Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An E Box Element Is Required for the Expression of the ad4bp Gene, a Mammalian Homologue of ftz-f1 Gene, Which Is Essential for Adrenal and Gonadal Development (*)

Ad4BP, also known as SF-1, is a cell type-specific transcription factor regulating all the steroidogenic P-450 genes. Recently, the targeted disruption of the mouse ftz-f1 gene encoding Ad4BP/SF-1 has established its essential function in both adrenal and gonadal development and sexual differentiation. As an initial step toward understanding its role in the cascade of gene activations necessary for the differentiation of the steroidogenic tissues and the sex differentiation of the gonads, we isolated and characterized the rat ad4bp gene. A sequence analysis of the ad4bp gene revealed that another nuclear factor ELP was also transcribed from the same gene by alternative promoter usage and splicing. The promoter of the ad4bp gene showed activities in the steroidogenic cells such as Y-1 adrenocortical cells and I-10 testicular Leydig cells when examined by transient transfection assays. Using deletion analysis and site-directed mutagenesis, we identified a cis-element at the position from −82 bp to −77 bp in the 5′-upstream region. The cis-element was identical to the consensus E box element, which is the binding site for the basic-helix-loop-helix proteins. Gel mobility shift analyses revealed the amount of a binding factor to this E box in the nuclear extract prepared from the rat testes attained a maximal level 1 week after birth and then decreased dramatically thereafter, and only trace amounts were detected in adult rats. In contrast, the binding factor in the ovaries attained a maximal level just after birth and kept its level thereafter. These dimorphic expressions of the binding factor to the E box correlated well with those of Ad4BP, and thus suggested that the expression of Ad4BP is transcriptionally regulated through this E box element.
Prevalence of decreased kidney function in Chinese adults aged 35 to 74 years.

BACKGROUND Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major public health burden in Western countries but little is known about its impact in developing countries. We estimated the prevalence and absolute burden of CKD in the general adult population in China. METHODS A cross-sectional survey was conducted in a nationally representative sample of 15,540 Chinese adults aged 35 to 74 years in 2000 and 2001. Serum creatinine was measured using the modified kinetic Jaffe reaction method at a central laboratory calibrated to the Cleveland Clinic Foundation laboratory. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was estimated using the simplified equation developed by the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease study. CKD was defined as an estimated GFR <60 mL/min/1.73m2. RESULTS Overall, the age-standardized prevalences of GFR 60 to 89, 30 to 59, and <30 mL/min/1.73m2 were 39.4%, 2.4%, and 0.14%, respectively, in Chinese adults aged 35 to 74 years. The overall prevalence of CKD (GFR <60 mL/min/1.73m2) was 2.53%, representing 11,966,653 persons (1.31% or 3,185,330 men and 3.82% or 8,781,323 women). The age-specific prevalence of CKD was 0.71%, 1.69%, 3.91%, and 8.14% among persons 35 to 44, 45 to 54, 55 to 64, and 65 to 74 years old, respectively. The age-standardized prevalence of CKD was similar in urban (2.60%) and rural (2.52%) residents but was higher in south China (3.05%) than in north China (1.78%) residents. CONCLUSION Although the prevalence of CKD in China was relatively low, the population absolute burden is substantial. These data warrant a national program aimed at detection, prevention, and treatment of CKD in China.
The effect of haptic guidance on driver steering performance during curve negotiation with limited visual feedback

Visual feedback from the road ahead is required for steering a car. When visual feedback is limited or only partial road is visible, driver steering performance declines. To solve this problem, haptic feedback is expected to assist drivers by providing guidance torque on the steering wheel. This paper focuses on the effect of haptic guidance on driver steering performance during curve negotiation when visual feedback is limited. Twelve subjects participated in the experiment conducted in a high-fidelity driving simulator. Levels of haptic guidance were none, weak, and strong, and levels of visual feedback were whole, near, medium and far. The steering performance was assessed by drivers' turning maneuver when approaching and leaving curves, and time-to-lane crossing during curves. Results indicate that mean value of time-to-lane crossing decreased due to the implementation of strong haptic guidance when visual feedback was limited. The start point of turning maneuver was earlier resulting from the implementation of strong haptic guidance under the condition of visual feedback from near segment. In conclusion, the drivers tended to rely on haptic guidance to achieve better steering performance when visual feedback was limited.
Spatio-temporal investigation of the 1918 influenza pandemic in military populations indicates two different viruses

