Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the Effects of 1,25VitD3 on Inflammatory Responses and IL-25 Expression

VitD3 may contribute to a successful pregnancy through modulation of immune responses, so VitD3 deficiency may have a role in the immunopathogenesis of unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA). However, the mechanisms of immunomodulatory actions of VitD3 in decreasing the risk of recurrent spontaneous abortion have not been understood well. Objective: The purpose of this research was to investigate the influence of 1,25VitD3 on IL-25 and related cytokines of Th17 cells including IL-17A, IL-6, and IL-23 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy women as a control group and women with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion. Method: Isolation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was performed from peripheral blood of the subjects of the studied groups (20 women with URSA as a case group, and 20 control women). The effects of 1,25VitD3 (50 nM, for 24 h) on the studied parameters were evaluated and were compared to the positive and negative controls in vitro. Flow cytometry analysis was used to determine the percentages of regulatory T cells and Th17 cells. For gene expression measurement and cytokines assay, real-time PCR and ELISA were carried out. Results: The proportion of Th17 cells in women with URSA was considerably higher than in the control group. IL-25 mRNA and protein levels in cultured PBMCs from women with URSA were lower than the controls. 1,25VitD3 increased IL-25 expressions at both the protein and mRNA levels in PBMCs from women with URSA relative to the control group. Additionally, 1,25VitD3 treatment not only significantly decreased the percentage of Th17 cells frequency but also reduced expressions of IL-6, IL-17A, and IL-23 in PBMCs from women with URSA. Conclusion: 1,25VitD3 may diminish inflammatory responses cells via downregulation of IL-25 expression. It could be an interesting subject for future researches in the field of the immunopathology of URSA to identify molecular pathways in URSA treatment.
Better practices for retaining organizational knowledge: Lessons from the leading edge

that organizations are using to address the threat of lost knowledge caused by changing workforce demographics. The challenges of knowledge retention now confront many industries faced with an aging work force, faster turnover among mid-career employees and more competitive recruiting. The early success of the initiatives described here provides useful lessons for executives who recognize that knowledge retention and workforce planning are critical for sustaining future organizational performance. Research Report
Congestion Control for 6LoWPAN Networks: A Game Theoretic Framework

The Internet of Things (IoT) has been considered as an emerging research area where the IPv6 over low-power wireless personal area network (6LoWPAN) protocol stack is considered as one of the most important protocol suite for the IoT. Recently, the Internet Engineering Task Force has developed a set of IPv6-based protocols to alleviate the challenges of connecting resource limited sensor nodes to the Internet. In 6LoWPAN networks, heavy network traffic causes congestion which significantly degrades network performance and effects the quality of service aspects, e.g., throughput, end-to-end delay and energy consumption. In this paper, we formulate the congestion problem as a noncooperative game framework where the nodes (players) behave uncooperatively and demand high data rate in a selfish way. Then, the existence and uniqueness of Nash equilibrium is proved and the optimal game solution is computed by using Lagrange multipliers and Karush–Kuhn–Tucker conditions. Based on this framework, we propose a novel and simple congestion control mechanism called game theory-based congestion control framework (GTCCF) specially tailored for IEEE 802.15. 4, 6LoWPAN networks. GTCCF is aware of node priorities and application priorities to support the IoT application requirements. The proposed framework has been tested and evaluated through two different scenarios by using Contiki OS and compared with comparative algorithms. Simulation results show that GTCCF improves performance in the presence of congestion by an overall average of 30.45%, 39.77%, 26.37%, 91.37%, and 13.42% in terms of throughput, end-to-end delay, energy consumption, number of lost packets, and weighted fairness index (WFI), respectively, as compared to duty cycle-aware congestion control for 6LoWPAN network algorithm.
Inducible Expression of Inflammatory Chemokines in Respiratory Syncytial Virus-Infected Mice: Role of MIP-1α in Lung Pathology

