.
Postgraduate supervision and academic support: students' perceptions

Postgraduate supervision in South Africa currently takes place in the context of university transformation, increasing numbers of disadvantaged students and appeals for improved completion rates. Thus there is concern for quality. Among others, quality is determined by the extent to which students’ expectations are met. Data about students’ perceptions of supervision provides important information about their expectations and if these are satisfied. Survey research was employed to determine distance education students’ perceptions of their postgraduate supervision in the Faculty of Education, University of South Africa. Students had to rate the supervision they were given regarding the stated outcomes of these degrees. Their judgments of individual styles of supervision were also determined. Finally, students had to describe the most rewarding or frustrating aspects of their studies and what they would recommend regarding postgraduate supervision. The article concludes with suggestions to enhance the quality of supervision. These include the training of supervisors.
Correlated Oscillations in Glucose Consumption, Oxygen Consumption, and Intracellular Free Ca2+ in Single Islets of Langerhans*

Micron-sized sensors were used to monitor glucose and oxygen levels in the extracellular space of single islets of Langerhans in real-time. At 10 mm glucose, oscillations in intraislet glucose concentration were readily detected. Changes in glucose level correspond to changes in glucose consumption by glycolysis balanced by mass transport into the islet. Oscillations had a period of 3.1 ± 0.2 min and amplitude of 0.8 ± 0.1 mm glucose (n = 21). Superimposed on these oscillations were faster fluctuations in glucose level during the periods of low glucose consumption. Oxygen level oscillations that were out of phase with the glucose oscillations were also detected. Oscillations in both oxygen and glucose consumption were strongly dependent upon extracellular Ca2+ and sensitive to nifedipine. Simultaneous measurements of glucose with intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+] i ) revealed that decreases in [Ca2+] i preceded increases in glucose consumption by 7.4 ± 2.1 s during an oscillation (n = 9). Conversely, increases in [Ca2+] i preceded increases in oxygen consumption by 1.5 ± 0.2 s (n = 4). These results suggest that during oscillations, bursts of glycolysis begin after Ca2+ has stopped entering the cell. Glycolysis stimulates further Ca2+ entry, which in turn stimulates increases in respiration. The data during oscillation are in contrast to the time course of events during initial exposure to glucose. Under these conditions, a burst of oxygen consumption precedes the initial rise in [Ca2+] i . A model to explain these results is described.
Climate Change Solutions as Economic Development: Transforming Barriers Into Drivers

While federal action on climate change is stalled, regional organizing strategies are proving effective. Leveraging regional economic opportunities available through climate protection offers high odds to gain support from constituencies that have raised economic objections to global warming abatement. An emerging clean energy technology revolution offers opportunities to turn them into allies. The clean energy revolution is a branch of the high tech potentially attractive to investors. Clean energy generation and end-use efficiency represent a $3.5 trillion market over the coming 20 years, even with no new public priority. Clean energy production entails use of a wider landscape than fossil fuels, offering rural development opportunities. Climate Solutions, an advocacy group, has jointly issued a clean energy market and policy analysis with major Northwest utilities and economic development agencies. Climate Solutions is also organizing Northwest rural constituencies to take full advantage of the clean energy revolution.
An Arabidopsis Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinase Kinase Gene Family Encodes Essential Positive Regulators of Cytokinesis Article, publication date, and citation information can be found at www.plantcell.org/cgi/doi/10.1105/tpc.001164.

The signal transduction pathways that control cytokinesis in plants are largely uncharacterized. Here, we provide genetic evidence that mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinases (MAPKKKs) play a role in the control of plant cell division. Using a reverse-genetic approach, we isolated plants carrying knockout alleles of the Arabidopsis MAPKKK genes ANP1, ANP2, and ANP3. The resulting single-mutant plants displayed no obvious abnormal phenotypes; two of the three double-mutant combinations displayed defects in cell division and growth; and the triple-mutant combination was not transmitted through either male or female gametes. The molecular and structural phenotypes displayed by the double mutants support a model in which the ANP family of MAPKKKs positively regulates cell division and growth and may negatively regulate stress responses.
A MADS‐box transcription factor MoMcm1 is required for male fertility, microconidium production and virulence in Magnaporthe oryzae