SUMMARY There were multiple waves of influenza-like illness in 1918, the last of which resulted in a highly lethal pandemic killing 50 million people. It is difficult to study the initial waves of influenza-like illness in early 1918 because few deaths resulted and few morbidity records exist. Using extant military mortality records, we constructed mortality maps based on location of burial in France and Belgium in the British Army, and on home town in Vermont and New York in the USA Army. Differences between early and more lethal later waves in late 1918 were consistent with historical descriptions in France. The maps of Vermont and New York support the hypothesis that previous exposure may have conferred a degree of protection against subsequent infections; soldiers from rural areas, which were likely to have experienced less mixing than soldiers from urban areas, were at higher risk of mortality. Differences between combat and disease mortality in 1918 were consistent with limited influenza virus circulation during the early 1918 wave. We suggest that it is likely that more than one influenza virus was circulating in 1918, which might help explain the higher mortality rates in those unlikely to have been infected in early 1918.
Standing in the Shadows of Obesity: The Local Food Environment and Obesity in Detroit

Much of the literature examining associations between local food environments and obesity fail to consider whether or not respondents actually utilise the food stores around them. Drawing on survey data, this study examines the relationships between the neighbourhood food environment, mobility and obesity among residents from the lower eastside neighbourhoods of Detroit, Michigan. Certain dimensions of the local food environment are found to contribute to obesity, but these dimensions occur at different scales. Residents who rely on their immediate neighbourhood food environment have a higher likelihood of being obese than residents who do not utilise the stores around them. At a broader level, lower eastside Detroit residents with a greater concentration of fast food establishments around them have a higher possibility of being obese than residents with fewer fast food restaurants around them. The salience of the fast food environment warrants additional attention in terms of public health interventions.
Limited Proteolysis of Luciferase as a Reporter in Nanosystem Biology: A Comparative Study

Firefly luciferase is a 62 kDa protein that produces a flash of light on the oxidation of luciferin in the presence of ATP, Oxygen and Mg2+. Luciferase has a broad range of applications for analytical purposes and in vivo imaging for nanosystem biology studies. However, the enzyme is highly susceptible to proteolytic degradation that reduces its half‐life. Rate of proteolytic digestion between two members of luciferase family (Photinus pyralis and Lampyris turkestanicus) is compared. Proteolytic sensitivity of L. turkestanicus luciferase was found to be more than P. pyralis luciferase, due to higher rate of hydrolysis under identical conditions. Both luciferases showed more sensitivity to chymotrypsin than trypsin with different digestion pattern. Digestion of P. pyralis by trypsin produced some fragments which were found to be more resistant to further degradation, whereas in L. turkestanicus initial fragments subdigested by trypsin, like chymotrypsin effect on both luciferases. Furthermore, both luciferases become increasingly labile to proteolysis as the temperature increases. The rate of inactivation and the rate of degradation between luciferases were different in a specific time of incubation. Appearance of similar bands for both luciferases confirmed exposure of specific regions, in spite of structural differences.
Differential effect of difluoromethylornithine on the increases in plasma concentrations of reproductive hormones on the afternoon of pro-oestrus in the rat.