ABSTRACT Lower respiratory tract disease caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is characterized by profound airway mucosa inflammation, both in infants with naturally acquired infection and in experimentally inoculated animal models. Chemokines are central regulatory molecules in inflammatory, immune, and infectious processes of the lung. In this study, we demonstrate that intranasal infection of BALB/c mice with RSV A results in inducible expression of lung chemokines belonging to the CXC (MIP-2 and IP-10), CC (RANTES, eotaxin, MIP-1β, MIP-1α, MCP-1, TCA-3) and C (lymphotactin) families. Chemokine mRNA expression occurred as early as 24 h following inoculation and persisted for at least 5 days in mice inoculated with the highest dose of virus (107 PFU). In general, levels of chemokine mRNA and protein were dependent on the dose of RSV inoculum and paralleled the intensity of lung cellular inflammation. Immunohisthochemical studies indicated that RSV-induced expression of MIP-1α, one of the most abundantly expressed chemokines, was primarily localized in epithelial cells of the alveoli and bronchioles, as well as in adjoining capillary endothelium. Genetically altered mice with a selective deletion of the MIP-1α gene (−/− mice) demonstrated a significant reduction in lung inflammation following RSV infection, compared to control littermates (+/+ mice). Despite the paucity of infiltrating cells, the peak RSV titer in the lung of −/− mice was not significantly different from that observed in +/+ mice. These results provide the first direct evidence that RSV infection may induce lung inflammation via the early production of inflammatory chemokines.
Study on rural migration and return migration in Kosovo

[Objectives] The overall objective of the study is to address the causes of migration and its consequences for rural areas of Kosovo. More specifically, we focus on the motives of migrants, the impact of migration on households left behind and the socio-economic situation of returning migrants. In the first part of this study, we will discuss the motivation behind migration. A specific focus is on drivers of the recent out-migration wave which started in 2014. We will furthermore shed some light on (positive and negative) migration impacts in the second part of the study: for some households, remittances received from migrated family members may alleviate poverty, while for others migration is linked to significant psychological burdens or lack of labour force in family businesses. In the third part, the study will focus on the consequences of return migration by identifying important attributes of the recently returned migrants and their specific needs and potentials for successful reintegration. We will look at the skill sets (education and experience) of the returnees, as well as their personal well-being and intentions to stay. Vulnerable groups such as women and ethnic minorities will be analysed separately. The study will provide recommendations on how the needs of returnees can be addressed and how they may contribute to a positive rural development in their communities. It will furthermore be used as a source of information for other ongoing projects dealing with return migration. The study was closely coordinated with a number of stakeholders in the Republic of Kosovo. Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) provided funds for this project in the framework of its project "Competitiveness of the Private Sector in Rural Areas". The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development (MAFRD) provided technical support. The study was carried out by the Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO). Other programme partners include: municipalities, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), the Ministry of Diaspora (MD), the Ministry of Finance (MF), the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST), the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (MLSW), NGOs, farmers’ and forest owners’ associations, women’s groups and ethnic communities, the Kosovo Forestry Agency (KFA), and the Association of Municipalities in Kosovo (AMK).
Ockham’s Razor Cuts to the Root: Simplicity in Causal Explanation

When evaluating causal explanations, simpler explanations are widely regarded as better explanations. However, little is known about how people assess simplicity in causal explanations or what the consequences of such a preference are. We contrast 2 candidate metrics for simplicity in causal explanations: node simplicity (the number of causes invoked in an explanation) and root simplicity (the number of unexplained causes invoked in an explanation). Across 4 experiments, we find that explanatory preferences track root simplicity, not node simplicity; that a preference for root simplicity is tempered (but not eliminated) by probabilistic evidence favoring a more complex explanation; that committing to a less likely but simpler explanation distorts memory for past observations; and that a preference for root simplicity is greater when the root cause is strongly linked to its effects. We suggest that a preference for root-simpler explanations follows from the role of explanations in highlighting and efficiently representing and communicating information that supports future predictions and interventions.
The MADS Box Transcription Factor ZmMADS2 Is Required for Anther and Pollen Maturation in Maize and Accumulates in Apoptotic Bodies during Anther Dehiscence1