Appressorium formation is a key step in the infection cycle of Magnaporthe oryzae. Mst12 is a transcription factor essential for appressorium penetration and invasive growth. In this study we used the affinity purification approach to identify proteins that physically associate with Mst12. One of the Mst12‐interacting genes identified was MoMCM1, which encodes a MADS‐box protein orthologous to yeast Mcm1. MoMcm1 interacted with both Mst12 and Mata‐1 in yeast two‐hybrid assays. Deletion of MoMCM1 resulted in the loss of male fertility and microconidium production. The Momcm1 mutant was defective in appressorium penetration and formed narrower invasive hyphae, which may be responsible for its reduced virulence. In transformants expressing MoMCM1–eGFP fusion, GFP signals were observed in the nucleus. We also generated the Momcm1 mst12 double mutant, which was defective in penetration and non‐pathogenic. On hydrophilic surfaces, germ tubes produced by the double mutant were severely curved, and 20% of them formed appressoria. In contrast, the Momcm1 or mst12 mutant did not form appressoria on hydrophilic surfaces. These results suggest that MoMCM1 and MST12 have overlapping functions to suppress appressorium formation under non‐conducive conditions. MoMcm1 may interact with Mst12 and MatA‐1 to regulate germ tube identity and male fertility respectively.
Multilevel Governance and Business Interests in the European Union

The article analyzes how business interests responded to European integration. It draws on survey data of eight hundred German, French, British, and European Union (EU) trade associations as well as thirty-four large firms. The argument is that the multilevel governance approach to European integration captures the realities of EU interest intermediation better than neofunctionalism and intergovernmentalism. The article suggests that the strategies of interest organizations depend mainly on their location in the EU multilevel system and on their governance capacities. I distinguish two kinds of governance capacities: negotiation capacities and organizational resources. The analysis proceeds in the following steps: After outlining the three theories of European integration and presenting their implications for interest groups, a brief overview of the relative importance for interest organizations of EU and national institutions over time is provided. Then, cluster analysis techniques serve to identify types of interest groups according to their lobbying strategies in the multilevel system: niche organizations, occasional players, traditionalists, EU players, and multilevel players are distinguished. The composition of these clusters and the characteristics of their members support the multilevel governance approach and indicate that multilevel players have greater governance capacities than organizations in the other clusters.
Size Effect in Indian Stock Market: Some Empirical Evidence

In this study we attempt to test if there is a size effect in Indian stock market. The data relates to the top 482 Indian companies for the period 1990–2003. We find a strong size premium using six alternative measures of company size, viz., Market Capitalization, Enterprise Value, Net Fixed Assets, Net Annual Sales, Total Assets and Net Working Capital. Further the size based investment strategy seems to be economically feasible as it provides extra normal returns on risk adjusted basis. Frequent rebalancing of size based portfoilo is however found to be undesirable. The size effect does not seem to be owing to any seasonality or business cycle factors. The study has strong implications for mutual funds managers, investment analysts as well as small investors who are continuously on the lookout for trading strategies that beat the market. The presence of a strong size premium also raises doubts about the informational efficiency of Indian equity market.
A Role for Taste in the Detection of Linoleic but not Oleic Acid in Rats

Palatability and its role in detecting fats has been mostly neglected in modern research. This experiment uses conditioned taste aversion (CTA) to determine the role of the chorda tympani nerve in tasting oleic acid (OA) and linoleic acid (LA). Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into six experimental groups governed by having the chorda tympani nerve transected (CTX) or not (SHAM), conditioned to LA or OA, and injected with LiCl or NaCl during CTA. On test day, all rats were presented with 44, 88, and 176 μM of OA and LA and 88 and 176 μM of lauric acid (LC) in the Davis Rig. Results showed that rats conditioned to LA were able to detect LA and OA. Transecting the chorda tympani nerve eliminates the detection of OA and significantly compromises the detection of LA. All animals conditioned with OA were unable to detect any of the
Energy cost of load carriage.