In our colony of female rats (220-320 g body weight) undergoing regular 4-day oestrous cycles there were significant, marked rises in concentrations of LH, FSH and prolactin between 09.00 and 19.00 h on pro-oestrus. The i.p. injection of difluoromethylornithine (DFMO; 40-400 mg/kg), a specific inhibitor of the activity of ornithine decarboxylase, at 15.00 h on pro-oestrus had a differential effect on the rise in plasma concentrations of the various hormones thereafter. The drug produced a significant, partial, dose-related suppression of the rise in plasma concentrations of LH and prolactin, but had no significant effect on the rise in FSH. For time-course studies, 120 mg DFMO/kg were injected at 13.00, 15.00 or 17.00 h and groups of animals killed at 19.00 h. Only the injection at 15.00 h was effective in causing a significant reduction in plasma concentrations of LH and prolactin at 19.00 h. Pituitary content of the hormones was found to be unaffected by the administration of DFMO at the times and doses tested. These results suggest that DFMO has a selective inhibitory effect on enhanced LH and prolactin secretion on the afternoon of pro-oestrus in the rat, whilst not affecting FSH release. There seems to be a limited time (after 13.00 but before 17.00 h) during which its administration is effective.
Optimization of Al-doped zinc oxide grown on sapphire using dual-plasma-enhanced metal organic chemical vapor deposition for InGaN/GaN light-emitting diodes

We prpose Al-doped zinc oxide (AZO) grown on sapphire substrate using dual-plasma-enhanced metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (DPEMOCVD). The crystalline quality, optical properties, and electrical characteristics of AZO depend on the deposition temperature. The AZO thin film grown at 185 oC shows the highest intensity of (002) preferent orientation for X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern, highest transmittance of 89 %, highest photoluminence (PL) intensity and lowest full-width at half-maximum (FWHM), and highest carrier concentration and mobility of 3.66 ×1021 cm-3 and 10.08 V/cms, which results a very low resistivity of 1.86 ×10-4 Ωcm. The PL peak shows a blue-shift for AZO grown at 185 oC as compared with ZnO bexause of the Burstein-Moss (BM) effect. In addition, the experimental results represent that the optimized Al content for Al-doped ZnO is 2.88 at % under the deposition temperature of 185 oC. Finally, the AZO was deposited on InGaN/GaN light-emitting deodes (LEDs) as transparent conductive layer (TCL). InGaN/GaN LEDs using DPEMOCVD-deposited AZO TCL show a lowest forward resist and highest light output intensity as compared to the those without and with TCL composed of commercial indium-tin-oxide (ITO).
Preparedness and response to bioterrorism.

As we enter the 21st century the threats of biological warfare and bioterrorism (so called asymmetric threats) appear to be more real than ever before. Historical evidence suggests that biological weapons have been used, with varying degrees of success, for many centuries. Despite the international agreements to ban such weapons, namely the 1925 Geneva Protocol and the 1975 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, there is no effective international mechanism for challenging either the development of biological weapons or their use. Advances in technology and the rise of fundamentalist terror groups combine to present a significant threat to western democracies. A timely and definitive response to this threat will require co-operation between governments on a scale never seen before. There is a need for proper planning, good communication between various health, home office, defence and intelligence agencies and sufficient financial support for a realistic state of preparedness. The Department of Health has produced guidelines for responding to real or suspected incidents and the Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS) has produced detailed protocols to inform the actions required by microbiologists and consultants in communicable disease control. These protocols will be published on the Department of Health and PHLS web sites.
Long-term use of benzodiazepines in participants with comorbid anxiety and alcohol use disorders.