The maize (Zea mays) late pollen gene ZmMADS2 belongs to the MIKC type of MADS box transcription factor genes. Here, we report that ZmMADS2, which forms a homodimer in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), is required for anther dehiscence and pollen maturation. Development of anthers and pollen was arrested at 1 d before dehiscence in transgenic plants expressing the ZmMADS2-cDNA in antisense orientation. Temporal and spatial expression analyses showed high amounts of ZmMADS2 transcripts in endothecium and connective tissues of the anther at 1 d before dehiscence and in mature pollen after dehiscence. Transient transformation of maize and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) pollen with the luciferase reporter gene under the control of different ZmMADS2 promoter deletion constructs demonstrated the functionality and tissue specificity of the promoter. Transgenic maize plants expressing a ZmMADS2-green fluorescent protein fusion protein under control of the ZmMADS2 promoter were used to monitor protein localization during anther maturation and pollen tube growth. High amounts of the fusion protein accumulate in degenerating nuclei of endothecial and connective cells of the anther. A possible function of ZmMADS2 during anther dehiscence and pollen maturation and during pollen tube growth is discussed.
Molecular cloning of a human gene that regulates chromosome condensation and is essential for cell proliferation

The tsBN2 cell line, a temperature-sensitive (ts) mutant of baby hamster kidney cell line BHK21/13, seems to possess a mutation in the gene that controls initiation of chromosome condensation. At the nonpermissive temperature (39.5 degrees C), the chromatin of tsBN2 cells is prematurely condensed, and the cells die. Using tsBN2 cells as a recipient of DNA-mediated gene transfer, we investigated a human gene that is responsible for regulation of chromosome condensation and cell proliferation. We found that the human gene complementing the tsBN2 mutation resides in the area of the 40- to 50-kilobase HindIII fragment, derived from HeLa cells. Based on this finding, we initiated cloning of a human gene complementing the tsBN2 mutation. From lambda and cosmid libraries carrying partial digests of DNA from the secondary transformants, the 41.8-kilobase HindIII fragment containing the human DNA was isolated. The cloned human DNA was conserved in ts+ transformants through primary and secondary transfections. Two cosmid clones convert the ts- phenotype of tsBN2 cells to ts+ with more than 100 times a higher efficiency, compared with cases of transfection with total human DNA. Thus, the cloned DNA fragments contain an active human gene that complements the tsBN2 mutation.
Prolactin: A Pleiotropic Neuroendocrine Hormone

The neuroendocrine control of prolactin secretion is unlike that of any other pituitary hormone. It is predominantly inhibited by the hypothalamus and, in the absence of a regulatory feedback hormone, it acts directly in the brain to suppress its own secretion. In addition to this short‐loop feedback action in the brain, prolactin has been reported to influence a wide range of other brain functions. There have been few attempts to rationalise why a single hormone might exert such a range of distinct and seemingly unrelated neuroendocrine functions. In this review, we highlight some of the original studies that first characterised the unusual features of prolactin neuroendocrinology, and then attempt to identify areas of new progress and/or controversy. Finally, we discuss a hypothesis that provides a unifying explanation for the pleiotrophic actions of prolactin in the brain.
Microbicides for the prevention of HIV infection in women: an overview of recent trials