The relative contributions of rate of progression (1.5–4.0 mph), grade (3–9%), and load (10–30 kg) to total energy cost were determined. The data obtained were integrated graphically with some of the available energy cost data in the literature to provide a useful graph for estimating energy expenditure. It was tentatively concluded that for grade walking over the ranges studied, the energy cost per unit weight is essentially the same whether the weight is of the body or the load. Submitted on January 8, 1962
Novel Mechanism of Bacteriocin Secretion and Immunity Carried Out by Lactococcal Multidrug Resistance Proteins*

A natural isolate of Lactococcus lactis was shown to produce two narrow spectrum class II bacteriocins, designated LsbA and LsbB. The cognate genes are located on a 5.6-kb plasmid within a gene cluster specifying LmrB, an ATP-binding cassette-type multidrug resistance transporter protein. LsbA is a hydrophobic peptide that is initially synthesized with an N-terminal extension. The housekeeping surface proteinase HtrA was shown to be responsible for the cleavage of precursor peptide to yield the active bacteriocin. LsbB is a relatively hydrophilic protein synthesized without an N-terminal leader sequence or signal peptide. The secretion of both polypeptides was shown to be mediated by LmrB. An L. lactis strain lacking plasmid-encoded LmrB and the chromosomally encoded LmrA is unable to secrete either of the two bacteriocins. Complementation of the strain with an active LmrB protein resulted in restored export of the two polypeptides across the cytoplasmic membrane. When expressed in an L. lactis strain that is sensitive to LsbA and LsbB, LmrB was shown to confer resistance toward both bacteriocins. It does so, most likely, by removing the two polypeptides from the cytoplasmic membrane. This is the first report in which a multidrug transporter protein is shown to be involved in both secretion and immunity of antimicrobial peptides.
Duplex sonography after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (TIPS): normal hemodynamic findings and efficacy in predicting shunt patency and stenosis.

OBJECTIVE Portal hemodynamics are altered by placement of a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS). Normal duplex sonographic findings after TIPS placement and hemodynamic alterations indicating shunt failure have not yet been well described. The purposes of this study were to determine normal hemodynamic changes on duplex sonography after TIPS placement and to assess the efficacy of duplex sonography in detecting shunt dysfunction. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Forty patients underwent TIPS placement and were entered into a study that included routine sonographic evaluation and portal venography at regular intervals. Portal venography was also performed if shunt velocities on duplex sonography changed from the baseline, which raised the question of shunt stenosis or occlusion. The pre-TIPS duplex sonographic study included determination of patency, velocity, and flow direction in the main, right, and left portal veins and in the hepatic artery. Follow-up sonography included the pre-TIPS examination in addition to velocity determinations in three segments of the shunt. Correlation was made between 82 concurrent sonographic and portal venographic studies. RESULTS High-velocity blood flow (mean peak velocity, 135-200 cm/sec) was consistently seen within patent, well-functioning shunts. Hepatic artery peak systolic velocities increased from 79 cm/sec before TIPS placement to 131 cm/sec after TIPS placement (p < .001). Main portal vein velocities increased from 21.8 cm/sec before TIPS placement to 41.5 cm/sec after TIPS placement (p < .001). When compared with portal venography, duplex sonography was 98% sensitive and 100% specific in predicting the presence of blood flow within the stent. Sonography was highly sensitive and specific for detecting stent stenosis. Final sonographic criteria for shunt stenosis in angiographically documented cases were low-velocity shunt flow (< or = 60 cm/sec) in the entire stent, or low-velocity shunt flow with an associated focal velocity elevation. CONCLUSION Consistent changes in portal venous and hepatic arterial hemodynamics are normally seen on duplex sonography after placement of a TIPS. Duplex sonography accurately predicts shunt patency and dysfunction when compared with portal venography. Duplex sonography is an effective, noninvasive method of evaluating shunt function and should be considered for use as the primary imaging technique in routine follow-up after TIPS placement.
Disaster Planning and Response by Tourist Business Executives