BACKGROUND Although the only widely accepted role for benzodiazepines in alcohol dependence is the treatment of withdrawal syndromes, they are frequently prescribed outside of this clinical setting. There is little empirical evidence to guide the rational use of benzodiazepines in the common clinical situation where anxiety disorders are comorbid with alcohol use disorders (AUD). Since January 1989, the Harvard Anxiety Research Program has naturalistically monitored the prospective clinical course of people with anxiety disorders, some of whom had a history of AUD. Earlier research showed that the use of benzodiazepines was not significantly associated with the presence or absence of a history of an AUD over the first year of follow-up. This report extends that investigation. METHODS Using standard parametric analytic methods, patterns of benzodiazepine use (routinely prescribed medication and as-needed [PRN] use) among participants receiving benzodiazepine treatment was prospectively examined over the course of 12 years. Differences in benzodiazepine usage patterns were examined in each year of follow-up between participants who did (n=120) and did not (n=425) have a new episode of AUD. Using proportional hazards regression analysis, benzodiazepine usage levels were examined as predictors of recovery and recurrence of AUD. Additionally, random-effects regression analyses were used to examine the patterns of benzodiazepine use before and after the onset of a prospectively observed episode of AUD. RESULTS Benzodiazepine usage levels remained stable for the full sample over the course of the 12 years. Benzodiazepine use did not distinguish participants who had a new AUD from those who did not. Over the 12 years of follow-up, participants who had an AUD used more PRN medication in years five to eight. This difference reached statistical significance but was not clinically significant. Benzodiazepine usage levels did not predict recovery or recurrence in AUD subjects. Neither the total dose nor the PRN usage of benzodiazepines was significantly associated with the onset of AUD, but when combined into a measure of any benzodiazepine use, a relationship between increased use and the onset of AUD emerged. CONCLUSIONS For participants in the Harvard Anxiety Research Program with comorbid alcohol dependence and anxiety disorders, there was little association between the use of benzodiazepines and the occurrence of a new AUD. Neither was there a temporal relationship between the use of benzodiazepines and the onset of a new AUD. Whether or not this finding extends to a broader patient population or a group of people who present to addictions treatment awaits further investigation.
The relationship between bone mineral density and periodontitis in postmenopausal women.

BACKGROUND Systemic bone loss has been proposed as a risk factor for periodontal disease; however, the relationship between these two diseases is still not clear. The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between systemic bone mineral density and periodontal disease, controlling for known confounders. METHODS The study population included 70 postmenopausal Caucasian women aged 51 to 78 (mean +/- SD: 62.10 +/- 7.1 years). Skeletal bone mineral density (BMD) was assessed by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at the neck, trochanter, intertrochanter, Ward's triangle, and total regions of the femur, and from the anterior-posterior view of the lumbar spine. Periodontal disease severity was represented by clinical attachment loss (CAL) and interproximal alveolar bone loss (ABL). Other measures of periodontal status included probing depth (PD), supragingival plaque, gingival bleeding on probing, and calculus. DXA and oral examinations were performed by calibrated examiners. Partial correlation coefficients (r) were obtained from multiple linear regression analysis adjusting for age, age at menopause, estrogen supplementation, cigarette smoking, body mass index, and supragingival plaque. RESULTS Mean ABL was significantly correlated with BMD of the trochanter (r =- 0.27), Ward's triangle (r = -0.26), and total regions of the femur (r = -0.25). Mean CAL appeared to be related to BMD consistently at all regions of the skeleton, although the association did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS We can conclude that skeletal BMD is related to interproximal alveolar bone loss and, to a lesser extent, to clinical attachment loss, implicating postmenopausal osteopenia as a risk indicator for periodontal disease in postmenopausal Caucasian women.
Changes in mechanical properties of bone within the mandibular condyle with age

The purpose of the study was to compare indentation modulus (IM) and hardness of condylar bone in young and adult dogs. In addition we desired to examine histologic sections for bone formation activity in the two groups. Mandibular condyles were obtained from adult (1‐ to 2‐year‐old) and young (∼5‐m old) dogs. Two sections/condyle were obtained and one was processed for histomorphometry and the other for mechanical analyses. Indents were made on moist condylar trabecular bone to a depth of 500 nm at a loading rate of 10 nm/s using a custom‐made hydration system to obtain IM and hardness. Histomorphometric analyses measured the bone volume/total volume (BV/TV%) and ratio of labeled to unlabeled bone within the condyle. Data were analyzed using a repeated‐measures factorial analysis of variance and Tukey–Kramer method. Overall, the IM of the adult condyles (10.0 ± 3.4 GPa, Mean ± SD) were significantly (P < 0.0001) higher than in young dogs (5.6 ± 2.6 GPa). There was a greater bone mass in the young (60.2%) versus the adult condyles (42%). Also, significantly more labeled bone in the young (66.1%) condylar bone suggested higher bone forming activity than in adult condyles (27.5%). With age there is a change in mass and material properties in the trabecular bone of the mandibular condyle in dogs. J. Morphol. , 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Relationship between tumor and peripheral blood NPRL2 mRNA levels in patients with colorectal adenoma and colorectal cancer