Purpose of reviewAs the HIV/AIDS pandemic continues, the development of new prevention technologies is urgently needed. Microbicides, products applied to genital mucosal surfaces, are being developed to reduce the transmission of HIV during sexual intercourse. Microbicides have been designed to inhibit HIV from the time the virus enters the genital tract to any of the multiple steps in local virus replication. Recent findingsPreclinical research and development of microbicides has led to the advancement of many candidates into human clinical trials. This research has shown that cervicovaginal irritation is an important safety concern and needs to be evaluated carefully and early. New approaches to measuring local irritation are currently under investigation. SummaryFive broad-spectrum microbicides are now being tested in large-scale effectiveness trials to measure their effects on the reduction of HIV incidence. Next-generation candidates, based on highly active antiretroviral drugs, are currently undergoing safety studies. This paper reviews the findings from trials of these products and discusses several challenges that are encountered in the clinical development of microbicides. Although complex and resource intensive, the successful completion of ongoing studies and the initiation of efficacy trials of next-generation candidates are critical to the successful development of a microbicide.
Potential applications of Erbium:YAG laser in periodontics.

OBJECTIVES Since lasers were introduced for the treatment of oral diseases, there has been considerable advancement in technology. As a result, numerous laser systems are currently available for oral use. Neodymium:Yttrium-Aluminum:Garnet (Nd:YAG), carbon dioxide (CO(2)) laser and the semiconductor Diode lasers have already been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for soft tissue treatment in oral cavity. The Erbium:YAG (Er:YAG) laser was approved in 1997 for hard tissue treatment in dentistry and recent studies have reported positive results. This suggests that the Er:YAG laser system is a promising apparatus, which will be able to revolutionize and improve dental practice, in particular periodontal treatment. In this mini-review, we would like to describe the positive characteristics of the Er:YAG laser which indicate its potential as a new treatment modality in periodontics. MATERIALS AND METHODS Recent findings are summarized briefly to evaluate the potential of the Er:YAG laser for clinical application in periodontics. RESULTS The Er:YAG laser possesses suitable characteristics for oral soft and hard tissue ablation. Recently, it has been applied for effective elimination of granulation tissue, gingival melanin pigmentation and gingival discoloration. Contouring and cutting of bone with minimal damage and even or faster healing can also be performed with this laser. In addition, irradiation with the Er:YAG laser has a bactericidal effect with reduction of lipopolysaccharide, high ability of plaque and calculus removal, with the effect limited to a very thin layer of the surface and is effective for implant maintenance. CONCLUSION The Er:YAG laser seems to be an effective tool for periodontal therapy, however, further clinical and basic investigations are required to confirm its clinical application.
Stereo-fine structure of the splenic red pulp. A combined scanning and transmission electron microscope study on dog and rat spleen.

Spleens of the dog and rat were thoroughly washed with Ringer solution through the lienal artery and then perfused with buffered glutaraldehyde. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation was made on the cut surfaces of the red pulp. Sections of resin embedded tissues of the same specimens were observed under the transmission electron microscope (TEM). 1. The splenic sinus of the dog and rat was lined by a perforated lattice formed by rodlike lining cells and their cytoplasmic processes as observed in the rabbit (MIYOSHI, FUJITA and TOKUNAGA, 1970), though distinct species variations in the pattern of the lattice were recognized. 2. A transiting sinus lacking in perforations was found by the SEM to intervene between the sinus and the trabecular vein. 3. The Billroth cord was a labyrinthic meshwork of thin reticular cell processes under the SEM. TEM observation revealed reticular fibers either ensheathed or sandwiched by reticular cell processes. 4. The reticular cells were attached to the walls of the vein and the sinus by their thin cytoplasmic processes ending in a sole-like expansion. 5. On the external surface of the sinus, thin cytoplasmic processes from the reticular cell feet emerged mainly transversely to the lining cells. Every side bridge of the lining cells was thus backed by a reticular cell process. The ring fibers sandwiched by both cellular elements could be seen only by the TEM. 6. Large, spherical macrophages were found by the SEM dispersed in the cordal spaces and fixed by some reticular fibers. One type of macrophage was covered by bubble-like processses, while another by foliate ones. 7. The TEM observation revealed lysosomes of fine granular content in the former type of macrophage, and large, dense granules of lysosomal nature and large ingested cell debris in the latter.
The Aflibercept-Induced MicroRNA Profile in the Vitreous of Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy Patients Detected by Next-Generation Sequencing