Too frequently, hospitality executives begin planning for disaster after the disaster has occurred, according to this study of 185 tourist-business executives doing business in communities that had experienced a disaster-specifically, flooding in northwestern Washington and Hurricane Bob on the Atlantic Coast. Most companies' planning processes fall into one of seven patterns: top down, elite group, team development, committee, staff review, external provision, and inherited. Less than one-third of the plans were written and barely one in five was reviewed annually. Decision making during a disaster tends to be incremental-as the situation appears to worsen, more decisions are made, many of them unanticipated. A few executives had engaged in local emergency-preparedness programs. The best way to meet disaster is by planning appropriate actions, resisting denial, having a single person in charge, improving employee and customer communication, anticipating the needs of special populations, and recognizing family priorities, as well as structuring media relations.
Japan/ASEAN TQM project

Over the past several years, the Standards Department of the Agency of Industrial Science and Technology, MITI has rendered technical aid to ASEAN countries: promulgating total quality management (TQM) systems that Japan had developed and found to be very successful; developing human resources; and contributing to the development of industries and economy as a whole. This project was designed to facilitate the implementation and promotion of TQM activities in ASEAN countries in order to develop their industries and promote international trade. This article describes the project.
CXCR 3 Antagonist NBI-74330 Attenuates Atherosclerotic Plaque Formation in LDL Receptor – Deficient Mice

Objective—The chemokine receptor CXCR3 is implicated in migration of leukocytes to sites of inflammation. Antagonizing CXCR3 may be a strategy to inhibit inflammation-induced leukocyte migration and subsequently reduce atherosclerosis. We used the CXCR3 specific antagonist NBI-74330 to block CXCR3-mediated signaling in peritonitis and diet-induced atherosclerosis. Methods and Results—Antagonizing CXCR3 with NBI-74330 resulted in a significant reduction in CD4 T cell and macrophage migration to the peritoneal cavity, which was as shown in ex vivo migration studies totally CXCR3 dependent. Atherosclerotic lesion formation in the aortic valve leaflet area and the entire aorta was significantly inhibited in NBI-74330 treated mice. Lymph nodes draining from the aortic arch were significantly smaller in treated mice and were enriched in regulatory T cells and contained fewer activated T cells, whereas the markers for regulatory T cells within the lesion were enhanced after NBI-74330 treatment. Conclusion—This study shows for the first time that treatment with a CXCR3 antagonist results in attenuating atherosclerotic lesion formation by blocking direct migration of CXCR3 effector cells from the circulation into the atherosclerotic plaque and by beneficially modulating the inflammatory response in the lesion and the lymph nodes draining from the atherosclerotic lesion. (Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2008;28:251-257)
On the bright and dark side of public service motivation: the relationship between PSM and employee wellbeing

This paper reveals that the relationship between public service motivation (PSM) and employee wellbeing depends on the societal impact potential (SIP) through the job and organizational type. In people-changing organizations, PSM relates to higher burnout and lower job satisfaction when SIP is high: employees sacrifice themselves too much for society. However, in people-processing organizations, low SIP relates to higher burnout and lower job satisfaction: employees experience frustration if they cannot contribute. This shows that whether PSM relates positively depends on institutional logics.
Improved Resistance to Controlled Deterioration in Transgenic Seeds1[W][OA]

We show that seed-specific overexpression of the sunflower (Helianthus annuus) HaHSFA9 heat stress transcription factor (HSF) in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) enhances the accumulation of heat shock proteins (HSPs). Among these proteins were HSP101 and a subset of the small HSPs, including proteins that accumulate only during embryogenesis in the absence of thermal stress. Levels of late embryogenesis abundant proteins or seed oligosaccharides, however, were not affected. In the transgenic seeds, a high basal thermotolerance persisted during the early hours of imbibition. Transgenic seeds also showed significantly improved resistance to controlled deterioration in a stable and transgene-dependent manner. Furthermore, overexpression of HaHSFA9 did not have detrimental effects on plant growth or development, including seed morphology and total seed yield. Our results agree with previous work tentatively associating HSP gene expression with phenotypes important for seed longevity. These findings might have implications for improving seed longevity in economically important crops.