NPRL2 is a tumor suppressor gene involved in the progression of human cancer. The present study investigated whether NPRL2 expression correlates with colorectal cancer (CRC) progression. Colorectal tissue and peripheral blood samples were obtained from 62 patients with CRC, 38 patients with colorectal adenomas and 51 normal controls. NPRL2 mRNA levels in tissue samples and blood were measured using quantitative real-time PCR. NPRL2 protein expression was determined by immunohistochemistry. NPRL2 protein expression in CRCs was significantly lower than in the adenomas or normal colorectal tissue. NPRL2 mRNA expression was significantly decreased in adenomas compared with normal controls (P < 0.0001) and it was further decreased in colorectal tumors compared with adenomas (P < 0.0001). NPRL2 mRNA levels expression correlated with tumor stage. In addition, NPRL2 mRNA levels in the blood correlated with the levels detected in tumors. Furthermore, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed that NPRL2 expression in blood could distinguish colorectal adenomas and CRCs from normal controls. NPRL2 mRNA expression in CRC tumor tissues and peripheral blood correlated with colorectal tumor progression. Based on our findings, we can conclude that NPRL2 mRNA blood levels could be a potentially useful marker for the detection of early stage adenomas and CRCs.
An evaluation of the Speak Mandarin Campaign within a dialect-speaking community

Scholars have observed that most literature on language planning is framed in the context of government involvement. Fishman (1989) in his landmark work, ascribes language planning to the work of the government by suggesting that language planning be viewed from the societal approach, one that points in societal directions and deals with the authoritative allocation of resources to the attainment of language status and language corpus goals. This study casts the spotlight on a deliberate language planning initiative by the Government in Singapore, the Speak Mandarin Campaign (SMC). The SMC was initiated in 1979 by the then Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr Lee Kuan Yew. The specific objective of the campaign was to persuade all dialectspeakers in Singapore to discard the habit of speaking Chinese dialects and to speak Mandarin as a common language. The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of the Speak Mandarin Campaign as a deliberate language planning effort by the Singapore government within a dialect-speaking community. It attempts to examine whether individuals in the community have adopted Mandarin in different domains of language use, and whether they have positive attitudes towards the use and status of Mandarin. In addition, the study also examines whether individual dialect-speakers have positive attitudes towards the SMC as a planned effort by the government to influence language usage. The tools for data collection consist of a sociolinguistic survey and a semi­ structured interview. The results from the survey questionnaire and the semi­ structured interview converge to show that the deliberate language planning by the government has indeed been effective in changing the linguistic habits of the dialect-speaking Chinese within the researched community and in embracing Mandarin as a language of preference and use.
Predicting organisational embeddedness through employee personality and their community embeddedness

Organisational embeddedness has emerged within the literature in the last 15 years as a strong negative predictor of voluntary turnover. However, little research has explored the predictors of embeddedness and the factors that impact the embeddedness-turnover relationship. In this study, I explore employee personality, using the Big Five' model, as an antecedent of organisational embeddedness. I also investigate the influence of community embeddedness on the often asserted organisational embeddedness-voluntary turnover relationship. Using a sample of 401 employees in the Caribbean nation of Trinidad, the multiple-step regression models provide support for most of the proposed hypotheses. Conscientiousness, emotional stability and extraversion were significant antecedents of embeddedness, organisational embeddedness negatively predicted turnover intentions and community embeddedness strongly moderated the organisational embeddedness-turnover intention relationship. Theoretical and practical contributions are discussed. Limitations are overviewed and research directions are offered.