Purpose: Vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) is an important pathogenic factor in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), and aflibercept (Eylea) is one of the widely used anti-VEGF agents. This study investigated the microRNA (miRNA) profiles in the vitreous of 5 idiopathic macular hole patients (non-diabetic controls), 5 untreated PDR patients (no-treatment group), and 5 PDR patients treated with intravitreal aflibercept injection (treatment group). Methods: Next-generation sequencing was performed to determine the miRNA profiles. Deregulated miRNAs were validated with quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) in another cohort. The mRNA profile data (GSE160310) of PDR patients were retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The function of differentially expressed miRNAs and mRNAs was annotated by bioinformatic analysis and literature study. Results: Twenty-nine miRNAs were significantly dysregulated in the three groups, of which 19,984 target mRNAs were predicted. Hsa-miR-3184-3p, hsa-miR-24-3p, and hsa-miR-197-3p were validated to be remarkably upregulated in no-treatment group versus controls, and significantly downregulated in treatment group versus no-treatment group. In the GSE160310 profile, 204 deregulated protein-coding mRNAs were identified, and finally 179 overlapped mRNAs between the 19,984 target mRNAs and 204 deregulated mRNAs were included for further analysis. Function analysis provided several roles of aflibercept-induced miRNAs, promoting the alternation of drug sensitivity or resistance-related mRNAs, and regulating critical mRNAs involved in angiogenesis and retinal fibrosis. Conclusion: Hsa-miR-3184-3p, hsa-miR-24-3p, and hsa-miR-197-3p were highly expressed in PDR patients, and intravitreal aflibercept injection could reverse this alteration. Intravitreal aflibercept injection may involve in regulating cell sensitivity or resistance to drug, angiogenesis, and retinal fibrosis.
Overemployed migrant workers: Evidence from the Annual Population Survey for a ‘special model of gendered confidence’

Long working hours among migrant workers have been regarded by academic studies both as a cause for concern and as a super-saving strategy for transnational investment back home. However, there is a lack of systematic research as to whether or not migrant workers find their working hours too long and wish to have them reduced. The evidence retrieved from the Annual Population Survey points to a marked desire among migrants to work shorter hours, despite the recessionary climate. By filling the research gap specifically in the reasons behind such a desire, this article informs not only equality policies but also improved management of supply–demand in the labour markets. Predicated on logistic regression modelling, the results suggest that using an intersectional approach by covering various demographic and work-related characteristics helps explain migrant workers’ demand for shorter hours. The influential factors considered are conceptually framed by advancing a ‘special model of gendered confidence’.
Development of a Single‐Meal Fish Consumption Advisory for Methyl Mercury

Methyl mercury (meHg) contamination of fish is the leading cause of fish consumption advisories in the United States. These advisories have focused upon repeated or chronic exposure, whereas risks during pregnancy may also exist from a single‐meal exposure if the fish tissue concentration is high enough. In this study, acute exposure to meHg from a single fish meal was analyzed by using the one‐compartment meHg biokinetic model to predict maternal hair concentrations. These concentrations were evaluated against the mercury hair concentration corresponding to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's reference dose (RfD), which is intended to protect against neurodevelopmental effects. The one‐compartment model was validated against blood concentrations from three datasets in which human subjects ingested meHg in fish, either as a single meal or multiple meals. Model simulations of the single‐meal scenario at different fish meHg concentrations found that concentrations of 2.0 ppm or higher can be associated with maternal hair concentrations elevated above the RfD level for days to weeks during gestation. A single‐meal fish concentration cutoff of 2.0 ppm is an important consideration, especially because this single high exposure event might be in addition to a baseline meHg body burden from other types of fish consumption. This type of single‐meal advisory requires that fish sampling programs provide data for individual rather than composited fish, and take into account seasonal differences that may exist in fish concentrations.